1ST PERIOD NOTES;
Islanders apply pressure with Trent Hunter and Sean Bergenheim squeezing the Devils for about 2 minutes to start the game.Matt Halischuk gets a good chance for the Devils and forces Marty Biron to make a good save. In the first 5 minutes, the Islanders are the more aggressive team in carrying the play. Eight minutes into the game, the flow of the play is more even, with the Devils getting some rushes into the Islanders end. Mark Streit gets a quality shot at Marty Brodeur and forces him to make a good save. Matt Halischuk hits the post on a chance to the side of the Islanders net.Brian Rolston gets a good shot on Biron that was a quality scoring chance for the Devils. Rod Pelley of the Devils and Nate Thompson of the Islanders have a fight that wasn’t exactly a classic. Richard Park scores on Brodeur on a slop shot from just inside the blue line at 11;18. The shot looks like it may have been deflected before it went in the net. Tavares gets a two on one with Kyle Okposo, but cant get a shot off, or get the pass across to Okposo. John Tavares and Kyle Okposo again create problems for the Devils in their own zone with 5 minutes to go in the period. The Devils get penalized, as Jamie Langenbrunner gets called for slashing at 15;44. Patrik Elias gets a good shot on Biron while shorthanded. The Isles got no shots on the power play. Mike Mattau gets a high sticking penalty for the Devils at 18;05. Zach Parise and Travis Zajac do a good job killing off most of the power play, as the first period ends.
2ND PERIOD NOTES;
The Devils score on a wrap around by Mike Mattau,as the puck hits some skates and deflects into the Islanders net, to tie the game at 54 seconds . The Devils get another good shot, as Dean McAmmond nearly scores on a rebound from a shot by Vladimir Zharkov. Parise and Zajac get a dangerous two on one rush. Halischuk gets a partial breakaway but couldn’t finish off the play. The Devils begin to carry the play and dominate in the second period around the 10 minute mark. Elias and Rolston create problems on the forcheck for the Devils. Andrew MacDonald creates a good scoring chance for Trent Hunter around the Devils net. The Devils go on the power play after Jack Hillen is called for crosschecking at 11;45. Brian Rolston scores on the power play at 12;06, on a pass from Elias and Langenbrunner, to give the Devils the lead at 2-1. John Tavares nearly scores after the faceoff, working around the Devils net.Andy Greene gets a shot that hits the crossbar over Marty Biron. Matthew Corrente of New Jersey and Tim Jackman of the Islanders, gave the fans their moneys worth in a no nonsense fight , that the very young fans at the game seemed to enjoy. Both players received fighting majors at 15;31. The Devils are getting several odd man rushes on the Islanders, and seem to be taking over control of the game. Richard Park and Kyle Okposo create the first pressure for the Islanders in this period, with 2 minutes remaining. The Devils think they’ve scored, but a replay shows that a shot hit the goal post and did not cross the goal line, so the period ends 2-1 in favor of the Devils.
THIRD PERIOD NOTES;
The play early in this period is choppy with not much flow to it. The Devils, led by Dean McAmmond, create some pressure for the first time in the 3rd period. Patrik Elias gets the first penalty of the period for holding at 6;30. John Tavares and Matt Moulson do a good job controlling the puck and keeping the pressure on the Devils on the power play. The Devils go on the power play, as Jack Hillen is called for holding at 9;19, and then the Islanders get another penalty as Richard Park gets penalized for holding as well at 9;30 , to set up a 5 on 3 advantage. Patrik Elias scores on a shot from the slot at 10;30. Marty Biron had lost his stick, and the shot went to the high left corner of the net. Brendan Witt had his stick broken on the play as well. The Devils score again at 11;54, as Zach Parise picks up a rebound in front of the net , after a shot from Andy Greene is taken from the point. The Devils add another goal as Brian Rolston scores at 12;32, on another rebound in front, after a shot from the point. That’s three goals in just over 2 minutes of the period. The Devils Mark Fraser gets penalized for interference at 13;44. Patrik Elias gets another goal at 19;15, as he beats Biron to the corner of the net, in the final minute of the game. to make the final 6-1 for the Devils.
GAME SUMMARY;
The Islanders started strongly in the first period and then, similar to their game in Toronto, the Islanders faded in the second and third periods, and in this case, the Devils quickly assumed control of the play and then the scoreboard. New Jersey look as good as they ever have, especially considering their injury woes, starting with Marty Brodeur and right through the line up. The Isles are getting good enough to tease you into thinking they’re a good team, as they did in defeating the Penguins on Friday. In the game with the Devils, and earlier with the Maple Leafs in Toronto last week,the Islanders sometimes get thrown off their game, and go into a shell, allowing an opponent to do what they want without much resistance. Perhaps it is the because of the youth on their team, that they need to learn how to finish off an opponent when they have them down, and not allow them to get off the mat, figuratively speaking. The Islanders have a good nucleus now with John Tavares, who looks dangerous anytime he has the puck, and Matt Moulson, a long shot to make it to the National Hockey League, who has become an inspirational story. Moulson, the North York, Ontario native, and Cornell graduate, has 19 points in 26 games. He was drafted by the Penguins 263rd in 2003. The Islanders are also hoping that former Windsor Spitfire Josh Bailey, will now blossom as an N.H.L. center. Kyle Okposo has looked solid in the games that I’ve seen, and plays with a determined disposition. He looks quite comfortable playing with John Tavares. Both Patrik Elias and Brian Rolston had two goals and two assists in this game.