As I was getting seated in the press area for the game, it was a real eye opener to see the number of empty large suites that are situated near the top of the building, behind the nets. I couldn’t see all of them because the Canadian flag obstructs my view, but from what I could see, there were at least 4 on the side the Islanders were defending in the first and third period,as well as 3 that I could see on the other end. Any talk of economic recovery in Ontario, is pure nonsense, and outrageously biased optimism bordering on propaganda, that has no basis in reality. Empty corporate suites at a Leafs game, are usually as reliable of an economic indicator, as you will find. No doubt, Toronto’s poor performance since the lockout hasn’t helped their cause. but the belt tightening of the corporate sector is readily visible here.
It is pretty amazing to see 41 year-old Dwayne Roloson, the Simcoe, Ontario native, still playing goal for the Islanders. Last year, he stole a win for the Isles against the Maple Leafs at the Air Canada Centre, by facing more than 60 shots and allowing his team to win the game in overtime. Having attended many of the charity golf tournament that he and the other NHL players from Simcoe hosted for about 20 years, I can say that “Rollie” is a very down to earth gentleman and a class act. I’m glad to see him continuing on with his career at a comparatively advanced age, that very few can reach in any professional sport. The “Norfolk Pros” Golf Tournament, was initiated by former NHL goalkeeper Rick Walmsley, along with fellow Simcoe natives, Dwayne Roloson, Rob Blake, Jason Cullimore, and others.
You wouldn’t have known it by the shots on goal, but the first period was dominated by the Leafs in terms of puck possession and territorial play. The Islanders didn’t really threaten Toronto in any way during the first twenty minutes. The shots on goal were 8 each.
Matt Moulson scored a beautiful goal for the Islanders to give them 1-0 lead on a nice set up from John Tavares at 2:17 of the second period, just after their power play had expired, with Francois Beauchemin off for tripping.
Kris Versteeg, the former Blackhawk and a solid character player, got fished into taking a foolish penalty for slashing at 19:44 of the period, in an attempt at retaliation, however the Leafs killed off the power play.
The Islanders are on the lower end of the salary cap, and are attempting to get by with minimal talent. Other than John Tavares, they don’t really have any star players. If they don’t get outstanding goalkeeping from Roloson, or Rick DiPietro, it is almost impossible for them to compete with the rest of the NHL over the more than 80 regular season games, which explains why it is not unusual to see crowds in the vicinity of 10,000 at their home games. Most analysts and hockey professionals, expect them to finish right at the very bottom of the Eastern Conference and the league. Having said all of that, very early in this season, the Islanders have been a pleasant surprise.
The Leafs did tie the game on a late power play goal by Phil Kessel at 17:55 of the the third period,as the Islanders were just barely hanging on by a thread. Dwayne Roloson was the only reason the Isles were in this game,featuring 30 shots directed at the goalkeeper. The game officials called back two Toronto goals, one of which was a puck that did not cross the goal line, and another that was ruled to have been knocked down with a high stick.
Remarkably, the Islanders won the game in overtime on a power play goal by John Tavares, with Brett Lebda penalized for goaltender interference. The best way to summarize this game is quite simple. Rollie the goalie rules the Leafs.