Three Nights, One Post!

I apologize for the delay in covering the games- my computer has been giving me trouble. But I'm back (for now) and ready to cover the three nights of hockey that have added up. The back-to-back games were half-successful in that a lethargic loss to Pittsburgh (no power-play, too many penalties, hardly effective passing) was made up for in a hardworking win over the New Jersey Devils, in which Martin Brodeur was denied his 500th win by the Isles for the second time (but that was fine, seeing as he won the next night against Philadelphia). Bryan Berard and Bill Guerin are both back in the lineup, and as a result, the power play looks much tighter than it did a few nights ago thanks to BB. Trent Hunter was also very impressive-physical, smart with the puck, and just all over the Devils defense. You have to admire him- although by no means fast, the guy's got drive. And because of that drive (although some people, including a Devils goaltender *wink* don't like to admit it), the Isles were able to stave off the Devs and set the stage for a tremendous game against the Rangers on their ice, their first meeting in the Garden this year. More than that, Isles goalie Rick DiPietro has a golden opportunity to win his 100th against the Isles' hated rivals. Rick always loves games against the Rangers, as any Islander would, and he steps it up a lot against them and the Devils, which may or may not be a good thing- however, his consistency may make it a good thing this time. Expect the confidence level to be through the roof tonight, as he approaches the milestone.
Even so, it's not only up to Rick to win. He's been good, but against the Devils the combination of his solid presence in net and great defensive presence led to the shutout. The Isles will need that same presence tonight. They will also, of course, have to keep an eye on the usual suspects- Jagr, Gomez, and Sean Avery (a key playmaker recently for the Rangers), even though as of late, they have received goals from unlikely suspects such as Michal Roszival. Even so, the key is to stay disciplined, help out the goalie, and get to the net early and often. Although the Rangers are in first place now, their big-name players are still struggling, and they don't have everything solved yet; also, the Isles have played them pretty even so far in this season series, so as long as they stick to their game, this should work out in their favor. Look forward to an exciting match tonight in Manhattan.