And Here I Am Again...

Islanders 3 : Coyotes 2

After my trusty computer decided to get rid of my posts TWICE as I was writing them, here I am again, to say that this post and last night's game have been brought to you by the founders- whoever they may be- of the age-old argument that crops up every so often, and brings much debate and deliberation with it: do the Isles have talent, or do they not?

Well, Christine and I differ somewhat on the topic- as she is more on the affirmative side of this rope, I'm the mark in the middle. But whatever the case, the Isles proved they can win with what they have, using team play, an aggressive forecheck, and their traditional work ethic, despite some lazy plays here and there. Even as they fail to crack the four-or-more-goals mark for their eighteenth straight, Bill Guerin scored two goals as the Isles crashed the net often and played hard, especially winger Sean Bergenheim, who had four hits to start off the game in the first, and Richard Park, who had a few chances shorthanded. However, the Coyotes would score shorthanded, on a Nick Boynton shot for his first of the year, after Guerin's first and Marc-Andre Bergeron's power-play tally had made it 2-0.

There was a feisty, never-quit feel to Phoenix's game, as Niko Kapanen scored their last goal, and they pelted the net with shots up to the end, where a lively scrap occurred with three seconds left on the clock, resulting in Brendan Witt and Shane Doan getting to shower and dress a bit earlier. While it wasn't smart, it was pretty entertaining- at least more so than quite a few East vs. East games the Isles have had.

Overall, this game was one of the better ones by the Isles, and one that showed that the Isles have talent, but what they rely on more is hard play- keeping your head up, being physical, and getting to the net as much as possible. Park and Bergenheim reflected that completely, and I've noticed that they are great together- they create good chances and both move their skates, even when Comrie and Guerin seem to be having a hard time of it. Give credit to the captain, though- his second was the game-winner, which is a great thing given he had previously gone seventeen straight without even one. Also, Rick DiPietro saw his team get outshot by just a slim margin, which isn't saying much considering these were the two fewest-scoring teams facing each other, but aside from a goal he let in while out of position, he was sharp. He just has to remember to stop trying to overwork even with his D out of the play. Still, he was the second star of the game for a reason.

Next up... a game on Saturday against Pittsburgh, and this looks to be an opportunity for the Isles to string wins together. Since Marc-Andre Fluery's exit with a high ankle sprain (he looks to be out up to two months), the goaltending situation in the Steel City has been even more grim. As the Isles still need to get some offense going, this could be a prime opportunity to light up new starter Dany Sabourin- granted Guerin, Mike Comrie, Mike Sillinger and the others are up to it.