N.Y. Islanders ~ Long Island Clubs the Penguins..., TWICE!

From the desk of:   NYR  ~  A "RAISE GRESCH WITH THE GREATS" - Special Report!

THURSDAY NIGHT FINAL

New York Islanders   5

Pittsburgh Penguins   3

NEW YORK ISLANDERS:  Hey Rangers!  Look What Long Island Did to Pittsburgh..., Again!


Tonight, the New York Islanders completed a two game drubbing of the Pittsburgh Penguins.  And no one is more happier than Blueshirt Nation.


In the series' first game played Tuesday evening in Pittsburgh, the Islanders repeatedly beat Marc Andre Fleury high on his glove side, on their way to a 5-3 victory.  Frans Nielsen netted two goals for the Islanders.  Kyle Okposo, Michael Grabner, and David Ullstrom, also scored for Long Island.


The Isles jumped out to an early 2-0 first period lead.  But Pittsburgh answered back within the first five minutes of the second period to tie the game at two.  Long Island then reeled off three goals to close the period.  The Penguins picked up one more goal in the third.


Early in the third period, Ivgeni Nabokov left the game with an injury.  Al Montoya filled in.  He and the Isles held on for a 5-3 win.


The series shifted to Long Island Thursday night, where the Isles picked up where they left off.  Only this time, the Islanders found success against Pittsburgh's goalie by simply keeping the puck on the ice and sliding it passed him.  In the two games, the Isles wound up giving Marc Andre Fleury the 'ol High-Low treatment.  In outplaying Pittsburgh over the course of six periods, the worst scoring team in the Eastern Conference clubbed the Penguins with ten goals.  The NHL's top scoring team responded with six against two different Islander goalies.


Former Rangers' farm hand, Al Montoya made Thursday's start for the Isles in place of injured Ivgeni Nabokov.  He faced twenty-nine shots.  And over the first eighteen and a half minutes of the game, he limited the Penguins to just two goals.  In all, he stopped twenty-six shots for his seventh win of the season.


In the first period, Marty Reasoner scored his first goal of the season to stake the Isles to an initial lead.  After Pittsburgh tied the game 1-1 midway through the second period, Kyle Okposo scored on a power play, and Josh Bailey scored a shorthanded goal to close the period.


Kyle Okposo's third period goal was his third in two games against Pittsburgh, and his second of the night.  Then Pittsburgh struck back.  After Jordan Staal scored to make it a 4-2 game, Al Montoya gave up a late goal to Ivgeni Malkin with a minute and a half left in regulation to bring the Penguins to within 4-3 of the Isles.  But with ten seconds left, Josh Bailey out hustled Pittsburgh who had six skaters on the ice, and scored his second goal of the game into an empty net.


The Islanders skated away with their second straight 5-3 victory over the Penguins.


Brilliant!  Great freakin' job!





Mike.BTB