New York Islanders Take Game Two In Overtime

From the desk: LONG ISLAND NOMADS

NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE

STANLEY CUP PLAYOFFS

ROUND TWO

Islanders and Bruins tied; 1-1

I - BOS 5; NYI 2

II - NYI 4; BOS 3*

*overtime

Goalie Decision Still Altering Barry Trotz's Sleep Patterns

Both teams laid a lot of hits.  In fact, the Isles in game one inflicted seven more than Boston.  Physicality in this series is expected.  But if you remember, Long Island actually had to ease back on the physicality against Pittsburgh to better sync up their game.

Game one against Boston, you look at the disparity in shots on goal, then allowing two power-play goals, then just falling apart in the third period, and no one is really left wondering what happened.  

Boston centermen fired off 19 shots on goal, and three of their centermen, in particular, accounted for six assists, while three centermen each scored a goal.  Playing without Anders Lee, the Isles centermen joined together for 18 shots on goal.  Collectively they accounted for six points, and the Isles also got three goals from their centers.  That's fairly representative.

No skater for either team would post a minus-two for the game.

Tuuka Rask faced just 22 shots, allowing one even-strength goal and one on the power play.  

Meanwhile, Ilya Sorokin faces 39 shots.  He allows two power-play goals which both come very late in the period.  In the first period, David Pastrnak erases a one-goal lead with just 0:24 seconds left.  Then with the Isles trailing by two in the third, he yields a goal with 1:25 left in regulation.  He gives up three other goals at even strength.

And so, Coach Trotz spends another night with much to ponder.

For game two, Sorokin was out, and Semyon Varlamov was back in.  He faced 42 shots and stopped all but three, although it did little to avert overtime.  

Boston gets on the board at 2:38 of the first period.  But Varlamov keeps them out of the net for the rest of the first and all of the second.  Meanwhile, Long Island scores three unanswered second-period goals.  Two come on a slowly improving power play, and Kyle Palmieri tallies his fourth of the playoffs.

In a repeat of game one, the third period once again proves problematic.  Boston scores twice, sending this game into overtime.  That's when Tuuka Rask commits the mistake of a lifetime, turning over the puck, essentially handing it to Casey Cizikas, who ends the game unassisted.

The Islanders owned a slim advantage in face-offs, they increased their shots over game one, and the power play took yet another little step forward.  Physicality among both teams remains high.