Senators overule Islanders

Senators celebrate one of five goals (Photo by Mike Stobe/NHLI via Getty Images

          After going on a roll, winning five of six games, the Islanders suffered their second consecutive loss, falling to the Ottawa Senators 5-1.
          After the two teams traded goals in the first, the Senators pulled away, scoring three goals in a span of ten minutes in the second period. 
          The Islanders did take the early lead in the first.  Defenseman Mark Streit jumped up on the play and took a pass from behind the net, from center John Tavares, and buried a snap shot past the Senators goaltender, Craig Anderson.  The goal was Streit's seventh of the year.  About ten minutes later, at the 16:40 mark, center Kyle Turris would score his first of two goals, burying a wrist shot over the sprawling Isles goaltender, Al Montoya, to tie the game.
          The second period was all Senators.  Starting at the 3:09 mark when defenseman Sergei Gonchar would bury a one-timer by Montoya, to make it 2-1.  The goal was Gonchar's fifth of the year.  Just about three minutes later, at the 6:00 mark, left winger Milan Michalek would bury a backhander by Montoya, to give the Senators the 3-1 lead.  The goal was Michalek's thirty-fifth of the year.  The Senators would pile on, when at the 13:21 mark, left winger Nick Foligno dove for the rebound left by Montoya, and buried it into the back of the net, to make it 4-1.  The goal was Foligno's fifteenth of the year.  
          The rout would continue into the third.  At the 7:00 mark, the Senators would net the last goal of the game, when Turris would get his own rebound and relentlessly swing at the puck before it finally went in.  The goals were Turris' eleventh and twelfth of the year. 
          The Isles have only three games left, with two on the road and one at home.  They play one of those road games against the Devils on Tuesday.  Puck drop is 7 PM.       

Islanders Overwhelmed in Ottawa

Ottawa celebrates after one of their five goals (Photo by Andre Ringuette/NHLI via Getty Images)

          The Islanders lost ground in the playoff race, after a crushing 5-2 loss in Ottawa, Sunday night.  
          The Islanders now have a record of 26-28-8 with sixty points.  That's eight points behind the eighth place Winnipeg Jets.
          The Islanders got off to a fast start in this one, scoring just forty-nine seconds into the game.  John Tavares and P.A. Parenteau had a two on one and Tavares was able to fire a wrist shot through the pads of Ottawa goalie, Robin Lehner.  It was Tavares' twenty-fifth goal of the season.  
          The second period saw Ottawa come out looking like a completely different team than in the first.  They controlled much of the play and kept the Islanders in their own zone for most of the period.  The Islanders downfall came when they took two penalties, just five minutes apart from each other.  Ottawa was able to capitalize on both of the opportunities the Isles gave them.  
          David Ullstrom would take a high sticking penalty at the 10:42 mark.  On the ensuing power play Milan Michalek was able to bury a backhander five hole on Evgeni Nabokov, for his twenty-eighth on the year.  Just four minutes and twenty-two seconds later PA Parenteau would take a tripping penalty.  Jason Spezza would capitalize on the power play, blasting a slap shot over the left shoulder of Nabokov, to make it 2-1.  It was Spezza's twenty-eighth as well.  
          The third was much of the same for the Islanders.  Ottawa seemed to have a step on them everywhere on the ice.  And it showed when at the 5:13 mark of the frame, Mike Mottau threw a blind pass to Frans Nielsen, which was taken by Ottawa's Chris Neil.  Neil would leave it behind for teammate Jim O'Brien who wristed a shot over the glove of Nabokov to make it 3-1.  The Islanders would regain a little confidence when at the 9:04 mark PA Parenteau was able to get one by the pads of Lehner to bring the Islanders back to within a goal.  The hope was short lived, because just four minutes later Neil was able to tip one out of mid-air by Nabokov, increasing Ottawa's lead once again.  Ottawa would ice the game when with just two minutes left Kyle Turris would hit the empty net and give Ottawa the 5-2 victory.
          This was the first of a four game road trip for the Isles.  The next stop on their trip is a visit to the Capital, for a contest against Washington.  Puck drop is 7PM.         

With the Presidents in Town, Islanders House falls to Senators

Senators celebrate after 6-0 win over Isles (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

          With the presidents in town for Presidents Day, the Islanders played a lackluster game in a 6-0 loss to the Ottawa Senators, Monday afternoon at the Coliseum. 
          Defenseman Erik Karlsson had 4 points and goaltender Craig Anderson stopped all 28 pucks thrown his way for his 27th win, and his 2nd shutout.
          Rookie goalie Kevin Poulin had a rough day giving up 2 goals on 5 shots and got yanked just 85 seconds into the game.  Al Montoya didn't fair much better giving up 4 goals on 27 shots.  

Presidents, Teddy Roosevelt, Thomas Jefferson. George Washington and Abe Lincoln race (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

          The Senators scored early and often, on way to their rout of the Islanders.  The scoring started early in the first, at 1:08 of the 1st, with Karlsson shooting a very deep angle shot that hit Poulin's stick and deflected by him to make it 1-0.  Just 28 seconds later Jason Spezza scored his 26th of the season, firing a wrist shot past Poulin.  The goal would be Poulin's demise as he was yanked in favor of Montoya.  Karlsson would connect on a slap shot, his second goal of the game, at the 14:03 mark, for his 12th, to make it 3-0.

          The second period would see more of the same, with the Senators outplaying the Isles, but they were only able to get one shot by Montoya.  It came off the stick of Chris Phillips at the 9:37 mark of the frame, for his 3rd of the year.

          Ottawa would all but seal it at the 9:49 mark with Brian Lee  blasting a slap shot past Montoya, for his 1st of the campaign.  With the game already in hand, Jason Spezza would add insult to injury, by firing a slapper by Montoya for his 27th.

          The Isles still have a game on Toronto and still sit 6 points from a playoff spot.  They next play on the road in Buffalo, for a tilt against the Sabres on Tuesday.  Puck drop 7:00 PM.