Islanders Lose Heartbreaker to Capitals....agian

Alexander Ovechkin celebrates after his game-tying goal (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

          On a night where everything seemed to be going the Islanders way, the Capitals emerged as the victor, beating the Isles 5-4.
          The Isles had friendly bounces going their way, a working power play, a pair of three-goal leads and even a shootout, but came out of the game with a single point.  
          The loss is the Islanders fourth one in a row, as their chance for making the playoffs, seems to slipping out of their grasp.  The Islanders now sit at 28-31-11 with sixty-seven points.  That's now eleven points behind the eighth place Capitals.  Each team has twelve games left to play.
          The first period was all Islanders.  They outshot the Capitals 10-4, and outscored them 2-0.  It started at the 8:54 mark of the period when left winger Matt Moulson scored one of the wackiest goals, in all of hockey, this year.  Moulson took a hard slap shot that went high off the glass behind the net.  Washington goalie, Michal Neuvirth, turned around and looked behind the net, but had no idea where it was.  Suddenly the puck bounced off his stomach and into the net, to give the Isles an early 1-0 lead.  The goal was Moulson's thirtieth of the year.  The Islanders would add to their lead near the end of the period.  While on the powerplay, at the 19:39 mark, defenseman Travis Hamonic took the puck down low and threw towards the front of the net.  The puck then ricocheted off a Capitals player's skate and in.  The goal was Hamonic's second of the year.  
          The second period would see the Islanders extend their lead even more.  On the powerplay again, at the 9:05 mark, center John Tavares would get a rebound, kick it to his stick, and bang it home, to give the Islanders a 3-0 lead.  Just under thirty seconds later, at the 9:33 mark, right winger Mike Knuble would tip a shot past, Isles goalie, Evgeni Nabokov, to trim the Isles' lead to 3-1.  The Islanders would get their momentum back at the 11:44 mark, when Tavares would bury a wrist shot over the glove of Neuvirth, for his second of the game, which gave the Isles a 4-1 lead.  The goals were Tavares' twenty-ninth and thirtieth.  He is now tied with his line mate, Matt Moulson, as the team leader in goals.  With under a minute left in the period, at the 19:07 mark, left winger Alexander Ovechkin would bury a rebound left by Nabokov, to make it 4-2 going into the third.  
          Under two minutes into the third the Capitals would trim the lead again.  At the 1:51 mark, defenseman Dmitry Orlov would bury a wrist shot over the blocker of Nabokov, to make it 4-3 Isles.  Then at the 10:51 mark the Capitals' comeback would be complete.  Ovechkin would be stopped on a one-timer by Nabokov, but he couldn't hold onto the puck and Ovechkin would bury his own rebound to tie the game at 4, and send this one into overtime.  
         With both teams securing a point, the overtime saw nobody score and the game went to a shootout.  The Islanders sent out center Frans Nielsen, Tavares, and Moulson.  The Capitals countered with left winger Alexander Semin, Ovechkin, and Orlov.  Nielsen was first to shoot, and he clanked his famous backhander off the post.  Trying to give the Capitals the advantage Semin came in fast, but had the puck poked away from him by the stick of Nabokov.  Tavares would give the Isles the advantage as he was able to bury his wrist shot under the glove of Neuvirth, to give the Isles a 1-0 lead.  Ovechkin would tie the shootout, burying a backhander by Nabokov, to make it 1-1.  Next up was Moulson, who tried to go over the blocker of Neuvirth, but he was up to the challenge, stopping him and giving the Capitals a chance to win it.  With a chance to win it, Orlov skated towards Nabokov, but he lost control of the puck and never got a shot off.  With the shootout going into sudden death, Islander coach Jack Capuano sent out his captain, defenseman Mark Streit.  Streit tried to go five hole, but Neuvirth closed his pads in time and stopped him.  The Capitals then sent out center Matt Hendricks to face Nabokov.  Hendricks put on a ton of moves and fooled Nabokov enough to get one by him and give the Capitals the win.  
          With their playoff hopes slipping a way, the Islanders will try to end their losing streak on Thursday night, when they play host to the Philadelphia Flyers.  Puck drop is scheduled for 7 PM.             

Islanders Suffer Crushing loss to Capitals

Capitals celelbrate their game-tying goal (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

          The Islanders suffered a crushing 3-2 defeat to Alex Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals, Tuesday night in Washington. 
          The Islanders carried a 2-0 lead deep into the game.  But a desperate Capitals team was able to score two goals in the final 3:30 before winning it in overtime.
          The Islanders seemed to have luck on their side early in the game.  The Capitals outplayed them in every aspect of the game in the first period, outshooting the Isles 13-3.  However, Evgeni Nabokov was able to stop all thirteen Capital shots.  Josh Bailey was able to capitalize on one of the Isles' shots, netting a backhander by Caps goalie, Michal Neuvirth.  It was Bailey's seventh goal of the year.  
          In the second period the Islanders were able to right the ship, and played a much better road period.  They outshot the Caps 12-7 but none of those got by either net minder.  
         The third started out great for the Islanders.  Coming off a better second period the Isles continued their solid play in the third.  And just over two minutes into the frame the Isles were able to extend their lead.  Matt Moulson was able to tip a Steve Staios shot past Neuvirth to make it 2-0 Isles.  It was Moulson's team leading twenty-seventh goal. 
         The game clock was at 3:30 and the Islanders had a comfortable lead and seemed to be ready to skate out of Washington with two points in hand.  However, the Capitals had other plans.  
          With 3:29 left in the third Troy Brouwer tipped one by Nabokov's left pad and cut the lead to 2-1.  Then with just twenty-six seconds left in the game the Isles confidence was crushed.  With their goalie pulled, the Capitals were able to tie the game when Brouwer scored his second, tipping one by Nabokov yet again.  The goals were Brouwer's sixteenth and seventeenth.  That sent this contest into overtime.
          With the Islanders having one point secured they did not want to lose this crucial second point in a contest they thought they had locked up.  But just 1:35 into the overtime period, Alex Ovechkin snapped a shot by Nabokov and sent the Islanders to their locker room dumbfounded.  It was Ovechkin's twenty-sixth of the year.
          The Islanders did get one point, however, and now sit eight points behind the Capitals, the very team they just lost to.  They now have 19 games left and need to turn it up to another gear, and get as many points as they can.  
          The Islanders continue their four game road trip, when they travel to Philadelphia for a matchup against the Flyers, Thursday night.  Puck drop is scheduled for 7 PM