Islanders 26-15-4 56 pts
Devils. 18-21-7 43pts
Islander fans are preparing to Rock the Barn tonight against the Devils.
The Islanders and coming off their 2nd victory of the year against the St. Blues. Both games the Islanders were lucky to walk always with victories. A win is a win is a win. Take the 4 pts and move forward! Though Robin Lehrer stole 2 pts for the Islanders expect Thomas Griess between the pipes tonight. Griess already has 2 victories vs the Devils. If Robin Lehrer is the pick he is 9-1 in his last 10 games.
ISLES SCORING DEPTH:
The Islanders are scoring by committee this season, with eight players recording 10 or more goals.
Anders Lee and Brock Nelson lead the way with 16 apiece, while Mathew Barzal (13), Anthony Beauvillier (12), Casey Cizikas (11), Josh Bailey (10), Jordan Eberle (10) and Valtteri Filppula (10) all have at least 10. All four lines are represented.
"You look at the identity of our team, it's not one or two lines, it's all four lines and we're at our best when everyone is playing well and we're rolling," Eberle said. "If we can continue to have that consistency throughout the lineup we're a tough team to beat."
It's been a while since the Islanders had this type of scoring depth through 45 games. Per NHL PR:
Head Coach Barry Trotz said the scoring depth is a result of his team buying into a new philosophy and a new system.
"They've come in and been given roles and they've accepted those roles and produced in those roles," Trotz said. "That's all you can ask as a coach, be a contributing player."
FIRST PLACE IN SIGHT:
If the Islanders win both games on Thursday and Friday, they could conceivably wake up on Saturday morning in first place in the Metropolitan Division.
The Islanders (56 points) are three points back of the Columbus Blue Jackets and Washington Capitals (59 points) for first place. They'd need to win on Thursday vs New Jersey, on Friday in Washington and the Blue Jackets would need to lose on Friday vs Montreal.
So a few things need to happen for the Islanders, but just to be in this position is exciting for a team that outsiders had pegged for the division cellar before the season.
"It's crazy to think that this team is four points, or two points out of first place and we're right in the hunt and right in the mix," Mathew Barzal said. "It's been a fun year. Now that we're halfway through the year, people have to take us for real. It's not just 10 games in, we're 45 games in. It's been fun. Everyone is doing their job, everyone is really committed this year, everyone is playing great, everyone is having their best years and we're having fun doing it too."
ISLES-DEVILS NOTES:
- The Islanders are 9-1-0 in their last 10 home games against the Devils (3-0-0 at the Coliseum, 6-1-0 at Barclays Center).
- This is the first Islanders-Devils game at the Coliseum since Dec. 15, 2014. The Isles beat the Devils 3-2 in a shootout.
- The Islanders are 6-4-0 in their last 10 games against the Devils.
NEW YORK ISLANDERS NOTES:
- The Islanders are wrapping up a four-game homestand on Thursday night. The Isles are 2-1-0 through three games, all at Barclays Center, and have won two straight games.
- Valtteri Filppula scored the overtime winner on Tuesday night, his first-career OT goal in 919 NHL games. Filppula's goal was his 10th of the season.
- Jordan Eberle scored his 200th career NHL goal on Tuesday. Eberle scored 165 in seven seasons with the Edmonton Oilers and has potted 35 in two seasons with the Islanders. Eberle's goal was his 10th of the season and the winger is heating up, with eight points 4G, 4A) in his last 10 games.
- With Filppula and Eberle each scoring their 10th goals of the season, the Islanders now have eight players in double-digits. Anders Lee and Brock Nelson lead the team with 16 goals, while Mathew Barzal (13), Anthony Beauvillier (12), Casey Cizikas (11) and Josh Bailey (10) all have at least 10.
- Robin Lehner made 30 saves on Tuesday for his 13th win of the season. Lehner is 9-1-0 in his last 10 games, leads the NHL with a 2.16 GAA and is second with a .928 SV%. With back-to-back games on Thursday and Friday, it's likely that both Lehner and Thomas Greiss will see action.
- The Islanders (56 points) are currently third in the Metropolitan Division, three points back of the Columbus Blue Jackets and Washington Capitals, who are tied with 59 points. The Pittsburgh Penguins (56 points) are tied with the Isles in points, but the Islanders have played one fewer game.
- Thursday's game kicks off a back-to-back set for the Islanders, who visit the Washington Capitals on Friday night in DC. The Islanders are 4-2-0 on the first night of back-to-backs and are 6-0-0 in the second night.
- The Islanders penalty kill is a perfect 10-for-10 over the past three games.
- The Islanders next win will be the 1600th in franchise history. Currently, the Islanders are 1599-1535-347-146 (3691 points).
NEW JERSEY DEVILS NOTES:
- Taylor Hall has missed the last 11 games with a lower-body injury. Hall has not played since Dec. 23 against Columbus. Hall, the league's reigning MVP, has 37 points (11G, 26A) in 33 games this season, one point back of Kyle Palmieri for the team lead.
- Blake Coleman is red-hot for the Devils, with seven points (5G, 2A) in his last five games. Coleman has goals in four of his last five games playing on a line with Travis Zajac and Kyle Palmieri. The third-year pro has already set career-highs in goals (17) and points (27) in 46 games this season.
- The Devils (46 points) are currently 13 points back of the Pittsburgh Penguins for the second wild card berth in the Eastern Conference. The Devils are currently seventh in the Metropolitan Division.
- New Jersey enters Thursdays game on the heels of a 4-1 loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets. The loss snapped the Devils' two-game winning streak. Overall, New Jersey is 5-5-0 in their last 10 games.
- Cory Schneider has been out since Dec. 17 with an abdominal strain. Prior to being placed on IR, Schneider was 0-5-1 with a 4.66 GAA and a .852 save percentage. Keith Kinkaid (13-14-6, 3.10 GAA, .899 SV%) and Mackenzie Blackwood (5-2-0, 2.25 GAA, .935 SV%) are manning the Devils net.
This rivalry is not as charged as the one with the Rangers but these are 2 very large points. You have to beat the bad teams to stay in playoff position. Tonight is another chance to show that this team isnt finally maturing. Go out and get these 2 pts and we will have a chance to move ahead of the Caps into 2nd place when we meet tomm night. I am a little worried about tonights game as the Caps are on deck for tomm night. Go Isles!
I don't understand why people have such a hard time with apostrophes. It isn't that fucking hard.
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I don't understand why people have such a hard time with apostrophes. It isn't that fucking hard.
It's 12th Man. The guy is delusional and it probably carries over into his syntax.
LGI! Hope no one on the team is looking ahead to the (potential) first place showdown with Washington tomorrow, because if they are, chances are there won't be one.
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In comment 14266695
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I don't understand why people have such a hard time with apostrophes. It isn't that fucking hard.
It's 12th Man. The guy is delusional and it probably carries over into his syntax.
I will gladly accept the punctuation lesson so long as the Isles get 2 points tonight. Continue to enjoy your tank job Ass Wipe! Go Isles!
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In comment 14266697 YAJ2112 said:
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In comment 14266695
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I don't understand why people have such a hard time with apostrophes. It isn't that fucking hard.
It's 12th Man. The guy is delusional and it probably carries over into his syntax.
I will gladly accept the punctuation lesson so long as the Isles get 2 points tonight. Continue to enjoy your tank job Ass Wipe! Go Isles!
I will...and I'll do it with perfect grammar and punctuation.
Will need a better effort than the other night against STL. Theyve generally well at the Coliseum so lets bring in another 2pts!
Still amazing that were even discussing it this late into the season.
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In comment 14266703 Anakim said:
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In comment 14266697 YAJ2112 said:
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In comment 14266695
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I don't understand why people have such a hard time with apostrophes. It isn't that fucking hard.
It's 12th Man. The guy is delusional and it probably carries over into his syntax.
I will gladly accept the punctuation lesson so long as the Isles get 2 points tonight. Continue to enjoy your tank job Ass Wipe! Go Isles!
I will...and I'll do it with perfect grammar and punctuation.
I would expect nothing less from a perfect asshole.
Still amazing that were even discussing it this late into the season.
Sucks we are still not talking about the Giants playing but this is definitely helping to forget how bad a season it was. Like that we are winning ugly at times, winning easily at other times but what I really love is how many 1 goal games we are winning. Between the lowest goals given up and the 1 goal victories I am not sure which one I am most impressed with at this moment.
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In comment 14266723 The 12th Man said:
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In comment 14266703 Anakim said:
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In comment 14266697 YAJ2112 said:
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In comment 14266695
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I don't understand why people have such a hard time with apostrophes. It isn't that fucking hard.
It's 12th Man. The guy is delusional and it probably carries over into his syntax.
I will gladly accept the punctuation lesson so long as the Isles get 2 points tonight. Continue to enjoy your tank job Ass Wipe! Go Isles!
I will...and I'll do it with perfect grammar and punctuation.
I would expect nothing less from a perfect asshole.
I take that as a compliment, but I know you meant it as an insult. It's cool. We all know how you feel about people who put in an honest day's work.
There are some bright spots though such as Mackenzie Blackwood. Kinkaid has proven that last seasons performance was a fluke and with Schneider looking awful after hip surgery the future looked bleak in net. Mackenzie Blackwood, 2015 2nd round pick, has looked great so far in his young career. He was the top ranked North American goalie in the 2015 draft. He has great size and athleticism which jumps off the screen when you watch him. The coaches say that he still needs work on his technique the future looks very bright for Blackwood. Kinkaid should not be brought back next year because they need a better backup option to compete with Schneider if he is truly done. They should focus on a 1 year deal with Ryan Miller, Brian Elliott, or Cam Talbot.
Blake Coleman is having a career year and is one of the few bright spots. Taylor Hall, Nico Hischier, Will Butcher, Kyle Palmieri, Damon Severson, and Blackwood form the core.
As for prospects there is help on the way lead by 2018 1st round pick Ty Smith. Smith leads the WHL defensemen in points (48) and assists with 4 goals and and 44 assists in just 32 games. He will be in the NHL next season.
As for the NCAA the Devils have C Aarne Talvitie (Penn State), D Jeremy Davies (Northeastern), and D Reilly Walsh (harvard) playing very well.
Jeremy Davies is a junior that has averaged over a point a game over his NCAA career. So far this season he has 4 goals and 14 assists in 18 games. The Devils tried to sign him last offseason but he wanted to go back to school for another year. The 22 year old is more than likely going to sign this offseason to give the Devils another much needed defender who contributes on both ends of the ice.
19 year old Aarne Talvitie just won the gold medal at the World Junior championship for Finland. He had 4 goals and 3 assists during the tournament. To get familiar with North American hockey Talvitie joined Penn State where he has 16 points (5 goals and 11 assists) in 17 games. He was having a very good freshman campaign but he suffered a knee injury and is out for the rest of the season. The former 6th round pick was looking like another late round steal by Shero but the knee injury might influence whether or not he signs an ELC.
Finally there is the most talented offensive prospect in the system in C Jesper Boqvist. The 2017 2nd round pick is having a great season playing in Swedish Hockey league where he is among the league leader in points with 9 goals and 13 assists in 32 games. He could sign his ELC contract this offseason.
The Devils should have the most cap room in the NHL this offseason so they could be a very different team. Taylor Hall's contract situation will be a big story this summer. If they can't work out a long term deal then he will likely be traded at some point next year.
Then try caring less
Go, 12th, Go!
Go, 12th, Go!
Remember when you were considering becoming a Rangers fan?
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12th Man vs. the world right now and winning!
Go, 12th, Go!
Remember when you were considering becoming a Rangers fan?
And now down goes Fekker!
Right...and with that, I'm off this thread. Adios.
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in 1983. One of my friends who I met in school that 1st year became a huge Devils fan due to their move. He was one of those guys who made it very easy for the kid with a very funny accent be accepted by people with just the funny accent. Over the years we have stayed in touch, he has had a very difficult year. He lost his 17 year old daughter tragically this past fall. She was running a Cross Country event in NC where they live and she had a seizure and never recovered from it. She was taken off life support 3 days later and she passed. He went to Clemson for college so I was very happy for him that they won. I was thinking about him today. Thinking about him taking me to the Devil practices in Wayne, meeting one of my all time favorites in Chico Resch. The Devil fans never really have bothered me, we both have the same passion for hating the Rangers and most of their pathetic fans. The future of the Devils lies with Hall will he stay or go. I would love to see him signed long term and for the Islanders and Devils to become perennial playoff teams. The rivalry is not as fierce as the one with the Rangers but the games are usually very competitive and hard hitting. Looking forward to a good game. I know my buddy will have his tv ready to go to watch this game in NC. Go Isles!
Right...and with that, I'm off this thread. Adios.
This thread just got so much better very quickly. What can I write next to keep him off all my threads.
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In comment 14266914 The 12th Man said:
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in 1983. One of my friends who I met in school that 1st year became a huge Devils fan due to their move. He was one of those guys who made it very easy for the kid with a very funny accent be accepted by people with just the funny accent. Over the years we have stayed in touch, he has had a very difficult year. He lost his 17 year old daughter tragically this past fall. She was running a Cross Country event in NC where they live and she had a seizure and never recovered from it. She was taken off life support 3 days later and she passed. He went to Clemson for college so I was very happy for him that they won. I was thinking about him today. Thinking about him taking me to the Devil practices in Wayne, meeting one of my all time favorites in Chico Resch. The Devil fans never really have bothered me, we both have the same passion for hating the Rangers and most of their pathetic fans. The future of the Devils lies with Hall will he stay or go. I would love to see him signed long term and for the Islanders and Devils to become perennial playoff teams. The rivalry is not as fierce as the one with the Rangers but the games are usually very competitive and hard hitting. Looking forward to a good game. I know my buddy will have his tv ready to go to watch this game in NC. Go Isles!
Right...and with that, I'm off this thread. Adios.
What can I write next to keep him off all my threads.
Make a thread about the Islanders...but then everyone (except FEK) will stay away.
Okay, now I'm done (because you have to admit, that was just too easy). The mods have been pretty clear about the hockey tribes on BBI being separated.
@TwoTurtleDuffs
#ISLES NEWS: If the Isles make the playoffs, the team plans to play the first round at Nassau Coliseum.
Should they advance to past the first round, theyll play the rest of their games at the Barclays Center.
League is hestitant to do this but its what the #Isles want.
@TwoTurtleDuffs
#ISLES NEWS: If the Isles make the playoffs, the team plans to play the first round at Nassau Coliseum.
Should they advance to past the first round, theyll play the rest of their games at the Barclays Center.
League is hestitant to do this but its what the #Isles want.
Good idea. More people along the glass than SUVs.
Staple was on the 2man advantage podcast with Burnside and Lebrun and said barclays will host playoffs because they wont want to lose out on suite money
Mdc with his first NHL goal
LGI
Great to see the Rangers continue there untanking.
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In comment 14266925 Anakim said:
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In comment 14266914 The 12th Man said:
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in 1983. One of my friends who I met in school that 1st year became a huge Devils fan due to their move. He was one of those guys who made it very easy for the kid with a very funny accent be accepted by people with just the funny accent. Over the years we have stayed in touch, he has had a very difficult year. He lost his 17 year old daughter tragically this past fall. She was running a Cross Country event in NC where they live and she had a seizure and never recovered from it. She was taken off life support 3 days later and she passed. He went to Clemson for college so I was very happy for him that they won. I was thinking about him today. Thinking about him taking me to the Devil practices in Wayne, meeting one of my all time favorites in Chico Resch. The Devil fans never really have bothered me, we both have the same passion for hating the Rangers and most of their pathetic fans. The future of the Devils lies with Hall will he stay or go. I would love to see him signed long term and for the Islanders and Devils to become perennial playoff teams. The rivalry is not as fierce as the one with the Rangers but the games are usually very competitive and hard hitting. Looking forward to a good game. I know my buddy will have his tv ready to go to watch this game in NC. Go Isles!
Right...and with that, I'm off this thread. Adios.
What can I write next to keep him off all my threads.
Make a thread about the Islanders...but then everyone (except FEK) will stay away.
Okay, now I'm done (because you have to admit, that was just too easy). The mods have been pretty clear about the hockey tribes on BBI being separated.
Well, I did that and you were still here, so it wasnt that easy now was it?
If the Isles play playoff games anywhere besides the Coliseum Ill be disappointed (and then Ill realize the isles are in the playoffs and get over it). The suite money from Barclays isnt worth as much as energizing the fanbase by playing at the Coliseum to build momentum heading into Belmont.
It took some effort to stay quiet and not make noise when they kept scoring that period.
Glad they ended up closing it out!
It took some effort to stay quiet and not make noise when they kept scoring that period.
Glad they ended up closing it out!
Congrats brother!!!!!!!!!
It took some effort to stay quiet and not make noise when they kept scoring that period.
Glad they ended up closing it out!
So... 40 weeks ago, there must have been a big islanders win to celebrate. Haha
It took some effort to stay quiet and not make noise when they kept scoring that period.
Glad they ended up closing it out!
Congratulations on the birth! What is her name? Martina? LOL! Great game tonight.
The problem is, they cant control the puck in their own zone. That is why they need to start winning face faceoffs in the offensive zone, dammit.
It took some effort to stay quiet and not make noise when they kept scoring that period.
Glad they ended up closing it out!
Congrats!!
Hope baby and mom are doing well
So tempted to say the Isles are back but don't want to jinx it.
Here is to a win tonight vs the Caps #FuckDaleHunter
Let's go Islanders!
It took some effort to stay quiet and not make noise when they kept scoring that period.
Glad they ended up closing it out!
Congrats John!
It took some effort to stay quiet and not make noise when they kept scoring that period.
Glad they ended up closing it out!
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one-day old daughter and watched the first period on my phone while both of them were sleeping. Was a rare serene moment the last 36 hours.
It took some effort to stay quiet and not make noise when they kept scoring that period.
Glad they ended up closing it out!
Late to this comment, but congrats, brother nut!
All good things happening! How are you doing PGA? Miss your game. Threads. Love this team!