(November 23) For a time, the Islanders carried over the
momentum of their 7-2 whipping of the Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday into
Saturday's match-up at Madison Square Garden. The problem was, the Isles
did not sustain the energy and let the Rangers find their game, leading to
a 1-0 deficit after two periods. Then, the Isles woke up, and Mark Parrish
and Brad Isbister found the net, powering the Isles to a 3-1 win.
The Wiemer-Scatchard-Blake line was at it early in this game. The trio
launched four shots on goal just two minutes into the game as they had the
Rangers scrambling. Blake fired off the best opportunity, a wristshot
along the ice that Dan Blackburn fought off with Wiemer tangled up in
front.
As the Isles outshot the Rangers 6-0 to start the game, the Blueshirts
posted their best chance on their first shot five minutes in. And it came
from an unlikely source as Darius Kasparaitis got behind the Isles'
defense and deflected an Eric Lindros centering pass on goal. Chris Osgood
dove across his crease and made a great stop to foil Kasparaitis' tip.
Soon after that, over-aggressiveness caught up with the Islanders as
Blake took out Blackburn and was called for goaltender interference at the
5:46 mark. Osgood made a quality stop early during the powerplay when he
had to change his momentum and kick out a Pavel Bure re-direction of a Tom
Poti shot.
The Blake line was at it again midway through the period as they
continued to give the Rangers' coverage fits. Dave Scatchard nearly put
home a centering feed that Blake fished out from behind the Blueshirts'
net, but the center had his stick tied up as he attempted to unleash his
shot.
The hosts began to get their legs under them soon after that and it
helped that they were given a powerplay with 8:17 left when Mattias
Weinhandl was tagged for holding Bure. The Isles' penalty kill unit put
forth another solid effort and did not yield a shot.
Osgood continued to be sharp as a 4-on-2 by the Islanders turned into a
near-Bure breakaway the other way when the Isles gave up the puck. Sven
Butenschon hustled back to cut off Bure's angle. The right wing still
fired off a backhander that Osgood stopped with is right leg pad.
Blake made another trip to the box with 4:08 left in the first when he
tripped Vladimir Malakhov. The Islanders dodged about three bullets during
the two minutes as the Rangers moved the puck around extremely well. They
just could not find a way to get the puck on net as the Isles' coverage
bent, but did not break. The closest call came when a Poti point shot was
tipped on the way to the net. It appeared Osgood did not see the shot, but
the puck landed on the side of the net.
At the end of the period, Blake did not get up quickly as he delivered
a check on Lindros. He left the ice under his own power after losing his
wind and returned to start the second.
Blake initiated the Isles' first powerplay when Dale Purinton took down
the Isles' forward two minutes in. But the powerplay unit did little to
test the net.
The Rangers in turn had another pair of great scoring chances the other
way. Petr Nedved almost had a tap-in goal on a centering feed with Osgood
already committed. But Eric Cairns and tied up the Ranger's stick. Brian
Leetch followed that up with a close-in chance that he shot over the net
from close range. Osgood closed out the sequence with a great sprawling
stop on Mark Messier.
It was the hosts' game at this point and they'd finally draw first
blood four minutes in on a Poti blast from the top of the left faceoff
circle. The Rangers' defenseman received a feed from Radek Dvorak pass at
the blueline and managed to put his shot under Osgood's stickblade.
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