While the Canucks looked every bit like a contender last time out, the
Islanders are coming off a performance to forget heading into the teams
first matchup of the season tonight at Rogers Arena.
Listen to the action unfold live on TSN Radio 1040 beginning at 5pm pt.
The Canucks (22-12-3) are tied for second in the Pacific Division, and
New York (26-12-1) sits in a tie atop the Metropolitan with Pittsburgh.
Daniel and Henrik Sedin lead Vancouver with 35 and 34 points,
respectively, while Islanders forwards John Tavares and Kyle Okposo have
combined for 70.
This game could also feature two of the games hottest goalies. Jaroslav
Halak has gone an NHL-best 18-3-0 with a 1.91 goals-against average for
New York since Nov. 5. While hes fourth in the league with 21 wins, Ryan
Miller is tied for fifth with 20 after going 4-1-1 with a 1.66 GAA over
Vancouvers last six games.
Miller came up with 29 saves and Henrik Sedin scored two empty-netters
to surpass 200 goals for his career in Saturdays 4-1 win over Detroit.
Daniel Sedin added three assists for Vancouver, which went 2 for 4 on
the power play after getting only two chances over the previous three
games. The Canucks are 7 for 16 with the man advantage in the past six
games.
The last two, three weeks its felt really good, Henrik Sedin told the
leagues official website. Its been tough to not get the amount of power
plays we want, but tonight we got four and sometimes thats what you need
to start feeling the puck and make plays.
The Islanders power play also has been outstanding lately, scoring seven
times in 20 chances over the past four games.
However, thats the only way they scored Sunday in what some called their
worst display of the season, losing 5-2 to league-worst Edmonton.
Tavares and Johnny Boychuk had two points apiece for New York, which had
won three in a row and seven of nine but lost to an Oilers team which
entered having lost 22 of 24.
It was an unacceptable game from us, forward Matt Martin said. Theres no
way we can just give these two points away, or worse, not even show up.
We had small spurts of playing OK, but then we were making bad
decisions on both sides of the puck.
Halak stopped just 18 of 22 shots as his personal seven-game winning
streak was snapped.
I thought we had some guys that were downright pretty bad, coach Jack
Capuano said. We were physical, we did a lot of good things, but at the
end of the day its about execution and there are some guys that need to
look in the mirror.
The Islanders had dropped three straight in this series before storming
back to win 7-4 in Vancouver on March 10. Okposo had three assists as
New York scored all seven goals over the final 20 minutes, tying the
team record for most goals in a period.
Tavares didnt play that night, but he has three goals and five assists
over four matchups in the series. Halak is 5-2-1 with a 1.99 GAA in his
last eight starts against the Canucks.
Miller has gone 5-1-0 with a 2.24 GAA versus New York over the previous
three seasons. Henrik Sedin has totaled five goals and seven assists
during a nine-game point streak against the Islanders, while Daniel
Sedin has notched 11 points in his last eight against them.
The brothers have combined for three goals and 14 assists over the last
six games overall.
Vancouver owns the leagues third-best penalty-kill percentage at 87.2.
The Islanders have allowed one power-play goal in their opponents last
23 chances.
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A proposal approved by the committee says coaches would be allowed to
challenge both called and potential defensive pass interference fouls
under certain conditions. Mike Brown Panthers Jersey . He then tried the other side of the ice, and that worked out quite
well for him and the Chicago Blackhawks.
Bickell had a goal and two assists, and the Blackhawks beat the
Minnesota Wild 4-1 on Sunday to take a 2-0 lead in the Western
Conference semifinals.DUBLIN, Ireland -- Ireland overcame the late
withdrawal of captain Paul OConnell to beat Scotland 28-6 in their Six
Nations opener at Lansdowne Road on Sunday.
OConnell picked up a chest infection on Saturday night, but the hugely
influential lock wasnt missed for once as his replacement, Dan Tuohy,
helped mince up the Scotland lineout in the first half and stand-in
skipper Jamie Heaslip led by example with a try and high workrate.
Ireland bridged halftime with tries by winger Andrew Trimble and
Heaslip, and Jonathan Sexton added 13 points to overtake Michael Kiernan
and become his countrys third highest point-scorer in tests. Fullback
Rob Kearney, marking his 50th cap, added a late try when the result was
already in Irelands grasp.
Without OConnell, Sean OBrien and Gordon DArcy, three big contributors
in the heart-breaking loss to New Zealand in the last outing in
November, there was enough doubt about Irelands ability and mindset to
achieve another good start in the last Six Nations for Brian ODriscoll.
But the doubts proved unnecessary, as Ireland had enough class and nous
for a Scotland still lacking a killer touch, and won its tournament
opener for the 10th time in the last 11 years.
Even so, Heaslip said coach Joe Schmidt tore into them after the game,
saying they needed "huge improvements."
The trouble with Ireland is finishing what it starts, unlike its next
opponent, Wales, a slow Six Nations starter but fast finisher. The
defending champion comes to Dublin next Saturday.
"Massive, massive challenge coming," Kearney said. "We have to recover
really well now. Weve only got six days, theyve had an extra day. Theyre
going for three championships in a row, so were under no illusions."
Heaslip and Schmidt said they were shocked to discover OConnell became
ill overnight, hardly slept, and saw a doctor at 4:30 a.m.
Schmidt said he expected OConnell, plus DArcy, to be available for the
Wales game.
"Its a relief to me that weve got through the game and got a win on the
board," he said.
Scotland coach Scott Johnson rued his sides naivety.
"We may have to go to somee dark places and bring some torches," Johnson
said. Jonathan Stewart Jersey. "Theres a naivety there that well overcome by having some time in the
saddle. They dont understand they are doing the hard bits quite easily,
but its the finishing off."
Scotland began the match by doing what it does best, holding the ball.
The Scots worked 11 phases into the Ireland 22 until they were harshly
penalized for holding too long. Then Greig Laidlaws long-range penalty
hit the left upright.
Sexton and Laidlaw swapped penalties, and Ireland ended up leading 6-3
into the second quarter.
Not until the last 10 minutes did the heart-rate rise. No. 8 David
Denton came closest to a Scotland try when he burst blindside off a ruck
10 metres out and was trying to reach out to the line when he was
bowled into touch by scrumhalf Conor Murray and flanker Peter OMahony.
As Ireland loosened Scotlands pressure -- winning four Scottish
throw-ins helped -- Scots and Lions winger Sean Maitland landed
awkwardly on his right ankle from jumping for an up and under and limped
off with concussion.
Sexton put the pressure back on Scotland by carving past tackles in
midfield, and gave Heaslip a shot in the left corner, but the No. 8
stepped over the sideline just before he touched down.
Ireland failed twice from five-meter lineouts with seconds to go and
Scotlands defence looked like holding, but quick rucks helped Ireland
find Scotland short on the right wing, where Kearney gave Trimble the
overlap to score for an 11-3 halftime lead.
"That gave us a little bit of breathing space," Kearney said.
Soon after the restart, Laidlaw cut the deficit to five, but Ireland put
the game away in the 47th when Tuohys lineout take was mauled by
Ireland and Heaslip scored too easily. Sexton converted for 18-6 and
added a third penalty before the hour.
Ireland controlled possession throughout the half, and inevitably
notched a third try to Kearney, who exploited a tiring defence when he
slipped off replacement Alasdair Dickinson and dragged flanker Ryan
Wilson to the tryline nine minutes from time.
Scotland hosts England next Saturday.
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