question mark for the Islanders is on

**wanglei** 14 мар 2018, 03:51

(SportsNetwork.com) - The Vancouver Canucks will try to win two straight games for the first time since mid-January on Monday night as they play host to the struggling New York Islanders. The Canucks are coming off just their second victory in 13 games, having bested the Calgary Flames 2-1 on Saturday. That improved Vancouver to just 2-10-1 since Jan. 26. Eddie Lack settled down to finish with 22 saves after giving up the first goal of the game early in the second period on a slap shot from center ice taken by Calgarys Brian McGrattan. Darren Archibald tied the game with his first career NHL goal and defenseman Yannick Weber had the game-winner five minutes into the third period. With the win, Vancouver snapped a four-game slide and sits four points back of the Dallas Stars for the second wild card spot in the Western Conference. It was a grind for both teams," said Canucks head coach John Tortorella. "Were just looking for points." Canucks winger Zack Kassian began serving a three-game suspension on Saturday that was handed down for an illegal check in Thursdays loss in Dallas. The Islanders wrap up a four-game swing through Western Canada tonight and are 1-1-1 on the trek. The regulation loss came last time out on Friday, a 4-3 setback to the Flames in which New York failed to hold a two-goal lead in the third period. Colin McDonald, Kyle Okposo and Brock Nelson lit the lamp for the Islanders, who have lost six of their past eight overall. Anders Nilsson made only 19 stops in the loss. "Its mental at this point," said Okposo, who had a shot ring off the post during a 5-on-3 power play early in the third period. "We give up one then we sit back and let them back in the game. We have to say enoughs enough." While Lack is likely to face the Islanders for the first time in his career tonight, it is unknown who will get the call for New York. Nilsson has never faced Vancouver, while Evgeni Nabokov is 14-7-3 with a 2.40 goals against average versus the Canucks. Nabokov made 28 saves in a 5-4 overtime loss to the visiting Canucks back on Oct. 22 in the first of two meetings this season. Nelson scored his first NHL goal in the setback, New Yorks third in a row to Vancouver. Brad Richardson had the game-winner for the Canucks, who have won four of five and eight of the past 10 encounters at home in this series. Budda Baker Jersey . Four years after winning gold on home ice in Vancouver, the Canadians will get a chance to make it two in a row Sunday against Sweden after beating the United States 1-0 in the Olympic semifinals Friday at Bolshoy Ice Dome. J. J. Nelson Jersey . Seth Smith hit a towering drive for a tying homer leading off the eighth and Chris Denorfia singled home two runs to give the Padres a 3-1 victory against the rival Dodgers in baseballs North American opener Sunday night. http://www.thecardinalsshoponline.com/antoine-bethea-cardinals-jersey-85/ . And fellow Leaf, Jake Gardiner, hiking in Whistler. Haason Reddick Jersey . Striker Dario Mandzukic scored the opener in the 22nd minute but was given a red card nine minutes later for a reckless tackle and left Croatia with 10 men for the remainder of the match. Adrian Wilson Jersey . The 10-year deal the league and players agreed to that ended the 2011 lockout gave either side the right to opt out after six years. With the league projecting financial growth, there has been speculation that players will take that option in three years, especially since a new national TV contract will be in place by then.With the NHL regular season right around the corner, TSN.ca profiles each team leading up to puck drop. Next up are the New York Islanders, a team that has higher expectations after some quality offseason work. Catch up on their summer moves and the issues they face this season, as well as Craig Buttons analysis of their top prospect and an analytical breakdown by TSNs Scott Cullen. Division: Metropolitan GM: Garth Snow Head Coach: Jack Capuano 2013-14: 34-37-11 (8th in Metropolitan) Playoffs: Did not qualify Goals For: 216 (17th) Goals Against: 261 (28th) Powerplay: 17.8% (17th) Penalty Kill: 78.1% (29th) That Was Then: After 4-4-3 start to the season, Islanders general manager Garth Snow decided to shake up his roster and make a move that could help put his team in the playoffs for the second straight season a€“ a feat the Islanders hadna€?t accomplished since 2004. Snow traded forward Matt Moulson, the Islandersa€? first-round pick in the 2015 NHL Draft and a 2015 second-round pick to the Buffalo Sabres for two-time 40-goal scorer Thomas Vanek. The move was immediately questioned as Moulson was coming off a strong 2012-13 campaign, in which he posted 15 goals and 44 points in 47 games, and Vanek a€“ like Moulson - was set to become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season. In Vaneka€?s first three games with the club, the Islanders went 2-1 with the Austrian scoring one goal and adding two assists. The Islanders then went into a nosedive, losing 15 of their next 17 contests, including a season-worst 10-game losing skid. By the end of January the Islanders were reeling; their record sat at 21-28-8, well out of a playoff spot and the team was in the midst of a five-game losing skid. Looking to address their future, the Islanders offered Vanek a substantial contract extension. Reports put the extension in the range of $50 million over the next seven seasons, identical to the number offered by the Edmonton Oilers and matched by the Sabres in 2007. Vanek, however, declined the offer and Islanders set out to find a trade partner for the veteran forward. To make matters worse for the Islanders, their leading scorer John Tavares suffered a torn MCL and torn meniscus while playing for Canada at the 2014 Sochi Olympic Games. Tavares was third in the league in points at the time of the injury. On trade deadline day, the Islanders traded Vanek to the Canadiens for 2012 second-round pick Sebastian Collberg as well as a second-round draft pick and a conditional fifth-round draft pick in 2014. The Islanders finished the season 26th in the league, 11 points out of the second and final wild card playoff spot. Kyle Okposo finished as the teama€?s leading scorer with 69 points, three points ahead of Tavares who missed the final 23 games of the season. Scott Cullens Analytics Predators 2013-14 Stats by Quarter Games GPG GAA SH% SV% SAF% PTS% 1-20 3.05 3.25 7.8% .911 48.9% .425 21-41 2.62 3.52 7.2% .912 45.7% .390 42-62 3.10 3.38 8.1% .904 48.2% .500 63-82 2.80 3.10 6.6% .917 52.0% .625 NHL AVG 2.67 2.67 7.8 .922 50.0% .562 Key: GPG= goals per game, GAA= goals-against per game, SH%= even-strength shooting percentage, SV%= even-strength save percentage, SAF%= score-adjusted Fenwick percentage (differential of shot attempts faced vs. shot attempts, excluding blocked shots, adjusted for game score), PTS%= percentage of available points. Analysis: Games 1-20: Subpar goaltending and possession leads to a tough start. Games 21-41: Goaltending continues to struggle, possession gets worse, record collapses. Games 42-62: Possession and shooting improve a bit, enough to tread water despite worse goaltending. Games 63-82: Best possession and goaltending segment of the year, leads to winning record despite goal deficit. Key 2014 Additions: G Jaroslav Halak, C Mikhail Grabovski, RW Nikolai Kulemin, G Chad Johnson, LW Cory Conacher, D TJ Brennan Key 2014 Subtractions: G Evgeni Nabokov, G Anders Nilsson This Is Now: Garth Snow started his attempt to revamp the Islanders roster early in the off-season; trading for two pending free agents in goaltender Jaroslav Halak and defenceman Dan Boyle. Thhe Islanders signed Halak to a four-year, $18 million contract ahead of free agency.dddddddddddd With Boyle, the Isles had less success and attempted to trade the veteran after he rejected a two-year deal from the club. In free agency, the Islanders made a major splash in signing former Toronto Maple Leaf teammates Mikhail Grabovski and Nikolai Kulemin to four-year contracts. The team also signed Chad Johnson to a two-year contract, cementing their goaltending tandem. In Grabovski and Kulemin, the Islanders receive a pair who combined for 59 goals and 115 points in the 2010-11 season with the Leafs. Kulemin scored 30 goals that season, but has yet to score more than nine goals in any season since. Grabovski spent last season with the Washington Capitals, scoring 13 goals and 35 points in 58 games. The two figure to align on the Islanders second line as they reunite after a year apart. The additions of Grabovski and Kulemin should strengthen the Islanders top-six, which already included Tavares, Okposo and former 30-goal scorer Michael Grabner. Halak and Johnson form the Islanders new goaltending duo, after the assembly of Evgeni Nabokov, Kevin Poulin and Anders Nilsson posted a combined 3.00 goals against average and a .898 save percentage last season. The remaining question mark for the Islanders is on defence, where their group remains unchanged despite the attempt to sign Boyle. The lone defenceman the Isles added in free agency was T.J. Brennan, who could push playing time after winning the Eddie Shore Award as the outstanding defenceman of the AHL with the Toronto Marlies last season. Unless Brennan makes the roster, the Islanders hope the upgrades at goaltender and forward suffice for standing pat on defence. DEPTH CHART Forwards Left Wing Centre Right Wing Brock Nelson John Tavares Kyle Okposo Josh Bailey Frans Nielsen Michael Grabner Anders Lee Mikhail Grabovski Nikolai Kulemin Matt Martin Casey Cizikas Cal Clutterbuck Cory Conacher Ryan Strome Colin McDonald Eric Boulton Johan Sundstrom Jack Skille Defence Left Right Lubomir Visnovsky Travis Hamonic Calvin De Haan Thomas Hickey Matt Donovan T.J. Brennan Brian Strait Matt Carkner Griffin Reinhart Ryan Pulock Goaltenders Jaroslav Halak Chad Johnson Kevin Poulin Craigs List TSN Director of Scouting Craig Buttons Top Prospect: Griffin Reinhart There is not much flash in Griffins game but here is a tremendous amount of substance. Excellent sense and feel for situations and is very calm, composed and settled under pressure. He has the ability to quiet things down, so to speak, and get the game back into balance when hes on the ice. Excellent agility and balance and with his size, he is a very difficult defenseman to beat one-on-one and to break down. He plays with a self-confidence and assuredness that says, Dont worry, I have this under control. For Islander fans, think of what Ken Morrow brought to four Stanley Cup teams, and you can get a picture of what Griffin means to a team. Fantasy - Cullens Player to Watch - Brock Nelson Coming off a strong rookie season, during which he contributed 26 points in 72 games, with strong possession stats (52.6% Corsi) and is looking at a much better opportunity in his second season. While there is competition among a suddenly-deeper group of Islanders forwards, Nelson may get a chance to skate on left wing with John Tavares and Kyle Okposo on the Islanders top line and that opportunity is too good to ignore. A full season in that spot, along with power play time, would give Nelson a chance to double last seasons output, but even if he doesnt end up making a jump that big, hes a promising young forward who should continue to play a more significant role as he matures. Cheap NFL Jerseys Wholesale Jerseys Wholesale NFL Jerseys Jerseys From China Wholesale NFL Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys Cheap Jerseys ' ' '