All About The Jersey - New Jersey Devils at New York Islanders: Game Stream #32A world class blog for Jersey's team: the New Jersey Devilshttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/47083/lou-fave.png2014-12-15T22:59:50-05:00http://www.allaboutthejersey.com/rss/stream/71566922014-12-15T22:59:50-05:002014-12-15T22:59:50-05:00Kinkaid Great but Devils Edged by Isles in SO
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<img alt="Do not blame yourself, Keith Kinkaid. You were great tonight. " src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/Rz01PH1YWIxiACGXtlMmZLzNl2o=/0x45:3000x2045/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/44345500/460519350.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Do not blame yourself, Keith Kinkaid. You were great tonight. | Bruce Bennett/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>Keith Kinkaid was great again but the rest of the New Jersey Devils weren't so great against the New York Islanders as they lost 2-3 by a shootout. This recap touches on the great return of Travis Zajac, the disaster that was the Henrique line, and more.</p> <p><span>Keith Kinkaid</span> can at least feel good about being the #2 goaltender on the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.allaboutthejersey.com/">New Jersey Devils</a>. He had himself a very fine performance in net. Given that he got shelled by Chicago in his first start, a game like this only solidifies his status. Different opponent, different arena, different situation, and still very solid in his positioning and really quick with his glove. He also faced a generous number of shots - 33 over 65 minutes of play - to go with five shootout rounds. While the ice was not tilted as badly as the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.secondcityhockey.com/">Blackhawks</a> made it last Tuesday, it did tilt against the Devils. Kinkaid did quite well in the face of Devils skaters getting pinned or getting beaten off the rush.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, his play did not bail out the team entirely. Not that it was his duty. No, Kinkaid was more than acceptable in net tonight. But the Devils did not get that desperately needed win. The Devils did not win it in the shootout over the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.lighthousehockey.com/">New York Islanders</a>. They lost to make it a 2-3 final score. That's the fourth straight game without a win for the Devils, the second straight shootout loss for Kinkaid, and the sixth straight shootout win for the Isles.</p>
<p>It's also another game where the Devils were up 2-0 but that lead went away. Before lamenting or raging about that, you may want to consider lamenting or raging against the lack of response to each goal. <span>Josh Bailey</span> scored right after an Islanders power play ended early in the second. He was all alone in front, <span>Ryan Strome</span> did well to get him the puck, and Kinkaid had a point-blank shot that he wasn't going to stop. That happened 1:51 into the period. The Devils responded with only seven shots on net and 13 shooting attempts. While the Isles would be expected to do more, that's not really in line with trying to re-take a two-goal lead.</p>
<p>In the third period, the disparity in shots and attempts only got worse. The Devils didn't sit back, they just reverted to what they put on display for the better part of the last four games. Bad zone exits. Bad passing. Bad decisions. Looking lost in their own end. The Devils got out-shot 7-13 and out-attempted 9-17. One of those plays off the rush yielded the equalizer the Islanders looked for: a 2-on-1 led by <span>Matt Martin</span>, who finished the play. That goal happened 10:45 into the period. Again, the response left a lot to be desired. It would be a couple of minutes before the Devils got a shot on <span>Jaroslav Halak</span>. There wasn't much, not even with a late power play to close out regulation. While it wasn't anything like the horror show that was the third period in Carolina, it wasn't all that good.</p>
<p>Overtime was interesting between bad passes killing offense and leading to some for the other team, the Devils killing off a stupid penalty taken by <span>Scott Gomez</span>, seeing Gomez power through defenders (!) for a shot on net (!!), and <span>Eric Gelinas</span> managing to impede Bailey off on a breakaway without getting called for a penalty or penalty shot at the end of overtime. The shootout went five rounds instead of three as Gomez added his name to the very short list of Devils who have scored goals. Unfortunately, the Isles got two, the Devils only got one (<span>Damon Severson</span> beat Halak but not his back, <span>Jacob Josefson</span> missed on a sharp angle), and that was the result.</p>
<p>Kinkaid played really well and it wasn't entirely a shooting gallery for sixty minutes. The Devils legitimately had a very good first period where they did all of the things we haven't seen enough of: puck control, puck movement, and not forcing attempts through bodies. They got two goals: a power play blast by <span>Marek Zidlicky</span> and a fluke of a re-direction for Gomez. But those periods seem like ancient history given the play of the following two periods. As much as we can say it was a better performance than the last four games, there's a lot to still work on. The offense can't simply go away when the other team starts to successfully attack as it led to more offense by the opposition. It's hard to keep up with only 43 shooting attempts all game. When things gone awry, all of the bad things started to show up. At least there's a point, but again, it could have been two. Poor Kinkaid. At least he (and <span>Cory Schneider</span>) have proven again tonight that the issue isn't in net for the 2014-15 season.</p>
<p><b>The Game Stats: </b>The <a target="_blank" href="http://www.nhl.com/scores/htmlreports/20142015/GS020451.HTM">NHL.com Game Summary</a> | The <a target="_blank" href="http://www.nhl.com/scores/htmlreports/20142015/ES020451.HTM">NHL.com Event Summary</a> | The <a target="_blank" href="http://www.nhl.com/scores/htmlreports/20142015/PL020451.HTM">NHL.com Play by Play Log</a> | The <a target="_blank" href="http://www.nhl.com/scores/htmlreports/20142015/SS020451.HTM">NHL.com Shot Summary</a> | The <a target="_blank" href="http://www.nhl.com/scores/htmlreports/20142015/TV020451.HTM">NHL.com Devils Time on Ice Log</a> | The <a target="_blank" href="http://naturalstattrick.com/game.php?season=20142015&game=20451">Natural Stat Trick Corsi Charts</a></p>
<p><b>The Opposition Opinion: </b><a target="_blank" href="http://www.lighthousehockey.com/2014/12/15/7399263/new-york-islanders-vs-new-jersey-devils-shootout-comeback">Dominik at Lighthouse Hockey correctly calls the comeback by the Isles "salvation by a thousand cuts" in his recap.</a> A very apt statement.</p>
<p><b>The Game Highlights:</b> Witness a power play blast by Zidlicky, a fluke in favor of NJ, and plenty of Kinkaid. All in this video from <a target="_blank" href="http://www.nhl.com">NHL.com</a>:</p>
<p align="center"><iframe height="395" width="640" frameborder="0" src="http://video.nhl.com/videocenter/embed?playlist=2014020451-X-h"></iframe></p>
<p><b>The Glorious Return of Zajac: </b><span>Travis Zajac</span> returned to the lineup and he was flying out there. He was a big reason why Gomez and <span>Jaromir Jagr</span> looked so good tonight. Zajac put up four shots on net in the first period and then proceeded to help Gomez and Jagr go on and get four and six shots, respectively. That line was awesome in the first period and easily the team's best all night long. Zajac was a welcome return to the penalty kill, especially in the 3-on-4 situation in overtime. Zajac alone isn't going to suddenly turn the season around. At a minimum, the Devils can now have a top line that isn't just patched together.</p>
<p><b>The Not As Glorious Return of Sestito: </b>Today, the Devils sent down <span>Mike Sislo</span> for <span>Tim Sestito</span>. That's not exactly an upgrade. It's not exactly a lateral move either. Nevertheless, Tim Sestito wasn't really bad tonight. He threw some hits. He had one really good shot on net, the team's first since Martin's equalizer in the third. He was out on the penalty kill and it wasn't bad. I don't think he did anything Mike Sislo couldn't do. But I suppose the intent was to get someone excited for the game and coming off some heroics in Albany. I wouldn't expect him to last; he'll be sent back once the Devils get another forward healthy.</p>
<p><b>The Disaster that was the Henrique Line: </b>I understand that using Corsi within a single game is often dubious. But the unit of <span>Tuomo Ruutu</span>, <span>Adam Henrique</span>, and <span>Michael Ryder</span> were so awful it almost speaks for itself. Here are for-against numbers for each: 2-17, 3-22, 3-17. Only Ryder was on the ice for a shot on net at even strength. Henrique and Ruutu were not. These two not only did not move the play forward in the larger sense of shooting attempts, but they were just hideous to watch. Ruutu sailed more than one cross-ice passing attempt that nearly resulted in a clean breakaway for the Islanders tonight. Ryder was a total passenger on a train going nowhere. Henrique was attempting back passes in his own zone instead of clearances, for goodness' sake! This line was so bad, it's a minor miracle they didn't get scored on tonight.</p>
<p>I wanted to see Ruutu get more ice time, but after tonight, I want him back with Jacob Josefson and <span>Martin Havlat</span> as soon as possible. Ryder, well, he is himself. As for Adam Henrique, I have a suggestion. Gomez lined up at wing with Zajac and Jagr tonight. As well as Gomez did in general, why not switch up Gomez and Henrique? We can see whether Henrique can be a positive contributor while Gomez returns to center. If you're of the opinion that there's not much left to play for, it's something to at least consider.</p>
<p><b>Helgeson Was Not Good: </b><span>Peter Harrold</span> was scratched tonight. I kind of wish he wasn't. Helgeson wasn't picked on throughout the night, but he was just rough when the going got tough. He was going for hits after penalty kills instead of just guarding his man. He went around the post instead of watching the slot before Bailey's goal (I would fault Damon Severson a bit on that play, by the way; he opened the lane). He had some giveaways that extended the Isles' offense. He most notably got caught in the neutral zone. He couldn't chase Matt Martin, he missed trying to intercept the pass, and that led to the Islanders' second goal. The rookie had a rough night, arguably rougher than the other defenseman regardless of what the attempt differentials may show (e.g. <span>Jon Merrill</span> playing a <i>lot</i> of defense tonight).</p>
<p><b>Flying Fourth Liners: </b>The Islanders' top guns were surprisingly quiet as <span>John Tavares</span> didn't register a single shot on net and <span>Kyle Okposo</span> only got one - that led to a sweet glove save in overtime by Kinkaid. But their fourth line was something else. <span>Cal Clutterbuck</span> was motoring and got a couple of shots on net. <span>Casey Cizikas</span> looked more like <span>Michael Grabner</span>, simply beating defenders with speed. Then there was Matt Martin. He didn't just score the equalizer in the third period. He had four other shots on net and narrowly missed a rebound in the third period that would've put the Islanders up in the game. It's weird, but the Devils just had little answer for their energy/grit/lunchpail/blue-collar line tonight.</p>
<p>They also had little answer for Ryan Strome, <span>Brock Nelson</span>, and <span>Anders Lee</span>. Don't get me wrong, they were good. It's just that Matt Martin was that impressive.</p>
<p><b>Other Notables: </b>Martin Havlat put up four shots on net while playing on a line with <span>Stephen Gionta</span> and Steve Bernier. Interesting! Maybe Henrique and Ryder were bringing him down?</p>
<p>If you wanted an example of why I gave Eric Gelinas' slapshot a nickname, then you got one in the first period. He took one and it knocked off Halak's mask. Yes, The Truth was so hard, it removed a mask from someone's head. Unfortunately, that was his only shot on net and shooting attempt tonight.</p>
<p>The penalty kill tonight was impressive in that they only conceded three shots. Considering that the Isles got a full two minutes in overtime, that's nothing to sneeze at. The power play did well on the first advantage and wasted the second. How they got that, well, read on.</p>
<p>The TV camera shifted in the first period to center on the Islanders' zone when the Devils had their first power play. This was off-putting, but they fixed it for the rest of the game after the first intermission.</p>
<p><b>Suspend Tavares: </b>The game was definitely chippy at points and the refs let plenty go. However there was absolutely dangerous moment late in regulation. Marek Zidlicky hit Tavares in open ice in the neutral zone. A big hit, play continued. Seconds later, Zidlicky was hunched in pain. Tavares speared Zidlicky in the groin in retalitation. Let me rephrase this. John Tavares reacted to getting hit by Marek Zidlicky by angrily striking Zidlicky between his legs in a very sensitive area with his stick blade. Spearing is dangerous enough on its own to warrant five minutes. This was a retaliatory spear. It somehow only got two minutes. I would like to see the NHL Department of Player Safety to take a closer look. I am not holding my breath on a suspension, but I think one would be warranted. It was an entirely unacceptable play.</p>
<p>Honestly, I was mad about this turn of events and I really wanted the Devils to make the Isles pay. Unfortunately, the power play performance left a lot to be desired. Alas.</p>
<p><b>Gomez's Night: </b>The pass-first center lined up at wing tonight. He put up three shots on net and had an intended pass to the middle of the ice re-direct off Lubomir Visnovsky's skate and beat Halak. He had a very stupid tripping penalty in overtime when he dragged his foot to undercut Josh Bailey. An easy call for the referee not even twenty feet away. He followed that with a power move to get through three Islanders for one of his shots on net. Gomez appeared in the shootout - and scored. He's having himself a fine time since getting signed and tonight was just another example. The only thing I didn't like from him was his proclivity for passes going backward, be it drop passes or passes going at an angle in the hopes of it finding a Devil. Sometimes they worked, sometimes they gave the Islanders an opportunity to attack or an easy clear. Still, he was good overall if it's a bit weird after recounting all of the major things he has done.</p>
<p><b>Your Take: </b>The Devils did not win, though there was one really good period amid the 14 not-good-to-really-bad periods when taking last week into account. Maybe they'll build on this? Maybe going home will help them? I don't know. Maybe you're one of those fans that, well, <i>doesn't mind</i> that they didn't win tonight? Whatever the case may be, I want to read what you think. What did you take out of tonight's game? Who was the best Devil? Who was the worst Devil? What do you think the Devils have to do to prepare for Wednesday's game? Please leave your answers and other thoughts about tonight's game in the comments.</p>
<p>Thanks to everyone who commented about the game in the gamethread and those who followed <a href="http://www.twitter.com/inlouwetrust" target="_blank">@InLouWeTrust</a> along tonight whether they were winning, tied, or after the shootout. Thank you for reading.</p>
https://www.allaboutthejersey.com/2014/12/15/7399471/keith-kinkaid-tried-new-jersey-devils-edged-shootout-new-york-islandersJohn Fischer2014-12-15T18:00:02-05:002014-12-15T18:00:02-05:00Devils at Islanders: Gamethread #32
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<p>This is the gamethread for today's game between the New Jersey Devils and the New York Islanders. This is a post where users can discuss what happens before, during, and after the game until the recap is up.</p> <p><strong>The Time:</strong> 7:00 PM EST</p>
<p><strong>The Broadcast:</strong> TV: MSG , Radio: 660 AM & 101.9 FM WFAN</p>
<p><strong>The Matchup:</strong> The <a style="background-color: #ffffff;" class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.allaboutthejersey.com/">New Jersey Devils</a> (11-15-5) vs. The <a href="https://www.lighthousehockey.com/">New York Islanders</a> (20-10-0) SBN Blog: <a href="http://www.lighthousehockey.com/">Lighthouse Hockey.</a></p>
<p><strong>The Game Previews: </strong>John's preview from earlier <a href="http://www.inlouwetrust.com/2014/12/15/7391371/new-jersey-devils-at-new-york-islanders-game-preview-32">is right here.</a> For the opposition's point of view, feel free to drop by <a href="http://www.lighthousehockey.com/">Lighthouse Hockey.</a></p>
<p><strong>The Song for Tonight: </strong><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LVlDSzbrH5M">"The Downeaster Alexa" by Billy Joel.</a> Did you know Billy Joel has a "retired number" banner hanging from the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum rafters? Here is his moving nautical tune about the actual "islanders" of New York.</p>
<p><strong>Gameday Info:</strong> <span>Travis Zajac</span> will return to the lineup this eve and <span>Keith Kinkaid</span> will get the start in net. <a style="background-color: #ffffff;" href="http://blogs.northjersey.com/blogs/fireice/">Check in</a> with Tom Gulitti for this and all the latest NJ Devils news.</p>
<p><strong>The Reminder of Rules: </strong>This is a place where you can comment about this game before, during, and after it's played before the recap is up. This is a place where we <em>primarily</em> discuss the Devils game. An odd mention of other NHL games is OK, but it shouldn't dominate discussion. All comments will be clean, respectful of each other, relevant to the game, and legal (read: no streams). Please refrain from super-big pictures (640 x 480 max) and NO .GIFs whatsoever to keep the gamethread moving for everyone. If you do post pictures make sure to post a title in the comment. Go Devils.</p>
https://www.allaboutthejersey.com/2014/12/15/7397405/new-jersey-devils-at-new-york-islanders-gamethread-32JT Sroka2014-12-15T07:00:03-05:002014-12-15T07:00:03-05:00Devils at Islanders: Game Preview #32
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<img alt="For whatever reason, the photostream has nothing from the 11/29/14 game. So here's a picture of preseason of John Tavares trying to find the puck while Stefan Matteau was put on his wallet." src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/OG9L3XtovG_CYlwgGHK57tArgvc=/0x0:2629x1753/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/44338384/usa-today-8107002.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>For whatever reason, the photostream has nothing from the 11/29/14 game. So here's a picture of preseason of John Tavares trying to find the puck while Stefan Matteau was put on his wallet. | Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>The New Jersey Devils return to Long Island to take on the New York Islanders. This game preview summarizes that, yes, the Islanders are still good and the Devils, well, are not. </p> <p>This will end a road trip but start another busy week for the team.</p>
<p><b>The Time: </b>7:00 PM EST</p>
<p><b>The Broadcast: </b>TV - MSG; Radio - 660 AM & 101.9 FM WFAN</p>
<p><b>The Matchup: </b>The <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.allaboutthejersey.com/">New Jersey Devils</a> (11-15-5) at the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.lighthousehockey.com/">New York Islanders</a> (20-10-0; SBN Blog: <a href="http://www.lighthousehockey.com/">Lighthouse Hockey</a>)</p>
<p><b>The Last Devils Game: </b>The Devils went to Dallas on Saturday night. It was an ugly start as the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.defendingbigd.com/">Stars</a> took an early lead in shots while scoring two goals in the first period . Tyler Seguin finished a 3-on-2 rush for the first one. Jason Spezza put in a loose puck created by his own wraparound for the second. But the Devils actually got a comeback going. Merrill finished a cross-ice pass on a power play to cut the deficit to one in the second. <span>Eric Gelinas</span> fired a wrist shot that sailed by (or touched off) three Stars players before eluding Kari Lehtonen. Alas, the Stars would re-take the lead for good. All five Devils were watching one side of the ice. This allowed Ales Hemsky to make a feed to a wide-open Trevor Daley, who finished the play. Not long after in the second, Shawn Horcoff finished a counter-attack with a one-timer right in front of <span>Cory Schneider</span>. The Devils responded in the third with not much threatening, but they would get a late put-back by <span>Scott Gomez</span>. It was too little, too late as the score flattered the Devils' lackluster performance in a 3-4 loss. <a href="http://www.inlouwetrust.com/2014/12/14/7389021/new-jersey-devils-flattered-by-score-3-4-loss-dallas-stars-this-team-is-not-good" target="_blank">My recap of the loss is here.</a></p>
<p><b>The Last Islanders Game: </b>While the Devils were in Dallas, the Islanders were hosting the league's hottest team: Chicago. After a fairly even first period, the Isles turned up the pressure in the second period. They out-shot the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.secondcityhockey.com/">Blackhawks</a> 17-7. But the Blackhawks struck first with a goal by <span>Daniel Carcillo</span>. <span>Jaroslav Halak</span> got a pad on the one-timer, but the puck popped up and went off Halak to get in the net. That fourth-line score was matched six seconds later by Cal Clutterbuck with a non-assist to Keith Duncan. The visitors went up 1-2 early in the third with a goal by <span>Patrick Kane</span>. But the Isles responded with two quick goals around halfway through the third. <span>Kyle Okposo</span> converted a power play and, about a minute later, <span>Lubomir Visnovsky</span> struck the net with a shot. The Isles held on to win 3-2. <a href="http://www.lighthousehockey.com/2014/12/13/7388783/new-york-islanders-vs-chicago-blackhawks-third-period-comeback" target="_blank">Dominik has this recap of the game up at Lighthouse Hockey.</a></p>
<p><b>The Last Devils-Islanders Game: </b>Back on November 29, the Devils visited the Nassau Coliseum to take on the Islanders for the first time this season. The Isles struck first with an odd-man rush after Kyle Okposo blasted a one-timer. Cory Schneider didn't get all of the shot and the puck ended up just lying behind the goalie. Nikolay Kulemin saw it and poked it in. The Devils would equalize less than two minutes later when <span>Damien Brunner</span> re-directed a shot by <span>Adam Larsson</span> past Jaroslav Halak. The Isles would return to controlling the game and re-took the lead early in the second period. Calvin de Haan took a shot from the center point, it hit off <span>Cal Clutterbuck's</span> skate, and got in. The Devils would put up an effort to tie it up again, mostly in the third period where the Devils out-shot the Isles 16-2 and put up 40 shooting attempts. But Halak was too good. <span>Casey Cizikas</span> put in an empty netter late to boost the score to 1-3. I actually praised parts of the performance if only because it was better than recent games at the time <a href="http://www.inlouwetrust.com/2014/11/29/7308135/new-jersey-devils-furious-third-but-failed-overcome-new-york-islanders" target="_blank">in my recap.</a> Dominik had plenty of praise for Halak <a href="http://www.lighthousehockey.com/2014/11/29/7307931/new-york-islanders-vs-new-jersey-devils-jaroslav-halak-headstand" target="_blank">in his recap at Lighthouse Hockey.</a></p>
<p><b>The Goal: </b> Do not concede the neutral zone. The Islanders are a team with plenty of depth and they have been a team that has been good at possessing the puck. <a href="http://war-on-ice.com/teamtable.html?mansit=2&scoresit=1&homeawaysit=1&tablegroup=2&xaxis=7&yaxis=20&saxis=38&caxis=8&start0=20142015&end0=20142015&start1=2014-10-01&end1=2014-12-15&splitseasons=1&tablegroup=2" target="_blank">Their Corsi percentage is currently 52.3% according to War on Ice</a> and they have been good at out-shooting their opponents. In short, this is a team that is expected to move the puck well. As we know from the Devils this season they are not such a team. In Dallas, the Devils were particularly poor at defending the neutral zone. Against Chicago and Carolina, the opposition just passed freely through the middle section of the rink. If the Devils want to try to get a result against the best team in New York, then they need to make that area as difficult as possible for them to skate and carry the puck through. Whether they'll be able to do it, well, that may be another matter.</p>
<p><b>Yep, Still Good: </b>That's the Islanders in three words. And why not? They are currently one of only four teams in the NHL with twenty wins. They have <a href="http://www.nhl.com/ice/playerstats.htm?season=20142015&gameType=2&team=NYI&position=S&country=&status=&viewName=summary" target="_blank">four players with at least twenty points</a> and all four of them will play some kind of key role. John Tavares (12 goals, 15 assists) and Kyle Okposo (7 goals, 20 assists) have been linemates and they are a dangerous duo as any in the league. <a href="http://leftwinglock.com/line-combinations/new-york-islanders/" target="_blank">Per Left Wing Lock</a>, they had Nikolay Kulemin with them against Chicago, we may see that again tonight. <span>Brock Nelson</span> (13 goals, 11 assists) leads the team in goals and power play goals (8). He's been on a line with <span>Michael Grabner</span> and his crazy speed and <span>Anders Lee</span>. The fourth man is <span>Ryan Strome</span> (6 goals, 14 assists), who's been on a different unit with Cal Clutterbuck and <span>Matt Martin</span>. I'd like to think Strome would move up but it speaks to the depth that the Isles just didn't have in recent seasons. The one line I didn't mention, by the by, is <span>Josh Bailey</span>, Mikael Grabovski, and <span>Frans Nielsen</span>, which is a solid unit.</p>
<p>Defensively, the Isles are missing <span>Johnny Boychuk</span>, who remains on injured reserve. <span>Travis Hamonic</span> has been out, but <a href="http://www.newsday.com/sports/hockey/islanders/jack-capuano-had-no-doubts-that-islanders-would-get-back-on-track-1.9713921" target="_blank">Arthur Staples noted in Newsday that he may return to the lineup</a> after practicing on Sunday. Hamonic returning would be a big help for the blue line as he took on tough competition. The unit still boasts <span>Nick Leddy</span>, a healthy Lubomir Visnovsky, and Calvin de Haan. So if he doesn't make it back tonight, the Isles are capable in supporting their goaltender in their own end of the rink. <a href="http://www.nhl.com/ice/playerstats.htm?gameType=2&position=G&season=20142015&sort=evenStrengthSaves&status=A&team=NYI&viewName=specialTeamSaves" target="_blank">And that goaltender, Jaroslav Halak, has been really good this season.</a></p>
<p>The only aspect that the Islanders aren't good at this season is the penalty kill. <a href="http://www.nhl.com/ice/teamstats.htm?fetchKey=20152ALLSAAAll&sort=penaltyKillPercentage&viewName=summary" target="_blank">They have the league's worst success rate on the PK at 71.6%.</a> This is something the Devils can exploit tonight. While they did not convert against the Isles with multiple power plays in their last match up, the Devils have been successful as of late with the man advantage by converting six of their last twelve advantages. We'll see if that comes to any fruition tonight.</p>
<p><b>One Down, One Back?: </b><span>Mike Cammalleri</span> left the Dallas game in the second period with some kind of lower body injury. However, <a href="http://fireandice.northjersey.com/fire-ice-1.174987/zajac-joins-devils-for-practice-at-nassau-coliseum-cammalleri-zubrus-stay-off-ice-1.1153336" target="_blank">Tom Gulitti reported at Fire & Ice on Sunday</a> that <span>Travis Zajac</span> has returned to the team to practice on Sunday. He's been suffering from a lower body injury and the mumps, but he's been skating as of late. Coming back to practice is a good sign for a potential return. Unless the Devils call someone up on Monday, it appears he will. The team badly needs a center who can handle the tough competition among other things and Zajac would fit the bill.</p>
<p><b>Can We See More Minutes From Them?: </b>I know the answer is no, but I've been enjoying the play of <span>Jacob Josefson</span> and <span>Tuomo Ruutu</span>. They've been good in possession and they've done well in their roles for weeks now. I liked how Ruutu played with <span>Jaromir Jagr</span> and Scott Gomez in the Pittsburgh game before Jagr got knocked out. I'd like to see them get a few shifts up in the lineup to see if it'll go well. I don't think <span>Michael Ryder</span> or <span>Martin Havlat</span> have done all that much positive. Given that the team is banged up and not much is going right, it would be a change that may be worth trying. But I'm just wish-casting here.</p>
<p>Speaking of wishing, I'd like to see a better performance one-on-one from <span>Damon Severson</span>. He had troubles on the rush against Dallas. That may be chalked up to him being a rookie and not having a good night. Still, I'd like to see more from him. Likewise, I'd like to get closer to an answer of what Jon Merill is supposed to be; but I'm getting closer to wishes that can't be answered in a single game.</p>
<p><b>Your Take: </b>What else do you wish for tonight? A win? If so, how shall the Devils get more goals than the Isles? A loss? If so, how do you think it'll play out? Maybe just a night where no other Devils player gets hurt? Please leave your answers and other thoughts about tonight's game in the comments. Thank you for reading.</p>
https://www.allaboutthejersey.com/2014/12/15/7391371/new-jersey-devils-at-new-york-islanders-game-preview-32John Fischer