Game Preview: Islanders and Pens renew rivalry tonight

The bell will sound at 7 ET tonight in Long Island. Bring out Michael Buffer. "Let's Get Ready To Rumble!!!!!" Cue classic 2Unlimited "Get Ready For This."

Alright. So, maybe we're going a bit overboard about Round One of Pens/Isles at Nassau Coliseum with the rematch Thursday in Pittsburgh. It's well documented what transpired during the last two meetings of '10-11, stemming from a Brent Johnson KO of Rick DiPietro that concussed the unlucky Islander franchise netminder. The Islanders didn't take too kindly to laughter on the Pen bench, earning revenge on the scoreboard and everywhere else by routing them 9-3 and literally beating their old Patrick division rival up. When it was over, 15 fights, 10 game misconducts, 20 misconducts and a combined 346 penalty minutes that would make Reggie Dunlap and The Hansons proud resulted in suspensions for Trevor Gillies and Matt Martin, along with a $100,000 fine.

In retrospect, the Islanders overreacted. Jack Capuano should've called the dogs off in the third because the message was sent loud and clear. Instead, E-Z target Max Talbot got what was coming along with any other Pen they went after. It was ugly. Even if you enjoy Slap Shot, it went overboard, which had to have Gary Bettman shaking.

“For me, it’s not even a rivalry, it’s just another game because obviously the last two games we didn’t play a full 60 minutes, so it doesn’t matter who we are playing right now,” Capuano told NYIslanders.com.

His club must focus on getting back on track after dropping two in a row. Consecutive losses to Tampa (4-1) and Florida (4-2) have the Islanders back at .500 (3-3-0) entering a home-and-home against a team they haven't historically done well against. The Pens own a 19-4-2 record over the last 25 meetings. John Tavares, Al Montoya, Mark Streit and Co. will be looking to change that trend in a year they're expected to compete for the playoffs. The Isles have plenty of weapons but a few aren't chipping in. More is needed from Kyle Okposo, Blake Comeau and Josh Bailey, who have yet to score a goal with only an assist coming off the stick of Okposo, who's expected to break out. It's time.

The Pens amaze under last year's Jack Adams winner Dan Bylsma, who has his team in first with a 6-2-2 mark. Sure. They've played more than anyone else but it's very impressive minus Sidney Crosby and game-time decision Evgeni Malkin. Pittsburgh continues to be hampered by injuries with key defenseman Zbynek Michalek out four to six weeks with a broken finger. A look at the Pen injured list reminds of what's plagued the Isles over past seasons. Tyler Kennedy is also out with a concussion along with four other Pens joining Michalek and Sid The Kid, who continues to get ready.

It will still be a stiff challenge with Jordan Staal (5-3-8) leading the way along with James Neal (8 goals), Kris Letang (7 assists) and Marc-Andre Fleury (5-2-2, 2.13 GAA, .930 Save Pct). Keep an eye on Matt Cooke, who's stuck to offense instead of thuggery. Plus Matt Niskanen and Chris Kunitz can't be overlooked. In other words, the Pens are more than just their stars. On another team, Staal would be one.

Will the teams stick to hockey or will it have the same edge we had last year? Steve MacIntyre is as tough as they come if Gillies needs a partner. Arron Asham is always game if Matt Martin wants to go. Fasten your seatbelts!

Around The Horn: Isles, Devils get first wins

Twenty-four hours later, I'm sure panic has been replaced by calm for both Islander and Devil supporters, whose teams each posted their first wins of the new season on Columbus Day. Ironically, the old Patrick rivals each hosted special Columbus matinees at 1 and got the desired result that disappointed fans had anticipated on Saturday. Both clubs were flat in their season debuts each getting shutout. Something you rarely see. How often do two locals open up without scoring even a goal? We'll bet it hasn't happened much if ever.

The Islanders and Devils each responded with stronger performances yesterday. On Long Island, Jack Capuano's bunch made two early goals stand up in a 2-1 win over Minnesota while in Newark, new captain Zach Parise's first two goals along with Ilya Kovalchuk's game decider pushed the Devs past Carolina 4-2- earning new coach Pete DeBoer his first win.

"Winning is always good. It's always a good feeling," noted Parise, who notched his first two goals since last Oct.23, 2010. "I just think you can tell tonight was just a better team effort for us. We were hungry on the puck. We were winning a lot more battles, and by doing that we were able to get a lot more offensive zone time. You can tell when we're playing well, we're doing things right: Our D are jumping in at the right time, our forwards are covering for the D. We're not throwing the puck away. If we can identify that that's when we have all our pressure, we'll be all right."

Twice, the Canes rallied from one-goal deficits to make it anyone's contest after two. Following Parise's first of the season from reunited Czechs Patrik Elias and Petr Sykora, Carolina used a relentless forecheck to draw even when ex-Leaf Alexei Ponikarovsky deflected a Tim Gleason shot off Andy Greene past Johan Hedberg. DeBoer's club quickly replied 40 seconds later when Kovalchuk set up Mark Fayne's first. Undeterred, the Hurricanes tied it again on a fluky Chad LaRose shot from the right circle that fooled Hedberg. Before the period concluded, a Kovalchuk gaffe nearly beat his own goalie when an attacking Cane reached in with the Russian dangerously close to Hedberg. But his long-time 'mate from Atlanta was alert, allowing fans to relax.

Kovalchuk made sure to put the puck in the right net when he cashed his own rebound off a nice combination from Jacob Josefson and Nick Palmeiri. Parise's empty netter salted it away. The stars were the Devs' best players with Parise netting two goals, Kovalchuk finishing with a goal and two helpers while Elias and Sykora each added an assist. Palmeiri also had two helpers and Hedberg made 24 saves.

The Islanders used two first period tallies from Andrew MacDonald (PPG) and Frans Nielsen to even up their record at 1-1. MacDonald slammed home a Travis Hamonic rebound that caromed out to put the Isles on the board. A couple of minutes later, a brilliant pass from new captain Mark Streit allowed Nielsen to neatly deflect home his first. It was the kind of vision that the club missed last year from Streit, who made a great read from the left point, finding Nielsen all alone for what turned out to be the game-winner.

Capuano had to like what he saw from Al Montoya, who made his second consecutive start. The former Ranger No.1 pick was sharp making 20 saves, including a couple of sparklers late in the second when the Wild applied pressure. One-time Blueshirt Matt Cullen broke up the shutout 73 seconds into the third when he beat Montoya high glove thanks to a nice set up from Guillaume Latendresse. A couple of minutes later, Montoya denied new Wild Dany Heatley in front to preserve the lead. The Islander D did the rest, standing up to Minny's tactics, to earn their first 'W.'

"We kept it pretty simple in the first period," pointed out Streit. "We advanced the puck in straight lines, we got it deep and we went to work. That's how we're going to be successful, and we got away from that in the second and third periods. We did what we can't do. … We have to make sure that doesn't happen again."

The Islanders and Devils each have two days off before returning to action. The Isles host Tampa Bay and the Devs take on the Kings, fresh from their Euro invasion on Thursday. The other New York teams who participated overseas play later this week with undefeated Buffalo (2-0-0) hosting the Canes while the winless Rangers (0-0-2) visit Nassau County Saturday.

Monday Fun Day: Early 90's Throwback

Hockey's been dead here for a while. To be perfectly blunt, it already feels like months since the Rangers and Sabres lost their first round series. If that's how this blogger feels, I can't imagine how Hasan does or any Islander fan. We live and die with our teams and the fact that once again, no one's playing deep into the nice May weather can totally suck.

For me, I continue to follow the playoffs where you have no clue on what will happen next. Can Nashville force a seventh game tonight? Are the Sharks in trouble after blowing their second chance to put away Detroit? In what looked to be your typical second round following a long, exciting first round with Tampa and Boston sweeping, the Preds and Wings don't want it to be over yet. They continue to fight, forcing the Bolts and Bruins to wait patiently before the Conference Finals can begin. Is it fair? Probably not. But it might help concussed B Patrice Pergeron, who's a vital cog for Claude Julien. You hope he'll be alright following Claude Giroux's clean hit. If not, Tyler Seguin will make his playoff debut under intense scrutiny. It's the Bruins' first appearance in the Final Four since '92 when the Original 6 black and gold featured Ray Bourque, Adam Oates, Cam Neely, Glen Wesley, Joe Juneau and Andy Moog.

To think that back then I was a young, innocent teenager who enjoyed the throwback style we got. Gretzky was King and Super Mario reigned supreme along with a long haired Czech teen phenom named Jagr as his sidekick, going back-to-back in the Steel City. The hockey version of Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid, who were supposed to win a lot more before Lemieux's back problems and Hodgkin's. When you look at the point totals of classic scoring races, Mario and the Great One dominated while Oates and Pat Lafontaine along with Stevie Y all did their thing. The excitement dominant finishers like Brett Hull, Alexander Mogilny,The Finnish Flash and The Russian Rocket generated along with a gifted Russian named Fedorov, injected life to a sport that wasn't always about dirty hits and controversial remarks. In the glory days, our heroes were men built like Messier, whose dominance in a series win over Jeremy Roenick and the Blackhawks led Edmonton to another Cup.

Maybe it's me but back then, stars were more celebrated. It wasn't just limited to Sid vs Ovi. American stars like JR, Lafontaine, Brian Leetch, Chris Chelios and Mike Modano transformed the sport- making it more popular in The States. Today, we get emerging young stars Patrick Kane, Bobby Ryan, Zach Parise, Phil Kessel, Paul Stastny, James van Riemsdyk along with black and blue types Ryan Kesler, Joe Pavelski, Ryan Callahan and Dustin Brown, who we identify with. The names on the blueline have changed to Johnson and Johnson, plus Cam Fowler and Kevin Shattenkirk, giving us hopes for the future. Might that include Derek Stepan, Ryan McDonagh and Chris Kreider along with Nick Palmieri and Mark Fayne and Kyle Okposo? Ask the new kids on the block and they'll tell ya who inspired them. The stars of yesteryear's impact can't be forgotten. So, the next time you watch, images of Leetch, Chelios, Modano, Roenick, '96 World Cup hero Tony Amonte, John Leclair, Keith Tkachuk, Bill Guerin, Gary Suter and Mike Richter should all be fresh. With recent Vancouver hero Ryan Miller, Conn Smythe candidate Tim Thomas and rejuvenated Al Montoya, there's much to like. Indeed, The Kids Are Alright.

Speaking of Team USA, they dropped their final preliminary at the World's to the Swiss 5-3 in Slovakia. Ty Conklin allowed all four goals and Andres Ambuhl scored a goal and assist for the pesky country nobody likes facing. Nothing for D-Step or Kreids, who've both been good this tournament along with Palmieri and Blake Wheeler. They failed on two power plays trailing 4-2 before a brilliant feed from Fowler set up a cutting JVR with reliever Montoya pulled for an extra attacker. However, the Swiss held us off by working the puck out and getting an empty netter to clinch the win. Now, it's onto the elimination round with a potential quarterfinal against familiar face Jagr and the Czech Republic. No picnic. The next game features Sweden and Canada with the winner drawing Russia. Yikes. Norway qualified with a 5-2 win over France. Slovakia didn't but won today 4-1 over Denmark. Marian Gaborik had an assist and Marian Hossa tallied while old reliables Miro Satan (1-1-2) and Jozef Stumpel (assist) had strong games.

Kudos to Versus for televising most of our games live. The quarters will be played in Bratislava at Orange Arena. With a secondary helper late, Stepan hiked his team-leading scoring total to seven points (2-5-7). Wisconsin's Craig Smith notched his team best third goal. A breakout tourney for the future Predator who ranks second with half a dozen points (3-3-6). Palmieri has two goals and a helper. We'll see how they fare in crunch time.

Stepan, Kreider and McDonagh lead USA to win

In case you weren't paying attention, there's other hockey going on over in the Czech Republic where the World Championships are taking place. Today, Team USA got off on the right foot by posting a 5-1 win over Austria. A better beginning for ex-Isles coach Scott Gordon who also was behind the bench last year when they were upset by Germany in their first game.

Wisconsin was well represented with the Ranger duo of Derek Stepan and Ryan McDonagh donning the cool home white USA threads along with 21 year-old Craig Smith, who's a Nashville prospect. All had good days with Stepan setting up a pair of goals, including one for future Blueshirt Chris Kreider, who looked poised throughout. The Boston College standout is expected to return for his junior season, which probably is the right decision. No sense rushing the former No.1 pick when our team probably is a couple of years away from contending. It's encouraging to see Kreids looking like he belongs while getting the chance to reunite with WJC hero Stepan and McD.

Other highlights included Thrasher Blake Wheeler finishing off a nice dish from a tough angle and Blue defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk rifling one far side past Austrian netminder Jurgen Penker (27 saves).

Another familiar face represented the red, white and blue in net with Islander Al Montoya turning aside 12 of 13 shots. Seeing Al in net was cool, giving me flashbacks of his heroic effort in '03 that led USA to upsetting Canada when Marc-Andre Fleury's gaffe allowed our country to finally win the World Junior Championships. Of course, Ranger fans still fret over Glen Sather selecting Montoya sixth overall in the '04 Draft. What people forget is that Henrik Lundqvist was unknown and Dan Blackburn was finished due to that freak injury in the weight room. I will always feel Al never got a fair shake here due to Lundqvist's emergence. He was an AHL All-Star his second pro season in '06-07 but was blocked by Steve Valiquette. There were a couple of instances he was an emergency recall but for whatever reason, Ranger brass refused to start him when it could've boosted his value.

Eventually, Al was dealt to Rangers West in the Desert with Marcel Hossa for Freddy Sjostrom, David LeNeveu and Josh Gratton. Ironically, he was similarly blocked by Ilya Bryzgalov and former Ranger Jason LaBarbera. The former Wolverine got his break when the Islanders gave him a shot with the Chicago native producing nice results (9 Wins, 2.39 GAA, .921 Save Pct, SHO). Al was re-signed for next year and will likely split duty with Rick DiPietro.

Kudos to Versus for extending their hockey coverage this morning at 10 ET with familiar face Bill Pidto running things along with special guest analyst Zach Parise, which had to bring a tear to Devil fans. He looked a bit weird in studio but did alright. The next game is Monday at 10. So, if you can't catch it live, set the DVR. Somewhere in California, Brian's smiling. :P

Islanders turn Rangers into April Fools

Just for the record, it snowed today. This isn't some cruel April Fool's joke. As I somewhat predicted, mother nature is getting the last laugh. Be that as it may with baseball opening up in frigid conditions, the Rangers are in their own cold spell. A night removed from a lackluster effort that allowed Jhonas Enroth to shut them out in Buffalo, the Blueshirts turned blue with a humiliating performance against the chief rival Islanders at Nassau Coliseum, getting wasted literally 6-2.

For a team who has responded to every challenge, this was mind boggling. How could they fall so flat in a critical game against a team that they knew wanted to beat them in the worst way, possibly wrecking the playoffs? You would've thought it was a meaningless exhibition with nothing on the line. Heck. They've given better efforts in preseason than what was on display in Long Island yesterday. Their second consecutive loss and third in the last four have suddenly put the Rangers in a bind. Only three points separate them from ninth Carolina, who visits the Islanders tomorrow before the Blueshirts' next game- a doozy on NBC at the Flyers. Can someone say panic button?

Making matters worse is that if the Hurricanes win as expected, they'll hold the crucial tiebreak due to more emphasis on regulation and overtime victories. Sure. They can only be a point out but given the way our team's playing and a schedule that includes hated rivals Philly and New Jersey which btw ends the season (hopefully not for good), the Rangers just made it a whole lot more difficult on themselves. They're no longer a lock even if the Canadiens continue to fade down the stretch. Even if we tie them, they hold the edge. So, that won't do.

It's basically start scoring again and win or tease a loyal fanbase to death a second consecutive year like Bill Murray's classic Phil character from Groundhog Day. I've seen this story before and don't feel like going through it again. Let's put it this way. Since I've followed hockey, I never missed the playoffs. While that may not apply to the circus and pony act at 33rd and Seventh, I want the postseason. The way this team's competed warrants it. That's why it's so alarming how putrid they were versus the Islanders, who were without stud rookie Michael Grabner, whose girlfriend finally gave berth to a baby boy. Congrats to Grabs!

If they somehow complete this collapse, I will not watch one second of the playoffs. I'll take a long vacation kinda like our resident Devil blogger Hasan after the crap his team pulled. It's not about us competing for a Cup. But about all the losing this franchise puts us through. I'm sick and tired of hearing about how at least we've seen them win one Cup. I'm only going to say this once. Our franchise has been around since the league's inception. They won their first three in less than 20 years! One Cup since in 70 years is pathetic. I am so fed up with all the hoopla about '94. Great. We're another three years from the 20 Year Anniversary. Will our team which at least seems to be heading in the right direction, have finally won two rounds? Let's hope so. This ain't no April Fool's joke.

If this team is serious about erasing last year, then they'll kick the Flyers' ass in two days on national TV. I know we embarrassed them last time. So, they'll be hell bent on revenge. However, all season our team's had tremendous character, which is once again being tested. One more push and they accomplish their goal. No small accomplishment for one of the league's youngest rosters.

Now to what was supposed to be a game. What was that? It sure didn't resemble the hockey club we've cheered for. The Rangers got beat so badly by the Islanders, it would've been a first round TKO. Forget Vinny Prospal's first goal in six that actually put us ahead. The Islanders flat out dominated from start to finish, winning every battle. They forced turnovers, buried chances and took advantage of one of the biggest jokes of a power play that was so bad, they went 0-for-8 including a lifeless 5-on-3 that could've actually given them a two-goal lead. You really wonder if they practice it sometimes. Forget the improvement with Bryan McCabe. Our PP is back to sucking. No shock that suddenly they can't put the puck in the ocean. It is so predictable that the Islander penalty killers just waited for the forced diagonal passes and cleared with ease. You'd have thought they were playing a video game.

If not for Henrik Lundqvist, the Islanders score the first three off odd-man rushes because that's how sloppy the Rangers were. It really begged the question how John Tortorella could not have them ready to play. That's two games in a row that they weren't prepared. I know Tort's done an admirable job, getting this core to buy in. The development of kids like Ryan McDonagh, Mike Sauer and Derek Stepan cannot be understated. Neither can the 160 by Brian Boyle and ultimate warrior Brandon Prust. The team takes on Tortorella's personality. That's why it's so disappointing how poorly they played. In a rivalry game where you knew it was basically the Islanders' Cup even though they're much improved, it's stunning how bad our guys played.

The Isles' first two goals 33 seconds apart from Blake Comeau and Radek Martinek confirmed our worst fears. Anyone who watched the first could tell who the better team was. The Islanders kept giving us opportunity after opportunity, losing discipline over Marian Gaborik's dirty hit that knocked out Frans Nielsen for the rest of the game. Gaborik isn't that kind of player and was fortunate to not get tossed, instead receiving a four minute boarding double minor. What was his excuse for doing little else after setting up Prospal's sixth? It amazes me how a player with his talent can just disappear when he feels contact. I'm not going to go overboard like others who want him to become the next Scott Gomez. Gaborik's our most skilled forward. Those don't grow on trees. So unless they can get a good return back over the summer, you don't trade that kind of elite player. He's just been terrible but let's not forget the bum shoulder and concussion. It would be nice if he scores a couple of big ones over the final four.

Here's my frustration with the coach. Tortorella sometimes makes baffling decisions like dressing Erik Christensen after a dreadful game at Buffalo in which he committed two turnovers on an important power play. How do you dress him after that? If he's not playing with Gaborik, Christy's a waste. Granted. Wojtek Wolski is the latest ex-Yote that's underperforming. Surprise surprise. Michal Rozsival plays every game for a Phoenix team that's making the playoffs. The trade wasn't the problem because it allowed Sauer and McDonagh to grow into our most reliable D pair. No. That's not a misprint. Marc Staal and Dan Girardi are an adventure at times in their end. Guess who leads the team in plus/minus. The kid duo by a country mile. Wolski should've played yesterday. Mats Zuccarello did before he was banished to Connecticut. I'm no genius. But what was the point of playing him if he was going down? MZA had struggled for a while. Why did they wait so long? Now, they can't even recall anyone. From the timing, it sure seems like they're making Zuccarello the scapegoat. Genius. A first-year European who possesses skill and he's the one that's the problem. The move is fine as he's lost confidence. Hopefully, it will come back.

Issue two I have with Tortorella. Your team stunk it up the first 20 minutes and blew power play after power play with Al Montoya keeping the Islanders in the game. Gotta love the irony. Former No.1 pick who was mishandled here suddenly gets a shot and finds a home, getting extended a year and then exacts revenge after how we chased him in the prior meeting. On Tort, our power play just ended and Comeau puts home a rebound to tie it. Then, off a faceoff in which nobody picks up Martinek with the Red Sea parting, he blisters a shot top shelf on Lundqvist on the next shift. How do you wait until it's 4-1 off a bizarre goal from P.A. Parenteau in which Staal basically set him up, before calling timeout? Anyone could see that our team wasn't right. When the opponent goes from down one to one up that quickly in a hostile environment amidst all the Ranger support, that's usually a good moment for a breather. Settle down the team and get them to refocus. Instead, Tort waited until it was too late with mere mortal Jesse Joensuu scoring and then Parenteau cashing in while Staal stood and watched.

Final issue on Tort. How on a crucial five-on-three does he not send out Brandon Dubinsky? If you're going with five forwards, how is your leading scorer not out there? Dubinsky is good in the corners and in front. We had no net presence. Tortorella even forgot to give Boyle a shift. When it's not working, throw some different looks.

Once Lundqvist didn't return for the third, the game was over. Chad Johnson ensured that by giving up goals to Matt Moulson off a great move from John Tavares and Islander legend Trevor Gillies. April Fool's became April Fools. This was a complete disgrace. Of course, Jack Capuano sent out the wolves to avenge Nielsen with Michael Haley bloodying Sean Avery, Zenon Konopka and Brandon Prust battling to a draw and those featherweights Dylan Reese and Ruslan Fedotenko throwing 'em. Jack Hillen and Dubinsky also fought earlier in the chaotic stanza. With the score 6-2 thanks to a Prust tally with 14 seconds left, there was Gillies looking for vengeance. Prior, Dubinsky and Matt Martin jawed before the refs tossed each. They also never allowed Gillies to get at Prust following his goal on the next faceoff. I understand the Islanders being mad that Gaborik injured Nielsen with a dangerous hit from behind. However, the point was made. Why even have Gillies out there? He's not even an NHLer. It reflects poorly on an organization that at times, doesn't get it. The Islanders are better. There's no need to goon it up. Maybe Mario Lemieux had a point. I loathe him too but come on.

Skate off the ice with the win and enjoy it. You just may have ruined the Ranger season. Truthfully, they may have accomplished that all on their own.

Rangers-Islanders Preview: Listless effort can't happen tonight

Prior to yesterday's 1-0 shutout loss to Buffalo, Ranger coach John Tortorella termed it, 'Just another game.' Perhaps his team took that to heart as in heartless cause that's the only way to explain how lackluster the Rangers were with a chance to bolster their playoff chances further. In a game they knew meant plenty with the Canes taking care of the Habs in Raleigh to get even closer, Tort's club inexplicably mailed it in- allowing Swedish rookie Jhonas Enroth to cruise to a 23 save shutout (1st of career).

In a season filled with feel good moments, this was disturbing. For a fourth straight game, the Ranger offense was MIA with Marian Gaborik unable to fill the net due to the tight checking Buffalo applied. No doubt, the Sabres were hungrier after coming off a disappointing loss in Toronto the previous night. With the Rangers well rested, mustering up energy should've been no problem. Instead, they were two steps behind, often making life easy on Enroth, who was able to see every shot in only his 10th career start. Unlike the ridiculous Joe Micheletti, we're not going to give too much credit to the 22 year-old netminder. Sure. He made a few key saves but never had to fight through traffic or be under siege the way Henrik Lundqvist did in making 34 stops.

Unfortunately, Lundqvist was the only positive continuing his run of impressive play with just Tim Connolly beating him on a laser via the man advantage, following a dreadful Brian Boyle turnover. All year, Boyle's been one of the club's most consistent players but his poor decision on a 3-on-1 not to pass back to an open Ryan Callahan proved costly. Instead of getting a chance shorthanded, the Rangers were caught when Boyle's attempt was blocked, allowing the Sabres to transition with Connolly beating Lundqvist for the game's only goal. The team hasn't taken many penalties lately but Marc Staal's cost due to Boyle's blunder.

When you're unable to score goals, the mistakes are magnified because there's less margin for error. The Blueshirts simply have to be better in tonight's monster showdown with the Islanders at Nassau Coliseum. There's only five games left with the Canes three out with an extra game left. Don't forget too that the new tiebreak favors Buffalo, who steered ahead due to one more regulation/overtime win. Even scarier is that Carolina is right there. The Rangers can't afford not to show in what should be a chaotic atmosphere with their biggest rival looking to play spoiler. The Islanders can finish. Whether or not Michael Grabner plays due to his wife being in labor, remains to be seen. It will be a rematch from last time when the Rangers punished the Islanders with recently extended Al Montoya getting the hook in a blowout win at MSG. The pressure is on.

Full marks to Lindy Ruff's club for responding with a yeoman effort to get two crucial points, drawing them even in points (87). The Sabres were better all night, getting superb performances from Tyler Myers, Thomas Vanek, Jason Pominville and Andrej Sekera, who blanketed Gaborik despite five shots, which Enroth had no problem with. Buffalo was harder on the forecheck, firing from all angles- forcing Lundqvist to be good. They wanted the game much more. Something that didn't sit well with Tortorella, who blasted his team's effort.

"They were the more desperate team than we were, for what reason I don’t know,” Tortorella said. “It’s not so much losing as how we played. We played better in the third. The first two periods are unacceptable.”


“When preparation and opportunity meet, he [Enroth] did a heck of a job for us tonight,” Ruff said. “He’s a cool customer.”

Forget the disallowed goal that negated Artem Anisimov's third versus the Sabres in the series. Yes. It would've put the Rangers ahead. However, it was the right call even though Callahan was pushed into Enroth by accident. So, the incidental contact ruling was fine. Something the future Ranger captain alluded to, mentioning that if it happened to us, they'd want that call too. The bottom line is they didn't come to play. Erik Christensen was putrid, with a couple of lazy turnovers on a power play. Gaborik skated but never got the quality chance needed to beat Enroth, even if his last one was from in tight. The Sabres forced the Rangers to the outside, winning every loose puck battle.

Despite no Jordan Leopold or Jochen Hecht, it was Buffalo who wanted it more. They should've been tired. You wouldn't have known it the way they played in front of Enroth, who got the start in part because Ryan Miller needed time off due to taking a high Dion Phaneuf shot. As often is the case, a team responds when their backup is in by sacrificing. Every Sabre knew how vital this one was with the Hurricanes doing what they had to in roasting the Habs 6-2, highlighted by a pair of markers from Calder candidate Jeff Skinner. Had they lost in regulation, one point would've separated the clubs. Instead, Buffalo has a little cushion heading into the weekend with the Canes one of their games Sunday.

“He gave us a chance to win,” Pominville praised of the cool customer in net. “We’ve come to know what to expect out of him, and he delivered it tonight.”

It won't be easy for the Sabres who first visit Washington Saturday before the big showdown with the Canes in Raleigh. However, they made life a little better last night. For the Rangers, it's put up or shut up. Outside of the Draft Line and rookie Derek Stepan, they generated little. There are no excuses. Tort's club has been resilient all season. The Islanders are standing in the way. It should be interesting.

An Islander Revival

Much has been made of the Devils' ridiculous splash back into postseason discussion. Their 15-1-2 record is an amazing turnaround for a team that won only 10 of its first 39. While that story continues to unfold with New Jersey visiting Dallas and former captain Jamie Langenbrunner tonight, another rejuvanted team is flying under the radar.

At one point, the New York Islanders dropped 20 of 21 (1-17-3) leading to Jack Capuano taking over behind the bench. It took a while for him to get his first win but eventually, the new coach got his young team to buy in. Believe it or not, the Islanders off yesterday's latest win- a 5-1 domination of the Panthers at Nassau Coliseum in which Matt Moulson notched a hat trick to surge ahead of rookie Michael Grabner for the club lead in goals with 26- this more confident bunch who won their sixth in seven trail eighth Carolina by 11 points entering tonight's game against Toronto. Another team ahead of them in this wild goose chase that includes the Devils, who are one up on the guys from Long Island. Oh. Did we mention that eighth Carolina hosts the seventh ranked Rangers in an all important battle? A Hurricane regulation win ties them for seventh. So, are the Devils and Islanders actually pulling for their bitter rival to snap out of it for just a night?

While that can be debated in sports bars or on Twitter, both clubs have more business to take care of. For the Islanders, who enter having won eight of 11 and are 18-12-2 since that mid-December swoon that threatened their season, they should be fairly confident when Capuano's healthier club takes on the Maple Leafs with a chance to get within two of another team in the hunt for April.

Can former Ranger '04 No.1 pick Al Montoya continue writing his own personal chapter in his third consecutive start with bright Leafs' rookie James Reimer opposing? The 26 year-old Montoya's story is well chronicled with the Cuban American never getting the chance to even start one game for the team who drafted him over in Manhattan where Henrik Lundqvist blocked his path. It's also conveniently forgotten that Montoya wasn't a total scrub, making Planet USA in his second AHL season for the former Hartford Wolf Pack (now Connecticut Whale). But there never was a spot for him with the Rangers using vet Steve Valiquette and then Alex Auld last year. Montoya was eventually dealt to Phoenix where he in one brief cameo, he showed what he could do pitching a shutout and posting a 3-1-0 record with a 2.08 GAA and .925 save percentage in five games- four of which were starts two years ago. The former University of Michigan standout was blocked yet again by the healthy return of Vezina runner-up Ilya Bryzgalov. Ironically, former Ranger property Jason LaBarbera is the backup. Go figure. So, Montoya was shipped to Long Island for one more opportunity. One he hopes to make the most of.

“People want to knock us down every day, from what I’ve seen since I’ve been here,” the '04 WJC USA hero said after turning aside 20 of 21 in yesterday's win to improve to 3-0-0 with a 1.23 GAA and a .953 save percentage entering tonight. “You want to play that underdog role. You go out there and play hard and show the rest of the league what you can do.”

In an unpredictable year where anything's possible, why not? Who saw the Devils reversing course under Jacques Lemaire playing lights out hockey with no real No.1 caliber D and Johan Hedberg starring over Martin Brodeur minus Zach Parise? In the Islanders, here you have an even better story because it's a younger nucleus coming together and producing three 20-goal scorers with Moulson (26) and surprising Grabner (25) leading the way with John Tavares (23) right behind. Coincidentally, the run has come since Kyle Okposo returned with the former club No.1 pick going 2-7-9 plus-five in 16 games thus far. Speaking of great stories, there's well traveled journeyman P.A. Parenteau finally getting his chance in the bigs and making the most of it with the ex-Ranger third in team scoring with 38 points (14-24-38), already re-signed for next year.

On defense, Travis Hamonic is poised beyond his years playing the kind of solid hockey that has Islander fans excited about the club's future. Already logging important minutes, the 20 year-old from Manitoba has two goals and 15 helpers while resembling the player the team can trust on a revamped blueline that eventually will feature Calvin de haan. Hamonic's play is eerily similar to that of Mark Fayne, who arguably is the best Devil defenseman during their improbable run. Could it really be true that a pair of rookies have been instrumental in each of their teams' turnarounds? Pretty exciting stuff for both Battle clubs.

And while Mike Del Zotto baffles in Year Two on Broadway, the same cannot be said of freshmen tandem Ryan McDonagh and Mike Sauer, who've become John Tortorella's second pair. The theme on all three is they're young and learning the ropes on the fly.

Can the Islanders continue their rise back into the race against a Toronto team that boasts one of the hottest lines in hockey in dangerous trio Nikolai Kulemin-Mikhail Grabovski-Clarke MacArthur? There's also streaky Phil Kessel who's caught fire with his name bandied about a year after coming to be Brian Burke's building block. It shouldn't be easy. But at this point, nothing has fazed Coach Capuano's together team who wants to prove everyone wrong, earning respect. The way they're playing, don't doubt them for a second.