2010 Compuware NHL Premiere Series – New York Islanders' and New Jersey Devils' first meeting this season
The New York Islanders will be hosting the New Jersey Devils in the second game of Friday. Both teams will be meeting each other six times during the course of the season and this is the first time they are meeting. The last six encounters between the two
teams have shown the New Jersey Devils dominate as they have won 4 out of 6 games. The last time the teams met was on 10th April 2010 which saw the Devils win the match 7-1 totally demolishing the Islanders defence.
Both teams were going through a tough time in the season. This is not the case for the New Jersey Devils anymore as they come into the game with two straight win and will be looking to continue. The New York Islanders on the other hand are still not on the
winning road.
The last two games of the New Jersey Devils saw them win against the Calgary Flames 2-1 after shootout while they thrashed the Washington Capitals in their game 5-0. The New York Islanders would be disappointed to learn the fact that their last defeat against
the Columbus Blue Jackets extended their losing streak over 10 games. The Islanders last won a game over a month ago on the 21st October 2010 against the Tampa Bay Lightning.
The standings table currently shows that the New Jersey Devils have played 22 games out of which they have won 9 games and scored 16 points while the New York Islanders have played 21 games out of which they have won only 9 games and sit with 13 points.
The New Jersey Devils impressed many around the NHL world as they came up with the traditional Devils style of play against the Calgary Flames. The defence was the department on which the team concentrated more than the offence. The defence was rock solid
which helped the goalie a lot. The important thing about this strategy was the fact that though the attacks were less but whatever attacks were made they were utilized and converted into goals.
"Sometimes you have to stay with it, you have to stay with the plan," Coach John MacLean said. "Some shifts you go out there and maybe nothing will happen, but you have to keep going. That's how we're going to win right now, to be prepared to play that game
for 60 minutes, and eventually the bounces will start coming, the opportunities will start coming and we'll start burying them more. That's how you have to build momentum."
The New Jersey Devils looked to be in trouble when their goal keeper Martin Brodeur got injured. But his replacement has risen to the occasion very well. The goal keeper has allowed only 1 goal in the last 2 games which is quite impressive.
The New York Islanders is going through a bad phase in the season currently losing two games consecutively. The disappointing thing is that they crawled their way back into the match after falling behind only to lose to give it away in overtime.
Their goal keeper on the other side has been quite good as he has made 67 saves out of the 73 shots fired at him. The goal keeper according to many is in the best of shapes and sharper than ever and he might turn out to be the match winner for the Islanders.
Forward of the New York Islanders PA Parenteau said. "Guys have not been part of a situation like this in their hockey careers. We're doing some good things. The way we've played the last couple of games shows we're not giving up. We have the guys to turn
it around in this locker room."
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