East Division Update - February 13th

This was a fun matchup, and one Islanders needed to get up for. The game featured two of the divisions better defensive teams in the New York Islanders and the Boston Bruins.

Boston was coming off a 1-0 win at MSG a few nights ago, while the Islanders were coming off a shootout loss to the Penguins on Thursday night in Long Island.

(Credit: Boston Hockey Now)

BRUINS @ ISLANDERS

The Bruins are the best team in the East division right now, and that shows in the way they play the game. Boston plays a physical, smart brand of hockey, and gets under the skin of their opponents with their playmakers. The Islanders lost two nights ago at home to Pittsburgh in the shootout, after giving up the lead with seconds to play in the third. They wanted to get some points out of this one, and Boston wanted to keep rolling atop the division.

The game began with the teams trading chances, and not much in the way of quality ones. The Islanders like to play a well structured defensive game, and that was evident early with the way they limited the Bruins. It would be long, however, until Boston got on the board. Forward Brad Marchand came flying off the bench in a change, and took a nifty pass from captain Patrice Bergeron, and snapped it by Varlamov to put Boston up 1-0.

It wouldn't take long for the Isles to respond, and catch Boston on a lengthy shift. Islanders defenseman Leo Komarov threw a puck on net, and forward J.G. Pageau was there to clean up the rebound, and tie the game at 1. This only about three minutes after the Bruins opened the scoring.

The Isles would get another goal with about three minutes to go in the first, from froward Jordan Eberle. He came flying into the zone, and put a half slapper on net, which got by Bruins goaltender Tuukka Rask. This goal is one that Rask would want to have back, as Eberle was almost at the blue line, with no traffic impeding the goalies eyes.

The score would remain 2-1 Islanders for almost the entire second period, until the Bruins got a three on two with about 3 minutes remaining in the frame. Marchand and Bergeron have been deadly in their careers together, and this play was no different. Marchand hit the captain with a pass as the trailing forward coming into the zone, and Bergeron put a beautiful wrist shot just inside the post to beat Varlomov, and tie the game up at two.

The third period would begin just as the other two had started, with the Isles and Bruins trading some chances. This would remain the story until the Isles got a power play about six minutes in, after a penalty from Bruins forward David Pasternak. The Isles set up the powerplay and worked it around well, eventually feeding to forward Matt Barzal in the backdoor, a shot he would rarely miss.

The Isles restore their lead, and Boston would continue to press. However, Varlamov made the necessary saves, and J.G. Pageu scored an insurance marker shorthanded with the time winding down in the third, to secure the Islanders a win.

This victory was big for the Islanders, as it bounced back from their shootout loss to Pittsburgh the other night, but also ended Boston's 10 game point streak, as New York got the W in regulation.