May 5, 2013, New York Islanders stars carrying the team in Eastern Conference Quarterfinal series sidebar for the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
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Islanders stars step up to help keep series competitive
Getty Images
The Islanders' Kyle Okposo attempts to beat Penguins
goalie Marc-Andre Fleury during the first period Sunday, May 5, 2013, in
Uniondale, N.Y.
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Star gazing
How the highest-profile players for the Penguins and Islanders have fared through three games of a first-round playoff series:
ISLANDERS GOALS-ASSISTS-POINTS PENGUINS GOALS-ASSISTS-POINTS
John Tavares 1-1-2 Sidney Crosby 2-3-5
Kyle Okposo 2-1-3 Evgeni Malkin 1-5-6
Mark Streit 0-2-2 Kris Letang 1-2-3
By Denis Gorman
Published: Sunday, May 5, 2013, 5:54 p.m.
Updated 19 minutes ago
UNIONDALE, N.Y. — The New York Islanders have authored an unmistakably clear message to the Penguins.
The Eastern Conference quarterfinal series will not be a coronation.
“It takes four to win the series,” coach
Jack Capuano said after the Islanders fell behind the Penguins two games
to one in the best-of-seven series by dropping a 5-4 overtime decision
Sunday afternoon at Nassau Coliseum. “The sun is going to come up
tomorrow.”
Despite the loss, the Islanders stressed
confidence, pointing to the fact that they outshot the Penguins, 36-25,
and that they scored two goals in the third period to force overtime.
“We played (well). We played a good game,” Islanders center John Tavares said.
Tavares scored his first goal of the series to tie the score, 4-4.
“We need to regroup and know that we're
playing some good hockey,” he added. “We're creating opportunities and
believe in ourselves.”
That belief in each other has been
sustained by the play of their stars. Along with Tavares, Kyle Okposo
finished Game 3 with two points (a goal and an assist), and Matt Moulson
scored a goal. Okposo and Moulson have three points (two goals and an
assist) each in the three games. Tavares has tallied two points.
“Your best players are going to be your best players for us to have a chance,” Capuano said.
Whereas Tavares and Moulson are known
commodities, Okposo is bit of a wild card. The seventh overall pick in
the 2006 draft has had a stilted career. He suffered a concussion
following a hit from then-Calgary Flames defenseman Dion Phaneuf in a
2009 preseason game. More recently, he missed 44 games in the 2010-11
season after tearing his labrum in training camp.
“I remember my first year Kyle was really
playing well,” Tavares said. “Obviously, the shoulder injury was really
tough for him at that point. He was really a dominant player then and,
obviously, (it took) a little longer than he wanted to get a lot of
things back. But he did some good things towards the end of last season
and same with this year toward the end of the season. You can just see
he's taken it to another level.
“(Okposo is) one of our leaders and has a great skill set. We need him going like that.”
Along with the statistical production,
Okposo has played a
mean-edged game when matched up against Penguins
defenseman Kris Letang.
The Islanders right winger was credited
with two hits and consistently was able to win battles along the boards
and carry the puck into the offensive zone.
“Especially the last two months and a
half of the year, he's playing a lot more physical. He's playing,
obviously, a lot more poised and confident with the puck. He's playing
(the way he did) at the end of the year last year,” Capuano said. “He's
been a big reason for our success down the stretch, and his play has
continued to be that way.”
Denis Gorman is a freelance writer.
http://triblive.com/sports/penguins/3932555-74/tavares-islanders-okposo#axzz2STMF6pct
posted by Denis P. Gorman at 11:22 PM
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