Ovechkin Continues Isles Misery
Jan 20th, 2009 | By Brian Bohl | Category: New York Islanders, Top Story
Ovechkin just too much for the Isles. (Brian Bohl/NYSD)
UNIONDALE, NY– Injuries and a sputtering offense continues to exacerbate problems in a dismal Islanders season. But for all the organization’s talk about a youth movement, the club was able to see what a young, home-grown star really looks like.
Alex Ovechkin continued the Islanders misery, scoring both of Washington’s goals in a 2-1 overtime victory for the Capitals in a Monday matinee contest. The Islanders continued to be winless in 2009 but picked up a point for the first time in January thanks to Kyle Okposo’s game-tying power play goal 12:18 into the third period.
Okposo was just one of the many young players who spent time in AHL this season or 2007-08, though Washington seems to be doing just fine going young. The 23-year-old Ovechkin is the reigning Art Ross trophy winner as the NHL’s leading scorer and notched goals 30 and 31, including the game-winner off Alexander Semin’s one-time feed 1:46 into overtime. Ovechkin has cracked the 30-goal plateau in his first four seasons.
“It was a sick pass,” said Ovechkin, who also scored a game-winning overtime goal at the Coliseum in December. “I thought he gave it to me a little earlier, but it’s Semin, so he created opportunities for me to score goals.
“They played hard and played a physical game against us. I think we were kind of sleepy and didn’t play our best game today. But it’s always fun when you win the game, especially in overtime.”
Islanders fans might want to look away instead of processing the numbers. Take your pick: 0-7-1 record this month, a 2-17-3 mark in the last 22 games and 0-3-1 in the past four home contests. Don’t forget 29 points, which is the league’s lowest total by eight points.
Yann Danis started the season as the third string goalie but made his third straight start filling in after injuries to Rick DiPietro and Joey MacDonald. Danis was making his 14th NHL experience and looked shaky early in the opening period.
Brendan Witt’s roughing penalty put the Capitals on the power play. Washington took advantage, working along the blue line to find open space. Mike Green slid a hard pass to Ovechkin, who fired a one-time shot from the top of the left circle past Danis for a power play goal 6:35.
It marked Ovechkin’s fourth straight 30-goal season. He joins elite company in Capitals history. Only Peter Bondra and Mike Gartner accomplished at least four consecutive 30-goal seasons in the franchise’s history.
Danis settled down, turning aside 36 shots. He still dropped to 0-6 this year and is looking for his first NHL win since 2005. The Islanders have scored just one goal in four straight games, making it tough for any goalie to succeed.
“I’m feeling a lot more comfortable as I play in more games,” Danis said. “I felt good.”
Okposo finally ended the Isles pointless streak at seven. Nicklas Backstrom put the home team on the power play and Ovechkin turned it into a 5-on-3 situation four seconds later when he lifted a clearing attempt over the glass for a delay-of-game penalty.
Mike Comrie kept the play alive with a good keep at far left blue line, sending it to Mark Streit at the other point. The All-Star defenseman sent it down to Frans Nielsen, who fired a hard pass across the crease to an open Okposo.
The winger added his sixth goal, firing a one-time shot from point-blank range to tie it at 1 with 7:42 left after Washington’s Jeff Schultz couldn’t get over in time to stop the pass and Jose Theodore was late getting over.
“In three out of the four games, we were right in there,” Okposo said. “We outplayed teams at times. We just haven’t been able to get the breaks but our chance will come.”
Theodore made 27 saves. Danis outplayed his counterpart for the most part, making 20 saves in the second and third period. He nearly made one mistake with 14:32 left in the third and Caps nursing the 1-0 lead. Okposo broke his stick on a power play attempt and Danis raced far out of the net to clear the puck. Instead, his weak pass went right to a streaking Ovechkin’s stick blade.
The perennial All-Star couldn’t capitalize, sending a shot at the vacant net’s right side. Danis enjoyed a fortuitous bounce, gloving the puck while diving pack to the crease. Danis started the season as the Sound Tigers starting goalie. Thrust into the spotlight, the 27-year-old has played well in allowing just seven goals in his three starts, though coach Scott Gordon was not willing to give his netminder a pass for his mistakes.
“Obviously, he made some pretty good saves,” Gordon said. “I have concerns about the first goal going through him, and also the puck play that almost resulted in an empty-netter. Right now he’s got an opportunity and he’s got to make the most of it.”
There was some controversy regarding the Capitals overtime power play goal. Ovechkin drew a slashing penalty on Witt in neutral ice. Ovechkin said the reason for the infraction was simple.
“He broke my stick,” Ovechkin said. “That’s why it [the minor penalty] was called.”
Witt disagreed.
“I didn’t break it,” he said. “I’m not that strong to do it with one hand.”
Regardless, the penalty set up a 4-on-3 because of the overtime rules, and Ovechkin found the open net 21 seconds later. That goal moved him one past Philadelphia’s Jeff Carter for the league lead.
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