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Tavares’ First NHL Game Live from Long Island

Written by: Tyler Bodman on 3rd October 2009

PHOTOS BY SCOTT VANKOUGHNETT

Former first-overall selections Sidney Crosby and John Tavares face off in the later's first NHL game. | read this item

Long Island, NY – John Tavares is making his highly anticipated debut as a New York Islander tonight.

The first-overall selection in this past June’s NHL entry draft will be in tough against the defending Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins.

Tavares will center a line with Kyle Okposo and Matt Moulson. The Oakville ON, native and all-time leading goal scorer of the OHL was kept goal-less in his four preseason games. He did manage three assists in those games.

7:20pm
Mike Bossy, and Bryan Trottier are dropping the ceremonial puck. The “Let’s go Tavares” chants have already been reverberating throughout the building. He will be in tough against Malking and Crosby tonight.

First Period
19:21
Tavares steps on the ice for his first shift. He’s left all alone at the side of the net but the pass doesn’t make it through.

16:49
It’s been all Pittsburgh so far. No surprise really. Tavares losses his first draw against non other than Sid the Kid.

16:16
Matt Moulson gets called for interference. Pens powerplay. By the way Roloson is in net for the Islanders and Fleury for the Pens.

14:16
Islanders successfully kill penalty and promptly send Tavares back out. Okposo draws a penalty with some hard work along the boards in the Pittsburgh zone. Tavares stays out for the powerplay with Trent Hunter and Moulson up front and Okposo and Streit on D.

11:10
Crosby gets a nice feed from Fedotenko, holds off the Islanders defense and scores to put the Pens up 1-0 on a nice backhand five-hole shot.

10:28
Tim Jackman tries to fire his team up with a fight against Mike Rupp. We’ll call it a draw.

Brendan Witt drills Fedotenko at the blue line. Jay McKee takes exception and drops the mitts. The place is getting loud now. The Ilse’s end up with a five-on three.

7:20
Mark Streit with a cannon from the blueline burries one along the ice to tie the game. Still five-on-four. Tavares gets the second assist on the play for his first NHL point.

5:55
Tavares faces off against Malkin in his own end and wins the draw starting a nice rush down the ice. Lots of chatter after the whistles. Apparently these teams don’t like each other.

3:20
Penguins’ fan gets ejected from game to much fanfare.

It’s an announced sellout however there are many seats still empty.

It was all New York in the final minute of play. At the end of the first the Islanders are out shooting the Penguins 9-6.
It was a fairly sloppy first for both teams. The Penguins played last night and the Islanders looked a little tight.

Second Period
19:36
Tavares losses another draw to Sid. Makes a nice tip pass to Moulson and Fleury just catches it between his legs.

17:30
Tavares finally bests Crosby on the draw. Johnny has tried a few moves that he would get away with in junior but haven’t worked for him here tonight.

15:20
The Tavares, Okposo and Moulson line has looked good for the majority of the night. Generating some serious scoring chances. Fleury has been solid in goal.

13:14
Mark Eaton gets called for hooking in front of the Penguins net. Islanders powerplay. Streit, Tavares, Moulson, Hunter and Okposo start the powerplay…. Goligoski, Gonchar Staal and Cooke counter for the Pens.

12:51
John Tavares gets his FIRST NHL goal. It’s a powerplay goal. The puck bounced free to him in front and he did what he does best and put the Islanders up 2-1. Moulson and Hunter draw the assists.

12:25
Streit gets called for tripping.

10:25
Tavares gets stopped by Fleury on a breakaway set up by Okposo.

9:15
Looks like the Penguins are getting a bit frustrated. More pushing after the whistle. Shots are 16-15 for the Islanders.

4:53
Been back and forth for a bit. No one generating any quality chances. Kunitz has been invisible for the Pens. Malkin has been fairly physical.

End of Second
The Islanders barely escape the second period with the lead. For the final 2 minutes the Penguins controlled the play deep in the Islanders zone.

In an unrelated game OpenIceHockey would like to congratulate Michael Del Zotto for scoring his first NHL goal tonight against the Ottawa Senators.

Kyle Okposo and John Tavares lead the Islanders with 13:17 and 13:11 in ice time respectively. Whereas Malkin and Crosby lead for the Pens at 14:02 and 13:20 respectively. Tavares has won 7 of 13 draws and Crosby has won 12 of 18 after two periods.

Third Period
A couple things I’m going to watch for this period. One is Tavares’ ice time with the team leading by one and two is if the Penguins can keep the pressure on that they had at the end of the second.

19:07
Richard Park gets called for tripping. The Penguins miss a wide open net with huge block by the young Josh Bailey.

14:49
It’s been a quick third so far. Tavares took a nice hit from Rupp and went right off the ice. No damage done though. Malkin with Kunitz and Fedotenko have been controlling the play so far in the third.

12:45
Pittsburgh is out shooting the Islanders 10-0 in the third. The fans have an instant love with Dwyane Roloson chanting “Rolie….Rolie”

12:41
Pens score off the draw to tie things up. Mark Eaton with the seeing eye shot from the point.

12:24
Trent Hunter is left all alone and wires one to put the Isles back up by one. Shots are 31-23 Pittsburgh. Bailey and Streit draw the assists.

8:17
Mike Rupp gets called for holding. Can’t take those penalties especially in the offensive zone. Islanders powerplay. Number one unit out to start the PP.

6:00
Pens kill the penalty without any serious threats.

5:37
Just had to hand in my votes for 3 stars…. My Vote: Tavares, Streit, Roloson… they better win now.

4:35
Johnny T is looking a little sluggish late in the game.

3:49
Pens tie it up with a scramble in front. Why did they make me fill out that three star ballot already!?

2:57
Tavares wins a huge draw against Sid in defensive zone… penalty coming up against the Pens. Guerin will go off for two or less for slashing.

End of third
We’re heading to OT

Malkin, Kunitz, Gonchar and Orpik against Tavares, Okposo, Witt and Gervais to start OT

3:32 (OT)
Fleury with a huge glove save on Moulson

2:12 (OT)
Shots are 39-28 for Pittsburgh Tavares out for his second shift of OT

:32 (OT)
Okposo and Tavares break in 2-on-1 Letang makes a good defensively play to break it up.

:20 (OT)
Pittsburgh timeout…

65 minutes solves nothing we’re going to a shootout.

Tambellini – hits crossbar glove side

Letang – little leg kick head fake and trickles one through the five-hole

Tavares – Misses wide

Crosby – Five-hole goal

Topics: Brendan Witt, Evgeni Malkin, Jay McKee, John Tavares, Mark Streit, Mike Rupp, New York Islanders, Ruslan Fedotenko, Sergei Gonchar, Sidney Crosby

Don Whittingham says:

January 1, 2011 at 4:53 am

Good blog! I like it.

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