Not sure how much you guys know about how the Isles have been doing -- short synopsis...
This game should be a really good test for us. To the Hawks, this game was probably slated as a minor speed bump.
Isles were two teams last year. The first half was a barely .500 team which played the way the typical Isles team would play for the past 15 years.
The second half, they waived DiPietro (thank god) and after that, they went on an 15-3 streak or something similar which jettisoned them into 5th place at one point in the standings. THey ending up in 8th, and played the Pens in round one last year.
My feeling has been -- which team will show up this year? so far -- we have looked good. not great.. but good.
Things to watch for? Grabner on the PK. like a rocket -- I think he is averaging a breakaway a game -- of course, he can't finish,, lol.. but it makes for a fun time.
Tavares line, of course..
Neilsen as a PK specialist, good on faceoffs... Okposo and Bailey, the two tempermental wildcards in our lineup.
and Clutterbuck, the troublemaker, making his season and team debut for the Isles. Well see how that goes.
And thanks, UWT! I saw what you did.
