Islanders ready for physical rematch with Flyers
Philadelphia's Dan Carcillo, rear, looks on as Islanders goalie Rick DiPietro and Flyers captain Mike Richards go face-to-face in the last minute of an Islanders loss in Philadelphia. (Oct. 30, 2010) Credit: AP
When they face the Flyers again Saturday night, the Islanders will be reminded of their humiliating loss in Philadelphia a week ago and the downslide that has continued since.
But in the rematch at Nassau Coliseum, they can put the brakes on a six-game losing streak as well as atone for that 6-1 loss that delivered a massive blow to the team's pride.
"We went into their building, they beat us 6-1 and we got embarrassed," defenseman James Wisniewski said after Thursday night's 4-1 loss to Ottawa. "It's been a downfall since then. This can give us a little redemption."
In the brouhaha that resulted from the lopsided score, the Islanders piled up 73 penalty minutes (the Flyers had 47), including four misconducts / game misconducts to Trent Hunter, Zenon Konopka, Trevor Gillies and Frans Nielsen.
Even goaltender Rick DiPietro went looking for a fight, albeit with anyone other than the massive defenseman he was tangled up with - Chris Pronger - with time winding down in regulation. DiPietro also had two minor penalties during the game for leaving the crease, one in the second period and the other with one minute left in the game.
Given the bad blood that surely remains with the teams, that chippiness and physicality is likely to resurface.
"It's not a contact sport for nothing," enforcer Gillies said. "Both teams are going to hit and I'm looking forward to it."
The Flyers will be without Danny Briere, who was given a three-game suspension for cross-checking Nielsen in the head in the final minute.
"I think it's well-deserved," coach Scott Gordon said of the three-game ban earlier this week. "He got called on that one, but he had two others in the game - one on Hunter and one on Gillies - Gillies gets six minutes, Hunter gets five and [a game misconduct], and here's a guy that thinks he just has free rein to cross-check people in the back, the shoulder, the head."
Gordon anticipates his team will answer with a response that reflects the gravity of their current situation.
"I would hope our players would look at that and realize we gave them a pretty easy night," he said. "We've got to be ready to play and dictate our style of play and get on them so they're not capable of theirs."
