Sabres @ Islanders, Part 2: Electric Boogaloo: LIVE BLOG/OPEN THREAD

Well, looks like I'm sitting around watching the game tonight. So, as I usually say, "Why not?", I'm live blogging the game.

So, feel free to comment, give your thoughts, whatever.

Away we go:

FIRST PERIOD

7:15: Puck drops. We're underway. Same lineup as last night.

7:19: First penalty of the game. Vasicek for holding. Let's see the powerplay do something.

7:20: Connolly has a great chance and hits Gaustad with a shot. The Isles block enough shots as it is.

7:22: The thing that's been killing me about this team through 3 and a quarter periods of hockey, is that they are great in transition until they get into the offensive zone. They can turn around and push it up ice like nobody's business. But it seems like they panic with the puck once they cross the blue line. Too much passing. Not enough shooting.

7:27: Hecht can't reach a pass standing in front of an open net. This team seems to need some work on finishing.

7:28: We have a scrum... don't know why.

7:29: Looks like Comrie threw an elbow at Lydman, and Lydman took him out. Mike Comrie is such a bitch.

7:31: The powerplay looks pathetic. Who said they were gonna be hurt by the loss of Briere and Drury? The powerplay still sucks!

7:34: The Islanders, knowing this, begin running around taking stupid penalties. Sillinger might get two different penalties on that play.

7:35: We were biting this morning. We were biting this morning.

7:36: Sabres have a one man advantage.

7:38: JAROSLAV SPACEK with a rocket one timer. Maybe deflected by Gaustad. What the hell has gotten into him?

GOAL - BUF Jaroslav Spacek 2 (Campbell) (PP) 13:09

7:40: Paille takes a hooking penalty. The PK needs to step up here. They were atrocious last night.

7:44: Sometimes I wonder how Michael Ryan made the team. By the way, Miller looks sharp tonight.

7:48: Sutton hits Stafford after the whistle. This game isn't far from escalating here. And now Peters is on the ice. Oh boy...

7:49: Peters takes a dumb penalty. Color me shocked. Sabres now need to get to intermission with the lead intact.

7:52: Period over. Sabres up 1-0. Now I gotta catch Coach's Corner.

SECOND PERIOD

8:09: We're underway in the 2nd...

8:12: Sabres kill the penalty, and quickly get the man advantage thanks to the puck-over-glass rule. Let's try to extend the lead here, okay boys?

8:14: Nothing doing.

8:15: Isles tie it up on a laser. 1-1. Campoli gets it.

8:17: Gaustad tries passing on a 2-on-1 and the play dies. SHOOT THE DAMN PUCK, GOOSE!

8:21: Connolly threads a beautiful pass in front of the net to Pominville who can't cash it. Wait, Pominville blew a scoring opportunity? Where have I seen this before? Oh yeah, last night.

8:26: Sutton whacks the stick out of Pominville's hands. Two minutes. Let's see how they'll waste this PP.

8:29: Nothing to show for that PP... and Comrie goes after Spacek. Or they went after each other.

8:31: Comrie's in the box. Sabres back on the PP.

8:33: DiPietro makes a miraculous save by accident. Figures.

8:37: Miller spreads out and stops Miro Satan in all alone. Whether he made the save or Satan just messed up, that's a huge play. And where the hell is the defense?

8:41: Kalinin takes a penalty retaliating to Jon Sim slashing at Miller's pads. Really can't complain, you can't take any shit from other teams.

8:44: Toni Lydman out for the game with an "upper body injury". Wonderful.

8:47: Thomas Vanek blasts one that DiPietro has to snag just before time expires in the period. All tied up 1-1. We'll be back at the start of the period.

THIRD PERIOD

9:04: Both sides full strength to start the third. I can't imagine this will last long.

9:06: Connolly is everywhere. Just ripped one wide of the net. This guy is kinda good. DiPietro gets sick of the Sabres flying around the Islanders zone and covers up.

9:08: Islanders take the lead as Mike Comrie backhands one past Miller as he picks up the puck trailing on a broken play. Weak goal on Miller's part. I'm really starting to dislike that guy.

9:18: The Sabres look like a mess. And Comrie scores again. 3-1. Somebody wanna play some defense?

9:23: I'm trying to put my finger on the problem here, but I don't really see it. Every bounce is going the other way. They can't finish.

9:26: Stafford can't cash a glorious opportunity...

9:27: Roy gets taken down in the slot with a loose puck laying there... This is getting ridiculous. No one is where they need to be.

9:28: Pominville clearly has never attempted a backhanded wraparound.

9:30: JOCHEN HECHT! Hecht outworks Witt from the corner, crashes the net and it bounces past DiPietro. Good work from the captain to cut the lead.

GOAL - BUF Jochen Hecht 1 (Connolly, Pominville) 14:11

9:31: I wish I could review that exchange between RJ and Roby about the Ice Girls.

9:36: Pominville blows another opportunity. DiPietro is playing great. The Sabres are buzzing all over the place and the Islanders just took a penalty.

9:38: The powerplay is really getting some chances and Connolly smokes one off the post. They need to cash one of these. Time is running out...

9:40: The Sabres almost got caught with too many men. They need to sharpen up. Now there's just 1:14 left. Crunch time. Who wants to be the hero tonight?

9:42: Waiting for the faceoff. Miller is on the bench...

9:44: Islanders ice the puck with 7.2 seconds left. Big faceoff. Connolly to take it...

9:45: A scramble for the puck. Pominville can't get a shot on net. Puck to the corner... Game over.

FINAL: ISLANDERS 3, SABRES 2

That's all for tonight folks. I'll add some more thoughts tomorrow.

The Sabres' next game is Thursday when Les Thrash come to HSBC Arena.