Game recap: Penguins 3, Islanders 2

Plenty of Islanders fans and personnel (and this blogger) have defended Chris Simon these last few months, noting that he is a good teammate and person and shouldn't be judged for the swipe he took at Ryan Hollweg's head last season. And by all accounts, Simon is a good guy who has made some bad decisions.

What he did against the Penguins, however, goes well beyond that and there is no defense for it. Slew-footing Jarkko Ruutu as he's stepping into the bench is one thing. Intentionally stepping on his foot with your blade while he is down is quite another.

It doesn't matter what the situation is, or how tense the game is, or who the opposing player is or what he may have said or done to possibly instigate such an act (and Ruutu has a rep) -- it's wrong, and Simon had plenty of time to think about it. That it happened with less than six minutes left in the third and the Isles down a goal makes it more mind-boggling. What was accomplished? How does that help the team? You have to be smarter than that, there's just no excuse.

The five-minute match penalty just about killed any hope of an Isles comeback, although they did have some shorthanded chances, including a great one on a breakaway by Mike Sillinger that was stopped by Dany Sabourin.

That the Islanders were that close seemed unlikely after a first period that saw the Pens dominate, jumping out to a 2-0 lead with goals less than four minutes apart. A giveaway led to Sidney Crosby's goal and then Ryan Whitney beat Rick DiPietro (37 saves) with a wrist shot. (Full disclosure, Whitney - like D.P. - went to my alma mater, BU, and is on my fantasy hockey team. So I wasn't THAT upset.)

Give the Isles credit for battling back at home, netting two in the second on a nice goal by Richard Park off a feed from Mike Comrie. Then just 45 seconds later, a beautiful breakout from Bergenheim to Vasicek to Satan and then back to Vasicek charging the net, tying the score. Things were looking up and the crowd was rocking.

It didn't last, as Tyler Kennedy (three points) scored on the power play to put the Pens up, 3-2, before the end of the second. It was Pittsburgh's only PPG in six chances.

The Isles will get ready for the Sabres at home Wednesday night (can we draw more than 10,000 on a weeknight?), and wait to hear from the NHL about Simon, who will likely get the seventh suspension of his career. You have to question what he's bringing to the table at this point, and whether it's worth it.

Game recap: Penguins 3, Islanders 2

Just when the Islanders could use a day off - and they've had more than their share so far - there's none to be found. Instead, the Islanders get to visit the Devils and Martin Brodeur, who not only has beaten the Isles 38 times with 10 shutouts, but is going for career win No. 500. It's his third shot at the mark, and it's at home against a team he has pretty much owned.

Good luck, fellas.

The Islanders head to Jersey fresh off another close loss, this one a 3-2 defeat against the Penguins at the Igloo. The Isles battled back to tie the game in the second period after being down a goal, but lost the lead for good when Sidney Crosby picked Brendan Witt's pocket and fed a perfect feed to Georges Laracque of all people, who roofed it for a 3-2 Pens lead. The third period was scoreless.

Bryan Berard, back on the blueline, lamented after the game that this was one that the Islanders should have had, which was pretty much the feeling after the loss to the Flyers on Monday night. But the Isles managed only one shot on two power play attempts, while the Pens had six man-up advantages, scoring once. The Isles are now 2-4 on the road.

Mike Comrie and Josef Vasicek scored for the Isles and they're tied to the team lead in goals at six. Comrie deflected a shot by Witt and Vasicek made a terrific play after winning a faceoff in the Pens' end, drifting behind the defense to get in position for what was a game-tying goal.

Now, the Islanders will try and break out of its offensive rut against the Devils and Brodeur. True, the Devils and Brodeur himself have struggled thus far, but this will be a tough game. A win for the Isles here would be huge.