Isles 3 Senators 1

Well, what can we say after watching the best sixty minutes of hockey that the Islanders have put together so far this season?

What I liked: Josh Bailey. The kid looks to be a player. His assist on Kyle Okposo's goal did my heart some good. That is what we want to see out of the kids. Kyle had a bit of a tough go there for a while but he was always playing hard and trying to make something happen. It was great to see him get that power play goal.

As far as Bailey goes, all you can say is wow. He played a pretty darn effective thirteen minutes last night and has not looked out of place in either of the two games he's played. With Mike Comrie missing, playing Bailey to see what he could do at this level was a good move. I'm not sure he spends the entire year on Long island, but getting a chance to showcase himself for the coaches is never a bad thing.

Joey MacDonald: What the heck can you say about him? MacDonald came into camp as a question mark and now he is giving the Islanders the best chance to stay in games. Last night, MacDonald made 29 saves for the win and only gave up one goal against a powerful (yet struggling and discontented) Senators offense.

The Power Play: Yes, I said the power play. Our boys went 2-for-5 on the power play and had 12 shots. The whole team looked a hundred percent better than they did Tuesday afternoon.

Trent Hunter, Bill Guerin, and Doug Weight: Big games by the guys that are leading the kids. I have totally become a Doug Weight convert this season. I guess I just never saw enough of him while he was in the Western Conference to appreciate his smooth play with the puck. Plus, you gotta hand it to Weight and Guerin because when the cameras are on the bench, you can see them talking to and teaching their teammates. Nothing ever can go wrong when you are getting a little extra coaching up from a couple of guys who have been in the league for a very long time and have seen everything.

What I didn't like: Not much. The Isles still took too many penalties. I bet that drives Scott Gordon nuts.

Thomas Pock: That elbow on Ryan Shannon just can't happen. The Senators' announcers were right last night when they said it was as bad or worse than the elbow that got Jarko Ruutu suspended for two games. Expect disciplinary action on that one as Shannon was out on his feet after the collision.

Anyway, a good, solid effort last night. Overspeed is working in bursts. Last night, the guys played the press all night long and they got the win in an exciting game that was fun to watch. Hopefully they bring it to the Coliseum tomorrow night in the rematch.