Illegal Curve Hockey

Game Day Preview: Jets @ Islanders

When: Thursday, November 3, 2011

Time: 6:00 p.m. CST

Where: Nassau Coliseum, Long Island, New York

Records: Winnipeg (4-6-1), NYI (3-4-2)

Television/Radio: TSN-JETS, MSG Plus 2, TSN Radio 1290, WRHU 88.7 FM

The Story: Bigger than the Jets first trip to New York State, where they will be facing all four New York based teams, is the fact that host of the Illegal Curve Radio show Drew Mindell will be heading down to watch 3 of the 4 games (Islanders, Devils and Rangers) with fellow Illegal Curve radio crew members Richard Pollock and Ezra Ginsburg for his stag festivities. They along with 10-15 Winnipeggers will be in attendance to watch the Jets take their first steps in The Empire State.

After blowing a lead, the Jets won their last game in memorable fashion. Evander Kane scored with 49.9 seconds to go in the 3rd period on a controversial goal which was initially waived off. Captain Andrew Ladd and Kyle Wellwood scored in the shootout to give the Jets the win.

The Islanders, who started the season roaring out of the gate, have crashed back to earth going 0-3-2 in their last 5 games. The team has been off since an OT loss to the Sharks last Saturday night.

Starting Goalies:

Jets: Pavelec (courtesy of Brian Munz TSN Radio 1290).

Islanders: DiPietro (coutresy of Arthur Staples of Newsday)

Tonight’s Projected Lines (according to Brian Munz of TSN Radio 1290):

JETS

Burmistrov-Antropov-Kane
Ladd-Little-Wellwood
Glass-Slater-Thorburn
McArdle-Stapleton-Wheeler

Byfuglien-Jones
Festerling-Bogosian
Flood-Oduya

ISLANDERS

Moulson-Tavares-Parenteau
Grabner-Nielsen-Okposo
Comeau-Bailey-Rolston
Pandolfo-Reasoner-Martin

MacDonald-Hamonic
Streit-Staios
Eaton-Jurcina

Numbers this season:

Injury Report:

Islanders: Mark Katic – Shoulder (Out indefinitely). Rhett Rakhshani – Concussion (Out indefinitely). Evgeni Nabokov – lower body (day-to-day). Nino Niederreiter -groin (expected back Saturday or possibly next week).

Jets: Tobias Enstrom – upper-body injury (Out indefinitely). Chris Mason – groin (injured reserve). Ron Hainsey – upper body (day-to-day). Mark Stuart (day-to-day). Derek Meech (injured reserve). Eric Fehr -shoulder (mid-November).

Notes….The last time a team from Winnipeg played an NHL game on Long Island was March 3rd, 1996, a game that saw the Jets beat the Islanders 7-5.

David Minuk

Working hard on a daily basis to provide the latest Winnipeg Jets and Manitoba Moose news for our readers and listeners. I also appear on the Illegal Curve Hockey Show every Saturday on our YouTube channel as well as the Illegal Curve Post-Game Show after every single Jets game. And I occasionally jump in the play-by-play booth at Canada Life to provide colour analysis during Manitoba Moose games.