Here comes an interesting matchup. The Sharks take on the Islanders, and unfortunately, it looks like Nabby will be sitting this one out. After putting up another stellar performance, he was pulled due to a lower body injury for Rick DiPietro before the shootout in the Islanders' last game. Nabby is definitely going to be the starter for the Isles and should see over 50 games if he stays healthy. His save percentage is .927 right now, and combine that with a 2.23 GAA, and you've got the goalie who was great for the Sharks for so many years. It's great to see all of the contract issues are behind him, because he really is a classy star player.
**If the Sharks can win this one, they will be 6-3, not bad after many people were worried about their slow start.
On the other side, the Isles seem like they are struggling. Tavares lit up the score sheet the first week and seemed destined for superstardom. He is a great player, so if his team can get it going he should get back at it. Another bright spot for the young team has been veteran Dman Mark Streit. After missing all of last season, Streit has come storming back with 7 points in 8 games. The sad story, however, for the Islanders has to be Rick DiPietro. Drafted first overall and signed to quite possibly the most heinous contract in hockey history, he is under a ton of pressure. His career save percentage is hovering just above .900 and his GAA is an extremely average 2.84 (well below average for a bonafide number 1). The Islanders will be trapped with DiPietro for a long time, and I have no idea what they will do with him. Let's see what he can do tonight, but if the Sharks offense clicks, he could be in for a long night.
*Another note from around the league. What do you think is going to happen with Kyle Turris in Phoenix? I don't blame him for wanting out of there, but he is not a number one center (yet) and is barely a top six player right now. Yes, he is skilled, but he is not among the NHL elite (again, yet). I'm sure LA, New York, Montreal, and Calgary are all after him, so this could get interesting. Hopefully it does, because there is nothing exciting about a contract issue in Phoenix, especially when the Coyotes are refusing to make a trade.
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