I knew this didn’t look good yesterday. Isles’ color commentator Billy Jaffe was going on and on about it just being a really bad cramp, but it just looked a lot worse than that - Sutton couldn’t even stand up without help. Newsday confirmed the bad news today after a MRI.
Islanders defenseman Andy Sutton tore a hamstring and will be sidelined from four to six weeks.
Sutton was injured in the closing seconds of Monday’s 3-2 victory over San Jose and was helped off the ice. An MRI taken Tuesday revealed a partial tear of the hamstring.
The Isles downed the Devils 5-2 last night, scoring three third period goals in route to their fourth straight win over New Jersey. Not sure why ths Isles have dominated the series lately, and it is just four games, but wins like these are huge. The Coliseum crowd recognized that and serenaded Brodeur and his crew with chants of “You can’t beat us!” That might be a bit cocky but I say enjoy it while it lasts.
Devils’ coach Brent Sutter is a bit fed up with the whole thing, charging his team with a lack of focus, telling reporters “I’m getting sick of it.” On the other side, Coach Ted Nolan said his guys delivered “a gutsy performance.”
You like fights? I thought you might. This game had a few, with Comrie, Sutton, and Guerin throwing down against Mike Mottau, Mike Rupp, and Dave Clarkson. Sutton played big last night. It was his goal, his first of the season, that put the Islanders ahead for good in the third period. The Islanders need to display toughness, especially against squads like Jersey. They did the job last night.
The Coliseum Heroes now stand at 19-16-2, with 40 pointgs. They’re still in last in the Atlantic but they are just five points behind division-leading New Jersey. They remain in a scrum for the final playoff spot with a whole slew of teams. It’s early, I know, but better in the mix now than not.
