I can't disagree with you on any point. The Islanders are 1-21-3 in their last 25 meetings with the Capitals. The Isles have not won in Washington since March 2, 1997. I would love to see Jagr and Bondra have another big night, but I think the Isles will try to make this a tight checking game.
From the Isles site: The Islanders make their first stop of their four-game road trip tonight at the MCI Center in Washington, DC to take on the red-hot Capitals. Although their opponents netted twelve goals on Saturday night, Peter Laviolette is not overly concerned about another offensive explosion.
"It's pretty rare to see games like that, hopefully they used them all up," said Laviolette. "But we know they won't put up a goose egg. They have a very talented team and there's a good reason why they exploded the way they did."
Said Jason Wiemer: "We can't get into a run 'n gun type game with them because they have too many world-class athletes. Defense is going to win this game."
In order to shut down the Caps, Laviolette's squad will need to impede the progress of Jaromir Jagr, who tallied seven points against Florida two nights ago. To do that, the second year coach will call on all of his defensemen, including heavyweight Eric Cairns