Philadelphia, PA (SportsNetwork.com) - The New York Islanders sauntered into Madison Square Garden on Tuesday night to face the rival New York Rangers with a collective swagger not seen in almost three decades. That they walked out of the venerable building attached to Penn Station with a 3-0 victory to cap a seven-game cross-country road trip really doesnt matter. Jack Capuanos club stood toe-to-toe with one of the hottest clubs in the National Hockey League, in what was probably the most meaningful game between both bitter rivals since Game 5 of the 1984 Patrick Division Semifinals, and look to remain affixed at the forefront of the battle for the Metropolitan Division crown for the remainder of the schedule. Winning was just the icing on the cake. Our focus and attitude is all about how we prepare, Capuano told the New York Times after finishing the road swing an impressive 5-2-0. Its all about character and accountability. This was a big game with a lot of media attention, and I thought we played well. We have a lot of hockey left. It started and ended with goaltending. Henrik Lundqvist withered at a key time under a 44-shot barrage. Jaroslav Halak, on the other hand, stopped 27 shots to record his sixth shutout of the season and post his 23rd victory this year, in the process becoming just the second Islanders crease guardian to blank the Rangers in Manhattan and the fifth in franchise history to hold their older brothers off the scoreboard. Venerable troublemaker Billy Smith had been the first and only to record a whitewash on the road, turning the trick way back on Dec. 17, 1975, a 26-save effort which fueled a 3-0 win. In between, Mark Fitzpatrick, Tommy Soderstrom and Rick DiPietro also blanked the Rangers in the comfort of Nassau Coliseum. In the middle happened to be a three-goal second period which provided Halak all the offense he needed. The goals came from an American collegian (Anders Lee of Notre Dame), a Russian who plied his trade in the KHL before coming to North America (Nikolay Kulemin) and a Dane who arrived in the NHL via his native Scandinavia (Frans Nielsen). I think it was just being a little bit more sure of ourselves, no hesitation, Islanders captain John Tavares said. We went out in the second and you could see us just getting our game going and starting to wear them down, making them have to defend. Eventually we got rewarded. Certainly its going to make a lot of people on Long Island happy [Wednesday] morning. Were excited about beating them. With Tavares and Kyle Okposo shut down, the balance in scoring came to the forefront. The Islanders currently boast 16 players who have recorded at least 10 points so far. All of that kept the Orange and Blue one point up on Pittsburgh for the division lead, leap-frogged the club over the Lightning into first place in the Eastern Conference, and might have finally erased any lingering notions of an eventual second-half nose dive. Oh yeah, and the Islanders could be the first team in the East to 30 wins if they are on the correct side of the scoreboard again, in Fridays showdown with the Pens at Uniondale. Its far and away a season beyond all expectations for a club some pundits picked to only make the playoffs, and its a wildly successful one already for a team poised to bid farewell to the place it has called home for the last 42 years. At the midway point of 2014-15, the team once ridiculed for their Etch-a- Sketch coaching and GM rotations along with their now retro-cool Gortons Fisherman logo, has vaulted into the level of the all-time greats. New York hit the halfway mark tied with Tampa Bay -- the Atlantic Division leaders -- with the most wins in the Eastern Conference at 27. Their 27-13-1 record stands as the franchises second-best mark at the middle of any season with only the 1978-79 Patrick Division and Clarence Campbell Bowl winners ranking higher at 28 victories, and their 55 points marks the most accumulated since the 1981-82 squad under Al Arbour collected the same amount. Their opponents, the Broadway Blueshirts, were no slouches, either. Heading into the opening faceoff, Alain Vigneaults charges were riding a 13-1-0 streak, their best run of success since going unbeaten in 15 games (14-0-1) during the middle portion of the 1972-73 campaign, and one which vaulted them from the dregs of the division into prime playoff positioning, a full 11 points ahead of idle Philadelphia. In the end, the Islanders laid waste to any outcome as a result of that momentum, winning for the fifth time in their last six trips to the Worlds Most Famous Arena -- a string of success not found in the Islander history books since February of 2000 through November of 2002. A team once best known for its prowess in the playoffs beyond regulation has a bright young hero doing the same thing in the regular season. Tavares picked up his seventh career OT marker in last Friday nights 3-2 win against the Devils in Newark, extending his franchise record. Even though a five-minute extra session was only implemented league-wide at the end of the clubs dynastic run in 1983, thats something that Messrs. Bossy, Trottier, Gillies, Sutter, Goring, Potvin, Tonelli or Nystrom never came close to achieving during their distinguished careers. The Islanders march toward a franchise-record in victories (54, 1981-82) has been aided by an incredible 11-1 record so far in games decided beyond the first 60 minutes of play. Thats certainly worthy of confidence, to know you can outlast an opponent before sending them home unhappy. Both New York franchises renew hostilities three more times before the end of the regular season: Jan. 27, Feb. 16 and Mar. 10, all on Long Island. Even if the Rangers took a number and are able to recall how the Islanders beat them at home twice and by a combined 9-3 count already, will it matter? Capuanos kids are 15-9-1 on the road but are an equally-impressive 14-4-0 on home ice. Only Tampa (16) and Toronto (15) have produced more positive results in their respective arenas among fellow conference clubs. There will be garment rending and gnashing of teeth by die-hards once the Islanders leave the comfort of the Mausoleum and the suburbs for the flash of the Barclays Center and the lure of street cred in Brooklyn at the end of the season. Until then, the Islanders seem bent on giving their fans one last shot at puffing out their collective chests to claim local bragging rights which were theirs for a solid decade from the mid 1970s through the mid 1980s -- a feeling which is long overdue both on and off the ice. Pittsburgh Pirates Gear . Or maybe he already did. Clark hit his first homer, Wily Peralta pitched into the seventh inning, and the Milwaukee Brewers beat the Miami Marlins 4-1 Wednesday night. Wholesale Pirates Jerseys . Picard had a goal and two assists to help Canada improve to 2-0 at the tournament. Seven different players scored for the two-time defending champions. "Today all four lines played excellent," said head coach Laura Schuler. https://www.cheappiratesjerseys.us/ . - On the night Dirk Nowitzki overtook Dominique Wilkins on the career scoring list, Brandan Wright was a human highlight film all by himself. Pirates Jerseys 2019 Pirates Jerseys China .Cullen scored the go-ahead goal at 13:47 of the third period and Nashville beat the slumping Dallas Stars 3-2 on Thursday in a game that wasnt decided until the last shot of the night.PINEHURST, N.C. -- Phil Mickelson spent five hours in the stifling heat Tuesday at Pinehurst No. 2 with a lot on his mind. He was trying to sharpen his game, figure out what it will take to finally win a U.S. Open and make enough putts with his claw grip to avoid losing to a pair of players whose combined age is younger than him. This major has a reputation as the toughest test in golf. Its every bit of that for Mickelson. "I really believe that this week is testing a players entire game," Mickelson said. "Because it forces you to make good decisions, to choose the right club off the tee, hit solid iron shots into the green and utilize your short game to save strokes. Its just a wonderful test ... the best test Ive seen to identify the best player." His definition of Pinehurst and its rugged, natural look would seem to require every ounce of concentration. And that could be his biggest challenge. On the golf course, Mickelson is trying to ignore the enormous expectations on him this week. He holds the worst kind of U.S. Open record with six runner-up finishes. He needs this major to complete the career Grand Slam. And hes a sentimental favourite at Pinehurst No. 2, where in 1999 he played the entire week knowing his wife was on the verge of delivering their first child. Payne Stewart made a 15-foot par putt on the final hole to beat him by one shot. Amanda Mickelson was born the next day. Stewart died in a plane crash four months later. "Payne and I had this moment where we talked about fatherhood, but he also talked about winning future U.S. Opens," Mickelson said. "Although I havent won one yet, Im still fighting hard, and this would be a great place to break through and do it. The flip side is that I tend to do well when its least expected. "I dont want to put the pressure on that this is the only week that Ill have a chance," he said. "I think Ill have a number of great opportunities in the future years. But this is certainly as good a chance as Ill have." Off the course, Mickelson has made headlines that threaten his clean image. He was linked two weeks ago to an insider trading investigation involving activist investor Carl Icahn and Las Vegas gambler Billy Walters over some timely trades of Clorox stock three years ago. FBI agents even came to the golf course to try to interview Mickelson. He referred them to his attorney, said he had done "absolutely nothing wrong" and that "Im not going to walk around any other way." It would seem to be a major distractionn for Mickelson.dddddddddddd Even though he hasnt won in nearly a year, and he has dropped to No. 11 in the world ranking, he is the centre of attention in the sand hills of North Carolina -- especially with Tiger Woods still out of the game while recovering from back surgery. Then again, it could be to Mickelsons advantage to be at a place such as Pinehurst. The course doesnt allow anyone to think about anything but the next shot. "We have so many players when they have a lot of stuff swirling around them that use that four or five hours on the golf course as a sanctuary," two-time U.S. Open champion Andy North said. "You can focus sometimes even better, which sound crazy, but its your place where no one can get to you. The phone cant ring. No one can ask you questions about whatever it is. And you get out there and find your little space. And sometimes that creates a situation where a guy can play exceptionally well." The investigation has not been a big topic since Mickelson said repeatedly at the Memorial that he had done nothing wrong, was co-operating and would not talk about it until it was resolved. There were no direct questions at his news conference Tuesday, only veiled references to coping with off-course distractions. Barclays, one of his biggest sponsors, declined to comment on Mickelson. KPMG, another major sponsor, said in a statement, "We have had a very strong relationship with Phil for a number of years, and we fully expect it to continue. We have great respect for him." While Mickelsons U.S. Open record is loaded with disappointment, he sees only opportunity. To have been the runner-up six times -- not to mention other U.S. Opens where he had a chance to win in the final hour -- means he must be doing something right. And he hasnt lost his sense of humour. "I feel as good about my game as I have all year," Mickelson said, pausing before he added, "Thats not staying a lot because I havent played well all year." He also said an analysis of his close calls in the U.S. Open revealed that it rained during the week in five of those second-place finishes. "So Im pulling for rain," he said. As for that other match? Mickelson carried the load as he and Rickie Fowler rallied from 3 down to tie the match, only for 20-year-old Jordan Spieth to make a 20-foot birdie on the 17th, and 21-year-old Justin Thomas to drill a tee shot on the 18th hole to set up a par for the win. Another close call. Its a U.S. Open. Mickelson should be used to that by now. ' ' '