Tuesday April 3

With the NHL in near full swing and 13 games in contention on Tuesday night Former Islander action was bound to be hot. FIs accounted for 6 goals, 5 assists and a win in net. Here is a recap:

• Bryan McCabe assisted on the second goal and then scored the game winning powerplay tally 2:18 into OT to pull off the 3-2 win for the Maple Leafs over the visiting Flyers. Of the 14 goals McCabe has scored this season 10 have come with the extra man and none has been bigger. This was McCabe's first game winner of the season, seemingly a disappointment considering he netted 6 game winners last year. McCabe now has 56 points in 80 games this season. Mike York scored the goal that forced OT, his 10th of the season, with only 4:14 remaining in regulation. In 34 games with the Flyers this year York only has 4 goals. In fact, York has been on such a cold streak that the goal ended a 7 game pointless streak and a 9 game goalless streak.
• Martin Straka recorded a shorthanded assist on the Rangers' first goal in their 3-2 SO loss to the host Islanders. Straka now has 70 points for the second consecutive season. It is the fourth time in his career that he has reached the 70+ point plateau. As well, the assist was Straka's first such shorthanded point since December 5, 2000.
• Todd Bertuzzi scored his second goal as a Redwing and third of the season in Detroit's 3-0 home domination of the Columbus Blue Jackets. After going scoreless in his first 3 games with Detroit, Bertuzzi has turned it on as of late with 4 points in his last 4 games (2 goals, 2 assists). It seems Bertuzzi might become the caliber player Detroit had been looking for all along.
• Jeff Hamilton assisted on the goal that forced OT and then sealed the game with a SO goal in Chicago's 3-2 road win over Nashville. Hamilton now has 20 assists and 37 points in his breakout season.
• Roman Hamrlik scored his 7th of the year in Calgary's 4-3 home loss to the Colorado Avalanche. In a game that could have sealed a playoff spot for Calgary and officially eliminated Colorado, Hamrlik's goal was one of the few bright spots for the Flames. Despite missing a few games earlier in the season Hamrlik has 38 points in 72 games this season. With the goal Hamrlik ended a 3 game pointless streak.
• Vancouver strengthened their cause to win the Northeast Division with a 4-2 home win over the Los Angeles Kings. Roberto Luongo won his 46th of the year and currently remains 1 win behind Martin Brodeur for the league lead. With 1 more win Luongo would equal the single season record currently being shared by Brodeur and Bernie Parent. Luongo is 46-21-6 on the season. Bryan Smolinski scored Vancouver's first goal, a powerplay tally, and his 18th of the year. With the goal Smoke notched a new post-lockout season high surpassing last year's total of 17. In 79 games he has 44 points but only 7 of those points have come in his 17 games with Vancouver. Taylor Pyatt scored the second Vancouver goal and his 22nd of the year. In his resurgence of a season Pyatt has 36 points in 73 games. Overall Pyatt has 6 points in his last 5 games. With an assist on the Pyatt goal Trevor Linden notched his 25th point of the year. The assist ended a 3 game pointless streak. Defenseman Jamie Heward assisted on Los Angeles' second goal notching his 24th point of the year. In 17 games with Los Angeles, Heward has 8 points including 3 assists in his last 4 games.

The action on Wednesday would be mild to say the least. Stay logged on for all your FI action.