Friday, November 30, 2007

Thursday November 29

Action was hot on Thursday as 14 teams faced off in 7 highly competitive tilts. Former Islanders were there, yet again, providing push for many teams looking to dominate as the mid-season roars on. Involved in every game, FIs contributed with 3 goals, 5 assists and 2 wins in net (including a shutout). Let us take as look at FI workload from the night:

* Jason Blake assisted on the opening goal as the Toronto Maple Leafs downed the host Atlanta Thrashers 4-2. With 26 games down, Blake has 18 points on 2 goals and 16 assists.

* Only 3 games returned from an injury that had sidelined him since late October, Martin Straka helped the New York Rangers down the visiting Islanders 4-2. Straka assisted on the first and final goals of the game. He snapped a 6 game point-less streak and improved to 5 points (2 goals, 3 assists) on 10 games this season.

* If Dominik Hasek retired tomorrow the Detroit Redwings would actually become a better team! Chris Osgood continued his amazing form on Thursday as the host Redwings downed the Tampa Bay Lightning 4-2. Ozzie stopped 21 of 23 shots to improve to an amazing 12-1-1 on the season.

* Zdeno Chara has struggled offensively so far this season as he attempts to captain Boston back into the playoffs. On Thursday night no struggle appeared to be there as the Bruins downed the host Florida Panthers 4-3. Chara opened the scoring with his 2nd of the season and added a powerplay goal, his 3rd, in the second period to power the Bruins' offense. He received first star of the game credits and now has 15 points (3 goals, 12 assists) on 23 games this year. Olli Jokinen added the too-little-too-late goal with 30 seconds remaining in regulation for the Panthers. O-Jok is a powerhouse right now for Florida with 25 points (12 goals, 13 assists) on 26 games this year.

* Randy Robitaille ended his recent offensive woes as the Ottawa Senators lost in a last-second shocker to the visiting Nashville Predators 6-5. Robitaille assisted on the second Sens goal to snap a 10 game point-less streak. He has 4 points (2 goals, 2 assists) on 15 games this season. Robitaille is still mired in an 11 game goal-less streak.

* Todd Bertuzzi assisted on the first of four consecutive Ducks goals as Anaheim dropped the host Calgary Flames 4-1. With 4 assists in his last 4 games, Bert now has 6 points (1 goal, 5 assists) on 12 games this year.

* Roberto Luongo is now on fire! Luongo stopped 26 shots as the Vancouver Canucks blanked the visiting Columbus Blue Jackets 2-0. He now has 3 straight shutouts for the first time in his career. His current shutout streak stands as 195 minutes and 34 seconds. With the win, Luongo improved to 12-9-2 and his flashing the brilliance that made him a Vezina Finalist last season. In the process, Luongo has dropped his goals against average (2.18) and raised his save percentage (.922). Over the last 3 games, Luongo has 79 straight shots.

Check back soon for more FIW updates.

Wednesday, November 28, 2007

Wednesday November 28

Nine games were in contention on Wednesday night as 18 teams battle for those all-important midseason points. Former Islanders are contributing every which way they can. With 2 goals, 4 assists a couple of SO goals and a couple more failed SO attempts, FIs were trying. Let us take a look at their work from Wednesday:

* A Tim Connolly multi-point night went to waste as the Buffalo Sabres dropped a home decision in the final minute of regulation to the St. Louis Blues 4-3. Connolly received a secondary assist on a Buffalo powerplay tally and added a primary assist on the shortlived game tying goal. Connolly has 14 points (2 goals, 12 assists) on 17 competitions this season.

* Randy Robitaille had a goal waved off and was stopped on a chance in the SO as the Ottawa Senators dropped a 3-2 decision to the host New York Islanders. Robitaille is mired in a 10 game point-less streak since scoring 2 goals on November 1. This was his first game against the Isles since parting ways with the team in the offseason.

* There was a wild sudden death finish to the Florida-Washington game as the Panthers downed the host Capitals 2-1 in the 11th round of the SO! Panthers' FI Richard Zednik opened the scoring with his 8th goal of the season, a powerplay tally, 4:49 into the first period. Zed has now played 22 games this season posting 13 points on 8 goals and 5 assists. However, the real fun began in the SO. Let us look at what each FI did:

2nd Round - Olli Jokinen (FLA), goal!
3rd Round - Viktor Kozlov (WAS), goal!
7th Round - Richard Zednik (FLA), saved.
10th Round - Tom Poti (WAS), saved.

* Mark Parrish assisted on an insurance goal as the Minnesota Wild downed the visiting Phoenix Coyotes 3-1. Parrish is now averaging half a point a game with 12 (7 goals, 5 assists) on 24 tilts this year.

* Raffi Torres scored the first Oilers' goal of the night and defenseman Denis Grebeshkov assisted on the second as Edmonton lost yet another game, this time 4-2 at the hands of the host Colorado Avalanche. The goal was Torres' 4th of the season. With it he snapped a 14 game point-less streak and a 17 game goal-less streak. He now has 7 points (4 goals, 3 assists) on 25 games this season. Grebeshkov has quietly but confidently strung together a 3 game assist streak. He has 4 points (all assists) on 20 games this year. This is the first scoring streak of any sort for his short career.

Check back with us soon for all your Former Islander updates.

Tuesday November 27

Three games were up for grabs on Tuesday as 6 teams battled for the all important mid-season points. Former Islanders are kicking it in to high gear with many shaking off early season rust. Let us take a look at their contributions from Tuesday night:

* Somehow, when the Detroit Redwings start super backup goaltender Chris Osgood they keep the shots against low. They did it again on Tuesday as Ozzie turned aside 19 of 22 shots to help his turn record a 5-3 home win over the Calgary Flames. The awesome season Osgood is having continued to get better as he improved his record to 11-1-1 on the year. His .925 save percentage is good enough for 6th in the NHL and his 1.76 goals against average tops the league.

* Their was big FI action as the Montreal Canadiens shutdown the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-3 in the SO. For Les Habs, Bryan Smolinski received a powerplay assist on the Montreal's 3rd goal. Smoke has 11 points (2 goals, 9 assists) on 24 games since joining the Canadiens in the postseason. Toronto defenseman Bryan McCabe assisted on the 2nd Maple Leafs' goal. McCabe recorded an unbelievable 34:52 of ice time and with the helper has 11 points (4 goals, 7 assists) on 19 games this year. Toronto winger Jason Blake assisted on the opening goal of the game and the tying goal with 18 seconds left in regulation for a multi-point night. He also missed his 5th round sudden death attempt that would have extended the SO frame. Following a cold slump, Blake is starting to warm up with 3 points in his last 2 games. He now has 17 points on 2 goals and 15 assists on 25 games this season. At the 25 game mark last season, Blake had 27 points on 14 goals and 13 assists, quite an offensive fall off for a player who notched 40 goals last season for the first time in his career.

* Roberto Luongo is starting to look more like his old self. He stopped 26 shots to help the Vancouver Canucks blank the visiting Anaheim Ducks 4-0. The shutout was the 2nd in as many games for Luongo who has improved to 11-9-2 on the season with a .918 save percentage and a shrinking 2.28 goals against average. This was his 3rd shutout of the season and surprisingly the first time he has posted back-to-back shutouts since October 5-7, 2005 when he was still with the Florida Panther and only the third time ever he has accomplished the feat.

Thanks for stopping by for all your Former Islander/NHL updates. Check back soon with FIW.

Monday November 26

Four games were up for grabs on Monday night around the NHL. Former Islanders keep hustling as they continue to push their teams to the top of the mid-season points contention. Let us take a look at the FI efforts from Monday:

* Bruins captain Zdeno Chara notched 2 assists as Boston beat the host Philadelphia Flyers 6-3. Chara had an even strength helper in the first period then added one on the empty net goal to pull off the multi-point effort. Chara, 22 games into the season, has 13 points on 1 goal and 12 assists.

* Another game, another cavalcade of FI action. The Columbus Blue Jackets dropped a 3-1 decision to the poor Edmonton Oilers. FI d-man Denis Grebeshkov assisted on the game opening Oilers' goal. It was his second assist in as many games. He now has 3 points (all assists) on 19 tilts this season. Michael Peca assisted on the lone Columbus tally on the powerplay in what would be the temporary game tying goal. Peca has been pretty steady when he has been healthy managing 10 points (2 goals, 8 assists) on 16 games. Then, Robert Nilsson was credited with the primary assist on the game winning goal. The young winger snapped a 6 game point-less streak to up his season totals to 1 goal, 4 assists and 5 points on 16 games.

That was it for Monday night FI action. Check back soon for more updates on Former Islander Watch.

Sunday November 25

Four games were on the schedule on Sunday night. Former Islanders are yet again in the fray trying to help their respective teams however they can. FIs were responsible for 5 assists and a shutout. Let us take as look at their contributions from Sunday night:

* Blues' defenseman Eric Brewer assisted on the game winning goal only 27 seconds into the game to help lift St. Louis over the visiting Calgary Flames 3-0. In his 16 games this season, Brewer has 5 points on 1 goal and 4 assists.

* The FI action was heavy on Sunday night as the host Anaheim Ducks downed the Los Angeles Kings 3-2. On the losing side, Derek Armstrong notched an assist on the opening goal. Now 23 games into his season, Armstrong has still not scored a goal. He has 10 assists on the season but is struggling to find net while mired in a 24 game goal-less streak dating back to last season. Ducks' defenseman Mathieu Schneider assisted on the first Anaheim goal. Schneider snapped a 2 game point-less streak, his longest of the season, and now has 9 points (2 goals, 7 assists) on only 9 games this year. Todd Bertuzzi then added the primary assists on the second Ducks' goal and the game winner. With a mere 10 games played this season, Bert has 5 points on 1 goal and 4 assists. This was Bertuzzi's second multi-point game of the season with his prior coming on October 3 (only 3 games in).

* Roberto Luongo turned back 27 shots to record his 2nd shutout of the season as the Vancouver Canucks downed the visiting Chicago Blackhawks 2-0. Recipient of the first star of the game, Luongo improved to 10-9-2 with the win.

Check back soon for more updates here at FIW.

Saturday November 24

The action was hot on Saturday night as 24 teams faced off in 12 games. Former Islanders, never to be underestimated, were there helping their teams as the competition gets tougher as we head closer to the midpoint of the season. FIs notched a game winning goal, 4 assists and a SO goal for the night. Let us take a peek at their work from Saturday:

* A couple of competing FIs gave their two cents as the Toronto Maple Leafs fell to the host Phoenix Coyotes 5-1. Yotes' winger Mike York assisted on an insurance goal to improve to 7 points (4 goals, 3 assists) on 19 games this season. Leafs' winger Jason Blake assisted on the team's lone goal. Blake snapped a 9 game point-less streak where he all but disappeared from the Toronto boxscore. Blake now has 13 points on 2 goals and 11 assists in 24 competitions this season, quite a dropoff considering he had nearly a point a game before the offensive drought.

* Capitals' defenseman Tom Poti posted yet another powerplay assist as Washington downed the visiting Carolina Hurricanes 5-2 on Saturday. With 17 games under his belt this season, Poti has 7 assists with 3 of those helpers coming in the last 2 games. Poti has been a force on the powerplay notching 4 assists on the man advantage.

* Michael Peca scored a SO goal to help propel the Columbus Blue Jackets to a 3-2 win over the divisional rival Detroit Redwings. His SO goal sparked the first of 3 consecutive sudden death tallies by the Blue Jackets.

* Adrian Aucoin notched the game winner for the hot Calgary Flames as they downed the host Colorado Avalanche 5-2 on Saturday. The goal was his 3rd of the season. Aucoin now has 10 points (3 goals, 7 assists) on 23 games this season.

* Mark Parrish assisted on the third Minnesota goal as the Wild downed the host Nashville Predators 4-3. Parrish snapped a 4 game point-less streak and now has 11 points on 7 goals and 4 assists in 23 games this season.

* FI defenseman Denis Grebeshkov notched an assist to snap a 12 game point-less streak. Grebeshkov now has 2 assists on 18 games this season. His assist came on the first Edmonton goal as the Oilers dropped the visiting Chicago Blackhawks in a 3-2 SO decision.

That wraps it up for Saturday night. Check back for more nightly highlights here at FIW.

Tuesday, November 27, 2007

Friday November 23

The action intensified on Friday night in 10 games across the NHL. With so many points up for grabs so early in the season, teams are scrambling to stock up early. Former Islanders were there, as always, to help pick up the pace. FIs posted 2 goals, 8 assists, a SO game winner and a loss in net. Let us take a look at their contributions:

* Two FIs helped the Washington offense which has struggled so much as of late as the Capitals pulled off a 4-3 OT win over the host Philadelphia Flyers. Tom Poti assisted on the first 2 goals of the game including a powerplay tally and Viktor Kozlov added another assist to help provide an early Caps' surge. Poti now has 6 assists on the year in 16 games. Poti snapped a 4 game point-less streak and has 3 of his 6 assists on the man advantage. On 24 games, Kozlov has 14 points on 3 goals and 11 assists. Struggling to find the net so far this season, his 3 goals are below the 5 he had at the same point last year. We will see how Kozlov does since his 25th and 26th games last season were his breakout competitions in which he scored 6 goals in about 24 hours.

* Michael Peca had a big night for the surprisingly good Columbus Blue Jackets scoring the game winning powerplay goal and adding an assist as his team blanked the host Minnesota Wild 4-0 on Friday night. The tally ended a 9 game goal-less streak and was his second game winner of the year. He now has 9 points (2 goals, 7 assists) on 14 games.

* Only 2 games back from an injury and the Ducks' Todd Bertuzzi is helping offensively again. Bert had a powerplay assist on Anaheim's second goal in their 4-3 SO loss to the visiting Phoenix Coyotes. With 9 games under his belt with the Ducks, Bertuzzi has 4 points on 1 goal and 3 assists.

* In only his second game back from injury, Sabres' forward Tim Connolly continued to provide offense. Playing in his 16th game of the season, Connolly scored a goal and added an empty net assist to improve to 14 points (2 goals, 12 assists) on the year as Buffalo beat the visiting Montreal Canadiens 4-2.

* Panthers captain Olli Jokinen scored the decisive SO goal in the 5th round of the sudden death frame to help lift his team over the visiting New York Rangers 3-2. The Florida center scored the only goal of the shootout to lift his team to victory.

* Roberto Luongo cannot do it all for Vancouver and as of late neither can Taylor Pyatt and Brad Isbister. Luongo stopped 26 of 29 shots but saw his team fall to the host St. Louis Blues 3-1. The Canucks' goaltender saw his record drop to 9-9-2 with the loss. Fellow FIs Brad Isbister and Taylor Pyatt provided the assists on the lone Vancouver goal. Now 18 games into his season, Isbister has 7 points on 2 goals and 5 assists. Over the last 5 games, Isbister has 4 points on 2 goals and 2 assists. With 22 games under his belt this season, Pyatt has 10 points on 5 goals, 5 assists.

Check back soon for FI highlights and NHL action.

Thanksgiving - Thursday November 22

As Thanksgiving raged on in the States, 8 teams were called into service on Thursday night in 4 heated contests around the league. Let us look at the Former Islander contributions, a nearly empty cornucopia of FI action:

* Ryan Smyth contributed an assist on the opening goal of the game as the Colorado Avalanche downed the host Edmonton Oilers 3-2. The Avs left winger now has 14 points (6 goals, 8 assists) on 21 games this year. His .67 points per game is probably well below what the Avalanche franchise was expecting when they hired him in the offseason.

Check back for more FI/NHL action soon.

Thursday, November 22, 2007

Wednesday November 21

Wednesday was a big night around the NHL with 22 teams in motion across 11 games. Competition is really heating up early in the season. Former Islanders keep making their contributions to their respective teams' efforts. Let us look at the FI happenings:

* Two Montreal FIs helped the Canadiens down the Islanders 4-1 at the Nassau Coliseum on Wednesday night. Center Bryan Smolinski had 2 assists and defenseman Roman Hamrlik assisted on the game winner to help lead Les Habs. Smoke now has 10 points (2 goals, 8 assists) on 21 games this year. Offensively-inclined d-man Hamrlik continued to puff up his numbers. In 21 games he has 11 points on 2 goals and 9 assists.

* Carolina forward Jeff Hamilton continues to help his team despite their recent shortcomings. Hamilton had a powerplay assist on the second Hurricanes goal in their 6-3 home loss to the Philadelphia Flyers. Only 22 games into the season, Hammy has 15 points on 5 goals and 10 assists. He has been especially effective on the powerplay notching 11 of his points (4 goals, 7 assists) with the man advantage.

* Teammate FIs Olli Jokinen and Richard Zednik are a little one-two punch right now for the Florida Panthers. They were at it again on Wednesday as they both assisted on the insurance powerplay goal as the Panthers downed the host Columbus Blue Jackets 5-2. Zed now has 12 points on 7 goals and 5 assists. The powerplay point was his 4th of the season (2 goals, 2 assists on the man advantage). Only 23 games into the season, O-Jok has 24 points on 11 goals and 13 assists. An impressive 13 points (7 goals, 6 assists) have come on the powerplay.

* Viktor Kozlov found the scoresheet again assisting on the lone Washington goal (a powerplay tally) in the Capitals' 5-1 loss to the visiting Atlanta Thrashers. Ending a 3-game point-less streak, Kozlov now has 13 points (3 goals, 10 assists) on 21 games this season. Kozlov has posted half of those assists (5) on the man advantage.

* Detroit goaltender Chris Osgood had to face only 12 shots over 60 minutes of play to post a 3-0 shutout over the visiting St. Louis Blues. The Redwings' backup man continued to shine improving to 10-1-1 on the year. Yet again his already great numbers kept getting better as he upped his save percentage to .930 and lowered his goals against average to 1.65. He is only 1 win behind his total from last season. His gaa is leading the league while his save percentage is good enough for fourth overall.

* Two games after scoring his first goal and point in almost forever, Rangers' defenseman Jason Strudwick notched his first assist of the season. On 16 games this season, Strudwick now has 2 points (1 goal, 1 assist). The assist came on the game winner as New York downed the host Tampa Bay Lightning 2-1.

* Mike York helped power the Phoenix offense as the Coyotes downed the visiting Los Angeles Kings 4-1. York opened the scoring in the first and then notched the game winning, powerplay tally in the second to help carry the Coyotes. York now has 6 points (4 goals, 2 assists) on 17 games. The goals ended a 4 game point-less streak. It was also York's first multi-goal night since December 6, 2005 when he posted a 5 point night while he was still with the Islanders. Additionally, Los Angeles center Derek Armstrong assisted on the lone Kings' goal. Armstrong has yet to tickle the twine but has 9 assists this season on 21 games.

Check back soon for more FIW updates.

Wednesday, November 21, 2007

Tuesday November 20

Three games were up for grabs on Tuesday night. Former Islanders are swarming in almost every competition around the league. Let us take a look at their work from Tuesday includng 2 goals, 1 assist and a SO loss in net:

* Bryan McCabe opened the scoring with a powerplay tally for the Maple Leafs and Zdeno Chara helped the Bruins seal up the victory as Toronto fell to host Boston 4-2. McCabe's 4th goal of the season propelled an early Toronto offensive but was ultimate just a mark of early game oomph. McCabe, who clocked an improbable 32:55 of time, now has 10 points (4 goals, 6 assists) on 16 games this season. Over the last 4 games, McCabe has 5 points on 1 goals and 4 assists, all with the man advantage. Bruins' captain Chara provided a dagger as he received the primary assist on the game winner. Chara now has 1 goal and 10 assists for 11 points on 19 games this year. He is also riding a 4 game point streak having scored 1 goal and 4 assists for 5 points. He is also carrying an assist streak having spread those 4 helpers evenly over the past 4 games.

* Roberto Luongo tries oh so hard sometimes but still cannot bail his team out. A Vancouver comeback and collapse resulted in a 5-4 SO loss to the host Edmonton Oilers. The Canucks goaltender stopped 25 of 29 in regulation and OT and another 3 of 5 in the SO frame but it was not enough. A Vezina finalist last season, Luongo is a moderate 9-8-2 this season with a respectable .912 save percentage and a pedestrian 2.49 goals against average. Most shocking of all is his 1 shutout in the 19 games he has started. Teammate Brad Isbister scored for the second straight game. On 16 games this year, Isbister has 6 points on 2 goals and 4 assists. It was his first back-to-back goal scoring nights since December 6-7, 2002 when Isbister was still with the Islanders. Isbister missed his SO attempt which would have extended the sudden death frame. FI teammate Trevor Linden did make his SO attempt, Vancouver's lone goal in the sudden death session.

Check back soon for more updates and if you do not get a chance to read for a few days Happy Thanksgiving! All the best from FIW.

Monday November 19

The NHL doubled the work load on Monday night with 6 games. Twelve teams were at full tilt battling for points. Former Islanders were in the picture scoring 5 points on 2 goals and 3 assists. Let us take a peek at their work:

* Olli Jokinen is hands down the only reason why the Florida Panthers can compete on a nightly basis. He proved that again on Monday night as he scored 2 goals, including the game winner, in Florida's 4-3 win over the host Washington Capitals. Both even strength goals, O-Jok notched his 10th and 11th goals of the year. Recipient of the first star of the game, Jokinen now has 23 points (11 goals, 12 assists) on only 22 games this year. The only blemish is his -6 rating which is not surprising considering Florida's complete reliance on him at center and their general lack of defensive ability. Receiving the primary assist on both Jokinen goals was fellow FI Richard Zednik. Zed received the second star for his efforts and improved to 11 points (4 goals, 7 assists) on 18 games this season. A spotty player, the multi-point effort was Zednik's 3rd of the season.

* Blues' defenseman Eric Brewer was credited with the secondary assist on the opening goal in St. Louis' 2-1 win over the visiting Nashville Predators. After fighting off a minor injury, Brewer has rebounded to pocket 4 points (1 goal, 3 assists) on 14 games this season.

Former Islander Watch is here for the fans across the NHL, our niche perspective only reinforces our love of the sport and for our team in general. Check back soon for more updates here at FIW.

Sunday November 18

A little slow down from the active Saturday night, the NHL spun out 3 games on Sunday. Let us take a look at the smattering of Former Islander happenings including the 2 wins in net, 2 goals and 1 assist:

* Chris Osgood got back to winning, the hard way, after dropping his first decision since January last week. Ozzie backstopped the Detroit Redwings to a 5-4 SO victory over the host Columbus Blue Jackets. He had to stopped 36 of 40 shots in the first 65 minutes and another 3 of 5 in the SO frame to accomplish the task. With the win, Osgood improved to an impressive 9-1-0 with a wonderful save percentage (.926) and a quality goals against average (1.80). What makes the gaa even more of a feat is that Osgood has yet to get a shutout this season.

* Four FIs were actively involved in the 4-1 Vancouver win over visiting Calgary on Sunday night. Canucks' goaltender Roberto Luongo stopped 29 of 30 shots to jump back up over the .500 mark. Luongo is now 9-8-1 on the season. Teammate Brad Isbister capped the scoring with his first goal of the season. On 15 games this year, Isbister has 1 goal and 4 assists for 5 points. The goal snapped a 32 game goal-less streak dating back to December 21, 2006 when he was still playing with the New York Rangers. Getting tagged with the secondary assist on that goal was Taylor Pyatt. Trying to rediscover his scoring touch, Pyatt now has 9 points (5 goals, 4 assists) on 19 games this season. Finally, their was Flames' defenseman Adrian Aucoin who scored the lone goal for his team. The tally was his second of the season. Now 20 games into the season, Aucoin has 9 points on 2 goals and 7 assists. He is second among Flames defenseman in points.

Check back soon for more FIW updates.

Saturday November 17

Ten games were in full swing on Saturday night as the NHL continues to rev up its action. Competition is hot in the first third of the season as teams jockey for positioning. Former Islanders are instrumental on so many of those teams. Let us take a look at the FI contributions from Saturday night including 3 goals and 8 assists for 11 points (9 of those points from defenseman alone):

* Not to be one-upped by a foe FI defenseman, Roman Hamrlik shone in the Montreal Canadiens' 7-4 explosive win over the visiting Boston Bruins. Of course the rival d-man we are mentioning is Bruins' captain Zdeno Chara who also flashed some offensive brilliance. Hamrlik scored the game-winning goal and added an assist to cap a multi-point effort, his second such game of the season. In 19 games, Hamrlik has been an on-and-off force for Les Habs scoring 2 goals and 8 assists for 10 points. He has also taken a gentlemanly low 8 penalty minutes. Before Hamrlik turned it on Chara was there to bolster the early competition. Chara scored his first goal of the season and added a powerplay assist for a 2 point night. Chara has posted reasonable, yet mixed numbers, so far this season having now scored 10 points (1 goal, 9 assists) on 18 games this year. The tally snapped a 23 game goal-less streak dating back to last spring. As well, Chara extended his current point-scoring streak to 3 games having scored 1 goal and 3 assists for 4 points in that time.

* Defensive journeyman Brent Sopel had a couple of less-than-ordinary assists for Chicago in their 5-3 win over the host, Western Conference-leading Detroit Redwings. Sopel was credited with a shorthanded assist in the second and added a helper on the emtpy net goal for his first multi-point game since December 29, 2006, two teams ago with the Los Angeles Kings. Not renowned as an offensive powerhouse, Sopel has provided a stable 5 points (all assists) on 17 games this season. Let us go one stat further, the shorthanded assist was Sopel's second of the season. Sopel had gone 149 regular season games between shorthanded goals when he scored his first of the season on October 6, but he now has 2 in a span of only 16 games. Quite a step-up after 6+ years without any of these specialty helpers.

* As the Carolina Hurricanes downed the visiting Florida Panthers 2-1 on Saturday night, competing FIs yet again contributed. Jeff Hamilton received the secondary, powerplay assist on the opening goal of the game. On 21 games this season, Hamilton has 14 points on 5 goals and 9 assists. He has been especially effective on special teams where he has 4 goals and 6 assists with the man advantage. Panthers' captain Olli Jokinen gave as much as he could providing a powerplay assist in the too-little-too-late goal to conclude the game scoring. On 21 games this year, O-Jok has 9 goals and 12 assists for 21 points. With the assist, Jokinen snapped a 2 game point-less streak. Jokinen has also been very efficient on the powerplay scoring 7 of his 9 goals and an additional 5 extra man assists.

* Not famed for his mental acumen, Maple Leafs defenseman Bryan McCabe flashed some brilliance from his strong suit, offense, on Saturday night. Toronto blanked the Eastern Conference-leading Ottawa Senators 3-0 at home, with McCabe scoring powerplay assists on the first two goals. McCabe received first star of the game and now has 9 points (3 goals, 6 assists) on 15 games this year. He has scored 4 assists in the last 3 games all on the man advantage. In fact, the powerplay has been his saving grace as 7 of his 9 points (2 goals, 5 assists) have come with the extra skater.

* Out of the "I haven't heard that name in a while" file comes defenseman Jason Strudwick who scored the OT game winner in the New York Rangers' 4-3 win over the host Pittsburgh Penguins. Playing in his 14th game of the season, Strudwick notched his first point of the year. Where do you start with a rarity like this? The goal snapped a 49 game goal-less AND point-less streak dating back to January 28, 2006! It was Strudwick's first game winner since November 21, 2000 (last century!). A career 11 goal scorer, this was only the 2nd game winner ever for Strudwick.

Check back with FIW for more exciting, crazy and enlightening updates.

Saturday, November 17, 2007

Friday November 16

Seven games were battled on Friday night. Fourteen teams were playing for a continued march toward mid-season analyses of who has brought game this year and who continues to lag behind. Former Islanders will be, as always, on both sides of the table. But as long as FIs keep contributing the cream of the FI crop will eventually rise. Let us take a look at their mostly paltry efforts (2 goals, 2 assists, 1 win)from Friday night:

* In one of those rare circumstances, Eric Brewer was able to assist on the game winning empty net goal on Friday night as the St. Louis Blues downed the visiting Columbus Blue Jackets 3-2! The assist came with 55 seconds left in regulation to give the Blues a 3-1 lead but the Blue Jackets responded too late with a goal at the 19:54 mark of regulation. What would have been a game tying tally turned out to be too little too late. Brewer improved to 1 goal and 2 assists for 3 points on 12 games this season.

* The FI involvement in Friday night's 6-2 Vancouver victory over the visiting Minnesota Wild was almost too much to be real. Where to start? Taylor Pyatt opened scoring for the Canucks with his 5th goal of the season. Pyatt now has 8 points (5 goals, 3 assists) on 18 games this year. Notching the primary assist on that goal was FI forward Brad Isbister who now has 4 assists on 14 games. Scoring the fifth Vancouver goal was local hero Trevor Linden who tallied his first of the season completely unassisted. It has been a slow start for Linden who has only 3 points (1 goal, 2 assists) on 13 games this year. And finally, Roberto Luongo stopped 20 of 22 shots to return to .500. He is now 8-8-1 with a .911 save percentage and a 2.50 goals against average. On 17 starts, Luongo has a surprisingly paltry 1 shutout this year.

Check back for more weekend updates here soon at FIW.

Thursday November 15

The NHL schedule picked up the pace a little bit on Thursday as 9 games were up for grabs. Former Islander help was modest with 2 goals and 4 assists for 6 points. Let us recap the FI efforts:

* Bruins' captain Zdeno Chara added an assist on the insurance goal in Boston's 5-2 win over the visiting Toronto Maple Leafs. Despite minute and bone-crunching, Chara has done little offensively for Boston. He has only 8 points (all assists) on 17 games this year. In fact, Chara has not scored a goal in 23 straight games dating back to March 29 of this year. On the losing side, Toronto defenseman Bryan McCabe earned himself a powerplay assist on the first Maple Leafs' goal of the night. On 14 games this season, McCabe has 7 points on 3 goals and 4 assists.

* It is always fun to bring up the obtuse FIs. On Thursday, Jim Dowd scored his second goal of the year for Philadelphia as the Flyers lost a 4-3 SO effort to the visiting New York Rangers. On 18 games this season, Dowd has only 2 points on 2 goals.

* Panthers' forward Richard Zednik scored the opening goal of the game in a close fought 2-1 Florida win over the visiting Washington Capitals. The goal was Zed's 7th of the year. He now has 9 points (7 goals, 2 assists) on 16 games this season.

* Mark Parrish continued to flash some offensive prowess for Minnesota as he scored a goal and added a powerplay assist in the Wild's 4-2 win over the host Edmonton Oilers. Parrish has picked his played up as of late and now has 10 points (7 goals, 3 assists) on 18 games this year. He has been white hot in his last 4 games scoring 3 goals and 3 assists for 6 points. But he has been almost completely reliant on the man advantage scoring 6 of those 10 points (4 goals, 2 assists) on the powerplay.

Check back here for weekend highlights and Former Islander action here at FIW.

Wednesday November 14

Five games were up for contention on Wednesday night as 10 teams worked to seal up points in the early season scramble for standings' dominance. Former Islanders kind of played their parts contributing only 1 powerplay goal and an OT loss in net. Let us take a peek at the efforts:

* Jeff Hamilton scored the lone Hurricanes' goal in their 6-1 collapse to the host Tampa Bay Lightning. The tally, a powerplay effort, was Hamilton's 5th of the season. A pleasant addition to the Carolina offense, on 19 games this year Hamilton has 5 goals and 8 assists for 13 points. The offense has especially been a shining point for Hamilton as he has 9 points (4 goals, 5 assists) on the man advantage alone.

* Roberto Luongo was saddled with an overtime loss as the Vancouver Canucks dropped a1-0 decision in SO to the visiting Edmonton Oilers. Luongo stopped 19 shots between regulation and OT but could only stop 2 of 3 in the shootout. On 16 starts this season, Luongo is still mired under .500 at 7-8-1. Edmonton FI Raffi Torres missed his opportunity in the SO.

Check back soon for more night recaps here at the FIW.

Tuesday November 13

Five more games were up for grabs on Tuesday night. As the action intensifies, so does the Former Islander action. FIs had 5 assists and some substitution time in net. Let us take a look at the happenings:

* A game after dropping his first regulation decision in over 10 months, Chris Osgood played a brief backup role for the Red Wings in their 4-3 loss to the host St. Louis Blues. The Detroit goaltender stopped 4 shots in 24 minutes of emergency backup as Dominik Hasek collapsed midway through the second period. Blues' defenseman Eric Brewer notched an assist on the temporary game tying goal. Brewer has had a slow start that was partially hampered by an injury. On 11 games this season, Brewer has 1 goal and 1 assist for 2 points.

* Opposing FIs had powerplay assists on Tuesday night in Montreal's 4-3 OT win over Toronto. Canadiens' center Bryan Smolinski notched his on the first goal of the game. On 17 games this season, Smoke has 2 goals and 5 assists for 7 points. Three of those points have come on the man advantage (1 goal, 2 assists). Maple Leafs' defenseman Bryan McCabe received the secondary assist on the second Toronto goal. On 13 games this year McCabe has 6 points (3 goals, 3 assists). Four of those points have come in powerplay form (2 goals, 2 assists).

* Wild forward Mark Parrish had an assist on the first Minnesota goal in their 3-2 loss to the host Calgary Flames. Parrish assisted for the second straight game. He now has 8 points on 6 goals and 2 assists in 17 games this season. Additionally, he has 4 points (2 goals, 2 assists) in his last 3 games.

* A couple of competing FIs put their 2 cents in as the SoCal rivalry between Anaheim and Los Angeles resulted in a 4-3 Ducks' victory in shootout. Anaheim defenseman Mathieu Schneider continued to provide offense as he was credite with a powerplay assist on the opening goal of the game. Schneids, who was listed as day-to-day with a sore hip following the game, has 8 points (2 goals, 6 assists) on only 6 games this season. Schneider has even been on a role lately notching 1 goal and 4 assists for 5 points in his last 3 games. Kings' center Derek Armstrong had a powerplay assist on the first Los Angeles goal of the night. On 17 games this year, Armstrong has 8 points (all assists). Armstrong has now gone goal-less in 18 straight games dating back to last season and has not tickled the net since April 3.

Check back for more updates and Former Islander action here at FIW.

Monday November 12

Five games were up for contention on Monday as 10 teams were desperate to grab points in the early season scramble. Former Islanders were there, as normal, adding help as they could. With 1 win and an assist let us take a look at the FI action:

* Kevin Weekes, in a rare start for New Jersey, backstopped the Devils to a 3-2 win over the host Pittsburgh Penguins. Weekes stopped 23 of 25 shots to improve to 2-0-1 on 3 starts this season. He also improved his stats dropping his goals against average to 2.09 and upping his save percentage to .930. Weekes, finally showing signs of full recovery from his hip injury, has been an asset to the Devils in his brief opportunities to shine.

* Olli Jokinen assisted on the opening goal of the game as the Florida Panthers dropped a 4-3 decision to the visiting Carolina Hurricanes. O-Jok notched the 20 point mark only 17 games into the season. He has 9 goals and 11 assists.

Check back soon for all the FI efforts.

Sunday November 11

Only 2 games were up for grabs on Sunday night. Former Islanders scored 1 goal, 2 assists and took a loss in goal. Let us look at the tidbits of FI action:

* Chris Osgood suffered his first loss in over 10 months on Sunday night as the Detroit Red Wings dropped a 3-2 decision to the host Chicago Blackhawks. Osgood stopped 24 of 27 shots but his team was 1 goal short in the effort. Ozzie fell to a great 8-1-0 to start the year. He has a .929 save percentage and a goals against average hovering around 2.30. Since January 6, his last regulation loss, Osgood went an unbelievable 15-0-5 in 20 starts! Yet, he never saw a minute of playoff time in the postseason as the Red Wings fell short of their goal again. Coincidence? We at FIW think not. (Sidenote: Per conversation with a Red Wings fan, the thought is that Osgood would make a good starter on just about any team in the league making the regretful part that Dominik Hasek is still given too much playing time in Detroit.)

* Ryan Smyth actually provided some offense on Sunday night as the host Colorado Avalanche downed the visiting Minnesota Wild 4-2. Smyth scored a goal and added a powerplay assist for the multi-point night. On 17 games, Smyth has 13 points on 6 goals and 7 assists. Minnesota FI Mark Parrish added a powerplay assist. The assist was Parrish' first in 16 games this year. He now has 6 goals and 1 assist for 7 points.

Check back soon for more FIW updates.

Tuesday, November 13, 2007

Saturday November 10

Not as busy as one would hope, there were only 11 games at stake on Saturday night. Former Islanders had their hands full in some of them. FIs contributed 1 goal, 9 assists and a win netside. Let us look at their contributions:

* Stephen Valiquette, yes!, Valiquette recorded a win for the New York Rangers on Saturday as they downed the host Toronto Maple Leafs 3-2 in the shootout. Valiquette stopped 32 of 34 shots and was perfect against 2 in SO to notch his first win of the season. With the win, Valiquette notched his first since March 3, 2006 in the only starting appearance he with the Blueshirts in 3 games played. He improved his career record to 5-3-0.

* There was a flurry of FI action as the Tampa Bay Lightning downed the host Washington Capitals 5-2. Tom Poti, recently returned from injury, provided 2 assists to improve to 4 points (all assists) on 11 games this season. The assists ended a 5 game pointless streak. Viktor Kozlov was also credited with an assist on the second Caps goal. Kozzer has 12 points (3 goals, 9 assists) on 17 games this season and is in the midst of a 3 game point streak in which he has scored 1 goal and 4 assists for 5 points. As well, FI defenseman Brad Lukowich received the secondary assist on the game winning goal. Luko has 3 points on 1 goal and 2 assists on 17 games.

* Zdeno Chara has been wobbly offensively as of late. He finally cracked some of that shell with an assist on the game winner in Boston's 2-1 win over the visiting Buffalo Sabres. Bruins' captain Chara upped his numbers to 7 points (all assists) on the season. Chara has not scored a goal for 22 straight games dating back to last year.

* Teammate FIs Robert Nilsson and Dick Tarnstrom helped power a 4-2 Edmonton win over the host Calgary Flames. Oilers' forward Nilsson scored his first of the year, a powerplay goal, and added an assist for his first multi-point night since April 8, 2006. Nilsson now has 4 points (1 goal, 3 assists) on 9 games this season. Defenseman Tarnstrom was credited with 2 assists including 1 on the man advantage for his first multi-point night since March 3, 2006. In 14 games, Tarnstrom has 1 goal and 4 assists for 5 points.

* The Los Angeles Kings survived a last minute comeback by the Dallas Stars on Saturday to pull out a 6-5 OT win at home. FI Derek Armstrong assisted on the third of 5 straight Kings' goals. Armstrong has yet to hit his stride or hit the net in 16 games this year scoring only 7 assists despite taking 24 shots on goal. Armstrong is an enigma for a Kings team that pinpointed him as an offensive necessity in the postseason.

Check back soon for all the nightly recaps here at FIW.

Friday November 9

Six games were up for grabs on Friday night. Former Islanders, as always, were in the fray scoring 1 goal and adding 4 assists for 5 points and a win in net. Let us take a look at their efforts:

* Olli Jokinen assisted on the lone goal in Florida's 4-1 loss to the visiting Atlanta Thrashers. The Panthers' center now has 19 points (9 goals, 10 assists) on the season in only 17 games.

* Bryan McCabe notched the game winner, an even strength goal, in Toronto's 3-0 shut down of the host Buffalo Sabres. Usually an powerhouse of offensive defense, McCabe has struggled early. He now has 3 goals and 2 assists for only 5 points on 11 games this year.

* Mathieu Schneider kept racking up the points with his new team, the Anaheim Ducks, on Friday night. Schneider had an assist in the Ducks' 3-2 SO win over the visiting division rival San Jose Sharks. Schneider now has 7 points (2 goals, 5 assists) on only 5 games since recovering from his injury. Schneider was also stoned on his SO attempt.

* Roberto Luongo extended his winning streak to 3 games while stopping 24 of 25 shots as the Vancouver Canucks pulled off a 2-1 OT victory over the visiting Colorado Avalanche. The Canucks goalie improved to 7-8-0 on the season while lowering his goals against average to 2.73 and raising his save percentage to .907. A couple of FIs also helped the Vancouver cause assisting on the opening goal of the game. Taylor Pyatt received the primary assist to improve to 4 goals and 3 assists for 7 points on 16 games this season. Brad Isbister received the secondary assist on that goal as well. Isbister now has 3 points, all assists, on 12 games this year. Extending back to last year (including the playoffs) Isbister is on a 34 game goalless streak.

Check back soon for more nightly updates here at FIW.

Thursday November 8

Fourteen teams were active in 7 games across the league on Thursday night. Former Islanders gave their share in the play scoring 2 goals (both powerplay), 4 assists (2 powerplay) and a win in net. Here is a look at the FI happenings:

* Viktor Kozlov had a big night notching 3 points (1 goal, 2 assists including 1 powerplay) in the Capitals 4-1 win over the league leading Ottawa Senators. The Washington center has been streaky so far this season but has flashed occasionally signs of brilliance, this was one of those games. Kozlov now has 3 goals and 8 assists for 11 points in 16 games this year.

* Mike York followed up his first point in 9 games on Wednesday to notch his first goal in 10 games on Thursday night for Phoenix. The Coyotes winger helped his team manage a 5-2 win over the visiting Dallas Stars. York, who had not scored a goal since opening night, found net on the man advantage and added a powerplay assist for his first multi-point night since December 15, 2006. He now has 4 points (2 goals, 2 assists) on 12 games this season.

* Vancouver folk hero Trevor Linden was credited with an assist on the game winner in the Canucks' 3-2 victory over the host Calgary Flames. The point was only his second of the season on 10 games this year. Additionally, Canucks goalie Roberto Luongo stopped 36 of 38 shots to pull closer to .500 with a 6-8-0 record. He has now won back-to-back games for the first time this season.

Check back soon for all the weekend highlights from Friday through Sunday here at FIW.

Wednesday November 7

Eight games were up for grabs on Wednesday night. Here is a look at the Former Islander contributions which included 2 goals, 4 assists, a win in net, a miss and a goal in SO:

* Chris Osgood kept his streak going an extended his winning to 8 straight games to start the season. In place of the injured Dominik Hasek, Osgood has shined going 8-0-0. On Wednesday it took the shootout to make that start a possibility in Detroit's 3-2 win over the visiting Nashville Predators. The Redwings backup goalie stopped 28 of 30 shots and 2 more in the SO frame to seal the victory.

* Michael Peca notched an assist for Columbus in their 5-2 loss to the host Chicago Blackhawks. The center helped the red hot Blue Jackets take a short-lived lead before surrendering 4 straight goals. Peca has contributed where he can scoring 1 goal and 6 assists for 7 points in 12 games.

* Dick Tarnstrom scored his first goal since returning to the NHL following a year-long hiatus to help his Edmonton Oilers in a tough-fought 4-3 SO loss to the host Colorado Avalanche. Tarnstrom had not scored an pro goal since March 7, 2006. He now has 1 goal and 2 assists for 3 points in 13 games since re-signing with the Oilers in the postseason. Teammate and fellow FI Raffi Torres scored the SO goal that extended the sudden death frame. Before that, FI Avalanche Ryan Smyth missed on his SO opportunity.

* Defenseman Mathieu Schneider continued to impress his new team, the Anaheim Ducks, offensively scoring a goal (powerplay) and 2 more assists on Wednesday. Since recovering from his wrist injury, Schneids has 2 goals and 4 assists for 6 points in only 4 games. He has had two 3 point nights, in fact, scoring a goal and 2 assists on two separate occassions. Yet the effort was largely for naught as the Ducks fell to the visiting Phoenix Coyotes 6-5 in OT. Also contributing was FI Coyote Mike York who was credited with an assist on the fourth Phoenix goal. York has struggled managing only 2 points (1 goal, 1 assists) in 11 games. In fact, the assist ended a 9 game pointless streak but extended his goalless streak to 10.

That was it for Wednesday night. Check back soon for all the FIW updates.

Wednesday, November 7, 2007

Tuesday November 6

There were 3 games around the NHL on Tuesday night. Here is a quick recap of the lone Former Islander action:

* Viktor Kozlov had a powerplay assist on the goal that forced overtime in Washington's 2-1 OT loss to the host Atlanta Thrashers. The Capitals forward snapped a 3 game pointless streak. He now has 8 points (2 goals, 6 assists) in 15 games this season.

Check regularly for all the NHL action/FI action here on Former Islander Watch.

Monday November 5

Eight games were up for grabs on Monday night in the NHL. Former Islanders were back in the swing of things (pardon the pun). FIs had 9 points on 5 goals and 4 assists and provided some brief backup support in net. Let us look at their work:

* Kevin Weekes replaced a battered Martin Brodeur 3:28 into the third period Monday night as the Devils dropped a home game 5-0 to the Pittsburgh Penguins. Weekes stopped all 6 shots he faced in his 17 minutes of play. It was Weekes' first appearance since his second start on October 20. Despite coming into a losing scenario, Weekes helped raise his numbers a tweak upping his save percentage to .933 and lowering his goals against average to 2.33. He already had a 1-0-1 record.

* Olli Jokinen had a big night for the Panthers scoring three points in Florida's 4-3 win over the visiting Tampa Bay Lightning. The Panthers' center scored a powerplay goal and added 2 assists (1 powerplay and 1 on the game winner). O-Jok kept his hot streak going. In 5 straight games, Jokinen has 5 goals and 4 points for 9 points. On the season, Jokinen has 18 points (9 goals, 9 assists) in only 15 games. Tampa defenseman Brad Lukowich scored his first goal of the season. Luko snapped a 9 game scoreless streak. He now has 2 points (1 goal, 1 assist) in 14 games this season.

* Bryan Smolinski scored only his second goal of the year on the empty net to insure a 2-0 win for the Montreal Canadiens over the visiting Buffalo Sabres. Smoke has 6 points (2 goals, 4 assists) in 14 games for the Habs.

* Mark Parrish scored double powerplay goals on Monday night in Minnesota's 5-2 win over the Edmonton Oilers at the Xcel Center. The goals were the 5th and 6th for the Wild forward. Parrish snapped a 4 game pointless streak with the goals. In 15 games, Parrish only has 6 points, all goals. Four of his six tallies have been with the man advantage. Youngster center Robert Nilsson was credited with an assist on the final goal of the game, an even strength effort by the Oilers. The assist was only Nilsson's second in 7 games this season.

* Ryan Smyth had a powerplay assist for the Avalanche in Colorado's 4-1 victory over the visiting Calgary Flames. The assist was Smyth's 11th point of the season (5 goals, 6 assists) in 14 games. Surprisingly, only 4 points (1 goal, 3 assists) have come with the man advantage for Smyth who is considered a premier powerplay forward.

That was it for Monday night. Check back for all the nightly action here on FIW.

Sunday November 4

Only 3 games were on the NHL schedule on Sunday night. Former Islanders had no real big roles in any of those games. A sad and rare occurence for FIW..Check back soon for more updates.

Saturday November 3

The action was severly ramped up on Saturday with 22 teams in motion in 11 games across the NHL. Former Islanders accounted for a healthy 2 goals and 10 assists for 12 points and a win in net. Let us look at their contributions:

* Nobody could make a case that 6' 9" defenseman Zdeno Chara is hard to find but as of late his offensive contributions have been out of sight as in invisible. On Saturday he added an assist on the first Boston goal of the night in the Bruins' 3-2 loss to the host Ottawa Senators (the hottest team in hockey). The tallest player, nay, captain in the history of the NHL earned his 6th point (all assists) of the season. It has taken 12 games for Chara to reach that number which is poor considering he had 4 assists in the first 4 games of the season.

* Surprisingly good Jeff Hamilton kept up his offensive effort with 2 assists, one powerplay, on Saturday night in Carolina's 4-2 win over the visiting Florida Panthers. In 14 games, Hamilton has 12 points on 4 goals and 8 assists. He is already almost a third of the way to his season high 39 points from last season (his first full year) with the Chicago Blackhawks. Also showing off were the power FI duo from the Panthers, Olli Jokinen and Richard Zednik. Consecutively 1 and 2 on the team in scoring, O-Jok and Zed are leading the Florida offense. O-Jok was credited with an assist to boost his numbers to 15 points (8 goals, 7 assists) in 14 games. With his goal, Zed continues his streak having now scored 4 goals in the last 3 games. In 12 games, Zednik has 6 goals and 2 assists for 8 points.

* Bryan Smolinski had a good night even if his new team, the Montreal Canadiens, did not. Smolinski assisted on both of his team's goals in their 3-2 loss to the visiting rivals, the Toronto Maple Leafs. Brought in for veteran experience, center Smoke has been an enigma. He has been so inconsistent for the Habs that this was the first multipoint night he has in 13 games this season. With the assists Smolinski now has 1 goal and 4 assists for 5 points in that time.

* Defenseman Adrian Aucoin continued to flash some offensive talent for Calgary yet again. But despite his assist, the Flames dropped a 4-1 decision to the host Minnesota Wild. Aucoin has 8 points (1 goal, 7 assists) in 14 games with all of those points coming in the last 10 overall. It has been since game 5 that Aucoin has broken out of his rusty shell to start providing some solid numbers for the Flames.

* Mathieu Schneider, who signed a fat contract with the Ducks in the offseason, scored his first multipoint night for his new team in only his second game. A couple of nights after scoring the SO winning goal, Schneider scored his first quantifiable goal, a powerplay tally to open the scoring, then added 2 assists (1 powerplay) to lead Anaheim to a 5-2 win over the host Phoenix Coyotes. Schneider looks fully recovered from a wrist injury that knocked him out of last season's playoffs when he was still with the Detroit Redwings.

* Two fairly unknown FIs recorded points in Saturday's match between the Vancouver Canucks and the host Colorado Avalanche. Wyatt Smith had a shorthanded assist for the Avs as they fell to the Canucks 4-3. The point was only Smith's third in 13 games. It was also Smith's first shorthanded assist since November 30, 2000 when Smith was playing for the Phoenix Coyotes in a 2-0 win over the Minnesota Wild, nearly a 7 year span! Taylor Pyatt had an assist on the third Vancouver goal. Since signing a contract extension in the offseason, Pyatt has struggled with only 6 points (4 goals, 2 assists) in 14 games. Canucks goalie Roberto Luongo is hoping to reverse a poor start. He stopped 29 of 32 shots to record the win, only his 5th in 13 starts. He is now 5-8-0 on the season with an uncommonly low .899 save percentage and a 2.93 goals against average.

Check back for all the intense and complex Former Islander action here at FIW.

Tuesday, November 6, 2007

Friday November 2

A fairly light weekend night in the NHL, there were only 6 games on tap on Friday. Former Islanders accounted for 7 points on 3 goals and 4 assists. Let us take a peek at the handful of FI happenings:

* Arron Asham had an assist on the game winning goal in New Jersey's 3-2 win over the visiting Toronto Maple Leafs. The Devil winger has been fairly productive notching 6 points (3 goals, 3 assists) in 12 games. Fellow FI and Leaf Jason Blake had a powerplay assist in the last minute effort to cut the Devils lead. In 14 games Blake has 14 points (2 goals, 12 assists) and extended his consecutive point streak (3 assists) to 3 games.

* There was a ton of FI action in Florida's 4-2 win over the host Buffalo Sabres. Richard Zednik scored 2 goals, including the game winner, for his 4th and 5th of the season. In 11 games, Zed now has 7 points on 5 goals and 2 assists. Olli Jokinen added an insurance goal, his 8th of the season. On his current three game streak, O-Jok has 4 goals and 6 points. Finally, Buffalo FI Tim Connolly notched an assist on the first Sabres goal. With 12 games down, Connolly has thus far staved off injury and managed a point a game with 1 goal and 11 assists.

* Center Derek Armstrong was credited with an assist on the second Kings goal in Los Angeles' 5-2 win over the host divisional rival San Jose Sharks. The Armstrong train has chugged along awkwardly so far with only 6 points (all assists) in 14 games. This is shocking considering LA has been leaning on him to charge the offense.

Check back soon for the full weekend action here on FIW.

Thursday October 1

Twenty games were active on Thursday night in 10 games that had some healthy Former Islander action. FIs had 2 goals, 2 assists, a decisive shootout goal and a 1-1 record in net. Let us briefly recap the play:

* Roman Hamrlik had an assist on the opening goal of the game in Montreal's 5-2 win over the visiting Philadelphia Flyers. Hamrlik was awarded with the second star for the night. In 12 games, Hamrlik has been a boon to the Canadiens not just defensely but offensively as well. He has 8 points in that time with 1 goal and 7 assists. His goal and 3 assists have come with the man advantage.

* Randy Robitaille opened the game with two goals for his new team, the Ottawa Senators, in their 6-4 win over the visiting Atlanta Thrashers. Only 1:48 into the first, Robitaille scored his first of the year then added his second only 1:26 into the second period. In only his fourth game with the Sens, Robitaille now has 2 goals and an assist for 3 points.

* Chris Osgood continued his impressively play in place of the injured Dominik Hasek. Ozzie stopped 27 of 28 shots to secure a 4-1 win for the Detroit Redwings over the host Calgary Flames. Osgood has extended his win streak to 7 straight to open the season 7-0-0 with an unbelievable .936 save percentage and a remarkably low 1.43 goals against average. In 7 games, Ozzie has given up only 10 goals.

* Ryan Smyth notched a powerplay assist in Colorado's 3-2 win over the visiting Pittsburgh Penguins. The Avalanche winger has 10 points (5 goals, 5 assists) in his 12 games since joining the team.

* Mathieu Schneider scored the decisive shootout goal in his debut with the Ducks. The defenseman was put in the three shooters in the sudden death frame to mix up the effort. Anaheim pulled off a 2-1 win over the visiting Columbus Blue Jackets. Returning from a wrist injury, Schneider earned the top star for his performance which included 25:25 in ice time.

* Roberto Luongo took another loss as the baffling Vancouver offense has done nothing to help him. The Canucks dropped a 3-0 decision at home to the Nashville Predators. Luongo stopped 12 of 15 shots while watching his record drop to 4-8-0 to start the season.

Check back soon for more NHL updates at FIW.

Wednesday October 31

Four games were on the schedule on Wednesday night. Here is a look at the happenings where Former Islanders accounted for 3 goals and 3 assists for 6 points:

* Tough right winger Arron Asham scored his 3rd goal of the season in New Jersey's 6-1 evisceration of the visiting Tampa Bay Lightning. The new Devil now has 5 points (3 goals, 2 assists) in his first 11 games with the team.

* Olli Jokinen and fellow FI Richard Zednik flexed some offensive muscle on Wednesday night. O-Jok scored a powerplay goal and added two assists (one with the man advantage) to help power a 4-2 Florida win over the visiting Carolina Hurricanes. Zednik added the game winner, a powerplay tally, with only 2:19 remaining in the third period. O-Jok now has 13 points (7 goals, 6 assists) in 12 games and has 5 points in his last 2 games alone notching 3 goals and 2 assists in that time. The goal was Zed's third of the year and he has 5 points (3 goals, 2 assists) in 10 games.

* Michael Peca was awarded an assist on the empty net goal in Columbus's 4-1 win over the host Los Angeles Kings. In 9 games the Blue Jackets center has 6 points on 1 goal and 5 assists. He has been an asset to bolstering a surprisingly good Columbus offense in the early part of this season.

Check back soon for more FIW updates.