Sunday January 13

It was an unusually busy Sunday around the NHL as 16 teams faced off in 8 heated tilts. Former Islanders are tipping in help where they can. Let us take a peek at the FI happenings:

* Jim Dowd is playing like a man possessed. He scored a crucial shorthanded goal on Sunday night as the Philadelphia Flyers out-dueled the host Washington Capitals 6-4. Dowd has 3 goals and 3 assists for 6 points on 35 games. With the tally, Dowd snapped a 16 game goal-less streak and has 4 points (1 goal, 3 assists) over the last 5 games. It was Dowd's first shorthanded goal since April 5, 2007 while playing for the New Jersey Devils against the Flyers. It was the 6th shortie of Dowd's career. He has notched 1 shorthanded goal in each of the last 3 seasons. Caps' forward Viktor Kozlov assisted on Washington's 3rd goal. Kozzer has 25 points (4 goals, 21 assists) on 44 games. With the helper, Kozlov snapped a 3 game point-less streak.

* Florida captain Olli Jokinen scored the game tying goal with less than 9 minutes to go in regulation as the Colorado Avalanche beat the host Panthers 4-3 in SO. The goal, a powerplay tally, gives O-Jok 22 goals on the season along with 21 assists for 43 points on 46 games. His attempt in the 3rd round of the SO was stopped by Avs' goalie Jose Theodore.

* Taylor Pyatt followed up a 2 goal effort with a 2 assist effort as the Vancouver Canucks slid past the host St. Louis Blues 4-3 in SO. With 2 assists in the 1st T-Py was off to a hot start but was struck in the face with a puck late in the period. He missed the rest of the game and was to meet with a Blues' team dentist. Ouch! Pyatt has 25 points (11 goals, 14 assists) on 45 games this season. He has 2 goals and 2 assists for 4 points on the last 2 contests. Goalie Roberto Luongo stopped 19 of 22 including 2 in OT and all 3 attempts in SO to record the win. Luongo is 21-13-3 on the season with a hearty .928 save percentage and a paltry 2.01 goals against average. He has drawn ire recently for opting out of the NHL All-Star game to be with his wife who is expecting in April.

* Things are looking up for Todd Bertuzzi and the Anaheim Ducks. Bertuzzi had a goal and an assist as the Ducks beat the visiting San Jose Sharks 4-3 in OT and Anaheim improved to 7-2-1 over its last 10 games. Bertuzzi has 8 goals and 13 assists for 21 points on 33 games. During his current 3 game point scoring streak he has 2 goals and 4 assists for 6 points his biggest offensive surge of the season.

* Defenseman Brent Sopel assisted on the opening goal of the game as the Chicago Blackhawks skipped past the host Nashville Predators 3-2 in a SO win. Sopel has 12 points (1 goal, 11 assists) on 35 games including a goal and an assitst in the last 2 contests.

Check back here for more FI updates and NHL action.