Sunday March 29

With 7 games on Sunday the situation was prime for a Former Islander breakout which indubitably happened. FIs helped out or hindered in 5 of those contests. Here is a look:

Detroit goaltender Chris Osgood had his 3rd straight poor start stopping 22 of 26 shots for the loss as the Nashville Predators edged the host Red Wings 4-3. Ozzie dropped his 2nd straight start and is now 24-8-7 on the season with an .884 save percentage, a 3.18 goals against average and 2 shutouts.




Boston defenseman and captain Zdeno Chara had 2 assists as the Bruins skipped by the host Philadelphia Flyers 4-3. Chara snapped a 3 game point-less streak and now has 16 goals and 29 assists for 45 points on 75 games. For the 2nd straight year Chara has reached the 45+ point mark and currently sits only 6 points behind his single season high of 51 set last season. Assisting on the opening goal of the game was tough winger Arron Asham. He snapped a 4 game point-less run and now has 7 goals and 9 assists for 16 points on 71 games.

Edmonton d-man Denis Grebeshkov kept up his solid play with an assist on the Oilers' first goal as they were edged by the visiting Minnesota Wild 3-2. Greb's single season highs keep getting higher as he now has 5 goals and 29 assists for 34 points on 66 game. The helper was career #50 for Grebeshkov coming in his 170th game. The helper snapped a 4 game assist-less stretch.


Vancouver goaltender Roberto Luongo was perfect stopping all 26 shots he faced as the Canucks downed the host Chicago Blackhawks in a fight-filled 4-0 contest. Luongo had his 2nd shutout in his last 5 starts and is now 29-11-6 on the season with a .918 save percentage and a 2.38 goals against average. The goose egg was a big one as it equaled Luongo's prior season high of 7 from his 2003-04 campaign while still with the Florida Panthers.

Colorado Avalanche winger Ryan Smyth had a powerplay helper on the lone Avs' goal as they were thumped by the host Anaheim Ducks 4-1. Smyth snapped a 4 game point-less streak and a 9 game assist-less streak and now has 26 goals and 33 assists for 59 points on 76 games. The assist was a big one as it was career #350 for Captain Canada. Smyth has 20 points (10 goals, 10 assists) this season on the man advantage. It was only the 4th time, and first since the 2005-06 season as an Oiler, that Smyth has recorded 10 or more assists on the powerplay.

Check back soon with FI for more updates and recaps.

Saturday March 28

With the playoff pressure on Former Islander contributions have mysteriously tailed off. FIs helped out in only 4 of 11 contests on Saturdays continuing a recent streak of disappointing happenings. Here is a look at the slow FI day in question:

Pittsburgh winger Ruslan Fedotenko had a nice game tallying a goal and adding 2 assists, including the lone helper on the game winner, as the Penguins edged the visiting New York Rangers 4-3. Fedo earned the 1st star for his 3 point effort, his 2nd of the season. Tank snapped a 9 game point-less streak and a 15 game goal-less stretch with the points and now has 14 goals and 18 assists for 32 points on 59 games. Fedotenko has now had 30+ points in 6 straight seasons and 7 times on his 8 year career.

Buffalo center Tim Connolly had yet another good game scoring an unassisted powerplay goal and adding an assist on the game tying goal as the Sabres dumped the host Montreal Canadiens 4-3 in the SO. Connolly had a chance in the 1st of 6 rounds of the SO but was stopped on his attempt by Habs' goaltender Carey Price. With 2 points in each of his last 3 games Connolly is riding a point streak that has seen him notch 4 goals and 2 assists. TimCo failed to score the game winner for a 3rd straight game but was recognized for his effort with the 2nd star honor. He now has 17 goals and 22 assists for 39 points on 41 games. Assisting on Montreal's 3rd goal which led to short-lived 3-2 lead was defenseman Mathieu Schneider. The netter, a powerplay score gave Montreal the advantage late in the 2nd Period. With an assist in each of the last 3 games Schneids now has 7 goals and 21 assists for 28 points on 62 games. Since joining the Habs Schneider has played impressively with 13 points (3 goals, 10 assists) in 18 games including 10 points (3 goals, 7 assists) on the man advantage.

Toronto winger Jason Blake had 2 assists as the Maple Leafs were felled in a home-based score-a-thon 7-5 to the Boston Bruins. Blake has had 4 points (1 goal, 3 assists) over the last 4 games and now has 25 goals and 35 assists for 60 points on 72 games. The diminutive winger is only 2 points shy of career #400. For the 2nd straight season Blakey has notched 35+ assists and is only 3 short of surpassing his single season best from last season. For only the 2nd time in his career, and first since the 2006-07 season, his last with the Isles, Blake has reached the 60+ point plateau. With one powerplay helper Blake has kicked his new single season high even further up to 13.

Back for only the 2nd game since suffering an injury on March 1 winger Todd Bertuzzi already began helping out. Bert had an assist on Calgary's 2nd goal as the Flames eked by the visiting Minnesota Wild 3-2. He now has 15 goals and 29 assists for 44 points on 59 games. Receiving the secondary helper on the game winning goal was center Olli Jokinen. He snapped a 3 game point-less streak after a fiery (pardon the pun) start with the Flames. O-Jok now has 29 goals and 26 assists for 55 points on 69 games. Since joining Calgary Jokinen has 13 points (8 goals, 5 assists) in 12 games. For the 6th straight season Jokinen has managed 55 or more points.

Check back with FIW soon for more recaps, highlights and updates during this playoff push.

Friday March 27

With crunch time officially upon the NHL it was a slow Former Islanders night around the league. FIs contributed in only 2 of 6 outings. Here is a quick look at their contributions:

Buffalo center Tim Connolly pocketed 2 goals including the game winner as the Sabres pulled out a 5-3 win over the visiting Toronto Maple Leafs. The multi-goal effort earned Connolly the 1st star. With 4 points (3 goals, 1 assist) over the last 2 games TimCo now has 16 goals and 21 assists for 37 points on 40 games. The winner pushed his single season high up to 5 and Connolly now has 17 deciding tallies on his career. It was the 2nd straight game in which TimCo has netted the game winning goal, a feat he has accomplished twice this season. Assisting on the 2nd Toronto goal was center Jeff Hamilton. He snapped a 3 game point-less streak and now has 5 points (2 goal, 3 assists) in 11 games with Toronto.

Facing FI goaltender Chris Osgood for the first since the lockout the Isles faired well enough slipping 2 goals past the goaltender on 30 shots for a 2-0 win over the host Detroit Red Wings. In a case of vice versa Islanders' starter Joey MacDonald recorded his first career shutout against his original team with the victory. Ozzie was unsuccessful for the 2nd straight game yet took the loss for the first time in those two starts. He is now 24-7-7 on the season. It was also a momentous night as an Islander goalie shutout the Red Wings in Detroit for the first time since 1981 with Isles' great Billy Smith the last player to accomplish the feat.

Check in soon with FIW for more updates and recaps soon.

Thursday March 26

There 8 games up for grabs on Thursday night with Former Islanders aiding in 4 of those tilts. Former Islanders are trying to help many of their teams seal a coveted playoff spot. Here is a look at the FI happenings:

Montreal defenseman Mathieu Schneider had a powerplay helper on the opening goal as the Canadiens survived a near collapse to pull off a 3-2 OT win over the visiting Tampa Bay Lightning. With an assist in his 2nd straight game Schneids now has 7 goals and 20 assists for 27 points on 61 games. Since coming back to Montreal the typically offensive d-man has been clicking with 12 points (3 goals, 9 assists) on 17 games. For the 11th straight season and 17th time on his career Schneider has reached 20 or more assists. Nearly half of his assists this season (9) have come on the man advantage.

Columbus winger Raffi Torres netted the 2nd Blue Jackets' insurance goal as they trashed the visiting Calgary Flames 5-0. With 3 goals over the last 3 outings Torres now has 11 goals and 6 assists for 17 points on 43 games. Torres' play has taken a considerably upswing with the embattled winger notching 8 goals and 1 assist for 9 points over the last 13 games including 4 game winners.


Sometimes putting your backup in to start, even against one of the worst teams in the league, might not work out the way you hope. Such was the case with the New York Rangers who started bench warmer Stephen Valiquette as the Blueshirts faced off against the host Atlanta Thrashers. The Rangers staked themselves to an impressive 4-0 lead late in the 2nd Period before the Thrashers systematically tore apart Valiquette and beat the Rags in a stunning 6 round SO 5-4. The OT loss set Vali back for his 3rd straight start (0-2-1). He is now 5-5-2 on the season with a .907 save percentage and a 2.84 goals against average. Over his last 3 starts he has surrendered an appalling 16 goals on 104 shots (.846 save percentage).

Vancouver winger Taylor Pyatt opened the scoring only 4:12 into play but all was for naught as the Canucks were felled by the host St. Louis Blues 4-2. T-Py snapped a 4 game goal-less and point-less streak and now has 10 goals and 8 assists for 18 points on 65 games. For the 3rd straight season and 5th time on his career Pyatt has notched 10+ goals. Taking the loss in net for 'Nucks was goaltender Roberto Luongo who stopped 28 of 32 shots. Lu lost for the 2nd time in his last 3 games and is now 28-11-6 on the season with a .917 save percentage and a 2.43 goals against average.

Check back with FIW soon for more updates and recaps.

Wednesday March 25

With half a dozen games (6) on the schedule on Wednesday night and the push for the playoffs so intense it seemed prime time for Former Islander contributions. However, FIs only helped out in 2 of those contests. Here is a quick look:

Buffalo center Tim Connolly recorded an assist and pocketed the game winning powerplay goal as the Sabres downed the visiting Florida Panthers 5-3 after trailing 3-1 in the 3rd Period. TimCo snapped a 7 game goal-less stretch and now has 14 goals and 21 assists for 35 points on 39 games. Connolly has 15 points (4 goals, 11 assists) with the man advantage. For the 2nd straight season and 5th time on his career Connolly has recorded 35 or more points. The game winner sets a new single season high for Connolly with 4 and makes it 16 deciding tallies on his career. Scoring Florida's 2nd goal was winger Richard Zednik. With 2 goals in the last 4 games Zed now has 31 points (16 goals, 15 assists) on 63 games.

Anaheim forward Petteri Nokelainen recorded a multi-point game with a goal and an assist as the Ducks thumped the host Colorado Avalanche 7-2. Noky has 3 points (2 goals, 1 assist) over the last 4 games and now has 3 goals and 4 assists for 7 points on 42 games this season. Since joining Anaheim Nokelainen has 4 points (3 goals, 1 assists) in 9 games. It was Noky's first multi-point night since November 13, 2005 when he was still with the Isles - the 4th game of his career snapping a 109 game streak of 0 or 1 point games.

Check back soon for more news and updates at FIW.

Tuesday March 24

There were 8 games up in the air on Tuesday night as we trudge along in the late playoff push. Former Islanders were helping out in important games lending their support in 4 of those tilts. Here is a quick peek:

Toronto winger Jason Blake notched a powerplay assist on the Maple Leafs' 2nd goal but missed on his attempt in the 2nd round of the SO as they eked by the visiting Washington Capitals 2-1. Blakey now has 25 goals and 33 assists for 58 points on 70 games. Over the last 7 games Blake has been consistent with 3 goals and 4 assists for 7 points. Scoring in the 1st round of the SO for the Leafs was center Jeff Hamilton.


Montreal defenseman Mathieu Schneider had the secondary helper on the opening goal as the Canadiens spanked the visiting Atlanta Thrashers 6-3. Schneider now has 7 goals and 19 assists for 26 points on 60 games. Since re-joining the Habs Schneids has been great with 11 points (3 goals, 8 assists) on 16 games.




Vancouver goaltender Roberto Luongo got back into the winning swing of things stopping 35 of 37 shots as the Canucks downed the host Dallas Stars 5-2. With his 5th win in the last 6 games Lu is now 28-10-6 on the season with a 9.18 save percentage and a 2.39 goals against average with 6 shutouts. Over the last 21 games Luongo has been impressive with a 17-3-1 record more than doubling his wins on the season since returning from an early November injury.

Edmonton d-man Denis Grebeshkov opened the scoring with only 71 seconds remaining in the 1st Period as the Oilers were edged by the visiting Detroit Red Wings 3-2. Greb snapped a 19 game goal-less streak and now has 5 goals and 28 assists for 33 points on 63 games. Grebeshkov has now notched 5 goals for the first time in a season. Receiving the primary assist on the too-little-too-late goal with exactly 1 minute remaining in play was winger Robert Nilsson. With 5 assists over the last 4 games Nily now has 28 points (9 goals, 19 assists) on 59 games.

Check back soon for more updates and recaps at FIW.

Monday March 23

There were just 3 games on tap Monday night around the NHL. Former Islanders only aided (or unaided) in 1 of those contests. Here is a quick look:

Calgary defenseman Adrian Aucoin assisted on the Flames' 3rd goal as they pulled a 5-3 win out against the visiting Detroit Red Wings. With 4 assists over the last 4 games Aucoin now has 10 goals and 23 assists for 33 points on 72 games. Getting beat up by the Flames was Detroit goaltender Chris Osgood who surrendered 3 goals on only 13 shots in 26 minutes of ice time. Yet Ozzie escaped the lost receiving a no decision leaving him at 24-6-7 on the season. Osgood's save percentage is a lowly .884 while his goals against average is pretty appalling at 3.18. The no decision snapped a streak of 4 straight wins.

Check in soon for more at FIW.

Sunday March 22

With a surprisingly high 7 games available on Sunday Former Islanders "phoned it in" providing support in only 1 game. With the final push the playoffs the centerpiece of the hockey world this lack of FI happenings is, needless to say, disappointing. Here is a look at the FI contributions:

Ottawa center Mike Comrie opened the scoring for Ottawa 6:09 into the 2nd Period knotting the score at 1 as the Senators edged the host New York Rangers 2-1. Comrie snapped a 5 game goal-less and point-less stretch and now has 6 points (3 goals, 3 assists) on 12 games with Ottawa. The born-again Sen Comrie has 10 goals and 16 assists for 26 points on 53 games. For the 7th straight season Comrie has notched 10 or more goals. Assisting on that tally was defenseman Chris Campoli. He snapped a 3 game point-less streak and now has 9 goals and 17 assists for 26 points on 66 games. Since being traded to Ottawa Campy has 9 points (3 goals, 6 assists) on 15 games.

Check back soon for more as FIW continues to follow the playoff push.

Saturday March 21

It was an unusually slow Saturday as only 16 teams faced off in a scant 8 games around the NHL. Former Islander participation was especially low for the typically busiest weekend game day as FIs only popped in support in 4 of those contests. Here is a quick recap:

San Jose defenseman Brad Lukowich snapped a frostily cold 21 game point-less streak with a helper on the Sharks' 2nd goal as they dumped the visiting Dallas Stars 5-2. Luko now has 7 assists on 48 games this season after recording his first helping hand point since December 13. Sadly, Lukowich had spent most of January and February on the Injured Reserve list.



Toronto winger Jason Blake netted his team's 5th a final goal, a powerplay tally, as the Maple Leafs downed the fading Montreal Canadiens from the Bell Centre 5-2. With 6 points (3 goals, 3 assists) over the last 6 games Blake now has 25 goals and 32 assists for 57 points on 69 games. The tally was a big one for Blake who now has 25 goals on a season for the first time since 2006-07, his last with the Isles when he notched a career high 40. It was only the 4th season that Blake has reach the 25+ goal mark as he narrows in on career point #400 (only 5 shy). The powerplay tally was the 5th of the season for Blake who has had 5+ extra man goals in 3 of his last 4 seasons.

Red hot winger Raffi Torres netted 2 goals, including the game winner, as the red hot Columbus Blue Jackets shut down the host Florida Panthers 3-1. Torres scored the tying goal with only 2:46 remaining in play and then sealed the win 1:07 later with only 93 seconds left in regulation. With 7 goals over the last 9 games Torres has lifted his numbers. He now has 10 goals and 6 assists for 16 points on 41 games. Torres has built on his single season high and now has 5 game winners on the year. With 10 goals he has reached the multi-digit tally mark for the 4th time in his last 5 seasons. Assisting on the winner was center Michael Peca who has 21 points (4 goals, 17 assists) on 62 games. Peca has had 4 helpers over the last 4 tilts.

Vancouver goaltender Roberto Luongo was roughed up with 3 goals on 23 shots in only 40 minutes of ice time as the Phoenix Coyotes thumped the visiting Canucks 5-1. The 'Yotes feasted on the 'Nucks even scoring a rare touch up penalty call empty net goal on Vancouver midway through the 2nd Period. The boff was officially recorded as a rare, middle of the game empty net goal. Luongo took the loss and is now 27-10-6 on the season with a .917 save percentage and a 2.40 goals against average. Lu was pulled for the first time since November 5 when he injured his groin 5 minutes into play. For the 9th straight season Luongo has secured 10 or more losses.

Check back soon for more updates at FIW.

Friday March 20

With the weeks lest in the 2008-09 NHL regular season winding down it is bittersweet for Former Islander Watch as we begin our goodbyes to another impressive FI season. Friday night saw 7 games with FIs chipping in their help in 5 of those contests. Here is a peek:

Detroit goaltender Chris Osgood stopped 31 of 34 shots for 4th straight win as the Red Wings doubled up on the host Atlanta Thrashers for a 6-3 victory. Ozzie has looked sharp letting in only 7 goals over this 4 game span including a shutout. He is now 24-6-7 on the season with an .885 save percentage and a 3.14 goals against average. Osgood has looked better in the last 4 games than he has had in the whole rest of the season. The 4 consecutive wins marks the longest winning streak of the season for Ozzie.

Tough Philadelphia winger Arron Asham had an assist on his team's 3rd goal as the Flyers pulled out a 6-4 road win over the Buffalo Sabres. Ash now has 7 goals and 8 assists for 15 points on 66 games. The helper was a big one as it was career point #150 for Asham coming in his 564th career game. For the 5th time on his career Asham has reached 15 or more points, his first since the 2006-07 campaign, his last with the Isles. Center Tim Connolly had an assist on Buffalo's 1st goal as the forward is mired in a slump with only 2 points in the last 6 games. TimCo now has 13 goals and 20 assists for 33 points on 37 games. For the 2nd straight season and 6th time on his career he has notched 20+ helpers.

Winger Bill Guerin notched the final insurance goal as the Pittsburgh Penguins thumped the visiting Los Angeles Kings 4-1. Billy G has 5 points (2 goals, 3 assists) over the last 3 games and now has 10 points (3 goals, 7 assists) on 8 games with the Pens. On the season Guerin has 19 goals and 27 assists for 46 points on 70 games having already surpassed his 44 point, 81 game effort from last season with the Isles.


Edmonton defenseman Denis Grebeshkov recorded the primary powerplay assist on the game opening goal only 3:12 into play as the Oilers pulled out a 5-4 SO victory over the host Chicago Blackhawks. Ever point keeps pushing Greb's single season high even higher. He now has 4 goals and 28 assists for 32 points on 61 games. For the first time ever Grebeshkov has recorded 10 assists on the powerplay during a season. Assisting on Edmonton's 4th goal was winger Robert Nilsson. He has 4 assists over the last 2 games and now has 9 goals and 18 assists for 27 points on 57 games.

Calgary center Olli Jokinen notched 2 assists but the Flames continued their tailspin losing 3-2 to the visiting St. Louis Blues. Since joining the Flames they have compiled a 3-5-0 record. Jokinen, however, has been impressive with 12 points (8 goals, 4 assists) on only 8 games. On the season he has 29 goals and 25 assists for 54 points on 65 games. For the 6th straight season O-Jok has notched 25+ helpers.

Check in soon for more recaps and updates at FIW.

Thursday March 19

It was a fairly busy night around the NHL as 16 teams battled in 8 games around the league. As we rapidly speed toward the Stanley Cup Playoffs each game, each point and each goal can be the difference between playoff position and early tee times. About 15 of the 30 teams around the league are still not in confident playoff position meaning the scramble for points is intense. Former Islander accomplishments have also ramped up recently. FI involvement has risen considerably and Thursday was no different with FIs making differences in 7 of those outings. Here is a quick summary:

Los Angeles center Derek Armstrong assisted on the game tying goal with only 96 seconds remaining in regulation as the Kings pulled off a late comeback from a 2-0 deficit to defeat the stunned host Boston Bruins 3-2 in OT. Army snapped a 6 game point-less streak and now has 7 points (4 goals, 3 assists) on 46 games.



Washington center Viktor Kozlov recorded 3 assists, all even strength, including the primary on the game winner as the Capitals crushed the host Tampa Bay Lightning 5-2. The real story was Alex Ovechkin's 50th goal and his "lava stick" celebration but Kozzer's effort should not go unmentioned. Kozzer has 4 points (1 goal, 2 assists) over the last 2 games and now has 12 goals and 25 assists for 37 points on 58 games. The 3 point night was the 3rd of the season for Kozlov. For the 3rd straight season and 7th time on his career he has recorded 25+ helpers. As well, for the 3rd consecutive year and 8th time Koz has reached the 35+ point mark.

Montreal defenseman Roman Hamrlik scored on his team's 4th and final goal as the Canadiens were bested by the host Ottawa Senators 5-4. Hamr snapped a 4 game point-less streak and now has 4 goals and 24 assists for 28 points on 70 games.





Florida winger Richard Zednik scored the game winning goal a little over 6 minutes into the 2nd Period as the Panthers dispensed with the visiting Toronto Maple Leafs 3-1. Zed snapped a 4 game point-less streak and a 6 goal-less stretch with the tally and now has 15 goals and 15 assists for 30 points on 60 games. For the 2nd straight season and 9th time on his career Zednik has recorded 15 or more goals. It was also the 7th time Zed has reached 30 or more points on a season. Zednik has an impressive 4 game winners this season lifting his career total to 37. He is only 2 goals shy of career #200 and could foreseeable accomplish the feat before the end of the season.

Edmonton winger Robert Nilsson had a nice night recording 3 even strength assists as the Oilers crushed the impotent host Colorado Avalanche 8-1. With his first 3 point night of the season Nily now has 26 points (9 goals, 17 assists) on 56 games. For the 2nd straight season Nilsson has reached the 25+ point mark. The 3 point night was a first for Nilsson since April 8, 2006 in his rookie season with the Isles when he notched a goal and 2 helpers - a span of 135 games without such an offensively powered effort.

Vancouver goaltender Roberto Luongo stopped all 30 shots he faced for his first shutout since November 8 as the Canucks blanked the visiting St. Louis Blues 3-0. Luongo, who has 5 shutouts in the first 14 games on the season, snapped a 38 game goose egg drought. He is now 27-9-6 on the season with a formidable .918 save percentage, a tidy 2.37 goals against average and 6 shutouts. Over the last 19 games Lu has been an unbelievable 16-2-1 yet despite winning streaks of 8, 4 and 4 games this was the first blanking Luongo has managed.

Recently acquired center Petteri Nokelainen netted Anaheim's 2nd goal as the Ducks pulled off a 3-2 SO win over the host Phoenix Coyotes. Nokey now has 2 goals in his first 6 games with Anaheim and has 5 points (2 goals, 3 assists) on 39 games this season. The goal was the 10th of Nokelainen's young career and came in his 111th career game.



Check in soon with FIW for more updates and highlights.

Wednesday March 18

With only 4 games on Wednesday night there was not much fodder for Former Islander happenings. FIs did, however, help out in 2 of those tilts. Here is a peek at their workload:

Center Michael Peca assisted on Columbus' 2nd goal as the surprisingly strong Blue Jackets are in playoff position and sticking with more points in a 4-3 OT win over the visiting Chicago Blackhawks. Peca has 3 assists over the last 3 games (all against Chicago) and now has 4 goals and 16 assists for 20 points on 61 games. For the 2nd straight season and 11th time on his career Peca has reached the 20+ point plateau.


New Jersey backup goaltender Kevin Weekes' 5 game winning streak came to an end as he stopped 28 of 32 shots in the Devils' 4-2 loss at the hands of the host Carolina Hurricanes. Weekes dropped to 7-5-0 on the season after surrendering 4 goals for only the 3rd time this season and first since December 13. He is sporting a handsome .920 save percentage and an attractive 2.40 goals against average.

Check in soon for more updates at FIW.

Tuesday March 17

It was a Happy St. Patrick's Day for 11 teams as there were a boatload of beer-fueled games around the NHL on Tuesday. With Monday's 2 games a wash for Former Islander action we received a with FIs posting their help in 8 games on St. Patty's Day. Here is a look at the plethora of FI contributions:

Toronto winger Jason BLake notched a goal and added an asssist as the Maple Leafs came back from a 3-0 deficit to defeat the host Tampa Bay Lightning 4-3 in SO. Blake has 5 points (2 goals, 3 assists) over the last 4 games and now has 23 goals and 32 assists for 56 points on 67 games. For the 4th time Blake has reached the 55+ point mark surpassing his 52 point effort from his first season with the Leafs. Center Jeff Hamilton scored a goal with about 5 and a half minutes remaining in regulation to tie the score and then popped home a goal in the 1st Round of the 6 Round SO. Later in the frame (3rd Round) Blake missed on his attempt. Hammy has goals in 2 straight games and now has 4 points (2 goals, 2 assists) on 7 games. The point was career #75 coming in his 149th game which means Hamilton is a point-per-every-2-games kind of player.

Pittsburgh winger Bill Guerin had an assist on his team's first goal as the Penguins crushed visiting Atlanta Thrashers 6-2. Guerin has 4 points (1 goal, 3 assists) over the last 2 games and now has an impressive 9 points (2 goals, 7 assists) in 7 games since joining the Pens. Billy G has 45 points (18 goals, 27 assists) on 68 games. For the 10th time on his career Guerin has reached the 45 point level.


Montreal defenseman Mathieu Schneider had an assist on the Canadiens' first goal as the Habs were edged by the visiting New York Rangers 4-3 in SO. Schneids now has 7 goals and 18 assists for 25 points on 57 games. Since re-joining Montreal he has 10 points (3 goals, 7 assists) on 14 games. Eight of those points (3 goals, 5 assists) have been with the extra man. For the 17th time on his career Schneider has notched 25 or more points.


Recently refreshed goaltender Chris Osgood stopped 24 of 26 shots for another win as the host Detroit Red Wings downed the Philadelphia Flyers 3-2. With 3 straight wins Ozzie is now 23-6-7 on the season with a 3.14 goals against average and an .884 save percentage. He has stopped 77 of the last 81 shots he has faced for a recent save percentage of .951 while surrendering only 4 goals for a slim 1.33 goals against average.


Washington d-man John Erskine had 2 assists including 1 on the shorthanded game winner as the Capitals blanked the host Florida Panthers 3-0. Erskine snapped a 31 game point-less streak with the helpers and now has 4 assists on 44 games this season. The 2 point night was a first for Erskine since December 10, 2007 during his 2nd season with the Caps. Notching the first insurance goal for the Caps was forward Viktor Kozlov. He snapped a 3 game point-less streak and an 11 game goal-less streak with the netter. He now has 12 goals and 22 assists for 34 points on 57 games. Kozzer is only 3 goals shy of career #200.


Winger Ryan Smyth scored the Avalanche's 2nd goal as Colorado was toppled by the host Minnesota Wild 3-2 in SO. Smyth now has 26 goals and 32 assists for 58 points on 71 games. Eight times this season Smyth has scored goals in consecutive games.



Vancouver goalie Roberto Luongo stopped 24 of 26 shots as the Canucks doubled up on the visiting Dallas Stars for a 4-2 victory. Lu is an unbelievable 15-2-1 over his last 18 starts and is now 26-9-6 on the season. He has won 3 straight games, his 3rd winning streak of this 18 game stretch which has also including 4 and 8 game streaks. He has been even more consistent in these last 3 games surrendering exactly 2 goals-per-game while his team has staked him to consecutive 4-2 wins.

Edmonton d-man Denis Grebeshkov had a powerplay assist on the opening goal midway through the 1st Period as the Oilers slipped by the visiting St. Louis Blues 2-1 in SO. Greb has 5 assists over the last 6 games and now has 4 goals and 27 assists for 31 points on 59 games pushing his single season highs further and further up. For the first time on a season Greb has 10 powerplay points (1 goal, 9 assists).


Check back soon for more updates and highlights at FIW.

Sunday March 15

There were 7 games on the schedule on Sunday with Former Islanders helping out in 4 of those competitions. Here is a look as the NHL steamrolls towards the playoffs:

Winger Bill Guerin put up a big effort scoring a goal and adding 2 assists as the Penguins surpassed the visiting Boston Bruins 6-4. The recently acquired winger has been a boon for Pittsburgh with 8 points (2 goals, 6 assists) on 6 games. Billy G now has 44 points (18 goals, 26 assists) on 67 games this season. It was the 2nd 3 point night for Guerin since joining the Pens a feat he had not accomplished all season with the Isles. Assisting on Boston's 2nd goal was defenseman Zdeno Chara. He has had 1 assist in each of his last 3 games and now has 16 goals and 27 assists for 43 points on 71 games.

Detroit goaltender Chris Osgood shut down the hottest backstopper and one of the most on teams in the league as he blanked the host Columbus Blue Jackets 4-0. The goose egg was Osgood's 2nd in the last 4 games after not recording one in the first 31 starts of the season. The shutout was the 49th of his career. Ozzie is 22-6-7 on the season.



Minnesota d-man Marc-Andre Bergeron scored his team's final goal as the Wild were downed by the host St. Louis Blues 5-3. MAB has 3 points (2 goals, 1 assist) over the last 4 games and now has 11 goals and 17 assists for 28 points on 59 games.





Vancouver goaltender Roberto Luongo notched yet another win stopping 18 of 20 shots as the Canucks doubled up on the Colorado Avalanche for a 4-2 home victory. Over his last 17 starts Luongo has been red hot with a 14-2-1 record. He is 25-9-6 on the season. Lu has now recorded 25 or more wins for the 5th straight season. Recording the game winning goal for the 'Nucks was winger Taylor Pyatt who has 3 points (2 goals, 1 assist) over the last 4 games. He now has 17 points (9 goals, 8 assists) on 60 games this season. The game winner was the 1st of the season for T-Py and the 14th of his career. The last time Pyatt had the winning tally was on March 15, 2008 - the second-to-last game of last season. Recording one of the 2 Avs' goals was winger Ryan Smyth. He snapped a 3 game point-less stretch and now has 25 goals and 32 assists for 57 points on 70 games. For the 7th time on his career Smyth has reached the oft-ellusive 25 goal mark.

Check in soon for more updates at FIW.