Thursday April 2

There were a whopping 8 games on Thursday in day 2 of the final push to the playoffs. Former Islanders were involved (let us no say "helped") in 5 of those contests. Here is a look at the FI happenings:

Ottawa defenseman Chris Campoli assisted on his team's lone goal as the Senators were edged by the host Boston Bruins 2-1. Campy has 10 goals and 18 assists for 28 points on 71 games. Since joining Ottawa Campoli has played very well with 11 points (4 goals, 7 assists) in 20 games.




Montreal d-man Mathieu Schneider scored the game winning powerplay goal against one of his old teams as the Canadiens thumped the host Isles 5-1. With goals in back-to-back games and points in 5 straight Schneids now has 30 points (9 goals, 21 assists) in 64 games. With 15 points (5 goals, 10 assists) in 20 games since re-joining the Habs Schneider has equaled the offensive output he had in 44 games with the Atlanta Thrashers earlier this season. The game winner was the 2nd of the season for Schneider and the 36th of his career. For the 11th straight season (!) and 16th time in his career (!) Schneider has reached the 30+ point mark.

Edmonton winger Robert Nilsson had the primary assist on his team's lone goal, a powerplay tally, as the Oilers were edged by the visiting San Jose Sharks 2-1 ostensibly ending their playoff dreams. With his 6th helper in as many games, Nilsson now has 9 goals and 20 assists for 29 points on 61 games. Nilsson has had 20 or more assists for the 2nd straight season. He has 11 points this season on the man advantage including 7 assists.

Los Angeles center Derek Armstrong scored his team's lone goal, unassisted, as the Kings were bested by the host Phoenix Coyotes 2-1. For the first time this season Army has had points in back-to-back contests with a goal and an assist over the last 2 games. Armstrong now has 9 points (5 goals, 4 assists) on 53 games. The last time Armstrong had points in consecutive games was exactly a year prior from April 1-3, 2008. For the 6th straight year and 7th time on his career Army has notched 5+ goals on a season.

Tragedy hit Vancouver winger Taylor Pyatt on Friday but the night before he helped out in the boxscore with an assist on his team's 2nd goal as the Canucks fell to the visiting Anaheim Ducks 6-5 in a SO. Pyatt's fiancee was killed in a car accident while on vacation in Jamaica forcing him to leave the team indefinitely as of Friday. Our best wishes to Pyatt and his fiancee's family. T-Py set a mark with his latest helper recording 100 assists on his career in his 532nd game. Pyatt has 19 points (10 goals, 9 assists) on 62 games. Taking the OT loss in net for the 'Nucks was goaltender Roberto Luongo. He stopped 27 of 32 shots including all 3 he faced in OT but only 1 of 2 in the SO. Lu is now 30-11-7 on the season with a .918 save percentage, a 2.39 goals against average and 7 shutouts. Over the last 6 games Luongo has been subpar with a 3-2-1 record.

Check back soon for more 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.

Tuesday March 3

There were a whopping 12 games on tap on the eve of the trade deadline as the NHL primed itself for swapping season. Former Islanders were players in 8 of those 12 contests. Here is a look at their contributions:

Columbus winger Raffi Torres netted a powerplay goal and added an assist sealing up the second star honor as the Blue Jackets edged the host Los Angeles Kings 5-4. With 3 points (2 goals, 1 assist) over the last 3 games Torres now has 5 goals and 6 assists for 11 points on 33 games. For the 5th straight season Torres reached the 5+ goal mark and the 10+ point level. Assisting on the Kings' 2nd goal was center Derek Armstrong. He snapped a 4 game point-less stretch and a 31 game helper-less streak. Army now has 4 goals and 2 assists for 6 points on 39 games.

Florida winger Richard Zednik notched the game winning goal with only 50 seconds remaining in the 2nd Period as the Panthers eked by the host Atlanta Thrashers 4-3. Zed now has 14 goals and 14 assists for 28 points on 53 games. The winner was his 3rd of the season. He is currently only 3 goals short of career #200. Receiving the primary assist on the goal was defenseman Bryan McCabe. Big Mc now has points in 4 consecutive games to the tune of 7 (2 goals, 5 assists). McCabe now has 12 goals and 20 assists for 32 points on 54 games. The helpers was the 450th point of McCabe's career and came in his 971st game. For the 8th time McCabe has recorded 20 or more assists on a season.

Boston d-man and captain Zdeno Chara assisted on his team's first goal as the Bruins were felled by the visiting Philadelphia Flyers 4-2. With 3 points (1 goal, 2 assists) over the last 3 games Chara now has 38 points (15 goals, 23 assists) on 64 games. The assist, which came on the powerplay, is the 14th of the season for Chara with the man advantage.



Calgary d-man Adrian Aucoin assisted on the Flames' first insurance goal as they thumped the host Ottawa Senators 6-3. Aucoin snapped a 4 game point-less streak with the helper and now has 10 goals and 17 assists for 27 points on 63 games. He went a surprisingly shocking 15 straight games without an assist dating back to January 28. Assisting on Ottawa's final goal, a powerplay netter, was center Mike Comrie. In his first 5 games with Ottawa Comrie has 3 points (1 goal, 2 assists). The powerplay helper was the 75th of Comrie's career. He now has 8 goals and 15 assists for 23 points on 46 games between the Isles and Sens. For the 6th time on his career Comrie has 15 or more helpers.

Toronto winger Jason Blake assisted on his team's first goal as the Maple Leafs were downed by the visiting New Jersey Devils 3-2 in OT. Playing in career game #650 Blake extended his consecutive point streak to 3 games. Over than span he has recorded 4 assists. He now has 22 goals and 29 assists for 51 points on 60 games only 1 point shy of his 52 point effort from last season, his first as a Leaf.

Oft-forgotten wingermajig Jason Strudwick assisted on the game tying goal as Edmonton fell to the Nashville Predators 6-5 in OT. The Oilers' every position player, already in the midst of his best offensive season, has had 3 points (1 goal, 2 assists) over the last 5 contests. He now has 2 goals and 7 assists for 9 points on 53 games and is closing in on career point #50.



It only took Detroit goaltender Chris Osgood 32 starts but he finally nailed down his first shutout of the season stopping 22 shots as the Red Wings tore down the host St. Louis Blues 5-0. With the goose egg Ozzie improved to 20-5-7 on the season with an. 883 save percentage and a 3.16 goals against average. The game pushed Osgood over the 40,000 minute mark in terms of career ice time played. For the 2nd straight season and 13th time on his career Ozzie has notched 20 or more victories. The embattled veteran is only 2 appearances away from 700 on his career. The blanking was the 48th of Osgood's career.

Vancouver goalie Roberto Luongo stopped 17 of 19 shots winning for the 11th time in his last 12 starts as the Canucks downed the visiting Minnesota Wild 4-2. Luongo won a career best 8 straight before losing on February 24. Since then Luongo has won his next 3 starts giving up only 4 goals during the current stretch. Lu is now 22-8-5 on the season with a .916 save percentage and an ever shrinking 2.44 goals against average.

Check back soon for more updates at FIW.

Saturday February 21

There were an impressive 13 games on the NHL schedule on Saturday as teams battle for midseason points. Former Islanders kicked in their assistance in 7 of those tilts including contributions from new FI Chris Campoli. Here is a look:

Pittsburgh winger Ruslan Fedotenko knocked home 2 goals and added an assist to help lead the Penguins charge as they edged the host Philadelphia Flyers 5-4. It was only the 2nd 2 goal game of the season for Fedo who now has 13 goals and 13 assists for 26 points on 43 games. Fedotenko received the 2nd star honor for his effort. For the 8th straight season Fedo has reached 25 or more points.


Newest Ottawa defenseman Chris Campoli had 2 assists as the Senators fell to the host Montreal Canadiens 5-3. In only his first game with the Sens Campy did something he had yet to do all season, notch 2 assists in a game. In fact, the last time he had 2 assists in a game was on November 10, 2007. Between the Isles and Sens Campoli now has 6 goals and 13 assists for 19 points on 52 games. Fellow FI teammate Mike Comrie failed to make an impact in his first game back in a Sens' sweater. Scoring Montreal's 3rd goal was recently re-acquired d-man Mathieu Schneider. He has 3 points (2 goals, 1 assist) in 3 games with Montreal and is riding a 4 game 4 point (2 goals, 2 assists) scoring streak. Schneids now has 6 goals and 12 assists for 18 points on 47 games. Assisting on the Habs' 4th and 5th goals was d-man Roman Hamrlik. He has 4 goals and 20 assists for 24 points on 59 games. For the 3rd straight season and the 12th time Hamr has 20+ helpers.

Hitting it big for the Coyotes was center Olli Jokinen who netted a hat trick to lead Phoenix to a 6-3 victory over the host Los Angeles Kings. The hat trick was the first for Jokinen as a Coyote and his first since February 27, 2007 while still with the Florida Panthers - a span of 153 games without a 3 goal night. O-Jok now has 40 points (20 goals, 20 assists) on 54 games this season. For the 6th straight season Jokinen has reached 20 or more goals. Wrapping up the scoring with a late powerplay goal, after Jokinen had finished the hat trick on an empty net, was Kings' center Derek Armstrong. The tally snapped an 11 goal goal-less and point-less streak dating back to January 20. Army now has 4 goals and 1 assist for 5 points on 34 games. The powerplay goal was his first of the year and 19th of his career.

Vancouver goaltender Roberto Luongo stretched his winning streak to 8 games stopping 36 of 38 shots and 2 of 3 in SO as the Canucks skipped by the host Toronto Maple Leafs 3-2. Luongo is now 19-7-5 on the season with a .916 save percentage and a 2.56 goals against average. The 8 straight wins in the longest streak of Luongo's career passing a 7 game stretch from the 2006-07 campaign, his first season with Vancouver.


Consistent (offensively, not physically) Buffalo center Tim Connolly notched another assist as the Sabres handed the visiting New York Rangers a 4-2 loss. TimCo has 4 assists in the last 3 games and has 11 goals and 15 assists for 26 points on 26 games. For the 2nd straight season and 6th time on his career Connolly has managed 15+ helpers. For his effort Connolly was rewarded with the 3rd star honor.


Minnesota d-man Marc-Andre Bergeron assisted on the opening goal only 2:50 in to play as the Wild dumped the visiting Detroit Red Wings 5-2. Bergeron has 7 goals and 16 assists for 23 points on 47 games.





Calgary winger Todd Bertuzzi scored a SO goal in the 1st round as the Flames edged the host Edmonton Oilers 3-2. Stopped on his attempt in round 2 was Oilers' winger Robert Nilsson. All-around player Jason Strudwick assist on Edmonton's second goal only 1:46 in to the 3rd Period. Strud snapped a 4 game point-less streak and now has 1 goal and 6 assists for 7 points on 49 games. The assist continues to extend his single season high in helpers.

Check in soon for more updates at FIW.

Tuesday January 20

Now presenting your new leader, President Barack Hussein Obama! Woo! Enough politicizing, let us move to the ice. There were 8 games on tap Tuesday night around the NHL. Former Islanders have visibly ramped up their contributions. FIs tipped in their help in 4 of those contests. Here is the happenings:

Los Angeles center Derek Armstrong scored his 2nd goal in the last 4 games netting the first insurance tally as the Kings downed the host Minnesota Wild 5-2. Army has 3 goals and 1 assist for 4 points on 22 games. He has managed to net 3 goals on only 17 shots giving him an impressive 17.6 shooting percentage.



Edmonton defenseman Denis Grebeshkov scored the goal that knotted the score, briefly, at 3 a piece. Greb now has 4 goals and 17 assists for 21 points on 43 games. Over the last 4 games he has set new single season highs in assists, points and goals. Grebeshkov seems to have found a new level of play this season and even appears to be physically more dominant than the past. It is just speculation but astute teams might send an offer sheet Grebeshkov's way this summer in light of his recent play. Greb is a Restricted Free Agent come July 1. Just something to keep a lookout for.

Phoenix center Olli Jokinen netted the Coyotes' 3rd goal as they effectively dispensed of the visiting Detroit Red Wings 6-3. O-Jok has 17 goals and 16 assists for 33 points on 42 games. Jokinen has 6 goals in his last 11 games after scoring only 4 in the previous 18 matches. He is second only to team leader Shane Doan is goals scored with only 1 less score than the captain.



Three games, three losses. The return to play for Vancouver goaltender Roberto Luongo has not been a good one so far. Luongo stopped 27 of 29 shots but it was the 4th one he faced in OT that bested him as the San Jose Sharks edged the visiting Canucks 2-1. The Sharks kept the 'Nucks to a manageable 14 shots outshooting them over 2 to 1. The OT loss dropped Luongo to 11-6-4 on the season with a .921 save percentage and a 2.37 goals against average. Since returning from his groin injury Luongo has gone 0-1-2. Scoring the lone Canucks' goal was winger Taylor Pyatt. He has 6 goals and 6 assists for 12 points on 40 games. After going 12 games without a goal or point T-Py has notched 2 goals in the last 2 outings. The last time Pyatt had goals in consecutive games was March 17-20, 2008.

Check back soon for more updates at FIW.

Saturday January 10

There were a plethora of games on Saturday and excitement was high as 24 teams faced off in a dozen high energy tilts. Former Islanders are making their presences known and this night was no different. FIs helped out (or tried anyway) in 7 of those contests. Here is a quick look at the happenings:

Florida winger Richard Zednik notched a pair of assists as the Panthers demolished the visiting Atlanta Thrashers 8-4. Zed received primary assists on the team's 6th and 8th goals as the Panthers had bookended the game with a 3 goal 1st period and a 5 goal 3rd period. Zednik has had 1 goal and 3 assists for 4 points over the last 5 games and has 14 points (5 goals, 9 assists) on 31 games this season.


Boston captain and defenseman Zdeno Chara had the secondary assist on the first of 3 insurance goals as the Bruins dismantled the visiting Carolina Hurricanes 5-1. An All-Star-in-waiting, the assist was big for Chara not just because it snapped a 4 game point-less drought but because it was career helper #200. Chara has played in 729 regular season games but has come into his own over the last 5 or 6 seasons as a source of defensive offense. Chara remains only 8 points away from 300 on his career - a number he could foreseeable hit before the month is out.

Colorado winger Ryan Smyth had another good game recording a goal and an assist as the Avalanche outlasted the underwhelming Pittsburgh Penguins for a 5-3 home win. Smyth repeated his effort from 2 nights earlier and has 5 points (2 goals, 3 assists) during his current 3 game mini-scoring streak. Over the last 9 games Smyth has racked up 4 goals and 8 assists for 12 points. On the season, he has 14 goals and 17 assists for 31 points on 42 games. The goal was point #30 for the season, a mark he has reached in 12 consecutive campaigns. Smyth is on the verge of another landmark as he sits only 2 goals away from career #300.

Tough Philadelphia winger Arron Asham assisted on the insurance goal as the Flyers downed the visiting Toronto Maple Leafs 4-1. Not known as an offensive force, Asham has managed 4 points (1 goal, 3 assists) over the last 8 games. He now has 3 goals and 4 assists for 7 points on 38 games. The helper was career #75 for Asham who has played in 536 regular season games. On a completely different note, Asham currently leads all Flyers with 97 penalty minutes.

Columbus center Michael Peca finds ways of making other players look good. Peca set up rookie Nikita Filatov's 2nd and 3rd goals as the youngster became the first Blue Jackets' freshman to score a hat trick. The Jackets knocked off the pesky Minnesota Wild 4-2 for the home win. Peca now has 3 goals and 8 assists for 11 points on 37 games. For the 13th consecutive season Peca has notched 10+ points. Over the last 6 games Peca has had a strong showing with 4 points (1 goal, 3 assists). The multi-point effort was his first since February 10, 2008 snapping a 58 game string of 1 point or less.

Phoenix center Olli Jokinen was stopped by Dallas goaltender Marty Turco in the 3rd of 5 rounds of SO as the Coyotes edged the visiting Dallas Stars 1-0. Jokinen is tied for 49th in all-time SO history at 8 goals for 24 attempts (33.3%) equaling the efforts of Detroit's Henrik Zetterberg, St. Louis' Andy McDonald and Colorado's Marek Svatos.



New Jersey backup goalie Kevin Weekes received 1st star honor as he stopped 34 of 35 shots en route to a 5-1 Devils victory over the host Los Angeles Kings. The start was Weekes' single best outing of the season and improved his record to 3-4-0. He is sporting a .908 save percentage and a 2.79 goals against average. To be totally honest, the start was actually his best in a season and a half nearly mirroring his win in the first game of the 2007-08 season when on October 6, 2007 he stopped 32 of 33 shots leading the Devils to a 4-1 win over the host Florida Panthers. Scoring the lone goal for the Kings was center Derek Armstrong who was playing in first game since December 9. Army snapped a 5 game point-less and goal-less streak and now has 2 goals and 1 assist for 3 points on 19 games.

Check here soon for more updates at FIW.

Saturday November 29

With Thanksgiving leftovers still in fridges around the country hockey took center stage again on Saturday. Two dozen squads faced off in 12 games around the NHL. Former Islanders chipped in their help in 9 of those contests. Here is a look at a very busy FI day:

FI teammates Robert Nilsson (wing) and Denis Grebeshkov (defense) teamed up to snag the assists on Edmonton's first goal as the Oilers overcame a 2-0 deficit for a 4-2 win over the host St. Louis Blues. Nilsson received the primary assist on Andrew Cogliano's goal with just under 5 minutes remaining in the 2nd period. Nily now has 3 goals and 5 assists for 8 points on 22 games. Grebeshkov received the secondary helper and 1 goal and 8 assists for 9 points on 20 games.

Los Angeles center Derek Armstrong scored a rare goal to help lead the Kings to a 5-2 thumping of the visiting Chicago Blackhawks. Armstrong put home the game winning tally at the 6:16 mark of the final period to lead the Kings to victory. The goal was Army's first of the season and he now has 1 goal and 1 assists for 2 points on 13 games. With the netter he snapped a 5 game point-less run and a 29 game goal-less streak dating back to February 15 of last season. The game winner was the 9th of Armstrong's 429 game career.

Philadelphia winger Arron Asham also notched a rare point receiving an assist on the Flyers' first goal as they were tripped up by the host Maple Leafs. Toronto doubled up on the Fly Boys for a 4-2 win. The assist was Asham's first as a Flyer and snapped a 10 game point-less run. Asham now has 1 goal and 1 assist for 2 points on 23 games this season. The last time Asham recorded an assist was on April 13 in Game 3 of the New Jersey Devils opening round playoff series against the New York Rangers.

Detroit starter Chris Osgood made his first relief appearance of the season after Ty Conklin surrendered 3 goals on 9 shots in the Red Wings 4-1 defeat at the hands of the host Boston Bruins. Ozzie played the final 32 minutes and stopped 9 of 10 shots faced. He received no decision in the appearance. Boston d-man Zdeno Chara recorded an assist on the game winning goal at the 16:11 mark of the 1st period. Chara has 4 goals and 7 assists for 11 points on 24 games. He has had 2 assists in the last 2 contests.

Columbus winger Raffi Torres knocked home his first goal as a Blue Jacket, a game winning tally, as the Jacks blanked the visiting Washington Capitals for a 3-0 win. The shutout work of rookie goalie Steve Mason made Torres' goal only 8 minutes in to play stand up. Torres now has 1 goal and 3 assists for 4 points on 13 games. The tally snapped a 17 game goal-less streak dating back to December 2, 2007 while Torres was still with the Edmonton Oilers. The game winner was the 9th of his career and his first that same December 2 game.

Montreal d-man Roman Hamrlik recorded a secondary assist on the Canadiens' 2nd goal as the Habs edged the visiting Buffalo Sabres 3-2. Hamrlik has 2 goals and 5 assists for 7 points on 22 games. Hamrlik has notched 2 assists over the last 4 contests. The helper was a momentous one as it was #400 of Hamrlik's career and came in career game 1,098. Though this assist was even strength, Hamrlik has over half his career helpers (210) on the man advantage.

Pittsburgh winger Miroslav Satan assisted on the 1st of 3 Sidney Crosby goals as the Penguins downed the vistiing New Jersey Devils 4-1. The first goal of the Crosby hat trick came only 1:21 in to play. Satan has an impressive 18 points (9 goals, 9 assists) on 23 games. Satan is currently 3rd on a potent Penguins' offense behind only Crosby (38 points) and Evgeni Malkin (34).



San Jose d-man Brad Lukowich assisted on the game winning goal with less than 9 minutes remaining in play as the Sharks eked by the host Phoenix Coyotes for a 3-2 win. Luko now has 5 assists on 23 games this season and he snapped a 6 game point-less streak in the process. The helper was the Luko's first on a game winner this season.



Calgary winger Todd Bertuzzi had a powerplay assist on the Flames' opening goal as they downed the visiting Vancouver Canucks 3-1. Bertuzzi now has 7 goals and 9 assists for 16 points on 24 games. Eleven of his season points (5 goals, 6 assists) have come with the man advantage. Despite the fact that Bertuzzi has not scored a goal in the past 12 games he has managed to notch 7 assists in the time.


Check back soon for more updates at FIW.

Saturday October 25 - 15 Games!

Every single NHL team was playing on Saturday in a rare night for hockey. The 96 goals scored among the teams was the most since January 23, 1993 when 12 games accounted for 103 goals. With every team in play the atmosphere was high for FI contributions and they did not disappoint. FIs made impacts in 9 games. Let us take a look at those accomplishments:

New Atlanta defenseman Mathieu Schneider scored his first goal and had his first multi-point effort since joining the squad during the preseason. Schneids knocked home a powerplay goal and added a powerplay assist but all was for nought as the Boston Bruins slipped by the visiting Thrashers 5-4. Schneider now has 4 points (1 goal, 3 assists) on 8 games with Atlanta but has since his offensive contributions tempered by his -8 rating. That could be the kind of season Schneider is looking at: 40 points, -30something but we can hope not.

A game after being scratched for his inconsistent effort Toronto winger Jason Blake was back on the boxscore. Blake had a powerplay assist on the opening tally as the Maple Leafs outlasted the Ottawa Senators for a 3-2 victory. Blakey now has 4 points (1 goal, 3 assists) on 7 games and is among team leaders in shots on goal (29) and +/- rating (+1). One could imagine the healthy scratch was a warning and is not going to become a common occurrence for the high-priced Blake.

In only his 2nd game back after his 5 game suspension for assaulting a referee (argued down from 10) Columbus center Michael Peca made an impact offensively. Peca assisted on the lone Blue Jackets' goal as they fell to the host Minnesota Wild 2-1. Having playing in only 3 games so far this season, Peca has 1 helper this year. He has, however, also amassed an impressive 24 penalty minutes.

Also making his first notching his first point of the season was Los Angeles center Derek Armstrong. Army assisted on the too-little-too-late goal as the Kings fell to the host Nashville Predators 5-4 as LA does its tour of the Midwest. With the helper Armstrong snapped a 7 game point-less streak dating back to last season. More shocking than Armstrong not having recorded a point until game 7 of the season is that he has only taken 4 shots in that time.

In his first game back after being sidelined for almost 2 weeks with a leg injury Washington forward Viktor Kozlov started contributing again. Kozlov assisted on the Capitals' 5th goal as they survived a last minute comeback by the host Dallas Stars to pull off a 6-5 OT win. Kozzer has 2 assists on 4 games this season but has yet to net a goal despite having thrown 6 shots on goal.

D-man Aaron Johnson is turning out to be a nice offseason pick up by the Chicago Blackhawks. Johnson dropped in the 'Hawks 2nd goal as they were edged by the visiting Detroit Red Wings 6-5 in SO. Johnson has had goals in back-to-back games and now has 4 points (2 goals, 2 assists) on 6 games this season. He is currently tied with marquee d-man Brian Campbell for the team's goal scoring lead among blueliners and is only one assist behind him for blueline scoring. This was the first time Johnson has ever had goals in consecutive games, a major accomplishment considering he has never had more than 3 tallies on a season before. Also getting involved was teammate Brent Sopel who assisted on the team's 4th goal. Sopel has 1 assist on 7 games this season snapping a 6 game point-less drought to start the year and an aggregate 8 game drought dating back to last season.

Ryan Smyth was the hero of the night in Colorado netting the winning goal in the 5th round of the SO as the Avalanche slipped by the visiting Buffalo Sabres for a 2-1 win. With the game in his hands, Smyth knocked home the winning goal. He also stirred up a little controversy after supposedly knocking the knob of Sabres' goaltender Ryan Miller's stick knocking him off balance when the Avs scored their lone goal of regulation with less than 7 minutes to play in regulation. Smyth received the secondary assist on that goal. Smyth has had an impressive start to the season with 7 points (4 goals, 3 assists) on 8 games. He has notched all 7 of those points in the last 6 games despite not having scored a point in the prior tilt. On nights that Smyth has recorded at least one point the Avalanche have a 4-1 record and a are a total of 25-5 including last season!

Calgary winger Todd Bertuzzi woke up from a 2 game slumber to net his team-leading 6th goal (tied with Jarome Iginla) as the Flames steamrolled past the host Phoenix Coyotes 4-1. Bert opened the scoring only 3:25 in to regulation with a powerplay goal, his 4th of the season. He now he has 6 goals on 8 games to start the season. Bert is scoring at a 30% rate having compiled 20 shots. He does, however, have a -5 rating. It took Bertuzzi until game 26 of last season to record his 6th goal.

It was a matchup made for FIW as the Vancouver Canucks hosted the Edmonton Oilers. There was a combined 7 FIs (4 Vancouver, 3 Edmonton) between the two teams. Four of those players made impacts. Canucks' goaltender Roberto Luongo stopped 25 of 28 shots for his fourth win of the season as Vancouver knocked off the Oil 6-3. Luongo stopped a 2 game losing streak and now has a 4-3-0 record with a 3.29 goals against average and an .889 save percentage. If it were not for the fact that the Canucks' offense has been much more potent than expected, Luongo would not even be able to boast of a winning record considering his recent poor play. In only his 2nd game since being called up from the Manitoba Moose, center Jason Krog knocked in a powerplay goal to cap the scoring. Krog has 1 goal on 2 games this season and the tally was his first in the NHL since February 3, 2006 while with the New York Rangers. Take it a step further and the extra man goal was Krog's first since before the lockout on November 21, 2004. At that time Krog was still playing with the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim. As well, Saturday's powerplay goal came in Krog's 200th career NHL game. Lighting things up for Edmonton was winger Robert Nilsson who torched Luongo for a goal and an assist. Snapping a 3 game point-less run, Nilsson now has 4 points (2 goals, 2 assists) on 7 games this season. The multi-point effort was Nilsson's first since March 28. And finally, surprising everyone is Denis Grebeshkov who is 1 point off the team leader and is currently tied for the lead in scoring among Oil defenseman with Sheldon Souray. Greb helped himself again netting his first goal of the year. He now has 5 points (1 goal, 4 assists) on 7 games. Grebeshkov as well snapped a 3 game drought. The goal came on only his 2nd shot of the season.

While things will not be this busy again this season, please check in soon for more updates and highlights at FIW.