Former Islander UFAs and Signings

With the free agency market having opened on July 1 things have been busy for Former Islanders. Here is a look at the action to date:

Edmonton signed defenseman/winger Jason Strudwick to a 1 year deal worth $700K after the 12 year veteran put up a career best 9 points (2 goals, 7 assists) on 71 games last season. A fusion player who can play the blueline or a 4th line winger role has played in 559 games for the Isles, Canucks, Blackhawks, Rangers and Oilers. Over that span Strud has posted 13 goals and 34 assists for 47 points. Strudwick was original taken in the 3rd Round, 63rd overall in the 1994 NHL Entry Draft by the Islanders.

Veteran defenseman Adrian Aucoin bailed on Calgary and is heading to the Phoenix Coyotes on a 1 year, $2.25 million deal. Aucoin had spent the last 2 seasons with the Flames after suffering back injuries as captain in Chicago. Aucoin has revived his career and last season posted a respectable 34 points (10 goals, 24 assists) on 81 games. Originally taken in the 5th Round, 117th overall in the 1992 NHL Entry Draft by the Canucks, Aucoin has played for the 'Nucks, Lightning and Isles as well as the Blackhawks and Flames. Aucoin has played in 851 games scoring 108 goals and adding 228 assists for 336 points. He has posted back-to-back 10 goal seasons for only the second time in his career.

Winger Ruslan Fedotenko opted to take a pay cut if that meant staying with the championship Pittsburgh Penguins as the forward signed off on a 1 year deal worth $1.8 million, a nearly half a million dollar cut from last year's contract. Fedo played well in his first season in Pitt notching 39 points (16 goals, 23 assists) on 65 injury-shortened games. He also notched 14 points (7 goals, 7 assists) in the team's 24 game playoff run. A 597 game veteran, Fedo has 139 goals and 139 assists for 278 points and can now boast of his 2 Stanley Cup rings. Fedotenko has played for the Flyers, Lightning, Isles and Pens.

The Colorado Avalanche have offloaded "Captain Canada" Ryan Smyth and his hearty $6.5 million dollars due next year and the $10 million due for the next 2 years after that in exchange for Los Angeles defensemen Tom Preissing, Kyle Quincey and a 5th Round pick in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft. Smyth played well this past year leading the team with 59 points (26 goals, 33 assists) on 77 games but never really met up to the Avs' expectations as the team has failed to make the playoffs for 2 straight years. On the flipside the woeful and youthful Kings have been trying to bolster their team with a veteran presence. A 920 game veteran Smyth has 310 goals and 350 assists for 660 points on his career. Originally selected in the 1st Round, 6th overall in the 1994 NHL Entry Draft, Smyth played his first 12 seasons in the league with the Edmontion Oilers before going to the Isles late in the 2006-07 season. Smyth bailed on the Isles lures to keep him and opted for a 5 year deal with Avalanche and now finds himself in exile from the Mile High City after a failed experiment. Smyth was one of the major catalysts as the Oil made it to Game 7 of the 2006 Stanley Cup Final - the closest taste of success for the vaunted winger.

A pair of notable FIs have decided to take their chances at arbitration. Young d-man Denis Grebeshkov has spurned Edmonton's lowball offers and has decided to leave the decision up to the league about how much he deserves. Greb is coming off a breakout year in which he compiled 39 points (7 goals, 32 assists) on 72 games. He now has 176 games under his belt with 10 goals and 53 assists for 63 points. A former 1st Round pick, Grebeshkov was taken 18th in the 2002 NHL Entry Draft by the Los Angeles Kings. Greb has played with the Kings, Isles and Oil. Slightly more seasoned is Chicago d-man Aaron Johnson who is looking for a pay raise. Johnson had a hot start last season with the Blackhawks before tailing off midway through and then being demoted. He notched 3 goals and added 5 assists for 8 points on 38 games. Johnson has played in 184 games scoring 10 goals and adding 26 assists for 36 points. Johnson was originally taken in the 3rd Round, 85th overall by the Columbus Blue Jackets in the 2001 NHL Entry Draft. He has suited up for the BJs, Isles and 'Hawks.

Check back soon as the players continue to fall into place for the 2009-2010 season.

Wednesday April 22

With another 3 games up for grabs on Wednesday there was prime opportunity for Former Islanders to help out. Alas, FIs only aided their team in 1 of these three contests. Here is a quick look:

Calgary center Olli Jokinen scored his first 2 career playoff goals and added an assist to lead the charge as the Flames confounded the visiting Chicago Blackhawks for a 6-4 victory. The win pulls the Flames even with the 'Hawks 2-2 in the best of 7 series. With points in 3 straight games, O-Jok now has 5 points (2 goals, 3 assists) on 4 games. Jokinen's assist came on a goal by fellow FI and defenseman Adrian Aucoin, his 2nd of the series. Aucoin has 2 goals and 1 assists for 3 points on those 4 games.

Check in soon with FIW for updates and highlights.

Monday April 20

There were a trio (3) of games on the NHL schedule on Monday as we begin to reach the midpoint of the 8 first round matchups. Former Islanders kicked in their support in all 3 of those outings. Here is a look at the FI happenings:

Washington defenseman Tom Poti netted the final goal, a powerplay tally, with only 85 seconds remaining in play as the Capitals plunked and blanked the host New York Rangers 4-0 on the heals of a brilliant performance by rookie Caps' goaltender Simeon Varlamov. Poti scored for the first time on his career in the playoffs and snapped an 8 game postseason point-less stretch with the goal. Poti has 34 playoff contests under his belt to the tune of 9 points (1 goal, 8 assists). With the win the Caps pulled back into the series cutting the Blueshirts' lead to 2-1.

Boston d-man Zdeno Chara was credited with the secondary assist on the empty net goal with only 37 seconds remaining in regulation as the Bruins doubled up on the host Montreal Canadiens for a 4-2 victory and a commanding 3-0 series lead. The assist was the 2nd point (1 goal, 1 assist) of the postseason for Chara in 3 games. He now has 18 points (5 goals, 13 assists) on 55 career playoff games.


Calgary d-man Adrian Aucoin assisted on the Flames' first goal as the host downed the Chicago Blackhawks 4-2 to pull the series within a game at 2-1 'Hawks. Aucoin now has 2 points (1 goal, 1 assist) on 3 playoff games this postseason. Assisting on the 2nd Flames' goal was center Olli Jokinen who now has points in back-to-back playoff games and has 2 assists over the 3 game set.


Check back with FIW soon for more playoff highlights.

Saturday April 18

There were 4 games on the schedule Saturday as the 2009 NHL playoffs continued. Former Islanders aided in 2 of those contests. Here is a quick snapshot:

Detroit goaltender Chris Osgood stopped all 25 shots he faced as the host Red Wings downed the Columbus Blue Jackets for a 4-0 victory. The win gives the Wings a 2-0 series advantage. Ozzie, the first star, is now 2-0 on the postseason having surrendered only 1 goal on 46 shots for a .978 save percentage and a 0.50 goals against average. The goose egg was the 14th of Osgood's career in the postseason and improves his playoff record to 61-41 in 108 games.

Calgary defenseman Adrian Aucoin scored a goal late in the 1st Period that staked the Flames to a 2-0 lead which evaporated as the host Chicago Blackhawks pulled off a 3-2 come-from-behind win to snatch a 2-0 series lead. The netter snapped a 14 game postseason goal-less streak dating back to April 16, 2003 when Aucoin was still a member of the Isles. The playoff goal was the 5th of Aucoin's career coming in his 36th postseason game. He has 1 goal on 2 games in this series so far. Assisting on the goal was center Olli Jokinen. The helper was Jokinen's first career playoff point.

Check back soon for more updates at FIW.

Playoff FIs: Western Conference

Let us take a look at the Former Islanders who should be gracing the NHL squads during the push for Lord Stanley's Cup - the pantheon of sports trophies. The glittering epitome of silver beauty. The greatest guerdon known to living man. Digression. The teams have been arranged by conference and according to rank. Here is the Western Conference:

Western Conference

#1 San Jose: The best team in the league and Stanley Cup favorite, the Sharks feature a lone FI in defenseman Brad Lukowich who wound his way to NorCal during the offseason trade that sent blueliner Dan Boyle packing from Tampa Bay. Luko suffered some major injury time playing in only 58 games this season. In those games he managed only 8 assists. We will have to wait and see if the true impact for Lukowich will be his presence on the blue line.

#2 Detroit: The perennial powerhouse Red Wings feature a lone FI, as well. A large part of the team's Cup-winning success from last postseason, goaltender Chris Osgood is going to try to regain last season's awesome form which may be a daunting task in light of his less than stellar season. Ozzie split time with Ty Conklin managing starts in only 44 games and appearances in 46. Over that span Osgood sported a 26-9-8 record which looks deceivingly good. Beneath the surface Ozzie surrendered an average of 3.09 goals per game while stopping shots at only an .887 clip, the latter of which being the worst of any season for the veteran goalie. He managed only 2 shutouts. Only time will tell if Osgood can find his true self.

#3 Vancouver: On the other side of the coin is stellar goalie Roberto Luongo who came back from injury to dominate the Northwest Division. Luongo went 33-13-7 on the season in 54 starts. At one point Lu had won 12 of 13 games helping the Canucks rise from potentially out of the playoffs to division champs. Lu pulled off a 2.34 goals against average, a .920 save percentage and a single season high 9 shutouts. Questionable to make it back for the playoffs is winger Taylor Pyatt who lost his fiancee to a car accident shortly before the end of the season. T-Py played in 69 games posting 10 goals and 9 assists for 19 points. Also questionable is defenseman Rob Davison who played in only 23 games on the season with the 'Nucks recording 2 assists. Davison has not seen ice time with the team since February 10.

#4 Chicago: The fate of Blawkhawks' d-man Aaron Johnson is currently unknown for the playoffs but we will keep a watch on whether the blueliner makes an appearance. Johnson started the season off hot for the 'Hawks and then rapidly cooled off. With 7 points in the first 17 games of the season Johnson seemed poised for a big year but fell apart soon thereafter managing only 1 point in his next 21 games. Johnson only played in 38 games recording 3 goals and adding 5 assists for 8 points.

#5 Calgary: Calgary made some major moves during the season including the acquisition of center Olli Jokinen which, when you look at the record (8-11), not only caused a late season slump but also lost the Flames the division crown and home advantage in the first round. O-Jok headlines a trio of Flames' FIs which also includes winger Todd Bertuzzi and d-man Adrian Aucoin. Jokinen is making it to the playoffs for the first time in his 799 game NHL career though he backed into it via the trade north from Phoenix. Jokinen finished his weakest season in the last 6 years with 57 points (29 goals, 28 assists) on 76 games. Bertuzzi started the season off hot, a streak tempered by injuries and fatigue. He finished the season respectably with 44 points (15 goals, 29 assists) on 66 games. Bert is looking to regain some form in the playoffs. D-man Aucoin had another 30+ point season managing 10 goals and 24 assists for 34 points on 81 games.

#6 St. Louis: With captain and d-man Eric Brewer out indefinitely following December back surgery the cinderella Blues feature no FIs.







#7 Columbus: Making their first appearance as a franchise in the NHL playoffs the Blue Jackets feature a trio of FIs. First off is winger Raffi Torres who was instrumental late in the season for the BJs. Torres scored 12 goals and 8 assists for 20 points on 51 injury-shortened games but it was his 6 games winners, including 4 in March, that helped vault Columbus into the playoffs. Center Michael Peca played another grinder of a season scoring 4 goals and adding 18 assists for 22 points on 71 games. Of those goals scored by Peca 2 were game winners. Finally, late season pickup goalie Wade Dubielewicz will be warming the bench for rookie sensation Steve Mason. It is unlikely Dubie will see much playing time. During the season he started 2 games and appeared in 3 going 1-2-0 with an obese 3.56 goals against average and a sickly .870 save percentage.

#8 Anaheim: If it were not for a late trade the Ducks would not feature an FI, but alas they received center Petteri Nokelainen from the Bruins before the deadline. Noky played pretty well in his 17 games with the Ducks scoring 4 goals and adding 2 assists for 6 points. On the season the muscular winger had 9 points (4 goals, 5 assists) on 50 games. Look for him to lead the Ducks' 3rd line in the first round of the playoffs.

Check back soon as we will be following all the matchups here 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.

Saturday March 14

There were an unbelievable 26 teams in action on Saturday as 13 games raged around the NHL during this final push towards the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Former Islanders were no lightweights putting up their efforts in 8 of those contests. Here is a quick peek at the FI action:

Philadelphia winger Arron Asham had his yearly 2 goal against the New York Rangers as the host Flyers downed the Blueshirts 4-2. Ash scored goals about 9 minutes apart in the 3rd Period including the game winner and the insurance tally to notch the first star honor. Asham snapped a 6 game goal-less streak. He has 7 goals and 7 assists for 14 points on 63 games. The winner was Asham's 1st of the season and the 7th of his career. The goal snapped a 97 game streak without a winner dating back to December 16, 2007.

Boston defenseman and captain Zdeno Chara recorded an assist on the game winning goal as the Bruins edged the visiting Isles 2-1. Chara has 8 points (2 goals, 6 assists) in 15 games against the Islanders. He now has 16 goals and 26 assists for 42 points on 70 games.




Detroit goaltender Chris Osgood stopped 30 of 32 shots for the win as the Red Wings thumped the host St. Louis Blues 5-2. Ozzie is 2-0-1 in his last 3 starts and is now 21-6-7 on the season.






Ottawa center Mike Comrie rocketed home the game winning goal in the 5th round of the SO as the Senators eked by the host Pittsburgh Penguins 5-4. Teammate Chris Campoli knotted the score at 1 in the 1st Period with his 9th of the season. Since joining the Sens Campoli has 8 points (3 goals, 5 assists) on 11 games. He has 25 points (9 goals, 16 assists) on 62 games this year reaching the 25 point plateau for only the 2nd time. Campy also tied his single season goal high. Both the 25 point mark and the 9 goals were highs set during his rookie 2005-06 campaign. Opening the scoring was Pens tough guy Eric Godard with a rare offensive effort. Godard now has 2 goals and 1 assists for 3 points on 63 games. The 2 tallies equals his prior single season high from 2005-06 while still an Isle. The netter snapped a 34 game goal-less and point-less stretch. It took only 263 career games but Godard has recorded 5 goals.

Recently acquired center Olli Jokinen lit it up for the Flames with a hat trick and 2 assists for 5 points but the goaltending was horrendous as Calgary fell 8-6 to the host Toronto Maple Leafs in a score-a-thon. With his 2nd hat trick in his last 10 games Jokinen now has 29 goals and 23 assists for 52 points on 56 games. He has reached the 50+ point mark for the 6th straight season. Since joining the Flames O-Jok has been out-of-this-world with 10 points (8 goals, 2 assists) on 6 games yet Calgary is 2-4-0 in that span. The last time Jokinen has 5+ points on a game was March 17, 2007 when he had 6 (2 goals, 4 assists) against the Isles while still the star center for the Florida Panthers. Notching 3 assists, including 2 on Jokinen goals, was d-man Adrian Aucoin. He has 4 assists over the last 2 games and now has 10 goals and 22 assists for 32 points on 69 games. For the 2nd straight season Aucoin has reached the 20+ assist level and the 30+ point barrier. The assist mark makes has been reached in 6 seasons at 20 or more while the 30 point mark has been broken in 7 seasons. The 3 point night was a first for Aucoin since March 3, 2001 when he had 4 assists during his brief tenure with the Tampa Bay Lightning! Winger Jason Blake notched a powerplay goal for the Leafs that staked them to an early 2-0 lead. Blake now has 23 goals and 31 assists for 54 points on 66 games. The powerplay goal was his 4th of the season doubling his extra man output from his first season with Toronto. Scoring his first goal since returning to the NHL was center Jeff Hamilton. He has 3 points (1 goal, 2 assists) in 6 games with the Leafs. The goal was Hammy's first since March 28, 2008 while still with the Carolina Hurricanes. The tally snapped a 7 game goal-less stretch.

Buffalo center Tim Connolly was stopped on his attempt in the 2nd of 4 SO rounds as the Sabres were edged by the visiting Atlanta Thrashers 4-3. TimCo has only 1 assist over the last 4 games and is mired in a mini-slump.





Washington center Viktor Kozlov was stopped on his attempt in the 1st round of the SO but all was righted as the Capitals felled the visiting Carolina Hurricanes 5-4.






Edmonton winger Robert Nilsson opened the scoring only 3:09 in to regulation as the Oilers were downed by the visiting Colorado Avalanche 3-2 in OT. Nilsson has goals in back-to-back games for the first time this season and now has 9 goals and 14 assists for 23 points on 54 games. The last time Nily had goals in consecutive contests was between December 5 and 7, 2007 in his first full season with the Oil.

Check back soon for more updates at FIW.

Thursday March 12

There were a whopping 13 games on the schedule on Thursday night with Former Islanders aiding in an impressive 7 contests. FIs are trying to push their respective teams into the playoff fray as March speeds away. Here is a look at their efforts:

Calgary's top center, Olli Jokinen, scored 2 goals in regulation and capped the game off with the deciding goal in the SO as the Flames edged the host Detroit Red Wings 6-5. O-Jok was of course recognized with the first star honor for his outstanding effort. In 5 games since being traded to the Flames Jokinen has scored 5 goals. On the season he has 47 points (26 goals, 21 assists) on 62 games. For the 6th straight season Jokinen has notched 25 or more goals. Assisting on Calgary's 2nd goal was defenseman Adrian Aucoin. With the helper he snapped a 3 game point-less streak and now has 10 goals and 19 assists for 29 points on 68 games.

Buffalo center Tim Connolly assisted on his team's opening goal only 3:04 into play as the Sabres downed the visiting Florida Panthers 3-1. Ending a mini-2 game slide, Connolly has 13 goals and 19 assists for 32 points on 34 games. In a fraction of the time of his teammates, TimCo has moved up to a tie for 6th on the Sabres in scoring. He is currently tied with winger Ales Kotalik in every scoring category yet has played 22 less games than him.

Toronto winger Jason Blake assisted on the Maple Leafs' lone goal as they were bested by the visiting Tampa Bay Lightning 4-1. Blake has had assists in back-to-back games and now has 22 goals and 31 assists for 53 points on 65 games. Blake is only 9 points shy of career #400 and could foreseeable reach the feat by the close of the season.



Edmonton winger Robert Nilsson scored his team's 3rd goal as the Oilers were downed by the visiting Atlanta Thrashers 4-3 in OT. Nily snapped a painfully long 15 game goal-less streak and an 8 game point-less streak with the tally. Nilsson had not found the back of the net since January 27. He now has 8 goals and 14 assists for 22 points on 53 games. The goal was the 25th of Nilsson's young career coming in his 181st game. Assisting on the first Oilers' goal was d-man Denis Grebeshkov. He has helpers in 4 straight games and now has 30 points (4 goals, 26 assists) on 57 games. Greb has reached the 30+ point plateau for the first time on his career and keeps setting his single season bar higher and higher with each point he racks up.

Montreal d-man Mathieu Schneider had an assist against one of his old squads as the Canadiens fell to the visiting Isles 3-2 in OT. Schneider assisted on the game tying goal just over 9 minutes in to the 3rd Period. In 11 games since coming back to Montreal, Schneids has 9 points on 3 goals and 6 assists. On 55 games this season, Schneider has 7 goals and 17 assists for 24 points.


Boston captain and d-man Zdeno Chara had a shorthanded helper on the opening goal only 3:17 in to play as the Bruins dispensed with the visiting Ottawa Senators 5-3. Chara has 3 points (1 goal, 2 assists) over his last 3 games and now has 16 goals and 25 assists for 41 points on 69 games. For the 6th straight season Chara has notched 25 or more assists. The shortie helper was the 2nd of the season for Chara and the 16th of his career.

Minnesota d-man Marc-Andre Bergeron scored the lone Wild goal, a powerplay netter, midway through the 1st Period as they fell to the host Colorado Avalanche 2-1 in a SO. Bergeron snapped a 4 game goal-less stretch and now has 10 goals and 17 assists for 27 points on 57 games. For the 3rd time on his career MAB has netted 10+ goals. Half his goals this season (5) have come on the man advantage.

Check in soon with FIW for more updates and recaps.

Thursday March 1

There were 9 games on tap Thursday night as the league was re-shuffled a little bit following Wednesday's trade deadline. A few players made splashes with their new squads including a new signing of Former Islander note. Here is a look at the FI night:

Forward Jeff Hamilton, who just signed early in the day with the Maple Leafs, assisted in his first game back at the NHL level kicking in a helper on the game winner as Toronto edged the host Washington Capitals 2-1. Hamilton had not played since April, 2008 while still a member of the Carolina Hurricanes. The last time Hammy had recorded a point was March 28 while his last helper was on March 19. This helper snapped a 5 game assist-less streak. Hamilton joins winger Jason Blake as Toronto's resident FIs.

Center Olli Jokinen made a huge entry for his new team the day after being traded from Phoenix to Calgary. Jokinen scored 2 goals, including the game winner, to lead the Flames to a 5-1 win over the host Philadelphia Flyers. O-Jok took no time to gel with wingers Michael Cammalleri and Jarome Iginla on the team's top line. Jokinen now has 23 goals and 21 assists for 44 points on 58 games. Over the last 5 games he has recorded 7 points on 6 goals and 1 assist. The game winner was Jokinen's 3rd of the season. Assisting on the capstone goal late in the 3rd Period was defenseman Adrian Aucoin. After going point-less in 4 games Aucoin now has 2 assists over the past 2 outings. He has 10 goals and 18 assists for 28 points on 64 games.

Ottawa d-man Chris Campoli netted his first goal as a Senator, a powerplay game winner, as the Sens outpaced the visiting Edmonton Oilers 4-2. In 6 games with Ottawa Campy has 5 points (1 goal, 4 assists). He now has 7 goals and 15 assists for 22 points on 57 games. The powerplay tally was his first of the season but the game winner was his 3rd of the year setting a new single season high. Scoring the 2nd Ottawa goal was center Mike Comrie. He now has 9 goals and 16 assists for 25 points on 47 games. For the 4th straight season and 6th Comrie has recorded 25 or more points. Assisting on Edmonton's first goal, a powerplay tally, was recently returned d-man Denis Grebeshkov. Since returning from a minor injury, Greb has 2 assists in 3 games. He now has 4 goals and 23 assists for 27 points on 54 games. With each goal and assist Grebeshkov continues to push his single season high even higher. He has 8 points (1 goal, 7 assists) this season on the man advantage.

Playing in his first game with the Penguins since being trade on Wednesday winger Bill Guerin instantly made a difference assisting on Pittsburgh's first goal as they thumped the host Florida Panthers 4-1. Guerin now has 16 goals and 21 assists for 37 points on 62 games. The assist was a landmark one for Guerin who now has 800 career points (403 goals, 397 assists). Number 800 came in career game #1,169. Assisting on the final goal was winger Ruslan Fedotenko. With 3 assists in the last 4 games, Fedo now has 13 goals and 16 assists for 29 points on 49 games. Notable FIs not are the Pens' roster were winger Miroslav Satan who was sent down to the team's AHL affiliate Scranton-Wilkes Barre Penguins and healthy scratch winger Eric Godard.

Minnesota d-man Marc-Andre Bergeron had the primary assist on the Wild's first goal late in the 2nd Period as the Wild rallied from a 3-0 deficit to down the host San Jose Sharks 4-3 in OT. Bergeron has 8 goals and 17 assists for 25 points on 53 games. For the 4th time on a season MAB has recorded 25 or more points.



Dallas winger Mark Parrish assisted on his team's 2nd goal as the Stars were edged by the host Los Angeles Kings 5-4 in OT. Parrish snapped a 6 game point-less streak and an 8 game assist-less streak with the helper. He now has 7 goals and 5 assists for 12 points on 39 games. Albeit a minor accomplishment, Parrish has recorded 5+ assists for the 10th straight season.


Check back soon for more recaps, updates and news at FIW.

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.

Thursday February 19

There were an impressive 12 games on the NHL schedule Thursday night. Former Islanders helped out in 7 of those games with 12 FIs making the boxscore for some accomplishment. Here is a look at the busy FI night:

Back for the only the 3rd game since being injured in early January winger Ruslan Fedotenko is again making an impact for Pittsburgh. Fedo notched 2 assists including the sole helper on the game winning goal as the Penguins edged the visiting Montreal Canadiens in a FI heavy game. Fedo snapped a 4 game point-less streak and now has 11 goals and 12 assists for 23 points on 42 games. Earlier teammate Miroslav Satan staked the Pens to a 2-1 lead with his 15th goal of the season. Along with his 18 assists Satan now has 33 points on 59 games. For the 13th consecutive season Satan has scored 15+ goals. The netter snapped a 7 game goal-less streak. Playing in his first game with the Habs since being traded from the Atlanta Thrashers earlier in the week, d-man Mathieu Schneider scored a powerplay goal that briefly knotted the score at 2 a piece. The goal snapped a 12 game drought and gives Schneids 5 goals and 12 assists for 17 points on 46 games. In his first 2 games with Montreal he has 2 points on 1 goal and 1 assist. Schneider now has 6 points (1 goal, 5 assists) over his last 7 games. For the 19th straight season Schneider has managed to net 5 or more goals. Fellow d-man Roman Hamrlik assisted on the Habs' 3rd goal. The helper snapped a 4 game point-less streak and Hamr now has 4 goals and 18 assists for 22 points on 58 games.

Philadelphia tough guy Arron Asham had the primary assist on the opening goal as the Flyers manhandled the visiting Buffalo Sabres 6-3. Asham has had 3 points (1 goal, 2 assists) over the last 6 games and now has 4 goals and 6 assists for 10 points on 52 games. For the 6th straight season Asham has reached 10 or more points. Assisting on the 3rd Buffalo goal, a powerplay tally, was center Tim Connolly. TimCo has 11 goals an 14 assists for 25 points on 25 games. For the 2nd straight season and 7th time on his career Connolly has reached 25 or more points.

Make it 7 in a row for Vancouver goaltender Roberto Luongo as he stopped 25 of 27 shots en route to a 5-2 Canucks' thumping over the host Ottawa Senators. Luongo has not been overwhelming but his has been consistent, as has been the entire Canucks' offense, en route to a 7-0-0 over the last 7 starts. Lu is now 18-7-5 on the season.



New Jersey backup goalie Kevin Weekes kept up his good play stopping 39 of 41 shots and 2 of 3 in the SO as the Devils edged the host Tampa Bay Lightning 3-2. Weekes has won his last 5 starts surrendering no more than 2 goals in any of those contest. He is now 7-4-0 on the season with a .924 save percentage and a 2.32 goals against average. His 7 wins surpasses his total of 6 from the last 2 seasons while with the New York Rangers and Devs.

Toronto winger Jason Blake had an assist and a SO goal in the 2nd of 3 rounds but it was largely wasted as the Maple Leafs fell to the visiting Columbus Blue Jackets 4-3. Blakey has 21 goals and 25 assists for 46 points on 54 games. Blake is enjoying a 3 game point streak in which he has compiled 4 points on 2 goals and 2 assists.



Calgary d-man Adrian Aucoin netted the game winning goal with 70 seconds remaining in OT as the Flames eked by the host Minnesota Wild 3-2. Aucoin now has 10 goals and 16 assists for 26 points on 58 games. For the 2nd straight season and 6th time on his career Aucoin has reached double digit goals. The last time Aucoin had 10 or more goals in back-to-back seasons was between 1998-99 and 1999-2000 while still a member of the Canucks. Winger Todd Bertuzzi recorded the primary assist on that goal. Bert has 42 points (14 goals, 28 assists) on 53 games. Over the last 3 tilts he has 5 assists.

Phoenix center Olli Jokinen had an assist and missed on his attempt in round #6 of 8 in the SO as the Coyotes edged the visiting Atlanta Thrashers 4-3. O-Jok has 17 goals and 20 assists for 40 points on 54 games. He has 3 helpers over the last 4 goals and remains only 2 points shy of career #500.




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