2009-10 Season Kickoff Half-Week

With a tight start to the season cram-packed with games from Thursday October 1 to Saturday October 3 things were exciting for Former Islanders, some in new locales, some comfortable in familiar surroundings. Here is a quick look:

Pittsburgh Penguin wingers Ruslan Fedotenko and Bill Guerin are the FIs of the week after having a fabulous start each receiving 2 points in their first 2 games. Fedotenko had a goal and an assist in the Pens 4-3 SO win over the Isles on Saturday including netting the tying goal. Guerin split assists over the Pens' first 2 games to notch a point-per-contest. Staying with Pittsburgh may pay off big dividends for the two two-time Stanley Cup winners.

Vancouver goaltender Roberto Luongo bombed his first week surrendering 7 goals on 49 shots between those two contests notching and 0-2-0 record with a 3.53 goals against average and an abysmal .857 goals against average. If the Canucks are to succeed it will be on the heals of Bobby Lu and vice versa.

Speaking of goalies Detroit's 1A backstopper Chris Osgood had a less than spectacular start surrendering 4 goals on 23 shots in his first start. He has an 0-1-0, an .826 save percentage and a 4.06 goals against average. Do you hear that ticking sound? It is the impending end of Ozzie's illustrious career.

Speaking of Red Wing washups, winger Todd Bertuzzi notched an assist for 1 point in 2 Detroit games over the opening weekend. Inane fact: Bert now has 370 assists on 826 games.

And to return to the Northwest let us look at a pair of FI centers. Calgary's own Olli Jokinen looked clueless notching only 1 assist on 2 games. He is going to have to step it up if the Flames are going to succeed. Surprise, surprise coming from Mike Comrie. The Brick notched 1 helper in Edmonton's lone weekend game, not surprisingly against the Flames. The born-again Oiler is looking to overcome his absolute awfulness that nearly destroyed his career last season.

For a much more impressive debut than any other FI we can give a head nod to Los Angeles winger Ryan Smyth who notched 2 powerplay assists in his first game as a King. Smyth received the 3rd star honor despite the fact that the host Kings were crushed heartily. It looks like Anze Kopitar may have found a new best friend.

In the "a Norris Trophy does not make you special" category we have Boston defenseman Zdeno Chara who wowed with 1 assist in 2 games. Way to go Big Z... no sarcasm at all.

Now to a more memorable FI defenseman, John Erskine. The blueliner had 1 assist in 2 games equaling Chara's excellence.

Oh and let us not forget Roman Hamrlik who notched a shorthanded helper in Montreal's lone weekend game. The shortie assist was Hamr's first since January 7.

While we are still in the Northeast let us peak in on two high-flying FIs. Buffalo center Tim Connolly notched a powerplay goal in his first game of the season. Way to go TimCo! Also helping out with the man advantage was Toronto winger Jason Blake who had 1 powerplay helper in 2 games.

Check in next week as we recap the FI events from Monday October 5 to Sunday October 11 here at FIW!

Saturday April 11

The final Saturday of the 2008-09 NHL season was a frantic one with 26 teams battling in 13 (unlucky?) contests. Former Islanders aided in 6 of those games. Here is a quick look:

Vancouver goaltender Roberto Luongo had another stellar game stopping all 22 shots he faced as the Canucks pulled off another 1-0 victory, this time over the host Colorado Avalanche and in OT. Lu finishes the season with a 33-13-7 record with an awesome .920 save percentage, a tidy 2.34 goals against average and a single season high 9 shutouts. While Luongo was injured for a large chunk of the season the 54 games the goalie did play in were often excellent.

Buffalo center Tim Connolly had another multi-point night scoring a goal and adding a powerplay assist as the Sabres thumped the visiting Boston Bruins, the best team in the East, 6-1. TimCo finishes the season with 4 points (1 goal, 3 assists) in his last 2 games and 47 points (18 goals, 29 assists) on 48 - a near point-per-game pace. The helper was a big one as it was career #200 for Connolly coming in his 486th career game. More impressively is that despite playing in only 48 games TimCo sent a new single season high in goals scored.

Florida defenseman Bryan McCabe scored a powerplay goal and added an assist as the Panthers dispensed with the visiting Washington Capitals 7-4. McCabe finishes the season with 15 goals and 24 assists for 39 points on 69 games. For the 5th time on his career Big Mc has notched 15+ goals and his 8th extra man goal of the season pushes his career total to 67. Assisting on the 4th Washington goal was forward Viktor Kozlov. He wraps up the season with 13 goals and 28 assists for 41 points on 67 games and would foreseeable enter next season only 2 goals shy of 200 on his career.

Pittsburgh winger Ruslan Fedotenko assisted on the opening goal as the Penguins felled the host Montreal Canadiens 3-1. Fedo ends the regular season on a 3 game point streak (1 goal, 3 assists) and finishes with 39 points (16 goals, 23 assists) on 65 games. The 39 points leaves Fedotenko 5th on the team in points scored. Netting the lone Habs' goal was d-man Roman Hamrlik who snapped a 10 game goal-less streak but has had 5 points (1 goal, 4 assists) over the last 5 contests. Hamr ends the season with 6 goals and 27 assists for 33 points on 81 games.

Minnesota blueliner Marc-Andre Bergeron scored his 3rd goal in the last 2 games as the Wild again thumped a competitor, this time the host Columbus Blue Jackets 6-3. MAB ends the year with 14 goals and 18 assists for 32 points on 72 games. Entering next season Bergeron is only 2 helpers shy of 200 assists on his career. The powerplay goal was the 7th of the season for MAB and the 36th of his career.


Calgary d-man Adrian Aucoin assisted on the first insurance goal as the Flames tore down the visiting Edmonton Oilers 4-1. Aucoin snapped an 8 game point-less streak and ends the regular season with 34 points (10 goals, 24 assists) on 81 games only 1 point shy of his 35 point effort from the 2007-08 season, his first with the Flames.



Check in soon with FIW as we wrap up the regular season!

Thursday April 9

It was a ridiculously busy final Thursday to the 2008-09 NHL season as 22 teams faced off in 11 tilts. Former Islanders continue to help their teams out even if playoff mirages of the recent past have now disapated. FIs kicked in their efforts in 6 of those contests. Here is a quick look:

Boston captain and defenseman Zdeno Chara scored the game tying powerplay goal early in the 3rd Period and added and powerplay assist to help lead the Bruins to a 5-4 OT win over the visiting Montreal Canadiens. Chara now has 19 goals and 31 assists for 50 points on 80 games giving the giant blueliner his 2nd straight 50+ point campaign. His 19 goals (11 powerplay) both set new single season highs while his 17 extra man helpers equaled another high from the 2006-07 season, his first with the Bs. Scoring a powerplay goal for the Habs was d-man Mathieu Schneider. He has points in 7 straight games (2 goals, 5 assists) and now has 9 goals and 23 assists for 32 points on 66 games. In only 22 games with Montreal Schneids has notched 17 points (5 goals, 12 assists). He is now only 1 extra man score away from 100 on his career. Assisting on that goal was fellow blueliner Roman Hamrlik. With 4 assists over the last 4 contests Hamr now has 5 goals and 27 assists for 32 points on 81 games.

Buffalo center Tim Connolly notched 2 assists as the Sabres crushed the host Carolina Hurricanes 5-1. TimCo has 45 points (17 goals, 28 assists) on 47 games reaching that mark for only the 3rd time on his career and first since the 2005-06 season. Connolly is now only 1 assist shy of 200 on his career. For the 13th time this season Connolly has recorded 2 or more points in a game.


Pittsburgh winger Bill Guerin scored an even strength goal against his most recent squad, the Isles, as the Penguins heartily trounced the visiting Blue & Orange 6-1. Billy G snapped a 3 game point-less streak and now has 21 goals and 27 assists for 48 points on 77 games. Guerin has played well for the Pens recording 12 points (5 goals, 7 assists) in 17 games. Pittsburgh is now the 7th team that Guerin has scored 5 or more goals with in a season. Assisting on the first Pens' goal was winger Ruslan Fedotenko. With 3 points (1 goal, 2 assists) over the last 2 games Fedo now has 16 goals and 22 assists for 38 points on 64 games.

Detroit goaltender Chris Osgood stopped 22 of 25 shots faced including 2 in OT but let 2 of 4 go in during the SO as the Nashville Predators edged the host Red Wings 4-3. Ozzie is now 26-8-8 on the season snapping a mini-2 game winning streak. The 8 OT losses sets a new single season high for Osgood who has been subpar, at best, this season yet has an impressive record due to the excellence of both the Wings' offense and their impressive blueline.

Dallas Stars' winger Mark Parrish scored a goal as they eked by the host Colorado Avalanche 3-2 in a SO. The netter snapped a 4 game point-less streak and an 11 game goal-less streak for the spotty forward. Parrish now has 8 goals and 5 assists for 13 points on 44 games.




Vancouver goaltender Roberto Luongo was unbeatable stopping all 20 shots he faced as the Canucks edged the visiting Los Angeles Kings 1-0. The victory was the 2nd straight for Lu who is now 32-13-7 on the season. The goose egg was his 8th of the season, a new single season high for the highly prized backstopper surpassing his 7 blankings from 2003-04 season while with the Florida Panthers.

Check back soon for more updates at FIW.

Saturday April 4

The 2nd to last Saturday of the 2008-09 NHL season was an active one as teams continue to battle for and secure playoff spots. Former Islanders helped out in 6 of the 11 tilts of the night. Here is a recap of the FI efforts:

Ottawa defenseman Chris Campoli had the primary assist on his team's 2nd goal as the Senators edged the visiting Philadelphia Flyers 4-3 in SO. Campy now has assists in 3 straight games meaning he has 10 goals and 18 assists for 28 points on 71 games. Since joining the Sens via trade Campoli has 4 goals and 7 assists for 11 points on 20 games.



Buffalo center Tim Connolly had the secondary assist on the too-little-too-late goal as the Sabres were felled by the visiting New Jersey Devils 3-2 putting a serious dent in their playoff hopes. TimCo now has 17 goals and 26 assists for 43 points on 43 games, an impressive point-per-game pace for the oft-injured centerman. With less than a handful of games remaining in the season Connolly is only 3 assists from 200 on his career.


Montreal d-man Roman Hamrlik had 2 assists, including 1 powerplay, as the Canadiens thumped the host Toronto Maple Leafs 6-2. Hamr snapped a 6 game point-less streak and now has 5 goals and 25 assists for 30 points on 76 games. For the 8th time Hamrlik has managed 25 or more helpers and for the 9th time he has reached the 30+ point mark. Assisting on the opening goal, also a powerplay score, was d-man Mathieu Schneider. He has a point-per-game over the last 6 outings (1 goal, 5 assists) and now has 8 goals and 23 assists for 31 points on 65 games. In literally half the games (21) with the Habs as compared to Atlanta (44) Schneids has past his offensive support from the first half of the season. With the Canadiens Schneider has 16 points (4 goals, 12 assists) while with the Thrashers he had 15 points (4 goals, 11 assists). Receiving an assist on the first Leafs' goal was winger Jason Blake. He now has 59 points (25 goals, 34 assists) on 73 games.

Pittsburgh winger Ruslan Fedotenko assisted on both his team's goals as the Penguins fell to the host Carolina Hurricanes 3-2 in OT in a battle of 2 playoff contenders. Fedo now has 6 points (2 goals, 4 assists) over the last 3 games. He has 13 goals and 20 assists for 33 points on 60 games. For the 4th time in his career Fedotenko has reached 20 or more assists.



Columbus winger Raffi Torres had an assist on the game tying goal as the host Nashville Predators downed the Blue Jackets 5-4 in SO. Torres has a goal and an assist over the last 2 games. Torres now has 12 goals and 6 assists for 18 points on 46 games.





Edmonton d-man Denis Grebeshkov had an even strength goal as the Oilers downed the visiting Vancouver Canucks 5-3. Greb now has 7 goals and 28 assists for his first 35 point season. The goal was a big one for the young defenseman as it was the 10th of his career. Taking the loss in net for the 'Nucks was goaltender Roberto Luongo. He stopped 20 of only 24 shots in 60 minutes of ice time. Luongo is now 29-12-7 on the season and is a subpar 0-1-1 over the last 2 starts.

Check back soon.

Friday April 3

There were half a dozen (6) games up for grab on 2nd to last Friday of the 2008-09 NHL season. Former Islanders aided in 5 of those contests. Here is a quick peek at the action:

Philadelphia winger Arron Asham assisted on the Flyers' 2nd goal as they bashed the visiting Toronto Maple Leafs 8-5. With 3 points (1 goal, 2 assists) over the last 3 games Asham now has 8 goals and 10 assists for 18 points on 72 games. For the 5th time Ash has notched 10 or more assists on a season. For the first time since December 10-19, 2005 Asham has recorded points in 3 or more consecutive games. During that particular span, while still with the Isles, he had 5 points (3 goals, 2 assists) over a 4 game stretch.

Buffalo center Tim Connolly notched 3 assists including the singular assist on the game winning OT goal as the Sabres edged the host Washington Capitals 5-4. With 9 points (4 goals, 5 assists) over the last 5 games Connolly now has 42 points (17 goals, 25 assists) on 42 games. For the 2nd straight season and 5th time on his career Connolly has reached the 25+ assist mark. Caps' forward Viktor Kozlov recorded 2 assists including 1 on the powerplay. Koz snapped a 3 game point-less streak and now has 12 goals and 26 assists for 38 points on 62 games. For the 3rd straight season and 6th time on his career Kozzer has recorded 25 or more helpers.

New Jersey backup goaltender Kevin Weekes, who was meant to give starter Martin Brodeur, suffered a leg injury only 1 minute into the 2nd Period as the Devils pulled out a 5-4 OT win over the visiting Tampa Bay Lightning. Weekes received no decision on the start and remains 7-5-0 on the season with a .920 save percentage and a 2.42 goals against average. The start was only the 2nd for Weekes since March 18.


Florida winger Richard Zednik had the primary assist on the lone Panthers' goal as they fell to the visiting Atlanta Thrashers 3-1 putting a serious dent in their playoff hopes. Zed now has 17 goals and 16 assists for 33 points on 65 games.





Minnesota defenseman Marc-Andre Bergeron had a powerplay assist on the game winning goal as the Wild blanked the wildly inconsistent and visiting Calgary Flames 4-0 as the Wild continue to keep their slim playoff hopes alive. MAB snapped an 8 game point-less streak and now has 11 goals and 18 assists for 29 points on 67 games. The powerplay helper was the 11th of the season for Bergeron, a new single season high for the offensive d-man.

Check back soon for more updates and recaps at FIW.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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