Mid-August Updates

It has been a pathetically slow reaction time here at Former Islander Watch as we have been snoozing in these dog days of summer. Here are the recaps, signings and FI happenings for roughly the last month (i.e. July 18-August 18). Will the hockey season ever start? By the way, Santa Barbara is a beautiful city... so much more so than San Jose. However, at least San Jose has a successful hockey club with many Conference and Stanley Cup championships to their credit... oh wait. Here is the not so new news:

Stud defenseman Denis Grebeshkov got a big raise from the Edmonton Oilers on July 21 garnering a 1 year, $3.15 million deal - a compromise result that had both sides avoid the arbitration table for the 26 year old Restricted Free Agent. Talks had broken down on a longer term deal late last season and this was the stopgap measure put in place. Greb earned $1.5 million last season, a career year with 7 goals and 32 assists for 39 points on 72 games.

2008-09 1A/1B goalie for the Isles, Joey MacDonald, inked a deal with the Toronto Maple Leafs on August 10. Terms of the deal have yet to be released but the deal is probably a two-way signing since the Leafs currently appear to have two one-way goalies. Mac played in 49 games (46 starts) last season for the Isles recording a 14-26-6 record with a 3.37 goals against average, a .901 save percentage and 1 shutout. In 66 career games between the Isles and Detroit Red Wings MacDonald in 17-34-9 with a 3.31 goals against average, a .900 save percentage and 1 goose egg. The Halifax, Nova Scotia native, MacDonald joins his first Canadian squad.

Finally, winger Todd Bertuzzi inked a 1 year, $1.5 million dollar deal with a former team, the Red Wings on August 18. After spending a month and a half on the free agent list Bert was finally picked up for next season albeit at decreasingly declining contract amounts ($1.95 million last season with Calgary). Bert had 44 points (15 goals, 29 assists) on 66 games last season with the Flames and came out storming but cooled off considerably in the last 2/3rds of the season. Originally drafted in the 1st Round, 23rd overall by the Isles in the 1993 NHL Entry Draft Bertuzzi has 624 points (255 goals, 369 assists) on 859 career games. Bert has played for the Isles, Canucks, Wings, Panthers, Ducks and Flames.

Check back soon with FIW for more updates and news.

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.

Friday April 10

There were 4 games on tap on the final Friday of the 2008-09 NHL season with Former Islanders stepping up to help in 3 of those match ups. Here is a quick summation of the FI action:

Minnesota defenseman Marc-Andre Bergeron scored 2 goals, including the game winning powerplay tally, as the Wild crushed the visiting Nashville Predators 8-4. The netters snapped an 11 game goal-less streak and now gives MAB 13 goals and 18 assists for 31 points on 71 games. The powerplay scored was his 6th this season with the extra man while the winner was his 3rd of the year and the 9th of his career.


Edmonton d-man Denis Grebeshkov had a pair of assists on insurance goals as the Oilers thumped the visiting Calgary Flames 5-1. Greb has 4 points (1 goal, 3 assists) over the last 3 games and now has 7 goals and 32 assists for 39 points on 72 games. Greb has shined for the Oil and is 6th on the squad in points scored. Assisting on the lone Flames' goal was center Olli Jokinen. He has 2 assists over the last 2 games and now has 29 goals and 28 assists for 57 points on 76 games. Despite putting up what appears to be an impressive 15 points (8 goals, 7 assists) in 18 games with the Flames O-Jok has notched a point in only 8 of those contests and over that span the Flames have compiled a 7-11-0 record.

Anaheim forward Petteri Nokelainen assisted on his team's first goal as the Ducks pulled off a 4-3 SO win over the visiting Dallas Stars. Noky now has 9 points (4 goals, 5 assists) on 50 games but has stepped it up since joining Anaheim managing 4 goals and 2 assists for 6 points on 17 games. Nokelainen has set a new single season high in helpers with 5 this season.


Check back soon for more updates and recaps as we approach the end of the regular season at FIW.

Tuesday April 7

So the final Tuesday of the 2008-09 NHL season was a wild one with 26 teams facing off in 13 high energy contests. For some teams these matchups could mean the difference between still being in the playoff hunt or even moving up or down in playoff positions. Here is a look at the Former Islander contributions which spanned 6 tilts:

Washington forward Viktor Kozlov scored a goal as the Capitals doubled up on the host Atlanta Thrashers for a 4-2 win. With his 3rd point (1 goal, 2 assists) in the last 3 games Kozlov has pushed his stats up. The netter snapped a 7 game goal-less streak. Kozzer now has 12 goals and 27 assists for 39 points on 64 games.



Toronto forward Jeff Hamilton scored the game winning goal midway through the opening period as the Maple Leafs thumped the host New Jersey Devils 4-1. Hammy snapped a 3 game point-less streak and a 7 game goal-less streak and now has 6 points (3 goals, 3 assists) on 15 games. The game winner was the 1st of the season for Hamilton and the 6th of his career making it 3 straight seasons with at least one winner. Assisting on the first insurance goal was winger Jason Blake. Blakey now has 25 goals and 35 assists for 60 points on 74 games. For only the 2nd time on his career Blake has reached the 60+ point mark. He is only 2 points shy of career #400.

Boston defenseman and captain Zdeno Chara had a powerplay goal with only 9 seconds remaining in the 2nd Period but all was for naught as the Bruins fell to the host Ottawa Senators 3-2. The goal was a big one for Chara as it was his 18th of the season setting a new single season high for the offensively gifted blueliner. Chara now has 18 goals and 30 assists for 48 points on 79 games. His 10th powerplay score of the season also equals a prior single season high from his 2005-06 campaign with the Sens.

Pittsburgh winger Ruslan Fedotenko scored a goal and added an assist on the game winner as the Penguins downed the host Tampa Bay Lightning 6-4. Fedo now has 16 goals and 21 assists for 37 points on 63 games. For the 2nd straight season and 7th time on his career Fedotenko has recorded 15+ goals. For only the 4th time Fedo has reached the 35+ point mark. Over the last 5 games he has been particularly effective with 8 points on 3 goals and 5 assists.

Edmonton d-man Denis Grebeshkov assisted on the lone Oilers' goal as they were felled by the visiting Los Angeles Kings 2-1. Greb now has 7 goals and 30 assists for 37 points on 70 games. He has reached the 30 assist mark for the first time on a season and each point has pushed his single season highs up.




Vancouver goaltender Roberto Luongo had a fabulous game stopping 46 of 47 shots, a literal barrage, as the Canucks downed the visiting rival Calgary Flames 4-1. Luongo snapped a 3 game winless streak and is now 31-13-7 on the season with a 2.43 goals against average and a .917 save percentage. Assisting on the lone Flames' goal was center Olli Jokinen. O-Jok snapped a 4 game point-less streak and now has 29 goals and 27 assists for 56 points on 74 games. In 17 games with the Flames Jokinen has 14 points (8 goals, 6 assists) but has been wildly inconsistent recording points in only 6 of those contests.

Check back soon with FIW as we wind down the regular season and prepare for the playoff push.

Tuesday March 31

With the month of March officially on its last day and the playoffs only a few weeks off the race for spots has become rather intense with each point in the standings pretty much ensuring a spot in the dance or seasonal demise. Former Islanders were especially active helping out in all 7 contests. Here is a look at the plethora of FI happenings:

Boston captain and defenseman Zdeno Chara had a huge night compiling a "Gordie Howe Hat Trick" (goal, assist and fight) and sealing up the first star honor as the Eastern Conference best Bruins downed the visiting Tampa Bay Lightning 3-1. Chara scored the game winning powerplay goal less than 7 minutes into the 2nd Period and added a powerplay assist minutes later to lead the Bs' offensive charge. In the 1st Period Chara mixed it up with impossible to spell Lightning forward Evgeny Artyukhin. The "Gordie Howe" was the 3rd of Chara's career and ironically came on Gordie's 81st birthday. With 4 points (1 goal, 3 assists) over the last 2 games Chara now has 47 points (17 goals, 30 assists) on 76 games. The netter equals his prior single season high from last year while also snapping an 8 goal-less stretch. The assist makes it 3 straight seasons of 30 or more, a mark he has now reached 4 times. The game winner was the 3rd of the season for Chara and the 17th of his career.

When Columbus winger Raffi Torres has scored recently it has been quality. Torres netted the winning goal just over 4 minutes into the 3rd Period as the Blue Jacket edged the visiting Nashville Predators 2-1 at home. With 6 winning tallies out of 12 goals this season Torres has been an effective game changer. He has 18 points (12 goals, 6 assists) on 46 games. In the last 11 games Torres has knocked home 4 winning goals meaning he has had the deciding tally in all 7 Jackets' wins over that span. Receiving the primary assist on the netter was center Michael Peca. He snapped a 4 game point-less slide and now has 4 goals and 18 assists for 22 points on 67 games.

Florida d-man Bryan McCabe netted the game winning powerplay goal and added an extra man assist as the Panthers thumped the visiting Ottawa Senators 5-2. Big Mc was the 1st star and now has 13 goals and 22 assists for 35 points on 64 games. He snapped a 7 game point-less stretch and a 10 game goal-less streak. For the 5th time McCabe has reached 35 or more points on a season. The winning score was his 3rd of the season and the 23rd of his career. Scoring the 2nd Florida goal was winger Richard Zednik. The goal, Zed's 3rd in the last 6 games, was a big one as it was the 200th of his career coming in his 740th game. Zednik now has 17 goals and 12 assists for 32 points on 65 games. Scoring Ottawa's 2nd goal, a man advantage score, was d-man Chris Campoli. Campy now has 10 goals and 17 assists for 27 points on 60 games. He snapped a 3 game point-less run and a 7 game goal-less streak. He has averaged a point-per-every-2-games since joining the Sens with 10 (4 goals, 6 assists) in 20 games. Campoli now has a new single season high in goals breaching the 10+ mark for the first time.

Montreal d-man Mathieu Schneider scored an insurance goal with less than 4 minutes remaining in play as the Canadiens dispense of the visiting Chicago Blackhawks 4-1. Schneids now has points in 4 straight (1 goal, 3 assists) and has 29 points (7 goals, 22 assists) on 63 games. Since joining the Habs Schneider has lit it up with 4 goals and 10 assists for 14 points in 19 contests.


Vancouver goaltender Roberto Luongo stopped 33 of 34 shots including all 4 he faced in OT as the Canucks edged the host Minnesota Wild 2-1. Rewarded with the first star honor Luongo is now 30-11-6 on the season. The victory was Lu's 3rd in his last 4 starts.




Edmonton d-man Denis Grebeshkov rocketed home the Oilers' 2nd goal as Edmonton were bested by the visiting Anaheim Ducks 5-3 severely impacting their playoff hopes. The goal was his 6th of the season and first in 4 games. Along with 29 assists Greb has now reached 35 points for the first time in a season. Grebeshkov has averaged better than a point-per-every-2-games with 35 in 68 games.


Los Angeles center Derek Armstrong assisted on the too-little-too-late goal as the Kings were felled by the visiting Dallas Stars 3-2. Army snapped a 5 game point-less stretch and now has 4 goals and 4 assists for 8 points on 53 games. Armstrong is only 1 helper shy of 150 on his career.




Check in soon with FIW for more updates, recaps and highlights as we speed to the regular season finish line.

Sunday March 29

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

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




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

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


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

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

Check back soon with FI for more updates and recaps.

Tuesday March 24

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

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


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




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

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

Check back soon for more updates and recaps at FIW.

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.

Tuesday March 17

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

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

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


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


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


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


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



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

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


Check back soon for more updates and highlights at FIW.

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.