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!

Opening Night: Wednesday April 15

Tax Day in the U.S. decided to coincide with the start of the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs. We suffered a little glitch here at FIW so we will not have the Eastern Conference Former Islander list like there was for the Western Conference since it takes forever to write. So here is the fastest possible list of FIs:

#1 Boston: Zdeno Chara (D)
#2 Washington: Viktor Kozlov (F), Tom Poti (D), John Erskine (D)
#3 New Jersey: Kevin Weekes (G)
#4 Pittsburgh: Miroslav Satan(?) (RW), Bill Guerin (RW), Ruslan Fedotenko (LW), Eric Godard (RW)
#5 Philadelphia: Arron Asham (RW)
#6 Carolina: Nobody for this bunch of clowns!
#7 New York Rangers: Stephen Valiquette (G)
#8 Montreal: Roman Hamrlik (D), Mathieu Schneider (D)

Now onto the games. There were 4 contests on Wednesday night. FIs stepped up 2 of those contests. Here are the recaps:

Washington forward Viktor Kozlov scored the Capitals' 2nd goal as the hosts fell to the New York Rangers in a close 4-3 game. The Blueshirts took a 1-0 series lead with the victory. The tally snapped a post-season goal-less streak of 17 games. In his 18th career playoff game Kozlov finally found the net. Koz has, however, managed 6 assists in the playoffs.



Vancouver goaltender Roberto Luongo dominated stopping 25 of 26 shots, which was just enough, as the the Canucks edged the visiting St. Louis Blues 2-1 to take a 1-0 series lead. With the victory Lu snapped a 3 game postseason losing streak dating back to April 27, 2007 when the 'Nucks were in the 2nd round against the future Stanley Cup champion Anaheim Ducks.



Check back soon with FIW as we will continue to follow the playoffs.

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.

Monday April 6

There were 3 games on the NHL schedule as the final week of the 2008-09 NHL season officially kicked off. Former Islanders helped out in 2 of those contests. Here is a quick look:

Detroit goaltender Chris Osgood was nearly perfect stopping 32 of 33 shots as the Red Wings thumped the host Buffalo Sabres 4-1. Ozzie has won his last 2 starts and is now 26-8-7 on the season. He has raised his save percentage slightly to .887 while dropping his goals against average to a slightly more respectable 3.10.



Ottawa defenseman Chris Campoli opened the scoring midway through the 2nd Period as the Senators edged the host Montreal Canadiens 3-2. With points in 4 straight games (2 goals, 2 assists) Campy now has 11 goals and 19 assists for 30 points on 72 games. Since joining Ottawa Campoli has 5 goals and 8 assists for 13 points on 21 games. The goal was #25 of Campy's career as he continues to push his single season high in netters even higher. For only the 2nd time, and first since his 2005-06 rookie campaign with the Isles, Campoli has reached the 30+ plateau. Assisting on that powerplay tally was center Mike Comrie. He snapped a 6 game point-less streak and now has 10 goals and 17 assists for 27 points on 59 games. In 18 games with the Sens Comrie has 7 points (3 goals, 4 assists) including 3 powerplay helpers. Assisting on Montreal's 2nd goal, a short-lived leading scored, was d-man Roman Hamrlik. He has 3 assists over the last 2 games and now has 5 goals and 26 assists for 31 points on 77 games.

Check in soon with FIW for more updates as we wind down the 2008-09 NHL regular season.

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.

Thursday March 19

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

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



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

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





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

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

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

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



Check in soon with FIW for more updates and highlights.

Sunday March 8

There were 7 games on the NHL schedule on Sunday with Former Islanders helping out in 4 of those collisions. FIs are helping to push their respective teams deeper and deeper into playoff contention. Here is a quick summation of the day's exclamations:

Boston defenseman and captain Zdeno Chara netted an assisted and added a goal as the Bruins edged the host New York Rangers 4-3. Chara snapped a mini-2 game point slide and now has 16 goals and 24 assists for 40 points on 67 games. He has reached the 40+ goal mark for the 5th straight season and is only 1 goal shy of tying his single season high from last year.



Penguins winger Bill Guerin was the 2nd star after scoring a goal and adding 2 assists as Pittsburgh eked out a 4-3 SO win over the hated host Washington Capitals. The goal was Guerin's first with the Pens and he now has 4 points (1 goal, 3 assists) on 2 games with Pittsburgh. On the season he has 17 goals and 23 assists for 40 points on 63 games. For the 10th straight season and 13th time on his career Billy G has reached 40+ points. It is too early to tell but Guerin's presence is seemingly helping to lift the Penguins back into playoff contention. Caps' center Viktor Kozlov was stopped by Pens' goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury on his attempt in the 2nd Round of the SO.

Ryan Smyth had yet another multi-point night scoring an inconsequential goal and adding an assist as the Avalanche thumped the host Chicago Blackhawks 5-1. The Colorado winger has been on a torrid pace as of late and now has points in 4 straight. Over that span he has 6 points on 4 goals and 2 assists. On the season he has 24 goals and 32 assists for 56 points on 66 games. For only the 6th time (and first since the 2005-06 season) Smyth has reached 55+ points on a season.

Montreal d-man Roman Hamrlik had the primary assist on the game winning goal as the Canadiens downed the host Dallas Stars 3-1. Hamr now has 4 goals and 23 assists for 27 points on 65 games. He is second only to offensively potent Andrei Markov for the Habs' point scoring lead among team blueliners.



Check back soon for more updates and news at FIW.

Wednesday March 4

With the trade deadline over at 3 pm Eastern time the NHL had 2 games on schedule that night. The moves that day barely affected the rosters for the night with a couple of minor exceptions. Former Islanders were active in both of those contests. Here is a quick look:

Buffalo winger Tim Connolly, who earlier in the day signed a 2 year, $9 million contract extension, assisted on the opening goal with just over 2 minutes remaining in the 1st Period as the Sabres thumped the visiting Montreal Canadiens 5-1. TimCo snapped a 3 game point-less streak and now has 11 goals and 16 assists for 27 points on 30 games. The powerplay helper was the 10th of the season for Connolly. It was the 5th time Connolly has notched 10 or more assists on a season. Assisting on the lone Montreal goal with only 66 seconds remaining in play was defenseman Roman Hamrlik. He now has 4 goals and 22 assists for 26 points on 63 games equaling his total point output from his 73 games with Montreal last season.

Colorado winger Ryan Smyth assisted on the Avs' too-little-too-late goal with less than 2 minutes remaining in play as the Avalanche were edged by the visiting Detroit Red Wings 3-2. Smyth has either scored or assisted on 4 of the last 5 Colorado goals and he has 4 points (3 goals, 1 assist) in the last 3 games. He now has 23 goals and 31 assists for 54 points on 65 games. Smyth is 2nd on the Avs in goals and leads the team in helpers and points.

Check back soon for more updates at FIW.

Tuesday February 24

There were an impressive 11 games on the NHL schedule on Tuesday night as teams battle for points in the standings. Former Islanders helped out in 5 of those contests. Here is a quick look:

Philadelphia winger Arron Asham scored the insurance goal with 7 and a half remains remaining as the Flyers doubled up on the Washington Capitals for a 4-2 road win. Asham has played well as of late with 3 points (2 goals, 1 assist) over the last 5 games. Asham now has 5 goals and 6 assists for 11 points on 54 games. For the 7th straight season Asham has scored 5 or more goals. His 11 points surpassed his 10 point, 77 game effort from the 2007-08 campaign while still with the New Jersey Devils.

Colorado winger Ryan Smyth assisted on his team's first goal as the Avalanche were edged by the host Atlanta Thrashers 4-3. Smyth now has 20 goals and 30 assists for 50 points on 61 becoming the first FI this season to reach the 50 point mark. For the 7th time on his career Smyth has 30+ helpers and is only 9 assists short of tying his single season high from the 2000-01 while with the Edmonton Oilers.


Recently added FIs Mike Comrie and Chris Campoli helped the Ottawa Senators out as they beat the visiting Carolina Hurricanes 4-2. Center Comrie scored the game winning goal with only 11 seconds remaining in the 1st Period to help lead the Avs to victory. In only his second game since returning to the Sens Comrie has notched his first goal and point. On the season he has 8 goals and 13 assists for 21 points on 43 games. The game winner was the 25th of Comrie's career. Defenseman Chris Campoli had a powerplay assist on the insurance goal. He has 3 assists in first 2 games with Ottawa. Campy now has 6 goals and 14 assists for 20 points on 53 games. This is only the 2nd time Campoli has 20 or more points on a season and the first since his rookie campaign during the 2005-06 season with the Isles.

Vancouver goaltender Roberto Luongo saw his career best 8 game win streak come to a screeching halt as the Canucks were blanked by the host Montreal Canadiens 3-0. Lu stopped 14 of a meager 16 shots faced. With the loss Luongo is now 19-8-5 on the season with a 2.55 goals against average and a .915 save percentage. He also has 5 shutouts on the season but has not posted one since November 8 at the tail end of a string of 3 straight goose eggs. Assisting on the empty net goal was Montreal d-man Roman Hamrlik. He has 4 goals and 21 assists for 25 points on 60 games. Hamr has now has 13 straight seasons notching 25+ points.

Edmonton winger/defenseman/whoseewhatsit Jason Strudwick scored his team's 2nd goal as the Oilers surpassed the visiting Tampa Bay Lightning 5-3. With the goal Strud snapped a 16 goal-less streak and now has 8 points (2 goals, 6 assists) on 50 games. Strudwick has notched 2 points (1 goal, 1 assist) over the last 2 contests marking the first time he has had points in back-to-back games October 24-26, 2002 while still a member of the Chicago Blackhawks. Strud is only 1 goal shy of tying his single season high from the 2005-06 while with the Rangers and with the goal set a new single season high in points.

Check in soon for more updates and highlights here at FIW.

Saturday February 21

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

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


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

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

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


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


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





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

Check in soon for more updates at FIW.

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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