Friday June 12: Game 7, Stanley Cup Final

With all the cards on the table, the most beautiful trophy in all of sports out of the case and the title of Champion up for grabs the Pittsburgh Penguins tangled with the host Detroit Red Wings in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final on Friday night. The game was amazing, the outcome somewhat surprising as a hobbled Sidney Crosby and the Pens pulled off a 2-1 victory of the Wings to pull a complete 180 defeating the team that had downed them just a year prior in the Final. Let us put it simply: the Pittsburgh Penguins are the 2009 Stanley Cup Champions! Only one Former Islander played a major role in the game. Here is a look:

Detroit goaltender Chris Osgood gave a valiant effort stopping 16 of 18 shots but it was 2 of 3 shots off the stick of Pitt forward Max Talbot that stumped him as his team's offense failed to pull him even in the closing minutes of regulation. Ozzie played well throughout the 2009 playoffs sporting an impressive 15-8 record with a 2.00 goals against average and a save percentage right around .925 with 2 shutouts. However Ozzie lost 4 of his last 5 starts as the Pens overcame 2-0 and 3-2 series deficits. Our kudos go to Chris for playing with talent and overcoming a terrible regular season to become the most commanding backstopper of the playoffs.

Congratulations must really go, however, to the 4 FIs who will now sport Stanley Cup rings as members of the Penguins. First up is aging winger Bill Guerin who was traded right before the deadline by the Isles for a draft pick. Guerin wins his 2nd ring after being a member of the triumphant 1995 New Jersey Devils. Guerin had 15 points (7 goals, 8 assists) on 24 games but was scoreless in his last 5. Alas, way to go Billy G! Also sealing up his second Stanley Cup victory is winger Ruslan Fedotenko who played for the Tampa Bay Lightning when they won in 2004. Fedo had 14 points (7 goals, 7 assists) on 24 games including 3 points (1 goal, 2 assists) against Detroit. Congrats Ruslan! Despite going point-less in his last 6 games, winger Miroslav Satan is now a Stanley Cup winner. Satan has 1 goal and 5 assists for 6 points on 17 games. Way to earn it Miro! Finally, though he did not play in a single playoff game winger Eric Godard should receive his name on the Cup after putting in 71 games of service during the regular season. Congratulations Eric.

Well that wraps it up the 2008-09 season here at Former Islander Watch. Check back occasionally during the summer months as we will have some updates especially when we reach the opening of free agency on July 1. Thanks for reading!

Tuesday May 26

The Eastern Conference champion was crowned on Tuesday night as the mighty Pittsburgh Penguins deconstructed the host Carolina Hurricanes 4-1 to sweep their series 4-0. The 'Canes, who made it to the Eastern Conference Final with relative ease, never found their form during the series and were literally made to look silly by the Pens. Three, count em, three Former Islanders helped seal up the victory for the Penguins. Here is a look:

Winger Ruslan Fedotenko kicked off the scoring for the Pens at the 8:21 mark of the 1st Period after the 'Canes had grabbed a 1-0 lead only 96 seconds into play. Fedo has had goals in back-to-back games and now has 6 goals and 5 assists for 11 points on 17 games. Up next was once-exiled winger Miroslav Satan who received the assist on the fluky game-winning goal by Max Talbot at the 18:31 mark of the 1st. With 4 points (1 goal, 3 assists) over the last 5 games Satan now has 6 points (1 goal, 5 assists) on 11 games overall. Last up for the cavalcade of FIs was 1st star Bill Guerin who scored the beautiful insurance goal midway through the 2nd frame. With a 3 game point streak in which he has 5 points (2 goals, 3 assists) Billy G has had a high-flying playoffs with 14 points (7 goals, 7 assists) on 17 games. Of all Pittsburgh FIs Guerin has stood out as the most capable and his veteran experience and hockey sense has earned him a chance to win the Stanley Cup ring for the first time since he was with the New Jersey Devils (1995).

Check back soon for more updates as we continue to follow the Chicago/Detroit series.

Monday May 18

The surprisingly good Carolina Hurricanes marched into Pittsburgh Monday night ready for a fight and a fight they did receive. The Penguins edged the 'Canes 3-2 to grab a 1-0 series lead. One of the numerous Former Islanders on Pitt stood out. Here is a look:

Winger Miroslav Satan scored the opening goal just 9 minutes into regulation, his first playoff goal in over 2 years, to help lead the charge. Struggling to make the roster each playoff game, Satan earned a little more credibility with the score. The last time Satan scored a playoff goal was on April 20, 2007 when the Isles fell in 5 games to the Buffalo Sabres. The netter snapped a 7 game playoff goal-less streak as the Czech national now has 5 points (1 goal, 4 assists) on 8 games.

Check in soon with more updates at FIW.

Wednesday May 13

With the pivotal Game 7 in the Washington Capitals/Pittsburgh Penguins series on tap it was bound to be a hot night for hockey. The Pens jumped to a quick lead and never relinquished crushing the host Caps 6-2 to take the series 4 games to 3. Here is a look at the game:

When 3 FIs step up and make it to the boxscore it was bound to be a good game for the Penguins. Wingers Bill Guerin, Ruslan Fedotenko and Miroslav Satan all got involved. Billy G scored the game winning goal only 28 seconds into the 2nd Period. Guerin has 9 points (5 goals, 4 assists) on 13 games this postseason including 2 game winners. On his playoff career he has exactly a point-per-every-2-games with 59 (33 goals, 26 assists) on 118 games including 4 game winners, half of them in this playoff stretch alone. Second star Fedotenko assisted on the Pens' game changing 2nd goal late in the 1st Period. Fedo has 8 points (4 goals, 4 assists) on 13 playoff games but has been a difference maker as of late with 5 points (3 goals, 2 assists) over the last 5 games. Tank has reached 25 career playoff points on 17 goals and 8 assists in 66 games. Satan kicked in 2 assists on Pitt's 4th and 5th goals for a multi-point night. He has 4 assists over the last 4 games and now has 4 points on 7 postseason tilts. Satan has 42 points (15 goals, 27 assists) on 63 postseason contests. The Pens win advances them to the Eastern Conference Finals for the 2nd straight season.

Check back with FIW soon for more updates and highlights.

Saturday May 9

It was another sweep on Saturday as Former Islanders stepped up in both games. Here is a look at the FI happenings:

There was another trio of FI scoring as the Washington-Pittsburgh series clunks along. Winger Ruslan Fedotenko scored only 51 seconds into the 3rd Period as the Penguins overcame a late Capitals for a 4-3 OT win. With the win the Pens take a strangehold 3-2 series lead. Fedo score for the 3rd straight game for the 3rd time in his playoff career and first since May 18-22, 2004 while with the future Cup-winning Tampa Bay Lightning. Fedo now has 4 goals and 3 assists for 7 points on 11 games. Also aiding the Pens' cause was winger Miroslav Satan who assisted on the opening goal early in the 2nd Period. With 2 assists in the last 2 games Satan now has 2 points on 5 playoff games. Notching a helper on Washington's first goal was defenseman Tom Poti. Snapping a 5 game point-less streak since his big 4 point night against his former New York Rangers in the first round, Poti now has 2 goals and 5 assists for 7 points on 12 games.

Vancouver goaltender Roberto Luongo stopped only 26 of 29 shots as the visiting Chicago Blackhawks doubled up on the Canucks for a 4-2 win and a massive 3-2 series lead. Lu lost for the 3rd time in his last 4 starts and is now 6-3 on the playoffs despite a goals against average a shade above 2.00.



Check back soon with FIW for more recaps.

Thursday May 7 and Friday 8

We continue to try and catch up here at Former Islander Watch and are now setting our sights to Thursday May 7 and Friday May 8. FIs helped out in the 2 Thursday night matchups but only 1 of the 2 Friday night pairings. Here is a brief look:

Thursday

Vancouver goaltender Roberto Luongo played well but the Canucks fell fate to a timely Chicago goal as the host Blackhawks edged the 'Nucks 2-1 in OT. The series is now even at 2 wins apiece. After winning 5 straight to start the postseason Lu has now dropped 2 of his last 3 games for a 6-2 record.




Detroit goaltender Chris Osgood played well stopping 25 of 28 shots as the Red Wings crushed the host Anaheim Ducks to even their series at 2-2. Ozzie is now 6-2 on the postseason snapping a 2 game losing streak that gave the Ducks a short-lived series lead.




Friday

A trio of FIs helped out the Penguins as Pittsburgh got past the visiting Washington Capitals 5-3 to even their series as 2-2. The highlight of the night, however, was the return to the boxscore of winger Miroslav Satan who was playing in only his 4th game this postseason after spending the last 17 games on the NHL regular season in the minors at the Pens' AHL affiliate Wilkes-Barre Penguins. Satan last scored a point on March 1 snapping a 4 game point-less stretch. He also snapped a 3 game playoff point-less streak dating back to April 20, 2007 when the Isles played in the first round against the Buffalo Sabres. Satan received the primary assist on the game winning goal just over 4 minutes into the 3rd Period. Receiving the 2nd assist was fellow Isles teammate Bill Guerin who also added a goal earlier in the contest. Billy G has done well, not great, scoring 3 goals and adding 4 assists for 7 points on 10 games. The final FI in the group was Ruslan Fedotenko who scored a goal and added a helper on the insurance goal. Fedo has 3 points (2 goals, 1 assist) over the last 2 games and now has 3 goals and 3 assists for 6 points on 10 games.

Check in soon for more updates and highlights as the Conference Finals loom just over the hill.

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.

Sunday March 1

There were a half dozen (6) games up for grabs on Sunday as the NHL kicked off March, 2009. Former Islanders were not snoozing and kicked in help in 4 of those contests. Here is a brief recap:

Pittsburgh winger Miroslav Satan scored an insurance goal as the Penguins downed the host Dallas Stars 4-1. With 3 points (2 goals, 1 assist) over the last 2 games Miro now has 17 goals and 19 assists for 36 points on 64 games. Despite his offensive woes Satan is still 4th on the Pens in every major category (goals, assists and points). Receiving the secondary assist on the opening goal only 4 minutes into play was winger Ruslan Fedotenko. He has 13 goals and 15 assists for 28 points on 47 games. For the 5th straight season and 6th time on his career Fedo has reach 15 or more assists.

Florida defenseman Bryan McCabe score a powerplay goal and added 3 assists (2 powerplay) for an impressive 4 point effort as the Panthers thumped the host Washington Capitals 6-2. Surprisingly McCabe received only the 2nd star honor but is riding a 3 game point streak to the tune of 6 points (2 goals, 4 assists). He now has 12 goals and 19 assists for 31 points on 53 games. For the 5th time on his career McCabe has notched 30+ points. Netting Florida's 4th goal was winger Richard Zednik. He snapped a 5 game goal-less streak and now has 13 goals and 14 assists for 27 points on 52 games.

Calgary winger Todd Bertuzzi scored a late powerplay goal as the Flames were felled by the visiting Tampa Bay Lightning in a score-a-thon 8-6. Bert snapped a 3 game point-less streak and a 7 game goal-less stretch with the tally. He now has 15 goals and 28 assists for 43 points on 57 games. The game was career #850 for Bertuzzi who notched 15+ goals for the 8th season and the first time since the 2005-06 campaign while still with the Vancouver Canucks. The powerplay goal was the 6th of the year for Bert and the 98th of his career.

Vancouver goaltender Roberto Luongo stopped 19 of 20 shots as the Canucks downed the visiting Columbus Blue Jackets 3-1. Luongo won for the 10th the in his last 11 starts and improved to 21-8-5 on the season. Vancouver has surrendered only 2 goals over the last 2 games while netting 5.




Check back soon for more updates at FIW.

Friday February 27

As the final weekend before the trade deadline began there were 5 games up for grabs on Friday night. Former Islanders pulled off a clean sweep and contributed in all 5 of those contests. Here is a look at their efforts:

Montreal defenseman Mathieu Schneider scored the game winning powerplay tally in OT and added a powerplay assist earlier in the game as the Canadiens downed the host Philadelphia Flyers 4-3. In 5 games with the Habs Schneider has 5 points on 3 goals and 2 assists. He now has 20 points (7 goals, 13 assists) on 49 games this season making the 20+ point mark for the 11th straight year and 18th time overall. The game winner was the first of the season for Schneids and the 35th of his career. All 5 of his points with Montreal have come on the man advantage compared to only 4 (1 goal, 3 assists) while with the Atlanta Thrashers.

Playing for the first time in nearly 2 weeks Detroit goaltender Chris Osgood looked sharp stopping 30 of 31 shots as the Red Wings edged the visiting Los Angeles Kings 2-1. With the win Ozzie improved to 19-5-7 on the season. He surrendered 1 goal for only the 5th time this season in 32 games. Ozzie was given some rest by the Detroit brass in hopes that a breather would better prepare the goalie for the run up to the playoffs. His record bespeaks a better season than Osgood is really having.

Pittsburgh winger Miroslav Satan notched a goal and added a powerplay assist on the OT winner as the Penguins eked by the host Chicago Blackhawks 5-4. Miro now has 16 goals and 19 assists for 35 points on 63 games. For the 13th consecutive season Satan has 35 or more points. Assisting on Satan's 2nd Period goal was fellow FI Ruslan Fedotenko. He now has 13 goals and 14 assists for 27 points on 46 games.

Minnesota d-man Marc-Andre Bergeron scored the lone Wild goal with less than 4 minutes remaining in regulation as they fell to the host Calgary Flames 4-1. Bergeron snapped a 10 game goal-less streak and now has 8 goals and 16 assists for 24 points on 50 games. MAB is only 4 assists short of 100 on his career.




Vancouver goaltender Roberto Luongo stopped 20 of 21 shots as the Canucks barely got by the Tampa Bay Lightning 2-1. Luongo won for the 9th time in his last 10 starts and improved to 20-8-5 on the season. For the 6th straight season Lu has won 20 or more games. The excellent play has vaulted the Canucks back into playoff contention in the Western Conference.



Check in soon for updates and recaps 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.




Check back soon for more updates at FIW.

Wednesday February 11

There were 9 games up for grabs on Wednesday night with Former Islanders putting up support in 6 of those contests. As the NHL continues to plug along here in the midseason FIs are kicking in their help. Here is a quick recap:

New Jersey backup goaltender Kevin Weekes stopped 23 of 25 shots as he and the Devils downed the Isles 4-2 from Trenton. Weekes has won his last 4 starts surrendering only 5 goals over that span. He is now 6-4-0 on the season with a .920 save percentage and a 2.37 goals against average. After falling to 2-4-0 by mid-December, Weekes has turned it on in January and February with 4 wins, 0 losses, a .952 save percentage and a 1.38 goals against average.

Pittsburgh winger Miroslav Satan had an assist on the lone Penguins' goal of regulation as they eked by the visiting San Jose Sharks for a 2-1 SO win. Satan snapped a 4 game point-less streak and an 8 game assist-less streak with the helper. He now has 14 goals and 18 assists for 32 points on 56 games.




Buffalo center Tim Connolly had a powerplay assist on the team's lone goal as the Sabres were felled by the visiting Ottawa Senators 3-1. Connolly now has points in 4 straight games to the tune of 5 points (2 goals, 3 assists). He has averaged a point per game with 21 (11 goals, 10 assists) on 21 games. For the 2nd straight season and 7th time on his career Connolly now has 10+ assists.


Colorado winger Ryan Smyth scored both of his team's goals as the Avalanche were edged by the host Minnesota Wild 3-2. One of the 2 Smyth tallies came on the man advantage. He received the 2nd star honor for the effort and now has 18 goals and 26 assists for 44 points on 55 games. The scores snapped an 8 game goal-less streak after Smyth had reached career #300 on January 18. Over the last 5 games he has 6 points on 2 goals and 4 assists. He currently leads all Avs in assists and points.

Edmonton winger Robert Nilsson had the primary assist on the opening goal, a powerplay netter. as the Oilers crushed the visiting Montreal Canadiens 7-2. Nilsson has had 1 assist in each of the last 4 games and now has 7 goals and 14 assists for 21 points on 44 games. He has 10 points (4 goals, 6 assists) on the man advantage this season. Recording the primary assist on Edmonton's 5th goal, a shorthanded tally, was winger/defenseman Jason Strudwick. The helper snapped a 10 game point-less streak and Strud now has 1 goal and 5 assists for 6 points on 44 games. The shortie assist was Strudwick's first since the 1998-99 season while with the Vancouver Canucks and was only the 2nd such helper on his career. The assist was the first for Strudwick this year snapping a 16 game drought dating back to December 22.

Calgary winger Todd Bertuzzi opened the scoring only 2:55 in to play as the Flames fell just short of the host Anaheim Ducks 3-2 in OT. With the score Bert now has 36 points from 14 goals and 22 assists on 49 games. The 14 goals equals his output from his 68 game campaign with the Anaheim Ducks last season.



Check back soon for more updates at FIW.

Saturday January 31

The final day of January brought a plethora of games as 24 teams faced off in a dozen NHL games. Former Islanders are lending their support and did not disappoint helping out in 6 of those tilts. Here is a look at the FI workload:

Washington forward Viktor Kozlov notched a goal and assist on the game winner to help lead the charge as the Capitals doubled up on the visiting Detroit Red Wings for a 4-2 win. Koz snapped a 4 game goal-less/point-less streak and now has 11 goals and 19 assists for 30 points on 45 games. For the 3rd consecutive season and 9th time on his career Kozlov has reached the 30+ point mark.


Montreal defenseman Roman Hamrlik assisted on the Habs' first goal as the Canadiens edged the visiting Los Angeles Kings 4-3. Hamrlik snapped an 8 game point-less streak with the helper and now has 2 goals and 14 assists for 16 points on 48 games.




Recently returned FI Wade Dubielewicz saw ice time in his first game since the Columbus Blue Jackets snatched the free agent up out from under the Isles. Dubie played the final 49 minutes after starter Steve Mason surrendered 3 goals in 11 minutes. Dubielewicz faired only slightly better surrendering 4 goals on 23 shots. He took the loss as the visiting Dallas Stars thumped the Jacks 7-3. Dubie is 0-1-0 to start the season with a 4.88 goals against average and an .826 save percentage.

Red hot winger Jason Blake scored the game winning goal and added an assist as the Toronto Maple Leafs edged the visiting Pittsburgh Penguins 5-4. Blake is riding a 4 game goal- and point-scoring streak in which he has racked up 8 points (4 goals, 4 assists). He now has 17 goals and 20 assists for 37 points on 46 games and has recorded 7 goals in the last 7 starts as well as back-to-back game winners. The winning tally was the 21st of Blake's career. The 20th assist makes it 6 straight seasons in which Blakey has reached the 20+ plateau. The last time Blake had goals in 4 straight games was between October 28-November 4, 2006 while still with the Isles. Scoring the 1st goal for the Pens was winger Miroslav Satan. He now has 14 goals and 17 assists for 31 points on 51 games.

Recently recovered center Tim Connolly kept up his good play notching the game winning goal as the Buffalo Sabres blanked the host Phoenix Coyotes 2-0. TimCo has goals in 3 straight games (4) and has 9 goals and 7 assists for 16 points on 16 games. The game winner was Connolly's 1st of the season and the 13th of his career. With only 16 games under his belt Connolly is already 7th on the Sabres in goal scoring.


Minnesota d-man Marc-Andre Bergeron had what was possibly his best game of the season and was hardly recognized for it as the Wild edged the host Vancouver Canucks 4-3 in OT. MAB scored the game winning powerplay goal and added another even strength goal and a powerplay helper for a 3 point night. Bergeron now has 7 goals and 14 assists for 21 points on 39 games and has reached the 20+ point mark for 5th time on his career. The game winner was MAB's 2nd of the season and the 8th of his career. The 3 point night was a first for Bergeron since December 31, 2007 while still with the Isles. Taking the OT loss for the Canucks was recently embattled backstopper Roberto Luongo who stopped 21 of 24 shots in regulation but only 2 of 3 in OT. Luongo is winless in his last 5 full starts compiled an 0-2-3 record which has dropped him to 11-7-5 on the season. His stats have tumbled as well with his save percentage dropping to 9.16 and his goals against average bloating to 2.51.

Check back for more highlights soon at FIW.

Sunday January 18

It was a clean sweep on Sunday as Former Islanders made contributions in all 4 games. Let us take a quick look at the action:

Pittsburgh winger Miroslav Satan notched the primary assist on the first insurance goal as the Penguins blanked the visiting New York Rangers 3-0. Satan has 4 points (1 goal, 3 assists) over the last 4 games and now has 13 goals and 17 assists for 30 points on 47 games. Satan now has 30+ points in each of his 13 seasons.




Colorado winger Ryan Smyth kept up his inspired play netting the game winning shorthanded tally and adding 2 assists (1 powerplay) to receive the first star honor as the Avalanche thumped the visiting Calgary Flames 6-2. The shorthanded goal was a huge one for Smyth as it was career #300 coming in his game #889. Smyth has 16 goals and 20 assists for 36 points on 46 games this season. Over the last 7 games he has racked up an impressive 10 points (4 goals, 6 assists). The shortie was Smyth's first since November 13, 2006 while still with the Edmonton Oilers - a span of 123 games (5 playoff) without such a score. Calgary defenseman Adrian Aucoin assisted on the 2nd Flames' goal. Aucoin has assists in 3 straight games and 5 helpers over the last 5 outings. He has 6 goals and 13 assists for 19 points on 45 games. Aucoin is 1st among Flames' d-men in goals and 2nd in points.

It was a busy night in Vancouver as 4 FIs made it to the boxscore as the Columbus Blue Jackets downed the Canucks 6-5 in the SO. Jackets' winger Raffi Torres netted his team's 5th goal early in the 3rd before the team blew the 5-3 advantage. The goal was his first since November 29, one game before being injured for a month and a half. Torres now has 2 goals and 3 assists for 5 points on 16 games. For the 6th straight season Torres has managed 5+ points. Assisting on Columbus' 3rd goal was center Michael Peca. He has 4 points (1 goal, 3 assists) over the last 4 and 4 goals and 9 assists for 13 points on 40 games. Opening the scoring was Canucks' winger Taylor Pyatt back in only his 3rd game after suffering a foot injury in late December. Pyatt received the 3rd star honor for his effort. He has 5 goals and 6 assists for 11 points on 39 games. T-Py has managed at least 5 goals in each of the last 7 seasons. 'Nucks goaltender Roberto Luongo did not have a good game for the 2nd straight time since returning from a November injury. Luongo stopped only 23 of 28 shots and was bested in both SO attempts in receiving the OT loss. The defeat dropped Luongo to 11-6-3 on the season with a .920 save percentage and a 2.40 goals against average. Luongo has given up 9 goals over the last 2 games.

Phoenix center Olli Jokinen notched the primary assist on his team's 3rd and final goal as they were bounced by the host Edmonton Oilers 6-3. O-Jok is having a surprisingly balanced albeit under-performing year with only 32 points (16 goals, 16 assists) on 41 games. He has been spotty at best with only 5 points (4 goals, 1 assist) over the last 9 games.


Check back soon for more at FIW.

Wednesday January 13

There were 4 games on the very lean Wednesday NHL schedule but that does not mean we were short of Former Islander happenings. FIs chipped in their help in a pair of those games. Let us take a look:

Washington winger Alex Ovechkin schooled Pittsburgh's Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin proving he is (in)disputably the best forward/player in all of hockey. Ovie's 3 points in the 3rd period powered the Capitals to a 6-3 road win over the Penguins. But that is enough soapboxing, on to the FIs. Pittsburgh winger Miroslav Satan had a good night notching a goal and adding a powerplay assist to lead the offensive charge. Satan snapped a 13 game goal-less run and now has 13 goals and 16 assists for 29 points on 45. The tally was a big one as it was career #350 for Satan and came in his 992nd game. Despite recent harsh criticisms Satan is having a markedly improved season over last year's 41 point effort. Helping out the Caps' cause was forward Viktor Kozlov who knotted the score at 1 with his even strength netter at the 1:06 mark of the 2nd period. The goal snapped a 3 game point-less stretch and an 8 game goal-less lapse. Kozzer now has 10 goals and 18 assists for 28 points on 40 games. For the 6th straight season and 11th time on his career Kozlov has reached the 10+ goal mark. He is currently on pace to equal his 16 goal outing from last season.

The Detroit Red Wings scored 2 3rd period goals to pull of the come-from-behind win as they eked past the host Anaheim Ducks with a 4-3 victory. Detroit goaltender Chris Osgood stopped 25 of 28 shots to backstop them the win. Ozzie stopped all 9 shots he faced in the 3rd to hold down the fort and allow for the comeback. With the win Osgood improved to 15-2-5 on the season and has gone undefeated in regulation in his last 4 games compiling a 3-0-1 record during that time. He has a 3.10 goals against average and an .885 save percentage. For the 2nd straight season and 13th time on his career Ozzie has notched 15+ wins.

Check back soon for more recaps and updates at FIW.

Tuesday January 13

There were 11 games on the NHL schedule meaning a busy night was had by all. Former Islanders stepped up big time on Tuesday notching 2 game winning goals and setting up another. Of those 11 matches FIs made differences in 5 of them scoring an impressive 6 goals and 2 assists. Here is a look:

Boston captain and defenseman Zdeno Chara scored 2 powerplay goals 10:01 apart in the 2nd period of the Bruins' 3-1 home win over the Montreal Canadiens. The 2nd of those goals was the game winner as Chara now has 9 goals and 16 assists for 25 points on 43 games. Chara has an impressive 14 points (6 goals, 8 assists) from the powerplay this season. For the 6th straight season Chara has reached the 25+ point plateau. The game winner was the 2nd of the season and the 16th of his career.

Struggling Pittsburgh winger Miroslav Satan snapped a 5 game point-less streak after recently being relegated to 4th line duty. Satan recorded the primary assist on the game winner as the Penguins downed the host Philadelphia Flyers 4-2. He now has 12 goals and 15 assists for 27 points on 44 games. Satan still has the nagging problem of not having scored a goal in his last 13, an especially problematic occurrence considering he led the Pens earlier in the season in goals scored.

Columbus center Michael Peca continued his recent good play scoring the game winning goal with less than 11 minutes remaining in play as the Blue Jackets skipped by the visiting Colorado Avalanche for a 4-3 victory. Peca now has 3 points (1 goal, 2 assists) over the last 2 outings and 5 points (2 goals, 3 assists) over the last 7. He has 4 goals and 8 assists for 12 points on 38 games. The winner was the 2nd of the season for Peca who has 33 career deciding tallies. Scoring the too-little-too-late goal for the Avs was winger Ryan Smyth who has been on fire. Smyth has 3 goals and 3 assists for 6 points over the last 4 games. Despite snapping a 3 game assist-less run Smyth is riding a 3 game goal-scoring streak. Smyth had not scored goals in 3 or more consecutive games since December 31, 2006-January 4, 2007 while still a member of the Edmonton Oilers. He has 15 goals and 17 assists for 32 points on 43 games this season. For the 10th time on his career Smyth has scored 15+ goals in a season and has already surpassed his 14 from last year, his first season with the Avs which had come in 55 injury-shortened games.

Edmonton d-man Denis Grebeshkov notched the primary assist on the opening goal as the Oilers dispensed of the host Washington Capitals 5-2. Grebeshkov now has 3 goals and 15 assists for 18 points on 39 games equaling stat-for-stat his offensive output from 71 games last season. The sky is the limit now as Greb will almost certainly set new single season highs with his next goal, assist and point. Greb is currently 4th in points among Oil d-men, a very talented blueline in terms of offensive abilities.

Minnesota d-man Marc-Andre Bergeron took barely any time to get back on the scoresheet after missing ever game since December 19 with a lower body injury. Bergeron scored the opening goal only 46 seconds in to regulation as the Wild doubled up the visiting Phoenix Coyotes for a 6-3 victory. MAB now has 4 goals and 13 assists for 17 points on 32 games. Despite missing a considerable chunk of games Bergeron is only 3 points behind the Wild's current defensive scoring leader and is still 2nd on the team in assists from defenseman. Trying to provide aide to the Coyotes was center Olli Jokinen who scored the 'Yotes' 2nd goal. O-Jok has 2 goals over the last 3 games and has compiled 15 goals and 15 assists for 30 points on 38 games. For the 6th straight season Jokinen has reached 15+ goals and 30+ points.

Check in soon for more updates, highlights and news at FIW.