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.

Trade Deadline Recap

Well Former Islanders, as usually, were centerpieces during the silly day known as the Trade Deadline. Four FIs moved places in a day that featured 22 trades and 46 players changing addresses. In other news a notable FI signed an extension after rumors swirled that he was trade bait. Let us take a look at the FI deadline day:

TRADES

Of course the talk of the day was the trade that sent Phoenix Coyotes' center Olli Jokinen to the Calgary Flames in exchange for center Matthew Lombardi, winger Brandon Prust and a 1st Round Pick. Jokinen, who had struggled with the 'Yotes, bears the unenviable distinction of being the active player with the most regular season games yet no playoff appearance with 780 games under his belt. By joining the Northwest Division-leading Flames O-Jok has all but guaranteed some playoff experience this upcoming spring. On the season Jokinen had 42 points (21 goals, 21 assists) on 57 games. In those 780 games Jokinen has 503 points on 229 goals and 274 assists. The Flames will be Jokinen's fifth team after stints with the Kings, Isles, Panthers and Coyotes.

Next up, in terms of relative importance, was the trade that made winger Bill Guerin the newest FI. The Isles relatively gave Guerin away for a conditional draft pick to the Pittsburgh Penguins who are quickly becoming a haven for FIs (see Satan, Fedotenko, Godard). The pick could be as low as the 5th Round or as high as the 3rd Round depending on the playoff success of the Pens. It became apparent from late last week that Guerin was a goner it was just a matter of finding out who the "mystery team" was a what the return would be. Aside from that trade and the Comrie-Campoli deal the Isles were relative quiet during this trade season. A 1,168 game veteran, Guerin is on the verge of 800 career points with 799 (403 goals, 396 assists) a feat he will accomplish with his 8th team after having played with the Devils, Oilers, Bruins, Stars, Sharks, Blues and Isles.

Currently injured center Petteri Nokelainen was dealt by the Boston Bruins to the Anaheim Ducks in return for defenseman Steve Montador. The gritty Nokelainen could make an impact soon for the Ducks if he can recover from a recent eye injury. On 33 games this season with the Bs Nokey had 3 assists. A 105 game "veteran," Nokelainen has 15 points on 8 goals and 7 assists in stints with the Isles and Bruins.


As part of a package deal d-man Jamie Heward was shipped out of Tampa Bay to the Toronto Maple Leafs. Heward, who is out with a concussion, will probably not suit up for the Leafs anytime soon. The Lightning balled up goaltender Olaf Kolzig, d-man Andy Rogers, Heward and a 4th Round Pick in exchange for prospect d-man Richard Petiot. One would hope for the Lightning that Petiot lives up to lofty expectations as they gave up a bundle of scraps for this young'en. Heward has only suited up for 13 games this season with Tampa Bay notching 2 assists before succumbing to a concussion brought on by a hit by Washington superstar Alex Ovechkin. A 394 game pro, Heward has 38 goals and 86 assists for 124 points. Toronto was Heward's original team. He has worn the jersey for the Leafs, Isles, Predators, Blue Jackets, Capitals, Kings and Lightning.

SIGNING

The Buffalo Sabres, who were supposedly shopping oft-injured center Tim Connolly, ended up signing the star to a 2 year extension worth $9 million ($4.5 million per season). Connolly, who has only ever known life as an Isle or Sabre, has played well in his limited 30 games with Buffalo this season scoring 11 goals and adding 16 assists for 27 points. A 468 game veteran, TimCo has 81 goals and 187 assists for 268 career points. If he can stay healthy over the next 2 seasons, Connolly's re-signing will be a boon for the Sabres.

Check in soon as we have officially begun the final push for the playoffs here at FIW.

Tuesday March 3

There were a whopping 12 games on tap on the eve of the trade deadline as the NHL primed itself for swapping season. Former Islanders were players in 8 of those 12 contests. Here is a look at their contributions:

Columbus winger Raffi Torres netted a powerplay goal and added an assist sealing up the second star honor as the Blue Jackets edged the host Los Angeles Kings 5-4. With 3 points (2 goals, 1 assist) over the last 3 games Torres now has 5 goals and 6 assists for 11 points on 33 games. For the 5th straight season Torres reached the 5+ goal mark and the 10+ point level. Assisting on the Kings' 2nd goal was center Derek Armstrong. He snapped a 4 game point-less stretch and a 31 game helper-less streak. Army now has 4 goals and 2 assists for 6 points on 39 games.

Florida winger Richard Zednik notched the game winning goal with only 50 seconds remaining in the 2nd Period as the Panthers eked by the host Atlanta Thrashers 4-3. Zed now has 14 goals and 14 assists for 28 points on 53 games. The winner was his 3rd of the season. He is currently only 3 goals short of career #200. Receiving the primary assist on the goal was defenseman Bryan McCabe. Big Mc now has points in 4 consecutive games to the tune of 7 (2 goals, 5 assists). McCabe now has 12 goals and 20 assists for 32 points on 54 games. The helpers was the 450th point of McCabe's career and came in his 971st game. For the 8th time McCabe has recorded 20 or more assists on a season.

Boston d-man and captain Zdeno Chara assisted on his team's first goal as the Bruins were felled by the visiting Philadelphia Flyers 4-2. With 3 points (1 goal, 2 assists) over the last 3 games Chara now has 38 points (15 goals, 23 assists) on 64 games. The assist, which came on the powerplay, is the 14th of the season for Chara with the man advantage.



Calgary d-man Adrian Aucoin assisted on the Flames' first insurance goal as they thumped the host Ottawa Senators 6-3. Aucoin snapped a 4 game point-less streak with the helper and now has 10 goals and 17 assists for 27 points on 63 games. He went a surprisingly shocking 15 straight games without an assist dating back to January 28. Assisting on Ottawa's final goal, a powerplay netter, was center Mike Comrie. In his first 5 games with Ottawa Comrie has 3 points (1 goal, 2 assists). The powerplay helper was the 75th of Comrie's career. He now has 8 goals and 15 assists for 23 points on 46 games between the Isles and Sens. For the 6th time on his career Comrie has 15 or more helpers.

Toronto winger Jason Blake assisted on his team's first goal as the Maple Leafs were downed by the visiting New Jersey Devils 3-2 in OT. Playing in career game #650 Blake extended his consecutive point streak to 3 games. Over than span he has recorded 4 assists. He now has 22 goals and 29 assists for 51 points on 60 games only 1 point shy of his 52 point effort from last season, his first as a Leaf.

Oft-forgotten wingermajig Jason Strudwick assisted on the game tying goal as Edmonton fell to the Nashville Predators 6-5 in OT. The Oilers' every position player, already in the midst of his best offensive season, has had 3 points (1 goal, 2 assists) over the last 5 contests. He now has 2 goals and 7 assists for 9 points on 53 games and is closing in on career point #50.



It only took Detroit goaltender Chris Osgood 32 starts but he finally nailed down his first shutout of the season stopping 22 shots as the Red Wings tore down the host St. Louis Blues 5-0. With the goose egg Ozzie improved to 20-5-7 on the season with an. 883 save percentage and a 3.16 goals against average. The game pushed Osgood over the 40,000 minute mark in terms of career ice time played. For the 2nd straight season and 13th time on his career Ozzie has notched 20 or more victories. The embattled veteran is only 2 appearances away from 700 on his career. The blanking was the 48th of Osgood's career.

Vancouver goalie Roberto Luongo stopped 17 of 19 shots winning for the 11th time in his last 12 starts as the Canucks downed the visiting Minnesota Wild 4-2. Luongo won a career best 8 straight before losing on February 24. Since then Luongo has won his next 3 starts giving up only 4 goals during the current stretch. Lu is now 22-8-5 on the season with a .916 save percentage and an ever shrinking 2.44 goals against average.

Check back soon for more updates at FIW.

Monday March 2

With only 1 game on tap Monday night there was a slim chance of Former Islander happenings. Well one FI lived up to his end of the bargain taking his old team to grindstone. Here is a look:

Colorado winger and one time Islander Ryan Smyth scored 2 goals against his old squad as the Avalanche fell to the host Isles 4-2. Smyth netted a powerplay goal only 33 seconds into the 2nd Period and added a goal only 62 seconds into the 3rd. He has 3 goals over the last 2 games and now has 23 goals and 30 assists for 53 points on 64 games. Nine (9) of his 23 goals have come on the man advantage.


Check in soon for more updates at FIW.

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.

Saturday February 28

With February having officially reached its end and the March playoff push only a day away there was a boatload of NHL games to be decided. Former Islanders lent help in a hearty 8 of 11 tilts. Here is a look:

Washington defenseman Tom Poti had an assist on the Capitals' 3rd goal as they survived a Boston comeback for a 4-3 OT win over the host Bruins. Poti now has 13 points (3 goals, 10 assists) on 38 games. For the 10th consecutive season Poti has recorded 10 or more helpers. Scoring the tying powerplay goal with less than 5 minutes remaining was Boston d-man Zdeno Chara. He has 15 goals and 22 assists for 37 points on 63 games. The goal was a momentous one for Chara since it marked career #100! Half of all his goals (50) have come on the man advantage. It only took the formerly offensively inept blueliner 750 games to accomplish the task.

Florida d-man Bryan McCabe notched his team's 2nd and final goal as the Panthers were thumped by the host New Jersey Devils and recently returned goaltender Martin Brodeur. McCabe now has 11 goals and 16 assists for 27 points on 52 games. The netter snapped an 11 game goal-less stretch dating back to February 3.



Toronto winger Jason Blake assisted on rookie Tim Stapleton's first career goal as the Maple Leafs edged the host Ottawa Senators 4-3 in OT. Blakey has 3 assists over the last 2 games and now has 22 goals and 28 assists for 50 points on 59 games. For the 45th straight season and 5th time on his career Blake has reached the 50+ point mark. Assisting on Ottawa's 2nd goal was recently reacquired center Mike Comrie. He has 2 points (1 goal, 1 assist) on 4 games since coming to Ottawa in a trade. On the season he has 8 goals and 14 assists for 22 points on 45 games.

Colorado winger Ryan Smyth scored his team's lone goal as the Avalanche were trounced by the host New York Rangers 6-1. Smyth now has 21 goals and 30 assists for 51 points on 63 games. He is 2nd on the Avalanche in goals, first in assists and first in points leading the Western Conference worst Colorado in almost every major category.



Unbelievably active Montreal d-man Mathieu Schneider kept up his great play since re-joining the Canadiens notching a powerplay assist on the opening goal as the Habs downed the visiting San Jose Sharks 3-2. In 6 games with the Canadiens Schneids has 3 goals and 3 assists for 6 points. All 6 of his points have come with the man advantage. On 50 games this season between the Atlanta Thrashers and Montreal Schneider has 7 goals and 14 assists for 21 points.

Detroit goalie Chris Osgood came in for a little backup support stopping on 10 of 14 shots in 50 minutes of ice time as the Red Wings were crushed by the host Nashville Predators 8-0. Ozzie had no decision so his record remained static at 19-5-7. His save percentage dropped to .880 while his goals against average raised slightly to 3.26.



Phoenix center Olli Jokinen scored his team's lone tally as the Coyotes were felled by the visiting St. Louis Blues 3-1. Jokinen has 5 points (4 goals, 1 assists) over the last 4 games and now has 21 goals and 21 assists for 42 points on 57 games. Rumor has it that Jokinen is being held out as trade bait as we approach the deadline on Wednesday. The goal was the 75th powerplay tally of O-Jok's career.


Fresh off a 2 and a half week stay on the Injured Reserve list and Edmonton d-man Denis Grebeshkov is already back in the offensive swing of things. Greb assisted on the game winning goal as the Oilers edged the visiting Minnesota Wild 2-1. Greb has 3 assists over his last 4 games and now has 4 goals and 22 assists for 26 points on 52 games. The helper was a big one as it was career point #50 for Grebeshkov coming in the young blueliner's 156th game.

Check in 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.