Seven games were battled on Friday night. Fourteen teams were playing for a continued march toward mid-season analyses of who has brought game this year and who continues to lag behind. Former Islanders will be, as always, on both sides of the table. But as long as FIs keep contributing the cream of the FI crop will eventually rise. Let us take a look at their mostly paltry efforts (2 goals, 2 assists, 1 win)from Friday night:
* In one of those rare circumstances, Eric Brewer was able to assist on the game winning empty net goal on Friday night as the St. Louis Blues downed the visiting Columbus Blue Jackets 3-2! The assist came with 55 seconds left in regulation to give the Blues a 3-1 lead but the Blue Jackets responded too late with a goal at the 19:54 mark of regulation. What would have been a game tying tally turned out to be too little too late. Brewer improved to 1 goal and 2 assists for 3 points on 12 games this season.
* The FI involvement in Friday night's 6-2 Vancouver victory over the visiting Minnesota Wild was almost too much to be real. Where to start? Taylor Pyatt opened scoring for the Canucks with his 5th goal of the season. Pyatt now has 8 points (5 goals, 3 assists) on 18 games this year. Notching the primary assist on that goal was FI forward Brad Isbister who now has 4 assists on 14 games. Scoring the fifth Vancouver goal was local hero Trevor Linden who tallied his first of the season completely unassisted. It has been a slow start for Linden who has only 3 points (1 goal, 2 assists) on 13 games this year. And finally, Roberto Luongo stopped 20 of 22 shots to return to .500. He is now 8-8-1 with a .911 save percentage and a 2.50 goals against average. On 17 starts, Luongo has a surprisingly paltry 1 shutout this year.
Check back for more weekend updates here soon at FIW.
Saturday, November 17, 2007
Thursday November 15
The NHL schedule picked up the pace a little bit on Thursday as 9 games were up for grabs. Former Islander help was modest with 2 goals and 4 assists for 6 points. Let us recap the FI efforts:
* Bruins' captain Zdeno Chara added an assist on the insurance goal in Boston's 5-2 win over the visiting Toronto Maple Leafs. Despite minute and bone-crunching, Chara has done little offensively for Boston. He has only 8 points (all assists) on 17 games this year. In fact, Chara has not scored a goal in 23 straight games dating back to March 29 of this year. On the losing side, Toronto defenseman Bryan McCabe earned himself a powerplay assist on the first Maple Leafs' goal of the night. On 14 games this season, McCabe has 7 points on 3 goals and 4 assists.
* It is always fun to bring up the obtuse FIs. On Thursday, Jim Dowd scored his second goal of the year for Philadelphia as the Flyers lost a 4-3 SO effort to the visiting New York Rangers. On 18 games this season, Dowd has only 2 points on 2 goals.
* Panthers' forward Richard Zednik scored the opening goal of the game in a close fought 2-1 Florida win over the visiting Washington Capitals. The goal was Zed's 7th of the year. He now has 9 points (7 goals, 2 assists) on 16 games this season.
* Mark Parrish continued to flash some offensive prowess for Minnesota as he scored a goal and added a powerplay assist in the Wild's 4-2 win over the host Edmonton Oilers. Parrish has picked his played up as of late and now has 10 points (7 goals, 3 assists) on 18 games this year. He has been white hot in his last 4 games scoring 3 goals and 3 assists for 6 points. But he has been almost completely reliant on the man advantage scoring 6 of those 10 points (4 goals, 2 assists) on the powerplay.
Check back here for weekend highlights and Former Islander action here at FIW.
* Bruins' captain Zdeno Chara added an assist on the insurance goal in Boston's 5-2 win over the visiting Toronto Maple Leafs. Despite minute and bone-crunching, Chara has done little offensively for Boston. He has only 8 points (all assists) on 17 games this year. In fact, Chara has not scored a goal in 23 straight games dating back to March 29 of this year. On the losing side, Toronto defenseman Bryan McCabe earned himself a powerplay assist on the first Maple Leafs' goal of the night. On 14 games this season, McCabe has 7 points on 3 goals and 4 assists.
* It is always fun to bring up the obtuse FIs. On Thursday, Jim Dowd scored his second goal of the year for Philadelphia as the Flyers lost a 4-3 SO effort to the visiting New York Rangers. On 18 games this season, Dowd has only 2 points on 2 goals.
* Panthers' forward Richard Zednik scored the opening goal of the game in a close fought 2-1 Florida win over the visiting Washington Capitals. The goal was Zed's 7th of the year. He now has 9 points (7 goals, 2 assists) on 16 games this season.
* Mark Parrish continued to flash some offensive prowess for Minnesota as he scored a goal and added a powerplay assist in the Wild's 4-2 win over the host Edmonton Oilers. Parrish has picked his played up as of late and now has 10 points (7 goals, 3 assists) on 18 games this year. He has been white hot in his last 4 games scoring 3 goals and 3 assists for 6 points. But he has been almost completely reliant on the man advantage scoring 6 of those 10 points (4 goals, 2 assists) on the powerplay.
Check back here for weekend highlights and Former Islander action here at FIW.
Wednesday November 14
Five games were up for contention on Wednesday night as 10 teams worked to seal up points in the early season scramble for standings' dominance. Former Islanders kind of played their parts contributing only 1 powerplay goal and an OT loss in net. Let us take a peek at the efforts:
* Jeff Hamilton scored the lone Hurricanes' goal in their 6-1 collapse to the host Tampa Bay Lightning. The tally, a powerplay effort, was Hamilton's 5th of the season. A pleasant addition to the Carolina offense, on 19 games this year Hamilton has 5 goals and 8 assists for 13 points. The offense has especially been a shining point for Hamilton as he has 9 points (4 goals, 5 assists) on the man advantage alone.
* Roberto Luongo was saddled with an overtime loss as the Vancouver Canucks dropped a1-0 decision in SO to the visiting Edmonton Oilers. Luongo stopped 19 shots between regulation and OT but could only stop 2 of 3 in the shootout. On 16 starts this season, Luongo is still mired under .500 at 7-8-1. Edmonton FI Raffi Torres missed his opportunity in the SO.
Check back soon for more night recaps here at the FIW.
* Jeff Hamilton scored the lone Hurricanes' goal in their 6-1 collapse to the host Tampa Bay Lightning. The tally, a powerplay effort, was Hamilton's 5th of the season. A pleasant addition to the Carolina offense, on 19 games this year Hamilton has 5 goals and 8 assists for 13 points. The offense has especially been a shining point for Hamilton as he has 9 points (4 goals, 5 assists) on the man advantage alone.
* Roberto Luongo was saddled with an overtime loss as the Vancouver Canucks dropped a1-0 decision in SO to the visiting Edmonton Oilers. Luongo stopped 19 shots between regulation and OT but could only stop 2 of 3 in the shootout. On 16 starts this season, Luongo is still mired under .500 at 7-8-1. Edmonton FI Raffi Torres missed his opportunity in the SO.
Check back soon for more night recaps here at the FIW.
Tuesday November 13
Five more games were up for grabs on Tuesday night. As the action intensifies, so does the Former Islander action. FIs had 5 assists and some substitution time in net. Let us take a look at the happenings:
* A game after dropping his first regulation decision in over 10 months, Chris Osgood played a brief backup role for the Red Wings in their 4-3 loss to the host St. Louis Blues. The Detroit goaltender stopped 4 shots in 24 minutes of emergency backup as Dominik Hasek collapsed midway through the second period. Blues' defenseman Eric Brewer notched an assist on the temporary game tying goal. Brewer has had a slow start that was partially hampered by an injury. On 11 games this season, Brewer has 1 goal and 1 assist for 2 points.
* Opposing FIs had powerplay assists on Tuesday night in Montreal's 4-3 OT win over Toronto. Canadiens' center Bryan Smolinski notched his on the first goal of the game. On 17 games this season, Smoke has 2 goals and 5 assists for 7 points. Three of those points have come on the man advantage (1 goal, 2 assists). Maple Leafs' defenseman Bryan McCabe received the secondary assist on the second Toronto goal. On 13 games this year McCabe has 6 points (3 goals, 3 assists). Four of those points have come in powerplay form (2 goals, 2 assists).
* Wild forward Mark Parrish had an assist on the first Minnesota goal in their 3-2 loss to the host Calgary Flames. Parrish assisted for the second straight game. He now has 8 points on 6 goals and 2 assists in 17 games this season. Additionally, he has 4 points (2 goals, 2 assists) in his last 3 games.
* A couple of competing FIs put their 2 cents in as the SoCal rivalry between Anaheim and Los Angeles resulted in a 4-3 Ducks' victory in shootout. Anaheim defenseman Mathieu Schneider continued to provide offense as he was credite with a powerplay assist on the opening goal of the game. Schneids, who was listed as day-to-day with a sore hip following the game, has 8 points (2 goals, 6 assists) on only 6 games this season. Schneider has even been on a role lately notching 1 goal and 4 assists for 5 points in his last 3 games. Kings' center Derek Armstrong had a powerplay assist on the first Los Angeles goal of the night. On 17 games this year, Armstrong has 8 points (all assists). Armstrong has now gone goal-less in 18 straight games dating back to last season and has not tickled the net since April 3.
Check back for more updates and Former Islander action here at FIW.
* A game after dropping his first regulation decision in over 10 months, Chris Osgood played a brief backup role for the Red Wings in their 4-3 loss to the host St. Louis Blues. The Detroit goaltender stopped 4 shots in 24 minutes of emergency backup as Dominik Hasek collapsed midway through the second period. Blues' defenseman Eric Brewer notched an assist on the temporary game tying goal. Brewer has had a slow start that was partially hampered by an injury. On 11 games this season, Brewer has 1 goal and 1 assist for 2 points.
* Opposing FIs had powerplay assists on Tuesday night in Montreal's 4-3 OT win over Toronto. Canadiens' center Bryan Smolinski notched his on the first goal of the game. On 17 games this season, Smoke has 2 goals and 5 assists for 7 points. Three of those points have come on the man advantage (1 goal, 2 assists). Maple Leafs' defenseman Bryan McCabe received the secondary assist on the second Toronto goal. On 13 games this year McCabe has 6 points (3 goals, 3 assists). Four of those points have come in powerplay form (2 goals, 2 assists).
* Wild forward Mark Parrish had an assist on the first Minnesota goal in their 3-2 loss to the host Calgary Flames. Parrish assisted for the second straight game. He now has 8 points on 6 goals and 2 assists in 17 games this season. Additionally, he has 4 points (2 goals, 2 assists) in his last 3 games.
* A couple of competing FIs put their 2 cents in as the SoCal rivalry between Anaheim and Los Angeles resulted in a 4-3 Ducks' victory in shootout. Anaheim defenseman Mathieu Schneider continued to provide offense as he was credite with a powerplay assist on the opening goal of the game. Schneids, who was listed as day-to-day with a sore hip following the game, has 8 points (2 goals, 6 assists) on only 6 games this season. Schneider has even been on a role lately notching 1 goal and 4 assists for 5 points in his last 3 games. Kings' center Derek Armstrong had a powerplay assist on the first Los Angeles goal of the night. On 17 games this year, Armstrong has 8 points (all assists). Armstrong has now gone goal-less in 18 straight games dating back to last season and has not tickled the net since April 3.
Check back for more updates and Former Islander action here at FIW.
Monday November 12
Five games were up for contention on Monday as 10 teams were desperate to grab points in the early season scramble. Former Islanders were there, as normal, adding help as they could. With 1 win and an assist let us take a look at the FI action:
* Kevin Weekes, in a rare start for New Jersey, backstopped the Devils to a 3-2 win over the host Pittsburgh Penguins. Weekes stopped 23 of 25 shots to improve to 2-0-1 on 3 starts this season. He also improved his stats dropping his goals against average to 2.09 and upping his save percentage to .930. Weekes, finally showing signs of full recovery from his hip injury, has been an asset to the Devils in his brief opportunities to shine.
* Olli Jokinen assisted on the opening goal of the game as the Florida Panthers dropped a 4-3 decision to the visiting Carolina Hurricanes. O-Jok notched the 20 point mark only 17 games into the season. He has 9 goals and 11 assists.
Check back soon for all the FI efforts.
* Kevin Weekes, in a rare start for New Jersey, backstopped the Devils to a 3-2 win over the host Pittsburgh Penguins. Weekes stopped 23 of 25 shots to improve to 2-0-1 on 3 starts this season. He also improved his stats dropping his goals against average to 2.09 and upping his save percentage to .930. Weekes, finally showing signs of full recovery from his hip injury, has been an asset to the Devils in his brief opportunities to shine.
* Olli Jokinen assisted on the opening goal of the game as the Florida Panthers dropped a 4-3 decision to the visiting Carolina Hurricanes. O-Jok notched the 20 point mark only 17 games into the season. He has 9 goals and 11 assists.
Check back soon for all the FI efforts.
Sunday November 11
Only 2 games were up for grabs on Sunday night. Former Islanders scored 1 goal, 2 assists and took a loss in goal. Let us look at the tidbits of FI action:
* Chris Osgood suffered his first loss in over 10 months on Sunday night as the Detroit Red Wings dropped a 3-2 decision to the host Chicago Blackhawks. Osgood stopped 24 of 27 shots but his team was 1 goal short in the effort. Ozzie fell to a great 8-1-0 to start the year. He has a .929 save percentage and a goals against average hovering around 2.30. Since January 6, his last regulation loss, Osgood went an unbelievable 15-0-5 in 20 starts! Yet, he never saw a minute of playoff time in the postseason as the Red Wings fell short of their goal again. Coincidence? We at FIW think not. (Sidenote: Per conversation with a Red Wings fan, the thought is that Osgood would make a good starter on just about any team in the league making the regretful part that Dominik Hasek is still given too much playing time in Detroit.)
* Ryan Smyth actually provided some offense on Sunday night as the host Colorado Avalanche downed the visiting Minnesota Wild 4-2. Smyth scored a goal and added a powerplay assist for the multi-point night. On 17 games, Smyth has 13 points on 6 goals and 7 assists. Minnesota FI Mark Parrish added a powerplay assist. The assist was Parrish' first in 16 games this year. He now has 6 goals and 1 assist for 7 points.
Check back soon for more FIW updates.
* Chris Osgood suffered his first loss in over 10 months on Sunday night as the Detroit Red Wings dropped a 3-2 decision to the host Chicago Blackhawks. Osgood stopped 24 of 27 shots but his team was 1 goal short in the effort. Ozzie fell to a great 8-1-0 to start the year. He has a .929 save percentage and a goals against average hovering around 2.30. Since January 6, his last regulation loss, Osgood went an unbelievable 15-0-5 in 20 starts! Yet, he never saw a minute of playoff time in the postseason as the Red Wings fell short of their goal again. Coincidence? We at FIW think not. (Sidenote: Per conversation with a Red Wings fan, the thought is that Osgood would make a good starter on just about any team in the league making the regretful part that Dominik Hasek is still given too much playing time in Detroit.)
* Ryan Smyth actually provided some offense on Sunday night as the host Colorado Avalanche downed the visiting Minnesota Wild 4-2. Smyth scored a goal and added a powerplay assist for the multi-point night. On 17 games, Smyth has 13 points on 6 goals and 7 assists. Minnesota FI Mark Parrish added a powerplay assist. The assist was Parrish' first in 16 games this year. He now has 6 goals and 1 assist for 7 points.
Check back soon for more FIW updates.
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
Saturday November 10
Not as busy as one would hope, there were only 11 games at stake on Saturday night. Former Islanders had their hands full in some of them. FIs contributed 1 goal, 9 assists and a win netside. Let us look at their contributions:
* Stephen Valiquette, yes!, Valiquette recorded a win for the New York Rangers on Saturday as they downed the host Toronto Maple Leafs 3-2 in the shootout. Valiquette stopped 32 of 34 shots and was perfect against 2 in SO to notch his first win of the season. With the win, Valiquette notched his first since March 3, 2006 in the only starting appearance he with the Blueshirts in 3 games played. He improved his career record to 5-3-0.
* There was a flurry of FI action as the Tampa Bay Lightning downed the host Washington Capitals 5-2. Tom Poti, recently returned from injury, provided 2 assists to improve to 4 points (all assists) on 11 games this season. The assists ended a 5 game pointless streak. Viktor Kozlov was also credited with an assist on the second Caps goal. Kozzer has 12 points (3 goals, 9 assists) on 17 games this season and is in the midst of a 3 game point streak in which he has scored 1 goal and 4 assists for 5 points. As well, FI defenseman Brad Lukowich received the secondary assist on the game winning goal. Luko has 3 points on 1 goal and 2 assists on 17 games.
* Zdeno Chara has been wobbly offensively as of late. He finally cracked some of that shell with an assist on the game winner in Boston's 2-1 win over the visiting Buffalo Sabres. Bruins' captain Chara upped his numbers to 7 points (all assists) on the season. Chara has not scored a goal for 22 straight games dating back to last year.
* Teammate FIs Robert Nilsson and Dick Tarnstrom helped power a 4-2 Edmonton win over the host Calgary Flames. Oilers' forward Nilsson scored his first of the year, a powerplay goal, and added an assist for his first multi-point night since April 8, 2006. Nilsson now has 4 points (1 goal, 3 assists) on 9 games this season. Defenseman Tarnstrom was credited with 2 assists including 1 on the man advantage for his first multi-point night since March 3, 2006. In 14 games, Tarnstrom has 1 goal and 4 assists for 5 points.
* The Los Angeles Kings survived a last minute comeback by the Dallas Stars on Saturday to pull out a 6-5 OT win at home. FI Derek Armstrong assisted on the third of 5 straight Kings' goals. Armstrong has yet to hit his stride or hit the net in 16 games this year scoring only 7 assists despite taking 24 shots on goal. Armstrong is an enigma for a Kings team that pinpointed him as an offensive necessity in the postseason.
Check back soon for all the nightly recaps here at FIW.
* Stephen Valiquette, yes!, Valiquette recorded a win for the New York Rangers on Saturday as they downed the host Toronto Maple Leafs 3-2 in the shootout. Valiquette stopped 32 of 34 shots and was perfect against 2 in SO to notch his first win of the season. With the win, Valiquette notched his first since March 3, 2006 in the only starting appearance he with the Blueshirts in 3 games played. He improved his career record to 5-3-0.
* There was a flurry of FI action as the Tampa Bay Lightning downed the host Washington Capitals 5-2. Tom Poti, recently returned from injury, provided 2 assists to improve to 4 points (all assists) on 11 games this season. The assists ended a 5 game pointless streak. Viktor Kozlov was also credited with an assist on the second Caps goal. Kozzer has 12 points (3 goals, 9 assists) on 17 games this season and is in the midst of a 3 game point streak in which he has scored 1 goal and 4 assists for 5 points. As well, FI defenseman Brad Lukowich received the secondary assist on the game winning goal. Luko has 3 points on 1 goal and 2 assists on 17 games.
* Zdeno Chara has been wobbly offensively as of late. He finally cracked some of that shell with an assist on the game winner in Boston's 2-1 win over the visiting Buffalo Sabres. Bruins' captain Chara upped his numbers to 7 points (all assists) on the season. Chara has not scored a goal for 22 straight games dating back to last year.
* Teammate FIs Robert Nilsson and Dick Tarnstrom helped power a 4-2 Edmonton win over the host Calgary Flames. Oilers' forward Nilsson scored his first of the year, a powerplay goal, and added an assist for his first multi-point night since April 8, 2006. Nilsson now has 4 points (1 goal, 3 assists) on 9 games this season. Defenseman Tarnstrom was credited with 2 assists including 1 on the man advantage for his first multi-point night since March 3, 2006. In 14 games, Tarnstrom has 1 goal and 4 assists for 5 points.
* The Los Angeles Kings survived a last minute comeback by the Dallas Stars on Saturday to pull out a 6-5 OT win at home. FI Derek Armstrong assisted on the third of 5 straight Kings' goals. Armstrong has yet to hit his stride or hit the net in 16 games this year scoring only 7 assists despite taking 24 shots on goal. Armstrong is an enigma for a Kings team that pinpointed him as an offensive necessity in the postseason.
Check back soon for all the nightly recaps here at FIW.
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