Former Islander UFAs and Signings

With the free agency market having opened on July 1 things have been busy for Former Islanders. Here is a look at the action to date:

Edmonton signed defenseman/winger Jason Strudwick to a 1 year deal worth $700K after the 12 year veteran put up a career best 9 points (2 goals, 7 assists) on 71 games last season. A fusion player who can play the blueline or a 4th line winger role has played in 559 games for the Isles, Canucks, Blackhawks, Rangers and Oilers. Over that span Strud has posted 13 goals and 34 assists for 47 points. Strudwick was original taken in the 3rd Round, 63rd overall in the 1994 NHL Entry Draft by the Islanders.

Veteran defenseman Adrian Aucoin bailed on Calgary and is heading to the Phoenix Coyotes on a 1 year, $2.25 million deal. Aucoin had spent the last 2 seasons with the Flames after suffering back injuries as captain in Chicago. Aucoin has revived his career and last season posted a respectable 34 points (10 goals, 24 assists) on 81 games. Originally taken in the 5th Round, 117th overall in the 1992 NHL Entry Draft by the Canucks, Aucoin has played for the 'Nucks, Lightning and Isles as well as the Blackhawks and Flames. Aucoin has played in 851 games scoring 108 goals and adding 228 assists for 336 points. He has posted back-to-back 10 goal seasons for only the second time in his career.

Winger Ruslan Fedotenko opted to take a pay cut if that meant staying with the championship Pittsburgh Penguins as the forward signed off on a 1 year deal worth $1.8 million, a nearly half a million dollar cut from last year's contract. Fedo played well in his first season in Pitt notching 39 points (16 goals, 23 assists) on 65 injury-shortened games. He also notched 14 points (7 goals, 7 assists) in the team's 24 game playoff run. A 597 game veteran, Fedo has 139 goals and 139 assists for 278 points and can now boast of his 2 Stanley Cup rings. Fedotenko has played for the Flyers, Lightning, Isles and Pens.

The Colorado Avalanche have offloaded "Captain Canada" Ryan Smyth and his hearty $6.5 million dollars due next year and the $10 million due for the next 2 years after that in exchange for Los Angeles defensemen Tom Preissing, Kyle Quincey and a 5th Round pick in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft. Smyth played well this past year leading the team with 59 points (26 goals, 33 assists) on 77 games but never really met up to the Avs' expectations as the team has failed to make the playoffs for 2 straight years. On the flipside the woeful and youthful Kings have been trying to bolster their team with a veteran presence. A 920 game veteran Smyth has 310 goals and 350 assists for 660 points on his career. Originally selected in the 1st Round, 6th overall in the 1994 NHL Entry Draft, Smyth played his first 12 seasons in the league with the Edmontion Oilers before going to the Isles late in the 2006-07 season. Smyth bailed on the Isles lures to keep him and opted for a 5 year deal with Avalanche and now finds himself in exile from the Mile High City after a failed experiment. Smyth was one of the major catalysts as the Oil made it to Game 7 of the 2006 Stanley Cup Final - the closest taste of success for the vaunted winger.

A pair of notable FIs have decided to take their chances at arbitration. Young d-man Denis Grebeshkov has spurned Edmonton's lowball offers and has decided to leave the decision up to the league about how much he deserves. Greb is coming off a breakout year in which he compiled 39 points (7 goals, 32 assists) on 72 games. He now has 176 games under his belt with 10 goals and 53 assists for 63 points. A former 1st Round pick, Grebeshkov was taken 18th in the 2002 NHL Entry Draft by the Los Angeles Kings. Greb has played with the Kings, Isles and Oil. Slightly more seasoned is Chicago d-man Aaron Johnson who is looking for a pay raise. Johnson had a hot start last season with the Blackhawks before tailing off midway through and then being demoted. He notched 3 goals and added 5 assists for 8 points on 38 games. Johnson has played in 184 games scoring 10 goals and adding 26 assists for 36 points. Johnson was originally taken in the 3rd Round, 85th overall by the Columbus Blue Jackets in the 2001 NHL Entry Draft. He has suited up for the BJs, Isles and 'Hawks.

Check back soon as the players continue to fall into place for the 2009-2010 season.

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.

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.

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.

Monday January 5

There were only 2 games on tap Monday night and both of those tilts involved the lower New York teams. However there was only one Former Islander happening of note and it came against the Blue and Orange. Here is a look:

You have to hate it when the Isles give up the first goal of the season to a player midway through the year. You can hate it even more when that player is an FI. Who's-he-what's-he (defenseman/forward?) Jason Strudwick netted his first of the year to knot the score at 2 as the Oilers overcame an early 2-0 lead by the Isles to win 3-2 in Edmonton. The goal was heavily reviewed and appeared that it might have been kicked in but in the end the tally stood. Strud has 1 goal and 4 assists for 5 points on 33 games this season as he has oscillated from a 4th line forward position to the blueline. The goal snapped a 5 game point-less run and a 72 game (2 playoff) goal-less stretch dating back to November 17, 2007 while still a member of the Rangers. Since the lockout Strudwick has played in 14 games against the Islanders and has recorded 1 goal and 1 assist for 2 points.

Check back soon for more updates and recaps at FIW.

Monday December 22

As you we rapidly approach the NHL's Christmas break there are still games aplenty to talk about. Monday night featured 4 tilts with Former Islanders making contributions in each of those outings. Here is a look at the FI workload:

The noteworthy FI duo in Pittsburgh, Miroslav Satan and Ruslan Fedotenko, are chipping in consistently for the Penguins. It was no different as the Pens took down the host Buffalo Sabres 4-3 in OT. Satan recorded the primary assist on the Pens' 1st goal. Satan now has 12 goals and 13 assists for 25 points on 33 games. He has 6 points (2 goals, 4 assists) over the last 5 contests. For the 13th time in his 13 season career Satan has reached the 25+ point mark. Fedotenko contributed a secondary helper on the 2nd Pittsburgh tally. Fedo has 8 goals and 9 assists for 17 points on 31 games. He has averaged a point-per-game over the last 9 outings with 4 goals and 5 assists notching nearly half his season's points in less than 1/3rd the time.

Toronto winger Jason Blake has kept up his recent spat of good play. Blake assisted on the 2nd Toronto goal as the Maple Leafs tore the host Atlanta Thrashers apart 6-2. Blake has 3 points (1 goal, 2 assists) over the last 3 games and 9 points (3 goals, 6 assists) over the last 8. He now has 6 goals and 13 assists for 19 points on 29 games. After a slow start in which he managed on 10 points in the first 21 contests Blake has turned it on as of late seemingly in response to two healthy scratches he received from Toronto coach Ron Wilson. As well, Toronto has found its offense recently with 31 goals over those last 8 competitions.

It was a rare contribution as Edmonton defenseman Jason Strudwick received the assist on the Oilers' first goal as they beat the visiting Phoenix Coyotes 4-2. Strudwick has 4 assists on 27 games and snapped a 10 game point-less streak with the helper. Thanks to a fight with the 'Yotes' Daniel Carcillo, Strudwick also reached a milestone passing the 700 penalty mark in his 515th career game. Phoenix center Olli Jokinen snapped a 4 game point-less streak with a powerplay helper on the Coyotes' 2nd goal. O-Jok has 10 goals and 12 assists for 22 points on 28 games. It has be a surprisingly inconsistent season for Jokinen who was saddled with a shoulder injury and has yet to really find a consistent run. His season high points streak is 4 games which is surprising since he managed a run of that much or larger 5 times last season with the Panthers, a team that was considerably poorer offense than this incarnation of the Coyotes.

It was another rare defensive offensive contribution as Vancouver's Rob Davison notched a primary assist on the Canucks' 3rd goal as they downed the visiting Anaheim Ducks 4-3. The assist was Davison's 1st of the season on 11 games. With the helper Davison snapped an 18 game point-less run dating back to March 18 while he was still with the Isles. That game was of course Davison's infamous 200 foot knuckleball against Toronto goaltender Vesa Toskala - one of the sloppiest goals in the history of hockey. For Davison's last helper you would have to go back to February 28 or another 9 games prior to his March 18 goal.

Check back soon for more updates and recaps at FIW.

Tuesday November 18

It was a busier than to be expected Tuesday night as 12 teams faced off in 6 contests around the NHL. Former Islanders are not disappointing and were factors in 4 of those tilts. Here is a recap of the FI events:

Edmonton defenseman Jason Strudwick tacked an assist on to the Oilers' 5th goal as they thumped the host Columbus Blue Jackets 7-2. Strud snapped a 7 game point-less run and now has 3 assists on 16 games this season.





Florida d-man Bryan McCabe netted 2 of his team's 3 regulation scores as the Panthers downed the host Tampa Bay Lightning 4-3 in the SO. McCabe opened the scoring 7:50 in to the 1st period and then put the Panthers up 3-0 on a powerplay goal at the 7:48 mark of the middle frame. McCabe now has 6 points (3 goals, 3 assists) on 7 games. On his current 4 game point scoring streak McCabe has 5 points on 3 goals and 2 assists. The last time McCabe had a 2 goal night was on November 11, 2006 while with the Toronto Maple Leafs, a span of 79 games without a multi-goal effort. Assisting on the other Florida goal, a powerplay netter, was winger Richard Zednik. Zed has 3 goals and 5 assists for 8 points on 17 games. Over the last 2 games Zednik has 3 points on a goal and 2 assists.

The first star of the game for the Calgary Flames in their 4-1 home victory over the Colorado Avalanche was d-man Adrian Aucoin. Aucoin rifled home the unassisted game winner at the 12:28 mark of the 3rd period and then addded an empty assist with 28 seconds left to cap a strong effort. Aucoin now has 3 goals and 4 assists for 7 points on 19 games. Over the last 2 starts Aucoin has 3 points (1 goal, 2 assists). The game winner was his first of the season and the 14th of his career.

Phoenix center Olli Jokinen tacked on a helper on the game tying powerplay goal 5:57 in to the 3rd period but all was for nought as the Coyotes fell to the visiting Chicago Blackhawks 3-2 in the SO. Jokinen snapped a rather uncharacteristic 3 game point-less stretch and is now back to a point-per-game pace with 7 goals and 10 assists for 17 points on 17 games. O-Jok still leads the 'Yotes in assists but has fallen a point behind winger Shane Doan for the team lead.

Check back here soon for more updates and recaps at FIW.

Sunday November 2

The Halloween Weekend wrapped up with 6 Sunday games. Former Islanders made offensive strides in 4 of those games. Here is a quick peek at those efforts:

Edmonton defenseman Jason Strudwick assisted on the opening goal of the game as the Oilers eked by the Flyers for a 5-4 win in Philadelphia. Strud snapped a 4 game point-less stretch and now has 2 assists on 8 games this season. The assist was the 40th point of Strudwick's 496 game career. Strudwick is rapidly approaching career game number 500 - a career that has seen him play for the Isles, Canucks, Blackhawks, Rangers and Oilers.

Calgary winger Todd Bertuzzi and d-man Adrian Aucoin were at it again on Sunday but this time the Flames were on the opposite end of a 3-2 decision as the Anaheim Ducks dropped the visitors 3-2. Bertuzzi netted his team-leading 7th goal, a powerplay tally, in what turned out to be the too-little-too-late goal. Bert snapped a 3 game goal-less run and now has 7 goals and 2 assists for 9 points on 12 games. Aucoin was credited with the primary assist on Calgary's first goal. Aucoin has 4 points (2 goals, 2 assists) on 12 games this year and has 3 game point streak in which he has netted 1 goal and added 2 assists.

San Jose d-man Brad Lukowich recorded his first point as a Shark recording the secondary assist on the opening goal as they downed the host Colorado Avalanche 5-3. Luko now has 1 assist on 11 games this season and he snapped an 18 game point-less run dating back to February 2 while he was still with the Tampa Bay Lightning. Aside from the little offensive upswing he has provided Lukowich has been solid for the Sharks posting a +4 rating and managing a super-gentlemanly 0 penalty minutes.

Round 2 of the Battle of the Top FI Goaltenders resulted in a win for Detroit backstopper Chris Osgood. Vancouver Roberto Luongo won Round 1 on October 16. Ozzie stopped 25 of 27 shots faced sa the Red Wings edged the host Canucks 3-2. Osgood improved to 5-1-2 on the season with an .884 save percentage and a 3.21 goals against average. Despite the bloated numbers, Ozzie is unbeaten in regulation in his last 7 starts going 5-0-2 over that stretch. Luongo stopped 20 of 23 shots but could not be backed up by his team's offense which had managed 6 goals in their last start (a wild 7-6 SO victory over the Anaheim Ducks). Luongo fell to 6-5-0 on the season with the loss. He possesses an .899 save percentage and a 2.99 goals against average with 2 shutouts. The loss snapped a 2 game mini-win streak.

Check here soon for more updates at FIW!

Friday October 17

There were 7 games up for grabs on Friday night around the NHL. Former Islanders are making major contributions early in this season. FIs were involved in 3 games including a wild one in Calgary where 5 (!) FIs made the scoresheet. Let us look at their accomplishments:

New York Rangers' backup goaltender Stephen Valiquette stopped alll 21 shots he faced and an additional 2 out of 3 in SO as the Blueshirts edged the visiting Toronto Maple Leafs 1-0. It was the 2nd start of the season for Vali who is now 2-0-0. The shutout was the 3rd of his career and Valiquette has started this year off in spectacular fashion with a 1.44 goals against average and a .939 save percentage. Toronto winger Jason Blake was stopped in his attempt in the 3rd frame of the SO. If he had made the shot it would have extended the frame but alas the stars were not aligned for Blakey.

Phoenix center Olli Jokinen kept his point and assist streaking going even as his Coyotes dropped a 6-3 decision to the host Ottawa Senators. Jokinen is on fire to start the season with 1 goal and 5 assists for 6 points on only 4 games. For the first time this season, however, the 2 assists O-Jok recorded did not come on the powerplay. Jokinen also has an assist streak running with 5 helpers in the first 4 games. He has not found the net, though, since the opening game despite putting up 5 shots over the last 3 tilts.

It was an FI battle royale in Calgary as 5 separate FIs found their way on to the boxscore. The hero of the game was Edmonton center Robert Nilsson who scored the powerplay game winner to seal the 4-3 Oilers win over the Flames. The goal was Nilsson's first of the season and was his 2nd point in as many games. Nilsson now has 2 points (1 goal, 1 assist) on 3 competitions. The game winner, only the 2nd of his career, was Nilsson's first since March 21, 2006 while still with the Isles, a span of 91 games without a winning tally. Receiving the primary assist on the goal was d-man Denis Grebeshkov. Greb is off to a hot start with 4 assists on the first 3 games. He is riding a 3 game point streak in which 2 of his 4 helpers have come on the powerplay. The last time Grebeshkov had a 3 game point/assist streak was November 24-28, 2007 while in his first season with the Oil. Also contributing for the Oilers was blueliner Jason Strudwick. He assisted on Edmonton's first goal with only 2:25 remaining in the first period. The helper was Strudwick's first point of the season on 3 games and snapped a 38 point-less streak (including 2 playoff games) dating back to November 21, 2007 while he was still suiting up with the Rangers. Calgary also had a couple of FIs making contributions. D-man Adrian Aucoin kicked the game off with his 1st goal of the season only 6:53 in to play. The goal was also his first point of the season on 4 games. Tearing it up goals-wise for the Flames is Todd Bertuzzi who netted the too-little-too-late powerplay goal 7:23 in to the 3rd period. Bertuzzi has 4 goals on 4 games and is a riding a 3 game goal-scoring streak. For all the questions about Bert's abilities, he is looking real good compared to Calgary captain Jarome Iginla who has managed a meager goal in the team's first 4 competitions.

Check back soon for more highlights and recaps at FIW.

Preseason Sunday October 5

The second to last day of preseason NHL was a busy one for Former Islanders. FIs made strides in 6 of those games. With so much to report let us take a look:

Defenseman and Boston captain Zdeno Chara continued to show off some offensive prowess on Sunday assisting on the Bruins' 2nd goal as they skipped by the host Washington Capitals 5-4 in SO. Chara has 2 points in as many games after scoring the lone goal in Boston's prior game, a loss to the Isles.



Winger Jason Blake would like to return to form and be a shining example for a Toronto team doomed by low expectations. Blake continued to show off his offensive skills as he received a powerplay helper on the Maple Leafs' 1st goal as Toronto lost a close one, 5-4 in SO, to the visiting Columbus Blue Jackets.



We know the season has not even started yet but, Captain Canada is back! Colorado winger Ryan Smyth continues to dazzle in the preseason with his grinder work ethic and superior positioning. Few players have had quite the preseason that Smyth has had and it showed again on Sunday as he recorded an assisted and then buried the game winner, a powerplay goal with only 1:53 remaining in the OT frame. The Avalanche eked by the host Chicago Blackhawks 4-3. If his play continues to be this, Smyth will quash questions about Colorado's ability to stay competitive this season.

Defenseman Jason Strudwick sailed a shot from the blueline to score the game winning goal for the Edmonton Oilers as they edged the host Dallas Stars 3-2. Strudwick's game winner came only 5:47 in to the 3rd period at even strength. Also getting involved was teammate and FI Robert Nilsson who assisted on the opening goal of the game only 1:11 in to regulation. Nilsson, Andrew Cogliano and Sam Gagner are drumming up lots of excitement as Edmonton's "Kid Line".

Goaltender Roberto Luongo's biggest victory of the preseason was being anointed captain of the Vancouver Canucks. Everything after that point is moot. But sporting the "C" on the chin of his helmet for the first time, Luongo suffered an OT loss as the visiting Anaheim Ducks beat the Canucks 4-3. Luongo stopped 24 of 28 shots but could not cease the lone shot of the OT frame to keep his squad in it.

Defenseman Brad Lukowich, dealt as part of the deal that sent d-man Dan Boyle from Tampa Bay to San Jose, netted the game winner as the San Jose Sharks captured a 3-1 win over the "host" Los Angeles Kings in a game hosted in the former Olympic town of West Valley City, Utah. Luko's goal came with only 2:57 remaining in the middle frame. He is looking to show that he has fully recovered from an injury that shortened his 2007-08 campaign.

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