Thursday April 23

With 4 games up for grabs on Thursday night, as we continue to plow through the first round of the 2009 NHL playoffs, Former Islanders stepped up in 2 of those outings. Here is a look at the FI happenings:

Tough Philadelphia winger Arron Asham scored the game winning goal only 6:32 into the 2nd Period as the Flyers shutdown for the host Pittsburgh Penguins 3-0 to stay alive in their series. The Pens now hold a 3-2 series lead as the teams head back to Philly for Game 6. The goal was first career winner for Asham in the playoffs and only his 2nd in the postseason. The netter snapped a 13 game playoff goal-less streak dating back to April 12, 2007 while Ash was still a member of the Isles. The score also snapped a 10 game drought dating back to April 1.

Columbus finally cracked Detroit goaltender Chris Osgood. The problem? It was too little, too late. Ozzie surrendered 5 goals on 32 shots but the Red Wings scored with 47 seconds remaining in regulation to pull off a 6-5 win over the host Blue Jackets to seal up the series in only 4 games. The BJs scored 4 goals in the 2nd Period to entered the 3rd Period even at 5 but the Wings found a way to sneak away from Columbus with the sweep, a sad end to the Jacks' first playoff experience. Ozzie is 4-0 on the playoffs with a 1.75 goals against average and a .936 save percentage. Pocketing 2 assists for Columbus was winger Raffi Torres. He had 2 assists in the 4 games and snapped a 3 game playoff point-less drought dating back to June 19, 2006 while still a member of the Edmonton Oilers in Game 7 of the 2006 Stanley Cup Final.

Check in soon for weekend recaps at FIW.

Playoff FIs: Western Conference

Let us take a look at the Former Islanders who should be gracing the NHL squads during the push for Lord Stanley's Cup - the pantheon of sports trophies. The glittering epitome of silver beauty. The greatest guerdon known to living man. Digression. The teams have been arranged by conference and according to rank. Here is the Western Conference:

Western Conference

#1 San Jose: The best team in the league and Stanley Cup favorite, the Sharks feature a lone FI in defenseman Brad Lukowich who wound his way to NorCal during the offseason trade that sent blueliner Dan Boyle packing from Tampa Bay. Luko suffered some major injury time playing in only 58 games this season. In those games he managed only 8 assists. We will have to wait and see if the true impact for Lukowich will be his presence on the blue line.

#2 Detroit: The perennial powerhouse Red Wings feature a lone FI, as well. A large part of the team's Cup-winning success from last postseason, goaltender Chris Osgood is going to try to regain last season's awesome form which may be a daunting task in light of his less than stellar season. Ozzie split time with Ty Conklin managing starts in only 44 games and appearances in 46. Over that span Osgood sported a 26-9-8 record which looks deceivingly good. Beneath the surface Ozzie surrendered an average of 3.09 goals per game while stopping shots at only an .887 clip, the latter of which being the worst of any season for the veteran goalie. He managed only 2 shutouts. Only time will tell if Osgood can find his true self.

#3 Vancouver: On the other side of the coin is stellar goalie Roberto Luongo who came back from injury to dominate the Northwest Division. Luongo went 33-13-7 on the season in 54 starts. At one point Lu had won 12 of 13 games helping the Canucks rise from potentially out of the playoffs to division champs. Lu pulled off a 2.34 goals against average, a .920 save percentage and a single season high 9 shutouts. Questionable to make it back for the playoffs is winger Taylor Pyatt who lost his fiancee to a car accident shortly before the end of the season. T-Py played in 69 games posting 10 goals and 9 assists for 19 points. Also questionable is defenseman Rob Davison who played in only 23 games on the season with the 'Nucks recording 2 assists. Davison has not seen ice time with the team since February 10.

#4 Chicago: The fate of Blawkhawks' d-man Aaron Johnson is currently unknown for the playoffs but we will keep a watch on whether the blueliner makes an appearance. Johnson started the season off hot for the 'Hawks and then rapidly cooled off. With 7 points in the first 17 games of the season Johnson seemed poised for a big year but fell apart soon thereafter managing only 1 point in his next 21 games. Johnson only played in 38 games recording 3 goals and adding 5 assists for 8 points.

#5 Calgary: Calgary made some major moves during the season including the acquisition of center Olli Jokinen which, when you look at the record (8-11), not only caused a late season slump but also lost the Flames the division crown and home advantage in the first round. O-Jok headlines a trio of Flames' FIs which also includes winger Todd Bertuzzi and d-man Adrian Aucoin. Jokinen is making it to the playoffs for the first time in his 799 game NHL career though he backed into it via the trade north from Phoenix. Jokinen finished his weakest season in the last 6 years with 57 points (29 goals, 28 assists) on 76 games. Bertuzzi started the season off hot, a streak tempered by injuries and fatigue. He finished the season respectably with 44 points (15 goals, 29 assists) on 66 games. Bert is looking to regain some form in the playoffs. D-man Aucoin had another 30+ point season managing 10 goals and 24 assists for 34 points on 81 games.

#6 St. Louis: With captain and d-man Eric Brewer out indefinitely following December back surgery the cinderella Blues feature no FIs.







#7 Columbus: Making their first appearance as a franchise in the NHL playoffs the Blue Jackets feature a trio of FIs. First off is winger Raffi Torres who was instrumental late in the season for the BJs. Torres scored 12 goals and 8 assists for 20 points on 51 injury-shortened games but it was his 6 games winners, including 4 in March, that helped vault Columbus into the playoffs. Center Michael Peca played another grinder of a season scoring 4 goals and adding 18 assists for 22 points on 71 games. Of those goals scored by Peca 2 were game winners. Finally, late season pickup goalie Wade Dubielewicz will be warming the bench for rookie sensation Steve Mason. It is unlikely Dubie will see much playing time. During the season he started 2 games and appeared in 3 going 1-2-0 with an obese 3.56 goals against average and a sickly .870 save percentage.

#8 Anaheim: If it were not for a late trade the Ducks would not feature an FI, but alas they received center Petteri Nokelainen from the Bruins before the deadline. Noky played pretty well in his 17 games with the Ducks scoring 4 goals and adding 2 assists for 6 points. On the season the muscular winger had 9 points (4 goals, 5 assists) on 50 games. Look for him to lead the Ducks' 3rd line in the first round of the playoffs.

Check back soon as we will be following all the matchups here at FIW.

Wednesday April 8

There were a pathetically low 2 games on the final Wednesday of the 2008-09 NHL regular season. Former Islanders, however, took part in both of those contests. Here is a quick look at the FI night:

Toronto winger Jason Blake assisted on the opening goal, the lone Maple Leafs' score, as the visiting Buffalo Sabres won 3-1. Blake now has 25 goals and 37 assists for 62 points on 76 games. The helper was a huge one for Blakey who now has 400 points on his career (174 goals, 226 assists) on 666 career games. With 3 assists over the last 3 games Blake is literally having the 2nd best season of his career behind only his final season with the Isles in 2006-07 when he recorded 69 points on 40 goals and 29 assists. The assist was also a big one for Blakey as it equaled his single season high from last season, his first with the Leafs.

Columbus winger Raffi Torres assisted on the Blue Jackets' 1st goal as the Jacks pulled off a come-from-behind 4-3 SO win over the host Chicago Blackhawks to secure their first ever playoff berth. Torres now has 12 goals and 8 assists for 20 points on 49 games. He has 3 points (1 goal, 2 assists) over the last 3 games and has reached the 20 point mark for the 4th time on his career and the first time since 2006-07 while still with the Edmonton Oilers.

Check back soon for more at FIW as we are now down to the last 4 games of the season.

Tuesday March 31

With the month of March officially on its last day and the playoffs only a few weeks off the race for spots has become rather intense with each point in the standings pretty much ensuring a spot in the dance or seasonal demise. Former Islanders were especially active helping out in all 7 contests. Here is a look at the plethora of FI happenings:

Boston captain and defenseman Zdeno Chara had a huge night compiling a "Gordie Howe Hat Trick" (goal, assist and fight) and sealing up the first star honor as the Eastern Conference best Bruins downed the visiting Tampa Bay Lightning 3-1. Chara scored the game winning powerplay goal less than 7 minutes into the 2nd Period and added a powerplay assist minutes later to lead the Bs' offensive charge. In the 1st Period Chara mixed it up with impossible to spell Lightning forward Evgeny Artyukhin. The "Gordie Howe" was the 3rd of Chara's career and ironically came on Gordie's 81st birthday. With 4 points (1 goal, 3 assists) over the last 2 games Chara now has 47 points (17 goals, 30 assists) on 76 games. The netter equals his prior single season high from last year while also snapping an 8 goal-less stretch. The assist makes it 3 straight seasons of 30 or more, a mark he has now reached 4 times. The game winner was the 3rd of the season for Chara and the 17th of his career.

When Columbus winger Raffi Torres has scored recently it has been quality. Torres netted the winning goal just over 4 minutes into the 3rd Period as the Blue Jacket edged the visiting Nashville Predators 2-1 at home. With 6 winning tallies out of 12 goals this season Torres has been an effective game changer. He has 18 points (12 goals, 6 assists) on 46 games. In the last 11 games Torres has knocked home 4 winning goals meaning he has had the deciding tally in all 7 Jackets' wins over that span. Receiving the primary assist on the netter was center Michael Peca. He snapped a 4 game point-less slide and now has 4 goals and 18 assists for 22 points on 67 games.

Florida d-man Bryan McCabe netted the game winning powerplay goal and added an extra man assist as the Panthers thumped the visiting Ottawa Senators 5-2. Big Mc was the 1st star and now has 13 goals and 22 assists for 35 points on 64 games. He snapped a 7 game point-less stretch and a 10 game goal-less streak. For the 5th time McCabe has reached 35 or more points on a season. The winning score was his 3rd of the season and the 23rd of his career. Scoring the 2nd Florida goal was winger Richard Zednik. The goal, Zed's 3rd in the last 6 games, was a big one as it was the 200th of his career coming in his 740th game. Zednik now has 17 goals and 12 assists for 32 points on 65 games. Scoring Ottawa's 2nd goal, a man advantage score, was d-man Chris Campoli. Campy now has 10 goals and 17 assists for 27 points on 60 games. He snapped a 3 game point-less run and a 7 game goal-less streak. He has averaged a point-per-every-2-games since joining the Sens with 10 (4 goals, 6 assists) in 20 games. Campoli now has a new single season high in goals breaching the 10+ mark for the first time.

Montreal d-man Mathieu Schneider scored an insurance goal with less than 4 minutes remaining in play as the Canadiens dispense of the visiting Chicago Blackhawks 4-1. Schneids now has points in 4 straight (1 goal, 3 assists) and has 29 points (7 goals, 22 assists) on 63 games. Since joining the Habs Schneider has lit it up with 4 goals and 10 assists for 14 points in 19 contests.


Vancouver goaltender Roberto Luongo stopped 33 of 34 shots including all 4 he faced in OT as the Canucks edged the host Minnesota Wild 2-1. Rewarded with the first star honor Luongo is now 30-11-6 on the season. The victory was Lu's 3rd in his last 4 starts.




Edmonton d-man Denis Grebeshkov rocketed home the Oilers' 2nd goal as Edmonton were bested by the visiting Anaheim Ducks 5-3 severely impacting their playoff hopes. The goal was his 6th of the season and first in 4 games. Along with 29 assists Greb has now reached 35 points for the first time in a season. Grebeshkov has averaged better than a point-per-every-2-games with 35 in 68 games.


Los Angeles center Derek Armstrong assisted on the too-little-too-late goal as the Kings were felled by the visiting Dallas Stars 3-2. Army snapped a 5 game point-less stretch and now has 4 goals and 4 assists for 8 points on 53 games. Armstrong is only 1 helper shy of 150 on his career.




Check in soon with FIW for more updates, recaps and highlights as we speed to the regular season finish line.

Thursday March 26

There 8 games up for grabs on Thursday night with Former Islanders aiding in 4 of those tilts. Former Islanders are trying to help many of their teams seal a coveted playoff spot. Here is a look at the FI happenings:

Montreal defenseman Mathieu Schneider had a powerplay helper on the opening goal as the Canadiens survived a near collapse to pull off a 3-2 OT win over the visiting Tampa Bay Lightning. With an assist in his 2nd straight game Schneids now has 7 goals and 20 assists for 27 points on 61 games. Since coming back to Montreal the typically offensive d-man has been clicking with 12 points (3 goals, 9 assists) on 17 games. For the 11th straight season and 17th time on his career Schneider has reached 20 or more assists. Nearly half of his assists this season (9) have come on the man advantage.

Columbus winger Raffi Torres netted the 2nd Blue Jackets' insurance goal as they trashed the visiting Calgary Flames 5-0. With 3 goals over the last 3 outings Torres now has 11 goals and 6 assists for 17 points on 43 games. Torres' play has taken a considerably upswing with the embattled winger notching 8 goals and 1 assist for 9 points over the last 13 games including 4 game winners.


Sometimes putting your backup in to start, even against one of the worst teams in the league, might not work out the way you hope. Such was the case with the New York Rangers who started bench warmer Stephen Valiquette as the Blueshirts faced off against the host Atlanta Thrashers. The Rangers staked themselves to an impressive 4-0 lead late in the 2nd Period before the Thrashers systematically tore apart Valiquette and beat the Rags in a stunning 6 round SO 5-4. The OT loss set Vali back for his 3rd straight start (0-2-1). He is now 5-5-2 on the season with a .907 save percentage and a 2.84 goals against average. Over his last 3 starts he has surrendered an appalling 16 goals on 104 shots (.846 save percentage).

Vancouver winger Taylor Pyatt opened the scoring only 4:12 into play but all was for naught as the Canucks were felled by the host St. Louis Blues 4-2. T-Py snapped a 4 game goal-less and point-less streak and now has 10 goals and 8 assists for 18 points on 65 games. For the 3rd straight season and 5th time on his career Pyatt has notched 10+ goals. Taking the loss in net for 'Nucks was goaltender Roberto Luongo who stopped 28 of 32 shots. Lu lost for the 2nd time in his last 3 games and is now 28-11-6 on the season with a .917 save percentage and a 2.43 goals against average.

Check back with FIW soon for more updates and recaps.

Saturday March 21

It was an unusually slow Saturday as only 16 teams faced off in a scant 8 games around the NHL. Former Islander participation was especially low for the typically busiest weekend game day as FIs only popped in support in 4 of those contests. Here is a quick recap:

San Jose defenseman Brad Lukowich snapped a frostily cold 21 game point-less streak with a helper on the Sharks' 2nd goal as they dumped the visiting Dallas Stars 5-2. Luko now has 7 assists on 48 games this season after recording his first helping hand point since December 13. Sadly, Lukowich had spent most of January and February on the Injured Reserve list.



Toronto winger Jason Blake netted his team's 5th a final goal, a powerplay tally, as the Maple Leafs downed the fading Montreal Canadiens from the Bell Centre 5-2. With 6 points (3 goals, 3 assists) over the last 6 games Blake now has 25 goals and 32 assists for 57 points on 69 games. The tally was a big one for Blake who now has 25 goals on a season for the first time since 2006-07, his last with the Isles when he notched a career high 40. It was only the 4th season that Blake has reach the 25+ goal mark as he narrows in on career point #400 (only 5 shy). The powerplay tally was the 5th of the season for Blake who has had 5+ extra man goals in 3 of his last 4 seasons.

Red hot winger Raffi Torres netted 2 goals, including the game winner, as the red hot Columbus Blue Jackets shut down the host Florida Panthers 3-1. Torres scored the tying goal with only 2:46 remaining in play and then sealed the win 1:07 later with only 93 seconds left in regulation. With 7 goals over the last 9 games Torres has lifted his numbers. He now has 10 goals and 6 assists for 16 points on 41 games. Torres has built on his single season high and now has 5 game winners on the year. With 10 goals he has reached the multi-digit tally mark for the 4th time in his last 5 seasons. Assisting on the winner was center Michael Peca who has 21 points (4 goals, 17 assists) on 62 games. Peca has had 4 helpers over the last 4 tilts.

Vancouver goaltender Roberto Luongo was roughed up with 3 goals on 23 shots in only 40 minutes of ice time as the Phoenix Coyotes thumped the visiting Canucks 5-1. The 'Yotes feasted on the 'Nucks even scoring a rare touch up penalty call empty net goal on Vancouver midway through the 2nd Period. The boff was officially recorded as a rare, middle of the game empty net goal. Luongo took the loss and is now 27-10-6 on the season with a .917 save percentage and a 2.40 goals against average. Lu was pulled for the first time since November 5 when he injured his groin 5 minutes into play. For the 9th straight season Luongo has secured 10 or more losses.

Check back soon for more updates at FIW.

Friday March 13

Former Islanders made a clean sweeping helping out in every game on Friday night: all 2 of them. Here is a look at the FI effort:

Columbus winger Raffi Torres netted the game winning goal again as the Blue Jackets downed the host Chicago Blackhawks 5-3. The goal was Torres' 3rd in his last 4 games. He now has 8 goals and 6 assists for 14 points on 38 games. The winner was his 2nd in the last 3 games and he now has 4 winners on the season - a new single season high. He has 12 deciding goals on his career. Assisting on that tally and Jacks' 2nd goal was center Michael Peca in only his 2nd game back after 10 days of injury downtime. The helpers snapped a 6 game point-less streak. Peca now has 4 goals and 15 assists for 19 points on 59 games. For the 2nd straight season and 10th time on his career Peca has notched 15 or more assists. Backstopping the Jacks to success was Wade Dubielewicz who started for the first time since February 6. Dubie stopped 27 of 30 shots for the victory, his first of the season and first since April 4, 2008 - his last game with the Isles. He is now 1-2-0 on the season with an .870 save percentage and a 3.56 goals against average.

Vancouver goaltender Roberto Luongo stopped 24 of 26 shots as the Canucks doubled up on the visiting Los Angeles Kings for a 4-2 victory. Lu stopped a mini 2 game winless streak and improved Luongo's record to 24-9-6 on the season. He has won 14 of his last 17 starts compiling a 11-2-1 record in that span. Assisting on the opening goal midway through the 1st Period was winger Taylor Pyatt. T-Py has 2 points (1 goal, 1 assist) over the last 3 games and now has 16 (8 goals, 8 assists) on 59 games. The helper leaves Pyatt 1 shy of career #100.

Check back soon for more recaps and updates at FIW.

Tuesday March 10

There were 11 games on the NHL schedule as we are already a third of the way through March. The playoff push is strong for a ton of teams around the league and Former Islanders are helping out when they can. FIs tipped in their support in 6 of those contests. Here is a look:

Columbus winger Raffi Torres netted yet another game winner as the Blue Jackets blanked the free-falling host Boston Bruins 2-0. Torres now has 7 goals and 6 assists for 13 points on 36 games with 3 game winners this season. Over the last 4 games Torres has 4 points (3 goals, 1 assist) including 2 deciding tallies. The 3 game winners ties his prior single season high from the 2003-04 and 2005-06 campaigns while still with the Edmonton Oilers.

Calgary center Olli Jokinen popped home the opening goal as the Flames were downed by the host New Jersey Devils 3-2. Calgary would have lost 3-1 if it had not been for a 2nd Flames' goal at the 19:59 mark of the 3rd Period. Jokinen 24 goals and 21 assists for 45 points on 61 games this season. In 4 games with the Flames O-Jok has knocked home 3 goals and no assists. For the 6th straight season Jokinen has recorded 45 or more points.

Montreal defenseman Mathieu Schneider had 2 assists including 1 on the game winning powerplay goal in OT as the Canadiens edged the visiting Edmonton Oilers 4-3. Schneids now has 7 goals and 16 assists for 23 points on 54 games. Schneider snapped a 3 game point-less streak and has done well in his first 10 games with the Habs compiling 8 points on 3 goals and 5 assists. Six of his 8 points with Montreal (3 goals, 3 assists) have come with the man advantage. Assisting on Edmonton's 3rd goal was d-man Denis Grebeshkov. He now has assists in 3 straight games and has notched 29 points (4 goals, 25 assists) on 56 games. The helper officially marked Greb's first 25+ assist season. For the 3rd time this season Grebeshkov has had a 3+ game point scoring streak.

Offensively capable blueliner Marc-Andre Bergeron had an assist on the Wild's first goal as Minnesota was just barely downed by the visiting San Jose Sharks 5-4 in OT. Bergeron now has 9 goals and 17 assists for 26 points on 56 games. MAB is only 3 helpers short of 100 on his career. The helper snapped an 8 game assist-less stretch.



Washington forward Viktor Kozlov had assists on both Capitals' goals including the game winning tally in OT as they squeaked by the host Nashville Predators 2-1. Kozlov, who struggled with injuries during most of February, recorded a point for the first time since February 1 snapping a 6 game point drought. The Russian giant now has 11 goals and 22 assists for 33 points on 54 games. It was the 8th time this season the Kozzer has had a multi-point game.

Newly acquired winger Bill Guerin assisted on the the Penguins' tying goal 5 and a half minutes into the 3rd Period as Pittsburgh overcame a 2 goal deficit for a 4-3 SO win over the visiting Florida Panthers. Guerin is riding a 4 game point streak in which he has recorded 6 points (1 goal, 5 assists). He has points in all 3 games since joining the Pens to the tune of 5 points (1 goal, 4 assists). On 64 games this season Billy G has 41 points (17 goals, 24 assists). The assist was a big one for Guerin as it was career #400, this only 2 games after recording his 800th career point. Florida winger Richard Zednik was stopped on his chance in the 1st round of the SO.

Check back soon for more updates and recaps at FIW.

Saturday February 7

There were a neat and tidy 10 games up for grabs on Saturday around the NHL. With teams still in the playoff hunt every point in the standings counts. Saturday featured an energetic series of contests with Former Islanders providing support in 7 of those tilts. Here is a quick look:

Ottawa defenseman Chris Campoli put up on heck of an effort scoring the game winning goal and adding an assist as the Senators trounced the visiting Buffalo Sabres 6-3. Campy has done exceptionally so far with the Senators having notched 7 points (2 goals, 5 assists) on 7 games with both goals of the game winning variety. On 59 games this season between the Isles and Sens he has 24 points (8 goals, 16 assists). Half of his goals this season (4) have been game deciding tallies. Campoli is only 1 goal short of equaling his single season high of 9 from his 2005-06 rookie season with the Blue and Orange.

New Jersey backup goaltender Kevin Weekes successfully stopped the 1 shot he faced while playing 17 minutes of relief time as the Islanders shellacked the host Devils 7-3. Weekes received no decision for the appearance and remained 7-4-0 on the season. His stats improved slightly with his goals against average dropping to 2.27 and his save percentage increased (barely) to .924. The appearance was his first since February 19 and his first relief appearance since January 8.

Florida winger Richard Zednik received the sole assist on the insurance goal with less than 3 minutes remaining as the Panthers knocked off the visiting St. Louis Blues 5-3. Zed now has 14 goals and 15 assists for 29 points on 55 games. Florida d-man Bryan McCabe had a powerplay assist on the team's 3rd goal. He has 12 goals and 21 assists for 33 points on 56 games. The powerplay helper was his 10th of the season making it 5 straight years and 7 overall with 10+ extra man assists. Nearly half of his points this season (16, 6 goals, 10 assists) have come on the powerplay.


Columbus winger Raffi Torres opened the scoring just over 4 minutes in to play as the Blue Jackets de-constructed the host Detroit Red Wings 8-2. Torres now has 6 goals and 6 assists for 12 points on 35 games. He has 3 points (2 goals, 1 assist) over the last 3 contests. Taking the beating in goal for the Wings was starter Chris Osgood who stopped a meager 16 of 23 shots in 43 minutes of play. For the 2nd time this season Ozzie has surrendered 7 goals in a game an amazing fact considering we have yet to find a game in which he surrendered so many goals prior to this season. Osgood's numbers are bad with an .878 save percentage and a 3.30 goals against average but his record is great at 20-6-7. Hmm.

Edmonton d-man Denis Grebeshkov assisted on the Oilers' 3rd goal as they handily dispensed of the host Toronto Maple Leafs 4-1. Greb has 3 assists in 4 games since returning from an injury and now has 28 points (4 goals, 24 assists) on 55 games. He is second among Oilers' d-men in assists and 4th among blueliners in points scored.



Philadelphia tough guy Arron Asham assisted on the second insurance goal as the Flyers cut down the visiting Nashville Predators 4-1. Asham snapped a 5 game point skid and now has 5 goals and 7 assists for 12 points on 60 games. Ash is 3 points shy of 150 on his career.




Vancouver goalie Roberto Luongo stopped 28 of 29 shots en route to yet another win as the Canucks stopped the visiting San Jose Sharks 3-1. Luongo is now 23-8-5 on the season and is riding a 4 game winning streak. He has won an amazing 12 of his last 13 starts.




Check back soon 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.