Solid effort, solid win. Hard work brings some breaks and the
Islanders made a few of them bounce into Pittsburgh's net.

High marks to everyone all around in this game. It may be Pittsburgh,
but the Pens shutout Chicago 1-0 in their previous game and Chicago
shutout Detroit.

Anyone can beat anyone on a given night and Pittsburgh got points
against Ottawa and New Jersey this season.

Jason Blake is flying without that brace. Great work and fear-less
for a small player when he see's a chance. Hunter two more goals,
Kvasha a nice shorthanded goal. Snow and the defense did the job and
Hamrlik looked good and went to the net on offense.

Happy New Year indeed. Four over five-hundred. Fighting for sixth
overall.

Only downside was if Peca cannot play vs Ottawa with a groin problem
and a brutal call to rob Peca of a goal. I can accept the call if
it's reviewed but to not even bother when it was clear it was close
is just poor officiating, IMO. Why not make sure?

This ref blew his whistle for a high-stick that never happened but
Peca never touched the puck, perhaps he is not allowed to go to
review for that, but the explanation given was the officials did not
choose to review it.

I don't know. All I do know is the 3-0 goal really took away all hope
for Pittsburgh and Stirling's reaction said it all, he wanted that
3-0 lead going into the dressing room. Blake got it for him anyway.

After that the Isles just really coasted and took the game. Kind of
win where maybe they save something for Ottawa, which is going to be
very tough because they are on a roll like the Isles.

Bill

http://www.newyorkislanders.com/gameday/postgame123103.html

Blake's 4 Makes It 6 In A Row
Islanders 6, Pittsburgh 1
By Kerry Gwydir

(Dec. 31) It was all Islanders on New Year's Eve as Steve Stirling's
team jumped out to a 5-0 lead in a 6-1 win on Wednesday afternoon in
Pittsburgh, their sixth-straight victory. Jason Blake had two goals
and four points while Trent Hunter tallied a pair. Oleg Kvasha
notched a shorthanded score as Garth Snow earned his career-high
sixth-straight victory. The Isles' last six-game win streak was over
10 years ago, from Dec. 11, 1993 to Dec. 26, 1993.

A giveaway by Pittsburgh's Konstantin Koltsov ended up in his net
just 56 ticks into the afternoon matinee. Blake registered the
unassisted tally, his 10th of the season, as he danced around Koltsov
and made a strong move to the net off the right wing. As Blake pumped
the puck on net, Pittsburgh goaltender Sebastien Caron made the first
stop with his blocker. Yet, the rebound pinged to the right off
Martin Strbak's leg and over the goal line.

After both teams failed on powerplay tries in the following four
minutes, Pittsburgh began to pick up their game. And it was Garth
Snow, making another start, coming up with a big stop eight minutes
in. Pittsburgh's Koltsov provided the threat as he gathered in a
rebound chance to the left of the Islander net and Snow attempting to
re-set himself. The netminder managed to flick out his glovehand to
block off the Koltsov try that was intended for the top corner of the
cage.

The Isles immediately countered, and Oleg Kvasha instigated a point-
blank scoring chance that Caron foiled. The Islander center started
this sequence when he outmuscled former Islander Dick Tarnstrom in a
battle for the puck to the right of the Pens' cage. He took the puck
hard to the net where he fed Mariusz Czerkawski cutting in front, who
one-timed a shot on net that Caron speared with his trapper.

With 8:26 left in the period, Hunter earned his 13th of the season
when his centering pass in front of the net that was intended for
Michael Peca, caromed off Dan Focht's right skate and found a way
through Caron's wickets. Eric Cairns notched the lone assist. Peca
later left the game with a mild groin strain as a precautionary
measure.

The officials took away another Islander goal with 4:24 left in the
period when it appeared Peca had scored a powerplay tally. The replay
appeared to show Pittsburgh defenseman Brooks Orpik tipping the disc
prior to the Islander captain banging home the puck. But referee
Shane Heyer, situated to Caron's left, immediately blew the play down
because the puck had hit the goaltender - which was ruled as a high-
stick on the Penguins.

Snow had to be on his toes in the final minute of the first after a
giveaway by the Islander defense started a quality Pittsburgh scoring
threat. The Islander goaltender robbed Rico Fata on the doorstep off
a bang-bang setup from Tom Kostopoulos with a left-pad rejection.

A Pittsburgh giveaway with 1.6 left in the opener helped Blake notch
his second of the period as he banged home the rebound of an Adrian
Aucoin point shot. The Isles' defenseman intercepted a clear up the
left wing boards by Caron. Blake, who had pressured the goaltender on
the poor attempt, went to the front of the net and jammed home his
11th of the year.

After a quiet first 13 minutes of the second period, Kvasha tallied
shorthanded with 6:33 to go and Czerkawski in the sin bin. Blake
earned his third point of the afternoon when Kvasha joined him on a 2-
on-1 rush into the Pittsburgh end. Blake saucered a feed over
Strbak's stick, where Kvasha then roofed a shot under the crossbar
behind Caron. Snow notched the second assist on the play as he played
the puck into center ice.

Shawn Bates nearly added another shortie with four minutes to go and
Radek Martinek in the box. The left wing gathered a Pittsburgh
giveaway at their blueline and charged into the offensive end with
Caron the only Penguin back. Bates made a nifty backhand move to deke
the Pens' goaltender, but hit the left pipe.

Hunter increased the Isles' lead with 1:33 left in the period with
his second of the game on the powerplay. Aucoin initiated this
sequence with a cross-the-slot feed that Hunter ripped into the top
corner of the cage over Caron, who was replaced to begin the third
with J-S Aubin. He took the team-lead in goals with 14 with the
marker.

The period didn't end quietly for the Islanders, however. Pittsburgh
got one back with 18 seconds left in the second when Kostopoulos
blasted a Tomas Surovy pass from the top of the slot over Snow's
glove.

Blake figured into another tally, this time a Dave Scatchard goal
just 3:46 into the third. Martinek set the play as he flipped the
puck into the Pittsburgh end. Blake hustled into the corner and dug
out the puck for Scatchard, who was trailing the play. Scatchard, who
was situated on a sharp angle to Aubin's right, managed to beat the
goaltender over the shoulder with a wristshot.
*****************************************
http://www.newsday.com/sports/hockey/islanders/ny-
isle013607953jan01,0,171383.story?coll=ny-islanders-headlines

Isles Streak On
A December to remember finishes with rout of Pens

By Alan Hahn
STAFF CORRESPONDENT

January 1, 2004

Pittsburgh - For the second straight year, Jason Blake helped make it
a happy New Year's Eve for the Islanders. The fireplug forward scored
two goals and added two assists for a four-point performance in the
Islanders' 6-1 win over the Penguins yesterday at Mellon Arena.

The Islanders extended their winning streak to six games, their most
successful run since December 1993, when they were unbeaten in seven.

They finished December with a 10-4-0-1 mark for their first 10-win
month in 20 years. The last came in December 1983 (10-3-1).

Blake again made the last day of the calendar year a successful one.
A year earlier, Blake scored an overtime winner in a 1-0 victory at
Buffalo to pull the Islanders to the .500 mark. This season his
effort lifted the Islanders into a three-way tie with Boston and
Montreal for sixth place in the East.

The win also ensured that the Islanders wouldn't suffer a letdown
against the last-place Penguins after a stretch in which they beat
the Flyers, the Devils, the Maple Leafs and the Devils again.

"Today's was a tough game to play," Blake said. "It's probably
tougher to play these guys than the New Jersey Devils, you know, with
the records."

Coach Steve Stirling said he told the team, "To beat New Jersey and
come in here and lose, then the New Jersey game, for me, doesn't mean
a lot."

Garth Snow made 21 saves to earn his career-best sixth straight win.
Snow is likely to make his sixth straight start and 13th straight
appearance tonight against the Senators (unbeaten in seven) in Ottawa.

"He's on a roll," Stirling said of Snow. "And I'm gonna ride the big
horse."

The Islanders yesterday rode Blake's energy and a few lucky bounces
to get them going in the right direction. On his first shift, Blake
slipped the puck between the skates of Penguins rookie forward
Konstantin Koltsov and drove to the net. His shot deflected off the
skate of defenseman Martin Strbak and past goalie Sebastien Caron to
give the Islanders a 1-0 lead 56 seconds into the game.

Trent Hunter made it 2-0 at 11:34 off another Islander bounce. He
drove wide through the slot and sent the puck to the net; it hit off
defenseman Dan Focht and went in.

The rest was pure Islander domination of the overmatched and
understaffed Penguins, whose roster has been pared of veteran talent
and has been without injured star Mario Lemieux (hip) for most of the
season.

With 33 seconds left in the period, Snow made a save on Rico Fata
point-blank shot from the slot. As the puck went to the other end,
Blake hit the ice again. He charged into the Pittsburgh zone to force
a turnover off an aggressive forecheck. Blake then went to the net
and buried a rebound of Adrian Aucoin's point shot with 1.6 seconds
left in the period to make it 3-0.

Stirling called it "the big goal" of the game. "To get one with that
little time left, and a shift before that they almost score," he
said. "Three-nothing instead of 2-1, when all of a sudden it's a
game."

It wasn't much of a game after that. More hustle by Blake made it 4-
0. He set up Oleg Kvasha for a shorthanded goal off a two-on-one at
13:27 of the second. Hunter scored his second of the game and team-
leading 14th of the season with a power-play goal at 18:27 that made
it 5-0.

Pittsburgh's Tom Kostopolous ended Snow's shutout bid when he scored
with 18 seconds remaining. In the third, Dave Scatchard completed the
scoring at 3:46 off an assist by Blake.

INSIDE GAME 37

RECORD: 19-15-2-1 LAST SEASON: 16-16-5-0

MINUS: Referee Shane Heyer, from behind the net, waved off a first-
period goal by Michael Peca. He ruled the puck was hit with a high
stick, but replays showed the puck hit the stick of Pittsburgh's
Brooks Orpik. Neither Heyer nor Paul Devorski went to the replay.

PLUS: The Isles scored a power-play goal for the sixth straight game
and killed their 16th straight penalty over the past four games.

A Merry Month

The Isles went 10-4-0-1 in December.

Date Opponent Result

Dec. 2 Washington L, 4-1

Dec. 4 Rangers L, 4-2

Dec. 6 Chicago W, 5-2

Dec. 9 Tampa Bay W, 5-2

Dec. 10 at Devils L, 1-0 (OT)

Dec. 13 Atlanta W, 4-0

Dec. 16 Devils W, 5-4

Dec. 18 at Rangers L, 4-3

Dec. 20 at Philadelphia L, 3-1

Dec. 21 at Washington W, 5-4

Dec. 23 Philadelphia W, 4-2

Dec. 26 at Devils W, 4-3 (OT)

Dec. 27 Toronto W, 3-1

Dec. 29 Devils W, 3-1

Dec. 31 at Pittsburgh W, 6-1

ISLANDERS 6

PENGUINS 1

Today

Islanders At Ottawa

7:30 p.m.

TV: FSNY

Radio: ESPN (1050)
*************************************
http://www.newsday.com/sports/hockey/islanders/ny-
inotes013607954jan01,0,3746017.story?coll=ny-hockey-headlines

The Hansons, Hollywood and Old-Time Hockey

Alan Hahn

January 1, 2004

Pittsburgh - The Hanson Brothers, cult idols from the movie "Slap
Shot," were at yesterday's game between the Islanders and Penguins at
Mellon Arena. The three were quick to make reference to Islanders
coach Steve Stirling, who had a cameo in the movie.

"We helped Paul Newman go on to win an Academy Award," Dave Hanson
said of the star of "Slap Shot," who won a best actor Oscar for "The
Color of Money." "And now we've got Steve Stirling in the NHL. Hey,
guys, how about helping out a brother?"

Stirling played against the three - they aren't actually all
brothers; Dave is the only Hanson, and Jeff and Steve Carlson are
actual brothers - in the minor leagues during the early 1970s. But
the scenes he shot didn't involve the Hansons. Stirling thinks
despite their claims about others going on to greater things, the
Hanson Brothers have done pretty well for themselves.

"They certainly have a heck of a lot more notoriety than I do,"
Stirling said with a laugh. "[Fans] see them coming, they know who
they are. They don't know who I am."

The Hansons, who are working on a script for "Slap Shot III" ("Slap
Shot II," released last year, went straight to DVD), were in town for
a charity/publicity event. But they were willing to "put on the foil"
if the Penguins asked.

Peca Injures Groin

Captain Michael Peca suffered what was called a mild groin strain
during the second period and did not return. The Islanders play again
today in Ottawa, and the game was all but decided by the time Peca
was injured. "I don't want to be dumb," Steve Stirling said. "I'd
rather lose him for a period and a half than lose him for two weeks."
****************************************
http://www.nytimes.com/2004/01/01/sports/hockey/01ISLE.html

ISLANDERS 6, PENGUINS 1
In a Rout, Islanders Win Sixth in a Row
By RON DICKER

Published: January 1, 2004

PITTSBURGH, Dec. 31 â€" The Islanders had proved in their remarkable
December that they could beat league heavyweights like the Devils,
the Flyers and the Maple Leafs.

The one thing left on their to-do list was to stomp on one of the
dregs.

Check. The Islanders completed the month with a 6-1 pounding of
Pittsburgh on Wednesday afternoon in a sleepy Mellon Arena. The
Islanders' six-game winning streak is their longest since 1993, and
their 10 victories in December are their most since 1983.

This was the kind of game that would have tripped them up in darker
times, when the Islanders were saddled with a seven-game skid after
losing to the Rangers on Dec. 4.

Back then, a hapless opponent on the road was a virtual invitation to
defeat. Except that the Penguins (9-20-5-3) cannot help themselves
and the Islanders (19-15-2-1) cannot help capitalizing these days.
They got two goals each from Jason Blake and Trent Hunter and took a
3-0 lead in the first period.

"It's tougher to play these guys than the New Jersey Devils," said
Blake, who has 5 goals and 6 assists in his past 10 games.

Coach Steve Stirling interrupted the Islanders' celebration after
they beat the Devils on Monday night. He warned them that losing to
the Penguins would negate their hard work.

"I think they realized that you have to come in and take care of
business," Stirling said. "This is the kind of team that if we play
our game, then we can beat them."

The Islanders take a step up in class at Ottawa on Thursday night
with a slightly fading reputation as road wimps. They have won three
in a row to bring their mark away from home to 5-9-2-1.

Goaltender Garth Snow continued his career resurrection with 21 saves
against the Penguins, who have won one of their past seven games. He
lost a shutout late in the second period when Tom Kostopoulos glided
down the middle of the ice and whipped in the puck from between the
circles.

That seemed to satisfy many in the announced crowd of 11,939, who
headed for the aisles and did not return.

Doubt over the outcome faded after three Islanders goals in the first
period, beginning with the road-runner skating of Blake.

Blake scooted the puck through Konstantin Koltsov's legs, shoved it
off the leg of the Penguins' Martin Strbak, and then beat goalie
Sebastien Caron 56 seconds into the game. With 8 minutes 26 seconds
left in the period, Hunter hit a lunging slap shot that caromed off
Penguins defenseman Dan Focht for a 2-0 lead. After Adrian Aucoin's
slap shot rebounded off Caron, Blake got two hacks at Caron from in
tight. The second one went in with 1.6 seconds to go.

At a point when the game was still somewhat competitive, Snow stuffed
the few breakdowns. He blocked two rapid-fire Koltsov shots midway in
the first period, and he stopped a point-blank blast by Rico Fata
later.

Snow, 34, has a journeyman's résumé but has played well enough to
unseat the erratic rookie Rick DiPietro as the Islanders' No. 1
goalie. After fuming over his perceived role as aging mentor to
DiPietro, he has occupied the net in all but one of the Islanders'
past 10 victories, and DiPietro is temporarily in the minors.

Snow's past six games have produced a 1.33 goals-against average,
more than a goal below his career average of 2.74.

"He's on a roll," Stirling said. "He's no different than the rest of
us. We have to ride that horse as long as we can. Sooner or later,
we'll run into a team better than us."
****************************************
http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/tribune-
review/sports/penguinslive/s_172601.html

Penguins trampled by Islanders to close out 2003

By Karen Price
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Thursday, January 1, 2004

The Penguins played with little effort and showed little enthusiasm
in a 6-1 loss to the New York Islanders on Wednesday at Mellon Arena.

"No question it was one of those games where it just wasn't there,"
coach Eddie Olczyk said.

Olczyk mentioned on a pre-game radio show that they believed the
Islanders' defense played too spread apart, and that the Penguins
were going to try to go down the middle and generate offense that
way. But the only exploitation that took place was of the Penguins
and goaltender Sebastien Caron, who was replaced by Jean-Sebastien
Aubin for the third time in nine games.

It was the Penguins' fourth loss this season by five or more goals,
including their second to the Islanders, who won 7-2 in Uniondale,
N.Y., on Oct. 25. It was the first time one of those games was on
home ice, though. An announced crowd of 11,939 was in attendance.

"There've only been a few games (like that), but one's too many for
me," defenseman Marc Bergevin said. "It's like we take two steps
backward. Obviously, we have to put it behind us because we play
(today) but in my mind, it's not good enough."

The Islanders went into the game with only two regulation losses in
their last 12 games and a five-game winning streak, the longest in
the NHL. It didn't take long to realize that the streak would be
alive and well going into the new year.

Seconds into the game, Konstantin Koltsov gave the puck away to Jason
Blake, who turned around, put the puck through Koltsov's legs and
went around him to score his first of two goals at 0:56. The Penguins
killed a penalty a minute later and had a power play before Trent
Hunter also scored his first of two at 11:34 when he walked around
Dick Tarnstrom and had his shot hit Penguins defenseman Dan Focht's
skate in front of the net to bounce through Caron's five-hole.

The Islanders weren't done with the first period yet, though. They
had one goal waved off because of a high-sticking call, but Blake
scored again with two seconds left to make it 3-0.

In the second period, Oleg Kvasha scored a shorthanded goal - the
Penguins' league-worst 10th shorthanded goal-against this season -
and Hunter added one on the power play before Tom Kostopoulos scored
with 18 seconds left.

"We spent a few minutes in the locker room talking about it, knowing
that things were going well and that Pittsburgh has been playing
pretty well lately," Islanders coach Steve Stirling said. "I think
they realized that you have to come in and take care of business."

The Islanders have outscored the Penguins 17-7 in three games this
year, and the Penguins remain the only team in the league without a
win against a division opponent. They play again this afternoon
against the Nashville Predators.

"The really good teams find ways to overcome when it's not there,"
Olczyk said. "For whatever reason we just didn't have it tonight."
********************************
http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/tribune-
review/sports/penguinslive/s_172621.html

Notebook: Caron to jump right back in

By Karen Price
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Thursday, January 1, 2004

Two nights after getting his first shutout of the season, goaltender
Sebastien Caron was pulled before the third period against the New
York Islanders. He allowed five goals on 22 shots on Wednesday after
stopping all 31 against the Chicago Blackhawks in a 1-0 win on Monday.

But he will play today against the Nashville Predators, according to
coach Eddie Olczyk.

"A couple of the goals in the first period were tough," Olczyk
said. "For the most part, he's been really consistent the last little
while. He's had some tough games, but my thought was just to get him
out of there and get him rested for (today)."

Caron said he felt good during the game, but was mad at himself
because of the outcome.

"There were just bad goals and bad goals and it's a tough thing to do
against a team like that," he said. "There's nothing I can do about
it. I just have to move on and get ready for the next game."
******************************************
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/04001/257043.stm

Penguins end '03 on humbling note

Thursday, January 01, 2004
By Dave Molinari, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Don't be surprised if Penguins coach Eddie Olczyk had bloodshot eyes
and a throbbing headache when he awoke in Nashville this morning.

Not because he over-indulged in the honky-tonks that line Broadway
last night; heck, Olczyk doesn't even drink alcohol.

But he had to feel violently ill if he devoted much of the last
evening to reviewing tapes of the Penguins' 6-1 loss to the New York
Islanders yesterday at Mellon Arena.

Olczyk said after the game he wasn't certain whether he would break
down those tapes or toss them directly into the trash. If he opted to
review them, assume that any drink order he placed while watching was
for a six-pack of antacid.

For while Olczyk was surprisingly calm when the game ended -- he
dismissed it as "one of those games when it just wasn't there" -- it
was one of the most humbling defeats for the Penguins this winter.
Not their most lopsided -- outdoing their 9-0 defeat Nov. 8 in Tampa
would merit a lifetime achievement award -- but surely among the most
embarrassing.

"There's no excuse for it," center Brian Holzinger said.

Olczyk likened it to the Lightning game and a 6-1 spanking Dec. 7 in
Calgary, which would make it part of the Axis of Ineptitude.

Not the kind of performance needed to compete with a team that has
won six games in a row and is, by Olczyk's assessment, "playing
better than anybody in the league right now."

That's a reflection of the Islanders' enthusiasm and execution in
recent weeks. Truth be told, New York forward Jason Blake expended
more energy on the first of his 28 shifts than the Penguins did all
afternoon. That might explain why he single-handedly outscored them,
piling up two goals and two assists.

"He's full of energy," said Penguins forward Kelly Buchberger, who
played with Blake in Los Angeles. "There's no question he loves to
play the game."

Yeah, especially against the Penguins. He has four goals and three
assists in three games against them.

Holzinger said the Penguins' lack of jump was evident "from the first
shift on," and Blake exploited it 56 seconds after the opening
faceoff, when he beat Konstantin Koltsov along the right-wing boards
and went hard to the net.

Goalie Sebastien Caron stopped his shot, but the rebound hit Penguins
defenseman Martin Strbak and skidded across the goal line to put New
York in front for good.

"We came out a little, I guess you could say, lackadaisical,"
Buchberger said. "We were on our heels instead of on our toes."

And before long, they were on their backs.

A Trent Hunter pass aimed for Michael Peca hit the left skate of
Penguins defenseman Dan Focht instead, and ended up behind Caron at
11:34.

And if that goal, which proved to be the winner, didn't erase any
lingering suspense about the outcome, the one Blake scored with 1.6
seconds left in the period did, as he went hard to the net -- again --
  and swiped an Adrian Aucoin rebound by Caron.

"The goal late in the first period really hurt," Olczyk said.

Yeah, well, the ones Oleg Kvasha (13:27) and Hunter (18:27) got the
in second didn't help any, either, although it was clear long before
that that the Penguins had little hope of competing with New York on
this day. Or most others.

"This is the kind of team that, if we play our game, then we can
beat," Islanders coach Steve Stirling said.

He didn't really elaborate on that thought, but it could be that,
by "our game," he meant ice hockey. Which is something the Penguins
appeared to have only a fleeting familiarity with for much of the
afternoon.

They were outclassed in every zone, overwhelmed in virtually every
facet of play. Witness special-teams play: The Islanders scored on
one of three power plays and didn't just snuff all five Penguins'
chances with the extra man, but picked up a short-handed goal by
Kvasha in the process.

"They took advantage of our mistakes," Olczyk said.

Caron blamed himself for the defeat -- "I didn't make the big, big
save all game," he said -- but that's not why Olczyk replaced him
with Jean-Sebastien Aubin for the final period. Think of it as a
humanitarian gesture.

"My thought was just to get him out of there and get him rested for
[today's game in Nashville]," Olczyk said.

Former Penguin Garth Snow faced 22 shots, but the most demanding part
of his afternoon was commuting between the crease and locker room
each intermission.

He lost his shutout bid when Tom Kostopoulos whipped a Tomas Surovy
pass over his glove with 18 seconds left in the second period, but
that did nothing more than a little superficial damage to Snow's
personal stats.

Dave Scatchard of New York closed out the scoring at 3:46. About the
only consolation for the Penguins was that they would have less than
24 hours to dwell on what the Islanders did to them.

"We have to forget about this game," Buchberger said. "And learn from
our mistakes."

And hope that an afternoon with the Predators can cure the hangover
they got yesterday.
**************************************
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/04001/257045.stm

Penguins Report: 01/01/04

  New York RW Trent Hunter has established himself as a legitimate, if
relatively low-profile, candidate for Rookie of the Year; he leads
first-year players in points (24), goals (14) and plus-minus rating
(plus-12). Hunter has yet to prove, though, that his game travels
well, because his two goals yesterday were just his fifth and sixth
points outside Nassau Coliseum.

Adrian Aucoin of the Islanders doesn't have a reputation rivaling
that of Nicklas Lidstrom, Rob Blake or Chris Pronger, but it's pretty
difficult to dispute his value. With a goal and 22 assists, he ranks
among the highest-scoring defenseman in the league, and that's not
even his most impressive stat. Aucoin has a league-best plus-minus of
plus-25 and averages about 26 minutes of ice time per game, even
though he played just 21:06 yesterday.

http://www.soundtigers.com/news/release_123103.htm

SOUND TIGERS END ROAD TRIP WITH LOSS IN BINGHAMTON
Fall 2-0 to B-Sens for second time in as many meetings

BINGHAMTON, NY - The American Hockey League's Bridgeport Sound
Tigers, top affiliate of the National Hockey League's New York
Islanders, lost 2-0 on the road to the Binghamton Senators Wednesday
in the final game of a calendar-year-ending stretch of seven straight
road games on which they were 4-2-0-1.

It was the second 2-0 loss in as many trips to Binghamton for the
Sound Tigers, who also fell by the same score last Friday, as well as
their first set of back-to-back losses, coupled with last night's 2-1
overtime loss to the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, since October
11th and 13th when they were beaten by 3-1 by the Philadelphia
Phantoms and 2-1 by the Senators.

Binghamton opened the scoring while the Sound Tigers were on the
game's first power play as Denis Hamel picked off the puck at his own
blue line for a breakaway goal 8:33 into the game. The unassisted
tally was Hamel's team-leading 13th goal of the season, as well as
the Senators' fifth while shorthanded, their second versus the Sound
Tigers, this year.

The Sound Tigers had two apparent goals waived off by Referee Gord
Dwyer who ruled Derek Bekar put the puck into the net with his body
with 7:05 left in the first period and that a Ben Guite shot never
entered goal despite the fact the light was turned on by the goal
judge with just over five minutes left in the middle frame.

The Sound Tigers called a timeout and pulled Netminder Rick DiPietro
with 1:07 left in the game, but Hamel iced the win with an empty-net
goal with one second left to play, his second goal of the game and
14th of the season, off assists from Josh Langfeld and Chris Kelly.
The Sound Tigers had a 14-5 shots on goal advantage in the third
period, but Binghamton Goaltender Ray Emery was equal to the task
each time.

The Sound Tigers were 0 for 6 on the power play while Binghamton was
0 for 5 and had a 30-29 overall shots on goal advantage. Emery made
30 saves for his second shutout of the season, both against the Sound
Tigers, while DiPietro stopped 28 shots in a losing effort. Emery was
the first star of the game, Hamel the second, and DiPietro the third.

The Sound Tigers will return home to host the Norfolk Admirals this
Saturday at 7:05 p.m.
************************************
http://www.connpost.com/Stories/0,1413,96~3761~1864789,00.html

No. 10 Streaking, anyone?

It wasn't the kind of start that the Bridgeport Sound Tigers were
looking for. A new coach, Greg Cronin, was in place (Steve Stirling
had gone to the parent Islanders), a bunch of new faces were on the
roster and, hopefully, the same winning attitude was set to propel
the team toward another playoff run. Yet, the first five games of the
season went: tie, loss, loss, tie, loss. The team was having trouble
scoring and the new faces were having trouble getting comfortable
with each other.

Then, it all suddenly clicked.

The Sound Tigers went on a team-record 20-game unbeaten string, going
17-0-3 and winning nine games in a row in the month of November. The
streak was even longer, as Bridgeport went 22 games without a loss in
regulation. It sent the team from a 0-3-2 start to a 22-5-5-1 record
near year's end and a solid hold on first place in the Eastern
Conference's East Division

"We know that coming into every game, that with our defense and our
goaltending, we're going to be in every game," captain Alan Letang
said. "We've gotten here with hard work ... and with the character of
this team, we're going to keep it going."

The previous unbeaten record for the Sound Tigers was a modest 12
games. And even though the steak ended on Dec. 17 with a 3-2 loss
against Scranton Wilkes-Barre, Bridgeport has added four more wins
since.

"I know it's a cliche, but good teams find a way to win and that's
what we're doing," goaltender Wade Dubielewicz said. "It's that
simple. We're going into every game confident that we're going to win
and right now, we're pulling it off."

There you have it, the Top 10 stories for 2003.
**********************************
http://www.connpost.com/Stories/0,1413,96~3761~1864788,00.html

Sound Tigers' Ryan Kraft laments missed chances during scoring drought

By MICHAEL FORNABAIO

Here's the kind of season it has been for Bridgeport Sound Tigers
center Ryan Kraft: When he finally broke a career-long goal-scoring
drought Sunday night, all he could think about were his missed
chances.

Kraft put the Sound Tigers ahead 4-1 at Hershey with his first goal
since Nov. 1, a goal that ended a string of 22 games without one.
Still, he had other good scoring chances

including one that went off the knob of goalie Tom Lawson's stick

that could have prevented the Bears' comeback to tie the game before
the Sound Tigers won in overtime.

"I think I was a little more upset than anything. There was a lot of
frustration that was bound up, especially when you have that many
chances in a game to score," Kraft said. "I had chances to bury it,
to put Hershey away."

Over a career that has taken him from a storied college hockey
program through the ECHL to the 2001 AHL Rookie of the Year award to
the NHL, Kraft has always been a scorer. Though that part of the game
has deserted him at times this season, he has not shirked his other
responsibilities.

"Whether it's defense one day and scoring goals another day, I want
to become the best player I can," said Kraft, 28. "I have to refocus
my mindset to that. And just have fun. It's a game."

The game changed a little this weekend for Kraft, a 5-foot-9, 181-
pound forward. Saturday at Hartford, Bridgeport coach Greg Cronin
moved Kraft to left wing with Eric Manlow and winger Jeff Hamilton,
the league's leading scorer.

The move netted Kraft a bunch of scoring chances and, finally, an
unassisted goal Sunday. That snapped one of the most puzzling
stretches of Kraft's career. A 16-game goal drought last year had
been Kraft's longest.

"I can't even explain it. I've always been accustomed to putting
numbers up," said Kraft, who was the AHL's third-leading scorer in
2000-01, when he had 38 goals and 50 assists for Kentucky.

"I had to shift my focus to contributing other ways. Now I'm with
Hammy and Manlow; I can shift my focus back to creating offense."

Even before this week, Kraft was around the net, getting chances.
Cronin, who tracks scoring chances off game videotapes, had noted
that for about the last 10 games.

"(He had been) generating chances off the forecheck, passing the
puck, or being directly responsible for a shot on net," Cronin
said. "He's got quick hands, he's a good skater, he's strong on his
skates."

Despite his troubles scoring

he shot wide in the closing seconds of regulation Tuesday night in
Wilkes-Barre, Pa., a game the Sound Tigers lost in overtime

Kraft was still fourth on the team with 11 assists going into
Wednesday night's game in Binghamton, N.Y.

Points have always been a part of Kraft's game. He scored a point a
game over four years at the University of Minnesota.

An eighth-round pick of San Jose in the 1995 draft, Kraft began his
career with the Sharks' ECHL affiliate in Richmond, Va. Playing for
coach Mark Kaufman, Kraft said, made for his most enjoyable two years
in the game.

After struggling through a senior season in which the Gophers
finished under .500 for the first time in years, Kraft had no
confidence, he said. Kaufman rebuilt it.

"(Going to the Coast) was the best thing that ever happened to me,"
Kraft said. "That would have been a tough transition for me, going
right to the American League, and I think San Jose knew that. It took
me five years before I got my first NHL game, but it was a good
stepping-stone for me."

It began a progression that led to Kraft's NHL debut, Nov. 23, 2002,
at Mellon Arena in Pittsburgh, taking his first faceoff against
Penguins center/owner/legend/franchise savior Mario Lemieux.

When Kraft became a free agent this summer, he saw the Sound Tigers'
parent club, the New York Islanders, as his best chance to eventually
get another chance in the NHL.

"Obviously," he added, "I haven't done the things I need to do to get
there."

One of the team's quartet of alternate captains, Kraft has been
responsible defensively, killed penalties and worked both up front
and on the point on the power play.

Goals have been one of the few problems. Sunday's, at least, broke
the drought.

"I'm not going to be satisfied. I need to keep going," Kraft said.
**************************************
http://www.pressconnects.com/today/sports/stories/sp010104s57204.shtml

B-Sens back in a groove
Emery blanks Bridgeport for second time in six days
BY SCOTT LAUBER
Press & Sun-Bulletin

BINGHAMTON -- If the Binghamton Senators can somehow bottle the last
18 days of 2003, they just may find themselves drinking from some
champagne bottles in 2004.

Revived winger Denis Hamel, unable to buy a goal for six weeks,
picked up two Wednesday night, and goalie Ray Emery authored another
brilliant shutout, as the Senators prepared to welcome a New Year
with their third win in four games and their second 2-0 victory in
six nights over the once-red-hot Bridgeport Sound Tigers before
another sold-out Broome County Veterans Memorial Arena crowd.

Sound your noisemakers, Binghamton. The Senators have their groove
back.

"It's definitely a flip from November when we were losing games,
that's for sure," Emery said after turning aside 29 shots for his
second straight home-ice shutout and his third straight victory. "Now
we need to keep going and playing consistent like this."

Winners of just one of eight games from Nov. 23 through Dec. 12, the
Senators were sinking like the Titanic in the AHL's East Division.
But a team-wide commitment to defensive-zone coverage, 23 straight
penalty kills and 104 Emery saves in 107 shots since he returned from
an 11-day NHL call-up have the Senators playing better than when they
opened the season with five straight wins.

Hamel, whose season has paralleled the team's, busted a streak of 15
games without a goal last Sunday in Philadelphia and scored the
prettiest of his team-high 14 by breaking in short-handed and ripping
a shot over Bridgeport goalie Rick DiPietro's glove at 8:33 of the
first period.

"Once every 25 games you might get a (short-handed) breakaway like
that, so I just tried to make a good shot," Hamel said.

All of a sudden, it's that simple for Hamel and the Senators. Break
in on DiPietro -- starting his second (and final) game for Bridgeport
after asking the New York Islanders for an AHL conditioning stint
earlier this week -- and make a perfect shot.

And all of a sudden, shots that had been beating Emery, like center
Ben Guite's blast from the left circle five minutes into the second
period, are hitting the post. Guite insisted the puck hit the bar
inside the net and bounced out, but referee Gordon Dwyer disagreed
and waved off the would-be equalizer.

Like captain Chris Kelly six days earlier, Hamel scored an empty-
netter with one second left for the Senators, who've handed the Sound
Tigers' three of their six losses.

"When they're winning, players always say they're confident, but if
you do things right, you should be confident," coach John Paddock
said. "Right now, we're doing things right. What that translates to
(in 2004), who knows, but I like how we're playing."

http://www.newyorkislanders.com/news/worldjuniors123103.html

Wednesday's Prospect Update:
The Islander World Junior Participants

(Dec. 31) Sean Bergenheim - Bergenheim is one of Finland's leading
scorers with a goal and three assists over their first three games of
the tournament. His Finnish squad has a record a 2-1 with a loss to
Jeremy Colliton's Team Canada and wins over the Czech Republic and
the Ukraine. Finland beat the Ukraine 14-1 and in that game,
Bergenheim recorded a goal and two assists. He also has collected two
penalty minutes and a +1 plus/minus rating. The host team will
advance to the quarterfinals. The 2002 first rounder is on assignment
from the Isles to Team Finland.

Stephan Blaho - Blaho's Slovakian team has a record a 1-1-1 through
three games. They tied the Russia 2-2, lost to the United States, 0-
5, and defeated Austria, 6-0. The winger picked up two penalty
minutes against the Evgeni Tunik's Team Russia and the undefeated
Americans. Team Slovakia needs a win on Wednesday over Robert
Nilsson's Swedish club to advance to the next round. Blaho is the
Isles' 2003 fourth round pick playing with Sudbury of the OHL.

Jeremy Colliton - Team Canada has been an unstoppable force, so far.
Although the forward has only collected two penalty minutes, he has
played a major role in their penalty-killing scheme. With wins over
Bergenheim's Finland team, Switzerland, Ukraine and the Czech
Republic, Canada has cruised into the semifinals by going undefeated
(4-0) in round-robin play. Colliton was one of three second-rounders
from the 2003 Draft.

Robert Nilsson - Nilsson and Team Sweden opened up the Championship
in grand fashion with a 7-0 victory over Austria. The Isles' first
round draft pick from 2002 recorded an assist on the team's sixth
goal. Team Sweden then went on to lose two heartbreakers, a 5-3 loss
to Tunik's Team Russia and a 4-3 loss to the United States. Nilsson
had a goal and two penalty minutes versus the Russians, however his
team is on the verge of elimination from the tournament. Sweden needs
to defeat the Slovakians on Wednesday in order to advance to the next
round.

Evgeni Tunik - Tunik has had a quiet tournament so far, recording
only two penalty minutes against the United States. His Russian squad
has a 2-1-1 record with wins over Blaho's Team Slovakia and Austria
as they head into the quarterfinals of the WJC's. Tunik, a towering
forward, was one of three second-round picks by the Isles in the 2003
Draft.

Stefan Blaho had no stats in Canada's 5-2 win over Cze.

Evgeny Tunik had a two minute penalty in Russia's 4-1 loss to the
United States.

Sean Bergenheim had four shots in Finland's 2-0 win over Switzerland.

Robert Nilsson had two shots in Sweden's 1-0 loss to Slovakia.

http://www.newyorkislanders.com/gameday/pregame.html

New Year, Old Rivalry (7:30pm)
Islanders at Ottawa Senators
(FSNY, ESPN Radio 1050 AM)
By Francis Rizzo III

(Jan. 1) The Islanders ended 2003 on an up-note, with a six-game win
streak, and big wins against conference foes Philadelphia, Toronto
and New Jersey. The first game of the new year brings the chance to
add another big victory, when the boys in blue visit the Ottawa
Senators.

The Isles got a measure of revenge earlier in the season, beating the
Sens for the first time on Long Island since 1996. The win came in
the middle of a three-game winning streak at the beginning of
November, a bad month for Long Island hockey. The Isles would like to
do things a bit differently this time around, of course, but deja vu
against the Sens would be more than welcome.

November didn't treat the Senators any better as they went 4-6-1-2 as
the leaves began to fall. A preseason favorite, Ottawa's disappointed
at times, even going 0-0-1-1 against the last-place Penguins. But in
December, they got their hockey legs back, and enter Thursday's game
on a seven-game unbeaten streak and a two-game winning streak.

The road's been rough for the Islanders this season, though they have
three wins in their past three games away from the Coliseum. But
thanks to the six-game road losing streak that preceded those
victories, the Islanders road record stands at 5-9-2-1. The odds,
therefore, favor Ottawa, as the Sens have been comfortable at home,
with a 10-7-3-2 record. Their undefeated streak at home stretches
over five games, allowing just 11 goals in that span.

Despite their November swoon, the Sens are a top-five team in several
categories, including goals and goals against. Their lowest-ranking
is 18th in the league, which is their times shorthanded. In the rest,
they are 11th or higher. The Isles have begun climbing the ladder
statistically, moving up to 19th in penalty killing, where they once
reigned as number one overall.

In the last Isles-Sens contest, the Isles picked up a 6-3 win at the
Coliseum, despite being outshot, 32-26. Oleg Kvasha had the game-
winning goal, as six Islanders buried chances, while Shawn Bates,
Adrian Aucoin and Mariusz Czerkawski had two points apiece. Rick
DiPietro stopped 29 of 32 Ottawa shots, with help from six successful
Islander penalty kills. The Isles scored on one of their two chances
with the advantage.

Fans who enjoyed seeing the Devils often in December should get a
kick out of January, which is peppered with three games against
Ottawa, wrapping up the season series. The two squads will play three
contests in 19 days, facing off twice in Ottawa, before returning to
Long Island on January 19th for the regular season finale. The Sens
hold a huge edge in the two franchises' history, with the Islanders
record after 11 years stands at 9-24-10-1.
****************************************
http://www.newyorkislanders.com/gameday/insider.html

The Insider
Islanders at Ottawa Senators
7:30 p.m., January 1 @ Corel Centre
by Francis Rizzo III

(Jan. 1) The Book on the Senators
Considered one of the best young teams in the game, Ottawa's scored
the second-most goals in the East and has allowed the third-least.
Equally adept at home or on the road, the Senators have picked up
their game in recent weeks, to go 6-1-3-0 in their past 10, after
losing five times in the previous 10.

The Senators are led by Marian Hossa in goals, assists and points,
and by Daniel Alfredsson in powerplay points. Zdeno Chara leads
Ottawa's blueliners in scoring, while his fellow defender Wade Redden
is tops in ice time, playing over 25 minutes a game. Emerging forward
Peter Schaefer has the plus/minus lead with a +15 and Chris Neil's 77
penalty minutes are the highest in Canada's capital.

Who's Hot
Todd White helped fill some of the void left by Alexei Yashin's
departure from Ottawa over the past two years, but he's been slowed
by repeated shoulder injuries this season and is on pace for just 15
goals this season. He's come on strong lately, though, picking up
five points in his past five games, including a pair of game-winners
and a shorthanded goal.

Who's Not
After three seasons of improvement in Ottawa, Martin Havlat's stalled
a bit in year four, with seven goals on the season and just one point
in his past four games. Havlat missed training camp and the first
five games of the season thanks to a contract hold-out, a situation
that's rarely conducive to a good season.

Between the Pipes
The main man in Ottawa is still Patrick Lalime, as it's been for the
past three years, but he's got to be feeling the heat from back-up
Martin Prusek. After all, in his past six starts, Prusek's lost just
once. He took advantage of Lalime's flu in early December to get four
straight starts, before suffering a back injury. Lalime's played the
majority since, but has just two wins in his past four. In Lalime's
career against the Isles, he's 8-5-2.

Last Time Out
Ottawa stretched their unbeaten streak to five with a 3-0 win at home
against the Boston Bruins Tuesday. Martin Prusek stopped 24 Boston
shots for the shutout, as Todd White put away the shorthanded game-
winner 14 minutes into the first period. Just over 30 seconds apart,
Marian Hossa and Antoine Vermette provided insurance goals in the
second. Neither team scored on their five powerplay chances.

On the Island
The Islanders spent New Year's Eve Day in Pittsburgh, and wrapped up
2003 with a six-game winning streak, beating the Penguins, 6-1. Jason
Blake had a four-point game, while Garth Snow stopped 21 shots for
his sixth-straight victory. The powerplay connected for a sixth-
straight game as well, and Oleg Kvasha buried a shorthanded goal, the
second of his career.

Go To Guy
Trent Hunter's emergence as a legitimate every-shift threat has been
a theme to this Islanders season. And it took another step forward
Wednesday, as he put away another pair of goals, his first after
being held without a goal in seven-straight. The three-point game
against the Penguins pushed him further ahead of his fellow rookies,
a spot he's gotten comfortable in despite trailing most of the top
freshman in games played by five or six contests. He's not just
scoring, though. He's scoring important goals, picking up his fifth
game-winner of the season Wednesday.

In the Nets
Garth Snow took the ice for a 12th straight game and made his
requisite save-of-the-game, helping the Isles to a blow-out win
against one of his former teams. In his past five games, he's allowed
just eight goals. Playing marathon hockey is nothing new to Snow,
though, as he played 10 straight for the Islanders late last season.
Before being called up, Dieter Kochan was ranked tenth in the AHL in
goals-against and save percentage.

3 Star-gazing
1 - Trent Hunter (3-4-0)
2 - Garth Snow (2-3-3)
3 - Mark Parrish (4-0-1)

In the Corners
Thursday's game is the second of the four-game season series... The
Isles hold a one-game edge after a 6-3 win on Long Island in early
November... Eric Godard was scratched Saturday... Ex-Isles to Watch:
Zdeno Chara (1997-2001), Wade Redden (1995 Draft Pick) and Bryan
Smolinski (1996-1999).
******************************************
http://www.newyorkislanders.com/gameday/scoop.html

The Scoop on the... Ottawa Senators
By Corey Witt

(Jan. 1) Happy New Year! Now let's get back to business, and that
means a date in the Canadian Capital.

There's no time for celebrating the New Year as the Islanders are in
Canada's capital for a New Year's Day rumble against the Ottawa
Senators. Unlike the Isles, the Sens, who are playing superb hockey
lately, had New Year's Eve off.

Where They Stand:
The Senators have been a hot team by gaining 15 points in their last
10 games. A record of 18-10-5-3 seats them in second place in the
Northeast Division, eight points behind first-place Toronto. In the
Eastern Conference, Ottawa ranks fifth with 44 points. On home ice at
the Corel Centre, Ottawa currently has a five-game unbeaten streak
and a 10-7-3-2 home record. Overall, the Senators are rolling on a
six-game winning streak.

Opponent Rumblings:
Ottawa is coming off a very strong December as they finished up 2003
with nine wins in 14 games. In that month alone, they collected 21
out of their 44 points in the standings. In half those games, they
allowed one or fewer goals -- and the most goals they gave up was
three, which only happened once. The Senators are playing some of the
best hockey in the NHL right now, which should make this match-up
very interesting.

"We've had a great December and it's something we want to continue on
into this month," said defenseman Chris Phillips in the Ottawa
Sun, "and for the rest of the season."

"It was a pretty good month," Sens' Head Coach Jacques Martin added
in the Sun. "Both the games that we lost, we could have won. Against
New Jersey (a 2-1 loss), we played pretty good but had some
breakdowns at the end. And against Boston (a 3-2 loss), we had a
chance to win, too. We've just got to keep it going."

Ottawa didn't have a fast start as many expected, and they decided to
refocus and change their tempo. It appears that the Sens are playing
with all gears going, as most NHL observers expected them to be doing
at this point in the season.

"We're playing more like we did last year," said Todd White in the
Sun. "We're limiting the other team's chances. For the most part,
we're playing better defensively and we're creating offence off the
turnovers."

Our confidence has been high," said Daniel Alfredsson. "We're not
shooting ourselves in the foot as much anymore. Earlier, we wanted to
win so bad, it hurt us. We were going after goals all the time and
not taking care of our own end. Now, we're playing better
defensively."

In other news… When Senators' defenseman Curtis Leschyshyn hits the
ice tonight, it will be his 1,000 NHL game. The 35-year-old
Leschyshyn was originally drafted in the first round by Quebec. He
moved with the franchise when they relocated to Colorado and had
spent a total of nine NHL seasons in that organization.

"To be honest, I didn't think I'd be around this long, not when I
first started," said Leschyshyn in the Sun. "You hope when you get
into the league that you can play for a long time. A lot of it
depends on what you do on the ice and what it takes to stay healthy.
I've been fortunate to get this far. I've missed some games along the
way. You play for your team, and that's the goal every night, but
this is a nice accomplishment. Just to be able to be in the game that
long is nice."

Stat Watch:
The Ottawa Senators goal total of 113 relies heavily on two men.
Captain Daniel Alfredsson and Marian Hossa anchor the right wing
position on the Sens' two top lines. Hossa leads the team in goals
scored with 16, assists with 22, and in points with 38. Alfredsson is
in a close second in each category with 14 goals, 20 helpers and 34
points. The two even take the most amount of shots on the club with
117 and 101, with Hossa holding the advantage.

Although the Senators have a high-octane offense, their defense does
not struggle as a result. As a team, they have a collective
plus/minus of +103 with Peter Schaefer leading the way with a +15.
Zdeno Chara is a close second with a +14. Forward Petr Schastlivy is
the only Senator regular who has a negative rating, with a -1. Chris
Neil leads Ottawa in penalty minutes with 77.

In the crease, Patrik Lalime is turning in another respectable season
as the Senators starting goaltender. In 26 appearances, he compiled a
record of 12-10-4 with a goals against average of 2.18 and a save
percentage of .907. He also has one shutout, which came against the
Mighty Ducks of Anaheim. His back-up, Martin Prusek, has emerged as a
solid back-up. In 11 appearances, Prusek has collect two shutouts off
of a 5-3-1 record. His GAA and save percentage is a low 1.85 and a
high .930, respectively.

Infirmary Report:
The Senators have two injuries logged into their medical report.
Winger Vaclav Varada is out with a left knee injury, which will keep
him out for about four week as of Dec. 13. Defenseman Anton
Volchenkov will miss the next 3-4 months with a torn labrum in his
right shoulder. Both players are on the Injured Reserve.

Blue Jackets coach resigns, remains general manager

By RUSTY MILLER, AP Sports Writer

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) -- Doug MacLean resigned Thursday as coach of the
Columbus Blue Jackets, who have the worst record in the NHL. He will
remain president and general manager.

Assistant coach Gerard Gallant, a former NHL player, will replace
MacLean. The Blue Jackets next play at Tampa Bay on Friday.

MacLean, who has led the front office since the team was formed in
1998 and took the coaching job in June, decided to resign as coach
after talking several times with team owner John McConnell.

The 49-year-old MacLean had a record of 24-43-8-4 with the Blue
Jackets. He stepped down less than a year after firing Dave King and
appointing himself interim coach.

The Blue Jackets are in last place in the Central Division with a
record of 9-21-4-3 and a league-low 25 points -- despite having the
league''s leading goal scorer in Rick Nash (23).

Columbus lost 1-0 at home Wednesday to the San Jose Sharks, the
club''s NHL-high 12th one-goal loss of the season.

The 40-year-old Gallant has been an assistant with the Blue Jackets
since the inaugural 2000-01 season. Before joining the organization,
he spent five seasons coaching in the juniors and minors.

Gallant played 600 NHL games, including nearly a decade at left wing
for the Detroit Red Wings.

"He played in the NHL for over 10 years and knows the league
extremely well," MacLean said of Gallant. "I have great confidence
that working with our coaching staff, he will make this transition
smoothly as we head into the second half of the season."

Last season, Columbus was 14-20-4-2 before King was fired, and 15-22-
4-1 under MacLean. The Blue Jackets finished with 69 points and the
third-worst record in the league.

MacLean joined the expansion Blue Jackets as general manager two
years after leading Florida to the Stanley Cup playoffs for the first
time. He went 83-71-33 in a little over two seasons coaching the
Panthers.

Islanders-Senators Preview
GAME: New York Islanders (19-15-2-1) at Ottawa Senators (18-10-5-3).

TIME: Thursday, 7:30 p.m. EST.
If the New York Islanders have a New Year's resolution, they should
just keep it to themselves. Things are going too well to start
jinxing things now.

The Islanders will try to follow up their best December since their
Stanley Cup dynasty of the 1980s with a strong start to January as
they take on the surging Ottawa Senators at the Corel Centre.

The Islanders closed out their most successful December since the
1983-84 season -- the season their quest for a fifth straight Stanley
Cup championship ended with a five-game finals series loss to
Edmonton -- with Wednesday's 6-1 win in Pittsburgh, their sixth in a
row.

New York beat the rival New Jersey Devils three times while going 10-
4-0-1 during the month -- more wins than it had in December and
January combined last season. The 1983-84 Islanders went 10-3-2 in
December 1983.

"They are playing better than anyone in the league right now,"
Penguins coach Eddie Olczyk said of the Islanders.

Jason Blake had two goals and two assists, and rookie Trent Hunter
had his third two-goal game to lead the streaking Islanders.

"Our confidence is a lot higher now," said Hunter, who leads NHL
rookies with 14 goals and 10 assists and has 12 points in his last 13
games. "We'd get down a goal or two before and the wind would go out
of our sails, now we're sticking to our game plan no matter what the
score is."

The proof is in the numbers:

- Garth Snow has been tremendous in goal since seizing the No. 1 spot
from Rick DiPietro, going 9-2-0-1 with a 2.07 goals-against average
and a .927 save percentage in his last 12 games.
- Defenseman Adrian Aucoin was a plus-3 Wednesday, raising his league-
leading plus-minus rating to plus-26.
- The Islanders are 12-3-1-1 when rugged center Dave Scatchard plays.
He missed 20 games with a shoulder injury.
- The Islanders are 32-0-4-0 in the last 36 games they lead after two
periods.
Much of that success comes after a seven-game losing streak and after
the Islanders lost their best player, center Alexei Yashin, for three
months with an arm injury on Dec. 23, five games ago.

The Islanders beat the Senators 6-3 at home in October in the first
meeting this season, their first win over Ottawa at Nassau Coliseum
since 1996.

However, the Senators still own a 25-9-10 lead in the all-time
series, including a 12-5-4 mark in Ottawa.

Martin Prusek stopped 24 shots and Todd White scored an unassisted
short-handed goal in the first period as the Senators extended their
undefeated streak to seven games (5-0-2) with a 3-0 win over Boston
on Tuesday.

"We have been getting the breaks lately that we've not got earlier in
the year," leading scorer Marian Hossa said.

So I guess Robert Nilsson's WJC tournament is over now and his performance was
totally unexcusable as has his season in Sweden has been. When he was drafted
alot of scouts were concerned w/ his dropoff since he was 15 when he was
considered the future #1 overall pick. When you consider this year, you come to
a very negative conclusion. To make it worse Nilsson will always be compared to
Zach Parise who seems to be on his way to being named All Tournament 1st team
Forward. My guess is when The Hockey News does their Annual Prospect Rankings in
February Parise will be ranked around #5 and Nilsson about 40th.

  Kevin

   ----- Original Message -----
   From: billbarrisles
   To: Islanders-SoundTigers@yahoogroups.com
   Sent: Thursday, January 01, 2004 8:31 AM
   Subject: [Islanders-SoundTigers] Wednesday's Islander Prospect Results at the
WJC...


   Stefan Blaho had no stats in Canada's 5-2 win over Cze.

   Evgeny Tunik had a two minute penalty in Russia's 4-1 loss to the
   United States.

   Sean Bergenheim had four shots in Finland's 2-0 win over Switzerland.

   Robert Nilsson had two shots in Sweden's 1-0 loss to Slovakia.





   This is Islander-Sound Tiger Country.
   Check out the Sound Tigers Booster club at: http://www.soundtigerboosters.com

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   Happy Holidays 2003 !!!!






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[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Remember the game a couple of months ago when the Rangers beat the Isles because
of 2 disallowed goals? Well I decided to write down the ref's name's from
that game to see if there is any correlation. The 2 ref's that night were Dan
Marouelli and Shane Heyer. You know who was on the ice when Peca had his goal
disallowed?
Shane Heyer! That's 3 goals for Shane Heyer and counting.

  Kevin
   ----- Original Message -----
   From: billbarrisles
   To: Islanders-SoundTigers@yahoogroups.com
   Sent: The Islanders closed out their most successful December since the
   1983-84 season -- the season their quest for a fifth straight Stanley
   Cup championship ended with a five-game finals series loss to
   Edmonton -- with Wednesday's 6-1 win in Pittsburgh, their sixth in a
   row.

   New York beat the rival New Jersey Devils three times while going 10-
   4-0-1 during the month -- more wins than it had in December and
   January combined last season. The 1983-84 Islanders went 10-3-2 in
   December 1983.

   "They are playing better than anyone in the league right now,"
   Penguins coach Eddie Olczyk said of the Islanders.

   Jason Blake had two goals and two assists, and rookie Trent Hunter
   had his third two-goal game to lead the streaking Islanders.

   "Our confidence is a lot higher now," said Hunter, who leads NHL
   rookies with 14 goals and 10 assists and has 12 points in his last 13
   games. "We'd get down a goal or two before and the wind would go out
   of our sails, now we're sticking to our game plan no matter what the
   score is."

   The proof is in the numbers:

   - Garth Snow has been tremendous in goal since seizing the No. 1 spot
   from Rick DiPietro, going 9-2-0-1 with a 2.07 goals-against average
   and a .927 save percentage in his last 12 games.
   - Defenseman Adrian Aucoin was a plus-3 Wednesday, raising his league-
   leading plus-minus rating to plus-26.
   - The Islanders are 12-3-1-1 when rugged center Dave Scatchard plays.
   He missed 20 games with a shoulder injury.
   - The Islanders are 32-0-4-0 in the last 36 games they lead after two
   periods.
   Much of that success comes after a seven-game losing streak and after
   the Islanders lost their best player, center Alexei Yashin, for three
   months with an arm injury on Dec. 23, five games ago.

   The Islanders beat the Senators 6-3 at home in October in the first
   meeting this season, their first win over Ottawa at Nassau Coliseum
   since 1996.

   However, the Senators still own a 25-9-10 lead in the all-time
   series, including a 12-5-4 mark in Ottawa.

   Martin Prusek stopped 24 shots and Todd White scored an unassisted
   short-handed goal in the first period as the Senators extended their
   undefeated streak to seven games (5-0-2) with a 3-0 win over Boston
   on Tuesday.

   "We have been getting the breaks lately that we've not got earlier in
   the year," leading scorer Marian Hossa said.






   This is Islander-Sound Tiger Country.
   Check out the Sound Tigers Booster club at: http://www.soundtigerboosters.com

   To change how you receive mail from this group please go to the list homepage
at:

   http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Islanders-SoundTigers/

   THIS IS ISLANDER-SOUND TIGER COUNTRY
   Happy Holidays 2003 !!!!






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     c.. Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the Yahoo! Terms of Service.




[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

--- In Islanders-SoundTigers@yahoogroups.com, Kevin Hasbrouck
<islesks2@o...> wrote:

> So I guess Robert Nilsson's WJC tournament is over now and his
performance was totally unexcusable as has his season in Sweden has
been.>>>

   I don't feel that way at all. From everything I have read he is
being played like Bergenheim and Papineau were here and how
Bergenheim was played last year at Jokerit, which means he has to
wait his turn and it may not come for a while or this season. If he
does not see the ice he is not going to get much of an opportunity.

   Nilsson also plays in a professional veteran league. It's not the
college league Parise is in. The level of competition is much
higher.

<< When he was drafted alot of scouts were concerned w/ his dropoff
since he was 15 when he was considered the future #1 overall pick.
When you consider this year, you come to a very negative
conclusion.<<<

   For me, when he finally get's an opportunity on a teams top two
lines we will know a little more. He was rated high enough going into
the draft where it was not a reach for him to be taken where the
Isles took him. So at this time (and for a few years at least) I have
no conclusions to draw from his numbers after 2/3's of a season in
the European Leagues where he is not playing enough.

<<< To make it worse Nilsson will always be compared to Zach Parise
who seems to be on his way to being named All Tournament 1st team
Forward. My guess is when The Hockey News does their Annual Prospect
Rankings in February Parise will be ranked around #5 and Nilsson
about 40th.>>>>

   Here's the thing. Parise's team is favored to win and has a major
role on his team. Nilsson's team is not expected to win and who knows
if he is the key player on his team.  This is a week-long tournament
where players are thrown together.

   Patience my friend.

   Bill

--- In Islanders-SoundTigers@yahoogroups.com, Kevin Hasbrouck
<islesks2@o...> wrote:

> Remember the game a couple of months ago when the Rangers beat the
Isles because of 2 disallowed goals? Well I decided to write down the
ref's name's from that game to see if there is any correlation. The 2
ref's that night were Dan Marouelli and Shane Heyer. You know who was
on the ice when Peca had his goal disallowed?

> Shane Heyer! That's 3 goals for Shane Heyer and counting.>>>

   If your referring to the Penguins game, I think your right. If your
referring to the officials who somehow disregarded Cairns being
kicked intentionally that could have cost the Isles a lot more than
one game, the officials should be called on the carpet for missing
that and hand down a suspension.

   Never want the Isles to go looking for a fight, but if the Senators
scored an open-net goal, I was hoping the Isles put every fighter
they had on the ice and took care of Hossa.
(I think he was the one who kicked Carins)

   No excuse for something like that, he knew exactly what he was
trying to do and after Yashin getting cut it's clear a player could
have his career ended from something like that.

   Bill

http://www.newyorkislanders.com/gameday/postgame010104.html

Late Ottawa Goal Break Isles' Streak
Ottawa 1, Islanders 0
By Kerry Gwydir

(Jan. 1) Peter Schaefer's goal with 5:55 to go was the difference in
a 1-0 Ottawa in on Thursday at the Corel Centre. The Islanders were
without Michael Peca (mild groin strain), and lost Mark Parrish early
in this one with a left ankle sprain after getting hit by Ottawa's
Chris Phillips.

The Isles were without Michael Peca, who missed this battle with a
mild groin strain. The injury facilitated the recall of left winger
Derek Bekar from Bridgeport. It turned out that Shawn Bates would
fill in at center for Peca, as he switched from left wing with Trent
Hunter remaining on the right.

Justin Papineau, who filled Bates' slot on the left side for the
game, posted the first scoring opportunity of the night on the second
shift of the evening. Papineau whipped a backhander through Hunter's
screen and was denied by Patrick Lalime's right pad.

The Islanders received more injury news two shifts later when Mark
Parrish was taken into the Sens' end boards heavily by Ottawa d-man
Chris Phillips. The right wing injured his left knee as it became
twisted up on the hit. Parrish suffered a left ankle sprain and did
not return. He'll be re-evaluated on Friday.

Arron Asham drew the first powerplay of the game with a strong move
to the front of the net in which Ottawa defender Wade Redden tripped
up the winger. The Isles had several quality scoring chances, but
Lalime denied a pair of blasts from Adrian Aucoin through Dace
Scatchard screens.

The Islander coverage had some trouble soon after that as they gave
away the puck three times deep in their own zone after the man-up
situation expired. Garth Snow, making his 13th-straight appearance,
made several key stops including a point-blank snapshot from the high
slot after Antoine Vermette stole the puck deep in the Isles' end and
fed Shaun Van Allen at the top of the hashmarks.

But Steve Stirling's team immediately regrouped and went on the
offensive seven minutes in. Shawn Bates nearly snuck a wristshot off
a 2-on-1 through Lalime's arm and chest, but was bailed out by an
alert clear by his defense as the puck sat on the goal lone. The same
instance happened to Snow on the next shift as Zdeno Chara snuck a
close-in shot from a sharp angle through the Islander keeper.
Scatchard prevented a goal when he knocked the loose disc out of the
crease.

The Isles had one of the better early scoring chances in the first
five minutes of the second period when Scatchard intercepted an
Ottawa pass in center ice and transitioned the other way. The center
then sprung Mariusz Czerkawski the other way with Chara attempting to
catch up. The right wing managed to place a soft backhander on net
that Lalime pushed aside and Chara attempting a diving pokecheck.

That chance ignited the Isles for the next seven minutes as Oleg
Kvasha nearly tipped a Czerkawski blast from the top of the slot over
Lalime, who managed to get a piece of his shoulder on the try. After
that, Bates put together a pair of quality scoring threats that the
Ottawa netminder thwarted. First, Bates danced through the slot and
placed a forehand try on net that Lalime kicked away. Then he and
Bekar followed up the rebound and nearly poked the second try under
the downed goaltender.

Then it was Snow who answered with a big-time stop of a sure-goal
midway through the period. Speedy Martin Havlat circled the Islander
net and found Antoine Vermette unchecked in the slot for a prime
chance that Snow repelled with his blocker.

Another sloppy play by the Senators in their own zone led to
Scatchard forcing Lalime to post another stellar stop with a minute
left in the second. A steal by Hunter at the Ottawa blueline led to a
3-on-2 in the Sens' end. Trailing the play was Scatchard, who rifled
Hunter's drop-pass on net where the Ottawa goaltender dropped to the
ice to corral the shot.

The Isles' had the best early scoring opportunity in the first minute
and a half of the third as Mattias Weinhandl had the puck on his
stickblade in the high slot unchecked. Blake set up this opportunity
by forcing the play to Lalime's neck and whacking the puck out front,
but Weinhandl's forehand wristshot missed right.

Then it was Snow's turn to keep things ever after a bout involving
Asham and Chris Neill. Ottawa's Phillips joined the rush late and
tried a wrister inside the left faceoff circle that Snow gobbled up
in his chest protector. The Islander goaltender made a solid paddle
stop on the doorstep as Martin Havlat chopped a loose puck through a
screen that made its way on net.

On the next shift, Kvasha went the other way and danced around Ottawa
d-man Shane Hnidy for an unchecked scoring threat in the high slot.
The center tried a wrister, but missed high over Lalime's glove.

Schaefer tallied his goal as three Islanders went to Karel Rachunek,
who feathered a dish from behind the Islander net. The Ottawa forward
was left alone to pot his shot over Snow.

Down a goal, the Islanders pulled Snow for the extra attacker with
1:08 remaining in the third. However as they played the puck deep in
Ottawa’s zone, Kvasha was penalized for goaltender interference. That
call sealed the game as the Isles could only match on-ice manpower
with the Senators. Snow was pulled again for the extra skater at the
19:24 mark, but the Islanders couldn’t find the late equalizer.
*************************************
http://www.canoe.ca/NewsStand/OttawaSun/Sports/2004/01/02/302043.html

  Fri, January 2, 2004

The winning edge
It wasn't pretty, but Sens' streak at eight
By CHRIS STEVENSON, Ottawa Sun

Senators 1, Islanders 0 A little ugly, said Senators coach Jacques
Martin.

Maybe that's the way it looked from where Martin was standing.

It looked a little different from where Patrick Lalime was parked.

"I don't mind those games," said the Senators goaltender, who turned
back all 32 shots by the New York Islanders to backstop the Senators
to their second straight shutout win -- 1-0 at a sold-out Corel
Centre last night.

Lalime, who has had his ups and downs this season -- which is like
saying Paris Hilton kind of pops up in spam in your e-mail these
days -- had his second shutout of the season and the 30th of his
career.

Senators winger Peter Schaefer continued his fine play with the only
goal of the game with a little less than six minutes to play in the
third period, taking a pass from defenceman Karel Rachunek and
beating Islanders goaltender Garth Snow high to the glove side.

The win extended the Senators' unbeaten streak to eight games (6-0-2)
heading into tomorrow night's meeting with the Washington Capitals at
the Corel Centre.

The win was just the Senators' third in 14 one-goal decisions this
year.

"It's good to get on a streak," said Schaefer, who now has nine goals
on the season. "You enjoy coming to the rink.

"We're coming along. Winning a game like this gives us confidence.
We've got some patience. Hopefully, we can build on this and go on a
nice run in the second half."

The win gave the Senators a 19-10-5-3 record and allowed them to
carve two points off the Toronto Maple Leafs' lead atop the Northeast
Division. The Leafs lost to the Boston Bruins last night to remain at
52 points. The Senators now have 46, with two games in hand.

The Senators also pulled to within a point of the New Jersey Devils
for fourth place n the Eastern Conference as the Devils tied the
Capitals.

"It was fun tonight," said Lalime. "You just want to make the big
save and not give up the first goal. You want to hold your ground. We
got it with five minutes left."

Lalime has had a lot on his mind lately. His second child is due
today. With a road trip looming next week, the baby will arrive no
later than Sunday, since Marie-Helene Lalime will be induced if the
baby hasn't been born by then.

On the ice, Lalime said he hasn't been bothered by the criticism he's
received over his struggles earlier this season.

"It's been the story of my career. I know sometimes you don't play
your best hockey. You just want to get out of it," he said. "You
stick to your guns and keep focusing the same way."

Games between the Senators and Islanders always have their share of
passion, and this was no exception.

The Islanders came in on a six-game winning streak and were just
three points behind the Senators. Most of the fancy stuff was
replaced by some hard-nosed hockey, including a good dust-up between
Ottawa's Chris Neil and the Islanders' Arron Asham.

"I think it's one of those games sometimes you need to win," said
Senators coach Jacques Martin. "We probably lost some games we should
have won earlier. I don't know if it's New Year's Day or whatever it
is, our passing wasn't as sharp as it's been. It was a struggle.

"It was a game with a lot of missed plays."

The Senators had the one that clicked when it mattered.
***************************************
http://www.canoe.ca/NewsStand/OttawaSun/Sports/2004/01/02/302071.html

Schaefer steals show
Senators forward starts the New Year with a bang
By DON BRENNAN, Ottawa Sun

Senators 1, Islanders 0 Peter Schaefer went and spoiled everything
last night.

Garth Snow's shutout. The winning streak of the NHL's hottest team.
Ottawa's chance at repeating history.

Everything.

By sneaking away from all Islanders so that he had plenty of room in
the slot to put the finishing touches on Karel Rachunek's determined
offensive-zone work, Schaefer scored the only goal of the game with
just 5:55 remaining.

The Senators, who are now 3-1-1 in New Year's Day contests, have four
0-0 ties since their return to the NHL in 1992. Coincidentally, one
of them came on Jan. 1, 1998, in Boston.

How many teams can boast of starting off a new calendar with
scoreless draws twice?

"It was a tough game, one of those times you just had to be patient,"
Schaefer said afterwards, a hunk of ice that made him look like the
Hunchback of Notre Dame under his shirt to relieve sore ribs. "Karel
made a great play, and I was fortunate enough to be open. I just put
it upstairs on the glove side. I always try to do that when I have a
chance like that."

Schaefer, known for more than his offence, now has nine goals --
three more than he had all last season, his first in Ottawa. It was
appropriate that he beat the Islanders last night when he started to
play like the Schaefer the Senators thought they were getting when
they acquired him.

"I think he's really feeling comfortable this year," said coach
Jacques Martin. "It was probably in the playoffs last year when he
started to compete really well, started to play hard. I think this
year he's played very well and competed hard every night."

Well enough and hard enough to spoil everything last night.

STARTS AND STOPS: Zdeno Chara is closing the gap on Chris Neil in the
team PIMs race. Chara, who in recent games has spilt Hal Gill's blood
and Matthew Barnaby's chicklets, didn't beat on any Isles last night,
although he and Dave Scatchard came close three times. Probably a
good thing, too, as the knuckles on Chara's left hand are still
sliced from the pounding Gill's face gave them Tuesday. "I wasn't
looking for it," Chara, who has 72 PIMs to Neil's 77, said of the
scrap with the big Bruin. "I was sticking up for my teammates.
Schaefer and (Todd) White were getting pushed around. It just turned
out the way it did." ... Curtis Leschshyn looked like he wanted to
mark the occasion of his 1,000th NHL game with his 48th career goal,
especially in the first period when he registered just his 14th shot
on net this season and, a little later on, snuck in behind Isles'
blueliners for a great chance he put just wide. Earlier in the day,
it was suggested to the finely tuned 34-year-old that he consider
aiming for a 2,000th game. "Are you still drunk from last night?," he
asked the reporter, while shaking his head and chuckling. Of course,
only 191 other players have skated in 1,000 games, and not even
Gordie Howe or Mark Messier have gone as high as 1,800 ... Leschyshyn
has a souvenir puck from last night's historic game, thanks to team
massage therapist Brad Joyal. "I think he got about six of them that
were used throughout the night," said Leschyshyn. "That was a nice
gesture by Brad." ... Snow played okay, but the logo on his chest was
especially sharp, with early game saves off Martin Havlat, Schaefer
and Radek Bonk.

BETWEEN PERIODS: Little known fact is that Steve Stirling's initial
claim to fame dates back almost 28 years. As a minor leaguer playing
in Binghamton, the Isles coach had a bit part in the original Slap
Shot. It was, he told Cheapseats yesterday, only a tiny bit. "Three
or four seconds," Stirling, who was 26 at the time, said of his
cameo. "It was a fight scene. I was holding onto somebody while
(Paul) Newman was fighting somebody else over my shoulder." Stirling
was paid well for the waltz, however. "I cashed the cheque right
away, I'm no fool, but I did keep a copy of it," he said. "For what
turned out to be three days work, I got one week's room and board and
$1,000. It was a lot of money back in 1976, more than I was making
playing hockey. And it was great fun. I remember it well. One thing
God gave me was a memory. Not much else, but I've got a memory." ....
When Chara went down from the breeze of Jason Blake's stick in the
first, the first Ottawa power-play unit over the boards was Shaun Van
Allen, Neil and Petr Schastlivy. Think Martin was a little unhappy
with the performance from his stars a little earlier with Oleg Kvasha
in the box? ... How hot were the Isles coming in? They were riding a
six-game winning streak -- their longest in 10 years -- and had put
up 10 wins in a month for the first time in 20 years. "Everyone has
come together as a group," said Scatchard, whose team lost Alexei
Yashin for three months with a lacerated arm a couple of weeks
ago. "We're playing really unselfishly, there are no personal goals
at all." ... Mike Fisher missed his second straight game and is also
doubtful for tomorrow's visit by Washington. The swelling in his
surgically repaired elbow, along with the cold symptoms he picked up
near the end of 2003, have combined to keep Fisher from skating the
past few days ... Nearing the mid-season pole, the easy choice for
the Norris Trophy is Adrian Aucoin. The Gloucester native is tied for
fifth in defencemen scoring, but he's also the league's plus-minus
leader at plus-25 while eating up large amounts of ice time. "The
biggest thing is not getting scored on, it's something every
defenceman takes pride in," Aucoin said yesterday morning about his
hefty plus figure. "A lot of times, there's a lot of luck involved."
The Isles are lucky to have him
********************************************
http://www.canoe.ca/NewsStand/OttawaSun/Sports/2004/01/02/302067.html

Fri, January 2, 2004

GameStory
By CHRIS STEVENSON, Ottawa Sun

HOW THEY SCORED: Senators 1, Islanders 0

FIRST PERIOD

No scoring.

SECOND PERIOD

No scoring.

THIRD PERIOD

1. SENS: After a dash by Karel Rachunek into the corner and having
the puck bounce off a broken Islanders' stick, Rachunek centres it to
Schaefer, who fires the puck over Snow's glove hand. Sens 1, Isles 0

3 STARS:

Selected by Chris Stevenson

1. LALIME, Senators

2. SNOW, Islanders

3. SCHAEFER, Senators
****************************************
http://www.canada.com/ottawa/ottawacitizen/news/sports/story.html?
id=3d1e375b-8387-4b27-9e9d-71d571bcb5ee

Lalime's turn to shine
Senators blank, Islanders; Senators 1, Islanders 0

Ken Warren
The Ottawa Citizen

Friday, January 02, 2004

Ottawa Senators goaltender Patrick Lalime has plenty to celebrate
with the dawn of a new year.

Lalime got things started last night by stopping 32 shots to lead the
Senators to a tight-checking 1-0 win against the undermanned New York
Islanders.

The Senators (19-10-5-3) have gone 134 minutes since allowing a goal,
and last night's victory extended their undefeated streak to eight
games (6-0-2). They're within two points of the New Jersey Devils for
fourth spot in the Eastern Conference and within six points of the
first-place Toronto Maple Leafs.

To top all that off, Lalime's wife, Marie-Helene, is due to deliver
their second child today.

Nothing like bringing in 2004 in style.

"I don't mind those games, but I don't know what the show is like for
the fans," Lalime said after registering his first shutout of the
season and the 29th of his career. "It was one of those games. It's
always a tough battle against (the Islanders). It's always physical
against them, and they played well."

Peter Schaefer provided the only offence necessary last night, taking
a pretty feed from defenceman Karel Rachunek and beating Islanders
goaltender Garth Snow with a shot high to the trapper side with 5:55
remaining.

Schaefer was wide open in the slot, a rare event for a game in which
the Islanders did an outstanding job of clogging up the middle and
limiting the number of scoring chances.

"It was a great pass and I had a little bit of time, and that's
usually where I go if I have time," Schaefer said. "They played a
strong game. It was a defensive battle out there, and it was probably
my only open chance all game."

The Islanders (19-16-2-1) came into the game on a season-high six-
game winning streak including a 6-1 romp over the Pittsburgh Penguins
on Wednesday, but they were also severely shorthanded.

Former Senators star Alexei Yashin hasn't played since he had two
tendons in his right arm severed by the skate of Philadelphia Flyers
forward Michal Handzus in a game on Dec. 23. He isn't expected back
until the middle of February.

The Islanders were also without captain Mike Peca because of an
injured groin, and they lost right-winger Mark Parrish with an ankle
injury three minutes into last night's game.

Still, the Islanders outplayed the Senators and would have skated out
of the Corel Centre if not for Lalime, who was at his best during a
flurry midway through the second period.

"It has been the story of my career," Lalime said when asked about
criticism he has received for his shaky start to the
season. "Sometimes, you don't play your best hockey, but you want to
get out of it by sticking to your guns. I just want to keep it simple
and have fun out there."

Off the ice, Lalime is a bundle of nerves, hoping his wife delivers
the new baby before the Senators leave on a four-game road trip on
Sunday.

Regardless of what happens on the Lalime front, Senators coach
Jacques Martin knows he'll have a hot goaltender in net against the
Washington Capitals tomorrow night.

Backup goalie Martin Prusek shut out the Boston Bruins 3-0 on
Tuesday. He's fourth in the NHL in goals-against average (1.85) and
save percentage (.930).

Martin acknowledged that last night's victory was far from a
masterpiece, but, after watching the Senators lose numerous similar
games early in the season, he wasn't complaining.

"It was one of those games you would probably call an ugly win, but
sometimes you need to win those," Martin said. "It was both teams. I
don't know whether it was because it was New Year's Day, or what, but
the passes weren't sharp. It was a struggle; they didn't give a lot."

- - -

Citizen three stars

1. Patrick Lalime, Ottawa

2. Garth Snow, New York

3. Peter Schaefer, Ottawa

Entertainment value: Rating 2

Attendance: 18,500 (18,500 capacity)
*******************************************
http://www.newsday.com/sports/hockey/islanders/ny-
isles023608678jan02,0,1139507.story?coll=ny-islanders-headlines

Isles Stopped at Six
Strong effort not enough as streak ends on late score

By Alan Hahn
Staff Correspondent

January 2, 2004

Ottawa -- The schedule has brought one heavyweight after another -
except for New Year's Eve against the Penguins - and the Islanders
have met the challenge each time.

Last night came another and the challenge was met once again. Never
mind the 1-0 final score in favor of the Senators, who ended the
Islanders' six-game winning streak. The Islanders played without
Michael Peca and lost Mark Parrish early on, but they continued to
gain confidence as well as earn respect with their relentless,
determined play.

"We keep playing like that and we'll be fine," coach Steve Stirling
said, pleased despite the loss.

The suddenly injury-plagued Islanders produced more than enough
scoring chances, but Senators goalie Patrick Lalime was in position
to stop every one of them. At the other end, red-hot Garth Snow
matched him until one defensive breakdown decided the game.

Peter Schaefer buried a point-blank shot from the slot off a pass
from Karel Rachunek with 5:55 left in the third period. Snow was
defenseless after Trent Hunter lost his check. Snow finished with 22
saves and for the third straight game allowed only one goal.

"We've come back from three goals down before," Dave Scatchard
said. "Unfortunately, it didn't happen tonight."

They were buzzing Lalime with under two minutes to go in regulation,
but the Senators were given a gift power play at the minute mark when
Oleg Kvasha was called for a borderline goaltender interference. That
wasn't the only apparent oversight by the officials. Earlier in the
period, Eric Cairns was kicked in the groin by Martin Havlat, who
went unpunished. At least for now. Director of officials Andy
VanHellemond was watching from Toronto, as he does all games.

Lalime finished with 32 saves as the Senators extended their unbeaten
streak to eight (6-0-2). A win last night by the Bruins (43 points)
dropped the Islanders (41) to seventh place in the Eastern Conference.

The Islanders face the Bruins tomorrow in Boston and likely will do
so without Parrish, who left the Corel Centre on crutches with a
sprained ankle of undetermined severity and with his left foot in a
protective boot. His ankle buckled on a hit-and-body slam from
defenseman Chris Phillips.

Peca was a late scratch because of continued problems with a groin
strain. In his place, Derek Bekar was called up from Bridgeport.

Still, the shorthanded Islanders went toe-to-toe with the
Senators. "We still played hard, which is good," Adrian Aucoin
said. "That's the kind of game where if you're gonna lose, you want
to go down fighting. And we did."

Hunter had six shots on goal and Shawn Bates had four, and both had
several quality chances. This time, however, the Islanders didn't get
the rebounds, which had been a constant during their win streak. That
was a credit to the Ottawa defense and Lalime.

Perhaps their best chance came midway through the third, when Kvasha
stickhandled through the slot and fired point-blank on Lalime. The
shot rose over the net and hit the glass behind it. Mattias Weinhandl
also had a chance in close earlier in the period, but missed wide.

"We can't hang our heads," said Scatchard, who saved a goal in the
first period when he swept away the puck in the crease behind
Snow. "I thought we played a pretty good hockey game."

INSIDE GAME 38

RECORD: 19-16-2-1 LAST SEASON: 17-16-5-0

PLUS: The road to the NHL for emergency call-up Derek Bekar: bus from
Binghamton to Bridgeport, car to LaGuardia, flight to Toronto,
connection to Ottawa, cab to arena. Bekar arrived an hour before game
time. That's hockey.

MINUS: Temperature here hasn't gone down enough for the Rideau Canal
to freeze over. Therefore, no midnight New Year's skate for the
locals or tourists.

SENATORS 1

ISLANDERS 0

Tomorrow

Islanders at Boston

7 p.m.

TV: FSNY

Radio: ESPN (1050)
************************************
http://www.newsday.com/sports/hockey/islanders/ny-
inotes023608679jan02,0,6564072.story?coll=ny-hockey-headlines

Jonsson, Who Gave Up His 'C,' Accepts an 'A'

Alan Hahn

January 2, 2004

Ottawa - There was a letter on Kenny Jonsson's jersey last night.

The veteran defenseman wore an alternate captain's "A'' for the
Islanders' 1-0 loss to the Senators. The "A" had been assigned to
Alexei Yashin, but he will be out for an extended period with
lacerations to two tendons and a nerve in his right forearm. That
prompted Islanders coach Steve Stirling to pass on the "A" to another
deserving player.

"He's one of the leaders. He plays well and plays consistent,"
Stirling said of Jonsson. "He's a professional. It makes sense."

Jonsson, 29, has been an Islander since 1996 and preceded Michael
Peca as the team's captain. He wore the "C'' during the 1999-2000
season but gave it up early in the next season.

The responsibilities proved to be a great burden to the quiet and
reserved Jonsson, who took criticism from some former veteran
teammates who demanded more of a presence in the locker room. In
November 2000, Jonsson went to former coach Butch Goring and asked to
be relieved of his duties as captain.

Three years later, Stirling went to Jonsson and asked him if he would
accept Yashin's "A.'' Jonsson accepted.

"You've got to be sensitive to it because he turned it in a few years
ago," Stirling said. "But he was younger then. Now he's a veteran
guy. It might not be the same kind of pressure."

Alfie Guarantees Cup - Sort Of

The Ottawa Senators did not get off to the start they wanted this
season, especially given that they carry the weight of Stanley Cup
expectations. They have turned it around recently, however, and after
last night's win they are on an eight-game unbeaten streak and
brimming with confidence.

So much so that captain Daniel Alfredsson went so far as to guarantee
the Sens will take the big trophy.

"Go ahead and write it," he told the Ottawa Sun earlier this week. "I
guarantee we'll win the Cup."

Then he added, "Hopefully, this year."
***************************************
http://www.nytimes.com/2004/01/02/sports/hockey/02ISLE.html

SENATORS 1, ISLANDERS 0
Patchwork Islanders Fall Just Short Against Senators
By RICK WESTHEAD

Published: January 2, 2004

OTTAWA, Jan. 1 â€" The Islanders' six-game winning streak ground to a
halt Thursday night in a draining 1-0 loss to the Ottawa Senators.

But several Islanders players still found a silver lining. Bounced
from the playoffs last season by Ottawa, the Islanders indicated that
their recent success had not been a fluke.

Even without some of their top shooters, the Islanders peppered
Senators goaltender Patrick Lalime with 32 shots in front of 18,500
fans at the Corel Center. But Lalime recorded Ottawa's second
straight shutout and was the beneficiary of Peter Schaefer's ninth
goal of the season at 14 minutes 5 seconds of the third period.

Schaefer received a pass from defenseman Karel Rachunek, who was
skating behind the Islanders' net, and beat Islanders goalie Garth
Snow on the glove side.

"It was a simple pass-out," said Snow, who made 22 saves. "Our
defense played well."

It was the fourth game in a row in which Snow has allowed one goal
and only the third time in 14 games that the Islanders did not record
a point.

Snow's solid performance came a day before goalie Rick DiPietro was
scheduled to rejoin the Islanders after a minor league conditioning
assignment. Snow has played well enough to cement his role as the
starter. Since taking the starting role from DiPietro, Snow has
posted a 9-4 record.

The Islanders (19-16-2-1) were playing the second game in a three-
game trip that concludes Saturday in Boston. It was the first of
three matchups this month against the Senators.

"We keep playing like that and we'll be fine," Islanders Coach Steve
Stirling said. "We deserved better."

Ottawa (19-10-5-3) entered the game with a hot streak of its own, and
it is undefeated in eight straight contests. Ottawa's captain, Daniel
Alfredsson, recently guaranteed that the Senators would win the
Stanley Cup.

The Islanders were dealt a blow three minutes into the game when
right wing Mark Parrish hobbled to the dressing room after being
checked into the boards by defenseman Chris Phillips. Parrish, who
scored six goals in the previous six games and whose 13 goals are
tied for second on the Islanders, sprained his left ankle on the play
and did not return, forcing Stirling to once more juggle the team's
patchwork lineup.

Already out was Michael Peca, who was scratched with a mild groin
muscle strain that he sustained Wednesday in a 6-1 blowout over
Pittsburgh. Aleksei Yashin is expected to miss at least another month
recovering from a lacerated left wrist.

Midway through the second period, Snow made one of the game's best
saves. Controlling play behind the goal, Senators wing Martin Havlat
tried a wraparound on Snow's stick side. Snow deflected the puck, but
it caromed to wing Antoine Vermette, who snapped an off-balance shot
from 15 feet toward the far corner of the net. Snow stretched to make
a kick save.

As Snow and Lalime traded difficult stops, both teams committed a
rash of unforced turnovers, often trying to make an extra pass when
presented with a scoring chance.

I'm more proud of that effort in a loss than I have been with some of
the efforts in wins this season.

They really played their hearts out and gave a hot Senators team all
they could handle and had them running around like few teams do to
them without Peca's defense and faceoffs. Snow was fantastic and is
playing as good as anyone in the league.

Seemed like Papineau and the kids grew up a little bit tonight. He
was making some excellent defensive plays. Weinhandl was involved and
had chances and they really put out a great effort. Bekar looked good
after his first shift.

Really great sign for the future of this franchise watching them play
this kind of hockey considering it was a third game in four days and
they did not catch a break on the one goal. On offense, they did
everything but score and Lalime was beatable.

The kick at Carins was a disrace and should be called as a major and
reviewed by the league, he knew exactly what he was doing. Blake
get's called against Chara when he dives and Chara does not get
called for his hit on Scatchard?

The Kvasha call was terrible, the goaltender was out of the crease.

Now we see what happens with Parrish and Peca.

Derek Bekar had a shaky first shift but played very well afterward
and jumped right into plays.

Bill

http://www.connpost.com/Stories/0,1413,96~3761~1866378,00.html

Controversy finds its way into Sound Tigers' loss

By MICHAEL FORNABAIO mfornabaio@...

BINGHAMTON, N.Y.

In a couple of ways, the last two days of the Bridgeport Sound
Tigers' seven-game road trip seemed like October revisited: mild
weather outside during the day, offbeat plays going against the team
at night.

In part because of those plays, Bridgeport came home Wednesday night
carrying its first two-game losing streak since the second and third
games of the season. After an overtime loss Tuesday in Wilkes-Barre,
Pa., Bridgeport lost 2-0 to the Senators here Wednesday.

Like the last time Bridgeport lost its second in a row

a 2-1 Senators' win in Bridgeport Oct. 13

there was controversy. Referee Gordon Dwyer disallowed two apparent
Sound Tigers goals in the first two periods.

That followed Tuesday's game-winner for the Penguins, which went off
the post, off goalie Rick DiPietro and into the net.

Dwyer waved off Derek Bekar's goal with 7:03 left in the first period
because, Bridgeport coach Greg Cronin said, the referee believed
Bekar directed the puck in with his chest.

"I've never heard of that in my life," Cronin said. "(Bekar) gets
cross-checked from behind and it bounces up off his chest how is that
not a goal?"

In the second period, Ben Guite wasn't given credit for a goal on a
play that appeared to be the inverse of the pivotal Oct. 13 call.

In that game, Binghamton's Tony Tuzzolino took a shot from the right
circle that appeared on replay to go off the near post and deflect
away, but it was ruled a goal by referee Dan O'Rourke.

Wednesday, Guite took a shot from the left circle that appeared to go
off the right post, go into the net and bounce out. Guite, who saw
the shot hit the post and then the vertical bar in the back of the
net, celebrated as he was knocked over by a defenseman.

"I thought it was in. So did everyone else in the rink," Guite
said. "Everyone went silent. Everyone realized it was a goal."

The goal judge, who lit the red light and left it on, apparently
thought it was in. Dwyer did not, though, and his was the only
opinion that mattered.

"(Dwyer) never asked the goal judge," Cronin said. "It's an
embarrassment for the league. It's an embarrassment for the game. He
should be embarrassed."

Bridgeport lost an overtime game Oct. 24 against Hartford when
referee Scott Hoberg gave Dominic Moore a goal that appeared to hit
the crossbar.

After that, the Sound Tigers did not lose another game until Dec. 17,
recording at least one point in the standings in 22 consecutive games.

"When we went on that 22-game streak, we were getting a lot of
breaks," Guite said. "Everything kind of evens out in the end."

Breaks or not, the Sound Tigers scored just one goal in two games.
Bridgeport failed on all 10 of its power plays in the last two games,
and Denis Hamel scored on a short-handed breakaway on the Sound
Tigers' first opportunity.

DiPietro returned to the New York Islanders after the game after
stopping 52 out of 55 shots in two games.

"It was a good chance to get down and see all these guys. I've got a
lot of good friends down here. It was good to see Cro and Bags
(assistant coach Dave Baseggio) again," DiPietro said. "It was a good
opportunity for me to come down and play."

Kevin Colley, who had been expected to sit out, played Wednesday,
still bugged by the virus sweeping through the team. Alan Letang sat
out his first game of the year.

"(The bug) didn't take anything out of us (Wednesday)," Cronin
said. "We got (expletived) by the officiating tonight, and that's a
fact."

Bridgeport finished its seven-game trip with a 4-2-0-1 record. Both
regulation losses were Ray Emery shutouts at the Broome County
Veterans Memorial Arena, including a 2-0 win Dec. 26.

Both Binghamton games went to the third period with the Senators
leading 1-0 before they scored into an empty net with one second left.

NOTE

Bekar was recalled by the Islander Thursday and made his team debut
in Ottawa against the Senators. He was replacing the injured Michael
Peca.

LATE WEDNESDAY

Bridgeport0 0 0

0

Binghamton1 0 1

2

First Period

1, Binghamton, Hamel 13, 8:33 (sh). Penalties

Kelly, Bin (holding), 7:02; Watson, Bin (hooking), 14:49; Collins,
Bpt (roughing), 17:52.

Second Period

No scoring. Penalties

Manlow, Bpt (hooking), 4:14; Colley, Bpt (slashing), 5:51; Down, Bpt
(roughing), 11:27; Hedlund, Bin (roughing), 11:27; Emery, Bin, served
Riva (elbowing), 15:20; Bancroft, Bin (roughing), 16:30; Hedlund, Bin
(tripping), 19:55.

Third Period

2, Binghamton, Hamel 14 (Langfeld, Kelly), 19:59 (en). Penalties

Watson, Bin (ob.-tripping), 8:28; Bridgeport bench, served Jarrett
(too many men), 11:28; DiPietro, Bpt, served Kraft (delay of game),
12:30; Robinson, Bpt (holding), 15:28; McGrattan, Bin (roughing),
15:28; Bekar, Bpt, major (fighting), 19:59; Belak, Bpt (roughing),
19:59; Vauclair, Bin, major (fighting), 19:59; Bancroft, Bin
(roughing), 19:59.

Shots on goal

Bridgeport 8-7-14

29. Binghamton 8-17-5

30.

Power play opportunities

Bridgeport 0 of 6, Binghamton 0 of 5.

Goaltenders

Bridgeport, DiPietro 0-2-0 (29 shots-28 saves). Binghamton, Emery 9-8-
2 (29-29).

Attendance

4,717. Referee

Dwyer. Linesmen

D'Amico, Everett.

>   Never want the Isles to go looking for a fight, but if the Senators
> scored an open-net goal, I was hoping the Isles put every fighter
> they had on the ice and took care of Hossa.
> (I think he was the one who kicked Carins)

I believe it was Havlat , not Hossa.

Not sure if you guys are interested or not, but it seems that the Sound Tigers
are getting goals taken away from them again by the officiating. Coudl it be an
Islander curse or something. Those that read Mike Fornabio's article would see
how the 2 goals that were taken away were legit goals. Does the league fine
these officals for making bone head mistakes like this, as they did with Harry
Dumas? Why does the offical not confer with the linesman and the goal judge.
After all this was a road game, so why would the goal judge lie about the goal
being in or not.

Makes you think I guess.

Jeff

>
> I believe it was Havlat , not Hossa.

It was, and it turns out that he's been suspended for 2 games. The
penalty being called in the first place would have been better....


Mike

The New York Islanders have lost first-line winger Mark Parrish for eight
weeks with a high ankle sprain just over a week after losing No. 1 centre Alexei
Yashin for three months to a gruesome wrist injury.
Parrish suffered the injury in the first period of a 1-0 loss in Ottawa on
Thursday night, after colliding with Senators defenceman Chris Phillips. Parrish
has 13 goals and seven assists in 38 games this season



8 weeks seem sa long time for a sprain to me

duff
gi


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Very similiar to Chris Osgood's "Ankle Sprain" that
kept him out about two months last season and
ultimately lead to his departure. Could this be the
end of Parrish?

--- kentduffer@... wrote:
> The New York Islanders have lost first-line winger
> Mark Parrish for eight
> weeks with a high ankle sprain just over a week
> after losing No. 1 centre Alexei
> Yashin for three months to a gruesome wrist injury.
> Parrish suffered the injury in the first period of a
> 1-0 loss in Ottawa on
> Thursday night, after colliding with Senators
> defenceman Chris Phillips. Parrish
> has 13 goals and seven assists in 38 games this
> season
>
>
>
> 8 weeks seem sa long time for a sprain to me
>
> duff
> gi
>
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been
> removed]
>
>


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http://www.newyorkislanders.com/news/dubielewicz010204.html

DUBIELEWICZ NAMED AHL ROOKIE OF THE MONTH

(Jan. 2) Islanders prospect goaltender Wade Dubielewicz was named the
League's Rookie of the Month for December on Friday.

Dubielewicz, who will turn 25 at the end of this month, allowed just
five goals in six games and posted a 5-0-1 record, two shutouts, a
0.82 goals against average and a .964 save percentage in the month of
December. The Invermere, British Columbia native has not lost since
October 18th and is on a 12-game unbeaten streak, 11-0-1, and a five-
game winning streak. He leads all AHL netminders with a 1.21 goals
against average and .951 save percentage and is second in the League
with three shutouts. Dubielewicz is 11-2-1 in 14 appearances overall
this season backstopping the Sound Tigers to first place in the
overall standings.

Dubielewicz signed as a free agent with the Islanders this past
summer after a brilliant four-year career at the University of Denver
where he posted the Pioneer's highest career save percentage, .926,
and was once a Hobey Baker Award Finalist. He led Denver to the
Western Collegiate Hockey Association Championship and was the
Association's top-ranked goaltender in both 2000-01 and 2001-02.

--- In Islanders-SoundTigers@yahoogroups.com, jk0527@c... wrote:

> Not sure if you guys are interested or not, but it seems that the
Sound Tigers are getting goals taken away from them again by the
officiating. Coudl it be an Islander curse or something. Those that
read Mike Fornabio's article would see how the 2 goals that were
taken away were legit goals.<<<

  This was happening very early in the season for the Tigers, when
they started winning there were games the opposing coaches were
furious about goals officials allowed for Bridgeport. Now it's
turning back the other way again with the Tigers having goals
reversed. If a puck went in off someone's chest (as Cronin says) how
can that be disallowed?

  I would not go as far to say the Isles are cursed with bad
officiating. At least Havlat was suspended today as he should have
been, the five minute powerplay the Isles should have gotten may have
won them a hockey game.

<<< Does the league fine these officals for making bone head mistakes
like this, as they did with Harry Dumas? Why does the offical not
confer with the linesman and the goal judge. After all this was a
road game, so why would the goal judge lie about the goal being in or
not.>>>

   I'm sure the officials are evaulated, as are the off-ice people
hired.

  Is there a replay system in the AHL? I don't think so. Which means
it all goes on the officials and goal judge and they miss so much.

   Bill

http://www.connpost.com/Stories/0,1413,96~3761~1868438,00.html

Power-play woes trip up Tigers

By MICHAEL FORNABAIO
BRIDGEPORT

One goal could have made the difference in both of the Bridgeport
Sound Tigers' last two games

a goal that could easily have come from the power play.

On average, when Bridgeport's power play gets the number of
opportunities it did this week, it has delivered. It didn't Tuesday
in a 2-1 overtime loss at Wilkes-Barre, Pa., on four tries, nor
Wednesday in Binghamton, N.Y., on six opportunities in a 2-0 loss.

At least, it didn't deliver on the scoreboard.

Bridgeport coach Greg Cronin said videotape showed Rob Collins should
have been credited with a goal Tuesday in Wilkes-Barre.

"It went off the white pad (at the base of the net) and went out. We
got a little bad break there," Cronin said.

Collins' power-play shot had been ruled off the post.

"It's the way it goes sometimes," Collins said. "It's just unlucky."

Two other apparent Bridgeport goals were waved off Wednesday. A power-
play goal could have mitigated the impact of those calls.

After connecting twice at Hershey Sunday, the Sound Tigers carry an 0-
for-10 streak with the man-advantage into tonight's home game against
Norfolk.

"I thought, the first two periods in Binghamton, we were forcing
things. There was little flow," Cronin said. "We had very little flow
in Wilkes-Barre. They outworked us, they did a very good job."

The third period in Binghamton was a different story, Cronin said:
Bridgeport got chances but couldn't put them away.

"The bad thing is the five-on-three (late in the second)," Cronin
said. "Hamilton had three shots, and when Hamilton's going to have
three shots, you think one's going to go in."

Bridgeport's defensive results remained as steady as ever this week,
and the AHL honored one Sound Tiger Friday, naming goalie Wade
Dubielewicz the league's Rookie of the Month for December.
Dubielewicz was 5-0-1 with two shutouts in six games, allowing only
five goals on 140 shots.

As planned, the New York Islanders officially recalled Rick DiPietro
and sent Dieter Kochan back to Bridgeport Friday. With Kochan not
back in town yet, Hamden native Al Maio filled in opposite
Dubielewicz Friday morning.

Cronin said Alan Letang, suffering from the flu and a groin injury,
isn't likely to play tonight. Tomi Pettinen also missed practice with
the bug. Kevin Colley, who gutted out Wednesday's game despite being
sick, was still feeling the effects Friday but practiced anyway.

There wasn't word if New York would recall anyone to replace Mark
Parrish, who sprained an ankle Thursday night at Ottawa and is
expected to miss up to eight weeks.

This weekend is also Pride in America weekend, with discounted
tickets for police and fire officials and military personnel. The
team will hold a jersey auction Saturday and a player autograph
session Sunday.
************************************
http://www.connpost.com/Stories/0,1413,96~3761~1868439,00.html

Game day

Norfolk Admirals at Bridgeport Sound Tigers

WHEN

Tonight, 7:05 p.m.

WHERE

Arena at Harbor Yard

ON THE AIR

WICC-AM 600

RECORDS THROUGH THURSDAY

Norfolk 13-19-3-3; Bridgeport 22-6-5-2

SEASON SERIES

Bridgeport leads 1-0

LAST MEETING

The Sound Tigers won 2-1 in overtime Nov. 11 at Bridgeport.

ABOUT THE ADMIRALS

Norfolk played at Binghamton Friday night, having won three in a row
for the first time. ... The Admirals went into Friday with the
league's sixth-best penalty kill (87.8 percent). ... Norfolk was 6-13-
2-2 on the road going into Friday. ... D Marty Wilford had assists in
three consecutive games. ... The parent Chicago Blackhawks assigned
Fs Igor Radulov and Mikhail Yakubov to Norfolk Wednesday.

ABOUT THE SOUND TIGERS

Bridgeport and Portland were the only AHL teams with Friday off. ...
It's Pride in America weekend. The team will auction off its third
jerseys tonight and hold a team autograph session Sunday. ... RW Jeff
Hamilton's lead in the AHL scoring race was down to three points over
Cleveland's Miroslav Zalesak going into Friday. ... G Wade
Dubielewicz, the AHL Rookie of the Month for December, leads the
league with a 1.21 GAA.

UP NEXT

Sunday vs. Hershey, 4:05 p.m.

MICHAEL FORNABAIO

In Friday's Results:

Robert Nilsson had a goal, two assist, one penalty and five shot in
Sweden's 4-0 win over Ukraine.

Sean Bergenheim had one penalty and two shots in Finland's 4-3 win
over Russia. Evegeny Tunik an assist and a penalty in this game.

Nilsson is tenth in scoring for the tournament with two goals, four
assist, and a plus one rating.

--- In Islanders-SoundTigers@yahoogroups.com, Michael Bryan
<mike_bryan_21@y...> wrote:

> Very similiar to Chris Osgood's "Ankle Sprain" that
> kept him out about two months last season and
> ultimately lead to his departure. Could this be the
> end of Parrish?<<<

   It could very well be the end of Parrish. There are a lot of right
wings here making a lot less money and if one of them steps up and
fills the role in his absence it will make him expendable as Snow
made Ozzie.

   The bad news is if none of them step up and the Isles drop out of
contention will they want to keep him at the trade deadline?

   Bill

http://www.newsday.com/sports/hockey/islanders

Isles Lose Parrish To Ankle Sprain

By Alan Hahn
STAFF CORRESPONDENT

January 3, 2004

Boston - Mark Parrish became the latest Islander to fall casualty to
what is developing into a concerning and costly injury plague. The
right wing, who had been the team's hottest scorers with six goals
and eight points in a six-game stretch, will miss eight weeks with a
severe left ankle sprain. He suffered the injury during an aggressive
tussle with defenseman Chris Phillips in the opening minutes of
Thursday's 1-0 loss in Ottawa, which ended a six-game winning streak.

The Islanders, who were already missing Alexei Yashin (lacerated
forearm), have good organizational depth and scoring parity in the
lineup. That strength certainly will now be put to the test, starting
Saturday here against the Bruins.

"I think we'll learn a lot about ourselves in the next little stretch
here," said captain Michael Peca, who remains questionable for the
Bruins game with a groin strain.

Peca originally felt the pain in Monday's win over the Devils at
Nassau Coliseum and aggravated it during Wednesday's win in
Pittsburgh. He sat out the latter half of that game and didn't dress
for Thursday's game in Ottawa. On Friday, he skated before the team's
practice at Northeastern University and said the groin "felt a lot
better." He will test it out again Saturday morning, then make a
decision about playing against the Bruins.

"I think the last thing that we need is for this to be an ongoing
nagging thing," Peca said. "With these guys already out long term,
for me to possibly push this and hurt it even worse long term, it
just puts us in a greater deficit. So I think we'll make a wise
decision tomorrow."

The loss of Parrish means coach Steve Stirling will look again for a
young player to step up. In practice, Arron Asham was moved into
Parrish's spot with Dave Scatchard and Jason Blake. Rookie Justin
Papineau, who skated well and had a few scoring chances against
Ottawa, was moved to the line with Oleg Kvasha and Mariusz
Czerkawski. The versatile wild card is right wing Mattias Weinhandl,
who will see more time on special teams and in offensive situations.

"It's an opportunity for any guy who doesn't play too much,"
Weinhandl said. "But I'm not happy that injuries happened to good
players. It's not good for the team."

Notes & Quotes: The NHL suspended Senators forward Martin Havlat on
Friday for two games for kicking Eric Cairns in the groin during
Thursday's game ... Rick DiPietro, who lost both starts with
Bridgeport earlier this week, though he allowed only three goals,
arrived in Boston on Thursday night along with a notable travel
partner, general manager Mike Milbury.

Saturday

Islanders

At Boston

7 p.m.

TV: FSNY

Radio: ESPN (1050)
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http://www.nypost.com/sports/islanders/44424.htm

ISLES LOOK FOR REINFORCEMENTS

By EVAN GROSSMAN

January 3, 2004 -- BOSTON - It just never gets any easier for the
Islanders. After watching Alexei Yashin go down for three months with
a very deep cut on his right arm, the Isles this week saw their
captain, Michael Peca, and their hottest scorer, Mark Parrish, leave
games early with injuries that are expected to keep the both of them
out of the lineup for tonight's game here against the Bruins (7:00,
FSN, ESPN radio).

A six-game winning streak was snapped Thursday in a hard-fought 1-0
loss in Ottawa, but the Islanders have bigger concerns now than
continuing to play an entertaining and passionate brand of hockey.
They have to once again pick up the slack as they are now missing
three of their most talented forwards.

Peca (groin) is doubtful tonight, while Parrish is out up to eight
weeks with a sprained left ankle. He left Thursday's game early on an
awkward spill along the back wall, in which he collapsed on his left
leg and had to leave the rink on crutches. Peca, who was playing his
best hockey of the season, skated by himself before the Isles took
the ice here at Fleet Center for practice yesterday to test out the
tender groin he pulled in the win at Pittsburgh Wednesday afternoon.

The Islanders were filling the void left by Yashin wonderfully,
thanks in part to a scoring binge from Parrish that produced five
goals in three games to close out the calendar year and a resurgent
Peca that was a force in all three zones. But now without the two of
them in the lineup, it's going to have to come from somewhere else
again.

Isles never catch a break, terrible news for Parrish and the
Islanders.

But, this is sports, and there is a game so someone has to step up.

Looking at this team when the dust of the winning streak settles, the
reality is I do wonder who is going to pick up the scoring slack?

Peca, healthy or playing hurt is not that kind of player. Scatchard
and Blake can go long stretches without scoring and Kvasha has two
goals in seventeen games.

Hunter, Papineau are really in their first seasons and Weinhandl was
in and out in the second half last season.

The defense has done little scoring-wise, and the way they are
playing should not change a thing.

Next move is to keep Bekar a while, or add Hamilton, or someone else
from the Tigers. With the WJCs' ending maybe Bergenheim is called
back to Long Island, despite reports he was heading for Jokerit.

In this case they need a winger, not necessarily a right winger.
Asham moves to right wing for a while and is due to score so may be a
perfect fit for Parrish.

Donald Audette was bought out from the Canadians, he is an
unrestricted free agent, and the usual suspects are available in
Ronning, Berezin and Marty McInnis.

If I'm Milbury I give it a little time, but not much. I'm also hoping
these reports are over-estimated, but this seems like Ozzie's injury
and that took the full time to recover.

Bill

http://www.newyorkislanders.com/gameday/pregame.html

Better Late Than Never (7:00)
Islanders at Boston Bruins
(FSNY, ESPN Radio 1050 AM)
By Francis Rizzo III

(Jan. 3) It's the end of the road(trip) Saturday, which means the
Islanders' season series with the Boston Bruins will finally get
underway. The Isles visit the B's for their first meeting of the
season following their disappointing 1-0 loss Thursday against the
Senators.

The Islanders have been the personification of "stepping it up",
picking up the slack left by injuries to three of their top players.
Scoring by committee has helped to lessen the blow that started with
a major injury to Alexei Yashin, but injuries to the main band-aids,
Michael Peca and Mark Parrish, revealed the damage done, as the
team's six-game winning streak fell by the boards in Ottawa, in a 1-0
loss.

While the Isles' had a loss end a string of success Thursday, Boston
ended their struggles that same night with a win over Toronto. Boston
had been on a downward slide since their early-season success, with
just two wins in the 14 games that preceded the win. The Bruins
difficulties can be attributed to their scoring, as in their last
five losses, they have scored just five goals combined.

Statistically, the Isles and B's match up well, splitting the
advantage in the major stat categories virtually down the middle.
Boston has the lead in the defensive stats, while the Isles are the
offensive leaders. The Isles have been shorthanded nearly 20 times
more than the B's and their shooting percentage is two-percent higher.

Neither team is at an advantage playing in Boston, with the Isles
securing just five wins away from the Coliseum, and the Bruins
matching that number at home. Boston hasn't had much luck against
their conference-mates this season, going 6-9-7-3 against the East.
The Isles have fared better, going 16-12-2-1.

The last time the Isles and Bruins met, Boston got the W, defeating
New York 4-1. Ex-Islander Marty McInnis had three goals, while ex-
Bruin Steve Shields stopped 21 shots for the win. Dave Scatchard
scored the only Islanders goal, off assists from Jason Blake and Mike
Peca, and Garth Snow stopped 30 shots in the loss.

Ottawa's not the only team facing the Islanders three times in
January. The Bruins-Isles season series may have started late in the
schedule, but it will waste no time in wrapping itself up, with three
meetings in January, and the fourth and final game coming on February
24th.
****************************************
http://www.newyorkislanders.com/gameday/insider.html

The Insider
Islanders at Boston Bruins
7:00 p.m., January 3 @ FleetCenter
by Francis Rizzo III

(Jan. 3) The Book on the Bruins
Boston started the season hot after struggling through their
preseason, losing in regulation just twice in October. November
brought much of the same, as the Bruins went eight games without a
regulation loss. That's where the good fortune ended. In the next 20
games, the Bruins managed to earn just four wins, and in their last
10, they have a 3-5-2-0 record. The B's have stumbled at home, with
just five wins at the FleetCenter this season.

Once again, the Bruins offense centers on Joe Thornton, the team's
top goal scorer and point-getter, and Glen Murray, the leader in
assists. Along the blueline, Nick Boynton paces the defensemen, with
13 points. Sean O'Donnell is the bruiser on the team, with 54 penalty
minutes to his credit, while Hal Gill has the best plus/minus rating
at +6.

Who's Hot
There's no one particularly hot in Boston, but this spot has to be
filled, so who's better for it on the Bruins than Joe Thornton? In
his past seven games, he's got five assists, though he hasn't scored
a goal in his last eight. He's on pace for 74 points, a huge drop
from last season, but he's always a threat when he's on the ice.

Who's Not
Who to pick... well, there was a time when a scoring slump for Mike
Knuble wouldn't raise any eyebrows. But after last season's breakout,
his eight-game point-less streak certain stands out. Worse yet, he
hasn't scored a goal in nine games. The struggling Bruins could use
his offensive help, but he has just 5 shots in his past four games.

Between the Pipes
Felix Potvin was picked up in the off-season to try and fill the void
in net, but it didn't happen. Fortunately for the B's, rookie Andrew
Raycroft stepped up to the plate and collected six wins in his first
10 games. But the youngster has fallen off his pace lately, going
winless in his past seven games. Potvin came through in his last two
starts, getting his first two wins in his past eight games. In their
careers against the Islanders, Potvin is 5-3-0 and Raycroft is 0-1-1.

Last Time Out
Boston hosted Toronto Thursday, in the second game of a three-game
homestand, to start the new year. They got off to a good start,
picking up a 3-2 win. Shaonne Morrisonn had a two-point night, while
Patrice Bergeron and Nick Boynton picked up goals as well. Boston
blew the doors off Toronto, outshooting them 41-24 in a penalty fest
that saw the two teams collect 61 penalty minutes.

On the Island
The Isles played their first game in 2004 in Ottawa Thursday, and saw
their good work at the end of 2003 come undone. A strong effort
nearly overcame several important injuries, only to see a stray
broken stick lead to the sole goal. Derek Bekar made his Islanders
debut in Michael Peca's roster spot, while Justin Papineau took his
spot on the second line.

Go To Guy
When the question is asked, "What is the difference in the Islanders
over the past few weeks?", the answer is easier than it might seem.
The difference is Dave Scatchard, whose return from injury has
sparked the Islanders. His grit and size helps bring a sense of
fearlessness to his teammates, while his scoring ability gives the
team more depth to assist in rolling four lines each night.

In the Nets
Thursday marked Garth Snow's 13th-straight game, and he made 22 saves
in the loss against the Senators. It was his first loss in his past
seven games. Several times during the game, Snow came up big with a
game-saving stop on Ottawa's potent offense. Snow is 5-7-3 against
the Bruins in his career.

3 Star-gazing
1 - Trent Hunter (3-4-0)
- - Garth Snow (2-4-3)
3 - Mark Parrish (4-0-1)

In the Corners
Saturday's game kicks off the four-game season series between these
two teams... The Isles lost last season's series, with a 1-2-1-0
record. Boston won the last meeting in March, 4-1... Ex-Isles to
Watch: Ted Donato (1998-1999, 2002), Travis Green (1992-1998) and
Felix Potvin (1999).
******************************************
http://www.newyorkislanders.com/gameday/scoop.html

The Scoop on the... Boston Bruins
By Corey Witt

(Jan. 3) The Bruins started off the New Year on the right foot with a
3-2 victory over the red hot Toronto Maple Leafs. They don't get a
break as they'll play host to another hot team when the Islanders
visit Beantown for the first time this season. In fact, tonight's
game will mark the first time these two clubs meet in the 2003-04
season. The Islanders couldn't have caught the Bruins at a better
time as Boston has struggled mightily in recent weeks. Although their
win over the Leafs might ease tensions in the Bruins' locker room,
it's hard to erase a 19-game stretch where the team went 3-9-6-1 to
close out 2003.

Where They Stand:
In mid-November the Bruins were one of the top teams in the NHL. But
since Nov. 20, Boston has had one of the worst records in the league.
They still find themselves right in the middle of the playoff pack,
but Boston is not happy with their 15-11-9-4 record considering that
they started 11-2-3-3 through the first seven weeks of the season.
Their struggles have also carried over to a sub-par home record of 5-
6-6-1. In their last 10-games overall, they have gone 3-5-2-0.

Opponent Rumblings:
With his team struggling, Bruins head coach Mike Sullivan wanted to
make some changes in the New Year. He decided to switch up his line
combinations, including his top scoring unit. The switches worked in
their game against the Maple Leafs as Boston hopes to find new ways
to be effective in the New Year.

"We felt as though it was time to break up the line [of Thornton,
Mike Knuble, and Glen Murray] and try to give our team a different
look and see what we could come up with," said Bruins Head Coach Mike
Sullivan in the Boston Globe. "I know Joe has played with Samsonov in
the past and has been successful. Bergeron thinks the game in a
similar fashion to those guys with his offensive abilities and his
ability to see the ice, so we thought we'd try them and I thought
they were effective."

Whichever way you cut it, the Bruins' success comes and goes with Joe
Thornton. Boston's captain has been subject to more than a fair share
of finger pointing in terms of his squad's recent troubles. However,
winning is the best medicine for everything hockey related, as proven
from their game against the Leafs on Friday night.

"I thought Joe was real good [against the Toronto Maple Leafs on
Friday night]," said Sullivan in the Globe. "Obviously, he realized
the importance of [that] game. He played just as hard away from the
puck as he did with it and when he does that, he's a dominant player."

Thornton was simply satisfied with the "W" in the standings and his
team's overall performance as he looks at the bigger picture.

"We just felt it's a new year, so we played like it,'' Thornton said
in the Boston Herald. "We knew if we played 60 minutes, we had a good
chance of beating [the Leafs]. Now maybe we can get some confidence
at home. We haven't been playing very well at home, and now we know
we can build on this… This just builds everybody's confidence."

In other news… Rob Zamuner, who cleared waivers in December, was
demoted to the Bruins' AHL affiliate in Providence. The 34-year-old
left wing had six points in 27 games, but the move wasn't based
solely on his stats, according to Sullivan. Unfortunately, he was
caught up in a numbers game. "It was a very difficult decision,"
Sullivan said in the Globe. "It's one of the hardest parts of this
job. He's obviously a real quality guy and it's not an easy thing."

Stat Watch:
The Bruins are once again led by Thornton in the offensive zone.
Although there has been some complaints in the Boston-area concerning
Thornton's production, he still leads the team in assists with 28,
and in points with 35. Forwards Glen Murray and Brian Rolston share
the team-lead in goals with 12 each. They are also second and third,
respectively, in points, while Murray has the team-high in shots on
goal with 129. Rolston is not far behind with 119 and Thornton is in
a close third with 101.

If there's such a thing of spreading penalty minutes around, then the
Bruins do it. Only two players have over 50 minutes with defensemen
Sean O'Donnell and Hal Gill collecting 54 and 51, respectively.
Boston has 12 skaters who have at least 25 penalty minutes pocketed,
which could be classified as a high number. In total, they have
accumulated 618 penalty minutes as a team. On the flip side of that
stat, forward Sergei Samsonov has played in 30 games, but has not yet
been penalized.

In Boston's crease, it appeared that Felix Potvin would be their
starting goaltending at the start of the season. However, Andrew
Raycroft has finally emerged as a No. 1 and he has taken over the
reigns in goal. In 26 appearances, Raycroft has compiled a record of
9-10-6 with a goals against average of 2.16 and a save percentage
of .919. He also has recorded a shutout, a 2-0 blanking over the
Dallas Stars. Meanwhile, Potvin has a record of 6-5-2 with two
shutouts. The former Islander netminder has a respectable GAA of
2.83, but a low save percentage of .895.

Infirmary Report:
Aside from an off-season injury to Jonathan Girard, which has
sidelined him for the entire season, the only injury to report out of
Bruins' camp is to Ian Moran. In a game against the Tampa Bay
Lightning, Moran sprained his ankle and has since landed on the
Injured Reserve. He is out indefinitely.

Canadiens bid adieu to Audette

Canadian Press


1/3/2004

MONTREAL (CP) - The buyout of the final year and a half of Donald
Audette's contract by the Montreal Canadiens makes him an unrestricted
free agent, but he will still receive a reported $3.4 million from the
club even if he signs with another team.

``When all the t's are crossed and the i's are dotted, he'll be a free
agent,'' Canadiens general manager Bob Gainey said Saturday, a day
after the buyout was announced.

Though terms of the deal were not disclosed, reports in Montreal
suggest the Canadiens saved some money on the remainder of this year's
$3-million salary, and they will pay Audette two-thirds of next year's
salary provided there is no lockout.

Gainey said each side made concessions to get the deal done.

``It's not perfect,'' he said, ``but today we're here to say thank you
to Donald.''

Audette was acquired with Shaun Van Allen from the Dallas Stars on
Nov. 21, 2001, in exchange for Benoit Brunet and Martin Rucinsky. He
had four points in his first three games in a Canadiens uniform before
suffering a laceration of the tendons in his left forearm on Dec. 1, 2001.

After the injury, Audette had 14 goals and 19 assists in 87
regular-season games for Montreal.

Audette becomes the third player Gainey has bought out since becoming
Canadiens general manager last summer, following Mariusz Czerkawski
and Randy McKay. The organization is also paying Karl Dykhuis and
Patrick Traverse to play in the minors. Gainey said Canadiens owner
George Gillett ``understands the situation well.''

Gainey said that Audette was essentially pushed out of the team's
plans by the emergence of big winger Pierre Dagenais.

``Pierre Dagenais came and took a spot in the lineup, and at this
point he doesn't want to let it go,'' Gainey said. ``Donald, at times,
fit into that category of a small player who played big, and that's
the way he needed to play.''

Gainey said other players who are not performing up to their
capabilities could also be rubbed out by the organization's young
prospects. He said Chad Kilger, who has been a healthy scratch in four
straight games, recently cleared waivers and is eligible to be sent
down to the minors.

``The players have got to be productive,'' Gainey said. ``We need a
lot of different kinds of players, and we need them to be good at what
they do.''

Feels like a win.

Isles hung together and worked hard and the Bruins defense blocked
some shots. Snow let up a bad goal to McCarthy but more than made up
for it. Not too many calls went the Isles way for two peirods.
Bergeron is a terrific young player. Samsanov was good, surprised Joe
Thornton has had such a quiet season.

Jonsson had a shift in the second peirod (after coming back from
blocking that shot) where he went right thru two Bruin players, and
came out with the puck. Amazing how little recognition he get's for
his great play.

Papineau came back from the hit and almost scored. Niinimaa had a very
good game.

Hunter was fantastic. Aucoin finally hit the net and it was huge goal.
Travis Green owned the faceoffs.

Really good point. Isles this season are right with New Jersey and
Philadelphia Ottawa in wins, they needed to dig out a point tonight
and did.

Great job by the Isles booster club and were easy to hear on
television. The chicken dance had me hysterical and seemed like Howie
Rose almost went so far as to tell the viewing audiance what it meant.

Bill