Final
Islanders score three goals in third to edge Sabres
Jan 28, 2007 - 3:43 AM UNIONDALE, New York (Ticker) The New York Islanders turned back the clock and finally found time to defeat the Buffalo Sabres.Randy Robitaille and Andy Hilbert scored two minutes apart late in the third period as the Islanders posted a 5-3 victory over the Eastern Conference-leading Sabres.
Arron Asham posted the ninth two-goal game of his career for the Islanders, who staged a "1972 Retro Night" in which they wore their old royal blue jersey with large orange numbering.
"It was pretty cool," Islanders right wing Trent Hunter said of the uniform worn during the franchise's first NHL season. "It was an honor to wear them."
The new threads inspired the Islanders to snap a six-game losing streak to the Sabres, including a pair of wins this season. The victory was extra sweet for first-year Islanders coach Ted Nolan, who coached the Sabres for two seasons in the 1990s, even if he would not admit it.
"It just happened to be against Buffalo," Nolan said. "It's always special when you come back in the third period."
Asham tied it at 3-3 with his second goal of the game, beating Ryan Miller with a blistering slap shot from just inside the blue line that trickled past the All-Star goaltender and into the net at 6:53 of the third.
"I just wanted to put it on net," Asham said. "Guys tell me I should shoot more."
"I wouldn't want to get in front of (his slap shot)," Hunter added.
Later in the period, Robitaille got the puck along the left boards just inside the blue line and sent a wrist shot under the glove of Miller with 3:09 left. Miller was screened by Viktor Kozlov.
With 66 seconds left, Hunter took a rebound left of Miller, skated around the goal and sent a pass into the crease to Hilbert, who tipped the puck in off his skate.
The Islanders had lost 10 of 13 and four straight at home. Jochen Hecht scored twice for the Sabres, who dropped their second straight game when leading through two periods and fell to 2-5-1 in their last eight games.
"Every loss matters," Sabres coach Lindy Ruff said. "We have some players out of sync. It's a game where you have to come back with a late goal and we didn't."
The Sabres opened the season with 10 straight wins, but are now in the midst of their first three-game losing streak of the season.
"Even when we won 10 in a row, we know it's a long season," Buffalo's Chris Drury said. "I don't think I've ever been on a team that hasn't been in a funk."
Islanders goaltender Rick DiPietro made 27 saves in posting his 20th win of the season. He had been yanked from Friday's overtime loss in Atlanta after allowing three quick goals.
"I was rested," DiPietro joked. "Any time you get pulled, you want to forget about it right away."
Ales Kotalik put the Sabres in front 3-2 midway through the second, skating between the circles and tipping a pass from Daniel Paille into the net.
Hecht had tied it on a power play goal five minutes earlier, tipping home a rebound of a shot by Nathan Paetch that went off the post, off the shoulder of DiPietro and into the goal.
New York had taken a 2-1 lead earlier in the period when Asham one-timed a pass from Richard Park past Miller.
Hunter opened the scoring, skating around defenseman Toni Lydman and putting a backhander past Miller at 7:42 of the first. Buffalo tied it on the first goal by Hecht, who backhanded home a loose puck in front.
- NHL
FINAL 1ST 2ND 3RD TOTAL
--- --- --- -----
BUFFALO 1 2 0 3
NY ISLANDERS 1 1 3 5 FINAL
GOAL SCORING:
1ST PRD: NYI - TRENT HUNTER 11 (UNASSISTED) 7:42
BUF - JOCHEN HECHT 13 (DANIEL BRIERE, MAXIM AFINOGENOV)
15:01
2ND PRD: NYI - ARRON ASHAM 8 (RICHARD PARK, TOM POTI) 3:03
BUF - (PP) JOCHEN HECHT 14 (NATHAN PAETSCH, TONI LYDMAN
Jan 27 9:31 PM - NHL
END OF THE 3RD 1ST 2ND 3RD TOTAL
--- --- --- -----
BUFFALO 1 2 0 3
NY ISLANDERS 1 1 3 5 END OF THE 3RD
GOAL SCORING:
1ST PRD: NYI - TRENT HUNTER 11 (UNASSISTED) 7:42
BUF - JOCHEN HECHT 13 (DANIEL BRIERE, MAXIM AFINOGENOV)
15:01
2ND PRD: NYI - ARRON ASHAM 8 (RICHARD PARK, TOM POTI) 3:03
BUF - (PP) JOCHEN HECHT 14 (NATHAN PAETSCH
Jan 27 9:29 PM - NHL
BUFFALO 3
NY ISLANDERS 5
3RD PRD: NYI - ANDY HILBERT 6 (TRENT HUNTER, MIKE SILLINGER) 19:06
Sabres vs. IslandersJan 27 9:28 PM - NHL
BUFFALO 3
NY ISLANDERS 4
3RD PRD: NYI - RANDY ROBITAILLE 8 (UNASSISTED) 16:51
Sabres vs. IslandersJan 27 9:25 PM - NHL
BUFFALO 3
NY ISLANDERS 3
3RD PRD: NYI - ARRON ASHAM 9 (ALLAN ROURKE, SHAWN BATES) 6:53
Sabres vs. IslandersJan 27 9:08 PM - NHL
BUFFALO 1
NY ISLANDERS 2
2ND PRD: NYI - ARRON ASHAM 8 (RICHARD PARK) 3:03
Sabres vs. IslandersJan 27 8:07 PM - NHL
BUFFALO 1
NY ISLANDERS 1
1ST PRD: BUF - JOCHEN HECHT 13 (DANIEL BRIERE, MAXIM AFINOGENOV) 15:01
Sabres vs. IslandersJan 27 7:36 PM - NHL
BUFFALO 0
NY ISLANDERS 1
1ST PRD: NYI - TRENT HUNTER 11 (UNASSISTED) 7:42
Sabres vs. IslandersJan 27 7:21 PM
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