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Berard completes comeback with game-winner as Islanders beat Rangers

Oct 11, 2007 - 2:49 AM By Doug Mittler PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

NEW YORK (Ticker) -- Bryan Berard's career has come full circle.

One day after re-signing with his former club, Berard scored during a two-man advantage to snap a second-period tie and lift the New York Islanders to a 2-1 triumph over the New York Rangers on Wednesday night in the first meeting of the season between the Atlantic Division rivals.

Defenseman Marc-Andre Bergeron had a goal and an assist for the Islanders, who have won three of their first four games.

The 30-year-old Berard, who began his career with the Islanders and won the 1997 Calder Trophy, was with coach Ted Nolan's club in training camp on a tryout basis.

"He demonstrated to us that he really wanted to be here," Nolan said. "That was really nice for Bryan."

Berard, who made it back to the NHL after suffering a severe eye injury while with Toronto in 1999-2000, was working out with the Islanders at his own expense. He impressed enough to earn himself a roster spot, which was created when Freddy Meyer was claimed off waivers by Phoenix on Monday.

"It's good to get back and playing the game," Berard said. "It's exciting to get back playing. I've missed a lot of hockey the last few years. It was frustrating missing the first three games."

Blue-liner Fedor Tyutin scored for the Rangers, who have lost back-to-back games after an Opening-Night win over Florida.

Rick DiPietro stopped 36 shots and withstood a two-man advantage for 38 seconds early in the second period.

"We played smart defensively. We got the puck out when we needed it," DiPietro said.

The Rangers kept up the pressure later in the power play, but Scott Gomez was unable to lift the puck over the sprawled goaltender.

"We threw everything at Ricky tonight. He played awesome," Gomez said. "But tonight was probably our best game."

Coach Tom Renney's squad was unable to get the equalizer despite having an extra skater and drawing a penalty on Islanders defenseman Andy Sutton the final 18 seconds.

"We put ourselves a little bit behind the eight ball," Renney said. "We created a lot of chances. I'm sure we outchanced them tonight."

With the game tied at 1-1 in the second period, the Rangers' Marek Malik and Blair Betts were whistled for hooking penalties 18 seconds apart. Bill Guerin fed a pass to the top of the left faceoff circle, where Berard one-timed a high shot past netminder Henrik Lundqvist at 13:56 to give the Islanders the lead.

The game marked the first regular-season meeting between the teams after a fight-filled exhibition game here on September 24.

Those events were a spillover from a March 8 contest in which the Islanders' Chris Simon took a vicious swing at the Rangers' Ryan Hollweg. Simon was eligible to play in the preseason but still is serving a 25-game suspension for the incident.

There was ample pushing and shoving and a series of minor penalties in this one, but no fighting majors. Some of those penalties proved costly to the Rangers late in the first period.

With both teams two men down, the Islanders' Mike Sillinger won a faceoff in the right circle and blocked Betts out of the way as Bergeron charged in and blasted a shot past Lundqvist with four seconds left in the period.

"It was all about winning the faceoff," Bergeron said. "I was ready for it."

The goal came just three seconds after Brendan Shanahan was whistled for holding the stick, evening the sides.

The Rangers tied it 2:09 into the second, when Tyutin took a centering pass from Martin Straka and put a wrist shot from between the circles past DiPietro.

Lundqvist made 28 saves for the Rangers, who lost the season series, 5-2-1, in 2006-07.