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Sillinger's power-play goal in OT ends Isles' slide

Dec 9, 2007 - 5:05 AM TAMPA, Florida (Ticker) -- The Tampa Bay Lightning used their power play to tie the game. The New York Islanders utilized theirs to win it.

Mike Sillinger tallied during a man advantage with 28 seconds remaining in overtime, lifting the Islanders to a 3-2 victory over the Lightning on Saturday.

Captain Bill Guerin and Andy Hilbert also scored and Rick DiPietro made 29 saves for New York, which halted a five-game losing streak in winning for the first time in five visits to Tampa Bay.

"We know the kind of goaltender we have," Islanders coach Ted Nolan said of DiPietro, who kept the game even with a huge stop in the latter stages of the final session. "He's going to make some big saves for us, especially the kind he made on (Vaclav) Prospal late in the third period. That pad came out lightning quick."

After failing to cash in during Lightning defenseman Filip Kuba's penalty earlier in the extra session, the Islanders made good on their second power-play attempt in overtime.

With 13 seconds remaining on blue-liner Paul Ranger's slashing infraction, New York defenseman Chris Campoli passed the puck to Sillinger. After a shoulder fake forced former Islander Brad Lukowich to back off a step, Sillinger beat goaltender Johan Holmqvist to the stick side with a wrist shot for his sixth goal of the season.

"Anytime you get two power-play opportunities, especially in overtime, you've got to control the puck and score," Sillinger said. "We were fortunate tonight to get that second power play. We had both units out there a couple of times. We moved the puck pretty good and we were able to take advantage of the 4-on-3, which is what you have to do in that situation."

Holmqvist stated the puck changed direction on its way past him.

"It hit one of our guys in front of the net and tipped in," he said. "We tried to block it. We did a good job. That's the way it is sometimes. Sometimes the bounces go their way, and sometimes they go our way."

Sillinger's tally came on the eighth power play of the game for the Islanders, who were unsuccessful on their first seven chances.

"The last few games, we've had some (penalty) troubles," Tampa Bay's Brad Richards said. "We've got to stay out of the box. It's very important in this league right now to stay disciplined, and it cost us tonight."

Seeking their fourth straight win, the Lightning stormed the offensive zone early, keeping the puck in the Islanders' end of the rink for most of the first four minutes of the game.

But Tampa Bay was unable to take advantage of its territorial dominance as DiPietro turned aside all six shots he faced during the onslaught.

The Islanders had a great chance while shorthanded late in the opening period, but Holmqvist made a stellar glove save on Richard Park's shot during a breakaway with less than three minutes remaining to keep the game scoreless.

With New York enjoying a 5-on-3 advantage early in the second, Richards gained possession of the puck at his own blue line and raced down on a breakaway. But DiPietro denied him, closing his pads to turn aside the shot just 3 1/2 minutes into the session.

"DiPietro is the reason why we won tonight and why we have 14 wins," Sillinger said. "He demands a lot from himself and from this hockey club, and right now, he is carrying the team on his back."

Guerin opened the scoring midway through the second, ending a 16-game goalless drought.

Mike Comrie won a faceoff in the right circle and got the puck back to Guerin, who unleashed a snap shot. Tampa Bay's Jan Hlavac got his stick in front of the shot, causing the puck to pop into the air and over Holmqvist at 12:09, giving the Islanders a 1-0 edge.

"I had no idea where the puck was," Holmqvist admitted. "I had to look on the big (video) screen to see what happened. Shake it off and move on, that's the only thing you can do, and I did that."

DiPietro made the tally stand with a pair of big saves in the opening minute of the third. But Richards cashed in during a power play at 3:51, beating the goalie with a rising wrist shot from the left point to even the game.

New York regained the lead thanks to a turnover by Tampa Bay's Doug Janik midway through the session. The defenseman coughed up the puck behind his own net, allowing Trent Hunter to gain control.

Hunter dished to Hilbert, who fired it past Holmqvist from the left faceoff circle at 10:45 for a 2-1 edge.

"The one thing we addressed this morning is that we wanted to have a better effort," Nolan said. "If we have a better effort, good things usually happen. You can never predict the outcome, but the process..."

But with the Islanders down two skaters, Richards unleashed a one-timer from just above the slot that beat DiPietro with 6:21 remaining, again knotting the contest. The tally, his 10th, capped Richards' third two-goal effort of the season.

"We played a great hockey game," Richards said. "We got one point. We would've liked to have two, (but) we didn't get that done. We battled - I think you can't ask for more than what we gave tonight. It was a great effort throughout the team."

"I thought we played hard. We battled back a couple of times," Lightning coach John Tortorella said. "I'm happy with the club as far as how they battled back. We got a point in the third period when we're down. I think that's the first point this year (with) us being down going into the third."

Holmqvist - who entered 4-0-0 lifetime vs. New York - stopped 30 shots for Tampa Bay, which had its three-game winning streak snapped and fell to 0-11-0 when trailing after two periods this season.