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Hunter helps Islanders end pair of seven-game slides

Feb 13, 2008 - 4:38 AM UNIONDALE, New York (Ticker) -- The New York Islanders ended a pair of skids against an unlikely opponent.

Trent Hunter had a goal and two assists and Rick DiPietro made 26 saves as the Islanders halted a seven-game losing streak with a 4-3 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers on Tuesday.

Jeff Tambellini, Sean Bergenheim and Ruslan Fedotenko added goals for New York, which also had lost seven straight at home and its first three meetings with Philadelphia this season.

"Obviously, we were disappointed with the results of the past three games," Islanders coach Ted Nolan said. "I thought we played well. Tonight, we found a way to get it done. We tried to drive the net a little more and throw everything at the net. There is no better way to score a goal than to get the body in front of the goaltender."

Daniel Briere, Scott Hartnell and Joffrey Lupul tallied for the Flyers, who have dropped four in a row.

"Right now, we are playing catch-up," Hartnell said. "It seems like the urgency isn't there. We are not taking care of our own end."

Mired in a 13-game goalless drought, Hunter opened the scoring late in the first period with his eighth of the season. After several failed chances by the Islanders, Hunter banged in a loose puck in the crease from the left side with 2:18 remaining for a 1-0 lead.

"The puck bounced around for quite a few seconds before I got a stick on it," Hunter said. "We have been right there for a week or so, but tonight we got bodies to the net, threw pucks there and created traffic."

Philadelphia pulled even early in the second session thanks to its second-ranked power play. Mike Knuble's shot from the left faceoff circle was denied by DiPietro, but Briere was able to tap in the rebound from the left side of the crease 65 seconds into the period.

The goal was Briere's 21st of the season but first in nine games.

"The game was a little more wide-open than the previous ones we have played against them," Briere said. "It will not be a trend. They are usually very conservative. Power plays opened the door for a lot of shots tonight."

Tambellini restored the lead for New York at 5:27 with a wrist shot from the right circle.

"It was a big goal for the three of us," Tambellini said of the line of himself, Blake Comeau and Frans Nielsen. "Getting two points against a division rival was key for this team."

Bergenheim then came up with a fantastic individual effort to make it a two-goal bulge.

After Hunter cleared the puck out of his own zone, Bergenheim outraced Randy Jones for the rolling puck and fought off the defenseman before beating netminder Antero Niittymaki to the stick side with 6:19 left in the second for a 3-1 advantage.

Hartnell, who recorded a hat trick here on January 19, drew the Flyers within one less than four minutes later. R.J. Umberger carried the puck down the slot and cut to the left circle before dishing to Hartnell, who beat DiPietro from alone in front for his 19th goal of the campaign.

All-Star defenseman Kimmo Timonen nearly tied the contest with 7:45 remaining in the third, but his shot from the left circle rang off the right goalpost. Less than two minutes later, former Flyer Fedotenko buried a rebound from the doorstep to increase the Islanders' lead to 4-2.

"I was going to the net and the puck was coming loose, so I just tried to put it in and not swing away like I have been doing lately," Fedotenko said. "Recently, I have been trying to find the perfect play and go to the corners, but now I am trying to focus on going to the net, and hopefully, good things will happen."

Lupul made it a one-goal game with a slap shot from the right circle with exactly one minute remaining. But it was too little, too late for Philadelphia, which has lost five of its last seven.

Flyers coach John Stevens cited giveaways as the reason for Tuesday's setback.

"I am not pleased by the amount of turnovers," he said. "At the end, we had an opportunity. We were down a goal and had puck possession, and we were in the offensive end. We need to manage the hockey puck and make teams earn the goals that they get. The second period has been an Achilles heel for us this year."