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Sillinger, Robitaille help Islanders avenge shootout loss

Feb 16, 2007 - 4:52 AM UNIONDALE, New York (Ticker) -- Rick DiPietro may be the face of the New York Islanders, but Mike Sillinger is looking pretty good to coach Ted Nolan.

Sillinger snapped a tie midway through the third period and DiPietro stopped 24 shots as the Islanders began a seven-game homestand with a 4-1 victory over the Boston Bruins.

Randy Robitaille added a pair of late goals and Jeff Tambellini also scored for the Islanders, who play 14 of their remaining 25 games at Nassau Coliseum.

The 35-year-old Sillinger joined his 12th NHL team when he signed as a free agent with New York last summer. His impressive play has helped the Islanders move into contention for an Eastern Conference playoff berth.

"Mike Sillinger added the face that we wanted to create, a gritty hard-working guy that doesn't know the meaning of the word 'quit,'" Nolan said.

With the game tied at 1-1, Sillinger gathered the rebound of former Bruin Andy Hilbert's shot at the inner edge of the right faceoff circle and skated into the slot before putting a backhander past goaltender Tim Thomas at 10:56 of the third for his 19th goal of the season.

"We just kind of took it to the net," said Sillinger, who is second on the team with 45 points. "It was just a matter of forechecking. That's how we generate goals. We're creating an identity as a team."

Robitaille doubled the advantage with 3:16 remaining and sealed the triumph with an empty-netter in the final minute, capping his seventh career two-goal effort, second this season and first as an Islander.

DiPietro, who signed a 15-year, $67.5 million contract prior to the season, faced just five shots in the third period.

"We've added some established veteran guys like (Sillinger) who know what it takes to win," DiPietro said. "We've been a different team after the All-Star break."

The Bruins, who scored their only goal on the power play, lost for just the second time in their last six games.

"Our 5-on-5 goal production is really down. It's really a cause for concern," Bruins coach Dave Lewis said. "This game was there for the taking, and we didn't take it. They took it."

Tambellini opened the scoring, tipping a shot by Sillinger from the right circle past Thomas with 3:04 left in the first period.

Boston tied it 32 seconds into the second on a goal by Glen Murray, whose shot from the slot found its way between the legs of a screened DiPietro.

"We had some shots, but DiPietro was able to corral them and move the puck to the outside," said Murray, who had missed three of the Bruins' previous four games with a groin injury.

The Islanders nearly went ahead a few minutes later, but Robitaille's slap shot rang off the goalpost.

Hilbert and All-Star Jason Blake each had two assists for New York, which suffered a 4-3 shootout loss at Boston on Saturday.

Thomas made 34 saves for the Bruins, who began a six-game road trip.

Islanders defenseman Bruno Gervais left in the first period with a right ankle injury and did not return.