Islanders 4 - 3 Hurricanes
Final - 2OT
  for this game

Islanders edge Hurricanes in shootout

Jan 4, 2012 - 5:34 AM Raleigh, NC (Sports Network) - Frans Nielsen scored in the second round of the shootout, lifting the New York Islanders to a 4-3 win over the Carolina Hurricanes.

Evgeni Nabokov sealed the win with a right pad save on Chad LaRose's backhand attempt in the third round of the shootout. Nabokov finished with 37 saves for the Islanders, who won their third straight game.

Kyle Okposo, Matt Moulson and Nielsen tallied in regulation for New York.

"We didn't have our A-game tonight but we were able to find a way to win," said Okposo. "That happens when you're team is starting to go a little bit."

Anthony Stewart, Brandon Sutter and LaRose netted goals for the Hurricanes, who dropped to last place in the Eastern Conference.

Ward made 33 saves for the loss.

"We got to get that killer instinct when we get that opportunity and we had chances and didn't capitalize and we let them hang around," Carolina head coach Kirk Muller said.

Nielsen skated in before lifting a backhander just underneath the crossbar to beat Cam Ward on the game-winning shootout goal.

It looked as though Carolina would win it in regulation as LaRose broke a 2-2 tie with 4:14 left when he skated in from the left corner and finished with a wrister from the slot.

But Okposo sent the game into overtime as he tallied with 1:30 to go. From the right corner, Moulson made a nice cross-ice feed and Okposo one-timed it home from the slot.

Moulson tallied on the power-play at the 3:40 mark of the first period to put the Islanders on the board, but Stewart answered just 31 seconds later as he tipped home a pass from Jay Harrison.

Nabokov tried to clear the puck out of his own zone, but Sutter stripped him and fired the puck into the open net to give Carolina a 2-1 advantage 3:13 into the middle stanza.

On the power play, Nielsen tied the game, 2-2, at the 4:50 mark of the third. Mark Streit's slap shot from the left point caromed sharply off the back boards and right to Nielsen, who snapped the disc into the back of the net.

Game Notes

New York recorded its first win of the season when trailing after two periods. The Islanders are now 1-15-2...The Islanders haven't won three in a row since the opening week of the season...New York scored on each of its two power-play opportunities.






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