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Islanders seek second straight win over Sabres

Oct 6, 2007 - 1:15 PM Buffalo (0-1-0) at Ny Islanders (1-0-0) 7:00 pm EDT

UNIONDALE, New York (Ticker) - The New York Islanders' offseason acquistions will look to continue their success when the club plays their home opener on Saturday against the Buffalo Sabres.

Mike Comrie, Bill Guerin and Ruslan Fedotenko combined for three goals and 10 points to lead the Islanders to a season-opening 6-4 victory over the Sabres in the first game of a home-and-home series on Friday night. Comrie had two goals and two assists, Fedotenko scored one tally and set up another and Guerin collected three assists.

The Islanders suffered key losses during the offseason, none bigger than All-Star 40-goal scorer Jason Blake. But New York leaned its key newcomers to open the campaign with a win against one of the top teams in the Eastern Conference.

Even though New York started Buffalo's 2007-08 campaign on a sour note, it was the Sabres that brought an end to the Islanders season last April. The Sabres dismissed the Islanders in just five games in the Eastern Conference quartefinals.

This, however, is not the same team that won last season's Presidents' Trophy. Former captain Chris Drury and Daniel Briere both bolted in free agency.

Drury joined the New York Rangers after having his best season in a Sabres' uniform in 2006-07, scoring 37 goals and adding 32 assists. Briere, who led Buffalo with 63 assists and 95 points signed with the Philadelphia Flyers.

Islanders Goaltender Rick DiPietro, who inked an NHL record 15-year, $67.5 million contract with the Islanders before the 2006-07 season, had a shaky start after surrendering three goals in the opening period Friday but settled down and looked completely recovered from his offseason hip surgery.

DiPietro, the only goalie to be selected first overall in the NHL draft, set a career high and tied a team record with 32 wins last season while tying his personal best of five shutouts. The 26-year-old posted a 2.58 goals-against average with .919 save percentage last season.