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DiPietro lifts Islanders over struggling Stars

Nov 16, 2006 - 4:14 AM DALLAS (Ticker) -- Rick DiPietro's play is starting to warrant the rich contract the New York Islanders signed him to over the summer.

DiPietro made 35 saves for his seventh career shutout as the Islanders posted a 3-0 victory over the Dallas Stars.

The 25-year old netminder stopped 11 shots in the first period, 13 in the second and 11 over the final 20 minutes en route to winning for the fifth time in his last six starts.

Mike York, Jason Blake and Trent Hunter scored for the Islanders, who won for the fifth time in seven games.

"We played a really good game tonight," New York center Mike Sillinger said. "We had almost a whole week off and it did the whole team a lot of good. We had fresh legs. We knew coming in to play, they are stingy defensively, they have the best goals-against in the league. They play a high-tempo game and I thought we had a really good first period and we played with them right 'til the end."

DiPietro has only allowed 12 goals in his last six starts.

"We killed penalties and that's the name of the game," DiPietro said. "Give these guys credit, all these guys who are blocking shots, made my job a lot easier. We just worked hard and blocked shots."

"The play of Rick DiPietro tonight was sensational," Islanders coach Ted Nolan said. "Working with our defense, making those key little passes behind the net, guys blocking shots, and chipping it out. Dallas is a very talented team. You have to be ready to play them, and tonight we were."

The frustration continued for the Stars, who have only scored four goals in going 0-3-1 in their last four games.

"Nobody's going to feel sorry for us if we don't score," Dallas coach Dave Tippett said. "We've got to bear down, get opportunities, and find a way to score."

Dallas outshot the Islanders, 35-22.

"Maybe we're getting a little too fine with it," Dallas' Eric Lindros said of the Stars' offense. "We're getting chances, that's the best part of a dismal scenario right now. That's the way it goes. We'll get back to putting the puck in the net. We're getting chances, we're generating, we're playing fairly well to get those chances."

The Islanders took a 1-0 lead on the power play at 4:01 of the first period. Stars goaltender Marty Turco stopped Miroslav Satan's shot, but York put home the rebound for his fourth goal.

Less than six minutes into the second period, Blake scored off a 2-on-1 with Alexei Yashin, giving the Islanders a 2-0 advantage.

"I thought right from the get-go, we were ready to play," Nolan said. "I think Blake's goal, giving it to Yashin and Yashin giving it right back to him, that was a great play on both of those guys' parts, and we just went from there."

Hunter iced the victory when he took a pass from Viktor Kozlov in the slot and roofed the puck over Turco's glove for a 3-0 lead with 4:29 remaining in the third period.