Okposo scores in OT in Islanders' 4-3 win; Tavares gets two goals
Photo credit: AP | New York Islanders' Kyle Okposo (21) and Mark Streit (2), from Switzerland, celebrate Okposo's game-winning goal in overtime against the Carolina Hurricanes. (Nov. 13, 2009)
Galleries
Nov. 13: Islanders 4, Hurricanes, 3 (OT)
RALEIGH, N.C. - Seems as though Kyle Okposo is feeling better.
In his first game back since being diagnosed with swine flu earlier this week, Okposo scored the winning goal with 15 seconds remaining in overtime as the Islanders beat the Hurricanes, 4-3, at RBC Center Friday night.
After giving away a 3-0 lead, the Islanders left North Carolina with two points as Okposo picked off a pass at the blue line and snapped a shot from the left circle for the OT win.
"I owe Okie a big hug for that, even if he is still contagious," goaltender Martin Biron joked. "I'll take my chances."
Biron shouldered the blame for Tim Gleason's tying goal at 17:29 of the third and said he was glad to see his teammates bail him out.
"I gave up a huge goal," Biron said. "I owe Okie and the boys tonight."
"It meant a lot," Okposo said. "We wanted to get that second point especially since we lost it the other night ."
John Tavares had his first two-goal game in the NHL and Mark Streit scored on a power play to give the Islanders the 3-0 lead by the end of the first period. But they played unevenly after that against the NHL's worst team, which had recently signed goaltender Manny Legace in the net.
Tavares showed patience and concentration on his first goal. He waited beside the net for Okposo's airborne rebound to drop just beneath the crossbar before batting it in for a power-play goal at 3:38.
After Streit's one-timer from the right point gave the Islanders their second power-play goal of the night at 5:35, Tavares extended the Islanders' lead to three goals as he wristed one past Legace.
But the Islanders' play sagged in the second period as they allowed a chippy Hurricanes team to pull within a goal.
Down a man after Freddy Meyer went to the penalty box for holding, the Islanders gave up a power-play goal at 8:52. Tuomo Ruutu went top shelf on Biron, who was sprawled on his back in the crease after making a save on defenseman Bryan Rodney's slap shot.
Ray Whitney tipped one in at 11:17 on a deflection of Aaron Ward's booming shot from the left point, a goal that tilted the ice in Carolina's favor.
After protecting their one-goal lead for most of the third period, the Islanders allowed the Hurricanes to tie it on Gleason's one-timer from the right circle.
After missing Wednesday night's shootout loss to Washington, however, Okposo stepped up in overtime and made his presence felt.
"We saw a three-goal lead evaporate pretty quickly," Okposo said. "But we battled back."
Notes & quotes: Along with Okposo, Blake Comeau rejoined the Islanders' lineup after missing Wednesday's 5-4 shootout loss to Washington. Josh Bailey missed a game for the first time this season when he joined Jeff Tambellini in the pressbox as Friday night's healthy scratches.
