Tavares scores shootout goal for Isles first win
Photo credit: Getty Images | John Tavares #91 of the New York Islanders celebrates with his teammates after scoring the winning shoot out goal against the Carolina Hurricanes. (October 21, 2009)
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Oct. 21: Islanders 4, Hurricanes 3
At the end of regulation last night the Islanders found themselves in disturbingly familiar territory. Once again they relinquished a lead late in the game. Once again they let their opponent tie the game after dictating play the majority of the game. And once again, they went to the shootout, for the third time in seven games this season.
But last night, the Islanders got a different result. John Tavares scored the game-winner in a shootout to give the Islanders (1-3-3) their first win of the season, 4-3, against the Hurricanes at Nassau Coliseum.
"Overall, it's a team win. Everyone contributed in big ways," Tavares said. "I just had to score the one at the end and everyone else did their part. It's just nice to get it. It's well overdue."
Ahead 3-1 with less than six minutes to play, the Islanders caved. The Hurricanes tied the game with a pair of quick goals. After generating but failing to convert several quality chances in overtime, the Islanders prevailed in a 3-1 shootout.
In the lineup for the first time since the Islanders' home opener on Oct. 3, Jeff Tambellini went first, beating Hurricanes goaltender Cam Ward past his left skate.
Then, Dwayne Roloson, who had 35 saves, stopped Sergei Samsonov on the Hurricanes' first attempt. Frans Nielsen, who played his first game of the season since injuring his right knee during training camp, backhanded one past Ward.
Jussi Jokinen was the only Hurricane to beat Roloson in the shootout, but with a 2-1 advantage, Tavares gave the Islanders the victory as he lifted one over Ward's right shoulder. It was the Islanders' first win since April 4 of last season.
"We all willed him to end that for us," Andy Sutton said. "That went in on a virtually impossible angle."
Sutton, who had a superb game, scored the Islanders' second goal and assisted on the first.
The Islanders took a 1-0 lead when Matt Moulson scored his fifth goal of the season off a pretty pass from Sutton. Sutton carried the puck down to the left goal line then fired it back to the slot to connect with Moulson, whose snap shot beat Ward at 8:11.
Matt Cullen tied the game at 5:34 of the second by deflecting the puck in off the left skate of Islanders defenseman Jack Hillen. Cullen's goal gave the Hurricanes' beleaguered power play - ranked 29th heading into the game - its fifth goal with the man advantage.
The Islanders responded with two goals within a minute, first from Tim Jackman at 10:32, then Sutton's at 11:21.
The slow-starting Hurricanes surged back late in the third, tying it on two goals 62 seconds apart. Eric Staal pulled them within one at 14:01 as he had an easy empty-netter after Roloson went sprawling to stop Ray Whitney near the left post. Jokinen beat Roloson short side to tie it at 15:03.
"Even when they got back in the game we played hard," Tavares said. "We knew we deserved to win the game and we came up with some big goals in the shootout."
"It feels incredible," Sutton said. "We've been pressing so hard and working so hard. It's nice to seal the deal."
