Despite DP's effort, Islanders lose 13th straight

ATLANTA - Without a win in 13 games and one calendar month, it's hard to take consolation in earning a point.

With a 2-1 overtime loss to the Thrashers last night at Philips Arena, the Islanders earned a point for only the second time in those 13 games. But they took little comfort in that.

Michael Grabner's second-period goal gave the Islanders a lead for a second straight game - a rarity these days - but the Thrashers' Nik Antropov had a power-play goal at 2:25 of the third period and Dustin Byfuglien scored the winner 1:30 into overtime.

"We had plenty of chances to win the game. One point doesn't mean a lot," Matt Moulson said.

Byfuglien dropped the Islanders to 0-11-2 in the last 13 and spoiled a superb performance by goaltender Rick DiPietro.

"I can say one thing: Throughout this whole thing, guys care," DiPietro said. "I hope people realize that. This eats at us. This isn't fun for anybody. This is keeping guys up at night and making us sick to our stomachs. This is unacceptable for us. We came into the season with the credo that there are no excuses, and we're not going to make any."

In his first start since Nov. 3 - a 7-2 loss to Carolina in the team's worst performance of the season - DiPietro was stellar in goal. He turned away a season-high 33 shots, his most since Oct. 18, 2008.

Twice in the third period, DiPietro saved the Islanders from losing their sole point, first by smothering Jim Slater's wraparound attempt while face down on the ice, then by stopping Evander Kane on a breakaway with 3:59 to go.

"He was our best player tonight," interim coach Jack Capuano said.

"A loss is a loss," DiPietro said. "The frustrating part is you see what we're capable of doing for long stretches of time. A couple mistakes here and there and it cost us the game. We've got a great group of guys in here. There's no other 20 guys I'd rather go to war with every night."

Playing the second period with only five defensemen - Mike Mottau was taken to the hospital after getting hit by a shot in the right eye during the first period - the Islanders took the lead with 13 seconds remaining in the period on Grabner's fourth goal of the season.

The 23-year-old Austrian winger, who was claimed off waivers from Florida early last month, poked one through Thrashers goaltender Ondrek Pavelec's pads.

But after giving up the equalizer in the third - Antropov scored 13 seconds after Zenon Konopka's holding penalty - the Islanders again were plagued by their inability to finish.

The closest the Islanders came was when Pavelec made a beautiful diving save to rob P.A. Parenteau from the right circle at 14:56 of the third.

"Over the course of 12 games, you can only say and repeat so many things,'' alternate captain Mark Eaton said. "You try to be positive, but in the end, it comes down to wins and losses. Obviously, we're just not getting the W's."