Grabner's shorthander gives Isles road win
New York Islanders' Michael Grabner (40) of Austria, after scoring the game-winning goal during the third period of an NHL hockey game. (Nov. 26, 2011) Credit: AP
NEWARK -- For a change, the breaks went the Islanders' way.
For a change, they showed resiliency when an opponent swarmed back on them.
For a change, the Islanders won a game on the road.
Their 3-2 victory over the Devils Saturday wasn't decided until the hockey operations war room in Toronto determined that Zach Parise had kicked in the apparent tying goal with his right skate with 2.1 seconds to play. The Islanders grabbed two points for only the third time in the last 17 games (3-10-4) and earned their first win in eight road games.
"I was hoping we'd catch a break, and we got a good break," Matt Moulson said of the hairy final seconds.
Trying to preserve a one-goal lead for the third time Saturday, the Islanders seemingly had what they wanted: Frans Nielsen cleanly won a faceoff to Al Montoya's right with 5.3 seconds left, but no Islander went back to play the puck. Dainius Zubrus whizzed it right past Milan Jurcina, who had left Parise alone in Montoya's crease, and Parise took two whacks at it before the puck slid across the line.
The review showed that the puck was under Parise's right skate and that he directed it in with his foot. After the goal ruling was overturned, Parise, who has only one goal in his last 11 games, smashed his stick on the bench.
"Of course I was angry. A tight game like that where we worked to get back into it and they make the wrong call," Parise said. "I'm sorry, but I can't agree with it."
The Islanders earned this one, outworking the Devils for long stretches and showing some determination in taking the lead back twice after the Devils had tied it.
Brian Rolston won a one-on-one battle with David Clarkson for the puck along the side boards and fed Josh Bailey, who roofed a shot past Martin Brodeur just as David Ullstrom banged into the net. Video review let that one stand at 11:59 of the second, giving the Isles a 2-1 lead entering the third.
A sloppy play by Mike Mottau allowed Adam Henrique in alone to beat Montoya 3:59 into the third to tie it again, and the Islanders looked to be in trouble when Bailey took a hooking penalty 1:35 later. But Michael Grabner, denied on two previous breakaways by Brodeur, stripped Ilya Kovalchuk and quickly beat Brodeur with a wrist shot at 5:51 for the Isles' first shorthanded goal of the season. They led the league with 15 a season ago.
"The important thing is to kill off the two minutes, but it's good to get one there," Grabner said. "I had a few breakaways again today. I've just got to figure out a way to be better with them."
The Islanders had half a dozen breakaways on Brodeur, who robbed Grabner and then Kyle Okposo as the trailer in the second when the Isles could have made it easier on themselves by taking a two-goal lead. Brodeur also stopped John Tavares and Grabner again in the final four minutes, setting up the furious finish.
"We've been trying for this all year," said Montoya, who made 11 of his 24 saves in the third period. "We worked hard and we earned this one. And we got the bounce tonight."
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