Isles drop ninth straight, falling in shootout

SAN JOSE, Calif. - In desperate need of a win after eight straight losses, the Islanders turned to 41-year-old goaltender Dwayne Roloson to face San Jose in the second of back-to-back games Thursday night.

Roloson was superb in his fourth consecutive start, stopping 37 of 38 shots in regulation, but the Islanders dropped their ninth straight game, a 2-1 shootout loss to the Sharks at HP Pavilion.

The Islanders earned a point for the first time in nine games, but they couldn't pull out the win in the shootout. After Logan Couture slipped one through Roloson's pads, P.A. Parenteau and Frans Nielsen failed to find the back of the net. Roloson stopped the Sharks' second shooter, Joe Pavelski, with his left pad but was beaten by Dan Boyle's backhander in the third round for the game-winner.

"Close doesn't cut it anymore,'' Roloson said. "We have to do what it takes to win a hockey game and stop the bleeding now.''

When the Islanders took a lead for the first time in nine games on Parenteau's wrister at 4:51 of the second period, things were beginning to look up.

"It's so important in this league to get a lead,'' Parenteau said. "I think our record shows that when we get a lead, we can get points. We've got the guys to do it in this locker room.''

But two Islanders penalties within five seconds of each other in the third period gave the Sharks 1:55 of five-on-three time, and they took advantage almost immediately. Sixteen seconds into the two-man advantage, Boyle scored the equalizer.

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Even after taking a hard shot to the mask late in the third period, Roloson stood strong in overtime, but San Jose edged the Islanders out of a win that would've snapped their frustrating streak.

"He's played so many great games for us lately,'' defenseman Jack Hillen said of Roloson. "It's frustrating for the team and it's frustrating that we can't do it for him because he's been playing so well for us.''

Said coach Scott Gordon, "It's not an easy situation to come into this building having played the night before knowing they're sitting here waiting for us. As bad as circumstances have been in this stretch here, I've got to give the guys credit for their willingness to compete.''

The choice to start Roloson again Thursday night displayed a clear deviation from the team's fairly even-handed approach to playing time between Roloson and Rick DiPietro.

Heading into the game, Roloson boasted an impressive 2.26 goals-against average in eight games this season compared to DiPietro's 4.21 GAA in seven games.

"I just think right now with Roli playing the way he has, for me, it's a no-brainer," Gordon said before the game. "You have to take advantage of the goaltender who is playing really well. If Ricky had some better results in his last few starts, then maybe we wouldn't be talking about that."

In fairness to DiPietro, however, the 29-year-old goaltender has been saddled with two of the team's worst performances in front of him.

"Unfortunately, we haven't given him the best support when he's in the net," Gordon said. "There are goals he'd want to have back, but we've played our worst two games while he's been in net.''

When asked how DiPietro has handled the change in playing time, Gordon alluded to some natural disappointment.

"Every goaltender wants to play all the time," he said. "It's certainly not an easy thing, especially with him coming off his injury and wanting to play."