Tavares has hat trick in Isles' loss to Panthers

SUNRISE, Fla. - Not even John Tavares' first NHL hat trick could lift the Islanders to victory Saturday night as they dropped a 4-3 decision to the Florida Panthers at BankAtlantic Center.

Three times the Islanders fell behind by a goal and three times Tavares pulled them even.

Trailing 4-3 late in the third period, the Islanders had another chance to tie the score, but with less than a minute left, P.A. Parenteau was whistled for interference, a call deemed questionable by a few Islanders.

Down a man to finish the game, the Islanders found no answer to Radek Dvorak's go-ahead goal at 13:28 of the third period that ultimately spelled their first regulation loss since Oct. 13 against the Washington Capitals. They had won three straight games.

"Deep down, we believe we are capable of doing great things. We're not happy with being mediocre,'' said goaltender Rick DiPietro, who made 26 saves. "This locker room, we're disgusted with ourselves. We played all right, but we didn't play the way we wanted to play.''

Dvorak buried a rebound to break the tie. After stopping defenseman Bryan McCabe's shot, DiPietro dived back toward the left post, but not before Dvorak slipped the puck underneath his outstretched right glove.

"It was just another one of those bounces,'' DiPietro said. "The guys worked hard tonight and unfortunately, we didn't get a point.''

Tavares found it difficult to relish his milestone achievement. Did the hat trick still feel special? "Not right now,'' he said. "It doesn't mean much when you don't get the two points.''

Tavares' first goal of the night evened the score after defenseman Mike Weaver's slap shot beat a screened DiPietro for a 1-0 Panthers lead at 4:58.

Tavares' goal at 9:25 was the first power-play goal the Panthers' penalty kill has surrendered this season; Florida was 10-for-10 entering the game.

James Wisniewski and Parenteau picked up assists on the play as all three players extended their point streaks to four games.

Less than two minutes later, however, Steve Bernier had a wide-open net to easily convert a nice cross-ice feed from defenseman Dennis Wideman and give the Panthers a 2-1 lead at 11:15.

The trio of Tavares, Wisniewski and Parenteau combined for the team's second power-play goal, with Tavares deflecting Wisniewski's shot to tie the score at 2 at 8:01 of the second.

After David Booth crashed the net to reach a puck dangling in the crease for a 3-2 Panthers lead at 14:57, Tavares notched the equalizer with a little more than one minute left in the second period. Tavares recovered Blake Comeau's rebound and slipped the puck past a sprawling Tomas Vokoun at 18:57 before dropping to his knees in celebration of the feat.

"We were talking about it in the locker room before the game,'' DiPietro said. "It's time for him to step up and take over games. He's capable of doing it and tonight he went out and did it.''

Tavares has five goals in the past four games after missing three games with a mild concussion suffered during the first period of the team's opening- night contest against the Dallas Stars.

But the accomplishment couldn't erase the sting of defeat. "It's a tough way to lose, a couple tough breaks, a couple tough calls, but that's the way the game goes,'' Tavares said. "We'll just be happy with the effort the last two periods and get ready for next week.''