islesinfo - Season Recaps 2005-06 Game-by-Game

Menu

2005-06 Season Recap

Game 11 vs. Buffalo Oct. 29, 2005: 6-4 Loss

The Islanders opened up the month of October in Buffalo and end the month against the Sabres at the Nassau Coliseum. The Islanders took a 1-0 lead 83 seconds in when Miroslav Satan finished off a rush by snapping Arron Asham's cross-ice feed high to the short side. The goal was Satan's team-leading eighth of the season and was the first shot of the game. Former Islander first round pick Jean-Pierre Dumont tied it at 3:24 on sheer will. He stood his ground in front of Rick DiPietro, found a loose puck, and poked it between the goalie's pads. Alexei Zhitnik fired in a center-point slap shot on a power play to put New York back on top at 6:13. Ales Kotalik's power-play goal tied it 2-2 at 16:05. The only second-period goal put the Sabres ahead for the first time. Jochen Hecht sent a seemingly harmless 35-foot shot from the left wing that got past DiPietro. Rick was then pulled in favor of Garth Snow. New York stormed back in the third period to tie it 76 seconds in when Robert Nilsson finished a passing play with Alexei Yashin and scored his first NHL goal. Yashin gave the Islanders a 4-3 lead at 7:00 with a tip-in goal. But the Islanders would get into some late penalty trouble and Buffalo took the lead for good with a trio of man-advantage goals. Power-play goals by Daniel Briere, Tim Connolly and Kotalik lifted the Sabres to another 6-4 win over the Islanders. Nilsson was named first star of the game with a goal and an assist.

Goal scorers: Miroslav Satan ( 8 ) , Alexei Zhitnik ( 2 , PP ) , Robert Nilsson ( 1st NHL goal ) , Alexei Yashin ( 7 )
Goaltender: Rick DiPietro, replaced by Garth Snow (L)

Game 10 at New York Rangers Oct. 27, 2005: 3-1 Loss

The Islanders traveled to New York City to face the Rangers for the third time in the last nine days. Jaromir Jagr set up Martin Straka for his first goal of the season at 13:22 of the first period. With the Rangers on a power play, Jagr sent a pass from behind the goal line to Straka, who beat helpless goalie Rick DiPietro from the slot. Fedor Tyutin scored his second goal of the season at 16:26 to give the Rangers a 2-0 lead. The Islanders pulled to 2-1 at 9:20 of the third period on Chris Campoli's second of the season. Campoli converted the rebound of Arron Asham's slap shot from point-blank range. The Islanders couldn't get the equalizer though and Blair Betts scored his second goal of the season into an empty net at 19:29 to complete the scoring. Jagr, with two assists, recorded his 112th career NHL point against the Islanders which is only second most of any Islander opponent behind Mario Lemieux's 128. Alexei Yashin did not register a point in the game and had his 7 game point streak snapped.

Goal Scorers: Chris Campoli ( 2 )
Goaltender: Rick DiPietro (L)

Game 9 vs. Atlanta Oct. 25, 2005: 4-3 Win

The Islanders returned home to face the Thrashers for the first time in the new season. The Islanders scored on their second shot of the game, with Miroslav Satan flipping a wrist shot over Adam Berkhoel's glove. Satan has seven goals this season, five in his last four games. Ilya Kovalchuk, who historically has not faired well against the Islanders especially at Nassau Coliseum, tied it at 3:49 of the second period, beating Rick DiPietro off a rebound on a power play. Atlanta's Patrik Stefan was awarded a penalty shot at 4:16 when he was hauled down on a breakaway. On the attempt, Stefan's wrist shot from about 20 feet missed the net completely. Atlanta scored on its next power-play opportunity to take a 2-1 lead at 7:39. Bobby Holik, parked in the slot, tipped a point shot home. Alexei Yashin tied it at 11:00 on the power play on a tough angle shot. He has five goals and six assists during his seven-game points streak. Yashin again connected on a power play goal to put New York ahead 3-2. He flipped a rebound of Satan's shot over Berkhoel. Jason Blake made it 4-2 with 36 seconds left in the period with a wrist shot. Kovalchuk scored on a power play with 4:20 left in the game but it was too late as the Islanders went on to win 4-3. Yashin was named first star with 2 goals and an assist.

Goal Scorers: Miroslav Satan ( 7 ) , Alexei Yashin ( 5 & 6 , 2 PP ) , Jason Blake ( 5 , GW )
Goaltender: Rick DiPietro (W)

Game 8 at Montreal Oct. 22, 2005: 4-3 Loss

The Islanders headed to Montreal, a place that hasn't been very nice to them historically, to try and avoid a post Ranger game hangover. Saku Koivu scored a power-play goal and assisted on Alex Kovalev's second of the season -- also with the man advantage -- as Montreal built a 2-0 lead 13:31 in. Trailing by two early, Miroslav Satan drew the Islanders to within 2-1 before the end of the first period when he tucked the puck around Jose Theodore's pad and pushed it just inside the right post at 17:43. Satan then scored the tying goal 18:45 into the second period. Defenseman Alexei Zhitnik assisted on both goals. The Canadiens took a 3-2 lead in the third period when Steve Begin set up Long Island native Christopher Higgins' go-ahead goal at 13:28. Alexei Yashin scored his fourth goal of the season at 17:07 as New York tied the game 3-3. He deflected a shot off Theodore's right pad and into the net with 2:53 left in the third period. The Islanders hopes of gaining at least a point in this battle was eventually foiled when Begin scored with 1:45 left in the third period to lift Montreal to a 4-3 win.

Goal Scorers: Miroslav Satan ( 5 & 6 , 2 PP ) , Alexei Yashin ( 4 )
Goaltender: Rick DiPietro (L)

Game 7 vs. New York Rangers Oct. 20, 2005: 5-4 Win

The Islanders wasted little time in the rematch at the Nassau Coliseum as they put up a 3-0 lead in the opening 2:47 on their first three shots. Miroslav Satan scored 89 seconds into the game with a wrist shot that beat Ranger goaltender Kevin Weekes high. assisted on the goal, extending his point streak to five games (3-3-6). Just 26 seconds later, Jason Blake made it 2-0 with another wrist shot. Mark Parrish scored 52 seconds after that on the Islanders' first power play, tipping in a pass from Alexei Zhitnik. Jaromir Jagr scored twice in a 55-second span in the final minute of the period to bring the Rangers within 3-2. He scored on a 5-on-3 advantage off a wrist shot with 57.7 seconds left, then notched his second goal with 2.1 seconds remaining by flipping a loose puck over Rick DiPietro. Arron Asham turned the game back in the Isles favor making it 4-2 when he broke in alone on Weekes shorthanded, was pulled down, and still managed to get the puck in the net at 1:47. Martin Rucinsky brought the Rangers back within a goal 44 seconds later on a backdoor play. The Islanders went up 5-3 on a power-play goal by Parrish 51 seconds into the third period. Jagr made it 5-4 with a power-play goal with 5:42 remaining to give him the hat trick in the losing effort as the Islanders win their second straight on the season and over the Rangers.

Goal Scorers: Miroslav Satan ( 4 ) , Jason Blake ( 4 ) , Mark Parrish ( 2 & 3 , 2 PP & GW ) , Arron Asham ( 1 , SH )
Goaltender: Rick DiPietro (W)

Game 6 at New York Rangers Oct. 19, 2005: 3-2 Win (SO)

Following three days off the Islanders headed to Madison Square Garden for the finale of a three game road trip. This would be the first of a home and home series with the Rangers on back to back nights. Coming into the match up the Islanders had not faired well against their cross town rivals having gone 0-8-2 in their previous 10 meetings. The Islanders were swept by the Rangers in six games in 2003-04 and last defeated them 3-1 at Madison Square Garden on Nov. 23, 2002. Rick DiPietro, who also had never defeated the Rangers, was back in goal after sustaining a concussion last week in Washington(6 days) and missing a 5-1 loss to Philadelphia on Saturday night. Alexei Yashin opened the scoring on a two-man advantage in the first period. After Miroslav Satan scored on a power play to give the Islanders a 2-0 lead 28 seconds into the third, but Jaromir Jagr was credited with a goal 14 seconds later when Islanders defenseman Tomi Pettinen deflected a centering attempt past DiPietro. The Rangers tied it on a power play with 4:37 left in regulation, with Petr Prucha deflecting fellow rookie Fedor Tyutin's shot from the point past DiPietro. This would set up the first shootout in Islander history following a scoreless overtime. Satan, the second shooter for the Islanders, was the only shooter to score in the shootout. Jagr, the Rangers second shooter, had his stick snap as he skated down on DiPietro who made an easy stop. The Islanders went on to win 3-2.

Goal Scorers: Alexei Yashin ( 3 , PP ) , Miroslav Satan ( 3 , PP & SO )
Goaltender: Rick DiPietro (W)

Game 5 at Philadelphia Oct. 15, 2005: 5-1 Loss

The Islanders followed their strong showing in Washington with a total stinker in Philadelphia. The Flyers had heavily scouted the Islanders against the Caps Thursday night and came in with a game plan: use their size and mobility against a smaller Islander lineup. They also wanted to stop the Islanders from using the entire rink to their advantage as they did in their win over the Capitals and they did just that. Even though they had hosted the Pittsburgh Penguins the night before, the Flyers jumped out all over the Islanders taking a 1-0 lead just a minute into the game. The Islanders would later tie the game 1-1 on a 5 on 3 power play tally by Mike York, his first goal as an Islander. But the Isles could not take advantage of a second 5 on 3 opportunity and then watched the Flyers take the lead and increase it to 4-1 by the end of the first period. A frustrated Islander team then began to take penalty after penalty including three on the night by Janne Niinimaa. Michal Handzus scored twice for the Flyers on the night and in the second period the Flyers went up 5-1 on Simon Gagne's league leading 7th goal of the season as he redirected one in off his skate. Peter Forsberg recorded his league best 10th assist on the goal. The Flyers dominated the Islanders on the night from start to finish and out-shot them 46 to 16.

Goal Scorer: Mike York ( 1 , PP )
Goaltender: Garth Snow (L)

Game 4 at Washington Oct. 13, 2005: 5-3 Win

The Islanders arrived at the Nation's Capital having gone 1-15-3 in their last 19 games at the MCI Center for what would be the first of a three game road trip. It would also be their first look at 2004 #1 overall draft pick Alexander Ovechkin. The Islanders were all over the Capitals, who played the previous night on the road, from the opening drop of the puck. Jason Blake scored on a pretty give and go with Oleg Kvasha shorthanded midway through the first period that put the Islanders up 3-0. But the Islanders still struggled a bit in the second period and took a 3-2 lead into the third. Petteri Nokelainen, who was moved up in the lines due to a hip flexor injury to Shawn Bates, scored his first NHL goal and assist to vault the Islanders to a 5-3 victory. Kvasha recorded three assists on the night and Ovechkin was held to just an assist. Garth Snow recorded the win after replacing Rick DiPietro midway through the game. DiPietro was hit in the head by the skate of Jeff Halpern and has returned to New York with a mild concussion. Brent Johnson, who was acquired off waivers by the Caps before the season began to serve as their backup, took the loss. The Islanders out-shot the Capitals 49 to 29 on the night.

Goal Scorers: Alexei Yashin ( 2 ) , Trent Hunter ( 1 ) , Jason Blake ( 3 , SH ) , Petteri Nokelainen ( 1st NHL goal , GW ) , Mark Parrish ( 1 )
Goaltender: Rick DiPietro (left game with concussion) , Garth Snow (W)

Game 3 vs. Florida Oct. 10, 2005: 3-1 Loss

The Islanders host the Florida Panthers in a Columbus Day 1pm matinee. They take a 1-0 lead in the first period off a power play goal by Miroslav Satan on a tough bank in shot off the back boards. In the second period, they let up once again after failing to put the Panthers away in the first. Kristian Huselius tied it for Florida and Chris Gratton finished a tap in following a turnover by Oleg Kvasha. Backstopped by Roberto Luongo the Panthers would shut down the Islanders with a dropped back neutral zone trap in the third period. Satan had a chance to be the hero for the Islanders when he was awarded a penalty shot midway through the third. Luongo stopped him and that was all she wrote. Florida rookie Rastislav Olesz scored his first NHL goal into an empty net for the 3-1 Panther win. Islanders drop to 1-2-0 on the season.

Goal Scorer: Miroslav Satan ( 2 , PP )
Goaltender: Rick DiPietro (L)

Game 2 vs. Carolina Oct. 8, 2005: 3-2 Win

The Islanders home opener was a success as they managed to win 3-2 over the Carolina Hurricanes. Eric Staal opened the scoring for the Canes with a long pass only made possible by the NHL's new rules eliminating the red line. The Islanders played a horrible first period, but kept the deficit at one. In the second period, Mike York watched the puck trickle across the goal line and Alexei Zhitnik hit the post. Brent Sopel had a goal called off because of goaltender interference by Mark Parrish. They finally tied it on a goal by Jason Blake.

In the third period Miroslav Satan scored his first as an Islander by throwing the puck at the net and banking one in off Carolina defenseman Oleg Tverdovsky. Shawn Bates gave the Islanders an insurance goal by scoring his 12th career shorthanded goal. Staal closed the gap with 1:01 remaining but it wasn't enough as Rick DiPietro made 42 saves for the win.

Goal Scorers: Jason Blake ( 2 , PP ) , Miroslav Satan ( 1 ) , Shawn Bates ( 1 , SH & GW )
Goaltender: Rick DiPietro (W - 42 saves: early season leader for most saves in a game)

Game 1 at Buffalo Oct. 5, 2005: 6-4 Loss

The Islanders opened up their 33rd NHL season, the 28th on the road. The Islanders opened up 2002-03 at Buffalo on 10/10/02 and lost 5-1. Their lone goal was scored 1:01 into the game by Dave Scatchard.

Fast forward to 2005 and the Islanders didn't fair much better. The Buffalo Sabres got two goals a piece from forwards Daniel Briere and Maxim Afinogenov. The Isles were chasing the Sabres all night, managing to tie the score a couple of times but eventually dropped to 0-1-0 on the season with a 6-4 final. New Islander defenseman Brent Sopel, acquired from Vancouver for a second round draft pick in 2006, recorded 2 assists. Mike York, also acquired this summer from Edmonton for Michael Peca, recorded two assists as well.

Goal Scorers: Jason Blake ( 1 , PP ) , Chris Campoli ( 1st NHL goal ) , Alexei Yashin ( 1 ) , Alexei Zhitnik ( 1 )
Goaltender: Rick DiPietro (L)