NHL

Islanders come back to beat Capitals

It took a while, but last night at the Coliseum the Islanders finally were reminded that sometimes the breaks can go their way.

After going down 2-0 to the Capitals in the first period, it looked like the same old story for a team that was winless in its past six games. But the Islanders clawed their way back — along with some spotty goaltending from Tomas Vokoun — to beat one of the best teams in hockey, 5-3.

“We stayed positive on the bench,” said P.A. Parenteau, who scored the go-ahead goal with just under two minutes remaining in the third and notched two assists. “Down 2-0 to the Washington Capitals, it’s not easy after one period. But we did it at home and we needed it so bad.”

Coach Jack Capuano was well aware his team had the worst start on offense in the 40-year franchise history — just 18 goals in the first 10 games — so he decided to mix things up, changing all the lines. The unit of Parenteau, Frans Nielsen and Brian Rolston was the best on the ice all night, with Nielsen breaking the Isles’ 80:56 goal-less streak with a backhander early in the second and Rolston scoring his first goal as an Islander later in the period.

“We had to do something,” Capuano said of his team, which is 4-5-2 and heads to Boston to the play the defending Stanley Cup champions tomorrow. “We did a lot of good things that we’ve been doing over the last few games, but we hadn’t put the puck in the back of the net. It’s a credit to the guys and their work ethic.”

Getting his third straight start in nets was Rick DiPietro, who allowed two first-period goals on a Joel Ward wrist shot that was deflected and a superb one-timer from Alex Ovechkin. By the end of the period, the crowd was chanting for Al Montoya, but as the Islanders came out and titled the ice in the second period, DiPietro settled down. He finished with 25 saves.

“You obviously hear them a little bit,” DiPietro said of the crowd. “It is what it is. At the end of the day, a win’s a win, and that’s all that matters.”