The Islanders had dropped eight straight to the Senators, and when Ottawa tied the game with 1:55 to go in the third, it would seem only natural to expect a ninth straight defeat.
But as Ted Nolan pointed out after his team finished a solid performance with a 3-2 shootout victory, “Last year’s team is totally different than this year’s team.”
That was proven again last night, as Mike Sillinger beat Ottawa goalie Ray Emery in the sixth round of the shootout and then Rick DiPietro came up with a glove save on the ensuing shot from Dean McAmmond in front of 9,211 at the Coliseum.
“People have been waiting for us to go away since the start of the season,” Nolan said of the low expectations that surrounded his team. “But we do simple things. Sometimes, ordinary people can do extraordinary things.”
It is becoming apparent the Islanders aren’t planning on going away, as they won another game during a stretch in which they are having a difficult time scoring goals. They still haven’t scored more than two since a 3-2 win over the Rangers on Nov. 6.
DiPietro did his part, making 35 saves.
“He’s the reason we won this game,” Nolan said.
But certainly not the only one. Sillinger gave the Isles a 2-1 lead in the third that was wiped out when Andrej Meszaros beat DiPietro with a long slapshot with 1:55 remaining in regulation.
And the struggling Bill Guerin, who missed a golden opportunity to end his 10-game scoreless streak but fired high when Mike Comrie set him up right in front of the net, kept the shootout going with the Isles down to their final shot.
Guerin put one through Emery’s five-hole to send the shootout into sudden death.
“Just to see the puck go in finally was nice,” the captain said. “I just tried to do my part to keep it alive.”
The goal came as no surprise to Sillinger.
“He’s a pure goal-scorer,” Sillinger said. “Even though he’s going through a tough time, he’s very important to us, whether he’s scoring goals or not.”
Still, Guerin knows he needs to do more.
“I’ve got to get back to contributing to five-on-five and the power play,” Guerin said.
The Islanders survived last night despite taking too many penalties, including two in the third period and another in overtime, but they still managed to outduel one of the NHL’s best teams.
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Shawn Bates returned from a 10-month absence due to a sports hernia and groin injuries.
“Shawn had a pretty strong effort,” Nolan said of Bates, who played instead of Bryan Berard and drew a first-period penalty . . . The Isles return to action tonight against the Rangers, whom they’ve beaten all three times so far this season. “The Rangers are a good team,” Sillinger said. “We seem to have had a little luck of late. Will they have extra jump [tonight]? Probably. So will we.”
SHOOTOUT Islanders 3 Senators 2