DEVILS 2, ISLANDERS 1

Islanders' center Frans Nielsen was the only one to beat former Islander and now New Jersey Devils' goalie Yann Danis. Unfortunately for the Islanders, Nielsen’s goal was the only one they could muster as New Jersey beat the Islanders 2-1.

The Islanders opened the scoring in the first period on Nielsen’s third goal of the season.  Sean Bergenheim skated into the Devils' zone and fed Nielsen, who was positioned to the left of Danis.  Nielsen caught the pass with his skate then beat the former Islander goalie with a deke to the backhand.  Jon Sim also had an assist on the game's opening tally at 6:23.

New Jersey tied the game at 2:48 of the second period when Ilkka Pikkarainen dropped a pass at the point for Cory Murphy.  The New Jersey defenseman, who had recently been recalled from New Jersey's American Hockey League affiliate, the Lowell Devils, scored his first goal of the season when his slap shot beat Islanders' goalie Martin Biron. Biron, who was making his second-consecutive start for the first time this season, stopped 29 Devil shots in the contest.

New Jersey took the lead at 13:40 of the second period on a power-play goal from Brian Rolston which would turn out to be the eventual game-winner.  Rolston ripped a slap shot from just about the same spot that Murphy scored his earlier in the period.  The puck eluded Biron for Rolston’s second in as many games, after he had been held without a goal in his previous seven games.    

Saturday, the Islanders will return home to the Nassau Coliseum to faceoff against the Atlanta Thrashers for the first time this season.  For tickets or information about any upcoming Islander home game, contact the team's front office at (516) 501-6700.

ISLANDERS
Forwards
26 Matt Moulson - 91 John Tavares - 21 Kyle Okposo
15 Jeff Tambellini - 12 Josh Bailey - 93 Doug Weight
20 Sean Bergenheim - 51 Frans Nielsen - 16 Jon Sim
11 Nate Thompson - 10 Richard Park - 28 Tim Jackman

Defensemen
2 Mark Streit - 8 Bruno Gervais
24 Radek Martinek - 25 Andy Sutton
32 Brendan Witt - 38 Jack Hillen

Goalies
43 Martin Biron
30 Dwayne Roloson

DEVILS
Forwards
9 Zach Parise - 19 Travis Zajac - 18 Niclas Bergfors
16 Matt Halischuck - 26 Patrik Elias - 15 Jamie Langenbrunner
12 Brian Rolston - 8 Dainius Zubrus - 23 David Clarkson
25 Andrew Peters - 10 Rod Pelley - 17 Ilkka Pikkarainen

Defensemen
5 Colin White - 27 Mike Mottau
24 Bryce Salvador - 6 Andy Greene
2 Mark Fraser - 28 Cory Murphy

Goaltenders
35 Yann Danis
30 Martin Brodeur