Uniondale, NY (My Sportsbook) - The
New York Islanders try to stretch their unbeaten streak to four games tonight when they welcome the Carolina Hurricanes to Nassau Coliseum.
Since opening the campaign with consecutive losses to Buffalo and Washington, the Isles are 2-0-1, including Saturday night's 5-4 victory over lowly Atlanta. Jason Wiemer and Claude Lapointe notched third-period goals as New York staved off the desperate Thrashers, who came back from two scores down to tie the game at 3-3. Dave Scatchard, Kenny Jonsson and Mark Parrish also tallied, while Chris Osgood notched the win with 19 saves.
Parrish, who opened last season on a torrid pace, has picked things up again this fall. He has a goal in each of the last three games after getting shut out in the club's first two matches.
New York opens a four-game homestand tonight, and welcomes Florida to town on Thursday. The set then wraps up with contests against Philadelphia and Phoenix.
The defending Eastern Conference-champion Hurricanes, meanwhile, snapped a three-game losing streak Saturday night with a 3-1 home win over New Jersey in a playoff rematch. Rod Brind'Amour scored a shorthanded goal 5:46 into the game, and Jeff O'Neill and Ron Francis added tallies midway through the third to open up a 3-0 lead. The Devils' Brian Gionta put Jersey on the board with under a minute remaining to spoil Kevin Weekes' shutout.
Weekes made 26 saves in his third consecutive start in place of Arturs Irbe, who has struggled with a 5.32 goals-against average and .806 save-percentage in two appearances. Weekes has stopped 78-of-83 in the last three contests.
O'Neill's third-period goal was his first of the season, and extended his points streak to five games. He has five assists in that time as well.
Carolina opens a brief road trip this evening, and Paul Maurice's club visits Ottawa on Wednesday. In all, the Canes play three of their next four away from home, before hosting a nine-game stand in Raleigh.
The Islanders took three-of-four meetings from the Hurricanes last season, with Carolina winning the final clash on April 8. The Hurricanes have won six of the last 10 games between the clubs overall, and seven of the last nine played on the Island.
