(My Sportsbook) - With his team struggling, New York Islanders' captain Michael Peca made an unexpected return to the lineup on Saturday with the intent of firing up his teammates, as well as the Nassau Coliseum faithful.

When it was announced that Peca would be in the starting lineup, chants of "Mi-chael Pe-ca! Mi-chael Pe-ca!" rang throughout the arena and the crowd on Long Island seemed to resemble the excited bunch that filled the Coliseum last season on a nightly basis.

Well, it did not last long. The Isles failed to build on the early momentum and turned in one of their worst performances of the season in a 6-1 rout to the red-hot St. Louis Blues, their fourth straight loss. Before long the chants changed to "Re-fund, Re-fund".

"This game was probably the most embarrassing of my career," New York goaltender Chris Osgood said.

Peca, the heart and soul of the Islanders, was not expected back before December after reconstructive left knee surgery. He took the game's opening faceoff and stayed on the ice for 27 seconds, his only shift of the game.

"I'm still at a point where the doctors probably didn't want me out there too long," said Peca.

Peca was injured in Game 5 of the Islanders' seven-game series loss to Toronto in last year's postseason when he was hit by Maple Leafs forward Darcy Tucker. Tucker closed in and bent at the knees to deliver the hit low to Peca's legs. Peca went end-over-end and fell on the ice. No penalty was called on Tucker.

Peca's original target date to return to the ice was two days before the Isles' first matchup of the season with the Leafs.

Head coach Peter Laviolette hoped that Peca's return would provide inspiration to his club that is off to a horrific 3-7-1 start and hardly showing signs of the team that returned to the playoffs last year for the first time in eight seasons.

"We just wanted to get him in the locker room and on the ice," Laviolette said. "The decision came from me."

The fans were not the only ones kept in the dark about their leader's surprise return. Even Peca's teammates had no idea that No. 27's return was imminent.

"We were left in the dark about this," right wing Steve Webb said. "He was sworn to secrecy. He gave his word he wouldn't tell any of us."

In the 27 seconds Peca played, the captain could not resist laying a hit on St. Louis rookie defenseman Brent Jackman right in front of the Blues' bench

"It was great to see him on the bench with us for the game," said Alexei Yashin. "But it's too bad we didn't give him anything to cheer about."

NEXT UP

New York will wrap up a two-game homestand with the Calgary Flames on Monday before traveling to Montreal.