Islanders Finally Solve the Avalanche

Despite more than a one-week layoff since their season-opener, the New York Islanders didn’t look rusty in their return to the ice Sunday.

The Islanders got a goal and assist from rookie Tim Connolly and a goal and two assists from Mariusz Czerkawski to defeat the Colorado Avalanche, 4-2, in the Islanders’ home opener.

The spirited crowd of 14,523 saw New York, who hadn’t played since Oct. 2, defeat the Avalanche for the first time in nine tries since the franchise moved from Quebec City to Denver.

“I feel tremendous,” Islander Coach Butch Goring said. “It’s very emotional for me.”

With the scored tied at one, Mark Lawrence sent a back pass along the left boards to Connolly, who darted across the ice through the circles. He patiently waited and faked down two players, and got goalie Patrick Roy to fall over Colorado’s Sandis Ozolinsh. He then wristed the puck from the right circle into the top of the net to give the Islanders the lead for good only 88 seconds into the second period.

New York Rangers 4, Phoenix 2--Adam Graves and Mike York scored early in the third period at New York as the Rangers won their second consecutive game.

Graves broke a tie with a power-play goal at 2:13 and York scored at 7:04 to give the Rangers a 3-1 lead, which they never lost.

Mike Knuble and Tim Taylor also scored for the Rangers, who have seven goals in two games after managing only three goals in their first three.

Chicago 3, Nashville 3--Sergei Krivokrasov scored on a screened shot from the slot with 1:32 left in the third period at Chicago as Nashville earned its first point of the season.

The goal came shortly after Tony Amonte’s goalmouth tip-in with 3:15 left in regulation that gave the Blackhawks a 3-2 lead.

Around the League

A pair of St. Louis defensemen are out because of injuries that occurred during Saturday night’s 4-2 victory against the Edmonton Oilers. Al MacInnis sustained a fracture on his left ankle during the first period, but it will not require surgery. He is expected to miss 4-6 weeks. Ricard Persson is out indefinitely because of a strained ligament in his left knee.