Skip navigation
Favorites
Sign up to follow your favorites on all your devices.
Sign up

The streak is over: Isles beat Devils 2-0, Rick DiPietro with the shutout

New Jersey Devils v New York Islanders

of the New York Islanders of the New Jersey Devils at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum on October 2, 2010 in Uniondale, New York.

Bruce Bennett

It’s over. It’s mercifully over. The Islanders 14-game losing streak has come to an end and, incredibly enough, it was embattled franchise goalie Rick DiPietro who led the way. DiPietro’s 29 save shutout and calm, cool demeanor late while the Islanders killed a 5-on-3 power play earned the 2-0 victory for the team. The Islanders avoid tying the franchise record for consecutive losses and stay out of the running for all-time longest losing streak of 17 games.

Jesse Joensuu and Rob Schremp had the goals for New York while Devils starter Johan Hedberg made 18 saves in the loss. Amazingly enough, the win puts the Islanders just one point behind the Devils for 14th in the Eastern Conference and the Atlantic Division. Think about that for a second, the Islanders snap a 14-game losing streak, a streak in which they earned just three points from games reaching overtime or the shootout, and now find themselves one point behind New Jersey.

Now with the Islanders incredible futility streak over and done with, the attention will be turned once again to the moribund Devils. After all, you’d think that in an NHL that awards points wantonly throughout the season the Devils, despite their issues, could’ve gotten a bit more cushion from the absolute basement in the Eastern Conference. Instead, they’re now just one point ahead of the Islanders and dead last in the league. Head coach John MacLean was feeling the heat already in Newark, he’s going to be getting the fire turned up on him even more now after losing to the league’s worst team.

As for the Islanders, they’ve played tough of late and now they’re going to have to get tougher as the Isles announced after the game that Trent Hunter will be out indefinitely with a grade three MCL tear. Hunter’s replacement Joensuu did all right today in getting his first goal of the season.