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Islanders break slump in dramatic style

Rick DiPietro

New York Islanders goalie Rick DiPietro (39) raises his arms to celebrate after the Islanders defeated the Washington Capitals 5-3 in an NHL hockey game on Saturday, Nov. 5, 2011, in Uniondale, N.Y. (AP Photo/Kathy Kmonicek)

AP

Garth Snow must be a happy man tonight. The New York Islanders ended their six-game losing streak in about the best way possible on Saturday:

1. They generated a 5-3 win against a legitimate Stanley Cup contender in the Washington Capitals.

2. The Islanders came back from a 2-0 deficit, showing some heart and toughness along the way.

3. Rick DiPietro earned his first win of the season, a fact that probably delighted Snow almost as much as the embattled goalie.

My guess is that win covered quite a bit of Snow’s wish list, although he might be a little pickier (especially since it’s possible to lay much of the blame on Tomas Vokoun, who tends to be really “off” in his rare off nights). The important thing is that the Isles kept themselves in the mix in the increasingly unpredictable East, a conference where no team is more than nine points from first place.*

So what’s next on the wish list? I’d nominate “earning their first road win of the season.”

* - As of this writing, at least.