Before receiving the slew of giveaways, Comeau was bombarded by other light objects almost two hours earlier when his third goal prompted the Nassau Coliseum crowd to send hats crashing to the ice. The celebration was sparked by Comeau’s surging offensive production as the 24-year-old had his first career hat trick to key the Islanders 5-2 win over Chicago on Tuesday night.

The Islanders looked rusty in its first game off the NHL’s two-week Olympic break. But after allowing 22 first-period shots in going down 2-1, the Isles surged to four goals in the second. Comeau capped that barrage, tallying his third goal with 17.3 seconds left off  Rob Schremp and Mark Streit’s crisp passes that set up his shot from the slot.

“It was a great feeling,” Comeau said. “It was a great pass by [Streit]. He had the shot lane and he chose to pass. I was excited and it was good to be able to get the win with it.”

Comeau has six goals in his past three games. After going 151 games without a multi-goal game, Comeau accomplished the feat in back-to-back contests. He scored twice against Ottawa before the Olympic break and added three clutch goals against a Blackhawks team that entered the night trailing San Jose by just two points for the league’s best record.

Dwayne Roloson shrugged off trade rumors and made 41 saves for his first victory since Jan. 21. Roloson said Comeau’s production, which now includes a three-game goal scoring streak, isn’t surprising.

“He’s shooting a lot better but unfortunately I have to see him in practice now,” Roloson said with a grin.

Islanders coach Scott Gordon said he has been trying to encourage Comeau to shoot more instead of focusing on passing during most scoring opportunities. The left-winger responded by firing a team-leading four shots while using a stick that formerly belonged to teammate Trent Hunter.

“It’s the best I felt in awhile,” said Comeau, who has 12 goals. “It’s a confidence booster when you’re contributing offensively.”

Roloson might not be around to face Comeau in practice. The 40-year-old was still with the team last night but saw defenseman Andy Sutton traded earlier in the day. Islanders general manager Garth Snow sent the 6-6 Sutton to the Ottawa Senators in exchange for a 2010 second round draft pick that formerly belonged to San Jose.

Rick DiPietro is still listed as out indefinitely after his surgically repaired left knee swelled up on Sunday. That could mean Snow might not trade Roloson by Wednesday’s deadline. Roloson is signed through next season.

The Islanders won for just the third time in the past 12 games. Gordon’s team has won its last two games but problems persist. A struggling power play unit did not generate any man advantage opportunities against the Blackhawks. The team is just 2-for-41 on the power play in the last 11 games.

Rookie John Tavares was minus-1 in playing just 10:17. The top overall draft pick was held without a goal for the 30th time in the last 32 games.

Islanders vs. Blackhawks Audio Report March 3, 2010

Martin Biron made 24 saves in his first NHL game since Dec. 21 while struggling rookie John Tavares added the game-winning goal in the fourth round of a shootout to lift the Islanders to a 4-3 win over Nashville on Tuesday night.

The Islanders snapped a season-high seven-game losing skid and cracked the three-goal threshold for the first time in nine games. Mark Streit’s right-point goal skipped past Pekka Rinne with 11.4 seconds left, setting up goals from Frans Nielsen and Tavares in the one-on-one session for the Isles first victory since Jan. 21.

Tavares, who has just two goals and five assists in his last 28 games, beat Rinne high-stick side for the winning strike and send the Isles into its game against the defending-champion Penguins on Wednesday with momentum.

“It’s a little bit off our shoulders,” Tavares said. “Things haven’t been going our way. It’s nice to feel good again. We have a tough test tomorrow but we’re up for it.”

Rob Schremp logged two assists to help revive a sputtering offense. Matt Martin also came through with a two-point night in his NHL debut, picking assists on both power play goals.

The 20-year-old left-handed shot set up Streit’s clutch goal in the waning seconds and was rewarded after the contest with the team’s plastic hard hat—given to the hardest working player after an Islanders victory.

“The goal was a blur,” Martin said. “I saw Streit wide open and he made a great shot.

“I was pumped up. We had a feeling we would win after that. I think the guys started to get their confidence back.”

Streit’s eighth goal ignited a celebration on the Islanders bench and helped Biron post his first NHL win since Nov. 13. The 11-year veteran stopped Steve Sullivan, David Legwand and Patric Hornqvist. Martin Erat scored Nashville’s only shootout goal when Biron prematurely lunged on a poke-check attempt and fell.

“We were obviously very happy for Marty,” Islanders coach Scott Gordon said. “I don’t think you could ask for a better teammate.”

All three non-shootout Islanders goals came from defensemen as Streit, Freddy Meyer and Bruno Gervais all tallied scores.

Gervais scored during a two-man advantage with 57 seconds left in the second period, tying the score at 2 right before intermission.

Gervais slammed in a rebound off Schremp’s shot ending a 0-for-24 streak on the power play in marking the club’s first power play goal since Jan. 26 against Washington.

But Nashville responded to its own two-man advantage when Steve Sullivan’s left circle laser beat Biron 4:12 into the third for a 3-2 Nashville lead. Erat’s crisp pass on Sullivan’s stick set up the winger’s 12th goal while Sean Bergenheim (high-sticking) and Blake Comeau (cross-checking) watched from the Islanders penalty box.

Erat gave the Islanders life late when he boarded Andrew MacDonald with 46 seconds left, setting up a 6-on-4 Islanders advantage after Biron was pulled for the extra attacker.

Biron is a three-man logjam with Rick DiPietro and Dwayne Roloson and could be headed out with the league’s trade deadline approaching in March.

“It’s been a tough situation,” Biron said. “We’re trying to do the best for each other and giving each chance to get some shots in practice.”

Biron, who was recalled from AHL Bridgeport, played in his first NHL game since Dec. 21. The 32-year-old veteran said the conditioning stint in the minor leagues was beneficial despite his 11 years of big league experience. The game could also be a showcase for Islanders general manager Garth Snow.

“My first practice in Bridgeport, an hour plus in net, I was dead tired afterwards. I haven’t seen that for a month,” Biron said. “With three goalies, you have to make the best out of it.”

“I knew the situation coming in and I know most likely I’ll be a chip for Garth to acquire something and give me a chance to continue my season.”

Meyer’s first goal since Jan. 21opened the scoring 5:10 into the period. Nashville’s previous breakdowns that allowed open shots for Bergenheim and Andy Sutton finally resulted in a score when Schremp drew the attention of two defenders near the sideboards.

Schremp fed a pass to an open Meyer after Erat overcommitted to stop the pass. The defenseman blasted a shot from the high slot for his second goal in 42 games. The offensive output sets up an important game with Sidney Crosby and the Penguins.

“Every game is important if we want to believe we have a chance to make the playoffs,” Gordon said. “The two points tonight will have more significance if we put together an effort that allows us to win the game tomorrow.”

Nashville responded by scoring twice in a 3:16 span.  Frans Nielsen’s desperation clear in the Islanders crease off Biron’s rebound went right to Cal O’Reilly’s stick blade, who buried the shot for his first goal this season.

Just minutes later, Joel Ward took advantage of a poorly executed Islanders line change to complete his breakaway goal to put the Predators ahead 2-1 heading into second intermission. Sutton was late getting over and smashed his stick over the Islanders crossbar as Ward celebrated his 12th goal at 13:51.

Consider it symbolism for the arena’s home team as the Islanders are desperately looking to find the right direction. The Islanders failed to generate much offense against a goalie making his NHL debut in a 3-1 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes on Saturday night.

Justin Peters made 34 saves with his family looking on. Only Frans Nielsen’s short-handed goal prevented the shutout as the Islanders saw its season-high losing streak extended to seven games. Coach Scott Gordon saw his team fail to score more than two goals for the eighth straight game, completing a 1-7 stretch in which the team has scored 11 total goals.

“I can go through the whole game and list plenty of chances,” Gordon said. “It’s obviously frustrating.”

The two-week Olympic break can’t come soon enough for the Islanders. But four games remain before the respite, including Tuesday’s home matchup with Nashville followed by a road game against the defending Stanley Cup-champion Pittsburgh Penguins the following night.

Jussi Jokinen continued his career-best season, notching goal No. 20 to open the scoring off a deflection 14:32 in. Jokinen, who posted a 20-goal season for the first time in his five-year career, took advantage of a loose puck after DiPietro deflected a centering pass right to the open winger.

The Islanders power play woes continued. After failing to score on a 28-second 5-on-3 chance, Matt Moulson’s right-post shot appeared to jar the puck past Peters and into the open net with the single-man advantage. The officials waved off the goal, blowing the whistle before Moulson’s scoring attempt sent the puck over the goal line.

Nielsen got the tying goal at the 9:25 mark of the second period, capitalizing on Blake Comeau’s penalty kill work. Comeau forced a turnover behind Carolina’s net before passing it to Nielsen for his eighth goal.

Patrick Dwyer responded with a goal near the left post almost five minutes later for the go-ahead score. Joni Pitkanen, who assisted on Jokinen’s goal, added the insurance marker with one minute left as DiPietro tried to skate to the bench for the extra attacker.

A winless four-game road trip preceded a meeting with a Carolina squad that entered with the Eastern Conference’s fewest points. The Islanders have not won since Jan. 21 despite out-shooting the Hurricanes, 35-25.

“You shouldn’t have to play a perfect game to win,” Gordon said. “That’s the way it’s feeling right now.”

Peters, recalled from the AHL when starter Cam Ward sustained an upper body injury earlier in the week, blanked Comeau on a breakaway just two minutes into the final period. The netminder’s sliding pad save stopped Comeau’s attempt and Carolina killed off two power plays in the third to split a four-game road trip with wins over Buffalo and the Islanders on back-to-back days.

DiPietro said a young Islanders (23-27-8) team has the maturity to end a losing streak before it falls out of contention for the eighth and final playoff spot. Just 24 regular season games remain.

“These are the slides you try to avoid but we have a strong group in here mentally and we have to keep pushing and keep getting better,” DiPietro said. “I think it’s human nature for anyone to press when you get in a situation like this. There’s some added pressure but you have to fight through.”

A struggling Islanders power play unit produced seven shots but no goals in five chances. The team is now 1-for-24 on the power play in the last six games.

New York Sports Day Islanders vs. Carolina Audio Report Feb. 6, 2010

But back-to-back losing performances against first-place clubs demonstrated just how far the Isles need to go to hang with league’s elite opponents.

Washington’s NHL-best offense surged to five goals on its first 18 shots as the Capitals consistently torched the Islanders defense in a 7-2 trouncing on Tuesday night. The defeat came four days after the Atlantic Division-leading Devils exited Nassau Coliseum with a victory.

“It seemed like they had the puck for 40 seconds at a time making great moves,” captain Doug Weight said. “We were doing a lot of covering up and that’s not going to work. We certainly left our goalies out to dry.”

The Islanders have lost three of its last four after starting January 6-1. The latest defeat was compounded by a key injury when defenseman Jack Hillen needed a visit to North Shore hospital after getting struck in the face with Alex Ovechkin’s  first-period shot.

Hillen could be out 6-8 weeks with a broken jaw.

Ovechkin entered with 33 goals. The 24-year two-time MVP failed to score but fired 10 shots as five different Capitals scored. Weight compared Washington to the Red Wings team that won four Stanley Cups from 1997-2008.

“They control the puck and frustrate you,” Weight said. “It’s going to happen once in awhile. We need to get back to basics. We stopped finishing our checks.”

Starting goalie Dwayne Roloson was benched after a hellacious first period after allowing four goals on 12 shots. Replacement Rick DiPietro didn’t fare much better, surrendering three goals on 21 shots to the conference’s top team.

“I think it’s just a function of getting away from our game,” DiPietro said. “When you don’t finish checks, you give them opportunities to move the puck around and be successful. That’s what they did.”

Rob Schremp and Kyle Okposo scored for the Islanders as Washington won its fourth straight game at the Coliseum dating to last season.

Alexander Semin scored both of his goals against Roloson, including the last tally with four seconds left in the first. Brendan Morrison, Mike Knuble, John Erskine, Jason Chimera and Brooks Laich also added goals to lift Washington to a season-high seventh straight win.

Losses to the Penguins, Devils and Capitals in seven days have kept the Islanders out of the eighth playoff spot. Gordon’s team tied a season-high in goals allowed, giving up six goals or more for the fifth time this season.

The Islanders will try and regroup on a four-game road trek starting Thursday in Carolina.

“We have to rally with the trip here,” Weight said. “We just came through a streak where a lot of our wins were against top-echelon teams, both on the road and at home.”

Morrison and Semin staked the Capitals to a 2-0 lead through the opening 4:49 before Washington added two more goals in the period’s final 97 seconds to take a 4-0 lead.

Before the fans could get settled, Morrison positioned himself in front of the Islanders crease and in perfect position to deflect Erskne’s top left circle shot past Roloson for his 11th goal just 1:05 in.

Semin deked around Frans Nielsen and moved past Trent Hunter before beating Roloson glove-side almost three minutes later for a two-goal edge.

Schremp responded with a power play goal just 1:14 later to cut the Islanders deficit to a single goal. Schremp’s sixth goal ended a five-game goal-less streak for the rookie forward.

Yet the Capitals worked quickly to re-establish a cushion and in the process deprive the Islanders of one of its most reliable defenseman.

Killing off a penalty, Hillen left the game with 2:31 left in the first after Ovechkin’s deflected shot hit him square in the face. A stretcher was brought out, though Hillen was able to get up and skate to the dressing room as blood smeared the ice just in front of the goal crease.

“It shouldn’t have happened because of what we should have been doing on the faceoff,” Islanders coach Scott Gordon said. “Once he went down, I knew it wasn’t going to be good.”

Knuble scored when play resumed, taking advantage of Sean Bergenheim’s holding penalty. Semin scored off his own rebound in the waning for a 4-1 lead, prompting boos as time expired.

Gordon said he lifted Roloson to preserve the 40-year-old’s confidence.

“I didn’t want him to get beat up over the game,” Gordon said. “They were obviously at their top and to have a goal scored late like that…I thought it was an opportunity to have Ricky in there and not have it all come down on [Roloson].”

DiPietro replaced Roloson coming out of intermission and looked rusty when Erskine beat him on a stoppable shot 2:36 into the period.

Okposo netted his second goal in two games with a hard shot from the slot before Chimera scored the Capitals sixth goal at 13:58. Laich’s short-range wrist shot over DiPietro’s shoulder capped the scoring 14:52 into the final period.

Islanders vs. Carolina Audio Report Jan. 26, 2010

The troubling thing for the Islanders is that Brodeur was only slightly more active than he was on Monday. Four goals in 40 minutes chased Brodeur to the bench in the Islanders win in that contest, though the Hall-of-Fame bound Devils goalie extracted revenge in the rematch to lead New Jersey to a 4-2 win.

The Islanders mustered just three shots in the final period, losing for the first time in six home games after Zach Parise scored twice and Bryce Salvador broke a 2-all deadlock with a left point shot 13:11 into the third for the game-winner.

Kyle Okposo and Jack Hillen scored twice during a five-minute match penalty in the second period to hand the Isles a temporary lead.

But Parise tied it at 2 heading into second intermission with a final-minute goal that set the tone for a final period in which the Devils forged a 14-3 edge in shots.

“In the third period, we didn’t have it,” Okposo said. “I don’t have any explanation for it. We had a bad period and we need to correct some things.”

The Islanders lost for just the second time in seven games. Colin White’s game misconduct and major penalty for driving Sean Bergenheim into the sideboards galvanized the power play, which saw Okposo and Hillen score in a 2:02 span midway through the second period.

Rookie John Tavares picked up an assist on Okposo’s goal at 9:34. Okposo did most of the legwork, driving a shot that beat Brodeur glove-side at the low right post.

Tavares, the Islanders second leading scorer, has scored just one goal in his last 14 games and said the Islanders allowed New Jersey to dictate play in the last 20 minutes.

“We didn’t get any momentum to allow us to generate our forecheck,” Tavares said. “That allows them to set-up and they’re good at closing lanes. They have a goaltender who plays the puck very well, so it makes it difficult if we have no speed to get on it.

“When we don’t do that, we don’t get any shots on net. That was the difference.”

Brodeur made 20 saves as the Devils looked like a much-improved group than six days ago when the Islanders surged to a 4-0 win in front of a sold-out crowd. The arena was filled to capacity again before New Jersey scripted a different ending.

The Devils were coming off three straight road wins and also lost to Montreal at home the night before. Islanders coach Scott Gordon said his team failed to take advantage of an opponent who was less rested than his team.

“We didn’t push the pace to allow ourselves the opportunity to win the game,” Islanders coach Scott Gordon said. “We played the game not to lose.”

Sportsday Islanders vs. Devils Post-Game Recap January 2010

The previous sellout came in the opener when John Tavares made his NHL debut against the defending Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins. While the glamour level wasn’t the same for a matinee against New Jersey, the Islanders picked up a vital two points against the Atlantic Division leaders by thrashing the Devils, 4-0.

Matt Moulson galvanized the throngs with a game-opening backhand goal just 1:07 in. That marked the first of Moulson’s two goals as the Isles posted a 46-20 shot advantage in helping Rick DiPietro record his first shutout in almost two years.

Moulson’s pair helped the Islanders post a four game winning streak while encompassing the club’s sixth victory in seven games.

“They haven’t been easy wins,” Moulson said. “We’ve worked for everything we’ve gotten. We’re just trying to play every team the same. That’s the goal right now.”

DiPietro’s second win in three days was the best news for the resurgent Islanders. After missing almost four months coming back from knee injuries, the netminder looked sharp in responding to a 31-save effort against Buffalo on Saturday.

But Moulson’s effort is also a vital part of the Islanders playoff push. The 26-year-old has a team-high 19 goals thanks to a stretch of three goals in the past three games.

That slump-busting effort negated a 10-game goal-less streak that stretched through the second half of December. No surprise that the Islanders went 4-5-1 in that stretch and have seen their success rate go up proportionally with the left winger’s reemerging scoring touch.

“During training camp, we wanted to be in position to be in the playoffs,” Moulson said. “Everybody believed we were capable of this.”

Moulson is just one goal away from becoming the first Islander to crack the 20-goal mark since 2008. He is on pace for 28 goals, which would be the highest single-season total since Jason Blake’s 40-goal output in 2006-07.

Not surprisingly, 2007 was the last time the Islanders qualified for the postseason. Moulson carries another similarity to Blake. Like the speedy winger, Moulson was a fledging player for Los Angeles before developing into a goal scorer on Long Island.

Moulson scored six goals in 29 career games the past two seasons for the Kings. But that didn’t stop coach Scott Gordon from taking the advice of the front office and offering the North York, Ontario native a chance to earn regular playing time in training camp.

Gordon called him in the summer and sold him on the idea of being part of a young nucleus that includes Tavares, Josh Bailey and Kyle Okposo.

“The reality is he could have gone to another organization and found a spot to be a top-six guy, but it would be pretty hard,” Gordon said. “But with our team, it was a situation that would provide him with the most opportunity if he had a good camp, which he did.”

Moulson scored 21 or more goals in all three seasons he played for the Kings’ AHL Manchester team.  His numbers were simply a continuation of a successful college career in which the 6-0, 210-pound forward scored 71 goals in 134 games for Cornell.

Despite succeeding at every lower level, Moulson’s first opportunity to play a full NHL season didn’t come until he impressed Gordon in the summer. Even while toiling in the minors, Moulson said the chance to play and record All-Star caliber numbers at the highest level motivated him.

“Earlier on I was kind of naïve and believed my chance would come as long as I kept working,” Moulson said. “Thankfully it happened with this organization.”

The Islanders won’t know until season’s end if the Atlanta Thrashers’ comeback on Saturday night will be the difference in qualifying for the playoffs.

But the Isles still earned the victory despite blowing two separate three-goal leads in a 6-5 shootout win over Atlanta at home.

Ilya Kovalchuk temporarily silenced most of the Nassau Coliseum crowd with a blistering point shot for a power play goal as Atlanta roared back from a 5-2 deficit to tie it almost midway through the final period.

Instead of folding, Jeff Tambellini and Frans Nielsen scored critical shootout goals to send the Islanders into a three-game Western Conference road trip with momentum.

The Islanders entered Sunday tied with Atlanta for the ninth spot at 42 points with the Thrashers playing two fewer games. Despite giving back a point, Josh Bailey said the win was good for the club’s confidence since the Islanders started its game as the NHL’s lowest scoring offense.

“We needed a game like this,” Bailey said. “We haven’t been giving too much support for our goalies lately, so it’s definitely a positive.”

Five regulation goals tied a season-high for the Islanders. The team first accomplished the feat Halloween night against Buffalo.

Even after the scoring barrage, the Islanders ranked second-to-last in goals scored, trailing only Carolina. The Hurricanes claim the league’s worst record and fewest points and has 102 goals compared to 107 for the Isles.

Scott Gordon’s club can make it back to .500, entering Wednesday’s game in Colorado. At 17-18-8, the Islanders will face an Avalanche squad currently occupying first-place in the Northwest Division before venturing to Dallas and Phoenix.

After that stretch of three games in four days, the Islanders head back to the Coliseum to face the defending Western Conference champion Detroit Red Wings Jan. 12. Gordon said his team needs to do a better job of protecting leads should the Islanders surge ahead against the challenging non-conference opponents.

“It’s something you have to learn from,” Gordon said. “You can’t think for a moment that you can take a shortcut or take the easy way out. It’s a lesson learned.”

But coach Scott Gordon entrusted the 23-year-old to break a deadlock in the skills session despite Schremp logging just one regulation goal through his first 18 games this season.

The move paid dividends as Schremp tallied the only shootout goal while Dwayne Roloson made 41 saves to lift the Islanders to a 2-1 win over Columbus on Tuesday night.

Schremp has only one goal in 26 career games. Yet the Syracuse native responded to the call by waiting for a moment before lifting a forehand past Blue Jackets goalie Steve Mason for the game-winner.

“He’s one of our most skilled players,” Gordon said. “His hands are second to none on our team. It wasn’t a hard decision to pick him for the shootout.

Roloson stopped Kristian Huselius and Rick Nash on pad saves before blanking Fedor Tyutin in the third round to secure the win after Schremp’s goal. Roloson’s save total marked the second time he cracked the 40-pleatau this season. The other occasion came during a career-high 58 saves against Toronto on Nov. 23.

Josh Bailey ended a 14-game stretch without a goal with a first-period tally. The Islanders (16-18-7) concluded a stretch of eight-of-10 games at home yet failed to make up significant ground, going just 3-5 at Nassau Coliseum.

The Isles offense entered with a league-low 97 goals and the lowest goals-per-game average. Despite the paltry goal-scoring, two of the last three home games ended in wins and the loss was a 2-1 decision to Atlantic Division-rival Philadelphia. The Islanders now play four of its next five on the road starting Thursday against Ottawa.

“We’re finally starting to get our swagger back at home,” Bailey said. “You have to take it game-by-game and hopefully we can focus on Ottawa now and get a win there.”

Columbus, like the Islanders, played its third consecutive one-goal game. Umberger’s backhand goal with 10:13 left in regulation salvaged a point for the Blue Jackets one night after a win over the defending Western Conference champion Detroit Red Wings.

Roloson prevented Columbus from earning two points, stopping all of Nash’s six shots before making a nifty save on the four-time 30-goal scorer in the shootout.

Nash, who has 213 career goals at age 25, said his Blue Jackets (15-18-8) are starting to improve after earning points in consecutive games for the first time since Dec. 10.

“We didn’t make it easy on ourselves, but every point matters,” Nash said. “When you play against an Eastern Conference team, even a single point is a big deal. This little stretch before the break, we’re going to need to win as many games as we can to make up some ground.”

Defenseman Milan Jurcina and forward Chris Clark played their first games for the Blue Jackets after coming to Columbus in a Monday trade with the Washington Capitals for winger winger Jason Chimera. Clark, who served as Washington’s captain, logged one shot shot in 13:49 of ice time. Jurcina played 21:31.

“We added two more good guys here,” Umberger said. “Clark is going to add a lot of leadership and veteran presence. Let’s see what happens here the next couple of games and get some more points.”

The Islanders power play was scoreless on four opportunities and is 1 for 37 in the past nine games.

Islanders vs. Columbus Sportsday Audio Report Dec. 30, 2009

But Biron did not log his second shutout of the season. That ensured a loss thanks to another anemic offensive display in support of Biron as the Flyers defeated the Islanders for a 13th straight time, posting a 2-1 win Sunday evening at Nassau Coliseum.

Biron lost his sixth straight start. The Islanders have scored just seven total goals in that stretch, prompting winger Trent Hunter to say it’s up to the club to boost Biron’s spirits.

“Marty has been playing great for us and we haven’t given him the support needed and hung him out to dry a few times,” Hunter said. “We have to go to bat for everyone on this team and we need to be better for him.”

Flyers goalie Michael Leighton made 28 saves as the Islanders mustered just seven shots in the final period despite two power play chances. The Isles are just 1 for 33 on the power play in the last eight games after going scoreless on three chances with the extra man.

Briere opened the scoring just 1:51 into the game. Carter rushed into the Islanders zone and avoided defenseman Andy Sutton’s open-ice check attempt. As Sutton over-committed, Carter passed it to Briere, who beat Biron high on the glove-side from the low right circle for his 13th goal.

Jon Sim took advantage of a puck bouncing off Chris Pronger to net his fourth goal. Sim collected the puck after it skipped past Pronger and raced in alone before beating Leighton glove-side for his first goal in six games 3:35 into the second period.

Scott Hartnell, who picked up both assists, facilitated the game-winner by feeding Carter on a 2-on-1 rush with 3:07 remaining in the second. Carter waited for Biron to slide over before nestling the shot under the crossbar for his 14^th goal and third in the past six games.

“I think we came out a little bit flat, but we were able to get things going a little bit,” Hunter said. “They’re a team that capitalizes on mistakes.”

Former Islanders winger Arron Asham was whistled for rouging, setting up a power play midway through the third. The Islanders came close to getting the equalizer when Fran Nielsen’s deflected shot in the slot hit off Leighton and bounced harmlessly away.

Philadelphia has won the first three games of a six-game road trip while the Islanders modest two-game winning streak was snapped one night after an emotional 3-2 overtime victory over the Rangers at Madison Square Garden.

“We had some chances,” Biron said. “A couple of them just missed the net on deflections and screens. It was almost there to take it to overtime.”

John Tavares had a second straight quiet game. The Islanders leading scorer and first overall draft pick failed to register a single shot on goal in 16:43, going minus-1.

The 19-year-old center was on the ice in the final minute when the Islanders struggled to move the puck out of its own zone and didn’t pull Biron for an extra attacker until there was 13 seconds left.

Wins over Toronto and the Rangers gave the Islanders four points out of six to cap a span of three games in five days. The Islanders are off Monday before hosting the Columbus Blue Jackets on Tuesday night.

Islanders vs. Flyers New York Sportsday Wrap Dec. 28, 2009

Dwayne Roloson was pulled after the fifth goal. The Panthers torched the Islanders goalie for those five goals on just 23 shots. The Isles have now lost four of its last five but Roloson attributed the blowout to the looming home-and-home series against the Rangers starting Wednesday night at Madison Square Garden.

“To be completely honest I just think we were a team that forgot we were playing tonight and looking forward to the Rangers games,” Roloson said. “Just from the beginning of the game to the end, it was just one of those games.”

It was also a game where the stats didn’t tell the story. The clubs each turned the puck over 11 times, though the Panthers capitalized on the mistakes. Florida twice took the puck away from defensemen to initiate one-on-one chances against Roloson, who fell to 10-5-5.

The Islanders and Rangers entered Tuesday locked in a three-way tie for third in the five-team Atlantic Division with 31 points. The Rangers have struggled recently as well, going 3-5-2 in its last 10 games.

Roloson said his team needed to rebuild quickly after Florida bombarded the Islanders into giving up a season-high in goals. Tonight’s game marks the first of three games in 10 days against the local rival. John Tavares scored the key insurance goal in the Islanders 3-1 win against the Rangers at home Oct. 28 in the first meeting.

“It’s on each individual in this locker room to respond,” Roloson said. “We have to be embarrassed but confident that we’re going to go out and play a good hockey game Wednesday night.”