Sens now unbeaten in last eight games

UNIONDALE, N.Y. (AP) -- The Ottawa Senators kept two streaks alive against the New York Islanders: an unbeaten streak on Long Island and their overall run without a loss.

Radek Bonk's power-play goal in the third period helped Ottawa extend its unbeaten streak to eight games (6-0-2) as the Senators and Islanders tied 2-2 Wednesday night.

Magnus Arvedson also scored for the Senators, who haven't lost in 15 games on Long Island (10-0-5), dating to a 5-4 defeat on Jan. 6, 1996. The Senators have lost to the Islanders only once in the last 27 meetings (19-1-7).

"We're playing some good hockey, but we can't stop there,'' said Ottawa's Patrick Lalime, who made 26 saves. "There's still someone in front of us in our division (Boston), so we have to keep it going.''

Bonk, alone in front of goalie Chris Osgood, took Marian Hossa's pass and put a backhand into the open right corner at 11:41 of the third to cap Ottawa's eighth power play.

Brad Isbister and Mattias Weinhandl scored for the Islanders, unbeaten in five games (3-0-2). Osgood was solid in turning aside 33 shots, four in overtime.

Each goalie made 12 saves in the scoreless first period.

Arvedson opened the scoring 58 seconds into the second with a fluke goal. As Daniel Alfredsson moved down the left side on a rush, Arvedson headed toward the net. Alfredsson let go a backhander that hit Arvedson's leg and deflected past Osgood.

New York tied it with 14.4 seconds left in the period when Isbister managed to find the puck at Lalime's feet during a scramble at the right crease and poke a shot in. The goal was Isbister's seventh this season, and third in his last two games.

"I didn't hear a whistle,'' Isbister said, "and I took a whack at it and it went in.''

The second period was a physical one, as Islanders captain Michael Peca was thrown out of the game for a rarely called clipping penalty on Ottawa defenseman Zdeno Chara.

Peca was taken out at the knees by Toronto's Darcy Tucker during last season's playoffs, and missed all but a 27-second shift of this season until he returned Nov. 14.

"He's 6'9'', I'm 5'11'', Peca said. "It seems like the biggest guys in the league are the ones who go down a lot.

"I wasn't going hard at him. I was very conscious going into it. I was disappointed with the call, but I'd rather see the referees making a mistake calling it that way, rather than going the other way. The hit was clearly above the knee, though.''

Weinhandl scored his first NHL goal with 8:54 left in the third with a hard 20-foot shot that ricocheted off the crossbar and dropped behind Lalime.

"I'm glad it came today, but it's too bad that we didn't get the two points,'' Weinhandl said. "I was just trying to get it on net.''

Game notes
Islanders forward Mark Parrish was scratched due to a virus. Oleg Kvasha, who missed three games with an ankle injury, was activated and took Parrish's place on the "Lucky-7's'' line with Peca and Shawn Bates. ... Islanders forward Eric Manlow was returned to Bridgeport of the AHL earlier in the day. ... A moment of silence was held in memory of Aidan McMahon, the 1-year old son of longtime equipment manager Joe McMahon who died Friday. ... The Islanders debuted their alternate third jerseys, which keep the same logo, but are bright orange. One fan suggested the Islanders looked "like skating pylons.'' On the first day of sale, 2,000 jerseys were purchased -- 1,200 at Nassau Coliseum.