Yashin gets two points, but Islanders tie Senators

UNIONDALE, N.Y. -- The New York Islanders moved back into a tie in the Atlantic Division -- but they weren't happy with how they got there.

The Islanders had a two-goal lead Tuesday night against the Ottawa Senators, but a second-period score by Radek Bonk and one on a power play by Marian Hossa with 3:24 left in regulation forced a 2-2 tie.

"We had a lot of missed assignments," Islanders coach Peter Laviolette said. "It wasn't for a lack of knowledge but for a lack of work -- or being outworked."

Alexei Yashin had a goal and assist in his first game against his former Ottawa teammates and was one of the few players Laviolette praised.

"Yash is going to get his points," Laviolette said. "He played a solid game. So did (linemate) Oleg (Kvasha). Mariusz (Czerkawski) was good offensively."

The Islanders, who acquired Yashin from Ottawa for Bill Muckalt and Zdeno Chara in June, moved into a tie with the New York Rangers for first place in the Atlantic Division with 38 points.

"If you say we're tied with the Rangers after this game, well, that's the way we played," goalie Chris Osgood said. "Part of us deserves to be there and part of us doesn't."

Czerkawski had the other New York goal and assisted on Yashin's tally for the Islanders, who are winless in 12 home games against the Senators (0-9-3) since a victory on Jan. 6, 1996.

Czerkawski put the Islanders up 1-0 just 62 seconds into the second period. He worked a give-and-go with Yashin, picked up Yashin's rebound and fired a wrist shot past Ottawa goalie Patrick Lalime.

Yashin put the Islanders up 2-0 at 17:35 on a shot from the left side that went just under the crossbar.

"When Yash gets a chance, he's usually going to put it in," Lalime said. "He's got so much talent, he can do that."

Yashin said that it wasn't a big deal to face the Senators.

"It's just a game I've got to play," Yashin said. "I guess in Canada there's a lot of stuff going on about this, but it's just another game to me."

The Senators got back in it 57 seconds before the second intermission when Bonk faked a slap shot against Osgood, got the goalie to fall down and wristed the puck under him.

The goal was the 11th for Ottawa this season in the first or last minute of a period.

"That was a big goal for us," Ottawa coach Jacques Martin said. "We battled hard after being down 2-0."

Ottawa gained a power play when Claude Lapointe was called for holding in the offensive zone with 4:25 left. Just 61 seconds later, Hossa's spin-around toss at the net from the right circle hit Islanders defenseman Dick Tarnstrom and got past Osgood.

"They wanted to get to our net more than we wanted to get to theirs," Laviolette said.

Neither team scored after that.

"We had a two-goal lead a couple of times recently and not played well after that," Osgood said. "We have to develop a killer instinct. If you get happy and comfortable in the way you play, you play the way we're playing now."

Notes: Islanders defenseman Radek Martinek sprained a knee and missed the third period. He'll be re-evaluated on Wednesday. ... Ottawa improved to 11-3-5 at Nassau Coliseum. ... Ottawa was missing captain Daniel Alfredsson, who is out with a hip injury, and defenseman Karel Rachunek, who has an injured left shoulder. ... Osgood debuted his new Islanders goalie pads. In his first 24 games with New York, Osgood used the red and white pads that he brought with him from the Detroit Red Wings. His new equipment is decked out in Islanders blue, white and orange.