Uniondale, NY (Sports Network) - Yann Danis made 39 saves to earn his first win in more than three years, as the New York Islanders edged the Anaheim Ducks, 2-1, and snapped an eight-game losing streak.
Danis was recalled from the AHL last week to help offset the injuries of the Islanders' goaltending corps. Starting netminder Rick DiPietro has played only five games this season, underwent knee surgery on October 31 and will miss the rest of the season, while backup Joey MacDonald is out with a strained groin.
However, Danis went winless in seven games this season prior to Wednesday, when he was brilliant in earning his first victory since November 15, 2005, when he played with the Canadiens.
"I'm pretty happy with the result," Danis said. "Looking for that first win to break the ice. Now I got it; hopefully I can get some more coming back from the All-Star break."
Kyle Okposo and Kurtis McLean scored the goals for the Islanders, who got their first victory of 2009 and snapped the eight-game slide (0-7-1). It wasn't even the longest losing streak of the season for New York, which also dropped 10 straight from December 4-23. The Islanders enter the All-Star break with a 13-29-5 record, and are dead last in the NHL with 31 points.
Bobby Ryan scored the lone goal for the Ducks, who have lost two in a row and four of five, and enter the All-Star break with a 23-21-5 mark. Jean-Sebastien Giguere gave up two goals on seven shots in the start for Anaheim, and was pulled for Jonas Hiller, who stopped seven shots the rest of the way.
The Islanders slipped one past Giguere early, making it a 1-0 game on a power- play marker from Okposo just 2:38 into the opening period. Then, with 5:25 left in the first, McLean blew a shot past Anaheim's goaltender, who was frustrated upon being pulled, smashing his stick as he went to the bench.
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"When you do that, it's a jolt because nobody wants to see a goaltender get pulled, a teammate," Ducks coach Randy Carlyle said. "You don't do it because you're trying to hurt the goalie that got pulled, you're doing it for the other 20 guys."
The Islanders led 2-0 through most of the middle frame, though the Ducks had several chances. A few of Anaheim's shots hit the goal frame, including a deflection by Corey Perry that went off the left post late in the period.
But Perry engineered the Ducks' first goal a short time later on a man advantage, releasing a narrow-angle shot from the left side that Ryan deflected past Danis with 3:15 remaining.
However, it was Anaheim's only goal, largely thanks to Danis, who made 12 saves in the first, 18 in the second and nine stops in the third to seal New York's win.
