Pirate Galaxy » minutes in 45 games this season, knew at le

NEW YORK -- Somebody has to win Monday night, when the New York Islanders host the Vancouver Canucks in a battle of skidding teams at Barclays Center.The Islanders (4-6-2) lost their third straight game Saturday night, when they blew an early two-goal lead and fell to the Edmonton Oilers, 4-3, in the shootout. The Canucks (4-7-1) extended the longest losing streak in the league Saturday night, when they dropped their eighth in a row in absorbing a 6-3 defeat at the hands of the Toronto Maple Leafs.New York and Vancouver are two of just six teams with 10 points or fewer as well as two of four teams with a losing streak as long as three games. The Detroit Red Wings have dropped five straight while the San Jose Sharks have lost three in a row.The Islanders can at least take a little solace in the narrow nature of their losses. New York has led or been tied in the third period in six of the eight defeats, including the last two.We played a little resilient and we played hard and credit to the guys, Islanders head coach Jack Capuano said Saturday night. But thats the way were going to have to play. I think our guys know if we continue to play like that and work like that and just stay the course, good things will happen.The Islanders task got tougher Sunday, when the team learned its top defenseman, Travis Hamonic, will be out four-to-six weeks with a broken right thumb suffered when he blocked a shot in the first period Saturday night.The Canucks, on the other hand, have been outscored by a whopping 28-10 during their losing streak, a stretch in which they have been shut out four times and lost by multiple goals six times.The only people that can change this slump right now is us, Canucks defenseman Troy Stecher said Saturday night. And were going to find a way to do that.The Canucks are likely to be doubly motivated Monday following a fight-filled loss to the Maple Leafs. The fracases -- including a battle between goalie Ryan Miller and Toronto left winger Matt Martin -- took place after left winger Daniel Sedin was hit in the head by Nazem Kadri. Sedin was checked for a concussion but passed the tests.I like the fact that our guys stayed together, Canucks head coach Willie Desjardins said, I think its important that the group cares about each other.Miller and Jacob Markstrom have alternated starts in each of the last five games, which puts Markstrom in line to play Monday night. Markstrom is 1-3-0 in four career appearances against the Islanders and took the loss the last time he opposed New York on March 1, when he made 21 saves as the Canucks fell, 3-2, at Rogers Arena.Jaroslav Halak has started the last two games for the Islanders, so Thomas Greiss could draw the start. Greiss is 1-2-0 in three career appearances against the Canucks and earned the win on March 1, when he stopped 31 of 33 shots.Jeff Beukeboom Rangers Jersey . Tuesdays surgery at Atlantas Piedmont Hospital was performed by Dr. Xavier Duralde and Hawks team physician Dr. Michael Bernot. Brett Howden Jersey . -- Matt Kuchar and Harris English ran away with the Franklin Templeton Shootout, shooting a 14-under 58 on Sunday in the final-round scramble to break the tournament course record. http://www.rangershockeyonlineshop.com/mika-zibanejad-hockey-jersey/ . The injury bothered Bledsoe in the Suns victory over the Clippers on Monday and he sat out the teams home loss to Memphis on Thursday night. Brendan Smith Rangers Jersey . - The Oakland Raiders re-signed offensive lineman Khalif Barnes on Friday. Tie Domi Jersey .ca. Kerry, Just watched the shootout in the Coyotes/Leafs game and I have to ask, why was the James van Riemsdyk goal allowed to count? All of the video replays we were shown on TV were inconclusive about whether the puck had entirely crossed the line or not.TORONTO -- Toronto Maple Leafs defenceman Mark Fraser said he was feeling great Thursday morning, although his face told a different story. The burly blue-liners forehead was swollen, his right eye bloodshot, a gnarly trail of stitches curling from the top of his nose to above his eyebrow. He met with reporters at a season-ending availability a week after undergoing facial surgery after taking a puck in the face during Torontos first-round playoff loss to Boston. Fraser suffered a frontal skull fracture on the shot from Milan Lucic but considers himself lucky it wasnt more serious. "Thankfully as far as my injury goes, it could have been a lot worse," he said in the teams locker-room at Air Canada Centre. "Im thankful I have recovered the way I have already." Fraser did not suffer a concussion and has not had any vision problems or any other serious issues. The 26-year-old Ottawa native said he expects to make a full recovery. The six-foot-four, 220-pounder plans to meet regularly with doctors over the next few weeks and does not yet have a firm timeline in place for his off-season routine. The incident occurred in Game 4 on May 8 at Air Canada Centre. Fraser immediately fell to the ice after he was hit near the Toronto net. "I was in an incredible amount of pain but I knew that my vision was OK, I knew that it didnt hit my eye," he said. "So that was an instant relief while I was on the ice too." A trainer came rushing out to assist him. A few seeconds later, Fraser was back up and skated off the ice for treatment.dddddddddddd "I saw that there was a lot of blood and a pretty big cut," he said. "So I dont think youre going to help yourself staying on the ice in that situation. Broken legs and dislocated shoulders -- perhaps you might need help getting off. "But this was sort of an emergency laceration. Staying on the ice was not going to help me fix the problem at all." Fraser, who had eight assists and 85 penalty minutes in 45 games this season, knew at least 10 stitches were needed but didnt have an exact number. He cant blow his nose for a month and said the headaches are manageable. "Theyre not actually too severe," Fraser said. "The injury is severe but my pain right now isnt." Fraser does not wear a visor but plans to use one when he gets back to skating and practising in the summer. He couldnt travel with the Maple Leafs as they fought back from a 3-1 series deficit to force a seventh game in Boston. Toronto blew a three-goal lead and eventually lost in overtime. "I felt very low knowing probably what they were going through, the way the series ended," Fraser said. "Not being able to be there with them and share that emotion and that feeling. It was one of the most devastating, hardest ways to lose and to watch your team lose. "The toughest thing for me was just not being able to physically be there, to be a part of it with the guys." ' ' '