PaullyInNYC

Ottawa looks to end its skid and beat New York for the ninth straight time Wednesday when the teams meet for the first time this season.

The Senators (16-5-1) began 2007-08 with 15 wins in 17 games, but have since dropped four of five, including their last three. They haven't suffered four straight defeats since a five-game slide from Oct. 28-Nov. 8, 2006.

The Islanders (12-8-1) have been bad lately, losing three of four following an 8-3-0 stretch. New York, though, did earn a point for the second straight game Monday, falling 3-2 in overtime to Dallas.

Miroslav Satan's power-play goal with 2:38 remaining in regulation tied it for the Islanders, but Dallas scored 35 seconds into overtime to hand New York only its fourth loss in 12 home games.
The Islanders haven't scored more than two goals in nine consecutive games, going 4-4-1 in that span, and have an NHL-low 51 goals.

"We got a good power-play goal at the end," center Mike Comrie said, "but it's disappointing when you give up that point."

New York coach Ted Nolan, however, was pleased his team didn't walk away empty-handed.

"It was one of those games where maybe we shouldn't have gotten a point," Nolan told the Islanders' official Web site. "We found a way to get a point and it all equals out in the end."