OTTAWA - Mike Fisher scored just 32 seconds into overtime Thursday night and the Ottawa Senators spoiled the Canadian NHL debut of rookie John Tavares with a 3-2 victory over the New York Islanders.
Fisher broke down his opposite wing and wired a shot past Islanders goalie Martin Biron after allowing the Islanders to rally from a 2-0 deficit in Ottawa's home opener before a less-than-sellout crowd of 18,075 at Scotiabank Place.
Matt Carkner scored his first NHL goal and added an assist and Danish rookie Peter Regin also scored in regulation for Ottawa. Pascal Leclaire came up with 23 saves in goal.
After losing their season opener, the Senators (2-1-0) have now picked up back-to-back victories and, including last season when they kicked off the season in Sweden, improved to 9-4-3-1 in home openers.
Kyle Okposo and Matt Moulson, on the power play, scored in regulation for the Islanders (0-0-2). Biron finished with 25 saves.
The contest was the first in Canada for Tavares, the No. 1 overall selection in June's entry draft.
His last visit to Scotiabank Place produced a gold medal for Canada when he led the national junior team to victory at the world junior championship in January.
He picked up an assist on the night and it took a highlight-reel stop by Leclaire during an Islanders' power play late in the second period to keep him from scoring.
However, Tavares was also bowled over by a hit from Senators defenceman Anton Volchenkov in the first period that drew a big ovation from the crowd and was caught up ice on Fisher's winner.
It was a better night for another NHL newcomer. The 28-year-old Carkner, a longtime minor-league, cracked the Senators' roster out of training camp after appearing in just two NHL games since being a second-round pick by Montreal in 1999.
Veteran Doug Weight, who was appointed the Islanders' captain before the start of the season, was back in the lineup after sitting out their opener with a groin injury and fellow centre Rob Schremp, picked up on waivers from the Edmonton Oilers last week, made his debut for the Islanders. Right-winger Blake Comeau also played after recovering from flu-like symptoms.
New York went behind less than eight minutes into the game after Regin converted a pass from Chris Neil in front of the net.
Ottawa caught a break as moments before the goal, the puck appeared to have hit the mesh over the end boards and the Islanders argued the play should have been blown dead, but the goal stood.
Carkner's marker in the second underwent a review before it counted.
The big blue-liner threw the puck out front of the Islanders' net from a sharp angle and it went in off the stick of Biron, although the officials took a look at it to determine it hadn't gone in off the skate of Senators right-winger Jonathan Cheechoo, who was driving to the net.
The Islanders cut the lead in half late in the second when Okposo drove to the net and shovelled the puck past Leclaire for his first goal of the season.
They then tied it early in the third with Swedish rookie Erik Karlsson off for interference for Ottawa. Tavares got the puck back to Weight at the point and he set up Moulson in the slot.
Notes: Senators left-winger Jarkko Ruutu appeared in his 500th NHL game. a Defenceman Filip Kuba (lower body) and forwards Ryan Shannon (upper body) and Jesse Winchester (knee) missed the game for Ottawa . a The Senators play host to the Atlanta Thrashers on Saturday. a The Islanders were without goalie Rick DiPietro (knee) and forwards Frans Nielsen (knee) and Jeremy Reich (wrist), while defenceman Jack Hillen and forwards Nate Thompson and Jeff Tambellini were scratched from the lineup. a New York travels to Boston to face the Bruins on Saturday.
