NHL
Joensuu makes most of chance
UNIONDALE — On a night when the NHL handed its stage to two of its worst teams, a relative no-name made the most of a fleeting chance to shine.
Emergency call-up Jesse Joensuu scored his first goal in his first game and the New York Islanders beat the Colorado Avalanche, 4-2, on Monday night in a matchup of cellar dwellers.
Joensuu played for the fourth time in four nights, after a busy AHL weekend, and got the word he was heading to the majors just eight hours before the puck dropped.
“I can’t really describe it,” Joensuu said. “Hearing today that I’m going to play and then scoring a goal, it’s a little bit too much.”
Joensuu was brought up from Bridgeport on Monday because captain Bill Guerin is still in trade limbo and Trent Hunter is out with a lower leg injury. Joensuu smacked in a loose puck from in front during New York’s two-goal second period that sent Colorado to its fifth straight loss.
He endured the effects of his marathon workload early, but found his second wind over the final two periods.
“In the first period I felt awful, but obviously playing in the NHL I didn’t want to say anything,” Joensuu said.
The Islanders, who have the league’s worst record (20-36-7), got offense from another unexpected source as defenseman Bruno Gervais scored for the first time in 161 games — dating to April 18, 2006.
Dean McAmmond, playing his fifth game with the Islanders since being acquired from Ottawa, scored his second goal since his arrival and wore an “A” on his jersey in the absence of Guerin and suspended alternate Brendan Witt.
The Islanders’ Jeff Tambellini snapped a 14-game goal drought, and Jon Sim had three assists in the only game on the NHL schedule.
The Avalanche got two goals from Ryan Smyth, a one-time Islanders player who spurned their attempts to re-sign him in the summer of 2007.
Colorado (28-35-1) is last in the West and was outscored, 14-3, in consecutive losses to New Jersey and the Rangers and Islanders.
•••
Around the league
• The New Jersey Devils added an experienced defenseman two days before the trade deadline, acquiring Niclas Havelid from the Atlanta Thrashers for rookie defenseman Anssi Salmela.
Havelid, a nine-year vet, has two goals and 13 assists in 63 games this season.
• Andrew Conboy, suspended by Michigan State this season — along with Sabres prospect Corey Tropp — for attacking a Michigan player, signed a three-year deal with the Montreal Canadiens on Monday.
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