With wins over Calgary and Edmonton to close out 2011, the Islanders oddly improved to 14-1-7 at home against Western Conference teams dating to November 2009.

Of course, the Isles haven't played nearly as well within their own conference—the East—or in the loaded Atlantic Division. And they arrived in the New Year well out of a playoff spot before returning to action Tuesday in Carolina.

"Consistency has been our problem all year," Frans Nielsen said before Saturday's 4-1 win over Edmonton. "We know what we have to do, but for some reason there are some games where we don't bring it. ... When we turn pucks over, we make more mental mistakes, make bad decisions. It's not that we don't compete hard.

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Despite a depleted lineup and a lethargic first 40 minutes, the Minnesota Wild managed to forge a tie and take the New York Islanders to overtime. In the end, though, there was agreement from both sides -- each team got just what it deserved. Frans Nielsen scored the only goal in the shootout and Al Montoya's glove was in good form, giving the Islanders their first extra-time victory of the...

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The New York Islanders showed very little over the final 40 minutes against the Minnesota Wild. Luckily for them, they were dominant enough in the first period to escape with their first win of the season. Andrew MacDonald and Frans Nielsen scored early, and the Islanders hung on behind a strong defensive effort and a fine outing by goalie Al Montoya to register a 2-1 victory Monday in front of a...

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Dennis Seidenberg scored with 8:07 remaining, and the Boston Bruins rallied from a two-goal deficit to beat the New York Islanders 3-2 on Saturday night in the teams' final preseason game. Tim Thomas played the full game and made 25 saves for Boston, including a stick stop of Frans Nielsen's bad-angle shot during a late power play.

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UNIONDALE, N.Y. - Mark Streit, Matt Moulson and Frans Nielsen had three points each, and the New York Islanders beat the New Jersey Devils 6-2 in a pre-season game on Saturday night.

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Mark Streit, Matt Moulson and Frans Nielsen had three points each, and the New York Islanders beat the New Jersey Devils 6-2 in a preseason game on Saturday night. Moulson scored twice and assisted on a first-period goal by Streit, the Islanders' new captain. Nielsen, Kyle Okposo, and Steve Staios also added goals for New York.

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UNIONDALE, N.Y. - New York Islanders forward Frans Nielsen has been knocked out of the game against the New York Rangers by a head injury, resulting from a hit into the boards, and won't return.

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Rick DiPietro finally beat the Florida Panthers. Frans Nielsen and P.A. Parenteau scored in the shootout to lift the New York Islanders to a 4-3 victory over the Panthers on Saturday night. Sergei Samsonov and Mike Santorelli were both stopped in the tiebreaker by DiPietro, who made his first start in six weeks and beat the Panthers for the first time in seven games.

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(Note: Our friends at Dobber Hockey are back for some fantasy fun. All stats are through Wednesday night's...

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Michael Grabner and the New York Islanders were just too much for slumping Ottawa. Frans Nielsen scored in a shootout Tuesday and the New York Islanders beat the Ottawa Senators 4-3 Tuesday night, winning for the fifth time in six games. Ottawa has lost 18 of 20 games Grabner, the Islanders' star rookie, scored a short-handed goal for New York and set up Josh Bailey's third-period score.

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