ANAHEIM, Calif., Feb. 18 (UPI) -- Alexei Yashin scored with 7:14 left in the third period Monday night to lift the New York Islanders to a 2-2 with the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim.
It was a hard-hitting battle of teams fighting for playoff position.
Yashin, a former Hart Trophy finalist, was dropped from the Isles' first line to the fourth during Saturday's 3-2 win at Los Angeles. The three-time All-Star got a drop pass from Arron Asham just inside the Ducks' blue line and snapped a wrist shot over the left shoulder of goaltender Jean-Sebastien Giguere.
It was his 14th goal of the season and first in eight games.
Anaheim had a chance to secure the extra point in overtime when Petr Sykora pounced on a turnover and broke in alone on goalie Garth Snow, but he was hooked at the last second by Jason Blake and put a shot off the left goalpost with 2:59 remaining.
New York's Oleg Kvasha ran out of gas on a partial breakaway in the final minute and got off a weak shot that was handled easily by Giguere.
Defenseman Adrian Aucoin had the other goal for the Islanders, who are 1-1-1 on a four-game road trip that concludes Wednesday in San Jose. They climbed to within one point of sixth-place Boston in the Eastern Conference.
The Ducks trail sixth-place Minnesota by one point in the Western Conference.
Adam Oates set up both goals for Anaheim, giving him 1,050 assists and moving him past Gordie Howe into sixth place on the all-time list.
