"John Tavares, the Islanders' 19-year-old center, has not scored a goal in 13 games, or four long weeks, but who is counting? The drought did not seem to matter as much to him Saturday as a hard-earned 5-4 victory against the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Tavares, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2009 N.H.L. draft, had two chances to score in a game that included 75 shots on goal, but his backhand sailed wide of the net, and Tampa Bay defenseman Victor Hedman, the No. 2 choice in the draft, broke up an odd-man rush.

Tavares, his blue undershirt drenched with perspiration after the game, said he was not tired or discouraged. He is getting scoring chances. He assisted Kyle Okposo on a second-period goal that tied the score, 3-3. And the Islanders (25-28-8) won an important game.

"There's lots of time left to go and a lot of big points for us to get," Tavares said."