Hebert Given a Surprise Rest

Searching for a way to shake up the team, Coach Pierre Page pulled goaltender Guy Hebert at the 8:19 mark of the second period. Mikhail Shtalenkov took over, but gave up a goal on the first shot he faced.

At the 10:57 mark, Shtalenkov returned to the bench and Hebert went back between the pipes.

“I think I’ve seen Pierre do that in Calgary,” said Hebert, who gave up the first four of the New York Islanders’ five goals Sunday. “He wanted me to get a quick breather and get right back in there. I had my [goalie gear] right there with me on the bench. I knew I was going back in.”

Hebert, who started the game with a 1.72 goals-against average, refused to call it a rocky night after stopping 26 of 30 shots.

“I wouldn’t think they were soft goals, but I think they could have been stopped,” he said.

Travis Green’s first-period goal off a rebound from a difficult angle was toughest for Hebert to stomach.

“I can’t believe Green put that shot by me,” Hebert said. “I made my little Francois Allaire [as instructed by the Duck goalie consultant]. I have to see the replay to see it got by me.”

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Page on New York right wing Zigmund Palffy, who had an assist on the Islanders’ second goal: “He’s an explosive player. He’s got the moves, he’s got the speed, he’s got the shots. He’s made believers out of everybody in the league the last few years. Now, he’s in an elite group.”

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The compressed schedule to make up for the two-week break for the Olympics in February is already taking a toll on NHL teams, according to Page. He believes the solution to playing well is at least partly mental.

“I’d like to know the mind-set of baseball players because they have to play every day and they have to be good every day,” said Page, whose team played the first of three games in four nights Sunday. “Right now, we’re playing every other day.”

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Not in the Duck lineup: Center Steve Rucchin, who missed his fifth consecutive game because of a groin strain, and defenseman Dan Trebil (coach’s decision).

Not in the Islander lineup: Left wing Ken Belanger (concussion) and defenseman Bryan Berard (groin injury).