WASHINGTON (AP) -- The New York Islanders took advantage of a

rusty goalie and a weary team on Thursday night.

Jason Blake and Petteri Nokelainen both had a goal and an assist

and Oleg Kvasha added three assists to lead the Islanders to a 5-3

victory over the Washington Capitals.

Alexei Yashin, Trent Hunter and Mark Parrish also scored for New

York, which scored on its first two shots of the game. The

Islanders, who have won two of three overall, had been 1-12-2 in

their last 15 games at MCI Center.

"The quick start helps us," Islanders coach Steve Stirling

said. "It takes the wind out of their sails. ... But I like the

way we were resilient after two [periods] when it was 3-2. I like

that we came out in the third period and put it away."

Matt Bradley scored twice and Steve Eminger added a goal and an

assist for the Capitals, who were playing their sixth game in nine

days. Washington has lost two straight and four of five.

Alexander Ovechkin, the first pick in the 2004 draft, had an

assist and has a point in each of the Capitals' six games.

Islanders goalie Rick DiPietro left the game 11:09 into the

second period after sustaining a mild concussion in a headlong dive

to stop a drive down the slot by Jeff Halpern. DiPietro is listed

as day-to-day.

Garth Snow replaced him and made 13 saves in his first action of

the season, allowing Bradley's second goal with 37 seconds to play.

"Guys have as much confidence in Garth as they do in Rick,"

Parrish said. "(Garth) keeps those old bones limber on the bench,

so he's ready."

While Snow was ready for relief duty, Capitals goaltender Brent

Johnson was shaky in his first start of the season.

Johnson, acquired on waivers from Vancouver on Oct. 4, subbed

for Olaf Kolzig, who had started the Capitals' first five games.

Johnson's only previous action was 12 minutes of mop-up duty in

Wednesday's 7-2 loss at Carolina.

New York scored on its first two shots -- and three of its first

five -- to build the early lead. The Islanders finished with a

season-high 49 shots.

"I haven't played that much in a long time and I felt the

nerves," Johnson said. "On the first and second goals, you could

really tell."

Yashin redirected a feed from Brad Lukowich past Johnson 2:10

into the game. Hunter scored 1:13 later, sweeping the puck from the

left corner and bouncing it in off Johnson's right leg.

Blake made it 3-0 with a short-handed goal at 8:24.

Bradley circled the net, pulled up near the left circle and

wristed a shot past DiPietro at 9:42 to make it 3-1. Eminger pulled

the Capitals within a goal 7:52 into the second period, seven

seconds after a Washington power play expired.

Nokelainen recorded his first NHL goal 1:03 into the third

period and Parrish made it 5-2 1:13 later.Game notes
Eminger had his first career multipoint game. ... The

Islanders failed to score a power-play goal for the first time this

season, going 0-for-7 with the man advantage. ... Halpern returned

to action after missing Wednesday's game while observing Yom

Kippur. ... Washington C Andrew Cassells left the game after being

struck in the ankle with a puck. He is day-to-day.