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WIN KEEPS ISLANDERS IN PLAYOFF HUNT

By DAN MARTIN

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February 16, 2007 -- For months, the Islanders had tried to slip into the final slot in the Eastern Conference playoffs, but despite playing better during the second half of the season had been unable to do it.

Last night, thanks in part to a third-period Mike Sillinger goal, they finally got there.

Sort of.

Sillinger's backhanded goal off a rebound from Andy Hilbert's shot at 10:56 gave the Islanders a 2-1 lead en route to a 4-1 win over Boston last night in front of only 10,079 who braved the cold to get to Nassau Coliseum.

The victory gave the Isles the two points necessary to tie Montreal for eighth place, and Toronto's win over Philadelphia forced a three-way logjam for the spot. But players and coaches alike refused to make a big deal of it.

"Any time you win, it's progress," said Sillinger, who added an assist. "But there are a lot of teams hanging right in there."

"I stopped looking [at the standings]," head coach Ted Nolan said.

Still, last night's win was important. Not only did the Isles gain ground, but they also got some good news on the injury front when Alexei Yashin skated yesterday. Yashin has been out with right knee tendinitis and Nolan said although the date of his return to game action is unclear, yesterday's session was "a good sign."

With the trade deadline approaching, Nolan is confident getting Yashin back would be the same as making a move.

"People talk about trades, but it's almost like adding a big face," Nolan said of Yashin, who has been bothered by the knee more than once this season.

Even without their captain, the Isles have earned points in 12 of 13 games.

"Since we lost [six] in a row earlier in the season, we're a different team," said Rick DiPietro, who was solid again. "That changed us. We realized what we had to do to get better."

Randy Robitaille sealed it last night with a goal at 16:45 and an empty-netter with 22.1 seconds to go.

It was a good start to a seven-game homestand the Islanders know will be crucial for them to make any postseason plans.

"This is a really important time for us in the playoff push," Sillinger said. "We're all tight in there, so we need to take advantage of this."

The Islanders got on the board first when Jeff Tambellini notched his first goal of the season, redirecting a pass from Sillinger just over three minutes into the match.

Boston tied it at 1-1 with 32 seconds remaining in the first period on a goal from Glen Murray.

"We've got to buckle down," Sillinger said. "This is when we can make our move."

*

Isles D Bruno Gervais, who has missed seven games with an ankle injury, suffered another one last night in the first period. He didn't return and his status is day-to-day.

Isles 4 Bruins 1

dan.martin@nypost.com

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