DUCKS, ISLANDERS FIGHT TO BE TIED; FIGHTING PENALTIES EVEN FIND KARIYA : DUCKS 2, N.Y. ISLES 2.

Byline: Associated Press 

Mariusz Czerkawski scored to draw New York even with 9:38 remaining in regulation and the Islanders skated to their first tie of the season, 2-2 Friday night against the Anaheim Ducks.

The Islanders were the only NHL team that had not tied a game this season.

The game settled down after a rowdy opening period marked by injuries, fights and 62 penalty minutes.

Although there were only four penalties after the first period, the Ducks' Paul Kariya, a two-time winner of the Lady Bing Award for sportsmanship, was sent to the box in the second period for punching Rich Pilon after the New York defenseman checked him into the boards.

Czerkawski found the far side of the net with a slap shot just inside the right circle for his eighth goal. Ted Drury had put Anaheim up 2-1 with his first goal of the season, redirecting a centering pass by Fredrik Olausson past goaltender Tommy Salo 2:29 into the third period.

Teemu Selanne scored the other Anaheim goal, his 12th, just 4:12 into the game, on a slap shot from high in the left circle. New York's Bryan Smolinski evened it 1-1 at 4:34 of the second period, beating goalie Guy Hebert at close range.

Salo made 39 saves, including stopping a point-blank shot by Selanne midway through the overtime. Hebert made 30 saves.

In the first period, New York defenseman Kenny Jonsson and center Sergei Nemchinov and Anaheim defenseman Jason Marshall all left with injuries. Nemchinov was the only one to return.

Jonsson, in his fourth game back after missing eight of nine with a concussion, suffered another head injury when Anaheim's Jeff Nielsen rammed him into the boards.

The Islanders' team doctor said afterward that he had talked with Jonsson in the locker room after he was injured, but did not have enough information to determine whether the defenseman had another concussion.

Jonsson was hurt with 1-1/2 minutes left in the period. Five minutes earlier, Nemchinov left with a bruised knee after Ducks left wing Jim McKenzie slashed him from behind, with no penalty called. Marshall went out with a pulled left hamstring after Claude Lapointe rode him into the boards a minute after the opening faceoff.

A melee broke out seconds after Jonsson went down, with the Islanders' Joe Sacco, playing against his former teammates, and the Ducks' Jamie Pushor drawing game misconduct penalties.

With Pushor and Marshall out, Anaheim played the last two periods with only four defensemen - although McKenzie saw some limited duty on the blue line after Pushor was banished.

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PHOTO The Islanders' Bryan Berard is escorted through debris left from a fight against the Ducks.

John Hayes/Associated Press