Rangers/Islanders: Battle Of New York With The Return Of Super-pest, Sean Avery

Thursday's game between the Rangers and Islanders will feature the return of the Super-pest, the King of the Agitators, the NHL's No. 1 Bad Boy, Sean Avery.

After anger management, a couple of months off, and several games in the AHL, where he led the Hartford Wolf Pack on a six-game winning-streak Avery is going to return to the NHL.

The New York Rangers (32-24-8) take on the New York Islanders (20-36-7) on Thursday, March 5 at 7:00 p.m.

In their last game, the Rangers had their first win under new coach John Tortorella, formerly of the Tampa Bay Lightning, beating the Colorado Avalanche 6-1. Before that, the team was in a terrible slump, which led to the firing of coach Tom Renney.

The Rangers are hoping the return of Avery will spark the team as they head into the stretch leading up to the Stanley Cup play-offs, as he did the last two seasons.

The Islanders won their last game, which was a meeting between the worst teams in the Eastern and Western conferences. It was New York Islanders 4, Colorado Avalanche 2.

Jesse Joensuu of the Islanders scored with his first shot in the NHL to help New York beat Colorado. Joensuu was called up from the Islanders' American Hockey League affiliate, the Bridgeport Sound Tigers.

The Finnish left winger is 6'4", 209 pounds, 22 years old, and was a second round pick of the Islanders in 2006. In 56 games with the Tigers, he has 17 goals, 14 assists, 31 points, and 40 PIMs. Joensuu had three goals and six assists in his last six games in the AHL.

Joensuu's Tigers beat Sean Avery's Wolf Pack 1-0 when they met on Feb. 18. It was Avery's second game with the Wolf Pack and just the second time he has been in a game since the start of December, when he was dropped by the Dallas Stars.

In the second period of the game against the Tigers, the intensity heated up as, Avery got in shouting matches with two Tigers players. As Avery was stirring things up, Hartford had the best chance of the period.

Sean Avery had two shots and was a minus-1 in his second game with the Hartford Wolf Pack. He was up to his old antics late in the second period. In the crease on a power play, Avery got hit by the goalie and shoved back. The Tigers converged on Avery.

At the end of the period, Avery stood at the gate laughing at the Tigers as they exited the ice.

Avery created another chance with 1:18 left but Hartford was denied.