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Islanders goaltender Rick DiPietro skated Monday for the first time since suffering a concussion, coach Jack Capuano said after practice.

DiPietro sustained the head injury last Wednesday after taking a puck to the mask during practice. He was subsequently ruled out indefinitely with a concussion, but began light workouts over the weekend.

That he has progressed to skating so soon is a positive indication, Capuano said.

"It's a good sign that he was on the ice for sure," Capuano said.

DiPietro may practice with the team fully on Tuesday, Capuano said. He also didn't rule out DiPietro for the team's two-game road trip in Florida starting Thursday.

• • • Milan Jurcina (groin) also skated before practice; Nino Niederreiter (groin) is still not practicing. D Andrew MacDonald did not practice with the team although Capuano said it was a "maintenance day."

With eight points (five goals, three assists), 21-year-old Islanders center John Tavares has been named the NHL's second star of the week.

Tavares, who scored his first hat trick of the season in the team's 4-2 win over the Rangers Saturday, finished behind Toronto's Phil Kessel, who has eight points (five goals, three assists) in the Maple Leafs' first three wins of the season.

The stars will be officially announced Monday afternoon.

At a glance: The Islanders collected their third straight win, 4-2 over the Rangers, fueled by John Tavares' first hat trick of the season in front of a sellout crowd at Nassau Coliseum. Tavares scored a pair of power-play goals against an alarmingly undisciplined Rangers club that has sputtered to 0-1-2 on the season. The 21-year-old center also added an empty-netter with 1:08 to play.

Nabokov in Net:Coach Jack Capuano raised eyebrows when he announced Evgeni Nabokov as the Islanders’ Saturday-night starter instead of former Ranger Al Montoya; in his first three starts of the season, Montoya posted a 2-1-0 average with a 1.35 GAA and .953 save percentage. Nabokov stopped all 14 shots faced in the first period, and after giving up two goals in the second, preserved the Islanders 3-2 lead with a scoreless third. It was his first NHL game in almost 17 months; he last played in San Jose’s 4-2 loss to Chicago on May 23, 2010.

Penalty Parade: After preaching discipline in practice all week, Rangers coach John Tortorella couldn't have been happy. Brandon Dubinsky took a hooking penalty 1:09 into play and the Rangers spent much of the second period down a man, including a cringe-worthy too many men infraction and 43 seconds of 5-on-3 time for the Islanders. John Tavares tallied on the Islanders sixth power-play of the game, backhanding one past Lundqvist at 11:37 of the second and scored another PPG in the third, redirecting a shot from defenseman Mark Streit at 3:30.

Sticking with it: Twice in the second period the Rangers erased one-goal deficits to tie the game. Trailing 1-0, Brad Richards spring sniper Marian Gaborik on a breakaway to knot the teams at 1 at 6:23. With 1:34 remaining, Brandon Prust pulled the Rangers with a wraparound goal that banked off Frans Nielsen’s skate to tie the game at 2.

Three for JT: Tavares had his second consecutive four-point game and his first hat trick of the season. Tavares, who finished with four points (two goals, two assists) in the team's 5-1 win over Tampa Thursday, scored two power-play goals and added an empty-netter with 1:08 in regulation. He also earned an assist on Matt Moulson's wrist shot that beat Henrik Lundqvist at 12:04 of the first.

Comeau out: In the second surprising move of the day, Capuano removed 25-year-old winger Blake Comeau from the lineup and replaced him with enforcer Trevor Gillies. Comeau, who had a career-high 24-goal, 46-point season last year, was a healthy scratch. Although held scoreless in the team’s first three games, Comeau has career totals of 11 goals and 7 assists in 19 games against the Rangers.

What’s Next: Islanders at Lightning, Thursday October 20 at 7:30 p.m.; Rangers at Canucks, Tuesday October 18 at 10 p.m.

The starting goaltender wasn't the only surprise in the Islanders lineup Saturday against their rival New York Rangers.

Forward Blake Comeau is a healthy scratch; he'll be replaced in the lineup by enforcer Trevor Gillies (groin), who was activated off injured reserve earlier in the day.

The 25-year-old Comeau, coming off a career-high season of 24 goals and 22 assists, has been held scoreless in the first three games of the season.

Comeau has good stats against the Rangers, however. The Meadow Lake, SK native has 11 goals and 7 assists in 19 career games against the Blueshirts.

One possible explanation for coach Jack Capuano's surprising decision to start Evgeni Nabokov in goal?

The Islanders could be showcasing the 36-year-old netminder in hopes of trading him.

Capuano's decision was a puzzling one, especially since starter Al Montoya played so well in the team's first three games. The 26-year-old is 2-1-0 with a 1.35 GAA and .953 save percentage.

Nabokov, one of three goaltenders that made the team out of training camp, received little playing time this preseason and was scratched the first two regular-season games. The former Vezina Trophy finalist makes his first start Saturday after a lengthy layoff; he last played in an NHL game in May 2010.

Asked if any teams have inquired about Nabokov, general manager Garth Snow said through a team spokesman that he "doesn't discuss his dealings with other GM's."

Scouts from Vancouver, Carolina, San Jose, Phoenix and Columbus are listed on the Islanders seating chart for Saturday's game.

When the Islanders tolled Nabokov's contract this summer to retain his rights for the 2011-12 season, many assumed they did so with the intent of shopping him to another team in the future.

Montoya won the top job out of training camp and Rick DiPietro spent the first two games backing him up, leaving Nabokov the odd man out. That changed this week when DiPietro was sidelined with a concussion, but Nabokov could still be used as trade bait.

While there is no timeline available for DiPietro, the Islanders would have insurance in goal even if he misses significant time and they were able to move Nabokov.

The team has three goaltenders in Bridgeport, and although they'd ideally like to have 21-year-old Kevin Poulin develop with one more season in the AHL, he proved he was more than capable of playing in the NHL last year. Poulin was 4-2-1 with a 2.44 GAA and a .924 save percentage in 10 games with the Islanders before a freak knee injury ended his season in February.

At a Glance: The Rangers enter Saturday’s match against rival Islanders winless after their first two games in Europe. Meanwhile, the Islanders have collected two straight wins, the last of which was a 5-1 rout of Tampa Bay fueled by a four-point performance from 21-year-old John Tavares.

Surprise in net: Although Al Montoya has been stellar in his first three starts, Islanders coach Jack Capuano awarded the nod to 36-year-old Russian goaltender Evgeni Nabokov. Nabokov will play his first game as an Islander and first NHL game in almost 17 months. The move is a surprising one given Montoya’s consistency in net. The 26-year-old former Ranger, taken sixth overall in the 2004 draft, is 2-1-0 this season with a 1.35 goals against average AND .953 save percentage.

Revive the Rivalry: Last season’s series between the two teams was a lopsided one with the Rangers winning four out of six games. In all but one of the six games the winning team scored six or more goals.

Depleted D: The Rangers are still without top defenseman Marc Staal (post-concussion headaches) and second-pair d-man Mike Sauer (shoulder). Rounding out the Rangers' back end will be 20-year-old Tim Erixon, son of former Ranger Jan Erixon, and new addition Jeff Woywitka. Woywitka was claimed off waivers from Montreal by the Rangers last week while the team was in Europe.

Islanders injuries: While the Rangers are battling some serious injuries, the Islanders are dealing with some of their own, most notably that of goaltender Rick DiPietro. DiPietro suffered a concussion after taking an errant shot off the facemask in practice earlier this week. Enforcer Trevor Gillies (groin) was activated off injured reserve Saturday, but is not expected to be in the lineup. Nino Niederreiter and Milan Jurcina are also out with groin injuries.

Step by Step: Saturday will likely be the first live-game glimpse of second-year center Derek Stepan playing on a line with elite playmaker Brad Richards and sniper Marian Gaborik. Stepan, who will move to the left wing, practiced with the pair during practice this week.

Without Wolski: One of the reasons Stepan will get a shot at filling that role? Left wing Wojtek Wolski will be scratched for Saturday’s game while he continues to recover from a preseason groin injury. He skated with the team this morning, but coach John Tortorella ruled him out.

Bottom Line: With the Islanders off to a strong start, Saturday’s game offers a chance to re-ignite a rivalry that has been one-sided in recent years. The Rangers will look to spoil their two-game streak and a grab their first win of the season.

One day before the Rangers and Islanders revive their rivalry for the first time this season, goaltender Henrik Lundqvist expressed a sentiment rarely voiced between the two teams.

After hearing that goaltender Rick DiPietro suffered yet another injury -- the 30-year-old is out indefinitely with a concussion -- Lundqvist sympathized with his situation.

"Of course you feel for him," Lundqvist said. "In the last couple of years, it's been a lot for him."

The two goaltenders were both drafted in 2000 -- DiPietro was the first overall pick, while Lundqvist wasn't taken until the seventh round. No one could have predicted how divergent their paths would become.

Since inking a head-spinning 15-year, $67.5 million contract with the Islanders in 2006 -- counting this season, he is signed for another decade -- DiPietro has suffered multiple concussions and undergone multiple knee and hip surgeries. He also missed six weeks last season with facial fractures sustained during a fight with Penguins goaltender Brent Johnson.

"No matter who you are, when you're hurt that much it's really tough mentally to all the time have to start over with rehab and trying to get back into game shape," Lundqvist said.

"It must be really tough for him."

If the Islanders need to remember their goal for the 2011-12 season, they have a reminder dangling from their neck.

Before the season, former captain Doug Weight, now an assistant coach and advisor to GM Garth Snow, handed out dog tag necklaces to the entire team that feature the numbers 5 and 16.

The meaning?

The Islanders are seeking their 5th Stanley Cup. It takes 16 wins in the post-season to get there.

Recap | Box score | Photos

John Tavares' first goal of the season was a gift.

Lightning defenseman Victor Hedman, taken one spot behind Tavares in the 2010 draft, swatted Tavares’ rebound out of mid-air and accidentally knocked it past his own goaltender -- former Islander Dwayne Roloson -- only 36 seconds into play.

The weight lifted from 21-year-old Tavares, who entered Thursday’s contest scoreless in his first two games of the season, and he didn’t look back.

In a standout performance, Tavares finished with four points -- two goals and two assists -- in the Islanders' 5-1 rout of the Lightning at Nassau Coliseum. It was a good sign of what's to come for the talented center, who signed a six-year, $33 million contract extension last month.

“He had an excellent game,” coach Jack Capuano said. “I thought he was the best player on the ice.”

Hedman’s gaffe seemed to ignite the team’s top line of Tavares, Matt Moulson and P.A. Parenteau who combined for a dynamic four-goal first period against their former teammate. The line spent the entirety of last season together and, after a lackluster first two games, seemed to pick up where they left off.

“Sometimes you need a lucky goal like that first one Johnny got,” Moulson said. “I said to him, ‘It’s definitely going to spark us,' and it did.”

Waiting on the doorstep to bury Moulson’s rebound, Tavares followed up with his second goal of the season at 15:15 and added two assists as well, including a beautiful feed to Parenteau down low for a 4-1 Islanders lead at 18:39 of the first.

“I had a great chance early on and then the lucky bounce … then we just did the right things, fed off each other … and got rewarded for it,” Tavares said.

Tavares took some scrapes during the game, both times from Hedman. Hedman sent him crashing awkwardly into the boards in the second period and engaged him in a scuffle in the third period. Tavares left the game after the resulting two-minute penalty and did not return, but said it was just a leg cramp that kept him off the ice.

“It was a 5-1 game and I didn’t feel like it was necessary to get back out there and not feel good,” Tavares said. “I came in and had something to drink and felt a lot better, so I’m sure I’ll be fine.”

Recap | Box score | Photos

What it means: In a dynamic offensive performance, the Islanders rolled to a 5-1 win over the Bolts, hammering former teammate goaltender Dwayne Roloson in front of a home crowd of 9,759 at Nassau Coliseum. After a lackluster first two games, the Islanders' top line finally clicked, scoring four goals in the first period.

Two for Tavares: His first goal of the season turned out to be a fluke, but it sparked a four-point first-period for star center John Tavares. Tavares scored two goals and picked up two assists in the first twenty minutes of play. He earned two minutes for roughing in a scuffle with Victor Hedman in the third and left the game afterwards.

Roli Return: It was a rough night for Roloson in his first trip back to Nassau Coliseum since being traded to Tampa last January. For the second straight game, Roloson gave up five goals. He was yanked in the second period and replaced with backup Mathieu Garon.

First-Line Frenzy: The Islanders top line of Tavares, Matt Moulson and P.A. Parenteau combined for all four of the team’s first-period goals. Both Tavares and Moulson entered Thursday’s game without a point and tallied their first goal of the season.

More for Montoya: Islanders coach Jack Capuano awarded goaltender Al Montoya the nod opening night and that decision appears to be a good one. In his third consecutive start, Montoya stopped 33 of 34 shots. The former Rangers first-round pick has given up only four goals over the past three games.

Hed-Ache: Hedman gifted the Islanders with their first goal of the night, accidentally whacking in Tavares’ rebound out of mid-air to jump-start a four-goal first period for the Islanders only 36 seconds into play.

Strome Home: The Islanders sent 2011 first-round draft pick Ryan Strome back to his junior club Thursday morning and he wasted no time getting back on the scoresheet. The 18-year-old center scored a hat trick in the OHL’s Niagara IceDogs’ game against the Belleville Bulls. Fellow Islanders prospect Mitchell Theoret also scored for Niagara.

No News on DP: Goaltender Rick DiPietro, who left practice Wednesday after taking a puck to the facemask, underwent baseline neurological testing Thursday. An update is expected Friday.

What’s Next: Islanders vs. Rangers, Saturday, Oct. 15 at 7 p.m.

Polarizing Islanders prospect Kirill Kabanov is headed back to Europe, multiple sources told ESPNNewYork.com.

The mercurial 19-year-old Russian winger plans to play for Farjestads BK of the Swedish Elite League, according to one source.

Kabanov was recently dispatched from his former junior team, the Lewiston MAINEiacs, to the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada through the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League's dispersal draft but had no interest in playing for the new club.

Kabanov's camp felt his development was best served elsewhere and, because the CHL/NHL agreement prohibits him from playing in the American Hockey League this season, determined Europe as the next best option. The Islanders support the decision.

Despite the murky terms under which Kabanov left Russia --he left the Kontinental Hockey League to play juniors in the QMJHL in 2009 and was cut from the Russian Under-18 team the following spring --it is believed Kabanov also had an offer from a KHL team.

Kabanov was seen as a low-risk gamble when the Islanders drafted the enigmatic forward in the third round of the 2010 draft, but he lived up to his bad-boy reputation in his first training camp last summer. Although his talent and charisma made him a fan favorite, he was disciplined repeatedly for showing up late to team meetings.

Kabanov has also burned through several agents leading up to his draft day and since. He replaced his most recent ex-agent Rick Curran with Paul Theofanous before signing his three-year entry-level deal this July.

At a Glance
The Islanders (1-1-0) will look to pick up their second win of the season at home against Tampa (1-1-1) in Nassau Coliseum.

They’ll face former starting goaltender Dwayne Roloson and other familiar faces in the third game of a four-game homestand to begin the season.

Roli the Goalie
Thursday’s contest will be the first game back at NVMC for Dwayne Roloson, who turned 42 Wednesday. Roloson was outstanding for the Lightning last season after being traded by the Islanders for defenseman Ty Wishart. Roloson recorded four shutouts in his first 11 games with Tampa and went on to lead them to the Eastern Conference Finals.

Third time’s a charm
Islanders goaltender Al Montoya will make his third straight start since winning the No. 1 spot out of training camp. Montoya, who was acquired by the Islanders via trade last season, is 1-1-0 with a 1.53 GAA and .940 save percentage in his first two starts this season.

No DP
Rick DiPietro, who backed up Montoya for the first two games this season, will not dress Thursday after taking a puck off his facemask in practice Wednesday. DiPietro will continue to be evaluated. Coach Jack Capuano said doctors have not ruled out a concussion.

Now for Nabokov
36-year-old Evgeni Nabokov will dress for the first time as an Islander, backing up Al Montoya. Nabokov refused to report to the Islanders last January when they claimed him off waivers from Detroit, but decided to attend training camp this September. The former Vezina Trophy finalist was scratched in the first two games.

Ex-Isled
Roloson isn’t the only former Islander to be featured on Tampa’s roster. Gritty forward Nate Thompson and defensemen Bruno Gervais, Eric Brewer and Marc-Andre Bergeron all previously played on Long Island.

Strome sent back
The Islanders returned first-round draft pick Ryan Strome to his junior team, the Niagara IceDogs of the Ontario Hockey League. The 18-year-old center, who was the Islanders fifth overall pick last June, was scratched the first two games.

No Juice
Milan Jurcina and Nino Niederreiter remain out with groin injuries. Strome’s return means Trevor Gillies (groin) will come off injured reserve.

Lightning goaltender Dwayne Roloson said he's appreciative that Islanders general manager Garth Snow traded him to Tampa during the middle of last season.

Roloson, who turned 42 Wednesday, was sent to the Lightning January 1 in exchange for defenseman Ty Wishart and went on to lead the Lightning to the Eastern Conference finals.

"When I signed, Garth told me the situation and to his credit he stuck to his word, that when we were out of the playoffs, he would trade me," Roloson said.

Roloson was brought in as the starting goaltender in the 2009 offseason but ended up splitting time with Rick DiPietro and Martin Biron during his first year with the Islanders. Roloson again established himself as the clear starter the following season -- providing the only consistency throughout the team's devastating tailspin -- but was moved mid-way through the year.

The trade was a blessing in disguise for Roloson, who was itching to get back to the postseason after his sensational play led the Edmonton Oilers to the Stanley Cup Finals in 2006.

"Very appreciative of what he did," Roloson said.

Roloson is 1-0-1 in his first two starts for Tampa this season; Thursday is his first game back at Nassau Coliseum since he was sent down south over nine months ago.

"It's good to come back," Roloson said. "But at the same time it's a hockey game and we've got to focus on winning."

Al Montoya is starting his third straight game for the Islanders, but there will be a different goaltender backing him up Thursday against the Lightning.

36-year-old Evgeni Nabokov will make his first regular-season appearance for the Islanders this season in wake of an injury to Rick DiPietro.

Nabokov famously spurned the Islanders last January, refusing to report after the team claimed him off waivers from Detroit. After the Islanders tolled his contract to retain his rights for 2011-12 Nabokov changed his tune and decided to attend training camp.

He started the season third on the team's goaltending depth chart behind Montoya and DiPietro.

"He's an experienced guy," coach Jack Capuano said. "He's gonna get his chance real soon and I'm sure he'll make the most of it."

DiPietro will undergo a re-evaluation Thursday afternoon after taking a puck to the facemask in practice Wednesday.

Coach Jack Capuano said doctors have not ruled out a concussion.

Islanders first-round draft pick Ryan Strome has been sent back to his junior club, the team announced Thursday morning.

Strome, the fifth overall pick this June, made the team's opening-night roster out of training camp but did not play in either of the first two games.

"It was really good for him," coach Jack Capuano said. "He had a great rookie camp, a great NHL camp, he was thankful for the opportunity but I think he realizes he needs to go play."

Strome, 18, will return to the Niagara IceDogs of the Ontario Hockey League, where he scored 33 goals and 73 assists last season. He's also expected to play for Team Canada in this year's World Junior Hockey Championships in Alberta.

"It's been a week now and I think I've learnt a lot and I'm just happy I got the opportunity to be around the team during the regular season," Strome said. "They wanted me to get a good experience, get a taste of things and I think I did that."

The decision to send Strome back is hardly surprising. Although he possesses clear offensive skill and creativity, he still needs time to develop physically and adapt to the speed of the game.

"An extra year never hurt anybody," Strome said about returning to juniors. "I'm excited to go back and play there."

The Islanders had nine games to make the move before burning a year of eligibility on his three-year entry-level contract signed earlier this month.