UNIONDALE, N.Y. -- Losing to the Ottawa Senators is nothing new to the New York Islanders. This time they added a different wrinkle.

With a 3-1 lead and only 7:25 remaining, New York's Eric Cairns drew a double minor -- the second two minutes for unsportsmanlike conduct -- and the Ottawa Senators rallied for an improbable 4-3 overtime victory Monday.

	Senators right wing Daniel Alfredsson (11) skates over Jamie Heward in pursuit of a loose puck Monday.

The Senators, who got the game-winner from Marian Hossa with 1:03 left, are 12-0-4 against the Islanders, dating to Jan. 6, 1996.

The Islanders were already playing short-handed when Cairns was whistled for roughing. In his anger, Cairns slammed his stick against the glass and threw the broken shaft to the ice.

Cairns was ejected and Ottawa received a four-minute power play.

"I thought it was a borderline call and I took it into my hands," Cairns said. "I'm embarrassed the way I acted. It's my fault that we lost and that's how I feel."

Shawn McEachern and Jason York took advantage by scoring two minutes apart to tie the game.

"It's been a long time since I've seen a player go crazy like that," said Ottawa's Ron Tugnutt, who made 23 saves. "I kind of feel for him a little bit because I know he's one of those intense guys."

After Mathieu Biron's penalty was killed off, McEachern, who had a seven-game point streak snapped Sunday in a 2-1 loss at Washington, tipped in Igor Kravchuk's shot for his 18th goal with 6:54 left.

"We wanted to bounce back after that bad performance in Washington," York said.

Ottawa tied it two minutes later, just as Cairns' penalty was expiring, on York's third goal. The Islanders have allowed at least one power-play goal in nine of 10 games.

"That was huge," York said of the extended power play. "We knew if we could score on the first one, we'd have a good chance on the second one."

Hossa, standing at the side of the net, received a beautiful pass from Kravchuk in overtime and easily tapped it in to give Ottawa its fifth road win in seven games.

Tugnutt stopped Dave Scatchard's overtime breakaway with 2:30 left to keep the Senators in the game.

But it was Cairns that allowed it to get that far.

"I haven't had a chance to talk to him yet," Islanders coach Butch Goring said. "Once the call is made, he's got to go right off the ice. We didn't lose this game, we just didn't win it."

New York, the NHL's worst team with only 27 points, got one point for its first ever regulation tie.

Brad Isbister gave the Islanders a 2-1 lead on the power play just 17 seconds into the second period. New York, which got a power-play goal for the first time in nine games, had failed in 29 straight man-advantage situations dating to Dec. 30. The Islanders have a league-worst 17 power-play goals.

Josh Green made it 3-1 with 12:57 left in the third with his fourth goal.

Kevin Weekes, who also had an assist on the Islanders' first goal, made 41 saves -- including 19 in the eventful third period -- but it wasn't enough.

"Weekes gave us the type of game that we hoped for," Goring said. "Especially after what happened the last game."

Goring pulled Weekes on Saturday after he allowed four goals in a loss to the New York Rangers.

Vaclav Prospal gave Ottawa a 1-0 lead at 16:49 of the first period with his 11th goal. Tim Connolly tied it just 41 seconds later when he converted a 2-on-1 with Mariusz Czerkawski that was started by Weekes.

Islanders forward Gino Odjick returned after an eight-game suspension for sucker-punching Pittsburgh's Darius Kasparaitis on Dec. 30.