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Nelson, Boychuk help Islanders top Canes 5-3

By WTOP Staff

JOEDY McCREARY
AP Sports Writer

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — These New York Islanders didn’t look much like the team that finished last year in last place.

Which makes sense: So many of the contributors Friday night weren’t with them when last season ended.

Johnny Boychuk had a goal and two assists in his Islanders debut, leading them past the Carolina Hurricanes 5-3.

Brock Nelson began his second NHL season with two goals and two assists, but three other Islanders who played key roles in this one weren’t around for the end of last year.

Free-agent signee Mikhail Grabovski had a goal, trade acquisition Jaroslav Halak made 21 saves, and John Tavares had three assists in his return after injuring a knee during the Olympics.

“This is a big starting point for us, the new faces contributed, and that’s why they’re here,” Nelson said. “If we get more than a couple guys on the score sheet, we’re going to be a pretty good hockey club.”

Travis Hamonic also scored a goal for the Islanders, who scored twice on the power play.

Boychuk — picked up from Boston last week for draft picks — and Nelson scored 1:48 apart in the first period.

Nelson later added a deflected goal off a Boychuk shot in the second to put New York up 3-0 and in control of this matchup of the Metropolitan Division’s two worst teams last year.

“Johnny came in and just kind of fit in right away,” Tavares said.

Eric Staal, Nathan Gerbe and Chris Terry scored third-period goals while Cam Ward made 21 saves for the Hurricanes.

New coach Bill Peters said losing his NHL head coaching debut felt “not great right now, actually” because Carolina “took a couple of penalties that put us behind the 8-ball, couldn’t kill them, and gave them momentum.”

Carolina briefly made this interesting, making it 3-1 just 1:25 into the third when Gerbe deflected Justin Faulk’s slap shot past Halak.

But Grabovski restored the Islanders’ three-goal lead at 5:11 after he was left alone in front of Ward, and Hamonic made it 5-1 with 7:41 remaining. Staal’s goal came with 1:34 to play.

“We were trying to use the momentum,” Staal said. “When you get one, you feel the energy coming in the building, and the crowd’s into it. … (Grabovski’s goal) was tough.”

Andrej Sekera added two assists for the Hurricanes, who are ushering in a new era: Jim Rutherford — the only general manager the club had known since it moved from Hartford in 1997 — stepped aside during the offseason to make way for protégé Ron Francis, then took the GM’s job with Metropolitan Division rival Pittsburgh.

Francis fired Kirk Muller after 2½ seasons and brought in Peters from Detroit’s staff. The roster was mostly left intact, though two key faces were missing: Jordan Staal (broken leg) and Jeff Skinner (concussion).

The Islanders had eight players on the roster making their debuts — and so many of them did so much of the work in this one.

Halak, brought in to replace Evgeni Nabokov, was at times spectacular in goal. Grabovski, signed to a four-year deal after a 13-goal season in Washington, scored his momentum-changing goal when the Hurricanes were caught in a line change.

That came after Boychuk had a hand in each of the first three goals.

He blasted a slap shot between Ward’s pads for a 5-on-3 goal with 2:54 left in the first.

“It’s not like I’m going to sauce it through the middle of the ice,” the notoriously heavy-shooting Boychuk said. “I’m probably not that kind of guy.”

He later assisted on Nelson’s goal with 1:06 remaining in the period.

Tavares took a pass from Boychuk and slipped a cross-ice pass between Faulk’s legs to Nelson, who beat Ward high to make it 2-0.

The Islanders pushed the lead to 3-0 with 12:22 left in the second when Boychuk uncorked a power-play shot that clipped Nelson’s knee and got past Ward.

NOTES: C Ryan Strome added two assists for New York. … Carolina has lost five of its last six openers, and has given up five goals in three of its last four openers. … The Islanders improved to 11-21-10 in openers. … The teams meet again Saturday night in Uniondale, New York.

___

Follow Joedy McCreary on Twitter at http://twitter.com/joedyap

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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