After a 90-minute delay due to ice problems, the teams play to a scoreless tie.

UNIONDALE, N.Y. (AP) -Bad ice was the culprit Tuesday night when the Boston Bruins and New York Islanders played a 0-0 tie.

Rick DiPietro made 28 saves for the Islanders, and Bruins counterpart Felix Potvin stopped 33 shots as Boston was shut out for the second straight night.

The start was delayed 90 minutes because of a hole in the ice around one of the goal creases.

The Bruins had their 12-game point streak snapped with a 2-0 home loss to Florida on Monday. But they moved within two points of first-place Ottawa in the Northeast Division with their first scoreless tie since Jan. 13, 2000, against Buffalo.

Boston was given a power play with 28.9 seconds left in regulation, but that was negated 22 seconds later by Glen Murray’s slashing penalty.

Michael Peca had the best chance in overtime, but his in-tight shot banged off Potvin’s stick with 26.4 seconds left.

After an Arena Football game was played at Nassau Coliseum on Sunday, the playing surface was changed over from turf to ice on Monday. The ice didn’t freeze sufficiently, and when the Zamboni resurfaced the ice Tuesday, one of the blades cut a hole. All eyes were on the goalies even before their perfect performances. DiPietro stumbled and fell several times in the first period as he maneuvered in the crease. His skate seemed to find the trouble spot as he backtracked while anticipating a rush. The blade stopped and DiPietro stumbled back. He got up looking at the ice and the referee. The ice was a problem all over. Pucks bounced, players toppled over, and every time someone tried to make a quick move he needed to really grind his legs to get going.

New York got off seven shots in each of the first two periods, and Boston countered with five in the opening frame and 12 in the second. Both teams had one power play in each of the first two periods.

Mark Parrish returned to the Islanders after missing 23 games because of an ankle sprain sustained on Jan. 1. He was greeted warmly when he came out for his first shift just under three minutes in, and then drew a bigger ovation in the second when one check took out Boston forwards Martin Lapointe and Rob Zamuner.

Potvin was tested early by rookie Trent Hunter and turned his shot away. The Islanders also had a scoring chance in the second period when Mariusz Czerkawski’s shot slid along the damaged goal crease and caught the right post.

Jason Blake seemed headed for a breakaway on Potvin in the second period, but he lost his footing and fell as he hit the red line. Blake had another chance midway through the third period, but he fired a rebound wide after Arron Asham failed on a wraparound.

Bruins captain Joe Thornton set up Murray nicely, but DiPietro got there in time to stop his second-period shot.

Notes: On a clearing attempt, DiPietro fired the puck off the helmet of Boston C Brian Rolston and out of play. … The Bruins are 6-3-3 in the second game of back-to-backs.

AP-ES-02-24-04 2305EST