After taking care of the Panthers on Saturday, the Islanders now have the opportunity to continue their recent road dominance against the Toronto Maple Leafs, who are currently without their captain, Mats Sundin.

Given that, this is a game that the Islanders can and must win. They have the offensive firepower to hold their own with the Leafs and without Sundin in the lineup, the defense can focus on some of the other players that can hurt them. That will give players like Asham and Hunter the opportunity to lay hits on people like Darcy Tucker.

Getting points in their last five road games, the Isles have been a changed team since they were taken to school by the Lightning a week and a half ago, combining both fantastic goaltending by Dipietro and Dunham with the consistent dominance of Alexei Yashin and Jason Blake has effectively formed the key ingredients of a team that has been simply amazing as of late.

Ted Nolan has got these guys going in the right direction and has them motivated all season. Despite a few hiccups along the way, the Islanders have been one of the sleeper teams in the conference. I can’t believe I’m going to say this, but Stan Fischler so far has nailed it right on the head. Usually the biggest Islanders basher in the tri-state area, “The Maven” said in an article on MSG that the Isles were going to sneak up on teams the same way the Rangers did and like I’ve said already, so far so he’s been totally right and I hope it stays the way all season.

That also goes to tell you that despite the fact that he was practically ripped apart by the media during the off-season, Garth Snow [and Neil Smith] did a pretty decent job of putting a solid team on the ice and Ted Nolan has taken care of the rest.

BACK TO THE GAME…

Hating the Maple Leafs as much as I do, I really want to see the Islanders take the body tonight. Nolan has been rolling four lines consistently and because of that, we should be flying tonight and should put forward a team effort. Look for guys like Witt, Hunter and Asham to insert themselves into the game and fuel a hard fought Islanders victory. If guys like Hilbert and Satan get going offensively, we might even see a blow out.

But let’s see what happens.

Let’s Go Islanders.

Posted under Isles 2006-07, Pregame Musings

This was exactly the reason why the Islanders signed Mike Dunham a week before the season started.

Before last night’s game started, I really wanted DP in there, because I want him to get into a big rhythm, but after 30 odd saves, I felt like the Islanders goaltending situation hasn’t been this solid since we had Ozzy & Snowie together. Dunham is really making his case that he can be depended on this season.

Always known for being a solid goaltender, who was always in the wrong place at the wrong time [backing up Martin Brodeur, being the starting goaltender for a Predators team that had nobody, but him that was worth a damn, being a part of the revolving door that was the Thrashers goaltending situation last year, THE RANGERS, etc] Dunham has come to the Isles this season and has been simply amazing. Even when they got smoked by the Lighting last week 5-1, Dunham was solid, but got little help from his D.

Last night however, was much different.

Over the past few games, it seems that our defense core has picked up their games and is playing great on both sides of the puck. Even Brendan Witt was taking some shots from the point last night and Sean Hill and Radek Martinek were again extremely solid. I can’t believe I’m going to say this, but I think aside from the sloppiness they showed for a few minutes here and there last night, the Isles defensive effort was perfect.

If that wasn’t enough, Blake and Yashin again played a marvelous game on both ends and both gave each other great passes that led to goals. It’s kind of a double edged sword however when you think about it, because I keep saying to myself, “WHY DIDN’T ANYONE THINK OF PUTTING THEM ON THE SAME LINE BEFORE?” But then again, instead of thinking about it, I’m just going to enjoy it. I haven’t seen two players on the Islanders play like this together since, well never!

It was also great to see Asham and Satan get goals too; we need to get them going in the biggest way and last night might be exactly what they need. Andy Hilbert also played a decent game last night but hasn’t been anything like the crafty, underrated player we thought he would be. He has to get going shortly or I can see him in another jersey very soon.

This one; hope it fits.

Back to Dunham…

Two nights ago, I compared DP to Billy Smith because of his frequently excellent use of the stick check and last night Billy Jaffe compared Dunham to him, which shows you how well these two guys have been playing. Right now we’re second in the conference in GAA and in the upper tier as far as the entire NHL goes. If we can keep that up and then get some more offense, this season is going to be a lot of fun for everyone.

NEXT GAME…

After we drop off Gino Campoli, we go see our old friends the Toronto Maple Leafs on Monday, I hope Darcy Tucker and company are ready to meet Brendan Witt and Chris Simon. Should be interesting to say the very least.

Let’s go Isles.

Posted under Isles 2006-07, Post Game Rants

That goddamn goal post.

In the end, that was the only thing that separated the Islanders from the Tampa Bay Lightning.

It was just a case of the score not meaning all that much by the end of the game.

The fact that the Islanders came back against a team like that after being down early really showed me how much this team wants to win. Ricky D played his third straight great game as well; he’s controlling the puck much less and is challenging shooters, which means his groin is back to where it should be and he’s ready to take this team where it’s supposed to be. It’s funny, a few times last night, my father compared him to Billy Smith because he was being so aggressive and was using the stick check so well.

If Ricky is going to continue to play like that, I think this team can hold their own with anybody. Like I’ve said before, the only thing that is keeping DP from being the dominant goaltender we all know he can be is his maturity. The past three games, he’s almost been a completely different player. To be honest, I hope the old DP got kidnapped and this one is here to stay.

Aside from DP’s great play, what about Radek Martinek last night? Oh my god, it was like someone set his ass on fire or something. I haven’t seen him play like that since the first year he was here. To be fair, Martinek is one of those players [much like Kenny Jonsson] that play so consistently that you sometimes forget that he’s on the ice. But his performance last night was a step above what he’s been doing lately.

I still can’t get over the goal he scored last night, what a laser beam! After he took the shot, Holmqvist snapped his neck back at him, saying in body language, WHO THE HELL WAS THAT?

IT WAS MARTINEK, RADEK MARTINEK. HE HAS A LICENSE TO SHOOT.
[Sorry for the crappy Bond reference, I couldn’t resist]

If Martinek’s goal wasn’t enough, York’s goal was highlight material too. It looked light Holmqvist was having major problems with shots from being the circle and the Islanders should have tested him from there during the shootout. Nevertheless, I’ll take the point considering we were down 2-0 against a team with that such offensive talent. For us to stick in there, take the body, cycle the puck well and come back, is a positive step forward for this team.

TONIGHT, AGAINST FLORIDA…

The Isles need to continue taking the body and hustling against an older Florida Panther team that has a good balance of scoring ability, goaltending and defense. Look for Eddie Belfour to try and redeem himself after his post-game drunken escapes the last time the Islanders played the Panthers. If not, he could always cut Alex Auld with a beer bottle again.

Posted under Isles 2006-07, Post Game Rants

Here the Islanders come Tampa Bay, are you ready?

I surely hope not.

After shutting out the Stars a few nights ago, the Islanders head into the Sunshine state to tackle Brad Richards, Martin St. Louis and company, looking for a fifth consecutive road win. Like the game against Dallas, a win against the streaky Lightning would continue to increase the Islanders reputation against the NHL’s elite.

In a way, the Lightning and Dallas have some similarities in the fact that they both have hot goaltenders right now in Marty Turco and  Johan Holmqvist, but unlike the Stars, the Lightning have been getting more than ample scoring from their first two lines, making them much more dangerous.

THE KEYS TO THE GAME:

It is essential that the Islanders stay out of the penalty box and take the body as often as they can. This is a game that Trent Hunter, Arron Asham, Chris Simon and Brendan Witt need to assert themselves in. If the Isles can play smart and continue what they’ve been doing the past two games, taking quality shots and using their speed and grit to get scoring opportunities, Tampa Bay doesn’t stand a chance.

But if Lecavalier, St. Louis and company find a way to get open ice, via the power play or sloppy defensive play, the Islanders are going to getting demolished again. Another way the Islanders can guarantee a win tonight is to get some production from people like Andy Hilbert, Victor Kozlov and Miroslav Satan.

While Kozlov and Satan have been streaky at times, Hilbert has been ice cold this season.  The Isles need at least a dozen goals and about 15 assists from our fourth line center and as of now, I don’t see it happening. Nolan has tried everything in an effort to get him going, including throwing him on the second line for occasional shifts and he still has no points this season.

For the Islanders to content this season, they will need all four lines going strong.  Let’s hope it happens.

ON ANOTHER NOTE… 

Alexei Yashin and Jason Blake have been playing amazing and have kept the Islanders in so many games this season. I love that Alexei is passing the puck so well [reminds me of how he was on the Senators] this year and it makes me feel even better that Blake is taking less shots, and scoring more. It’s funny to me that all this time the Islanders have been looking for suitable partners for Yashin and they never thought about Blake until this season.

I guess that’s just the way the cookie crumbles sometimes. It’s just going to be hilarious when we look back and see that Yashin had his best season as an Islander when he was paired with a former fourth line pest.

Posted under Isles 2006-07, Pregame Musings

Damn, the Islanders dominated tonight. They played well in all three zones and kept their mistakes to the bare minimum. In the end, that’s how you win hockey games. It was great too to see York and Hunter’s fathers dancing around and smiling after their kids scored, good times.

DP was stellar tonight as well. He made all the tough saves [the ones that weren’t blocked by Brendan Witt] and controlled the puck really well and for that, I’d like to take personal responsibility.

Ever since I started this site, I’ve been bitching about DP’s penchant for playing the puck at the wrong times and for the past two games, he’s been great in that area. The only reason I can come up with for this change to occur so quickly would have to be that someone must be relaying these comments posted by yours truly about DP over the past two weeks to him.

For instance:

11-11

Like I’ve mentioned before, I love the kid, I like the fact that he’s a great athlete with a ton of charisma, but like most goalies, he’s a little screwy on the ice sometimes and it costs us every time. Playing the puck like a maniac is one thing, but doing it over and over is another.  

That one is nothing compared to this one:

11-06

Rick Dipietro, you are killing me man! Stay in the goddamn net! You would think by now, after over five years as a professional hockey player, someone would have said you something by now. To me, it seems that you actually think that playing the puck so much is a good thing or you just don’t care what anyone else tells you. Which one is it?   

Regardless of what the case may be, this whole situation is due to the fact that obviously, no one in the Islanders organization feels comfortable telling him to cut out the nonsense. Why you would coddle someone who you just signed to a 15-year contract is beyond me. They obviously want to see DP get better, so why not tell him that he has to wake up and stop acting like a baby?  
 
This is the best one though:

  11-05

DP was on his back like Lindsay Lohan and allowed a weak backhand to get past him.   

But anyway, back to my Post-Game Rant: Was it me or was that goal that Jason Blake scored tonight one of the prettiest from an Islander all season? It makes me feel so good that Yashin and Blake are playing so well together. The revitalized play of Brendan Witt has been inspiring too. He was blocking shots left and right, making solid defensive plays and hitting everything that moves; that’s why we wanted him on this team and I’m happy he’s proving now that he is capable of still being a presence on the ice. Maybe I was imagining things, but I think Sean Hill played a solid game as well; he even managed to take the body on a few occasions; the fact that Miro and Trent got points tonight was another positive as well. Overall, everyone played a hard working, blue-collar game and that’s what this team needs to continue doing if they want to win.

Next up, the Isles have the Tampa Bay Lightning, powered by Brad “My shooting percentage sucks” Richards, who just so happens to be my g/f’s favorite player. Every time the Isles play the Lighting and Tampa wins, I hear it from her… big time. To make matters worse, it seems that Richards is usually the reason why the Isles lose.

To put an end to this, I am personally offering any Islander player 20 dollars or any video game I own [my collection is quite massive, go to http://www1.gamespot.com/users/sonicboom713/games_table?mode=own to check it out] if they manage to put a big hit on Richards. Hopefully, my prayers will be answered.

Let’s go Islanders.

The last part of this blog is a complete faux. If you think I’m stupid enough to give up 20 dollars or a video game to see a player do his job on the ice, you’re an idiot. Thanks for reading though…suckers.

Posted under Isles 2006-07, Post Game Rants

Considering I got my pre-game rant out of the way yesterday, I think it’s time again for me to share another Islanders moment with you all.
 
As I have mentioned to you guys before, I was a huge Pierre Turgeon fan growing up and the day he was traded to Montreal was like hearing that I or someone I loved had cancer. It totally broke my heart [like I’ve mentioned before as well, this team has a habit of doing that].Luckily, there was another player in the wings that managed to draw my attention, his name was Zigmund Palffy.
 
I know you guys are all thinking about that time he kissed a teammate after he scored a goal, please stop, it still sends shivers up my spine.
 
BACK TO ZIGGY…  
 
Despite the fact that the Islanders finished miserably that 95 season, I couldn’t wait to see how much Ziggy would develop and watched every last game of that dreadful season, anxiously waiting to see him play in more than 30 some odd games. Despite the fact that the Islanders missed the playoffs again the next season, Ziggy was all over the place and managed to put together a 40-plus-goal season while playing with forwards that weren’t nearly as talented as he was.
 
For instance, when one thinks of players like Marty McInnis and Travis Green, they don’t think of really good offensive players, they think more along the lines of solid defensive players and penalty killers. However, Green managed to score a career high 69 points playing on a line with Palffy [64 the next year, despite being moved to the second line once Robert Reichel arrived on the Island] while McInnis scored 20 goals and formed a very successful short-handed threat with him as well.
 
But, like most good things on the Island after the Dynasty, they didn’t last long. Soon enough, McInnis was traded to Calgary for Robert Reichel [whom I’ve mentioned before is dating Jonas Hogland, according to Wikipedia], which forced Green to the second line and after only a year a half, the line was broken up.
 
Fortunately, that wouldn’t matter for Ziggy as he would go on to average a point a game for the Islanders during the next three seasons, somehow establishing himself on a cellar dwelling team. You would think that the Islanders would have done anything in their power to keep Palffy, but instead, they traded him to the LA Kings in a package for Olli Jokinen in cost cutting measures.
 
If the Islanders think about who we got eventually got for Ziggy, it shades in comparison to what the Isles could have had if they stuck with him. The same goes for some of the other players that played with him or after he was traded like Bryan McCabe, Todd Bertuzzi and Roberto Luongo. 
 
I really like the team we have right now, but when I see the Islanders trying to build from within all of a sudden and giving people 15 year contracts, I say to myself, “Why didn’t they do the same thing for those players?”
 
The answer is Charles Wang. 
 
Despite the fact that some of his moves have been questionable during his tenure [like why Mike Milbury still has a job] he’s stuck with this team even when he hasn’t made money with it and that says he really cares [to me anyway]. That says to me that mistakes like dumping Turgeon and Palffy aren’t going to happen again while he’s around; that makes this old soul sleep well at night.

Posted under Isles 2006-07, Isles Memories

Defeating the Flyers 3-1 before embarking on this current four-game road trip [where they will play Dallas, Tampa Bay, Florida and Toronto, before coming home on November 22 to play the defending Stanley Cup champion Carolina Hurricanes], the Islanders dominated the Broad Street Bullies throughout and were helped by another great performance by Alexei Yashin and 30-odd saves by Rick Dipietro.

Now looking ahead, the Islanders will have to prove that their well-rounded play the other night against Philadelphia was no fluke and need to do so against a hot Dallas Stars team that is off to the best start in their franchise’s history.

The thing that is so dangerous about the Stars is that they have a ton of big names on their team that are due to breakout very shortly. You would think with having a 12-4 record through 16 games that Dallas would be scoring a ton of goals; however, the Stars do not have a single person averaging a point per game this season [Brendan Morrow, Mike Modano and Eric Lindros all have 12 points in 16 games] and have relied on the amazing goaltending of Marty Turco [1.84 GAA and 10 wins] and great penalty killing [second in the league so far this season] to get them points so far this season.

It’s only a matter of time before this team gets going offensively. I just hope it’s not against the Isles.

So for the Islanders to be able to take two from Dallas, they’ll have to play smart on both ends of the ice and will have to sneak a few past Turco [or Mike Smith their backup goaltender, who looks way too much like Ashton Kutcher to be taken seriously]. As I said before, they looked great against Philly and need to play well against a hot Dallas team if they want to be taken seriously by the rest of the league.

7-6-2 isn’t a bad record through the first fifteen games of the season, especially for a team that was predicted to win 25 games by many media outlets. However, the Islanders need to work their tails off every night and need to stay focused, rather than just being happy with an above average record. They have the tools to win anywhere from 35-45 games this season and if they manage to get hot, they could win even more [I KNOW IT’S A STRETCH to think of this team winning 45 games, but with the offensive talent the Isles have and a streaky goaltender, I feel it’s definitely possible].

ONE MORE THING…

Campoli’s back! After getting injured in training camp, the Isles will have this gifted offensive defenseman back in the lineup, but don’t expect to see anyone sent down right away, according to Ted Nolan:

We’ll have a familiar face back on the ice tomorrow, too. It looks like we’re going to recall Chris Campoli from Bridgeport and he’ll be on the trip with us. He’s a young, but smart and good skating defenseman and will improve our team. We’ll be carrying an extra defenseman on the road trip, so don’t expect anyone to leave.

 

It’s going to be so great to get Campo back, we could definitely use his presence on the power play and as I’ve mentioned numerous times this season, he’s a solid defender with plus speed and the Islanders need that the most out of their D-men. Will he play tomorrow night and if so, how much playing time will he get? Guess we’re just going to have to wait and find out.

Posted under Isles 2006-07

Now with the Islanders defense and goaltending situations out of the way, I can now vent my opinions regarding the Islanders forwards. While I feel that we have a lot more depth this year on all four lines, I feel that certain changes need to be made for the Isles to get the most out of their talent.

First off, as I’ve mentioned in earlier columns, I think that Yashin needs to be reunited with Satan. This would give the Islanders a formidable first line that would be able to produce offense on a more consistent basis. So far this season, Islanders head coach Ted Nolan has experimented with Viktor Kozlov, Chris Simon and even Andy Hilbert on the first line with Yashin and Jason Blake, with mixed results. If you’re going to keep trying different players, why not try your leading goal scorer from last season?

Simply put, Satan was brought here so he could compliment Yashin and take some pressure off him. Having Satan on the second line with York and Hunter is like a waste to me. Why not make Kozlov work a little harder with York and Hunter, instead of having him taking advantage of the double teaming Yashin is usually the victim of [which Kozlov hasn’t taken advantage of so far this season] when you could give Satan, a much better shooter, who can draw equally as much attention, the opportunity to create more offense?

With Satan and Yashin together, combined with Blake’s blazing speed, the opposition would have to pull out their best defensive players and would give the other players an opportunity to contribute more.

Speaking of the other players, I love what Shawn Bates and Richard Park bring to the table for the Isles. I think they have the perfect combination of speed, play making ability and grit and make the team so much better offensively and defensively. They’ve been playing great hockey lately and it’s sad that it’s not so apparent to most fans. Most likely they’ll have anywhere from 30-40 points this season, but their value to this team is equal to someone who scores twice as much.

I really have no qualms about any Islander forwards except for Arron Asham, Trent Hunter and Andy Hilbert. My problems with Asham and Hunter are small ones however. I love the way they take the body and hustle; I just want them to get a little bit more involved in the offense. They can accomplish that by parking themselves in front of the net [the way Mark Parrish would whenever he was slumping] and get a few cheap goals to get their confidence back.

With them going offensively, they can change the way this team is looked at. They have talent and a ton of energy. They just have to learn to harness it. I expect at least 10-20 goals from each of them and as long as they smarten up a little bit, I don’t see any reason why that’s not possible.

Andy Hilbert on the other hand, is in my chateau de bow wow [I love when Howie Rose says that]. Besides not scoring a point this year, Hilbert hasn’t done anything else to make me want to have him on this team right now. He needs to get hot soon or Eric Boguniecki or Petteri Nokalainen will be on a bus towards Uniondale faster than it takes for Mike Tyson to get kicked out of a spelling bee [anyone ever see that Family Guy episode?]

Other than that, I’ve been pretty satisfied with what they Islanders have shown offensively this season, when they’re skating. As long as Nolan can keep this well-rounded group of baby faces and veterans motivated and focused, I don’t see any reason why every forward who plays regularly can’t end up with at least a dozen goals this season.

Posted under Isles 2006-07

Now that I discussed the goaltending situation yesterday, this brings me to the next area of the team I’d like to talk about: the defense.

Despite having a solid unit defensively, which is much more balanced than last year [too much offense, not enough defense last year], the Islanders aren’t nearly as fleet of foot this season and will need to get the most out of their defensive pairings by making the right combinations on the ice if they wish to make the playoffs.

While I love the job that Ted Nolan has done with the Islanders so far, it befuddles my mind thinking of possible reasons why he would pair Sean Hill with Brendan Witt. I mean, I can see why he wants to have the balance of Hill’s all-around game with Witt’s grit, that’s fine, but considering the fact that they are both easily the slowest skaters on the Islanders, it’s no wonder both of them have so many penalty minutes so far this year.

Instead, why not pair Poti with Witt and Hill with Martinek? Poti is a much better skater than Hill and would continue to give the Islanders the balance that they want on defense and would allow the young Bruno Gervais to be paired with Alexei Zhitnik, thus benefiting his development and will make it possible for Chris Campoli to play with Zhitnik when he comes back [I can’t imagine anyone else besides Bruno getting sent down when Campoli comes back into the fold].

As of right now, the Islanders defense is playing well, but there have been a few instances so far this season where Hill and Witt have looked overmatched [cough, Tampa Bay game last week, cough] and need to have partners with some more speed to help them out.

With Campoli and Joel Bouchard set to come back from injuries in the next few weeks and experienced defenseman in Rick Berry and Mark Wotton at Bridgeport, the Islanders have a ton of depth on the D-line and could use that come trading deadline and get a fourth line center that can score more than Andy Hilbert.

The Islanders are going to have to make some decisions very soon as Gervais has proven that he can play well at the NHL level and Bouchard and Campoli will be itching to get back into action. This leaves the Islanders with eight defensemen [not counting Berry and Wotton, since they haven’t been called up or proven themselves with the Isles yet] that need significant amounts of playing time; it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to see that two players are going to be left out of the fold and aren’t going to be too happy when they get sent to Bridgeport.

Luckily, I have the answer…

For the time being, I’d first send Bruno back to the Bridgeport so he could work on his offensive ability some more, enabling Campoli to play regularly again. Then I’d have Hill put into a rotation with Bouchard [when he comes back] and Martinek. This way, we could give all three of them some playing time and would give us the opportunity to shop Hill to any team that wants him.

Don’t get me wrong, I like what he brings to the team, but I would rather see Martinek and Campoli playing every night. We drafted them and I’ve seen them become solid players in an Islanders uniform, which means a lot more to me than what Sean Hill did somewhere else. Trading Hill would also promote the idea of the team being built from within, something we haven’t been doing much the past few years and would give the fan base an opportunity to have players on the this team they really care about and want to see.

Posted under Isles 2006-07

Now that the Islanders are off for a few days, I’m going to take this time out to analyze the team’s strengths and weaknesses and shoot from the hip regarding what I think needs to be done for this team to not only make the playoffs, but what needs to be done so they can dominate. Today, I’ll be discussing the goaltending situation and how the Islanders can get the most out of both Rick Dipietro and Mike Dunham.

As much as the Islanders hate to admit it, they will need a combined effort from both Dipietro and Dunham in order for the Islanders to make the playoffs this season. The reason being is that Dipietro, while being a goaltender would can and will be the corner stone of the franchise eventually, is still maturing and shouldn’t be overworked. The Isles have rushed a few goalies during the post Kelly Hrudey years, a-la Jamie McLennan and Roberto Luongo, to only see McLennan enjoy moderate success with the St. Louis Blues and to witness the superstardom of Luongo with the Panthers.

It is essential that the Islanders not repeat the mistakes they’ve made developing players and let Dipietro come into his own.

Considering that, it helps the Isles that Dunham has been a capable goaltender everywhere he’s been during his career and has looked marvelous this season. In a perfect world, he would play at least 25 games this season. I say this because Ricky has shown his immaturity at times [anyone remember him late last season?] and isn’t at the point where he can play 65-70 games a season like Martin Brodeur. But for some reason, he has this idea stuck in his head where he’s going to become the next Tim Cheveldae or something.

Like I’ve mentioned before, I love the kid, I like he’s a great athlete with a ton of charisma, but like most goalies, he’s a little screwy on the ice sometimes and it costs us every time. Playing the puck like a maniac is one thing, but doing it over and over is another. Again, as I’ve mentioned before, Islanders goalie coach Gillies Lefebvre has to keep DP focused this season and make sure he keep his composure down the stretch. If he can do that, I can definitely see the Islanders can make the playoffs this season.

As we saw the other night in Philly, when Ricky is fired up and focused, he can stop anything that’s shot at him. It doesn’t matter if it’s Sydney Crosby or Peter Forsberg, when he’s focused, he can control a game unlike any goaltender in the NHL. He’s got all the talent in the world and just needs to find a medium and stick with it.

Lightning center Brad Richards has had the same problem in his career and said something two weeks ago about how he’s trying to not put so much pressure on himself, that if he works his hardest, the results will come; that’s exactly how Ricky has to think. As a teammate with more experience, Dunham should help Rick in that area and rub off on him the same way Garth Snow did on him, making DP a better goaltender, thus helping the Islanders make the playoffs this season.

Unlike years past, where I’d hope and pray the team could come together and win, I know this team has a better than honest shot at making the playoffs this season. As a matter of fact, we’ve already seen the potential of this team when they stick together and play hard [Anyone still remember the Devils game 2 weeks ago]. Considering that, DP and Dunham will be the catalysts for any success the Islanders are going to have this year and need to be on top of their games.

Yashin and Blake can score 40 goals and Brendan Witt and Trent Hunter can lead the league in hits, but if the DD’s don’t make the saves when they have to, the Islanders season is going to be a miserable one.

 

Posted under Isles 2006-07