This could be the last 60 minutes of Islanders hockey we get to watch all season.

I don’t know about you guys, but if this is the last Isles game I get to see until October, I want to see some hard-hitting and tough play in the corners for the entire 60 minutes. As well, I want to see the Islanders maintain a consistent offensive presence and take more than five shots in the last period.

If the Islanders can do that, I really won’t be upset if they fall to the Sabres. Let’s be honest here guys, the Islanders were never supposed to have a chance in this series and the fact that they’ve been in every game played says something to me. With a little more toughness up front and another puck moving defenseman, I think this team can surprise a few people.

However, this series isn’t over yet and a win against the Sabres today could give the Isles a chance to take the series to game seven win a win at the coliseum.

Can it happen?

Stranger things have happened before.

I mean c’mon, we’re living in a world were Michael Jackson is the father of multiple children. I’m sure that if the Isles manage to come back and win this series that the world will still continue to function as we know it.

Despite that however, I hold firm on the belief that this team could have faired a lot better against the Sabres if they had both Radek Martinek and Chris Simon in the lineup. All series, they’ve lacked the ability to break through Buffalo’s blue line and haven’t been in the Sabres faces nearly enough for my taste.

But then again, I do come from the Rich Pilon, Mick Vukota and Steve Webb school of playoff hockey. In all honesty, I don’t think I’d ever be able to hide my love of great checks and tough hockey. Sadly, this series, sans a few hits from Sean Hill, Brendan Witt and Trent Hunter, has been completely void of that.

After Jaroslav Spacek’s elbow throwing at the end of game one, I thought Arron Asham was going to have his name faster than an old lady at a bingo hall; it never happened. After Jason Blake got boarded by Teppo Numminen in game four, I expected to see Brendan Witt drop the gloves with someone; that didn’t happen either. What I’m trying to say here is that the Isles haven’t played as desperate as they needed to during this series and despite getting more than adequate goaltending from both Dubielewicz and DiPietro during the course of the series, they still find themselves on the brink of elimination.

Why you ask?

They haven’t been nearly as physical enough.

If the Isles can go out on a mission and take Buffalo out of the corners and force them to make perfect passes out of their zone, they’ll have plenty of opportunities on offense. However, that alone won’t induce a victory for them. In addition to playing a hard-nosed game, the Isles have to actually hit the net when they shoot, something they failed to do in game four.

I don’t know about you guys, but I’m not ready to let this season go down the tubes yet and hopefully the Isles can stick around for at least one more game. I’m at the point where I’m actually contemplating selling my soul to the Robot Devil [Futurama reference, get with it] just to see this season go on for a few more days.

Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that.

Posted under Isles 2006-07, Pregame Musings