“Every day is a new day,
I’m grateful for every breath I take,
I won’t take it for granted,
So I learn from my mistakes…”

This P.O.D song, while being extremely corny even when it was originally released, is still somewhat catchy to this day and is a perfect description of what Ted Nolan brings to the Islanders.

From the first day of training camp, Nolan told reporters that the Isles would be a changed team on the ice, exemplifying what he called “Controlled Chaos.” Despite the fact that the chaos has been far from controlled at times, the Islanders managed to make the playoffs, in spite of the dozens of predictions that had them ranked somewhere near the cellar in the Eastern Conference.

So what; obviously the thought that just came into half of the minds of the people reading this right now. I bet you’re also saying that Peter Laviolette and Steve Sterling, the last two Islander coaches to take the team to the playoffs, also did so in their first year. Despite that, I think this year has been something different. Marked with extreme highs and unfathomable lows, this year’s Islanders was almost like an experiment by a bi-polar mad scientist. I don’t know about you guys, but at times, I felt like this team was going to crash down the stretch just like last years team and at others, I thought that they were a legitimate cup contender.

Now with the team in the playoffs, I can still say that my truest thoughts on this team are still right in the middle. Still missing a few pieces on offense and a little depth on defense, this year’s Islanders team has made the most out of what they had and made the playoffs as a result. Regardless, no one in the NHL can say that Nolan hasn’t done an amazing job in his first year with the Islanders and that’s only the half of it. He’s also changed the entire motif in Islander Country in the process. Taking this team to the playoffs and getting them to come together this way at the end of the season at the very least has gotten them the most fan support in years.

Did anyone else hear the Islander fans at Continental Airlines Arena the other night?
I did.

Did anyone help hear Deb Kauffman screaming at the top of her lungs during the pre-game show to drown out the crazed Isles fans?

I did, again.

When was the last time the Islanders had the fan base this content?

In the fifteen years I’ve been watching this team, I think there’s only been one other time when the fan base has had this much energy and that was after the team smoked the Penguins in the 93 playoffs.

Yes, it’s been that long.

While comparing this season to that magical one in ’93 may be a bit of a stretch, in my heart of hearts, it’s the only thing that even comes close to having the emotion and drama that this one has had. With all of the emotions and craziness surrounding the team of late, can you really blame me for being this upbeat?

In the end, maybe I’m just a man who’s just in the middle of something that he doesn’t really understand [thank you Paul McCartney]. I mean, I could be wrong. As an Islanders fan, I’m not really used to seeing this team in the playoffs with positive momentum. I’m not used to seeing things being like this, well except for in video games [My Isles always win the cup on the Playstation 2.]

However, despite my inability to really fathom the fact that this team managed to make the playoffs, I do know that Ted Nolan is one of the biggest reasons that they’re there and his presence behind the Islanders bench shouldn’t be overlooked. Without Nolan’s 11-minute speech a week and a half ago, who knows where this team would be right now.
While I think the Sabres are coached extremely well, I think that with the talent that the Sabres have, just about anyone short of Rick Bowness could get that team into the playoffs. The Islanders however, need someone at the top to keep them on the right path, despite having guys like Ryan Smyth, Sean Hill and Brendan Witt around.

Thankfully for them, they have Ted Nolan.

If Ted can keep these guys working hard and on the same page during this series, who knows what could happen.

Posted under Isles 2006-07, Isles Thoughts 2007