As you all know, Richard Park got a contract extension a month or so ago. And every day since then, he’s proven he’s worth every single penny. However, the past two games, he’s arguably been the Isles best player. Two goals in two games isn’t that big of a deal, but considering the fact that Park doesn’t get powerplay time, plays about a dozen minutes a game and kills penalties, it is a pretty awesome accomplishment.

Last night, Park again proved how valuable he is to the Isles, scoring a shorthanded goal against Marty Turco and Sergei Zubov. If you missed it, it kind of made up for the Islanders loss. Looking more like a younger Rick DiPietro, Turco got caught by the blue line and Park got to the puck and skated around him before avoiding Zubov and depositing a backhand into an empty net.

Aside from that though, the Islanders weren’t able to muster much offense. Dallas was running a 1-4 defense that just shut down the Isles attack and annoyed the hell out of me. Well, not really. I just felt like I was watching the New Jersey Devils circa 1995.

Luckily, the Isles did get a few chances on the powerplay and Miroslav Satan managed to deposit a one-timer past Turco that got the Islanders back in the game. Without that powerplay opportunity, it looked pretty doubtful that the Islanders were going to get past the Star’s trap. However, Bryan Berard and Marc-Andre Bergeron were able to keep the puck in the zone and get penetration, allowing Satan access to the puck and enough room to shoot.

Cooling off after a hot week or two, Satan needs to keep shooting the puck. The same goes for Mike Comrie, who has slowed down offensively over the past week or so. Bill Guerin as well is going through a funk. Last time I checked, the Isles were the lowest scoring team in the league and were somehow in a playoff spot. Words can’t describe how good Rick DiPietro has been this season for the Isles to be anywhere over .500.

But back to the game…

Once the game got into overtime, the Dallas Stars turned up the intensity and it was only a matter of time before they finished the Isles off. Watching a team that can turn up their defensive or offensive play like that was pretty special. The stars do have their problems, but for the most part, they stick to their game plan and play a well-structured and strategic game. Hopefully, one day, the Isles can put it together like that.