First off, I just want to wish everyone reading a happy holiday season. I know that this year hasn’t been easy for a lot of you and I just hope that reading my ramblings everyday makes the garbage you all have to put up with during the day a little easier.

I know it does for me.

In the middle of taking 18 credits a semester and working close to 40 hours a week, this blog, in all honesty, is kind of an escape for me. Even though I’m a young journalist who has been published in over a dozen different print and online publications, I’ve been writing this blog for over a year and a half from more of a fans perspective because I feel that everyone is a fan. Guys like Larry Brooks, Mike Lupica, Mike Vaccaro, Greg Logan and Marty Noble are all amazing writers, but deep down, they’re probably the biggest fans in the world. They just have a different view of the action. By writing this blog, I wanted [and still do] want to share my feelings about this team and what I think is the greatest sport in the world.

That I believe is not only my gift to you guys everyday, but the best gift I could ever give myself. And for the record, I just want to say that nothing makes me happier than reading comments about my writing in my e-mail everyday. Thank you for making my days brighter by just being yourselves.

Anyway…

Winning their last two games before the break looks to have given the Islanders a push in the right direction. According to the Daily News, the Isles are also planning to sign Kyle Okposo as soon as the roster freeze is over as well. That may continue to get this team rolling in the right direction. As of now, this team has a 17-15-2 record, good for 12^th in the Eastern Conference. However, they’re only seven points behind the Devils for the top spot in the Atlantic division. They also have two games in hand on New Jersey. What does this all mean you ask? For all the hob-nobbery you read on the message boards and all the writers that are saying this team over-achieved earlier in the season, they’re still right in the thick of things.

I’ve been saying for three weeks now that they need a spark. Okposo may be just what the doctor order. However, guys like Richard Park, Andy Hilbert, Sean Bergenheim and Trent Hunter have stepped up their games as well as of late and given the fact that they all play on separate lines, this team could be rounding the corner and getting ready to play more consistently.

With the goaltending this team has and the way the defense has proven it could play at times, all they need is to be able to score three goals a game. With Mike Comrie, Miroslav Satan, Bill Guerin, Ruslan Fedotenko and Mike Sillinger, it really shouldn’t be a problem. If they can continue to play gritty hockey and players start to step up, this team can surprise a lot of people. Like I’ve said a bunch of times this season, I don’t think this team has what it takes to win a cup. They need another dominant scorer and a solution to the rotation on defense first. However, if they can manage to get in the playoffs, all of that doesn’t matter. I know it’s an over-used cliché, but in the playoffs, whatever happened in the regular season doesn’t mean a thing.

If this team can focus on hiding their weaknesses [scoring four or more goals a game] and play to their strengths [gritty, physical play, getting good goaltending and staying out of the box], they can catch a lot of teams by surprise.

With a few days off before they start playing again, let’s hope those thoughts resonate in their minds and they come back and play the type of hockey they were at the beginning of the season.

See when all four lines get a good chunk of ice-time? I mean that goal by Alex Ovechin with less than a minute left probably caused a few heart attacks in Long Island, but aside from that, the Islanders, over the past two games, have started playing the type of hockey that got them off to such a good start this season.

Last night, the Isles played one of their best defensive games of the season. Aside from a beautiful stick handling  lesson Alex Semin gave to Andy Sutton and the Ovechin goal that was helped out by a party going on in front of Rick DiPietro, they did a great job of eliminating second chances. Radek Martinek and Brendan Witt were all over Semin, Ovechin and the other talented Washington forwards to the point were the Caps were obviously very frustrated. 12 shots through the first two period should be a wake up call for any NHL team and while the Capitals picked up their pace in the third, the Isles defense was up to the task.

Another Islanders defenseman that played a solid game was Freddy “I look like Bill Pullman in ‘Space Balls’” Meyer. The way Marc-Andre Bergeron has played defense this season, the Isles could really use Meyer or Bryan Berard to be that defenseman that makes that first good pass out of the zone. Last night, Meyer did that on more than a few occasions and was playing tough in the corners [I saw him throwing cross checks in the corners throughout the game] and let Washington know that they had to earn every inch of ice they skated on. You really can’t ask for anymore than that from a defenseman or any player that has been put in Meyer‘s situation this season.

However, the Islanders that stuck out the most to me last night were Trent Hunter, Richard Park and Miroslav Satan. Hunter was hitting everything that moved and even though he still isn’t finishing as much as I’d like him to, he’s playing solid hockey in both ends of the ice. Did anyone else see how Hunter was picking apart the six-foot-six former first round pick Jeff Schultz? He had to have hit him at least four or five times in the third period alone. Those hits, especially in the Washington end, enabled the Isles to get the cycle going and keep the pressure on the young Capitals defense.

Richard Park had another awesome game as well and played almost 17 minutes of solid two-way hockey. Last season, Park had 10 goals on 93 shots. Through 34 games, Park has six goals on 56 shots. Anyone else see a trend here? Keep shooting Park.

As far as Satan is concerned, he proved again last night that he’s still a threat to score the big goal. Before he scored, the game almost had a cautious or scared feeling to it; no team wanted to take a chance that would cost them the game. However after Josef Vasicek made a nice little pass to him, he skated up the ice and dropped his shoulder and flicked his wrist the same way that has resulted in over 330 goals in his career. With that goal as well, Satan now has 666 points for his career. Is it weird that as I’m saying this, I’m listening to Iron Maiden’s “Number of the Beast?” Nah, only if “The Omen” was on TV at that same time. In all seriousness however, for all the talk by the fans on the message boards about how Satan should be traded before his contract runs out, the guy is playing solid hockey right now and has kept the team in a lot of games.

Sure, it would be nice if he had 15 goals right now and a few more assists, but this ENTIRE team was in a funk for two weeks and it wasn’t anyone’s fault specifically. Anyway, my point is this: Satan is playing good hockey and is a pivotal part in the Isles offense. Trading him just wouldn’t make sense to me.

On top of the play of Hunter, Park and Satan, DP didn’t allow a ton of rebounds and made the saves he had to. Getting three goals on a night when you get solid defense and your goalie comes to play usually puts you in a good situation to win.

In the case of last night’s game, that’s exactly what happened.

Isles Win? Yes, for only the third time in their last 11 games the New York Islanders got a W. You know why? Because they scored four games in a game for the first time in 23 games, that’s why. And who else better to get on the scoresheet than Blake Comeau, Andy Hilbert and Trent Hunter?

Miroslav Satan’s goal in the first got the team going in the right direction and aside from a pair of sloppy plays in the defensive end, the Isles were hanging in there. Then all of a sudden in the third period, 37 seconds goes by and the Islanders have themselves a two-goal lead. Comeau’s line was working really well out there and it was great to see Andy Hilbert start to finish. I’ve said before, there’s no reason why he can’t score 15-20 goals in this league; he gets a ton of chances. He just has to learn to finish. The same thing goes for Hunter. There’s a reason why he scored 25 goals his rookie season, he finished. If these guys can keep it going long enough and Mike Comrie and Bill Guerin can get hot, this team won’t be half bad.

But back to last night…

Comeau and Hilbert were working really well together. The fact that Comeau saw a space open up and didn’t hesitate to shoot is a very good sign. Some rookies would think pass in that situation, but Comeau just fired. That’s what this team needs right now. Aside from two or three games this season, the goaltending has been top shelf and Rick DiPietro has done everything he possibly can on the ice to keep this team afloat. It’s time the rest of the team starts trying their best to do the same.

Anyway, did anyone else notice the line changes last night? Hilbert went down to the fourth and Ruslan Fedotenko is on the second? I said a few days ago that if I was the Isles, I’d throw Kyle Okposo on the first and I’d have to make those line changes to make it happen. With the World Juniors starting soon, I think the Isles are starting to adjust the lines for when Okposo gets here. If Hilbert and Comeau can keep up their solid play that line is going to be one of the best fourth lines in the league once Richard Park goes back there when Okposo arrives.

Well, those are just my thoughts on things.

I mean, why would you sign a 19-year-old stud if you were going to put him on the fourth line?

This should be on NY Sports Day today as well.

Through 32 games this season, the New York Islanders have scored a league-low 71 goals.

With new acquisitions Bill Guerin, Ruslan Fedotenko and Mike Comrie not providing the offense needed to support the shutdown goaltending of Rick DiPietro, the Isles have been on a roller coaster ride all season and find themselves with a 15-15-2 record. An early season injury to Jon Sim and the recent suspension to enforcer Chris Simon haven’t helped the lethargic Isles offense either and have forced the team to call up several different players to help anchor the bottom lines, with no clear cut answer in sight.

With the team still struggling for offense and hesitant to make a move before the league’s holiday roster freeze, something had to be done.

Enter 2006 first-round pick Kyle Okposo.

Leaving the University of Minnesota on Wednesday, Okposo will be the latest piece inserted into the Islanders forward lines once he’s finished playing in the World Junior Championships in the Czech Republic. The only question is how successful can the 19-year old be without any experience at the professional level?

Scoring 19 goals and 40 points in 40 games with the Golden Gophers last season, the Islanders seem confident that Okposo will be the sparkplug the team needs on offense.

“We’re extremely excited about the possibility of Kyle joining our organization soon,” general manager Garth Snow told the AP on Wednesday. “He’s a great talent, one of the most exciting prospects in the game. Kyle has the dedication and character we want for our franchise.”

However, despite the team’s excitement about what Okposo could bring to the team, another question remains. Islanders head coach Ted Nolan has been insistent on letting young players get their bumps and bruises in the AHL, rather than with the big club. Over the past season and a half, former first-round picks Robert Nilsson and Jeff Tambellini and current Islander defenseman Chris Campoli found it increasingly difficult to crack a lineup filled with veterans.

Can Okposo be the player that Nolan finally gives a legitimate shot at helping the team, without getting additionally seasoning in the minors? Will he be able to be the sparkplug the team needs to make the playoffs this season?

And if Nolan goes against his grain with the youngster, the question of who he will play with is also an interesting one? Considering how stagnant the offense and powerplay have been over the past nine games [seven of which the Isles have lost] does Nolan decide to give Okposo top-line minutes and time with the man advantage?

For an Islanders team desperately looking for a messiah of sorts on offense, the answer to those questions will have to wait.

Talk about a busy day in Islander Country yesterday.

I mean seriously, Chris Simon’s 30-game suspension would have been more than enough for today’s post and then during the game, the Isles began negotiations with 2006 first-round pick Kyle Okposo.

Over the past few weeks, I’ve been talking a lot about this team needing a spark. While I would have preferred a trade of some sorts that got rid of some of the clutter on the team’s blue line and got the team a decent second liner that could score 15-20 goals, picking up Okposo is definitely a start in the right direction. Originally deciding to stay with the Gophers this season, Okposo has now decided to join the Isles after the World Junior Championships. At first, I was curious to find out what the reason was for his leaving in the middle of the season, but after reading this quote, it’s obvious to me.

“While I’m disappointed Kyle is leaving at this point of the season, his dream has been to play pro hockey. It is unfortunate that the Islanders put him in a very difficult position. I think our team has made strides the last few weeks, and I’m looking forward to the second half of the season.”

Minnesota coach Don Lucia

That basically spelled it out for me. The Isles probably approached his agent, Neil Sheehy, and told him they were extremely serious in getting the kid signed. Things weren’t going absolutely perfect for him over there either, as Lucia was having him play center when he’s much more comfortable at the wing.

The only question now is: where does he fit? Ted Nolan isn’t exactly a fan of playing inexperienced players, just ask Robert Nilsson, Jeff Tambellini and Chris Campoli, but the team’s offensive problems need him to go against his hockey grain on this one.For my money, I’d throw him on the first line with Mike Comrie and Bill Guerin, which would allow Ruslan Fedotenko to go on the second line with Trent Hunter and Mike Sillinger. That of course would push Andy Hilbert to the fourth line with Richard Park and Tim Jackman or Blake Comeau. That in my opinion, would be at least a step above what we have offensively right now.

This kid has played well at every level he’s been at, but the NHL is much different than college. How productive can he be after being thrown into the proverbial hockey fire? I wish I could answer that question. Seeing all those thin boxscores this season and the empty seats over the past two weeks, it’s obvious the Islanders need to shake things up.

Perhaps this is the first step in that process.

Last night’s game, which was stolen by the brilliant goaltending of Ryan Miller made it that much more obvious. This team needs to start scoring goals.

It’s been a while, but the Islanders have a game today. What a fitting opponent as well in the Buffalo Sabres a team that they’ve sometimes looked unstoppable against or downright miserable. That, to me, pretty much sums up how the Islanders have played this season.

Right now, it just feels like this team’s heart beat is mirroring the lethargic one of Monty Burns [C'mon did anyone else see that episode?]. They don’t have the same passion and intensity they had before. What this team probably needs right now is something that gets them going in the right direction and something else that keeps them there.

However, while things may seem bleak, considering all the negative attention surrounding the team the past few days, all hope is not lost. The team is still a game over .500 and only seven points out of the top spot in the Atlantic. If they start scoring goals now, the motif in Islander country can change in a heartbeat.

But for that to happen, I feel two things have to happen. Ted Nolan has to give either Marc-Andre Bergeron or Bryan Berard a vote of confidence and let them be the team’s sixth defenseman. It was a cute move through the first dozen or so games, but now it’s gotten old. This platoon is taking away from both of their games and something needs to be done to get them ice time. The second thing that needs to be done is a firm establishment of a four-line system. Blake Comeau was just called up and with Tim Jackman and Richard Park, could prove to be a nice line that can play well in both ends of the ice.

The other three lines [especially the Josef Vasicek, Miroslav Satan and Sean Bergenheim line]have all shown an ability to put the puck in the net, but haven’t been able to do it on a consistent basis. Setting up a four-line system would allow everyone to get playing time and get involved. This team doesn’t have one player that can carry them on their backs on offense. That’s why it is imperative that everyone starts getting good chunks of ice time. That means getting the cycle going and taking smarter shots, staying out of the penalty box and playing sound defense.

Simply put, against Buffalo, the Isles will have to skate hard and stay out of the penalty box. If the Islanders limit the defensive lapses and keep the penalties to a minimum, they can and will play a solid five-on-five game with the Sabres. The last time these teams played, Buffalo was skating circles around the Islanders and forcing them to commit penalties. If the Isles are willing to play a gritty game, they’ll have more than a fighting chance tonight. The only question is… are they willing to do the little things that made them so successful earlier in the season?

Guess we’ll just have to wait and see.

Tomorrow the holiday roster freeze comes into affect and teams cannot make any sort of deal until after the New Year. Could that be the reason why Marc-Andre Bergeron has still been getting ice-time, despite his big mouth and lackluster play on defense?

Coughing up the puck again the other night against the Penguins, Bergeron cost the Islanders a goal in another big game. How many times is this going to happen this season until this team makes a move? Hockeybuzz reported a few days ago that the Isles were interested in Derek Morris. I don’t know how familiar you guys are with him, but I don’t think it would be that much of an upgrade. Sure, he’s better defensively and plays with more of physical edge, but he coughs the puck up a lot on defense as well and can’t put up the points like Bergeron can.

Aside from a few solid seasons with the Avalanche and Flames, Morris has been a bit of a disappointment as an offensive player. Nevertheless, he’s still under 30 and like other former first round picks who took their sweet time developing into good offensive players [Mike Sillinger immediately comes to mind], he could need a change of scenery or a huge vote of confidence from an organization. However, with someone like Bryan Berard sitting on bench, the Isles could deal Bergeron and pick up a third-liner who could contribute a dozen or so goals and provide some energy. With Chris Simon off from an undetermined amount of time and no one knowing how long Tim Jackman or Blake Comeau are going to stay up with the team, the Islanders need to get some more stability on the fourth line.

For long stretches last season, the Islanders were able to roll four lines and because of that, got solid offensive seasons from more players that wouldn’t have been possible before. Trading Bergeron would help fill the void left by Jon Sim’s injury as well and give the Islanders some more options on offense. Because the way things look now, despite the defensive lapses, the more important thing here is finding offense. Otherwise, the youngsters from Bridgeport are going to have to step up.

However, if the Islanders don’t have confidence in Berard, the Islanders could be stuck in a Quagmire on defense that could last all season and possibly cost the team a playoff spot.