I don’t think I’ve said this many times this season, but this is a must win game for the Islanders if they want to make the playoffs this season. Sure, they’re in the final playoff spot and considering where many analysts expected them to finish this season, Islander fans should be happy where the team is…right? I don’t think so. The way this team started this season, fans on the Island thought this team was capable of much more. The way they played through the first 20 games this season also showed that despite a mediocre offense, they could play well against the rest of the league.

Then injuries to Radek Martinek, Brendan Witt and Chris Campoli happened. Now, this team has been forced to rotate in Bryan Berard, Freddy Meyer and Aaron Johnson to fill in and as a result has had to play Marc-Andre Bergeron and Bruno Gervais, much more than they should be. While I like what Bruno does out there and think he’s a great skater, he’s an 18-20 minute a game defenseman right now. In a few years, that will change, but considering how unpolished his offensive game still appears to be, he shouldn’t be playing 25 minutes a game.

As far as Bergeron goes, I wish this team could just play him on the powerplay. In all honesty, he’s a glorified forward out there. With his hands and shot, I don’t understand why he doesn’t play wing anyway. Then it would make sense if he gave up the puck a lot. On even strength this season, he has been a disaster and has coughed up the puck more times than he’s scored or played a part in goals. I understand that he’s been solid on offense, but they do have Bryan Berard waiting to get in games, who is a much more physical player, plays with more passion and if given a chance to play consistent minutes, could possibly put up similar numbers.

On top of all of that, Witt and Martinek aren’t back to their normal selves yet. They just look tentative out there. Los Angeles has a few talented offensive players and Witt and Martinek need to be smart out there. Rick DiPietro was left out to dry the other night against the Senators and despite the Kings record this year, if they get the same type of back door chances, the Islanders will be done before the puck drops.

A few chances on the powerplay and a solid defensive showing is what this team needs tonight. Let’s hope they get it.

Even if you have the best home defense system in the world, your house can and will get robbed if you leave the back door open every night. If you don’t have much of a home security system in the first place and you do it, you’re just asking for problems.

Take away a goal that bounced off of Freddy Meyer and an empty-netter and the Isles were right in this game until the end. However, they could have been ahead if they stopped the lapses in the defensive end. Chris Phillips should not have been allowed to coast up to the circle like that and take a wrist shot. Nevertheless, Rick DiPietro had a decent look at it and should have gotten to it. Dean McAmmond was left all by himself in front of the net later in the game and he cashed in as well. While watching the game, I saw that play developing and it felt like McAmmond was all by himself for about five seconds. Him and DP could have exchanged pictures of their friends and family and talked about the Super Bowl during that time.

And when the Isles started capitalizing on the Senators mistakes and got a pair of goals from Sean Bergenheim and Bryan Berard, Radek Martinek gets himself a penalty and they lose the momentum they had. If they could have just kept the game at five on five and kept playing hard in the corners and kept up a solid forecheck, they could have taken that game into overtime and maybe even won it. However, the defense couldn’t keep themselves out of trouble.

The only real positives I took out of that game was the play of the Josef Vasicek, Miroslav Satan and Bergenheim line, they were buzzing at times and had a few shifts that got the team going. Satan also made a beautiful pass on the powerplay to Berard to get him a goal in his first game back in a while. The rest of the lines really couldn’t maintain any consistent offensive pressure and thanks to a few bad bounces and a goal post, the Isles lost this one.

If this team wants to make the playoffs, they have to play more responsibly in the defensive end, especially considering how lethargic the offense has been this season. Regardless, things can change pretty quickly, as the Isles next opponent is the pitiful Los Angeles Kings. Hopefully, a big offensive night can sparkplug the team for a little while and get the confidence back up.

Now that I’ve gotten everyone else out of the way, it’s time to break down the play of the Islanders goaltenders this year.

Wade Dubielewicz- 5-3, 3.37 GAA, .898 save percentage. While those numbers are far from amazing, they don’t tell the whole story. In his past three starts, Dubie has three wins and a GAA of 2.00. In his first few starts, he wasn’t nearly as confident as he was late last season and he was having major problems moving around the net. Not to mention the start against the Maple Leafs [Where he gave up eight goals] where the defense hung him out to dry. The same thing can be said about the game in Atlanta on December 1, where he gave up four in a 4-0 loss. Unlike Isles starting goaltender Rick DiPietro, the defense has to support Dubie in net, otherwise they have trouble winning. However, one the defense gets going and gets used to fishing all those loose pucks from the goal area, they play just as hard for Dubie as they do DP.

Rating- C+ - Despite the very strong starts recently, his play his been extremely inconsistent. What hurt his rating more than anything was his first few starts of the season. However, if he can find a way to continue his stellar play of late, this rating won’t mean a thing.

Rick DiPietro- 19-17, 2.57 GAA, .911 save percentage. Just like Dubie, DP’s numbers are tricky ones to read into as well. Even though it seems as if he had a much better season last year, remember that in addition to Radek Martinek and Brendan Witt, he also had Sean Hill and Tom Poti playing solid hockey behind him as well. Now with similar numbers in GAA and save percentage, despite the Isles depleted defensive core, it’s easy to see how much he’s matured and developed this season. He’s also become much more adept at playing the puck and if he keeps it up, he might even net himself a goal this season. He’s already got more points than Chris Simon, ha-ha.

Rating- A+ - It’s hard to ask for more from a goaltendier in a situation like DiPietro is in right now. Nonetheless, he continues to keep the Islanders in pretty much every game he plays in and is slowly becoming a huge star in this league. If you didn’t think that way before, then you should check out the video of him at the All-Star game and the skills competition. It’s official: DP has arrived.

Now after discussing the forwards, it’s time to talk about the defensemen.

Freddy Meyer- no goals, three assists. While his play last season was mediocre and he was the odd-man out earlier in the season, Meyer has been unusually solid in the defensive end and has recaptured the physical play he exhibited during his rookie season with the Flyers. With more playing time, he should get even better.

Rating- B-. Scoring 26 points in his rookie season, Meyer [alongside the rest of the Islanders defense] needs to start getting some more points. However, his physical play and instincts in defensive end have been solid so far and are the key to his staying in the lineup.

Bryan Berard- two goals, six assists, eight points. In limited play, Berard has done a decent job on the powerplay, but it’s obvious he isn’t the same player he was a few years ago in Chicago. Nonetheless, his physical play has been pretty solid this season and his defensive play hasn’t been nearly as questionable as many thought it would be. If Freddy Meyer wasn’t playing so dependably and Marc-Andre Bergeron would stop scoring, Berard could finally get some more ice-time.

Rating- C- - If he hit the net a little bit more on the powerplay, he’d be in the lineup a lot more. And while his defensive play hasn’t been horrible, the Islanders can’t afford to have two question marks on the blue line.

Chris Campoli- Four goals, 14 assists, 18 points. Despite having season-ending shoulder surgery last week, Campoli should be happy with the way his season went. Early on, he was the most productive Islander in both ends of the ice and proved that his physical play last season was no fluke. After the first 25 games or so though, he hit a few bumps in the road, but no one really knows how long he was playing with an injured shoulder.

Rating- B+- Since we don’t know how long Campoli was nursing that shoulder injury it’s impossible to know how well he could have played down the stretch. However, by watching him through the first 25 games this season, it’s obvious he’s ready to play big time minutes in the future.

Bruno Gervais- no goals, 13 assists. When Radek Martinek got injured, Isles fans trembled with fear. However, Gervais played quite solid in his absence and proved that he’s capable of playing 25 minutes a game if the Islanders need him to. His offensive game still needs a tune-up, but his play in the defensive end has kept the Isles in more than a few games this year.

Rating- B – He’s been an offensive defensemen at every other level, but has turned into a dependable defensive one at the NHL level. If he could get himself to the 25- 30 point mark in the near future, he’d be the one of the best two-way defensemen the Isles have. Right now though, he’s going to have to focus on playing solid in his own zone, as that’s the reason why he’s got so much playing time in the first place.

Marc-Andre Bergeron- eight goals, nine assists, 17 points. One look at this guy’s numbers and its obvious this guy was born to play on the powerplay. Unfortunately for him, most of the game is played at even-strength, where he has struggled mightily at times. His play has been more responsible as of late, but he must continue to make strides in the defensive end before taking his game to the next level.

Rating- C+- 17 points in 35 games is pretty solid for a defenseman in this league, but his -7 rating tells the bigger story.

Andy Sutton- one goal, six assists- Just like Brendan Witt and Sean Hill last season, Sutton took his sweet time getting accustomed to playing on the Island, but over the past month or so, he’s stepped up his physical play and has started to become the intimidating presence the Isles wanted when they signed him.

Rating- B- - His offensive numbers are way down from his days in Atlanta and he took his time turning up the physical intensity. Hopefully the past month is only a small sample of what he can do on the ice. If not, the fans in Atlanta who drank a celebratory glass of wine when he left may opt to have another.

Radek Martinek- no goals, 10 assists, 10 points. Martinek was arguably the Islanders best defenseman at both ends of the ice last season before a nasty leg injury ended his season. This season, it remains to be seen if he’ll ever be the same offensive player he was last year, when he had 17 points in 43 games and was a +19. However, with Witt, Martinek has been solid on the defensive end and have helped shut down some of the best players in the league.

Rating- B – If he could get some more time on the powerplay, his underrated shot and solid offensive instincts could give the Isles powerplay a different look. His defensive game hasn’t been the same since he came back a few games ago, but if the All-Star break was good for him, he should rebound and have a solid second half.

Brendan Witt- two goals, four assists, six points. All season, Witt has been the glue that has kept the Islanders defense together. He takes the body, blocks shots and sticks up for his teammates every chance he gets. Not a flashy player by any means, it’s hard for the casually fan to see how dependable he is; however, anyone who doesn’t see Witt as an integral part of this team is insane.

Rating- A – If the Islanders don’t make the playoff this season, it’s not going to be because Witt didn’t play his heart out. It’s not his job to score goals and sadly, that’s where the team needs the most help now.

Now that the centers are out of the way, it’s time to break down the play of the wingers.

Richard Park- Nine goals, 12 assists, 21 points. Aside from having a career year in the offensive end, Park continues to be a force on the penalty kill and has been a sparkplug on every line he’s played on. His fortitude and drive easily make up for his lack of size and his overall play has been outstanding.

Rating- A+- There’s really nothing else he can do out there. If his teammates get hot down the stretch, his play with get even better.

Miroslav Satan- 11 goals, 16 assists- 27 points- In the last year of his contract and coming off a mediocre year last season, Satan needs to get back to the 30-goal mark for both the sake of his career and the Islanders struggling offense. So far, that doesn’t look like it’s going to happen.

Rating- C+- Where’s the guy that scored 35 goals two years ago for this team and played responsibly in his own zone? Your guess is as good as mine.

Bill Guerin- 18 goals, 10 assists, 28 points. The Islanders new captain’s play this season has ranged from uninspired to sniper-like and he’s on pace for another 30-goal season. However, despite what the media tells you about his role in the locker room, his play on the ice hasn’t made his teammates better. A good captain does that and Guerin sadly hasn’t turned Mike Comrie into the first line center many thought he’d develop into playing with Guerin. Again, despite that, he’s having a solid season.

Rating- B+- It’s kind of hard to argue with an Islander going for a 30-goal season. We haven’t seen many of them over the past five years.

Blake Comeau- Three goals, four assists, seven points. After a few rough games following his call-up, Comeau has started to mature and as a result has seen action on every line on the team. Definitely in the mold of someone like Trent Hunter, Comeau looks like he’s going to be a solid player in the Islanders lineup for years to come.

Rating- B+- His well-rounded play will only get better as the season goes on. With that being said, Chris Simon, I have one word for you, sayonara.

Ruslan Fedotenko- 8 goals, 15 assists, 23 points. While he’s on pace for another 15-goal, 20 assist season, Fedotenko’s play has ranged from brilliant to Oleg Kvasha-like. Some kind of consistency would not only help his game, but would also give the Islanders a secondary scoring threat.

Rating- C- -A former 26 goal scorer once lived in the same body as Fedotenko. It would be nice if he came back this season.

Tim Jackman- one goal, three assists, four points, 46 PIM. When Chris Simon left the Isles, they needed someone to step up their physical play. Jackman has done just that and has been spirited hockey on the fourth line. Sure he is never going to be the 20-goal scorer many thought he’d be when he was drafted, but he plays with his heart on his sleeve every night and hasn’t done anything on the ice to put his team in a situation to lose.

Rating B- A few more goals would be nice, he’s had plenty of opportunities.

Chris Simon- one goal, two assists, three points, 41 PIM. What happened to the Chris Simon that was playing his heart out before his suspension last year? I wish I knew the answer to that question. This season, the Isles got stuck with someone who wasn’t contributing on either end of the ice and even had the gall to ask Ted Nolan for some more play on the powerplay. What are you thinking Simon?

Rating- D- - Simon isn’t the same player he was last season and it’s so obvious that he should start looking for a new job, in another field.

Sean Bergenheim- three goals, seven assists, 10 points. A sparkplug on a line with Josef Vasicek and Miroslav Satan that definitely needs it, Bergenheim’s play in both ends has been solid, but there’s still a problem; he needs to learn to finish more. With all the chances he’s gotten, he should easily have at least 10 goals by this point in the season.

Rating B- - All the physical play and gritty stuff can only take you so far in this league. First round picks that can’t score end up delivering pizza in Moose Jaw. Simply put, Bergenheim needs to get hot, fast.

Trent Hunter- Seven goals, 19 assists, 26 points. On pace to break his old career high in assists, Hunter has played extremely well for the Islanders at times, but true to his usual slow starting, only has seven goals. Last season at this time, tons of hockey writers were writing him off as an offensive threat, calling him a defensive forward. He then went on to score 15 goals in the last 35 games of the season. For his sake, let’s hope he can do it again.

Rating- B – He’s the Islanders most physical forward and never takes a shift off. That’s why he should have 15 goals at this point in the season. The only problem is, he doesn’t.

With the All-Star break now officially underway, I’m going to dedicate the next few posts to rating the performances of the Isles through 50 games.

Today we’ll cover the centers.

Mike Comrie- 14 goals, 22 assists, 36 points. That’s pretty much where you would usually expect him to be at this point in the season. However, when you take into consideration that he’s never gotten this much ice-time in his career on the powerplay and at even strength, Comrie should have at least 45 points. His play in the neutral zone has also been suspect at times, hence the reason for his team leading -13 rating. Luckily he’s scored some big goals for the time, including three game-winners. With Bill Guerin and Richard Park playing as well as they have been the past dozen or so games, Comrie is going to have to step up his game as well.

Rating- B-. Better play in the defensive end and a few more goals on the powerplay could have changed this rating big time.

Mike Sillinger- 14 goals, 12 assists, 26 points. After taking a game off on New Years Eve to heal from a bevy on undisclosed bumps and bruises, Sillinger has been a completely different player and has played an integral part in the success the team has had this year. He’s played in all situations and seems to have rebounded from his bout with ICan’tFinishItis that he had earlier in the season. He’s still one of the leagues best when it comes to face-offs and is still a more than solid leader on the ice. A solid second half could push him back to the 60-point mark that he reached two seasons ago with Nashville and St.Louis and just barely missed with the Isles last season.

Rating- B+ [ If I could rate his play over the past dozen games, I’d easily give him an A+. However, his slow start really hurts his rating.

Josef Vasicek- 11 goals, 8 assists, 19 points. Vasicek is basically the opposite of Sillinger in most respects. He started the season so strongly that for a while he was holding the team down offensively. Then, like it has for most of his career, mediocrity came and bit him in the rump. He has played very well in the defensive end this season, even when he wasn’t producing offensively, which has made him a valuable player on the penalty kill and in close games, but the Isles really need him to find his scoring touch again. Simply put, he needs to park his rear in front of the net more often and get a few garbage goals.

Rating- C+. He’s on pace for his usual type numbers, but just like Comrie, Vasicek is playing more, he should be having the best season of his career. He’s also playing with Miroslav Satan and should be cashing in on some of his shots and getting a little more space on the ice. That isn’t happening.

Andy Hilbert- 5 goals, 4 assists, nine points. Since moving over to the fourth line, Hilbert has been a sparkplug and a revelation. No longer forced to produce, Hilbert may actually crack 10 goals for the Isles this season, after scoring only eight with much more offensive ice-time the year before. He works hard in both ends of the ice and has worked his tail off on the penalty kill. However, with 87 shots on goal, Hilbert hasn’t finished nearly as much as he is capable of. He’s been a proven offensive threat at every other level he’s played at, Hilbert can’t cut it on higher lines and despite his inspired play over the past month, has proven exactly that this season.

Rating- C. If I could rate heart and desire, he’d score much higher, but simply put, the guy has to finish more. There’s no other way to say it.

Last night, it seemed like Mike Sillinger and the Islanders fourth line were the only players that showed up to play.

It didn’t help matters either that Tim Thomas was on his game after stinking up the joint the game before against Montreal. Throughout the game, the only line that seemed to have any consistent intensity was the Andy Hilbert, Tim Jackman and Blake Comeau [who was also getting playing time on the third line with Miroslav Satan and Josef Vasicek] line which was cycling the puck and taking the body. Every other line had opportunities, but they couldn’t finish and in the end, that was one of the things that hurt the Isles the most.

The lack of physicality on the Islanders part also didn’t help them get scoring opportunities. After a rough and tumble first, the Isles just stopped taking the body and as a result, there wasn’t nearly enough traffic in front of Thomas and the corners looked like there should have been tumbleweed there. What happened to the physical play?

With the man advantage, the Islanders couldn’t get a cycle going and weren’t nearly as stingy as they should be. This team has had problems scoring all season, they need to start playing with more desperation out there. What happened last night in Boston should be a wakeup call to this team. Start playing more consistent or expect to barely make the playoffs and go home in the first round…again.

However, the thing that hurt the Islanders the most was the haphazard play of the defense. Milan Lucic wound up playing one of the best games of his young NHL career, most likely due to the fact that Freddy Meyer and the rest of the Islanders defense couldn’t clear the wrote of the net and were caught pinching on numerous occasions. Radek Martinek and Brendan Witt also don’t look like themselves out there, as they were chasing the Bruins all game long, rather than either taking the body or taking the puck away like they’ve done so well for most of the season. While the rest of the team will be taking it easy during the break, I really think that Witt and Martinek need to get back in playing shape. The way it looks right now, they’re still a bit rusty.

Speaking of Rusty, congratulations to Ruslan Fedotenko for getting his first shot on goal in three game last night. Am I being sarcastic? You be the judge.

The next few days off should do the Islanders go. They’re still hanging on to a playoff spot, but if this kind of inconsistent play keeps up, don’t expect them to stay there very long.