Imagine how I felt this morning on NHL.com seeing the Islanders only six points out of a playoff spot, despite playing their worst hockey since the year after the lockout. Despite injuries and ineffectiveness, this team still has a chance to turn things around. However, it’s all in their hands. If they can find a way to start scoring and limit their mistakes on defense, this season might still be worth saving.

You want to know what that paragraph was? It was the hopelessly devoted Islander fan in me speaking. He still has fond memories of Pierre Turgeon scoring his 50^th goal against the Rangers and crushing hits by Rich Pilon. He stayed positive when this team traded players like Turgeon, Todd Bertuzzi, Ziggy Palffy, Bryan McCabe and Eric Brewer away for nobodies like Kirk Muller, Trevor Linden and cough…draft picks…cough. He didn’t mind the combination fisherman/Isles jersey and actually thought Niklas Andersson could be a consistent offensive threat.

This part of me is currently embroiled in a fist fight of sorts with another part of me, the realist. The one that knew the Jets were finished after week four this season and the one that was pissed when the Isles got rid of Bryan Smolinski and Robert Reichel. The same way that could never understand how the Isles couldn’t get another high profile player to compliment Mike Peca and Alexei Yashin to make a serious run at a Stanley Cup and not a half-assed one.

As of right now, the realist in me is beating the living crap out of the passionate and faithful Isles fan. With every give away by Marc-Andre Bergeron, every filed toe drag by Mike Comrie, every nixed opportunity on the powerplay and bad penalty, the punches come flying in faster than a Mike Tyson spelling bee appearance.

I implore you New York Islanders, give the fans out there a reason to keep watching. Give the youngsters more time on the ice and give Rick DiPietro the support in net that he needs to get some wins. They’ve waited way too long over the past 15 years for this team to give them a smile that lasts longer than a few weeks. On the message boards and mailing lists, some of the more pretentious and pseudo hockey intellectuals have actually discussed the team moving and how it would be more convenient for them. That’s how bad things are right now. The only thing that can silence thoughts like this is your play on the ice. Make it happen.

Posted under Random Rant