Crazy game, eh? I think Isles play by play announcer Howie Rose said it perfectly when he said this team is impossible to figure out. After a disgusting seven-game losing streak a week and a half ago, the Isles now find themselves just one point out of a playoff spot with 22 games remaining.

Like I’ve said a few times over the past week, the Isles control their destiny much more than the media and rest of the NHL think they do. It’s pretty simple, keep winning and make the playoffs. Lose your consistency and play golf in late May and June. .500 hockey just isn’t going to cut it down the stretch and I think this team is beginning to understand that. They can’t control how the Rangers, Bruins, Capitals and other teams jockeying for position play, but they can keep winning. If they do that, the rebuilding process may be on hold.

From what we saw today, this team has definitely gotten it through their heads that they can’t make excuses for themselves. Despite injuries to Andy Sutton [who Ted Nolan said had injured his hamstring and will be reevaluated today during his post game interview] and Blake Comeau yesterday afternoon, the Isles stuck together and pulled out a come from behind win against the San Jose Sharks.

Like they have all season, the Isles won this one the tough and unexpected way. Never did I think Mike Comrie had another toe-drag goal in him and the last thing I would have expected was a Freddy Meyer snapshot goal. Every line had a spark in them in the third period and I think Sharks goaltender Evgeni Nabokov wasn’t himself either. Nevertheless, it was a garbage goal that got them started, as Andy Hilbert swiped at a puck in front of the net. After that, the Isles put a mediocre 40 minutes behind them and were off to the races.

Kudos to Rick DiPietro for making several solid saves and covering up for several crucial defensive mistakes the team made over the course of the game. While it wasn’t his best game this season, DP was strong and controlled the rebounds he gave up much better than he has as of late.

However, one Islander who was absolutely horrible today was Marc-Andre Bergeron. How many times does this guy have to cough up the puck, make sloppy passes through the goal mouth or stop rushes by going offsides for this team to bench him? I know the Isles are already running thin on defense, but why not call up Drew Fata or Andrew McDonald? Bruno Gervais is currently day to day still with an oblique strain and once he comes back, Bergeron has to be the odd-man out. However, if Sutton’s injury is serious, the Isles may have to rethink that notion. For what my opinion is worth, I say the Isles bench him for a few games. I know they need him to produce on the powerplay, but at this point in the season, I’d rather have Miroslav Satan at the point than Bergeron.

If the Islanders make one deal this trading deadline, it has to be trading Bergeron to a team that needs a powerplay quarterback. What they need in return is a dependable two-way defenseman with some upside that needs more ice time and who doesn’t cough up the puck more than Marek Malik.