I’ve been reading a lot lately about Ted Nolan’s job security. I figured I’d take this post to give my thoughts about it.

This team isn’t making the playoffs this season and it’s not because of Nolan.

You want to know the reasons why? Here they are:

Miroslav Satan- 15 goals, need I say more?

Don’t even get me started on this guy. If the Islanders bring this guy back, this site will be filled with a few choice rants. I promise. It’s not that the Islanders haven’t given this guy an opportunity to score either; he’s played with good players or even players that were streaking. He’s been on the powerplay and has had plenty of opportunities. He should have 30 goals right now, no excuses. He quit on this team.

Bill Guerin- 22 goals and 40 points

This is a guy that has been a perennial 30 goal scorer and a lock for at least 55 points. Among the list of the Islanders’ under-achievers, he’s one of the biggest.

Mike Comrie- 21 goals and 28 assists

After signing a one-year extension a few weeks ago, Mr. Duff has been absolutely invisible. Some people expected a point a game season from him, but I was expecting at least 60. He’s done it before in smaller roles and hasn’t been able to do it here. Maybe Guerin’s and Ruslan Fedotenko’s ineffectiveness has plagued him, but still hasn’t been able to finish. Also, if I see another toe drag from him, I may go clinically crazy.

Ruslan Fedotenko- 16 goals, 33 points

Another guy that was brought in and overpaid, Tank showed flashed of brilliance, but injuries and a lack of finish hampered his season. Just like Comrie, Fedotenko was expected to flourish with more ice-time. That hasn’t happened.

If having four players like this on your team, the Islanders have had even bigger problems this year.

First off, they don’t have a real number one defense pairing. Nothing against Radek Martinek or Brendan Witt, because they bust their humps every night, but they’re not exactly 2003 versions of Kenny Jonsson and Adrian Aucoin. They can’t play in all game situations and can’t take this team on their backs and run with it. Aucoin and Jonsson could playa half hour a night in all situations. Sure their numbers weren’t fantastic, but they played solid defense and contributed on offense. While Marty and Witter play great D, the Isles need something more out of their first defensive pairing.

Aside from all of this, Rick Dipietro, Mike Sillinger, Andy Sutton, Bruno Gervais and Chris Campoli have all missed serious amounts of time with injuries. These are all things that Nolan cannot control. Considering all of this, they’re lucky they’ve been competitive this long.

This offseason, the Isles will have plenty of decisions to make about this team. Keeping Ted Nolan around after his contract runs out should be an easy one.

Marty Biron owns the Islanders. Weeks before this team collapsed down the stretch, Biron was playing great against them and with a depleted lineup and nothing on the line, the Isles were done before the puck even dropped.

This team is in full tank mode right now. Ted Nolan can say whatever he wants to the press, but now it’s obvious. Why else would Joey MacDonald get the start tonight after Wade Dubielewicz played his tail off against the Devils?

On a positive note, Kyle Okposo [Who almost logged 20 minutes and seems to be getting more comfortable out there, despite not registering a shot], Jeff Tambellini, Sean Bergenheim and Blake Comeau all got plenty of ice time and even Steven Regier and Jeremy Colliton were used more than sparingly. Mathew Spiller was showing some tenacity on the boards and Rob Davison probably got the most ice-time he’s ever gotten in a game.

Regardless of all the youthful exuberance out there and a decent performance by MacDonald, the Isles defense was letting the Flyer put on a passing clinic and take advantage of several nasty rebounds in front of the net. Without Andy Sutton and Brendan Witt, the Islanders don’t have the experience and grit down low that they need to stay in hockey games. Nothing against Radek Martinek, but he looked silly out there tonight trying to clear pucks out of the crease. The great one on one player he is and all the little things he does are great, but this is not the player who should be responsible for clearing the crease.

With all the injuries this team has had to deal with, players are playing out of their normal roles. I just hope guys like Martinek, Freddy Meyer and Richard Park are not losing confidence because of it.

The same thing goes for the powerplay, as Park has become a fixture on there as the season has gone on. Despite that though, he’s cooled off considerably from his hot start and has 26 points, the same amount as last season, which is where he usually is offensively. The same thing can be said for Josef Vasicek, who seemed to be having a breakout season earlier in the year, to only revert to his normal inconsistent self.

However, one player who really needed to rise above this crappy situation and reclaim his role as a consistent goal scorer is Miroslav Satan. Even when he was on the fourth line, he was still getting 13 minutes a night and playing with Bergenheim all season, who skates his tail off and gives whoever he plays with space on the ice, he should have at least 25 goals right now. A few finishes, rather than nixes and things could be a little different.

But blaming this crap fest on one player wouldn’t be right. This entire team has let itself and it’s fans down this season and with only a handful of games left, they’ll have the entire summer to decide where to go from here.

Welcome to the NHL Kyle Okposo.

I said a few days ago that Richard Park is known for bringing out the best in his linemates and so far, Blake Comeau and Okposo seem to be gelling together quite nicely.

I know many Islander fans would love this team to tank the rest of the season and get a great pick in this year’s draft, I really think that this team should continue to play hard and get these youngsters as much playing time as they can. Guys like Miroslav Satan, who have quit on this team 10 games ago, can play on the fourth line and take up space as far as I’m concerned. What that will do is effectively cut the fat off of this team and give guys like Okposo, Comeau, Jeff Tambellini and even Sean Bergenheim more confidence and the energy to work hard during the offseason, coming back better players next year.

Nevertheless, for the life of me, I still can’t fathom this team’s mentality on offense. How many times do they take 35 plus shots this season and come up with nothing to only need 16 shots to come up with three goals last night? It’s enough to drive a 24-year old crazy, that’s what it is.

Regardless of that though, the Isles did a few things right last night. They stuck up for each other on the ice and they converted on the powerplay. The defense chipped in a few points as well, courtesy of a few nice passes from Bryan Berard, who has 21 points in 47 games. Not too shabby if ya ask me.

O.K., enough of me singing the praises of Berard [I have a soft spot for offensive defensemen, what can I say? Damn, I miss Kenny Jonsson] This season, the Isles have shown that they get points from the defense, play gritty and get a marker on the powerplay, they have a chance at winning every night. Bill Guerin, Mathew Spiller and Josef Vasicek all “showed up” last night and even though their not mathematically eliminated yet, showing that type of moxy while not having anything to play for is pretty admirable in my book.

Welcome to the NHL Kyle Okposo.However, the number one star for me last night was Wade Dubielewicz, who was at his best, with not a lot of support in front of his net. It was like a goddamn shooting gallery in front of the crease last night that guys like Spiller, Freddy Meyer and Aaron Johnson should have cleared out. Fortunately, Dubie was up to the task.

Mike and the Mechanics had a hit in the ‘80s called “All I need is a Miracle,” that pretty much sums up the rest of the Islanders season, which is, like I’ve said a thousand times, basically over. However, the next line in the song is “All I need is you.” If Dubie and Okposo can give me a few smiles the rest of the way, I may write Mike Rutherford [the dude that wrote the song, duh] and have the “you” changed to “them.”

Sorry guys, I don’t have time for a full-fledged post today, so I figured I’d share this interview I did, at the beginning of last season, with you guys. I think you’ll find it quite interesting.

Hockey fans in the New York area would never believe that John Kenneth “Jiggs” McDonald, the former play-by-play voice of the Isles from 1980-1995 and one of the most respected broadcasters in the history of the sport, would ever have a reason to doubt his own ability.

However, after a few years removed from full-time broadcasting duty, McDonald, who has called over 3,000 games for the Islanders, Kings, Maple Leafs and Panthers during a career that has spanned over 40 years, was asked to cover the first seven games of the Islanders 2006-07 season; a request that conjured up a myriad of emotions. Despite covering a few games last season for the Panthers, McDonald was initially unsure as to whether or not he could perform the way he used to.

“I had mixed emotions,” said McDonald, regarding his return to the Island after an 11-year absence. “[I was] nervous and frightened. I didn’t want to embarrass anybody, especially myself. I haven’t done that many games over the past three years; I hadn’t done any games since last January. It’s almost like the mentality of a player; not knowing if you can get back up to speed or if you’re in game shape.

“I didn’t know if I could get up to speed with the Islanders and what was going on with them or be able to reach the standard that I set for myself over the years. I didn’t know if I’d be able to achieve that immediately. There’s something in our makeup or in the back of the mind that drives us to be our best. Some people think it’s a sign of professionalism, [trying to maintain that level], but I just didn’t know if I could or not.”

During the seven games, however, McDonald did a remarkable job filling in for Islanders play-by-play man Howie Rose and introduced himself to millions of younger hockey fans who may have never had the opportunity to hear the Hall of Famer call a game. He also reconnected with millions more that missed the sound of his voice and the keenness and candor he brought to every telecast.

“Getting back into the coliseum was really special,” he said. “I really appreciate the way people went out of their way to show their feelings towards me. It was a great trip down memory lane.”

Despite his love for the game as a child, McDonald never thought of becoming a play by play announcer, rather he pictured himself doing something in the radio industry until a once in a lifetime opportunity came his way and started him on his eventual hall of fame career.

“I had a fasination with radio from the time I was seven or eight years old, never thinking of doing play by play until I started working at a radio station,” said McDonald, who was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame as a broadcaster in 1990, a full 14 years before he retired from full-time broadcasting duty.

“I guess I pictured myself more as a disc jockey or a radio personality. However, the first station I was with, I had the opportunity to get into sports and a play by play opportunity came along. I just felt that you could be yourself and be more creative [doing play by play than being being a disc jockey], this was during a time when radio formats were so structured, you only had so many seconds before each record, you really couldn’t have a personality.

“That first job opened so many doors for me and I found out that I really liked doing it and I came to excel at it. I was fortunate enough to get that first job with the NHL and just went from there. The feeling there was that if I couldn’t do it at the NHL level, atleast I would have tried it and would have had to accept the fact that I wasn’t good enough, but if I had stayed back and never applied for an NHL job, I would have always been wondering in the back of my mind if I could have done it. I had to take a chance at it. Thankfully, it worked out really well.”

For many Islander fans, McDonald’s voice holds a warm place in their hearts for many reasons. The last Isles play-by-play announcer to call a winning playoff series, McDonald’s voice reminds fans of players like Billy Smith, Bryan Trottier, Mike Bossy and the 1993 team that beat the defending Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins in a thrilling 7-game series without their leading scorer, Pierre Turgeon.

To this day, McDonald remembers a lot about that ‘93 team and was especially candid when describing some of the things that happened during that very special year on Long Island.

“The memory of Dale Hunter coming across the ice and nailing Pierre [Turgeon] after he scored that goal and going to Pittsburgh without him comes to mind,” he said. “I remember asking Al Arbour, ‘If the league said you could replace Pierre with one player from the team you just eliminated, who would it be?’ He just looked me right in the eye and said, ‘Dale Hunter.’ Hunter had the heart of a lion, he wanted to win at all costs, and Al recognized that.

“It just seemed that the Islanders had Washington’s number in that series, no matter what circumstance they found themselves in, they were always able to bounce back. The Capitals had a very good team that year as well, but Pierre was a tremendously talented player and [Glenn] Healy kept the Islanders alive and charged. I can’t say that there was one particular guy that stuck out on that team, instead, there were several very special personalities.”

Despite the great memories he had while in Long Island and all over the world, covering hockey for over four decades, McDonald believes that his relationship with his wife, Marilyn, to whom he has been married to for over 40 years, was the biggest factor in why he was able to have any success in broadcasting.

“You have to have a very special relationship with home to be successful in this business,” said McDonald. “In any guy’s case, the wife becomes the person responsible for raising the family. It doesn’t weigh in as much when you’re in the New York market, but teams like Dallas travel more than anybody. In New York, we were home when we played the Rangers, the Devils, Philadelphia and even Hartford when they were in the league; we were home after the game. But when you’re living in Atlanta or Los Angeles, as we were when I started doing this after just moving from Ontario with two small children, you need to have a very special partnership and I did.”

In addition to having a loving relationship at home, McDonald was also flanked with very talented color commentators during his career, like Bernie “Boom Boom” Geoffrion during his tenure with the Atlanta Flames and Eddie Westfall, whom he was paired with for his entire 15-year stay on Long Island, that he had special relationships with.

“Bernie Geoffrion as a coach was a motivator, not so much an x’s and o’s kind of guy and on the air, it was similar. He was the opitamy of color because some of the things he said would leave you in shock in some cases, but laughing too. On occasion, he even fractured the english language, but he had a personality that was just great for TV. The fans related to him,” said McDonald. “He wouldn’t over anaylze the action on the ice, he had a way of enhancing what you’ve seen.”

“Eddie and I used to kid that we had been together longer than some marriages,” said McDonald. He was different [from Geoffrion] because he understood the mistakes on the ice that led to goals or penalties and was great at telling the viewers at home why a team was being dominated or why certain players had problems during the course of the game. He did a great job describing things for the fans at home.”

Now, at the age of 68, McDonald has taken a step back from broadcasting and is ready to settle down, living in Florida with his wife, where he enjoys fishing, bocce and spending time with his grand children and friends. This may not be as exciting as the life of an NHL broadcaster, but you won’t hear him complaining any time soon.

“It’s different, it’s been an adjustment for both of us, but it’s been relaxing,” said McDonald, who boasted when mentioning a 3-week trip to Europe he recently took with his wife; something that would have been harder to do if he was still broadcasting full-time. “I know eventually though, I’ll need to find a hobby or get a job at Wal-Mart or something like that.”

If you haven’t heard the news already, Rick DiPietro is out for the season. After going 7-12 with a 3.38 GAA after he injured his hip in the All-Star Game Skills Competition, Wade Dubielewicz will now be asked to assume more responsibility over the last eight games of the season.

Here’s Garth Snow’s take on the situation:

“Rick wanted badly to be with his team until the end of the season, but this decision was made with his best long-term interests in mind,” Islanders general manager Garth Snow said in a statement. “Rick took his game to even greater heights this season, deservedly being named a National Hockey League All-Star for the first time in his career.

“He gave everything he had to the Islanders and our fans this season and was a warrior all the way through. By having the surgery immediately, Rick will have plenty of time to be at 100 percent long before the start of Islanders training camp in September.”

Yeah, he was a warrior. He was also selfish. If the injury was so bad that it required surgery, he should have done what was best for the team and get something done about it ASAP. Instead, he played like garbage down the stretch, helping the team break down and fall out of playoff contention. There was a stretch of games where Dubie was playing great hockey as well and Ted Nolan decided to go back with DP, who was probably complaining about not getting ice-time, even though he was hurt.
I said it a thousand times last year when Mike Dunham was the backup for most of the season and I’ll say it again. In order to win in this league, you need two capable goalies.

Guys like Martin Brodeur, Roberto Luongo, Evgeni Nabokov and a few others are freaks of nature and its crazy how they haven’t gotten seriously injured yet. In a perfect world, DP gets 55-60 starts a season for my team. The rest go to Dubie. The teams that the Isles should be able to beat that perennially miss the playoffs and Western Conference teams I’d give Dubie the start against. All the teams that the Isles have to bite and scratch against for a playoff spot, then DP gets the nod. However, if one of them is playing strong hockey, that could all go out the window.

As of right now, I’d focus the rest of this season on getting Dubielewicz and his awesome new mask as much ice time as possible. Nothing against Joey MacDonald, but he can just sit back and relax.

It wasn’t exactly a story book start to a career, but Kyle Okposo is now an NHLer.

Above all else, in a little over 13 minutes of ice-time, Okposo proved that he can skate with the big boys and that he’s going to work as hard as anyone over the next eight games. Again two shots on goal is nothing to jump for joy about, but it’s a start.

Nevertheless, his line with Blake Comeau and Richard Park was easily the Islanders most passionate trio out there, drawing penalties and getting a cycle going on numerous occasions. Okposo was also skating very well and made a few nice passes into the slot. His hockey sense isn’t bad either, as after a mediocre first two or three shifts, he started getting to the front of the net and using his legs more. If that line is given an opportunity to gel, they can be a very fun group to watch.

I’d also like to see KO get a chance on the powerplay as well. Let’s me honest here, with players like Miroslav Satan and Josef Vasicek effectively playing their way off of this team, what can the Isles lose by letting Okposo play with Bill Guerin and Mike Comrie with the man advantage? Absolutely nothin’ if you ask me. Getting him some extra space could also start to build his confidence as well.

More Isles thoughts…

DiPietro has MRI- Looks like the hip that DP tweaked during the skills competition has been much more bothersome then originally indicated. His play during the second half has been one of the reasons why this team has fallen out of contention and it makes you wonder where this team could have been if he had taken the time to heal. I mean seriously, Dubielewicz played a great game last night and has proven he can hold down the fort when he has to. However, instead, DP tried to play through it and that combined with the Islanders miserable offense has sealed their fate this season.

Bergenheim and Hunter have to finish-How many golden opportunities did they have last night? What about Satan? The guy can’t even get off the ice properly anymore. Simply put, this team has no more excuses on offense. They’re just so shook up right now that it feels like they’ll never get it together. Like I said yesterday, it’s time to break this Jefferson Airplane up and start a Starship.

No offense to Rob Davison who plays his tail off every night, but when a guy with three career goals scores the way he did last night and is the only player on your team to light the lamp, you have some serious problems.

Well, today is the day. Kyle Okposo will make his NHL debut tonight against the Toronto Maple Leafs. According to the team’s official website, Okposo will be playing with Blake Comeau and Richard Park. Talk about a high energy line in the making. As long as he doesn’t get seriously hurt, this call-up will only be a positive experience for the 19-year old and will be one of the only positive things fans can take from this season.

However, Okposo’s arrival can also help the Islanders in other ways. Hopefully, it will start to change Ted Nolan’s philosophy on playing veterans over inexperienced youngsters. While Blake Comeau and Sean Bergenheim have been getting more and more playing time as the season has gone on, primarily in part to injuries, Jeff Tambellini, who many would say is the most talented of the three, hasn’t been given a real opportunity to showcase his talent. If Okposo is effective in the nine games he plays with the Isles, maybe Nolan will be more inclined to give the rest of the youngsters more playing time.

Nonetheless, as an Islander fan, you have to be excited to see the future on the ice tomorrow. This has the possibility of changing the team for the better and getting them on the right track for the future. This season may be lost, but fans now have the opportunity to see what the future can hold for the team. And unlike what many people think, I don’t feel that this is an attempt on the organization’s part to make a last ditch effort to sell tickets. Okposo was nearly a point a game player in college and the AHL. Regardless of what anyone thinks, he’s ready to play in the NHL. Sure, having more seasoning in the AHL would be beneficial for him, but when was the last time the Islanders gave a youngster a real shot this early? How long were players like Robert Nilsson, Ryan O’Marra, Bruno Gervais and Bergenheim in the minors before they were given a chance? How many recent Islander picks were even given chances?

My thoughts exactly. This team needs to attempt to start developing their young talent now the same way the Blackhawks and Penguins are right now. This is the way you build a successful team now. It’s time the Islanders admitted they’ve made mistakes overpaying players with name recognition to come here and focus on playing their youngsters.

Giving Okposo, their most promising prospect, an honest shot at showing what he is capable of is a great push in the right direction.