This could have been a fun way for the Islanders to finish an up and down season at home. Attendance is shockingly up this year and the fans deserved a lot more than what they got, especially over the last month and a half. Ineffective play, coupled with injuries has reduced a team that could have snuck into the playoffs and perhaps into a game six or seven to something that can’t even be labeled mediocre.

To me, it’s kind of the same old story over and over with this team. They get good enough goaltending to get by and can’t get the necessary offense to stay in games. In the end, I really feel bad for you guys the most though. Unlike last season, this year, I feel like I’ve been writing the same things over and over. You guys deserve better than that and hopefully next season, this team doesn’t fall flat on its face again and I’m a little more inspired.

What’s even sadder though is even with one game left to play, this team still hasn’t admitted that they stopped playing with everything they had. In the end, it’s just really funny to me.

“We’ve got good people here,” Islanders captain Bill Guerin told the AP after last night’s game. “It’s not an easy time for us to play, but guys are showing up and playing hard. Different people have different motivations, but we’re working hard out there.”

I can go on a 1,000 word rant about this right now, but I don’t think I have to. I think all of you know exactly what I’m thinking.

Aside from all of that though, I have had some fun watching some of these youngsters play this season. Kyle Okposo and Jack Killen and the rest of babies may not have had stellar games tonight, but I know that they are going to get their shots next season, That alone will make me watch this team. This shake up has been long over due in my mind. Sure, signing Ryan Smyth and trying to “go for it” was fun last season, but looking back, it wasn’t exactly realistic. Garth Snow knew this team was pretty much built for one season and he took a gamble. It didn’t work and his master plan for this season didn’t turn out that well either.

But at least he’s trying. He’s not pulling Mike Milbury moves either, as Robert Nilsson, Ryan O’Marra, Denis Grebeshkov or any other youngster he’s traded over the past two seasons will be superstars any time sooner, or ever for that matter. So as long as they keep building, you can bet your bottom dollar that I’ll be more than happy to write about this team every day during the season.

With one more game left, the Isles can go out on a positive note and take down the Rangers for good time sake and make this writer and the fans happy that we put all this time and energy into a team that broke our hearts yet again.

If anything else, we deserve it.

Posted under Post Game Rants