With both Joey MacDonald and Yann Danis UFA’s this offseason and a plethora of quality goaltenders available, the Islanders will have no excuses this summer and have an opportunity to get someone that will be able to get the job done just in case DP’s surgically-repaired hips don’t hold up…again.

I’ve mentioned a few of them over the past few weeks, guys like Antero Niittymaki and Craig Anderson, who could easily step in for 25-30 games and spell DP when he needs it.

Nothing against DP, but with the injuries he’s had over the past few seasons, playing in 65-70 games a season may not be the best thing for him. Lets just say hypothetically the Isles manage to squeak into the playoffs, what shape will he be in then?

That’s why addressing the backup situation is so important.

“To me, the most important thing is going to be Ricky,” Gordon told Newsday. “No matter who we draft, it’s going to come down to what we do in net. No matter how good you are, you’re going to break down. You can’t underestimate the value of the guy in net.

“You saw Ricky’s value the previous year when he played so well the first half of the season. When he got hurt, they went from being a playoff contender to struggling. You have to have a guy who is able to run with the ball. No matter who we draft, it gets overshadowed by who’s in net.”

If DP is indeed healthy and if the player the Islanders draft is able to make a significant contribution, the Islanders may be in decent shape, especially when you consider how well guys like Frans Nielsen, Kyle Okposo and Bruno Gervais were playing through the final leg of the season when they were playing spoiler.

The next few weeks should be interesting as the draft is one important piece to the puzzle and the upcoming free agent sweepstakes that will follow will be equally as important. Mark my words, if the Islanders don’t address this concern and sign both a goaltender with experience to play in the AHL and one to backup DP, they’ll be in the same situation they were this past season if he goes down.

Photo by Patrick Hickey Jr.

Here’s my take, considering the Isles pick up John Tavares.

Forward Lines:

Sean Bergenheim Doug Weight Kyle Okposo
Blake Comeau John Tavares Jesse Joensuu
Jeff Tambellini Josh Bailey Trent Hunter
Richard Park Frans Nielsen Tim Jackman

Spare forwards who will see time during the season:

Jon Sim, Trevor Smith, Joel Rechlicz

Defense

Mark Streit Bruno Gervais
Brendan Witt Radek Martinek
Andy Sutton Freddy Meyer

Spare defensemen who will see time during the season:

Jack Hillen, Dustin Kohn, Andrew MacDonald

Goaltending

Rick DiPietro
?

Not too shabby, eh?

These combinations are also based on the fact that Dean McAmmond, Andy Hilbert, Mike Sillinger, Kurtis McLean, Mitch Fritz, Yann Danis and Joey MacDonald are all UFAs. Chances are that either Danis or Joey Mac could be resigned, but due to Rick DiPietro’s inability to stay healthy, I expect the Islanders to give another goaltender with some experience a chance to backup DP, maybe someone like Kevin Weekes or Antero Niittymaki if the Islanders were extremely lucky. Nothing against either Danis or Mac, who showed signs of brilliance at times, but for long stretches of time they weren’t sharp and this team needs a backup that can be consistent, someone like what Stephen Valiquette does for the Rangers, well aside from that 10-goal debacle against the Stars in February.

The Islanders also have a hearty helping of RFAs in Smith, Comeau, Nate Thompson, Jeremy Colliton that will be signed soon to provide depth at Bridgeport and in Comeau’s case, to give him his first real contract.

All in all, it’s obvious the Islanders will be much younger at the start of next season and with a majority of the growing pains out of the way, the team will be much more competent on the ice.

Photo by Patrick Hickey Jr.

Josh Bailey is having the best month of his professional hockey career with seven points, including four goals, in 13 games.

Frans Nielsen has 10 points in his last 13 games.

Before going down with an injury, Sean Bergenheim has seven goals and 11 points in his last 16 games.

Even Bruno Gervais is stepping up his offensive game as of late, scoring three goals and seven points in his last 16.

While these numbers are far from amazing, they are without a doubt better than what these kids were producing earlier in the season when Mark Streit, Richard Park, Bill Guerin Doug Weight and Trent Hunter were leading the team in both ends of the ice.

Now, it feels like this group of youngsters may in fact have what it takes to get the job done next season.

As far as Islanders general manager Garth Snow is concerned, this was what was supposed to happen all along.

“We came up with a plan to build through the draft, and we’re sticking to it. This season has been painful, but we think we’ll be better for it,” Snow told the New York Post. “This is an important time for our organization to take the next step, and I take that very seriously.”

With the draft coming up, the Islanders have a chance to bring in another youngster that can grow alongside the group the Islanders have put together.

That according to Snow, that is exactly what the fans want.

“Whenever (fans) come up to me, whether it’s on the concourse during games or at practice, they say, ‘Stick to the plan,’” Snow told Yahoo Sports. “The team we have next year will be very similar to the one we have now. I expect a lot of players to develop.”

Hmm. Is that another way of saying that the Islanders won’t waste money on washed up players or guys that haven’t produced every where else? As far as I’m concerned, aside from the signings of Weight, Mark Streit and Richard Park, I’ve been pretty unimpressed with the free agents this team has brought in over the past three seasons.

Hopefully that trend will stop and the Isles will truly start the youth movement next season.

Between the penalties and the decrepit pace, I was practically sound asleep by the beginning of the third period.

The Minnesota Wild, as a team, have has much energy as a 90-year-old obese man and show as much emotion on the ice as a blind man watching a Charlie Chaplin film.

This team plays the system that Jacques Lemaire wants them to and in the end, may be held back from realizing their true potential. Guys like Marc-Andre Bergeron, Marian Gaborik and a handful of others could be producing much more if they were given more room and weren’t forced to play a system that slows the game down and doesn’t allow for creativity.

It’s like forcing a human to be a cylon and asking them to truly feel love.

OK; I promise that that will be the only Battlestar Galactica reference that I will make in this post.

Worst game of the season by far.

I wish I could end this post right now, but you guys deserve better than that.

Simply put, the Islanders fell victim to Minnesota’s system and weren’t able to use their speed. They were angry and frustrated, especially Kyle Okposo, who was talking more and showed more emotion than I’ve seen him show all season. I definitely see a leader growing here. In a few years I wouldn’t be surprised if he got an A or even a C. We all know he’s got the skill on the ice, but overall, I think he can be a very sound leader if he continues to stick up for his teammates.

The same thing goes for Blake Comeau, who is reminding me more and more of a guy like Patrick Flatley every day. Not an amazing skater, but a hard worker with an excellent shot, Comeau is quickly developing into a leader as well. Not what any of us would have thought at the beginning of the season when he was exiled to Bridgeport, right? Kind of crazy how a few months, combined with injuries, losses and trades can change things.

Bruno Gervais too has begun to show some more offensive ability, something that Islanders commentator Howie Rose attributed to him playing with Mark Streit. If he can continue to produce, who knows, the label of being just a solid defender could morph into “talented two-way defenseman.”

We’ll have to wait and see a bit more on that one though.

So again, while the Islanders effort last night had a heck of a lot to be desired, these kids aren’t finished showing the rest of th league what they are capable of. As a matter of fact, I really feel like they are just beginning to gel and become the cohesive unit that will eventually get back into the playoffs someday.

From Bruno Gervais and Frans Nielsen fighting for the puck and to Kyle Okposo finishing the play and jumping into the arms of his teammates, this is what I want to see for the next few years.

If that wasn’t enough, I think the Islanders have struck gold with Mike Iggulden. Talk about net prescence. In every game he’s played this season, he’s gotten himself in a place to cause damage. Tonight was no different as he got himself right in the slot and took advantage of the fact that Josh Bailey, another kid who is playing good hockey over the past few games, was in front of the net, looking for a rebound as well. If Iggy can continue to play this way, I can see him on this team next season.

What do you guys think about that?

Personally, I could see him on a line with just about any of the youngsters. He doesn’t hurt any of them and is a good puck distributor in addition to possessing a good shot. I like his defensive game as well.

Right now, this team feels like they are beginning to form their identity. Void of real veterans besides Radek Martinek and Brendan Witt, the youngsters have taken control and are holding their own and the young veterans like Tim Jackman and Mark Streit are playing more than solid hockey as well.

Slowly, but surely, every signing by Mike Milbury or Garth Snow during the Ted Nolan era is either adjusting themselves to Scott Gordon’s system or is leaving via trade or free agency. As this trend continues, this team will get better and more exciting to watch.

It’s happening right now, can you see it?

Over the past few weeks, I’ve loved the fact that they can come out and play well against teams like New Jersey and Montreal that are trying to cement playoff spots. Because of that, the next few games against Boston and Chicago will be even more enjoyable to tune into. Now who said playing spoiler wasn’t fun? Sure, many fans of this team have given up on them this season, but the real fans will come back next season when they see all these kids come back meaner, faster and stronger.

It’s only a matter of time. Add in a few key signings and this team will be right where it needs to be. I can smell it. It’s just going to take some time. This band can play.

Tonight, simply put, was 60 minutes of fun hockey. Plenty of penalties due to hard work, a few fights and a plethora of great saves, especially the Carey Price stop on Jeff Tambellini late in the third made this one of my favorite games of the year.

The Islanders where skating hard and keeping themselves warm in the first and it absolutely showed. Every line had some type of pressure and chances to try and take advantage of and Yann Danis, while mostly untested, made the stops he had to. Dean “Why do I have an ‘A’ on my jersey already?” McAmmond’s goal got the Islanders on the board. Even a few bad penalties couldn’t kill the Islanders momentum in the period, as they maintained their intensity and forecheck throughout. Overall, the team, without Brendan Witt, Trent Hunter [Who, according to IslesBlogger.com, is injured, so you don't have to worry about him being on the block] and Bill Guerin proved they still have some gas left in their tanks.

Things changed pretty quickly though, after Ryan Smyth [insert preferred insult about # 94 here] scored just 33 seconds in on the powerplay to make it a 1-1 game. The Islanders only needed about two minutes to get the lead back though, after a Jesse Joensuu goal, his first as a pro in his first pro game [reminds me of Chris Campoli...tear]. Watching him through his first few shifts, I have to say, I like his game and think if he can continue to get in front of the net with his size [6'4], he may be up here the rest of the season.

Speaking of doing good things on the ice, Bruno Gervais is a modern day Dennis Vaske, doing most of the grunt work, but not getting anything as far as statistics to prove it. His goal [Which Jon Sim assisted on for his third point of the game] put the Isles up 3-1 and looked to put the Isles in the driver’s seat. While the Islanders powerplay later in the period was absolutely atrocious and they got in penalty trouble, they were able to keep Colorado off the scoreboard and hold on to their two-goal lead going into the third.

However, just like the beginning of the second, Smyth scored to cut the lead to 3-2. Luckily, it was the Islanders who has a case of deja-vu themselves, as they struck right back and regained their two-goal lead after a Jeff Tambellini goal that was the result of some great work by Mark Streit, who carried the puck through all three zones. That seemed to be the final nail in the coffin and continuing their strong play in their own zone, the Islanders were able to fend off the Avs.

While Colorado is far from the team they used to be, a hard-nosed win like this, without some key players is just what the doctor ordered for this young team. However, a bigger question remains… how long can these guys keep it up?

That team has no jam, no grit, no heart. I know they are a team that is built around offense, but I really feel as if they are missing Jarkko Ruutu and Georges Laraque, two players that enabled their secondary scorers the space they needed to thrive. If they had those two guys, I think they’d get more offense from the rest of their team. Nothing against Eric Godard, who is one of the best enforcers in the game, but the team doesn’t use him in the right way. During that period long stretch where it was 2-2, I would have sent him there to get his nose dirty. Not to necessarily cause a fight, but to take the body and make the Isles think twice about skating all over them.

Dan Bylsma is going to have it tough over the next few weeks.

On the other side of the ice, every Islanders youngster skated hard today. Sean Bergenheim was making solid passes in the offensive zone and Frans Nielsen was absolutely flying, creating scoring opportunities and keeping the pressure on in the neutral zone. Chris Campoli was joining the play and Bruno Gervais looked like Radek Martinek circa 2001.

However my three favorite highlights of the night was the 25 second stretch in the first period where the Isles had a defensive cycle going in the neutral zone that had the Penguins confused more than Lindsay Lohan on the 28th day of the month. If this is something that this team can find a way of duplicating and redefining over the rest of the season, it may be something they can carry over into next year.

The second highlight was Jeff Tambellini’s wrister that beat Marc-Andre Fleury in the shootout. Talk about a howitzer. It’s not often you get to see shots like that and not often that they come from a guy with only six goals in his career. Hopefully, this will be something that gets him going in the right direction, He’s still got one year left on hos contract an who knows what could happen in that time.

Lastly, seeing a few of the guys turning their helmets inside out was great. It shows me this team doesn’t like losing and that they want to play spoiler over the next two months.

That’s exactly what I want to see.

Too bad Bruno Gervais has hit the goalpost more over his past 150 games than the back of the net as well.

On the whole, I liked the fact that the Isles were attempting to take shots on Kings goaltender Jonathan Quick from all angles. Tim Jackman’s goal, aside from being incredibly sneaky, proved that when you have the puck and shoot it, good things happen. For far too long this season have the Islanders tried to set up the perfect pass and take the perfect shot. Now, it at least looks like they are getting the idea that garbage goals are just as good as highlight reel ones.

Nevertheless, they were still a bit too pensive out there, especially on the powerplay.

Going 12:47 without a shot just proves that.

Speaking of highlight reel goals though, who would have thought that Bill Guerin was going to pass when he had the whole net to himself? It seemed like Doug Weight came out of nowhere. That goal got the Islanders back into the game and gave them some more confidence, but the seesaw battle continued for 60 minutes.

While he had two golden opportunities over the course of the game and couldn’t finish, I really like the spunk Bergenheim had out there tonight. The same thing goes for Andy Hilbert and Jackman, who never hurt the team when they are on the ice and somehow, someway, always do something that gives the team some kind of boost.

However, one of the reasons the Kings were able to sneak back in was because of a few bad penalties by the Isles and poor coverage in front of the crease. While he’s been much better over his past few games, Brendan Witt again was on the ice during a key moment and failed to clear the crease. I know he does a lot on the ice, but that’s what is priority should be and he hasn’t been doing it for a big chunk of the season. A lot of this has to do with the fact that he’s been forced to play much more in his own end because of youngsters like Joe Callahan and Jack Hillen

In all honesty, this game should have never went into overtime, but both teams couldn’t finish each other off. With the powerplay opportunities both of them had, this game should have ended in regulation. But when you have two teams that aren’t playoff bound [The Kings could still make it though if they get hot], things like this are bound to happen.

Then it comes down to the crap shoot and the Kings prevail courtesy of a slick move by Jack Johnson.

Game over.

It’s till a game though and a lesson learned.

Stop taking bad penalties and convert on the powerplay.

Points in four consecutive games.

And to think, I thought they didn’t have it in them.

In most of the Islanders losses this season, their biggest problem has been their coverage in front of the net. Players like Bruno Gervais, Chris Campoli, Thomas Pock and Brendan Witt have not been strong on the body or the puck when it’s in the crease area. Because Yann Danis and Joey MacDonald aren’t the best goaltenders in terms of giving up rebounds and rebound control, this quirk has bit the Islanders in the arse several times this season.

Last night however, Brendan Witt, especially was on top of his game, taking the body and then the puck all night long. Having a rough season adjusting to Scott Gordon’s system, Witt proved he’s still got some gritty hockey left to play this season.

The forwards were also helping out a ton, as Richard Park saved a goal on a wide open attempt by Richard Zednik in the second. I’ve said it before, but I’ll say it again, a lot of the times, this game is more about hustle than skill. In terms of hustle, Park will always be on top. The numbers are on Park’s side this season as well, as he’s proven just how talented he really is.

Andy Hilbert is another guy that was just running around and doing his thing. Danis did his job and then some as well, making several sharp saves early in the third period to keep the Isles lead in tact. Overall, when these guys are playing this well in their own end and on the penalty kill, your offense doesn’t have to be phenomenal.

Thankfully for the Isles, Mike Comrie scored a sneaky goal after catching Tomas Vokoun behind the net that got them the lead. Bill Guerin’s spin move goal in the third was also pretty surreptitious as well. Considering the move the Islanders captain pulled earlier in the game, where he almost broke a Florida Panthers’ defenseman’s legs, it’s fair to say that he had his best game in quite some time.

Add in another goal from Kyle Okposo and I have to say, this was probably the Isles’ most complete game of the season.

60 solid minutes.

This is the third Christmas this site has been around.

What first started off as a way for a young college student to earn some extra [practically a tiny piece of] bread while writing about his favorite team in the entire world has slowly turned into a way for a college professor and working journalist to earn some extra [practically a tiny piece of] bread while writing about his favorite team in the entire world. During that time, I’ve seen the Isles go from a playoff team, missing a few pieces and being able to make the second round, to a team riddled with injuries, to a team that is downright poor.

I’ve seen players the likes of Jason Blake have career years and guys like Miroslav Satan have season’s so unproductive that they were almost finished professionally because of it. I’ve seen players like Wade Dubielewicz and Joey MacDonald inspire me with their hard work and guys the likes of Chris Simon and Sean Hill nearly break my heart for not using their heads on and off the ice.

In spite of everything that’s happened over the past three year’s with this team though, it’s been a complete blast. Getting to interview people such as Jiggs McDonald, Ruslan Fedotenko, Bruno Gervais, Bob Probert and Ross Bernstein alone over the past three years have made this journey an extremely enjoyable one, but reading your comments every day and trying my hardest to satisfy your needs and entertain you simultaneously has made this one of the most rewarding endeavors I’ve partaken in since I started doing this.

So rather than waste any more time in this post, let me just say thank you. Thank you for reading every day. Thank you for commenting when you feel the need to. Thank you for just being yourselves.

Happy Holidays.

Okay, time to get to business.

Right now, I feel the thing this team needs more than anything is a game against the Rangers. That’s the only thing that can instill the necessary passion needed for this team to thrive on the ice.

That, however is a two-sided coin.

They could end up looking so bad against the Blueshirts that I’ll have to deal with idiotic Ranger fans at work for the next two weeks talking how good their team is. Forget it when I tell them that their defense is a joke and that they don’t have enough offense to hold water with any of the super powers in the Western Conference. It won’t change the fact that this team is dead in the water right now. Nothing short of half the team stepping up their games and the guys this team has on IR magically coming back and playing their hearts out can save them from ending the season even worse than the pundits thought they’d finish.

Sillinger’s return- Like I said yesterday, this is going to be good on several fronts for the Islanders. Nevertheless, I think Isles head coach Scott Gordon summed it up pretty nicely a few days ago when he said getting Silly back was like a mid-season trade.

Martinek reinjured? - According to Greg Logan’s blog, Radek Martinek will be out after banging his shoulder up against the Senators.  With Bruno Gervais also injured, it looks like Thomas Pock will get another chance to prove himself after clearing waivers a few days ago. In my opinion, Martinek has got to have the worst luck in the world. It’s like he’s got a black cat in his hockey bag or something. If he doesn’t start either taking the necessary steps to make sure he doesn’t get injured again without sacrificing his play in the offseason or taking showers with garlic shampoo, he’s going to continue to get injured and never be the player many Islander fans thought he’d be after 23 great games in 2002.

In other Islanders news, the team will get another injection of toughness as both Mitch Fritz and Tim Jackman. However, the question remains as to who sits if both of them or even one of them is in uniform on Thursday.

Cough:: Jeff Tambellini ::Cough.

Nothing against the kid, but he hasn’t shown a spark and considering how good Andy Hilbert and Richard Park have been thus far, he’s out of roles. This team doesn’t need another tiny sparkplug on the bottom two lines. They need another 20-goal scorer and as of right now, Tamby looks out of place.

Laviolette Canned? Well, it looks like former Islander coach Peter Laviolette will be spending the holiday season watching hockey at home, rather than coaching it with the Carolina Hurricanes. More ironic however is the fact that he has been replaced by Paul Maurice, the coach he replaced five years ago. As far as I’m concerned, Laviolette is still an excellent coach and if Alexei Yashin hadn’t played golf with Charles Wang every weekend, Lavy would have never lost control of his players and find the pink slip. And as far as that statement is concerned, I feel that while the Islanders teams he coached were good, they were never good enough to do more than he did with them.

Those teams really needed another legitimate scorer and a shutdown defenseman to compliment all the offense they had on the blue line. That is the real reason why Steve Stirling [who is now off coaching in Germany of all places] didn’t win a Stanley Cup here either. It had nothing to do with Laviolette. Sadly, just like the Islanders have had bad luck with players over the past 15 seasons, they’ve had just as much bad luck with coaches. Not keeping Laviolette and cleaning up the mess around him will always be one of them.

Wait, what did I just say? Am I to believe that through the first 21 games, the Isles have already had five defensemen on the shelf? Am I to believe that Mark Streit and Bruno Gervais have been the only healthy D-men on this team this season?

Unfortunately, the answer to all of those questions is a resounding yes.

Because of that, it’s incredibly hard to assess what this team has done defensively so far this season.

However, it is pretty simple to see that this team is headed in the right direction in their own end.

Streit, simply put, has been a revelation in both ends this season, playing extremely well on special teams and eerily solid in his own end. After the Islanders picked him up this summer, the Canadian press had a field day, saying the Isles paid too much for his services, and stating that he was basically a fourth liner that had a penchant for contributing on the powerplay. I myself said that I didn’t think he’d score 63 points again this season, but as of right now, he’s looking to be awfully close.

[Isn't it funny how over the past few weeks, the Islanders alone have made the Canadian hockey media look like Jason Blair on truth serum?]

With Sutton, Martinek and Witt all back and healthy as well, I think the Islanders have their spine back. Now they can shutdown the top lines in the league and mix it up a bit if they have to. A few weeks ago, guys like Gervais, Streit and Campoli were playing 25 minutes a game, killing themselves in both ends. With the anchors back, those three can now play in roles more beneficial to them and because of that, I think we’ll start to see some more production from them.

I come from a mindset as a fan where I’m used to seeing multiple defensemen being able to produce offensively on a team. Growing up, I saw guys like Tom Kurvers, Jeff Norton, Uwe Krupp, Mathieu Schnieder and Bryan Berard at the point scoring their 35 plus points a season. As a teenager, I saw Roman Hamrlik, Kenny Jonsson and Adrian Aucoin do the same thing. Because of that, I fully expect guys like Campoli, Streit and hopefully even Gervais and Martinek can produce offensively to be factors. I think it’ll come a bit more naturally for he first two players I’ve mentioned, but I really feel Gervais and Martinek have a lot more to give in the offensive zone.

If they do and the Isles can continue to support Joey MacDonald, I think you’ll see a very different Islanders team the rest of this season.

Seriously, what kind of journalist says something along the lines of the Islanders don’t stand a chance and Roberto Luongo and the Canucks can get away with playing decent and still win?

This is the NHL baby. Every game in this league never has a clear-cut winner. All it takes is for a hot goaltender or someone with a wicked backhand to get an opportunity in the shootout and it’s lights out, regardless of how good your team is.

Luckily, the Islanders got both last night, as Joey MacDonald and Frans Neilsen played superb games, leading New York to an “unlikely” win.

Winners of three in a row and holding a 7-9-2 record, things aren’t nearly as bad as they were a week ago, right? The return of Radek Martinek has quietly bolstered the Islanders defense and all of a sudden Frans Neilsen, Josh Bailey [would you guys keep him around after his nine games are up? As of right now, I totally would] and Kyle Okposo are noticeable out there. Are they playing phenomenal hockey? No, but they are making factors of themselves. The same thing goes for a guy like Tim Jackman, who looks like he may stick around this season after getting a long cup of coffee last season when injuries buried this team and their playoff chances.

This season however, the Islanders playoff chances haven’t really even been realized yet. All this team is doing right now is trying to earn the league’s respect back. In my mind, they are still a legitimate scorer and another offensive defenseman away from being a playoff contender, but if they keep finding ways to win and get Mike Comrie, Brendan Witt and Mike Sillinger back and they can produce, this team is going to be a heck of a lot of fun to watch.

Joey MacDonald alone has been a blast to follow this season and has almost singlehandedly kept this team as close to above water as he can. Nevertheless, I think guys like Bruno Gervais, Chris Campoli, Mark Streit and Andy Sutton have played much better in their own end over the past few games as well, giving MacDonald every chance to flourish.

If this keeps up, this team may just take us on another joy ride for a few weeks.

At the very least, Islander fans should enjoy this and keep their eyes on the prize. This is blue collar, unsexy hockey, but it’s winning hockey. With a host of rookies and aging veterans on this team, you couldn’t really ask for me right now.

So what does this team need to do in order to get out of the rut they’ve gotten themselves in?

Here are a few of my thoughts:

1- Be more physical, especially in the defensive zone- Giving up 18 shots in the final period on Saturday, this team needs to play with more desperation and more of an edge. Mitch Fritz got into a tussle while up here with the Isles, but I say that isn’t enough. Guys need to start finishing checks on every single shift. Everyone from Mark Streit to Frans Neilsen has to do this in order for it to be effective as well. Being that physical will also open up the ice more and give the few playmakers the Islanders have, guys like Doug Weight and Neilsen room to find the Bill Guerin’s and Trent Hunter’s.

2- Score on the powerplay- Currently ranked 25th in the NHL, Streit and Weight have been brought in to help out and while they have, other players have to start contributing. For starters, the Islanders need to overload the powerplay with guys that can score. Nothing against Neilsen, but he should be one of the last people who get a shot on the PP. Alongside Weight and Guerin, Hunter should play on the other wing with Streit and Chris Campoli. The second unit should be something along the lines of Mike Comrie with Sean Bergenheim and Kyle Okposo with Andy Sutton and Bruno Gervais at the point. While it’s not as deep a unit as I would like it to be, there would be enough diversity to give the Islanders options. The first unit would be all about getting traffic in front of the net and the second would be about puck possession and generating offense from the circles. Once Mike Sillinger comes back, I think this team’s powerplay will get much better, but until that happens, something else needs to be done.

3- Play smarter defense- Going along with my first statement about the team’s need to play tougher, I think the defense needs to cut down on their turnovers. I know it’s not as easy with Rick DiPietro still injured, but overall, this team needs to make smarter passes in their own zone and commit themselves to eliminating traffic in front of Joey MacDonald and limiting second chance opportunities. If they can do that, this team won’t have to score four goals a game every night to stay in games.

Nevertheless, it is still a facet of the team that needs to be addressed.

In order for Scott Gordon’s “Overspeed” system to work, the Islanders defenseman have to take care of business. That means making the first pass out of the zone, clearing the front of the net, and pinching in along the boards. The way the team has played this season, it’s obvious that the Islanders forward lines haven’t yet caught on to the system. In the games they’ve won, the puck pursuit has been there and they’ve had their legs, which has created scoring opportunities and a plethora of second chances. In the games they’ve lost, they’ve had a huge problem establishing a forecheck and setting up in the offensive end.

I know what you’re thinking now: “I’ve read this on other Islander blogs already.” Well, I think I have a different take on this that has nothing to do with the lack of depth on the forward lines or the amount of youth present.

Here it goes.

I think the main reason why the Isles have had problems maintaining the level of offensive consistency and passion is because the defense, just like the offense, hasn’t yet bought into the system fully either. The two wins the Islanders have this season were due in part to the fact that the defense, alongside the offensive, were physical, swarming the puck and skating.

This generates scoring opportunities, something this team always seems to be short on.

However, in the games the Islanders have lost, where have the D-men been on the offensive end?

Mark Streit, Jack Hillen, Bruno Gervais Thomas Pock and Freddy Meyer are all defensemen that have above average skating skills and should have no problem joining the rush and helping out pinching on the boards. Streit especially, who came here to help the team on the powerplay and be a force on offense, needs to be a bit more proactive. In Montreal, he had no problems joining the play and applying pressure to opposing defenses. In order for this team to stay above water this season, Streit needs to be a factor

In the games this team have been outscored though, that hasn’t happened from Streit or any other member of the defense. They’ve been too preoccupied keeping the opposition out of the zone to be a force.

So in order for “Overspeed” to really work, two things need to take place at the same time. One being that the Islanders forwards have to skate their tails off. Secondly, the defense has to take chances on offense and take shots.

As we’ve already seen so far this season, if that doesn’t happen, they don’t win.

http://islanders.nhl.com/team/app/?service=page&page=NewsPage&articleid=385315

Well, now that that’s out of the way, here are my thoughts:

Anyone that doesn’t like that first round pick Josh Bailey ended up making the team is out of their minds. Sure, the Islanders have a host of veterans on the team this season, but with Bailey’s cup of coffee this season, combined with getting to see Kyle Okposo, Jeff Tambellini, Sean Bergenheim, Blake Comeau and possibly even Jack Hillen develop, this team has the potential of being very fun to watch.

Are they going to make the playoffs? Who knows. If these young kids can play well enough and guys like Bill Guerin, Mark Streit and Doug Weight can pull their “weight,” then this team may have a shot to surprise a few people. Again, much like the last few seasons, the team won’t be expected to do much, but like I said, if they can stay healthy and get contributions from everybody, these misfits will challenge for the last playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. Much like the team two seasons ago, the Islanders will need to get offense from all four lines in order to be successful. Can it happen? Asking Andy Hilbert to be consistent every night on offense will be bad enough, but players like Frans Nielsen and Richard Park will have to be steady and score about a dozen goals as well. Can that happen? Stranger things have happened before.

Getting Rick DiPietro back the other day is also a sign of good news, even though his play in the team’s final exhibition game was far from solid. The team’s vocal leader and general on the ice, DP will be counted on again to lead the charge. With Radek Martinek and Brendan Witt around though, DP will have one of the best defensive tandems in the league on the ice for 25 minutes a game. Despite that, no one really knows who will fill in for Chris Campoli and Andy Sutton through the first handful of games, making the Islanders last pair of defensemen a toss up. For my money, Jack Hillen and Freddy Meyer may be the best way to go, considering Hillen’s upside on offense and Meyer’s physical ability and knack for playing smart in both ends. Bruno Gervais may be the best skater of the remaining defensemen and Thomas Pock may have the most offensive ability, but Hillen and Meyer have the poise in my mind to keep the team above water until Campo and Sutton are ready to come back.

At any rate, we’ll see what Scott Gordon decides to do tomorrow in the season opener.

Who’s Hurt:

Chris Campoli
Andy Sutton
Mike Sillinger
Rick DiPietro

Who’s Nursing Injuries:

Bill Guerin
Richard Park
Sean Bergenheim
Doug Weight

This simply is not good.

However, as far as the defensive situation goes, the Islanders are lucky that they have players like Bruno Gervais, Freddy Meyer, Jack Hillen and now even Thomas Pock [who has some pretty solid seasons in the AHL under his belt and may be even be able to help out on the powerplay if given an opportunity] who can fill in until they’re healthy. With Hillen in the wings as well, Sutton’s injury may be a blessing in disguise. On the other hand, the Islanders, who are already far from the toughest team in the league, need a tough guy who can clear the crease like Sutton can.

The forward situation isn’t quite the same though.

Sillinger’s absence creates a huge hole at center [which I've already discussed at length in older posts] and if Weight and Guerin are forced to play all season injured, the Islanders are going to have a very tough time scoring goals. With no real first line as it is, this has the potential of really making this season an eyesore. The only way the Isles make it out of this okay is if these injuries are minor ones [as per Islanders policy, no one really knows how bad the injuries really are] or if guys like Jeff Tambellini [who is also recovering from a lower body injury] and Kyle Okposo can play consistent offensively in their first full seasons in the league.

That’s not asking a lot is it?

For those who can’t tell, I’m being sarcastic.

Bergenheim and Park’s injuries have the potential to be devastating as well, considering the fact that they are the heart and soul of the bottom two lines and are great penalty killers. They provide such a jolt of energy and can even pot a few here and there, making them huge commodities on any team, nevertheless a team fighting to form an identity. These two I’m not as worried about as Guerin and Weight though.

Let’s face it, they’re not the youngest guys in the league anymore and the Isles desperately need offense. They both have something to prove, as Guerin cooled off in the second half last season and Weight had the worst season of his pro career in 08. If they come back and can contribute, they’ll provide a lift in the locker room and on the ice.

If not, this is going to be a very long season.

Here we go:

Defense Combo 1

Brendan Witt and Radek Martinek- Absolute no-brainer here. These guys in my mind are one of the top defensive pairings in the league when it comes to shutting down top lines. They play smart hockey and get the absolute most out of their ability. They had a bit of trouble against some of the faster teams in the league that I played, but with Martinek’s puck moving ability and Witt’s toughness, they were a blast to play with and guys that I know will be solid this season. I wish Martinek was more of an offensive threat, especially on the powerplay, but beggars can’t be choosers right? Overall, these guys were on the ice for 28-30 minutes a game for me and I don’t see any reason why they won’t get that type of ice time this season.

Defense Combo 2

Mark Streit and Chris Campoli- I know I may catch a little bit of flack for this, but I love this combination. Both have offensive ability and Campoli’s toughness and growing ability as a well-rounded defenseman in this league make this work for me. Campoli is ready for more responsibility and I think covering up for Streit on defense will allow him to grow as a player. Streit also benefits by having Campoli around because defenses will also have to watch Campo at the blue line, which gives him more room to skate and create. They were also very solid on the powerplay and it was fun to see them both take shots from the point.

Defense Combo 3

Bruno Gervais and Andy Sutton- Well-rounded and steady. That’s what comes to mind when I think of these guys. Both of these guys have more grit and offensive ability than they get credit for and in the video game world, or in a perfect world ha-ha, this completely shows. They block shots, take the body and can make the first pass out of the zone. They can also kill penalties pretty well too. However, inconsistency isn’t prevalent in the make-believe world of NHL 08 and while I think these guys can and will be solid, they will have to both be on top of their games this season or they’ll be in smaller roles.

Photo by Gamespot.com

Bruno Gervais

Predicted Stats- three goals, 15 assists, 22 :00 ATOI.

Last season, Gervais averaged 20 minutes a game of ice time and while it looked like he was in the good graces of Ted Nolan most of the time, he never really got a chance to break out of his shell offensively or play big time minutes in close games. Preferring to go with the likes of Brendan Witt and Radek Martinek on defense most of the time in tight contests, I believe Gervais was limited to mop up duty and only got a chance on the powerplay when there were little or no options left. A solid offensive D-man in juniors, I think Gervais can produce a little more than he has been over the past few seasons if given a real opportunity. At times, Gervais has led the rush on offense and seemingly, doesn’t look out of place at all. With a little more work, he can be a solid number four or five D-man that can contribute on both sides of the puck.

Chris Campoli

Predicted Stats- 12 goals, 22 assists.

Another player with a lot of room to grow, Campoli looked like he had it all figured out before a nasty shoulder injury ruined his season in 08. Combining the physical play he’s been getting a reputation for, while developing already good offensive skills, I see Campoli as someone who would look great with Mark Streit on the powerplay at some point in the season. It’s just a matter of staying healthy and in the good graces of the whoever coaches this team in 09, something the youngster has had a few problems with over the past few seasons.

Frans Nielsen

Predicted Stats- 10 goals, 20 assists.

Before Doug Weight was signed, I may have considered bumping his stats up just a little bit. However, on a fourth line with guys like Blake Comeau and Richard Park, I see Nielson playing a crucial role as a sparkplug and someone who can help on the powerplay and the penalty kill. Some may be turned off by his lack of size, but I believe his ability in the face-off circle, combined with his speed and quick release will make him a solid fourth liner and someone Isles fans will love by the end of the season.

Photo by Pete Borriello

Here we go:

Tom Poti.

I don’t know how you guys feel about him, but I think he was easily the Islanders best defenseman last season and was extremely under-appreciated and didn’t get nearly as much praise as he should have. However, at the same time, he wasn’t booed every single time he touched the puck when he was on the Rangers. That I think might have been what Poti wanted all along, just to be able to play his game and in the end, his game really benefited from it. Make no mistakes about the guy, Tom Poti was everything the Islanders could have ever asked for this season.

Basically combining the solid defensive play he showed the NHL during his last year with the Rangers and being the consistent offensive defenseman many scouts thought he was eventually going to be during his days in college, Poti was excellent on both sides of puck. In all honesty, he reminds me a lot of Adrian Aucoin [at least when he was on the Isles] because not only can he eat up minutes, but he’s not scared to block shots and take the body when he has to. The only thing I think I’d really change about Poti’s game is that I’d make him take some more shots from the point. He’s got way too good of a shot to be passing to Marc-Andre Bergeron ALL the time.

Poti shooting a bit more would also make Bergeron less on a target on the powerplay and penalty-killing units would have to worry about both of their shots and not just Bergeron’s. At any rate, Poti, if signed, could continue to be a huge contributor to the team.

The only question is, do we keep him?

With Sean Hill’s Islanders career most likely over, I think Poti has to stay. I love Bruno Gervais and Chris Campoli, but I don’t think their ready to be 25-minute a game defenseman yet. In addition, Poti is more adept on the power play than both of them and as we saw in the Islanders playoff series against Buffalo, they don’t have many options at the point when they’re on the man advantage. Radek Martinek coming back healthy and strong will help, but having Poti around as both a leader and a mentor to Gervais, Campoli and whoever else might be around next season will be extremely important for the Islanders and their defense core.

Keep ‘em.

While the Isles did maintain a better offensive presence in this game, they weren’t as strong defensively or physical and in the end, that’s what cost them the most.
This may not be the best comparison, but I think that this team has a lot in common with the Islanders team that lost to the Maple Leafs in 2002. Sure, the Leafs that year were a completely different monster than the Sabres, but by the end of that series and the end of this one against Buffalo, I said the same thing to myself, “This team needs to be more physical.”

After the team lost to the Leafs that year, the Islanders parted ways with finesse winger Mariusz Czerkawski and went out and got Arron Asham and Jason Wiemer. At this point, I wouldn’t be surprised if the team tried their hardest to pick up someone else with some “marbles” for next season. Someone like Taylor Pyatt immediately comes to mind.
As well, with Sean Hill no longer an option for next season, the Islanders are going to either give Chris Campoli and Bruno Gervais [who both played very well last night and seem ready to accept more responsibility] a bigger role or count on Radek Martinek to make a solid comeback after another injury-plagued season. With Tom Poti now a free agent as well, the Isles are going to have some serious questions to answer about their defense during the offseason.

Regardless of that however, I still think this team is headed in the right direction and if they can manage to add a few more pieces, they’ll have better luck next year.
Throughout this entire season, the Islanders have been through more emotionally than the teenagers on Dawson Creek, but have always managed to put it together when it counted, thanks in part to some great coaching by Ted Nolan and a career years from Jason Blake and DiPietro. However, against Buffalo, the team just ran out of steam and couldn’t keep up with the uber-talented Sabres.

While being extremely disappointed right now that the team couldn’t keep the Sabres [who played far from a perfect series] on their toes a little bit longer, I’d have to be out of my mind to not be proud of this team. All season long, through injuries to key players such as Rick DiPietro, Alexei Yashin, Shawn Bates, Radek Martinek and the Chris Simon suspension, this team found a way to stay in the thick of things. For a team that was predicted by a myriad of media outlets to finish in last place or extremely close to it, just making the playoffs alone is a huge accomplishment.

Nevertheless, you can’t help but get the feeling that things could have been much different if the team could have stayed healthy and found away to stay away from some of the other drama that managed to engulf them.

Maybe next year will be different.

Well, that closes the book on the 2006-2007 New York Islanders season. I hope you guys enjoyed it as much as I did. I know there were plenty of times that had all of our stomach’s in knots, but I also know that there were a ton more that put a smile on all of our faces. I’ve said it numerous times this season, but I feel the urge to say it one last time: this season had more energy than the past five put together and despite being eliminated in the first round, I think that Islander fans and the organization itself have gotten a taste of what Ted Nolan can do when given an opportunity.

That in itself is probably one of the biggest things to happen to this team in a very long time and hopefully next season Nolan doesn’t have to deal with as much adversity and drama and can continue to take this team to the next level.

Let’s go Islanders.

For the most part, despite the score, they managed to keep things close until the end of the third when Campbell put the game away, but they really never challenged the Sabres or threatened to make a comeback. As well, they couldn’t get any decent forecheck going and didn’t give Dubie the support that he needed in front of the net. It just felt like the Islanders were trying to limit their mistakes against the Sabres and as a result, were extremely tentative.

It wound up costing them the game.

First off, the entire team wasn’t taking the body as much as they should have and the defense wasn’t clearing the front of the net for Dubielewicz, thus giving the Sabres way too many golden opportunities to score. Too often was Dubie forced to look around opposing Buffalo forwards who were standing in front of him. As well, the Islanders had more than a few opportunities to get back into the game via the powerplay and really didn’t execute the way they should have.

I mean, I love the fact that the Isles got Bruno Gervais back in the lineup after missing 24 games with an ankle injury, but the guy does not belong on the power play and why he was taking so many shots with the man advantage is beyond me. I mean, I’d rather see Brendan Witt on the PP then Gervais. However, all jokes aside, I know that the Isles played Bergeron for over 26 minutes and they didn’t want to overplay him late in the game, but why not use Campoli and Gervais a bit more on even strength so you can use Bergeron on the powerplay were he’s his most effective? Giving both Gervais and Campoli as little as three more minutes a piece on even strength would have given the Islanders two offensively gifted defensemen, Tom Poti and Bergeron more gas in the their tanks, enabling them more time on the PP and would have been huge in the team’s ability to stage a comeback.

As well, why were Richard Park and Alexei Yashin sitting on the bench for most of the game? Park only had eight minutes of ice time and Yashin only had 13. Remember guys that earlier in the season, when this team was playing their best hockey, all four lines were getting good chunks of ice-time, with Park playing about 10 minutes a game and the Islanders captain getting about 17. I mean, all Park did was almost single-handedly get this team into the playoffs this weekend and bust his hump all season on both ends of the ice, why wasn’t he given more ice time?

Secondly, Yashin’s play since he came back hasn’t been bad at all, as he has 12 points in his last 16 games [remember also that Yashin got barely an ice time his first few games back] and with the team in the playoffs, he needs to get an opportunity to earn his huge paycheck.

However, despite the myriad of things that didn’t go the Isles way last night, there was one positive the Isles can take into the next game on Saturday… hatred for the Sabres. Towards the end of the game, things started to get really feisty and especially at the end, things looked like they were going to carry over into the next game. It all really started to escalate when Jaroslav Spacek started to throw elbows at Ryan Smyth and Trent Hunter like it was 1995 and he was playing NBA Jam.

Was it me or was the HSBC Arena so loud that Ryan Smyth didn’t hear the offside call late in the third? Why would Spacek then decide to crosscheck Smyth and then hit him with an elbow? I don’t know about you guys, but I thought after that little incident, the Isles started to finish their checks, well at least Arron Asham did. If the Isles can get gritty and revert back to the blue collar game that got them into the playoffs, we could see a much different series. Last night just looked like the Islanders were trying to beat the Sabres at their own game.

With only 21 shots on goal in Game 1, it’s obvious that if the Isles continue down this path then we all know where they’re going to wind up.

At any rate, the Islanders still have to get more pucks at Miller and need to pick up their physical play and defense if they want to hang with the Sabres. However, if they can win on Saturday and can manage to get DP healthy for game three, a series win could still be within their grasp.

For now however, the Islanders are skating on some pretty thin ice. Some will say that it’s only one game, but with only four losses to give in the series, things just got a little easier for the Sabres.

Hopefully, just maybe, looking back a few months from now, we can say that this was when the Islanders season really began.

Pure domination, that’s the best way to put it. Every line had their thing going. Asham, Park and Bates were flying all over the ice and the defense was joining the play and not having any problems getting back and stifling the Hurricanes offense.

While the offense of the Hurricanes was held in check last night, the Isles were all over the puck and again, Alexei Yashin and Jason Blake were on fire. Billy Jaffe made a great point by saying that they are both being unselfish with the puck and it’s paying well for them. Also, despite taking a few penalties [one of them was a complete joke as York was getting his stick held by a Hurricane and the back referee made the call for hooking when it was obvious he was getting his stick held], York played a solid game and provided some energy with Kozlov and Hunter.

We were so dominant last night that even Andy Hilbert managed to stick out, managing a season-high six shots on goal.

Simply put, when someone who has no points plays his best game of the year, you have to win. Luckily for the Isles, DP stayed on top of his game despite facing a minimum amount of shots and the rest of the team stuck together and played their best game of the season. Maybe now, the rest of the league will start to take the Isles a little bit more seriously.

BRUNO!

Maybe it was just me, but I’m starting to become a fan of Bruno Gervais. He plays such a solid game on both ends of the ice and it goes almost completely unnoticed. A few times he joined the rush last night and you could see that this kid has some speed. With Campoli in Bridgeport now, it looks like Bruno is here to stay. Originally wanting to see Campoli back in the lineup, I was hesitant of Bruno’s ability, but over the past few games, he’s made me a believer.

POOR MIRO!

I would have never thought that Satan would get himself into a slump like this, even though he’s a streaky scorer. Nevertheless, it’s great that he’s finding ways to score and he really played a great game last night, if anyone deserved that open-netter, it was Miro. If he continues to play this way, I have no doubt that the goals will come.

NEXT GAME…
 
Malkin and the Penguins come to the coliseum on Friday. Crosby missed the last game due to a groin injury, so he’s not likely to be 100% if he plays. This might be exactly what the Islanders need, considering a win against the Pens will put the Isles in sole possession of the last playoff spot in the conference. I know it may be a bit too early to think about the playoffs, but these games against division rivals will end up meaning a lot by the end of the season.