The Islanders' scheduled training-camp trip to China this fall was scrapped in late May after planning snags surfaced regarding NHL and union procedural requirements, according to Newsday.

The nine-day, four-city trek initially was approved both by the league and the NHLPA, but union officials reportedly hoped to send representatives ahead to China beforehand to ensure all facilities met league standards. But Newsday reported that Islanders owner and Charles Wang, who was born in China, objected to that request because he was concerned that might cause problems with Chinese officials.

"It's disappointing," Islanders GM Garth Snow said in the report.

Miro Satan? Phil Kessel? Mike Peca? Kyle Calder? Robert Lang? Viktor Kozlov?

With the better players being picked up already, the Islanders don’t seem willing to take a chance on any of these players. Kessel would be a great addition, but he wants too much money and hasn’t proven himself in this league yet. If he had say, two 30-goal seasons under his belt, he’d be signed by a team right now.

Kozlov would just be a hired gun, the same thing goes for Lang. Neither one would want to be part of a rebuilding plan. Satan and Peca are in the last legs of their careers and Calder has lost the potential he once had. Maybe the Isles are better with a straight rebuild.

What do you guys think?

Good luck in your future endeavors Silly.

Aside from that, there hasn’t been much Isles news, so my video game exploits have continued.

Check out my NHL 10 demo thoughts here. Goddamn this game is so much fun. Even if you don’t play games, click the link anyway. I’m sure the screenshot alone will scare the crap out of you. It’s hard to believe video games have come this far. I still remember loving NHLPA 93 despite how ugly it was and now sometimes it’s more fun to play this than actually watch the real thing.

http://reviewfix.com/2009/08/nhl-10-demo-rocks-like-a-hurricane/

Aside from a solid first season with the team, the last two years of his contract were a jumbled inconsistent mess, where he showed the energy of an overweight puppy. Sure, he’s an asset and can still score 15-20 goals and can perform in the shootout. But are the Islanders in a situation to take a chance on this guy?

I say, if they really want to take a chance on someone, go with Mark Parrish; at least then the guy has more potential and can anchor a third line. He’s a bit more aggressive as well and has a soul. Plus, he’s only 31 and is in a desperate need of a change of scenery. Satan is like a Cylon and not the hot and sexy ones on the recently completed incarnation of Battlestar Galactica- I’m talking about the 1978 version here. He’s on the supreme downswing and there’s nothing anyone can do about it.

Unless they can get him dirt cheap, like just above NHL minimum and he gets powerplay time where he isn’t on the point [what a disaster that was a few years ago], then maybe it could work, but when you’re looking to add veteran character, this isn’t a guy I’d run to.

http://reviewfix.com/2009/08/relive-the-isles-glory-days-in-standard-definition/

This is where Alex Tanguay fits in.

He’s in desperate need of a change of scenery and is coming off an injury-plagued season last year, where he still managed to score 41 points in 50 games. He also doesn’t need to shoot the puck much, probably about 110 shots will do the trick, and can still score 20 goals a year. He makes the most of his shots and is incredibly unselfish with the puck. Sure, he’s fragile and sometimes inconsistent, but I still think that if he plays with Tavares, it could be something special.

The fact that the rest of league has passed up on him means the Islanders can get him cheaper than they could have done before. If they sign him to a two or three-year contract, they get him through his early 30s and if he doesn’t perform, they could always trade him to a contender for a draft pick.

However, if he performs, Tavares and who ever else is on the line with him and Tanguay, most likely Kyle Okposo, will be able to learn from a guy will some experience and will be able to get more of an opportunity to step up their game as well.

Low-risk, High-reward if you ask me.

Dwayne Roloson can definitely be that guy.

He’s got playoff experience and has proven he can be more than dependable, especially when on a team lacking offense. This plays a huge role when you consider the fact that even with John Tavares on board, the Islanders offense will be questionable and will be struggling to find its identity this season.

While I would have liked the Isles to have taken a shot with Marty Biron, the question remains if he would have came to the Island. To get a guy that has a solid resume and a hefty amount of playoff experience is a plus that could come in handy this season. Signing a two-year contract, I have no doubt that if healthy, D-Ro will be a damn good backup goaltender and far better than the other big name backups the Isles have had over the past 10 years that have failed to fill the bill for this team.

However, the team still has work to do this offseason.

If the Isles can now somehow find a way to sign another goal scorer, someone who can deposit about 25 tallies a year, I may start feeling much better about this team next season.

Newsday’s Greg Logan thinks John Tavares can be the next Sydney Crosby, but you get the feeling he won’t be as dynamic. I am expecting him to be a force at times, but see him going through growing pains as well. He’s an offensive machine and doesn’t have a great defensive game and because of that, I see him getting a ton of time on the powerplay, but little with the puck in the defensive end.

Because of this, it’ll take him a few years to become the type of player he truly can be.

Even he doesn’t know what that player will turn out to be.

For my taste, I’d love to see him score 30 goals as a rookie and win the Calder, but I don’t know if that’s entirely possible. Many scouts have said that he projects to be a 40-goal scorer and that he’s NHL ready now, but there’s no real way of telling that until he steps on the ice. With Josh Bailey, Frans Nielsen and Doug Weight up the middle to back him up, I think the Islanders with some nice versatility. Bailey projects to be a solid two-way center, while Nielsen in my mind has the potential to be a Mike Ribeiro-type player. Weight is a trusty old steed that I think still has a 50-point season in him. With those intangibles, I think Tavares can learn a lot in his rookie season.

Thinking about him playing with Kyle Okposo is also something that I think is incredibly intriguing.

As far as De Haan goes, he was the defenseman I saw the Islanders drafting at 26 and I even said so in April. So while I’m happy they went out and got him, the fact that they got him at 12 and didn’t pick up Landon Ferraro as well at 31 kind of shocked me. Kudos to Garth Snow for trading up to get his guy, but we’ll have to see what happens before we pass judgment. All I know is that he made a splash and people are talking. That may be the best thing for the organization right now. Nevertheless, I’m happy that the Islanders have a defenseman in the ranks that will be a solid powerplay quarterback in a few years.

The Islanders also drafted two goalies and to me, that shows that they may not be as comfortable with Rick DiPietro as they are making out to be. Both goaltenders have a plethora of upside and may be capable of big things in the future. However, with both Yann Danis and Joey MacDonald UFA’s this summer, this move could have been to shore up the depth chart at the position and may not be indicative of what the Isles think of DP.

Now with the draft behind us, the free agent period should be incredibly interesting.

Or is it just me?

Ah, the suspense.

Who will the Islanders draft?

John Tavares? Victor Hedman?

Will they even use the pick?

Guess we’re just going to have to wait and see.

At any rate however, the Islanders still need to solve their goaltending issue and look for a few more players to challenge these youngsters for spots in camp. Nothing is worse than a complacent 20-year-old who knows he has a job. Because of that, the Isles have to look around for some veterans who can come in and try and earn a job. Who knows, they may end up with another Richard Park or someone like that who can truly help the youngsters and his career at the same time.

Islanders call on former first round pick to backup bench- Any older Islander fans doesn’t have to be told who Dean Chynoweth is. Despite the fact that his career didn’t go as planned, he was an extremely fierce competitor who put his heart into every shift.

For you younger fans who don’t know who he is, check this out:

Over the past decade and change, he’s made a good name for himself in minor league hockey and has shown the same type of passion behind the bench.

At the very least, he’ll be an interesting addition to the Islanders bench.

“Dean has an extremely strong background of developing young prospects from working in the International Hockey League (IHL) and WHL for the past 11 years,” Snow said on the team’s official site a few days ago. “With the youth of our team, he is a perfect fit to show them what it takes to succeed in the NHL. His defensive background from his playing days will also serve as a tremendous asset to our young defensemen.”

Things get even better though, especially in the case of Tavares.

From Yahoo Sports:

• C John Tavares not only slept at GM Garth Snow’s house during his visit to Long Island in late May, but he toured Long Island with 17-year veteran C Doug Weight during his stay. “I drove him to some areas and said, ‘I played 15 years in the league before I knew this was here,’” Weight told Newsday. “You can have a wonderful fan base; we can start winning, and sooner or later, there will be a new building. You’ll have one of the greatest cities in the world 30 minutes from your door, and it’s a beautiful summer spot.’ I said, ‘You’re the type of player who can be the face of this franchise for a long time if they take you. There’s nothing to be afraid of as far as being here on Long Island. There’s a reputation because the team hasn’t had much success over the last 12 years, but maybe it just takes somebody like you to get in there.’ He showed absolutely no worry… He handles the pressure well, but I also think he likes to get away in the off-season. This could be a perfect place for him.”

Make no mistake about it, this was one of the reasons why Doug Weight was resigned. He’s like a used car salesman you want to take out to dinner. There’s a sincerity in his words, yet you know he’s got his own motives. The guy has a way with players that makes me think he’ll earn himself a nice role in the front office of a team or in the NHLPA once his playing days are over. If he can continue to perform at the pace he was last season, he may have one more year left in him after all.

However, before I sing his praises any further, we’ll see just how much they played a part in the way things turn out on June 26.

Hopefully this is the beginning of more good news to come.

Stay or go?- Stay. The guy produced last season in Bridgeport and if Jeff Tambellini or the host of other youngsters drops the ball, a balanced player like McLean may be able to step in.

Mitchell Fritz- Not much use for a guy like this in the NHL anymore. Sure, he’s tough as nails, but he doesn’t offer much of anything else. Good for games against the Rangers and Flyers, but little else.

Stay or go?- Go. The Islanders have a player in Joel Rechlicz that should be able to do a solid job of scrapping and he’s much younger and a better skater.

Mike Iggulden- Love this kid’s passing ability and instinct. A shame that he never got a shot with San Jose. Deserves a good 40 games to see what he’s capable of, but the jury is still out if the Islanders will give it to him.

Stay or go- Stay. As of right now, I’d much rather have him in the lineup than Tambellini. At least he doesn’t have a “passion switch” that no one knows how it gets turned on or off. At the very least, he’ll be another Hilbert or Tambellini or Jeff Hamilton, but in a great situation, he could be a good third liner with special teams capabilities.

Chris Lee- He’s put up solid offensive numbers at every level hes been at, but at 28, he needs a shot and soon. At Bridgeport, he may be a good teacher to the young players, but he needs an opportunity to show the Islanders brass what he is capable of. The only way that looks like it’s going to happen is if someone gets injured. And even with that considered, with all the injuries the defense had last season, he didn’t get a smidgen of NHL ice-time.

Stay or go- I’d keep him just for the fact that he can produce at the AHL level and you want to have someone there who can help guide the kids. However, if you have no intention of calling him up, which it seems the Isles do not, why waste your time?

Photo by Patrick Hickey Jr.

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.

Mike Sillinger- Two years ago, one could make the argument that Sillinger was one of the best players on the team. He scored 59 points, killed penalties and won faceoffs, seemingly at will. However, last season, Silly was injured and limited to less than 60 games. This alone played a huge part in why the team missed the playoffs. This season, Sillinger was out of the lineup for 75 games, dealing with even more injuries.

Now a UFA, Sillinger, if healthy and ready to return, could garner interest from other teams in the league. However, the question remains as to if the Islanders should take a chance on him, if that is the case. It’s hard to argue that many of the Islanders problems on the ice this season stemmed with problems with puck possession and Sillinger’s ability in the faceoff circle could have helped that, but at 37, soon to 38, the larger question is can he still be productive? If I was a betting man, I’d throw a hundred dollar bill on him hanging up his skates next season anyway, so even if the Isles decide to bring him back, it’ll be in the short term and considering the fact the team is in the middle of a youth movement, that decision doesn’t make much sense.

But this is the Isles we’re talking about.

Dean McAmmond- He showed some ability that many thought has eluded him lately in his short tenure with the Islanders, but I feel his arrival on Long Island this season had more to do with politics than the Isles wanting his services. With Richard Park and Tim Jackman signed and a host of youngsters that can be plugged into that fourth line with them, the chances of McAmmond sticking around for next season are slim to none.

Photo by Patrick Hickey Jr.

Blake Comeau- I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again; this kid has the makings of a great role player, but he has to take his destiny into his own hands. While I have little doubt that the Islanders will re-sign him this offseason, he has to come into next season’s camp in the best shape of his career and has to force Islanders head coach Scott Gordon to keep him with the big club. If he does that and can shoot the puck some more, there’s no reason why he can’t find himself in the 15-20 goal and 40 point range. I don’t know how you guys feel about this, but as far as a non-top six forward goes, those are damn good numbers.

Jeremy Colliton- Every time he’s been up with the big club, I’ve enjoyed watching him and I think he’s got a lot more offensive ability than people give him credit for. However, much like Ben Walter, I think he’s been lost in the organizational shuffle. Because of that, he’s better off trying to go somewhere else in order to accomplish his dreams of being a NHL regular.

Sergei Ogorodnikov- Don’t know much about him aside from the fact that he had a decent year in the ECHL a few years ago and he’s got some international experience until his belt. At 23 however, the questions remains as to how effective he can be at the NHL level and when he’ll get there.

Jamie Fraser- I think he’s another no-brainer. He’s got the same great hair as his relative Kerry, who is one of the best officials in the league and is a good leader. On the ice, he’s got a big heart and that’s one of the reasons why he’s a fan favorite in Bridgeport. A good player on both sides of the puck, Fraser, in my mind, should be one of the first players called up if the Isles get hot by the injury bug again.

Photo by Patrick Hickey Jr.

Trevor Smith- At this point in his career, I think Smith is a better player than Jeff Tambellini and deserves a chance to prove what he’s got. Overall, he’s got a good nose for the net and has great instincts. With the right linemates and a full-time spot, I think he can be a guy that can score 15 goals next season in the NHL. So as far as resigning him goes, I think it’s a no-brainer. At 23, he’s got enough experience at the college level and in the AHL and ECHL to get the job done in the NHL. It’s time the Islanders give him a real opportunity. Otherwise, he’ll get it somewhere else.

Nate Thompson- As I’ve discussed in older posts, Thompson would be a good depth signing, as he’s capable of being a leader in the AHL and is a good defensive player and middleweight in the NHL, but the question remains as to how much he can help the Islanders.

Peter Mannino- While he wasn’t nearly as strong as Nathan Lawson, who put up some stellar numbers in Bridgeport this season, I think Mannino, with a bit more seasoning, has the ability to be a decent backup goaltender one day. At the very least, he deserves one more year in the AHL to prove himself, especially considering the fact that he spent time in the ECHL this season.

Ben Walter- This poor kid has consistently put up quality numbers at Bridgeport and Providence, but for some reason, has been unable to crack the lineup. Sometimes I feel the Islanders have held on to him simply because he’s proven himself in the AHL and because they gave up a former first round pick in Petteri Nokelainen for him. At this point in his career, the Islanders don’t have much else to gain from their relationship.

Jack Hillen- Much like Smith, Hillen has an impressive college resume and should be given an opportunity this season if the Islanders don’t go out and make a big signing on the blue line. After that, he’ll have to fight it out with Freddy Meyer for the sixth defenseman spot. Not as aggressive as Meyer, Hillen is a good skater with a good shot that simply needs to take more chances on offense, while working on his defensive game. If he can do that, he’ll be a good addition to the blueline. If not, then he’ll be another wasted signing. However, in order for the Islanders to find out what the case really is, he’s going to need one full season under his belt. If he shows the initiative in training camp, I say give it to him.

Photo by Patrick Hickey Jr.

Now, while Islanders general manager Garth Snow has kept mum on his intentions, I offer a few thoughts as to what the team should do with their picks.

Option One- Draft John Tavares and a talented blue liner. Many believe Tavares could be the player to build around, but he’ll just be one piece to the puzzle that will get the Isles back into the playoffs. A guy like Calvin De Haan, who scored 63 points in 68 games with the Oshawa Generals this past season, may be a great choice. With Campoli gone, the Islanders could use more depth on the powerplay and De Haan has the talent to be that man. I don’t know how you guys feel, but I miss the days when the Islanders had a bunch of talented defensemen who could score. Considering that, De Haan has the potential to help the Islanders offense quite a bit.

Swedish D-man David Rundblad is a little bit older and while he doesn’t have the same offensive ability, he may be the better skater of the two and has more size, making him the Andy Sutton with a better shot of the future. However, he may be spending more time abroad before jumping to the NHL, making him a tougher guy to consider drafting.

Option Two- Draft John Tavares and a goaltender. Of course, now it’s obvious what I think the Islanders should do with the first pick, but with the 29th, they may consider getting a young goaltender, just in case Rick DiPietro injures another hip. Wait, he’s already injured both of them over the past two seasons.

If Edward Pasquale is available when the Islanders go for their second pick, they should consider picking him up. Winning 32 games in the OHL this season with a solid .911 save percentage this season, Pasquale could be ready to thrive in a few seasons just in case DP doesn’t come close to finishing him record-breaking contract.

Oliver Roy is another quality goaltender the Islanders could look at. Winning 35 games in the QMJHL this season, Roy is a guy that may be able to play 40 games a season and take some of the pressure off DiPietro.

Photo by Patrick Hickey Jr.

Unlike DiPietro, who, I believe to this day still has no idea just how talented he really is and repeatedly goes out of his way to make the superstar play, rather than the smart one, Hilbert is smartness personified. As a matter of fact, I think he knows his game perhaps better than anyone else in the league. He knows that he’ll never be the 30 goal, point per game player he was in the AHL and has modified his game in order to stay in the league. As far as I see it, he’s one of the hardest working players in the league today as well.

As a fan, he irritates me because he can’t finish and he always seems to be around the puck. If someone like Jon Sim had as much moxy and awareness on the ice, he wouldn’t be in Bridgeport and would have ended the season with more goals than he’s ever had in a season.

As a journalist, I love the transition he’s made in order to stay in the league and love his heart. He’s the kind of player that won’t hurt you by being on the ice and like I said, works his tail off. However, at the same time, those attributes don’t always translate into numbers and that’s why I’ve often complained about his play.

Simply put, if the Islanders feel that either Trevor Smith or Jesse Joensuu is ready to play in the NHL full-time next season, Hilbert, despite his responsible play, should fall victim to the Islanders youth movement. However, considering the fact that like Nate Thompson, he has proven he can play in Islanders head coach Scott Gordon’s system makes him an intriguing option. An unrestricted free agent at the end of the season, the most I can see the Islanders giving Hilbert is a one-year contract, hoping he stays healthy and continues to thrive with Gordon, while the youngsters continue to develop in Bridgeport.

At 28 years old, Hilbert can play it safe and earn a decent contract that could keep him somewhere for a few years in hopes of finding a linemate that can help him take his career to the next level, preparing him to sign one bigger contract before he hangs up his skates. He can also sign a one-year contract somewhere and go for the gusto and prove to the rest of the league that he’s more than an immensely talented and hard working third liner.

Stay or Go- If the Islanders don’t have confidence in players like Joensuu just yet, I’d sign Hilbert to a one-year contract and if he’s playing well enough at the trading deadline, I’d ship him off for a pick. If Joensuu and Smith come to camp ready to earn a job, Hilbert’s hard work alone would secure him a spot.

Photo by Patrick Hickey Jr.

In return, I got a nice wave back and a smile.

True story.

Nevertheless, in spite of that kind gesture, it may be the rest of Islanders country that waves goodbye to Thompson this offseason. Well, at least from a regular spot in the lineup, that is. Tough on the boards and good in his own zone, Thompson proved his value as a fourth liner this season, but his offensive game still needs some polishing before he can truly earn his spot on the team in the future.

If the Islanders do indeed draft John Tavares and the Islanders do decide to sign Thompson as a restricted free agent, he’ll most likely be rounding out the depth chart at Bridgeport. Also considering the fact that he’s arbitration eligible this offseason, the Islanders could part ways with him before he becomes slightly more expensive.

Like I said, if the Islanders do draft John Tavares, Thompson is almost guaranteed to be in Bridgeport, despite Islanders head coach Scott Gordon’s affinity for him. If the Islanders draft Victor Hedman or pull of some type of shenanigans, they’ll still be looking for a center that can contribute more offensively than “Nice Nate.”

Even if the Islanders are looking to add depth at Bridgeport, they may even be able to do better than keeping Thompson around, as they can resign Mike Iggulden and give Justin DiBenedetto. Nevertheless, the guy has several solid seasons in the AHL under his belt, can play Gordon’s system and at the very least can fill in for a few games if someone is injured. If he wins his case in arbitration, Thompson probably won’t be due for too much of a raise either, still making him an affordable depth player.

Stay or Go?

Despite the variable in his favor, I think it’s in Thompson’s best interest to look for a gig somewhere else next season. With the youth movement in full swing and the Islanders already having a player that can do many of the things Thompson can do in Tim Jackman, his chances at establishing himself anywhere but in Bridgeport are very small.

Photo by Patrick Hickey Jr.

The old tale is that if a defenseman is unnoticeable on the ice that he’s done his job, but I believe Pock may be the exception to that rule.

Kenny Jonsson, he is not.

Playing in 59 games this season, Pock scored just three points and was a -17. For a guy with a few high quality seasons in the AHL under his belt, Pock hasn’t been able to put it together in the NHL. Much like Jeff Tambellini and Andy Hilbert, Pock is an AAAA player, who is able to play extremely well in the AHL, but just doesn’t have what it takes to thrive to his fullest potential in the NHL. Supposedly an offensive defensemen, his play this season was as tenacious as a sleeping newborn.

If the Islanders blue line is decimated by injuries again this season, players the likes of Andrew MacDonald, Jamie Fraser and Dustin Kohn should get the opportunity to fill the void, while Pock goes to look for a job with another NHL club.

Stay or go?

An emphatic go. The Isles have enough players under-performing and don’t need another one.

Battling an undisclosed illness for the last few games of the season, Dean McAmmond was a serviceable player in his short stint with the Islanders, proving that he still has the smarts and speed to be a dependable third or fourth liner in the league. Scoring nine points in 18 games, McAmmond did a pretty good job of providing added offense and killing penalties for the down and out Isles. However, considering the direction the Islanders are headed, with a handful of young players waiting in the wings, it seems a better move for the franchise to go with one of them than spend more money on a player that doesn’t have as much to give back. Like I said, McAmmond is still capable of scoring a dozen goals and as many helpers in a Richard Park-esque role, but I, much like the rest of the fans of this team, would much rather see a player like Jesse Joensuu on the ice than an aging former 20-goal scorer like McAmmond.

Stay or go?

Go, please. No more used up veterans on this team.

Photo by Patrick Hickey Jr.

I even set the bar pretty low for him in July, writing:

“If he’s healthy all season, I definitely see him scoring a dozen goals and adding 30 helpers, while setting a great on-ice example for the youngsters.”

And who wouldn’t have set the bar low for the guy after what happened to him the year before? As a matter of fact, many insiders thought the guy was finished after last season.

“I felt like I had a lot of hockey left in me and that I was not put in a good situation to play,” Weight said of his experience on 2007-08 on the team’s official website a few days ago. “But those things happen and it’s how you respond to those things. Fortunately, the Islanders wanted to give me a chance and I had a coach that had a lot of respect for my game and the way I play. I felt like I responded pretty well.”

Damn skippy you did.

In just 53 games, Weight scored 10 goals and added 28 assists, good for third on the team. Scoring 21 of his points on the powerplay as well, Weight did everything the Islanders could have asked from and more. Before the Islanders began their collapse and Joey MacDonald was doing just more than holding down the fort, Weight was also scoring a point a game and was screaming his head off on the bench, proving he was every bit the leader the Islanders expected him to be.

Considering what most of us expected from him, it’s almost impossible to argue with that.

“I wish I could’ve stayed healthy because I think I could have had a pretty good season and helped our team even more,” Weight said on the team’s official site. “But having said that, I am going to work hard during the offseason and come back and hopefully have a great year.”

If he is healthy, I expect Weight to score 15 goals and add 40 assists that should put him near Mark Streit and Kyle Okposo for the team’s scoring lead. That alone means the Islanders offense will still have its fair share of growing pains next season, but that won’t be because of Weight.

Simply put, the guy just fits into the Islanders system and is still a capable playmaker.

If the Islanders pick up John Tavares and perhaps a free agent signing and there is less pressure on Weight to produce, I expect him to have an even better season. At this point in his career, he can’t be asked to score 70 points, but if some of the youngsters can pick it up, Weight can and will continue to be a productive player for the New York Islanders.

Photo by Patrick Hickey Jr.

Sure, it hasn’t been completely horrible, as guys like Blake Comeau, Josh Bailey, Sean Bergenheim and Kyle Okposo have all shown signs of becoming players the team can depend on in the future. For the most part though, it been the same old song, as the team has failed to make the playoffs with aging veterans, nagging injuries to key players and youngsters that aren’t quite ripe yet.

Make no mistake about it though; not getting that first pick in this draft would have been an unforgettable end to one of the worst seasons in team history.

However, lady luck [Sorry, not the hot blonde chick with glasses in the new New York State lottery commercial] smiled upon the team yesterday as the team managed to nab the first pick in this year’s entry draft.

Can you dig it?

I know I can.

Nonetheless, despite the original excitement, I think I’m going to take things slow until something gets done.

No need to go crazy until the Islanders do something, right?

“We’re extremely pleased to have the first overall selection in this year’s draft,” said Islanders General Manager Garth Snow on the team’s official website. “This is an exciting time for the franchise and we are truly looking forward to the 2009 NHL Entry Draft.”

Thanks for the cliché-speak Garth; that’s exactly what we want to hear right now.

There are simply a ton of possibilities here. The Isles can take whoever they want, or they can hold the pick up for the highest bidder, which could possibly help them in the future even more than one player the likes of Tavares or Hedman could.

I personally would love to see Tavares on a line with Okposo; that alone for me would make me a happy camper next year. Having a 6′6 blue-liner with the skating ability of Hedman has possibilities as well, but I like to think that the Islanders defense is probably their strongest asset right now.

Snow has already stated that heknows what he wants to do with the pick, he’ll keep that information to himself for the time being.

“Yeah I do, but I’m not going to share it,” he said in reference to the Isles plans with the pick. “We’re going to get a great player for this team.”

Historically, the Islanders have luck on their side, as through the three other times they’ve drafted first overall, they’ve snatched up Billy Harris, Denis Potvin and Rick DiPietro.

Nonetheless, I still have this feeling in my stomach that something isn’t right.

Maybe I’m looking too much into this, but both Tavares and Hedman looked absolutely miserable after the news, like someone just told them their puppies died. It shouldn’t be too much of a concern however, because if either of them pull an Eric Lindros and decide not to play for the Isles, they may be in better shape than they could have been with just one of them.

Either way, the Islanders and their fans will have something to talk about despite missing the playoffs for the second season in a row.

For now, that’s something.

Photo by Patrick Hickey Jr.

Today, against the Eastern Conference leading Boston Bruins, the Islanders will try and go out in style the same way the did last season when they beat the Rangers on the last day last season.

If all goes well, the Bruins will dress Manny Fernandez, who got the start last night, and make sure he’s ready just in case uber-dependable Tim Thomas [Did you ever think you'd say that about the guy four years ago?] goes down for the playoff run. With the Islanders luck however, Thomas will be in net, as the Bruins too look to go out in style and crush an Islanders team that doesn’t stand a chance.

At any rate, should be an interesting match-up. Lets see if Kyle Okposo can have a good game as well and make sure the Islanders have a 20-goal scorer on this team this season. If not, it’s going to be something many Islanders fans remember for years to come.

Streit wants a sniper- Islanders All-Star defenseman Mark Streit knows what he wants the Islanders to go after this draft.

I’m sure many of you will agree with him as well.

“I think we need a sniper, a goal-scorer,” Streit told Newsday. “I think when Ricky (goalie Rick DiPietro) is healthy and we have our whole ‘D’ corps, we have a pretty good defense we can build on. We have a lot of good talent up front, and obviously, one other guy who could put the puck in the net wouldn’t hurt next year. But that’s out of my hands.”

I’ll be there- As part of my winning the 2008 Islanders blog of the year, I won a pair of tickets to any non-Rangers home game this season and decided a few weeks ago that today would be the perfect day. I’ll see you guys there. Driving all the way from Brooklyn, the Islanders better not let me down, or they’ll be hell to pay.

Both Islanders head coach Scott Gordon and rising star Kyle Okposo will be exposed to the IIHF World Championships later this month for the first time.

There, both of them will get the additional training, Gordon from Ron Wilson, an NHL coach with over 1,200 games coached and experience in the Olympics and international leagues as a player. Okposo will have plenty of players of a high skill level to play with and will be in the locker room, getting pointers on anything he needs help with.

As long as he doesn’t suffer any type of serious injury, this is a great opportunity for KO.

As far as Gordon is concerned, this is completely win-win. Perhaps, Gordon will be able to take some of the things that have worked for him this season and be able to help Wilson and his country kick some tail. Before this season, I thought Wilson was one of the better coaches in the league. This season still hasn’t changed that thought, but it’s fair to say that Wilson is going through the same pains Gordon is going through this season.

Maybe they can grow through these things together.

“I don’t think you ever get tired of getting that opportunity to represent your country,” Gordon, who was a goalie on the 1992 U.S. Olympic team, told the Associated Press. “My two experiences with the national team as a player and as a player in the Olympics were great experiences. It’s something that, when I got into coaching, I hoped that one day I’d get an opportunity to be a part of it. There’s no passion like playing for your country.

“I don’t know what the long-term is, I’m just happy about this short-term opportunity, and I’m looking forward to working with Ron Wilson. He’s certainly had a lot of experiences at different levels in international competition and in the NHL. I’ll be a sponge, I’ll listen to every word he’s got to say.”

On another note, I just came across this nifty little video of Wilson getting in an argument with Toronto reporter Howard Berger. Good stuff.

Pretty hard to do considering the fact that as a child, I’d watch Faces of Death while eating ice cream.

Nothing like cookies and cream and monkeys getting their brains bashed in if you ask me.

Last night’s game however, proved to be much more than disgusting; it was pitiful.

After Bill Guerin scored and looked down, it was obvious- even after being traded away a few weeks ago, for a paltry fifth round pick, he felt bad for his former team.

Six unanswered goals is hard to stomach and especially considering how hard the team came out in the first period.

What is even tougher to understand is how bad the Islanders powerplay was. Spoiling two separate five on three opportunities, the Islanders powerplay needs some serious work. However, with all the injuries the Islanders have dealt with as of late, what did you expect.

Even Islanders coach Scott Gordon knows his team will going to have a rough time competing the rest of the season.

“Right now, in our lineup, we don’t have a lot of firepower,” Gordon told the AP after the game. “I think we hit four posts during the course of the game. It’s not going to come as a surprise that the puck is not going to go in as easy as it would for some teams.”

In other news, the Islanders signed 2007 third-round pick Mark Katic and 2008 sixth round pick Justin DiBenedetto to three-year, entry-level contracts.

Katic is coming off his best season in juniors producing more than solid numbers of 13 goals, 41 assists and 54 points in 63 games. With Chris Campoli gone to Ottawa, Katic will first have to prove himself in Bridgeport, but will eventually at some point in the future have an opportunity to be the slick skating offensive defenseman the Islanders will need in the future to compliment Mark Streit.

Scoring 45 goals and 48 assists in 62 games with Sarnia this season, DiBenedetto proved he could still put up big numbers without Steven Stamkos around and with the team in need of young and talented forwards, DiBenedetto not only makes the organization deeper at the position, but he could challenge for significant time in Bridgeport next season.

If the injury bug takes over again next season, who knows, we may see both of these kids.

For time being however, they have both been assigned to Bridgeport.

It was simply unbearable to watch.

It was like watching Faces of Death. Gross, disgusting repugnant and debauchery all rolled into one, but with just enough intrigue to keep your eyes on it. For a while there, I thought the Hurricanes were going to go for the dozen; they were that good last night and yes, the Islanders were that bad.

As a youngster, I remember playing NHLPA 93 with my father and beating him so bad that my mother, who usually watched behind us, was scared for my safety. I’m talking games that ended in scores like 22-2, 21, 4 or even on a rare occasion 33-6. My dominance in virtual hockey has only gotten better over time, as a few months ago, I won a game of NHL 08 online by a score of 11-0 and outshot some kid in Toronto 42-8.

That, however, was a video game, where out shooting your opponent by 40 shots is happenstance.

Never in my life would I ever have thought that I could watch a game in the NHL where a team played that poorly.

Well, it happened last night.

In my heart of hearts, I wanted to believe that this was the 79 Montreal Canadiens and not a team that just clinched a playoff spot. I wanted to think it was Ken Dryden in net and Guy LaFleur scoring a hat trick rather than Cam Ward and Eric Staal [nothing against those guys, but they're not on that level just yet], but it wasn’t.

If it wasn’t obvious now, it is now, the Islanders are that bad.

How right was I?

Let’s find out…

Here’s what I said about Kyle Okposo.

Predicted Stats- 25 goals, 30 assists, 55 points

Not only do I expect Okposo to lead the Islanders in scoring this season, I expect him to play in all game situations and grow into a player that will eventually be able to help take this team into the playoffs on a consistent basis. Some people may think that 55 points isn’t a lot to smile about, but I think this season will be crucial in determining what Okposo is capable of at the NHL level. Talking to author and Minnesota sports writer Ross Bernstein a few months ago about Okposo’s style, I’m really excited at the possibilities here. While some people believe he won’t be a superstar at this level, I believe he’ll be extremely close to a point a game player and someone who opposing defenses don’t want to play against.

Where I was right:

I think over his last 20 games, Okposo has become a player that not many teams want to play against and I do still believe he has the ability to grow into someone who can help the Islanders make the playoffs.

Where I was wrong:

If not for his pensiveness and injury problems earlier in the season, I do believe he would have got to the 25 goal mark, but it’s not going to happen this season. Not too sure about the point a game player projection yet either.

Now it’s Jeff Tambellini’s turn.

Predicted Stats- 18 goals, 25 assists, 43 points

Proven at the AHL level, Tambo will finally get the playing time he’s been craving. Just like Okposo, I see him playing in various game situations and proving why he was drafted in the first round in 2003 by the Kings. Not having the size or tenacity Okposo does, I see Tambellini starting off slow until he finds his niche. A good passer with an accurate shot, it’ll take about 25 games until Tambs [wow, two nicknames in one paragraph] understands he’s not in the AHL more. After settling in, I believe Tambellini will develop into a competent and high-ceiling third liner that will develop into a 50-60 point scorer before his career is over.

Where I was right:

Ah, crap. He does have a pretty accurate shot though. Right into the goalie’s pads.

Where I was wrong:

After this season, I don’t think anyone will ever think Tambo will score 60 points in a season. Maybe in two though. Also, it took him about 50 games to get his act together, not 25. Just reading what I wrote about the kid makes me wonder what I ate the night before.

Finally, here’s the prediction on Blake Comeau.

Predicted Stats- 15 goals, 18 assists, 33 points

Unlike Okposo and Tambellini, I see Comeau developing into a gritty, passionate role player that every team in the NHL would love to have on their roster. However, a few variables will have to go his way before he can develop into a true NHL lunch pailer. For one, Comeau is going to have to let his tough play in the corners and in front of the net develop to the point where he gets a little more fiery when intimidated. I know I’ve mentioned this a few times last season, but in order for Comeau to reach the next level, he has to get more space on the ice. The only way that happens is if he proves to the league that a price will be paid if he’s messed with. With his release and instincts, he can be a force on the ice against teams with size up front, he just has to play with more of an edge. His heart and passion is there and so is the skill, he just needs a little more spice.

Where I was right:

Just like the Michelle Branch song, “Everywhere,” I was right on the button. However, because of his inability to come into camp in shape, Comeau didn’t get a chance to score as much as he should have. Nevertheless, I think he’s come a long way this season and is finally a full-time NHLer.

Where I was wrong:

I’d like to see him get a bit grittier, even though he’s much stronger on and away from the puck than he was last season.

No one expected that it would take almost four years, but it seems that finally, Jeff Tambellini is becoming something that Islanders fans and he himself can get used to.

Very similar to Andy Hilbert, Tambellini is a beast in the AHL, a sniper and offensive force that would even scare Jeff Hamilton. In the NHL however, Tambellini is a guy that has to do a bunch of things in order to be successful.

Once he realized, his job was on the line and even veterans the likes of Jon Sim where being targeted by the organization for various reasons, that’s when I think Tambellini realized he had nothing to lose and began to take the body and shoot with more confidence.

So no more excuses about Ted Nolan not playing him, no more excuses about what line he’s on.

It’s all up to him now and he knows it.

“For the playoffs, (the games are) meaningless, but for each guy in this room, we’re playing for respect, we’re playing for jobs next year, we’re playing for ice time,” winger Jeff Tambellini told Newsday. “These are big games for us. No one is taking this lightly because this is a young group and we’re all trying to prove ourselves and put our personal mark on this team.”

Speaking of taking the body, Tambellini has has had no problem hitting players much bigger than him, which in turn has made him a much better player in corners, in the defensive end and on the powerplay. As a result, the guy has five goals in his last 16 games and has been on of the Islanders best players during that span, a far cry when he was barely noticeable at all.

Some would say that’s too little too late for the former first round pick, but with another year left on his contract and the team to get even younger next season, Tambellini, at least early in the year will get more ice-time due to his second half prowess.

My guess is he’ll be another Hilbert-clone, scoring about 10-15 goals a season that can play in all game situations, which may upset some Isles fans, but he will be a full-time NHLer next season and won’t ride the bench.

For him at the very least, it’s a step in the right direction.

We’ll see how much it helps the Islanders next season as well.

Calling up Sean Bentivoglio and Trevor Smith for the night, the team would have been better off calling up Kirk Cameron and Alan Thicke, because they were experiencing serious “growing pains.”

Without Okposo and Streit, the Islanders simply have no offense. Nothing against Bentivoglio or the sharp-shooting Smith, but they obviously don’t provide the same type of punch. In order for the Islanders to come out with a victory, they were going to have to play a perfect game and stay out of a penalty box.

That obviously didn’t happen and without McAmmond helping to man the penalty kill, the Islanders were eaten alive by a hungry Habs team.

“I’m upset about the penalties,” coach Scott Gordon told the Associated Press after the Islanders gave Montreal eight power plays last night. “If you’re going to take a penalty, it’s to save a goal. I don’t think there were too many saved goals tonight.”

On another note, I don’t think there was much of anything on the Islanders side of the ice last night. It wasn’t completely Yann Danis’ fault, as a pair of those goals came on the powerplay, but the Islanders defense was walked all over by the Canadiens.

Aside from Doug Weight dropping the gloves again and Jeff Tambellini’s rocket that for the moment got the Isles back in th game, this contest was an absolute stinker. I’ve said before, but with so many injuries, this team has to be perfect every night and last night, that was simply not the case.

“We’ve been playing pretty good, and this was a disappointing effort for our team,” veteran Islanders forward Doug Weight told the Associated Press.

However, in spite of the team’s play last night, the worst thing about the game was seeing Habs fans take over the building and hearing chats and nothing being called back by Isles’ fans makes me scared about the situation this fan base is in. A few years ago, when this team was making the playoffs, I don’t anything like that would have happened. Those Canadiens fans would have been drown out.

Overall, just like the situation the team is in right now, it seems like the fan base is going through similar problems.

It’s simply amazing to me that the Islanders continue to fight despite their place in the standings and their situation with injuries right now.

With Mark Streit out of the lineup last night as well, the rest of the NHL probably saw this game as an afterthought.

However, the Islanders came out hard and outworked the Capitals on several occasions, as the trio of Josh Bailey, Kyle Okposo and Frans Nielsen continue to get better every game. As I’ve mentioned before, Bailey has become a much more complete player, while Okposo isn’t scared to shoot anymore. Nielsen has developed into an excellent little playmaker, complimenting his already excellent ability in the face-off circle and in his own end.

During the telecast, Howie Rose and Billy Jaffe made mention of Bailey’s willingness to get in front of net and that when he’s on the ice an in front of the goalie and a goal is scored, it means just as much to him as a goal itself. To hear a 19-year-old talk that unselfishly about his game is great news for this team.

Nonetheless, Mike Green was aided by some sloppy play in their own end and spotty goaltending by Joey MacDonald, inducing an Isles loss that ended up much worse than it really was.

Overall, I think the fact that the Islanders were able to stick this out and keep the game tight was a testament to how far they’ve come this season, despite the fact that some may think that Washington just took the team lightly through the first 40 minutes.

Regardless, I feel like we are seeing a significant progression in the talent level of this team right now.

However, it goes to show just how much work this team still has ahead of them this offseason. It also proves just how important Streit is to this team, as several of the mistakes made by the young defensemen, mistakes, Streit, at +9 for the year, probably wouldn’t have made.

OMG moment of the night- Oh man, did you guys see when Okposo got stretched out in the third? Scary stuff. No word as of yet what the case is, but you hope the guy can play out the rest of the season and continue to show the rest of the league that he’s capable of leading a team on offense. I know he came back and played the rest of the game, but who knows what the case is at this point.

That, I predict, will change big time next season.

If healthy next season, I not only see Kyle Okposo hitting the 20 and even 30 goal mark, but Trent Hunter, Mark Streit and Sean Bergenheim as well.

Since the All-Star Break, Okposo has been the best player on the team next to Streit, scoring big goals and showing excellent instincts. After another summer of intense conditioning and more time with Josh Bailey, who is also developing, I see him becoming the Islanders version of Zach Parise. If the Islanders pick up John Tavares or Victor Hedman as well, Okposo will have a huge burden off of his shoulders and won’t be looked at as the team’s savior. Because of that, I see next season eventually turning into the best season of his young NHL career.

Hunter was playing excellent hockey early in the season before dealing with injuries and with Frans Nielsen getting better every game, I see those two making some beautiful music together next season. With Nielsen’s speed and Hunters ability to get in front of the net and score garbage goals, Hunter will get his fair share. Also, with Nielsen’s playmaking ability, Hunter can use his shot a bit more than he was using earlier in the season when “The Great Dane” wasn’t exactly comfortable in the league yet. Simply put, the better Nielsen gets, the more Hunter will produce.

As far as Mark Streit goes, Islanders fans have already seen what a good shot he has and if the players around him develop, he’ll have even more confidence and will unleash it much more often. Already a Norris Trophy Candidate, Streit won’t have nearly as much pressure on him as he had last year and because of that, he’ll get even better, getting to the 60 point mark again.

Bergenheim is the tricky one here. Always a late starter, Bergie has to have the first strong first half of his career and then revert back to his usually deadly second half self during the final 40 games. With great hands, a plethora of grit and even more desire, Bergie can and will score 20 goals in this league. He just has to stay healthy and have a drop more consistency than he had this season. Overall, I think it’s fair that it’s not asking for much out of him.

“Right now, the whole focus and the whole plan is on one thing: getting this thing built,” Wang said Thursday. “Obviously, if it doesn’t get done within the time frame, then we look at all options.”

However, the biggest agenda on the mind of Wang and the other people involved is keeping this team on the Island. They don’t want to think of anything else right now.

And for good reason. It’s been over five years since the initial Lighthouse plans were originally made public.

“Bottom line is that if Long Island doesn’t do a good job, we’re going to lose the team,” Nassau County Executive Tom Suozzi told The News.

As the Metallica song goes, “Sad But True.”

Is Doug Weight playing for his job?- I also wrote about a week ago how Weight has expressed his affinity for Long Island and would like to be a part of next year’s team. With a handful of games left this season, the All-Star center can make things easy for the Islanders and play his heart out, proving how much he really wants to be here. If the opposite happens, the Islanders may want to wait things out a bit more before they come to a real decision.

Dropping the gloves the other night, it seems apparent that Weight wants to be a leader on this team and wants to be the guy to help the youngsters develop.

“Our team has come a long way the last couple of months and is really coming together,” Weight told the AP after the game. “It’s not like I would do that in a playoff race, but once in a while you have to do that…Our team has been sticking up for each other and really coming together and those things are good to see.”

I personally think that if he had never gotten hurt this season, he’d have more points than Mark Streit and the Islanders decline wouldn’t have been as harsh. Would they still be in last place? That may in fact be debatable.

So when you have a player that can help and is willing to play in the coach’s system, you obviously sign him and make both the fans and the organization happy, right?

Guess we’ll have to wait until July to find out about that one.

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.

“We’ve been playing a lot better,” Okposo told the Associated Press. “We know we can win with the guys in this locker room.”

Things went the Islanders way early on as Radek Martinek scored on a shot from the point that Philadelphia Flyers goaltender Marty Biron failed to get the best view of. Frans Nielsen continued his excellent play as of late, but was a second too short, as his goal in traffic was null and void at the end of the first.

Jeff Tambellini doubled the Islanders lead in the second, swatting a puck out of mid-air [has someone been playing Wii-Sports lately?]. With one-year left on his contract, Tambellini has been a different player during the second half, scoring four of his six goals in the 21 games following the All-Star break, which would put him on pace for about 15 goals for the season. That I believe wouldn’t be too shabby for the kid this season, especially considering that many thought he’d start to show a bit more of a goal scorers touch this season. However, with his improved play, Tambellini should still have one last chance to prove if he can be a top six forward in this league.

With a 2-0 lead, the Isles got lucky when Mike Richards hit the post late in the period. Before that, the fists began to fly and the Flyers got some momentum the old fashioned way. Going into the third, they had the Islanders on their heels.

Scoring three unanswered goals in 3:55, the Flyers were quickly in the drivers seat, but just 32 seconds later, Mark Streit tallied to tie the game and eventually take it into overtime.

After an uneventful overtime period, the Islanders went into the shootout where Brendan Witt, ironically went first. Simply put, you cannot waste a spot like that on a player that despite having a heart of warrior, is not a goal scorer. Tambellini had a goal in the game and has always had success in that spot, why not throw him in there and continue to build his confidence?

I know the season’s been long over and the team would like to increase their odds of getting John Tavares and do so without being too obvious, but there it wasn’t.

Yes, Joey “Pickles” MacDonald isn’t ready to give up this season. Despite playing his heart out for most of the season, MacDonald in fact may be without a job next season and he knows it. That’s one of the reasons why he needed to be on top of his game last night. Making 42 saves and getting some help from the pipes behind him and two youngsters in Frans Nielsen and Josh Bailey, the Islanders and Joey Mac earned a much-needed win against the Detroit Red Wings.

I can almost guarantee that Mikael Samuelsson and most of the Wings had trouble sleeping last night.

“Time and time again we had great opportunities, I thought our execution was really good, but I thought they were desperate,” Babcock told the Associated Press. “The goalie was good, they blocked shots, they competed really hard.”

Wow, that should be a line in an Alanis Morrisette song, The last place team was desperate and beat the first place team. Isn’t it ironic? Don’tcha think?

At any rate it shouldn’t matter how the Islanders won, just the fact that they did win and against a team like the Red Wings, is something that they should be uber proud of.

Josh Bailey has been talking more about improving his shot this summer and Kyle Okposo [who is another guy who has been getting better and better this season] has said on numerous occasions that he’s been working with him in practice on it. Starting to see a difference? I think so. He’s got much more confidence when the puck is on his stick and even though I believe he’s a great passer, he’s definitely got the ability to put the puck in the net more than he has this season. Seeing that development occur right before your eyes is pretty damn fun if you ask me. Earlier in the season, he would have been out by the circles, rather than in front of the net fighting for the garbage goal.

The same process is beginning to take place with “The Great Dane” as Nielsen seems to be getting better and better every time he steps out there. 29 points in 51 games may not be too enthralling, but considering the fact that he has 10 points in his past 13 games, it’s easy to see that he’s not the same player he was earlier in the season.

I think it’s fair to say that most of the youngsters are going through the same thing.

They are taking their Flintstones vitamins.

They are 10 million strong… and growing.

Sing it with me.

With Nassau Coliseum in desperate need of a makeover and the idea of the Lighthouse Project looking grimmer by the day, the idea of moving the Islanders to Queens, smack dab in the middle of Flushing, a hop skip and jump from the National Tennis Center and Citi-Field ,is an amazing one. Luckily, the Daily News got the scoop the other day, which discusses how badly the people in the borough want this to happen.

For fans, it would give them an opportunity to surround themselves with the sports and players that they love and for Queens, it could mean big business. Anyone who has ever ventured outside the parking lots at the old Shea Stadium knows the neighborhood isn’t fantastic, as it’s surrounded by Chop Shops and shanty like housing, but getting the Islanders there to compliment the other two venues could make local business set up shop.

Lets be fair here, the Islanders aren’t the huge ticket they used to be. However, if there is a professional hockey team in Queens, businesses in the area will no longer be seasonal and will be able to grow all year round. That idea alone should have the Queens chamber of commerce drooling.

According to the article, City Councilman John Liu (D-Flushing), who is also a candidate for city controller, also seems to be extremely dedicated in keeping the four-time Stanley Cup champs from heading to Kansas City or Saskatoon, Canada, the two locations looking to steal the Islanders away.

“The city should do everything humanly possible to keep the Islanders in our region- and preferably in Queens,” Liu said.

Wow. If the Islanders had someone like this taking care of business in Long Island, maybe the Lighthouse Project would be off the ground already. If that wasn’t enough, there are more people that want to get this thing off the ground.

According to the piece:

Chuck Apelian, who heads the Willets Point subcommittee for Community Board 7, envisioned a mighty sports complex anchored by the Mets, the National Tennis Center and the Islanders.

“It’s a great opportunity for Queens,” he said. “It fills out the area – you have baseball, you have tennis, you have hockey.”

I think this plan could work. As a matter of fact, it even make sense. These teams practically have the same father as well, in Bill Shea and share the same team colors. Bringing them together could also give the Isles and their young team a chance to shine in a bigger venue where they will have even more fan support.

It will also make it that much easier for this Brooklynite to get to games.

Let’s do it.

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.

Not me and not many other Islander fans.

However, according to the Mighty Chris Botta, Weight is focused on returning next season and is actually looking forward to signing a contract.

With April fool’s a week away, this is no joke either.

This guy is serious about returning to the team.

“This is not a case of seeing if the grass is greener on July 1,” Weight said. “I know what we have here with the Islanders and I’m very excited about it. With a lot more health and whatever changes management makes, this team can go from the bottom of the League to the playoffs next season. I truly believe that.”

As Peter Boyle from “Everybody Loves Raymond” would say: “Holy Crap!”

It’s kind of hard to argue with the play of Weight before he was forced to deal with injuries, especially when he was averaging a point a game and was leading the team in the locker room. I know that I’ve been saying that Mark Streit should be the next captain of the Islanders, but if Weight is around, he may end up being the perfect choice.

From the looks of his comments, it’s obvious that he loves Scott Gordon’s system and believes the guy have him an opportunity to rejuvenate his career. That may not have meant much to guys like Tom Poti and Viktor Kozlov, who earned big ticket salaries with the Capitals after upping their market value with the Islanders under Ted Nolan, but Weight seems to be a different type of guy.

“I can’t tell you how much I’d kill to be in the playoffs next season in an Islanders uniform. This place has come to mean a lot to me. They gave me a chance last summer to prove I had something left and we proved it together. I’m going to play next season and I hope it’s here.”

If he is indeed healthy and feels he can still contribute, I think it would be great for him to return.

While Weight is “killing” for the opportunity, he may end up doing something much safer in oder to secure his spot on the team… signing the bottom line.

After the game, I had an opportunity to ask him a few questions about just how intense the rivalry was between the Islanders and Rangers.

The Drive for Five: You played a big part in the Islanders/Rangers rivalry in the 70s and 80s. What was it like for you?

Ron Duguay: What made it exciting aside from the teams being so close in proximity, was the fans. I’m sure that there were probably more fights in the stands than on the ice at times and it was fitting since the fans were the ones that really created this rivalry. On top of that, both teams really enjoyed playing against each other and there was a respect. It wasn’t like when we played Philadelphia, when it was a gong show. When we played the Islanders, it was hard-nosed hockey.

TDFF: Was there a player on the Islanders that you were scared to hit the ice with?

Duguay: No. I just knew and was always aware that if I went into Denis Potvin’s zone, I was going to get hit and hit hard. Other than that, I think everyone always played hard and were respectful of each other.

Photo Patrick Hickey Jr.

After a scoreless first, where the Isles where holding their own in both ends, they got off on the wrong foot on a Chris Neil goal in the second period that I personally think Yann Danis should have stopped in his sleep. I’m talking R.E.M. induced sleep here, like “losing his religion” sleep.

The second Ottawa however goal had more to do with the fact that the Isles had four players in front of the net and they allowed Filip Kuba to sneak in from the point than anything Danis did, as he was simply hung out to dry.

The pain continued as Mike Fisher and Dany “Why do I spell my name with one ‘N’” Heatley tallied to give them a 4-0 lead. Simply put, it wasn’t exactly pretty at this point, but like they have most of the season, the Isles fought back.

Joel Rechlicz was the guy doing most of the fighting and hitting. I don’t know what you guys think, but Tim Jackman may have some competition next season despite his new contract. The guy has the heart of a warrior and if he can continue to work on his skating ability, he can and will develop into a more than competent NHL tough guy.

Bailey’s first goal at 3:02 gave them a glimmer of hope. Unfortunately for them, they couldn’t build off of that as Nick Foligno tallied to make it a 5-1 game. Bailey tallied again soon there after, but by then, the game was already over.

Same song. Isles lose, but there are some small positives. Seeing Bailey shoot some more and seeing Rechlicz stand up for himself, this team knows they still have a lot of work to do, but see that they’re progressing towards something.

“If you have a good night it makes it a lot sweeter if it’s a W,” Bailey told the Associated Press. “As far as myself, it was only a good third period. My first two periods were off big time and I think that goes along with the rest of the team, too. They played well and we have to give credit where credit is deserved.”

While there was no line sniffing or camel clutches last night in Carolina, the Islanders played a solid game for 60 minutes that should have been won had it not been for a few costly turnovers, effectively humbling a Carolina team that might be heading to the playoffs.

Nevertheless, the Islanders still see the game as a step in the right direction.

“I think it shows we have a lot of potential and we can score goals,” Tim Jackman, who had two assists in his first game since signing a new contract, told the Associated Press after the game. “When we’re doing the right things, good things happen.”

Even the Carolina players thought that the Islanders came out hard and of course, being the better team that they are, they banded together and made sure they held on to their playoff spot.

“Yeah, we sat back on our heels,” LaRose told the AP after the game. “Even in the first period, they got a lot of scoring chances. We were a little upset with ourselves after the second period. We did not play well in the second, and it showed. You know, we just didn’t want to come in here with any regrets after the game.”

When I think of where this game began to take a turn for the worse, I think of Brendan Witt’s turnover that led to Erik Cole crashing the net and a goal soon thereafter. That I think deflated the team and after that, they simply hung young goaltender Peter Mannino out to dry. Was he as solid as he was in his first start last week? I don’t think so, as Carolina’s play in the third period was something he nor the Islanders defense was ready for.

Much like any young team, the Islanders earned some more bumps and bruises last night, a process that will surely continue.

However, seeing four unanswered goals and two of them coming from Frans Nielsen and Kyle Okposo made the game an entertaining one.

It may be hard to see right now, but I feel like this team is beginning to start to develop an identity or style of play.

When thinking of players that fit into this category, Tim Jackman is one of the first players that comes to mind.

Signing a one-year contract extension with the Islanders yesterday, Jackman was rewarded for his hard work, making his return to the team next season an imminent one.

While Jackman coming back may not be a huge signing, it does assure the team of some fourth line grit and toughness.

You can never have enough of that, can you?

“Tim earned this extension by showing his willingness to do whatever is necessary to help the Islanders succeed,” New York general manager Garth Snow told the Associated Press. “We know Tim is excited about being an Islander next season, and we’re just as excited to have him back.”

The thing I like the most about Jackman is that he can fit adequately into a variety of roles. If someone is picking on Kyle Okposo or one of the other youngsters, Jackman has no problem dropping the gloves with them. If the Islanders need someone to go out there and change the momentum of a game and provide some energy, he can do that too. If someone on the top lines is slacking and needs a reality check, Jackman can play with the top line and get himself in front of the net and at least be an option. He’s even shown an ability an ability this season to kill penalties and block shots if he has to.

Because of that, he’s proven himself at this level and absolutely deserves an opportunity to strut his stuff in the NHL for at least one more season.

Simply put, Jackman doesn’t hurt the team when he’s on the ice. He’s a decent skater with good enough speed to be productive in pretty much any role the team needs him to be in. I actually think that he has better hands than most scouts give him credit for. Like Andy Hilbert in the fact that he’s produced more offensively in the AHL than the NHL, I think if Jackman plays 80 games and gets his 12 minutes a night, he could net 10 goals and add as many helpers.

For the time being though, I, like many Isles fans, are just happy to have him back.

We all know it’s a decision that won’t be made until next season, but just look at the guy’s numbers. 52 points and a +7 on the worst team in the league, from the blue line. I don’t know if there are many players in the league that could put up points like that if they were in his situation. Add in the fact that he missed and handful of games and it’s possible he could have even broken his career high in points that he set last season.

However, as many of you dudes and dudettes know, being a captain of any team in any league has more to do with the total package than just numbers alone. That is a category where I think Streit is totally underrated. Making amazing strides in his defensive game this season, I dare say that Streit is the best defenseman this team has had since Adrian Aucoin. And Unlike Aucoin, he doesn’t have to take 200 shots a season to be productive offensively. A great passer with an excellent shot and skating ability, Streit is one of the few defensemen in the league that can attract attention in all situations on offense and make the players around him better.

To me, that’s exactly what a captain should be able to do.

And to think, the Montreal Canadiens thought they used the guy up and that he’d never be able to reproduce the numbers he put up last season. I’m not a betting man by any stretch of the imagination, but I’m sure the Habs would gladly take Streit over Mathieu Schneider any day of the week. And let’s be fair here, Schneider is one of the most talented offensive defensemen of this generation. He’s a guy that many teams would kill to have.

But he’s not Mark Streit.

Again, that’s another reason why he should be Islanders captain. He’s one of a kind and he’s getting better every day because the organization has had faith in him from the start. The same way the youngsters are growing, Streit too has become a much better player this season and is a representation of what this team could be if they worked as hard as he did.

Peter Mannino is a god and you are not.

Well, at least until his next game.

Making 40 saves against any team in the NHL is no easy task, but against a team with nine players with over 35 points like the Chicago Blackhawks, it’s like trying to find all of Cloris Leachman’s liver spots. Seriously, the last time I saw Mannino in net, I thought he was in way over his head. He looked like Peter Griffin in the video store, trying to decide between two “Ernest” films.

But today was different. The Islanders defense was totally outmatched and Mannino did his best Yann Danis impersonation, stopping Chicago’s top players from the top of the circles, the blue line, on breakaways and in traffic.

“I felt good right away,” Mannino told the Associated Press after the game. “Chicago is an unbelievable offensive team and I wanted to get out the nerves as much as possible and stay focused. When you get a lot of shots, it helps, especially if you’re not letting them in right away.”

Well, the kid got his wish and was magnificent.

Chicago’s goaltender, Nikolai Khabibulin, making his first appearance after injuring his knee a few weeks ago however, was not. Only facing 19 shots, “The Bulin Wall” didn’t have what it took and ended up costing his team two points in the process.

It didn’t help matters that the Islanders powerplay was at its best. Mark Streit alone played a crucial role in today’s win by taking shots from the point and playing good instinctive hockey. Sometimes, when you have the ability a guy like Streit has, thinking less and just letting your instinct to score take over makes a huge difference. That’s exactly what happened today.

Another player that wasted no time helping the Isles was Richard Park. Islanders sideline reporter C.J. Papa said on the air on Saturday that the Islanders were going to take things slow with Park, who missed 11 games with busted ribs. While Papa was indeed correct, Park obviously didn’t get the message and has three points in his first two games back. Despite the fact that he got ice cold after starting the season white-hot, Park is still a more than useful player and someone that can teach the youngsters what they need to about this league while still being productive in both ends of the ice.

Players like that do not grow on trees my friends.

I think it’s going to be more than anyone could have asked for a few months ago.

Seeing Mark Streit dipsy-doodle his way around a few defenders after receiving a pass from Kyle Okposo is definitely something I’d like to see some more of.

Damn, is it me, or have I been saying that a lot lately?

I think the reason why I feel this way is because it’s the truth. This has been a different team over the past 10-15 games. Sure, they lack the pure offensive firepower to hold the ice with a team like Boston, but do they work hard and skate in all three zones or what? Once these kids get some more polish and get themselves in better shape over the offseason, I really think this team is a big signing and a few draft picks away from being a playoff contender. I really mean that.

Islanders coach Scott Gordon too sees the silver lining.

“We’re not an easy two points anymore,” Gordon told the Associated Press after yesterday’s loss to the Boston Bruins. “We were at the beginning of the year, but now our guys are playing at a pace that it really hasn’t mattered who the opposition has been.”

Gordon too attributes some of the success the team has had as of late to the exodus of a few “bad apples.”

“You know, we had a couple bad apples, too, that we got rid of,” Gordon told Newsday. “As a result of that, the chemistry in the locker room is what you would expect from a team that pulls together. They are pulling for each other, and they’re working with a purpose.”

Considering the way the team has played as of late, can you really blame him? Did anyone really think this team was going to be better off without Jon Sim, Bill Guerin, Mike Comrie and Chris Campoli? I surely didn’t. However, in their absence, people have stepped up with the added ice time they’ve been able to receive as a result and all of a sudden, this team is fun to watch again. It kind of makes you wonder where this team would be if these things could have been taken care of sooner.

However, much like the number of licks it takes to get to the center of a tootsie pop, the world may never know what the Islanders were truly capable of this season.

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.

Very strange. Very strange indeed.

“I really like what they’re doing,” Gretzky told the Associated Press before Phoenix’s 3-2 loss Sunday on Long Island. “You have to go through tough times to get back on top. You can’t be impatient. You have to do your homework in scouting, and if you get lucky and get a (Sidney) Crosby or an (Alex) Ovechkin, that helps too.”

Which basically means the Islanders have to do the opposite of the Coyotes have been doing the past few years, developing solid talent and then making them play a small role when they trade for Olli “I stunk on Long Island worse than anything that’s come out of the back pocket of Paris Hilton after a night she’d care not to remember” Jokinen.

While I’m sure the Islanders will take the compliment, I don’t know how the Islanders would deal with a Sydney Crosby type player at this stage of their franchise. While it’s obviously pivotal that they get better players and since they’ve been having problems signing elite free agents, the draft is the only way to go, but with the Lighthouse Project hitting snag after snag, would a top flight prospect really feel comfortable here? Just something to ponder. Instead, maybe the Islanders would be better off adding character players and forming a nucleus of six to eight guys that can do a little bit of everything, rather than one or two superstars. Again, just thinking here.

On another note, I really like that the Islanders will be sending Kyle Okposo and a few other youngsters to Bridgeport to help with the playoff push. Despite the fact that many of these guys have been in the NHL all season, they have yet to experience professional playoff hockey. That I think will be great for them and prepare them for next season.

“I’m going to play hard wherever I go,” Okposo told the Associated Press a few days ago.. “If I go back to Bridgeport for the playoffs, I’m going to give our team everything I’ve got. … The chance to maybe take on more of a leadership role, plus get the experience of the playoffs, is exciting to me. If I’m fortunate to get that opportunity, I’d be foolish not to embrace it.”

Despite the loss, I’m sure the Islanders will take it.

Sean Bergenheim’s injury and a few defensive lapses aside [right now he's waiting to be further evaluated. Hopefully there is an update on his status soon. I personally think it's a pulled groin], this was a productive game for the Islanders.

Toronto is far from an amazing team and they’re currently going through plenty of their own struggles, but the Islanders didn’t flinch and played hockey for 60 plus minutes.

With a team this young, that’s all you can ask for. I’m sure I’m not the only fan of this team that has seen a marketed improvement in the Isles’ play over the past few weeks and considering that, things like this, losing games they should have won, are still bound to happen. On the whole, this team still has plenty of bumps and bruises left to earn.

That was the case tonight.

Nevertheless, there were plenty of positives.

The second period alone, when they drew five penalties because they were skating their tails off [Kyle Okposo especially] in all three zones put a smile on my face because things like that are what Scott Gordon has been preaching all season. Sure, the powerplay was flaccid and was unable to generate quality scoring opportunities, but that’s to be expected. This is a young team after all and I’d rather see little steps in the right direction than no steps at all.

For the most part, Joey MacDonald did his job in net, but his rebound control wasn’t as solid and played a huge part in the Mikhail Grabovski goal in overtime. Nevertheless, aside from that, he didn’t let anyone down and gave his team a chance to win.

Speaking of players that gave the Islanders a chance to win, Blake Comeau and Okposo have been exceptional lately. Sometimes I think what the Islanders season could have been if KO didn’t start the season the way he did and Comeau came into camp in shape. However, rather than continue the dream fest, I will say that these guys are proving themselves more and more every day.

Another guy proving himself is Bruno Gervais [kudos on the scrap], who has been playing much better hockey in his own end and has been showing the skating ability that almost got him a spot here as an 18-year-old. Is he going to be the 30-35 point a season defenseman the team thought they were getting when they drafted him? Probably not, but I do think he can still be a good two-way defenseman.

All that aside, the Islanders, despite the loss should have some momentum when they face the Canadiens on Thursday.

Simply put, if this can keep up the rest of the season, the Islanders will be in much better shape to challenge for a playoff spot than they are right now. Well, OK, maybe I’m dreaming a bit here, as this team is still in need of a legitimate sniper and a healthy Rick DiPietro before they can even attempt to make the playoffs, but it’s fun to dream right?

At any rate, with the experience the Islanders youngsters have gotten this season, I really believe some of these kids have what it takes to be huge building blocks in the team’s future.

Like I said yesterday, I really feel that Kyle Okposo has what it takes to be a perennial 30-goal scorer in this league. If he continues to take the body, skate hard and shoot the puck, I think he can be a very similar player or give the Islanders the same jolt that Zach Parise gives the New Jersey Devils. His rookie season, Parise put up very similar numbers that Okposo is putting up now. It wasn’t until his second season that he truly began to show signs of what he is now. I feel the same thing will be the case for Okposo.

While he’s a bit older than some of the other youngsters, I see Blake Comeau eventually developing into a guy that score a dozen goals a season in a checking line role and provide the bench with leadership, charisma and hustle. With six goals this season and I believe 14 in about 100 games of NHL experience, his offensive game still needs more refining, but many of his problems early in the season had to do with conditioning, rather than his own individual skill level.

The case with Josh Bailey and Frans Nielsen I believe are different ones that Comeau, as I feel they are beginning to show that they have the ability to be more than effective centermen. I think they both have to shoot the puck more, but I do love their playmaking ability and of course, “The Great Dane’s” ability in the face-off circle. Of the two, I think Nielsen has more polish, but overall, I do believe Bailey will be the better overall player in the years to come. Nielsen I see developing into a 10-15 goal, 35-40 assist guy, but I think Bailey can be a consistent 40-assist man in this league. Even attempting to predict his goal totals is a tough task, but I do think that if he takes the initiative and shoots more, he could score anywhere from 15-20 goals next season.

However, in order for all this to happen, these kids will have to continue to work hard this season and prove that they belong.

If not, they’ll find themselves back in Bridgeport.

I don’t see that happening though.

What is up with this team lately?

Yann Danis was again spectacular, making 40 saves and helping the Islanders out of two separate five on three opportunities, thus leading the team to victory.

“At this point, we’re all fighting for a spot here next year,” Danis told the Associated Press after the game. “We’re trying to play like this every game.”

At this point Mr. Danis, you’re going to have a plethora of teams looking at you in the offseason. If I had it my way, you’d be backing up Rick DiPietro next season, no doubt about it. To even be close to .500 on a team this bad shows just how talented he is and what he could do if he played on a team that could produce offensively on a consistent basis.

Today, things didn’t start off his way though after Scottie Upshaw scored witha little over four minutes left in the first. The Islanders battled back though and got goals from Jeff “Yes, I can still score” Tambellini, Josh Bailey and Kyle Okposo, three guys that many thought before the season would be key players in the team’s youth movement. The way it seems now, Tambellini still has a season to prove himself, but I really like what I’ve seen from Bailey and Okposo.

Of the two, Bailey has the most refining to do in his game, but I think he can be a 40 assist man in this league one day. As far as Okposo goes, I wouldn’t be surprised if he scores 20 goals this season and if he continues to progress, I really think the Islanders could have a perennial 30-goal scorer on their hands and someone that they can build around for years to come.

Someone else that looked good today was Mike Iggulden , who in less than ten minutes of ice-time showed a ton of heart and plenty of good hockey instincts, drawing an assist on Bailey’s goal. Last time I checked, Iggulden is an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season, but if he continues to produce, he may land himself a spot in the organization next season.

Like I’ve been saying over the past few weeks, while the season has been a tough one overall, many of these kids are playing for their jobs, making for some pretty damn good hockey.

If this keeps up the rest of the season, things could be very interesting this offseason.

Now, three days later, the truth comes out.

It turns out that when the Islanders took Guerin out of the lineup before the Buffalo game on Feb. 28, they had no deal with any team in place, flubbing all the reports from various websites, based in both journalism and in rumor. At any rate, both Snow and Guerin’s agent felt it would be in the Islanders best interest to keep him out of the lineup to avoid injury.

This is where I don’t quite understand the logic.

You take a player out of the lineup that you know interest is low on because you don’t want them to get hurt, to do what exactly? Lower their already low value? Seriously, what is the worst thing that can happen, get a fifth round pick for a legitimate goal-scoring threat that could bolster any team’s offense?

Wait, that happened already.

Nonsense. Complete nonsense.

If Guerin played those games he sat out for and scored a few goals, perhaps he may have drawn some more interest from teams looking for offense and the Islanders could have gotten more.

If Guerin gets hurt, what happens? They don’t get a fifth round pick? I, like most Islander fans, could deal with that.

It’s highly doubtful this fifth round pick will be the franchise player that will guide this team out of the cellar. It’s also doubtful that this fifth round pick could be the 20-goal scorer the Islanders lost in Guerin as well. I know you should never really rate a trade until some time has passed, but I really think the Islanders should have taken a chance and let Guerin play his last few games with the team. Now the Islanders will have to wait and see what they’ve eventually received in return for their former captain.

Speaking of captains, it kind of irks me that the Islanders won’t name a captain until next season. It makes me think that they don’t have faith in the players they have now and will go outside the team and look for a veteran free agent to sign and name him captain.

That, I believe, would be dead wrong. This team has plenty of players, guys like Trent Hunter, Brendan Witt, Mark Streit and even Richard Park, that would be able to serve as a more than solid captain. The way things are going, this team needs someone from within to help them get to the next level. Someone that has seen how bad things are and can grow, despite thus struggles and help lead the team to respectability.

Those are just my thoughts though.

What do you guys think?

I don’t know how you guys feel, but seeing Blake Comeau finally put some fertilizer on his grapefruits and not only nail Avery near the Islanders bench in the first period, but then later blow him a kiss like he had a new man-servant, made my day.

It didn’t matter that the Rangers had the lead after the first 20 minutes, the Islanders skated hard against a much better team on paper and carried the play in the physicality and speed department. That’s what I want to see from this team the rest of the season.

The fact that the Islanders showed Avery his rear more times than my hands can count erase the bad penalties the Isles took, the mistakes they made in the neutral zone and the bad goal they gave up in the third.

Let’s face it, not many people expected the Islanders to stand much of a chance against a revamped and stacked Rangers team. Nevertheless, they kept it close for most of the game. Take away their mistakes, like running into each other and deflecting shots past their own goaltender [no sarcasm there, I swear] and I think they were the better team.

However, on special teams, it’s obvious the Islanders miss Doug Weight and have serious work to do with the man advantage next season if they are going to be a better team. Decent teams do what it takes on the powerplay and can get those extra tallies when they have to. 0 for their last 18 with the man advantage, it’s obvious the Islanders must change their approach if they are going to be a better team next season.

On a side note, I am quickly becoming a fan of both Dean McAmmond and Jesse Joensuu. Both of these guys were working their tails off last night. Aside from the play of Comeau, I think these two guys were the Islanders best players. Could McAmmond be earning himself a spot on this team for next season? Is Joensuu doing the same thing? Only time will tell with that, but overall, I think the Islanders showed tonight that they could hold the ice with a playoff team.

That in itself means a lot.

However at the same time, they are still a far way off from making themselves a team that can reach the post season in the not too distant future.

Still plenty of work to get done.

That was the word that I uttered when I found out the Islanders received a fifth round pick from the Pittsburgh Penguins for Bill Guerin yesterday.

Wow.

Simply put, I think Islanders GM Garth Snow panicked.

Why you ask? The guy got a third round pick for Marc-Andre Bergeron last season, a third round pick, [yes, I didn't stutter ]. He even got a sixth round pick for Chris Simon, a player no one in the NHL wanted last season and now, he gets a conditional fifth round pick for Bill Guerin, one of the most prolific American born goal scorers of our era.

Someone dropped the ball.

And to make matters worse, now Islander fans everywhere will have to root for the Pens and hope they get into the playoffs and past the first round so that fifth round pick can magically, deliciously transform into a third round pick.

Not going to happen.

So the Islanders will have an extra pick, but at what cost? I know Guerin was going to be gone at the end of the season anyway, but you simply cannot give away a player with his resume for a pick that low. If it was a third or second round pick, I would have been OK with it, but this is like a slap in the face.

Ray Shero is probably playing “Celebration” by Kool and the Gang as we speak.

Not cool.

With Guerin gone now, the Islanders will have to put the C on someone’s jersey and as of right now, I think it’ll either be Brendan Witt or Trent Hunter. While I have always had a soft spot in my heart for Witt, despite his struggles this season, I do think Hunter is the better choice. He’s going to be around another four years and is a young veteran and someone the Islanders can build around. More than anything right now, I feel this team needs to find some sort of stability right now, some kind of immovable object that fans know that regardless of how bad things get, that person will be there.

Trent Hunter can be that player.

After that, I’d give A’s to Richard Park and Witt. This way the Islanders have guys there that command a decent amount of respect around the league for their hustle and drive, which is exactly what Scott Gordon and the rest of the organization want to preach anyway.

But who knows what the Islanders will do. I remember when Bryan McCabe was named Islanders captain and I nearly crapped by teenage pants in disgusts.

What I do know however is that because of all of this, the last dozen or so games should be very interesting.

Stay Tuned.

Considering the fact that there seems to be a rift between several of the older players and Isles head coach Scott Gordon, many of the team’s veterans could be on the move.

I’m also wondering if Trent Hunter’s supposed lower body injury has more to do with his relationship with Gordon [I have no idea what it is, but if it's rocky, we may have seen the last of him] than anything with his lower body.

As of right now, it just feels like the team has had enough of many of the veterans on the team.

Jon Sim, for example, goes and plays his best game as an Islander and is put on waivers the very next day. The guy has been playing great hockey as of late after a whole season of under-performing and as soon as he gets going, you attempt to give him away? I don’t know if I agree with the logic there. He’s signed for an agreeable one million dollars next season and if he continues to produce, he’ll have a dozen goals in about 60 games. That’s not too shabby for a guy that scored 17 a few years ago with a plethora of ice time. Why they wouldn’t want to just ride him out until he stops scoring is beyond me.

What they are doing right now is slapping him in the face. Putting him on waivers once and not having anyone pick up was bad enough, now putting him back there while he’s playing his best hockey is the ultimate disrespect. Now if no one picks him up, what’s the next step? Throw a player you’ve already proven to have no faith in and that you’ve shown has no value to the 29 other teams in the rest of the league back in the lineup? Like I said, he’s still got another year on his contract and you’ve already made him miserable this season, so what exactly is this guys incentive to play hard for you? That’s the big problem here. Now he has none.

Simply put, doing things like this will inhibit free agents from coming over in the future. Add in the fact that the Islanders obviously already have problems signing players that they need to and this is not good news.

Not good business dealings if you ask me.

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?

Now are you guys beginning to see that this kid can be more than a checking line forward? Can you see that he can be a top six forward and score 20 goals a season? If not, then you my friends are the idiots. Damn, was he something special last night. Flying all over the ice, Bergenheim was taking the body, was the first man in on the forecheck and even finished offensively. When you combine all of that with any player on a given night, you’ll usually see the results on the scoresheet and last night, Bergenheim was no different.

While obviously not as key to the Islanders rebuilding movement as Kyle Okposo or Josh Bailey, Bergenheim’s continued stellar play will definitely be a huge boost to this team and help the Islanders find out what they want to do next season.

The same thing can be said for Yann Danis, who too was on top of his game. With Rick DiPietro coming back next season, many think the Islanders would be better off going with a more experienced goaltender to back him up, but I think either MacDonald, but preferably Danis would do a more than solid job backing him up. Better at handling his rebounds and getting the defense to come to his aid than MacDonald, I see no reason why Danis can’t play 20-25 game next season in a backup role.

He proved again last night that he can perform at a top level and I think I’m at the point where I don’t need any more convincing. Danis would be more than capable in a backup role next season.

What do you guys think?

Speaking of opinions, what do you guys think of the whole Bill Guerin situation? Could he really be on the move? Every one from Hockey Buzz to TSN believes that is the case. Guess we’ll just have to see what transpires there. I’ve already told you guys countless times this season that I like what Guerin brings to the table and every team, regardless of a youth movement or not, needs a few veteran pieces. Moving Guerin could also be the beginning of more moves to come, signaling the real beginning of the Islanders youth movement.

Stay tuned.

Nevertheless, I really like the attitude Islanders head coach Scott Gordon has had with the team this season.

We’ve all seen the frustration on his face mounting after every goal against, every injury and every miscue, but in spite of all of it, I truly believe the youngsters on this team are getting better and that Gordon’s system and coaching style has a lot to do with it.

“We could have easily deflated after our losing streak in December,” Gordon told the Associated Press a few days ago. “The one thing I stress to our players is we’re trying to build something here for next year, and I’m not going to stop coaching and trying to get our team to be better and I expect the same from all our players, but particularly the ones who are going to be here next year.”

If you’re a fan of this team, regardless of everything that has happened over the past two years, that should make you feel a little comfortable. Well, as comfortable as you can feel right now.

With the trading deadline on the way as well, the Islanders will have an opportunity to build the team more in Gordon’s image as well, which should, barring another crazy amount of injuries next season, make the Islanders much more competitive and much more fun to watch.

“What we want are players who will work through this adversity,” Gordon told the AP. “The circumstances we’ve had to go through with injuries… we’ve had some hurdles, and it’s how we’re going to handle adversity. One of the key areas is our character and not breaking away from what we want our team identity to be.”

I think that over the next 21 games, that identity will begin to be forged. One based on grit, speed and hard work, with guys like Mark Streit, Trent Hunter and Kyle Okposo leading the way and players the likes of Frans Neilsen, Sean Bergenheim and Josh Bailey not too far behind. Add in a good draft and the Islanders will be on the way to righting this ship and making sure they can build a consistent winner and not one that has to be destroyed every four years.

Having Rick DiPietro healthy for a change wouldn’t be so bad either.

However, it didn’t have to be that way. I understand that the Islanders season is a lost one, but the way Yann Danis has been playing, you have to keep him in between the pipes. Nothing against Joey MacDonald, but he hasn’t been as good as Danis lately. Last night, he gave up a few softies, especially early on that played a huge part in the game. Had he made those saves [I'm talking about the Nikolai Kulemin and Dominic Moore goals especially], the Isles would have been in a much better situation to take two points.

After the first period, I think the Islanders were definitely the better team. Sean Bergenheim and Kyle Okposo played their hearts out all night, even though I’d like to see them both finish a bit more. Mark Streit continues to hold down the fort and what can I say about Jon Sim. What crawled up his uniform and told him to score lately? Anyone who knows anything about the NHL knows that when he uses it, Sim has one of the nastiest wrist shots in the business. It’s just a matter of him using it. Well, Vesa Toskala found that out first hand last night.

I’m not sure how many people know this, but Sim still has a year left on his contract and considering the fact that the Isles are stuck with him [they sent him through waivers early in the season and no one picked him up], it’s good that he’s been producing lately. Nothing wrong with three goals in four games if you ask me.

It was also pretty cool to see Dean McAmmond pot one as well. Over the next 21 games, McAmmond will have an opportunity to prove to the rest of the league that he can still play in this league. Like I said before on the site, I’d have no problem with him anchoring the fourth line, where he should be able to score a dozen goals and add 15 or so assists if he’s healthy and doesn’t revert to the type of play that led to his exodus from Ottawa. Plus, he’s been around the league enough to be a good mentor to some of the young guys. With Mike Sillinger’s Islanders career most likely over, it makes sense if they keep him.

Despite the loss, it was good to see all those positives for a change. Let’s hope they can cut down on some of the mistakes they made [I thought the defense was a bit too lax as well, especially after how well they played against the Pens the other night] and give us some more offense. If that happens, the last 21 games should at least be entertaining to watch.

He’s been that good this season and last night, he was great.

However, a Petr Sykora goal late in the third was enough to ruin an otherwise spectacular night from the Isles goaltender in a 1-0 loss to the Pens.

The first period was a weird one, as neither team did much to establish a forecheck or any type of advantage. Danis did a solid job, especially of handling his rebounds, but Pittsburgh made his job way too easy. I don’t know what the book is on Danis, but the Penguins were taking shots from extremely high in the offensive zone and to no avail. It was almost like they got a tip that the guy can’t stop the shot from the point. I don’t know where they got their information and it obviously didn’t pay off for them, as both teams skated in their respective locker rooms with the game still scoreless.

The Islanders were far too timid in the first, but started to get going over the last few minutes in the first, getting several good scoring opportunities. Sean Bergenheim and Radek Martinek had great chances in the second, which was played with much more vigor, but couldn’t convert. The Islanders powerplay failed to even amount a shot on goal in the period, keeping the game scoreless. The team’s second powerplay wasn’t much better, as the Isles couldn’t get a decent shot off. As a matter of fact, they could barely stay in Pittsburgh’s zone.

Overall, while I thought the Penguins were the better team in the first, the Islanders skated much harder in the second period, making the third period an interesting one to watch. Remember, the Penguins needed this win big time, while the Islanders youngsters are doing everything they can to prove themselves. There was a lot at stake here. However, the element of desperation just wasn’t really there going into the the third period.

The beginning of the third was a bit different though, as the Islanders came out with some jam and it was there where Marc-Andre Fleury earned his paycheck for the night, making several high-quality saves. The Isles got another powerplay opportunity after a few minutes, but that was wasted once Brendan Witt was thrown on the ice as a screen in front of the net. I don’t know guys, why would Isles head coach Scott Gordon put Witt, a guy with 23 career goals on the powerplay in a 0-0 game? I know it’s not the first time he’s done it this season, but it makes as much sense as openly admitting that you enjoy listening to George Michael. Not a way to produce offense if you ask me.

Evgeni Malkin nailed a post around the midway point of the third and even had a powerplay opportunity afterwards, but they too couldn’t light the lamp, mostly due to Danis’ play rather than anything the Penguins were doing.

Things started to change soon afterwards, as the Penguins were beginning to fly on the ice. Sykora then made the Isles pay and that was enough to spoil an amazing effort by Danis.

Not fair, but that’s the way the cookie crumbles sometimes.

You’ve heard all the nicknames over the years. It’s time they stop. What the Isles are going through is no different from anything any other team is dealing with, but the fact that the Isles need a new place to play just exacerbates the problem. While he doesn’t want to move the team anywhere, Wang knows that time may be running out and that something needs to get done soon.

“I’m not contemplating it; I’m not negotiating with anyone, but I continue to keep my options open – and they should be open all the time,” Wang told Newsday on Tuesday. “Ultimately, if you don’t want to go to a (Islanders) game because the arena is a dump, I lose, the county loses, everybody loses. I want this thing to proceed. We can talk and talk, but we’ve got to get off our butts. Let’s get it done.”
Isles-Penguins Pregame Thoughts- The last time these two teams faced off, it was pretty entertaining to say the very least. Take Sydney Crosby out of the equation, who is battling a sore groin and the Islanders may have the edge here. The Penguins are trying to stay in the playoff hunt, as they are four points behind the Sabres and the Islanders have nothing to lose. Because of that, I expect this game to have the intensity of a playoff game.
I’d also like to see players the likes of Sean Bergenheim, Josh Bailey and most importantly Kyle Okposo to continue producing. With Mike Comrie gone, one of these guys is going to have to be the secondary scorer this team needs in the future. Considering the fact that the Isles will most likely not go out and look for another young veteran to fill Comrie’s shoes next season, one of these guys is going to have to be more than what they are right now. Promise can get you to the National Hockey League, but consistency is the only thing that can keep you there. It’s time for these guys to start to show that they truly belong here.

Kyle Okposo scoring 20 goals- It may not mean very much to the rest of the league, but considering how poorly he started the season, the fact that he hasn’t had a consistent linemate for most of the year, the time he spent on the shelf in November and December and how bad the team has played this year, scoring 20 goals would be a huge achievement for him. While it still wouldn’t be enough for him to nab the Calder trophy, it would be enough to help get fans thinking a bit more positive about the direction this team is moving in. It may also give some free agents the courage to sign and help get the Islanders out of the cellar next season.

Josh Bailey and Frans Neilsen getting to 35 points- Again, it’s something that may not mean everything to the rest of the league, but if Josh Bailey and Frans Neilsen can find a way to score 35 points, which would mean they would both have to average close to a point a game over the last 23 games of the season, it would be huge. Is it asking for too much, especially on a team as offensively challenged as the Islanders? Perhaps, but again, much like Kyle Okposo, the improved play of Neilsen and Bailey would go an incredibly long way in helping to solidify the team’s youth movement. For Neilsen, it would prove that he can be more than a solid defensive forward that can win faceoffs. For Bailey, it would go a long way in proving that the Islanders made the right move when they traded down in an incredibly deep draft to get him.

Mark Streit getting to 60 points- If Mark Streit can get to 60 points, it would prove that he is the real deal. That he can put up similar numbers on a much different team and be a leader on the ice. It will also show the rest of the league that free agents can come to the Island and enjoy some kind of success. But for Streit, it’ll prove that he’s much more than a gimmick player and one that any other team in the league will be glad to have. If he can find a way to get to 60 points, he’ll have the type of confidence needed to continue to produce at a level of a top-flight offensive defenseman.

“Bottom line, we’re getting a first-round draft pick and that falls into the plan we’ve set out all along,” Snow told the Associated Press before Saturday’s 4-0 win over New Jersey. “Now it’s up to us to draft a good player with that pick. … We have a significant amount of draft picks, especially in the first and second round. We’re going to build this the right way.”

While it probably would have been better to have a pick like this in last year’s draft, especially considering how deep it was, the Islanders will have an opportunity to bolster their team in the long run. Now I know what some of you are thinking, that the Islanders basically traded Chris Campoli, a player entering the best years of their career, for a player that will most likely been in juniors next season, but it was the only thing they could do.

“Yes, I asked for the trade,” Campoli, who had a career-worst minus-20 rating, told Newsday. “I was frustrated with my year and the way things had gone. I felt like a change was needed for me. From my perspective, I don’t think I fit in with what Scott (Gordon) was trying to do.”

So, knowing this, the Islanders, for a change, did the best they could and actually got something that could end up playing a bigger part in the team than Campoli can. With Mark Streit on board, Campoli was never going to get the ice-time he needed to truly develop into a potent offensive defenseman. So again, at least the Islanders got something for him. Now they just have to make the pick count.

Thoughts on McAmmond- Overall, I thought he was solid, even though you could tell he was trying to do a bit too much as far as some of the passes he was making were concerned. Nevertheless, I like his speed and if he sticks around next season, I could see him on a line with Richard Park and a gritty youngster, rounding out the last of the forward lines. As for right now though, he’s not going to make the team any worse and if he can get a few goals under his belt in the next few weeks, the Islanders could even move him. If not, the guy will at least have an opportunity to show the rest of the league he can still play.

Something to definitely keep an eye on over the next few games.

However, we know the truth.

These youngsters on the Islanders, when they finish, are talented players, that can in fact, play with a solid team like the New Jersey Devils. The Islanders defense, when on their game, can protect whoever is in net and whoever that is, Joey MacDonald or Yann Danis, can make the big saves when they have it. The Islanders veterans too have some gas left in their tanks and last night, even Jon Sim made the most of a very small opportunity and got on the scoresheet.

It was that kind of a night.

For the entire season however, it’s been just a matter of waiting for the stars to align and these guys to find the level of consistency for 60 minutes to show the rest of the league this. Chances are the Islanders will play like this another two or three times this season, on their way to one of the worst seasons in franchise history. Nevertheless, I feel the flashes of brilliance have been there to see, you just have to look extremely close. Hopefully, next season, they won’t be so hard to see.

One thing that was rightfully apparent last night though regardless of where you stand on the poll of opinion in this league was the play of Danis. Was he something special or what? 40 saves, from a ton of different angles and in traffic. You can’t ask for more than that and luckily, the Islanders didn’t have to. I think it’s safe to say this kid has proven that he can be a more than solid backup in this league and isn’t scared to be the main guy if he has to. Any goaltender that can keep a 5-8 record, 2.63 GAA and a .922 save percentage on a team as bad as the Islanders should be given the keys to Nassau Coliseum. It’s going to make things extremely interesting next season. I mean seriously, who would you want to back up Rick DiPietro next season. I’m sure if you poll the majority of Islander fans right now, it would be right now the middle.

Like I said, things will be interesting again this offseason.

Only with this team.

To be able to get a first round pick though, now that definitely wasn’t expected. Sure, you lose Chris Campoli in the process, but he didn’t want to be here. What where the Islanders supposed to do there?

Campoli apparently didn’t want to stay and the Islanders were done waiting for Comrie to be anything more than a spare part. Take away his first 10 games with this team and I think it’s fair to say that his tenure was an undeniable disaster. Even if the Islanders basically got a washed up Dean McAmmond for Comrie, it’s better than nothing. He’s was pretty much going to be gone at the end of the season anyway. As far as McAmmond goes, he’ll have an opportunity to prove if he can still play in this league or not. Who knows, maybe he may prove the critics wrong. My personal opinion on the matter is that he’s washed up and Ottawa was simply throwing him away, but I have been wrong before.

As far as the first round pick for Campoli goes, I think the Islanders got a great deal. I’ve always held the kid in high regard, but aside from his rookie season, was never able to put it together for a whole year. Now he’ll go somewhere else and score 50 points, but unlike the countless other youngsters the Islanders have given up over the years and got relatively nothing, the Isles now have something to show for it. Now it’s up to them to make the pick count.

I also think that the Isles have enough talent at the blueline in the minors that over the long-term, the loss of Campoli won’t be a huge one. However, we’ll have to wait and see on that one.

Despite the fact that it’s going to be a late first round pick, the Islanders now have options at the entry draft. For all the drama the Isles stirred last season when they traded down for Josh Bailey, I think it’s fair to say that the entire fan base has accepted him and wants to see what he develops into. If they can get two more quality youngsters and throw them into the mix, this will be a huge step forward in the rebuilding process.

Going over a month without scoring a goal, no one knows when Park broke his ribs, but spending a few weeks on the shelf may be the best thing for him right now. You hate to see a guy like Park hurting physically and especially when the team is playing as poorly as they have been. A guy like Park would a key role player on any first place team, but on the Islanders, his worth is perhaps even more. He’s the heart and soul of this team. However, he’s better off the ice if he’s injured and if Hunter back, the Isles may be able to score a bit more.

Speaking of Hunter, I’d really like him to get going offensively again. In order for the youth movement to continue to progress, the young veterans like Hunter and even Mike Comrie and Andy Hilbert [if they stick around next season]have to get hot. Having Mark Streit and Bill Guerin score 50 points this season is not going to be sufficient enough to help get these kids to understand what it takes to perform at this level.

That’s why Doug Weight’s exodus from the lineup is so huge. When he was averaging close to a point a game, players like Josh Bailey and Kyle Okposo had something to shoot for and could watch it being done right before their very eyes. Now, these kids have to bear down and do it all by themselves. Having some of the other guys get hot could possibly give them more space on the ice and give them an opportunity to produce a bit more.

With most of the team not producing offensively, it’ll make it really interesting to see who gets traded. Weight is absolutely off the list, Mike Sillinger is done for the season and Guerin has a no trade clause, leaving possibly only Comrie as the only Islander without a contract next season with any real value to the rest of the league. So with the team being where they are, do they trade Comrie for a prospector a draft pick? Or do they part ways with someone like Brendan Witt or Radek Martinek, who many teams would love to have, especially due to his inexpensive salary?

I don’t know, but it is something interesting to think about.

The game was a also pretty physical, as both teams were taking the body. Aaron Voros was on his game tonight in that department and was itching to draw penalties all night. Colton Orr too was hungry for some fisticuffs, but Tim Jackman and his teammates weren’t that frisky. Of all players on the Isles, Sean Bergenheim [who continues to play his heart out lately] was the one who ended up dropping his gloves with another unlikely combatant, one Petr Prucha in what ended up being an entertaining scrap.

Overall, it was a gritty, nail-bitting game to watch that would have been even better had both teams scored a bit more. Both goaltenders were solid, but got a ton of help from their respective goalposts. All in all, I think it’s just fair to say that both of these teams are lacking in the offensive department. It’s the reason why the Isles have been as bad as they’ve been this season and the reason why the Rangers won’t make the playoffs this season. Yes, I said it. They won’t. Anyone that does is someone that thinks Herb Brooks is country singer, you know, the guy that sings with that Dunn dude, right? Exactly.

If they do manage to squeak into the playoffs, it’ll be in eighth spot, where the Bruins will then proceed to pull a Nelson Munz on them and throw the Rangers in a trash can down the street. And it’ll be done in four games.

On a side note, something happened for the second consecutive game that is beginning to piss me off. During the Isles’ last game, Evgeni Malkin threw repeated punches with his gloves on at a few players on the Islanders and last night, Nik Zherdev too was throwing punches at Bill Guerin. My message to these two: If you’re not going to drop the gloves, boys, don’t do that. It’s disgusting to watch as a fan and it’ll continue to spread the already existing rumors that both of you have no spines.

It drives me crazy that just because these guys are superstars that referees let them get away with it. They also never pick a fight with someone that can really defend themselves. I’d love one day for Malkin to do that to someone like Dave Clarkson or Arron Asham, two guys that an skate and fight. I guarantee it would never happen again.

Now with no prospect of trading him, the Islanders are now either forced to see him go [teams like the Penguins and the Blackhawks would love to have this guy on their roster] or can sign him, not knowing what he’ll be capable of next season.

Sounds like a win-win situation for Weight.

There is one intangible I haven’t mentioned however.

Weight is a competitor. He wants to be on the ice.

“I’m pretty upset about it,” Bill Guerin told the Associated Press on Friday. “I feel bad for Dougie. He’s had a really good year for us and it’s just disappointing for him. I’m disappointed for him. You never want to see guys go down like that. This year has been crazy.”

Any of you guys remember Weight rallying the forces a few months ago and helping to get this team a mini-winning streak? I do. And if not for injuries all season, I do believe Weight would played a huge factor in making this team a .500 one. Would they have been good enough to get into the playoffs? No. But, with the mixture of youth and experience, they would have been a lot more fun to watch.

Nevertheless in spite of everything that Weight has done for this team in his short time here. He is in control of the cards.

He said a few months ago that he didn’t want to be traded from this team and he wanted to be a part in the turnaround. Well, at the end of the season, when his agent shows him the inflated offers coming from several teams in the league, we’ll see just how serious he was when he said that.

I personally think that he was serious. I also think that if the Isles can resign both Weight and Guerin and get another older, leader to play the left side, they could have a good, grandpa line that could show the youngsters how to get things done.

But then again, that all stems on Weight’s decision to stick around.

However, one guy that has to seize the opportunity that has been given to him to Jon Sim, who was expected to be so much more than what he’s turned out to be since signing with the team two years ago. With six goals and two assists in 40 games, Sim was once on pace for about a dozen goals, which is where you’d expect him to be, but the physical play the team expected him to bring, alongside the notion of being a top-notch pest, have been no where to be found.

As a matter of fact, I think Sean Bergenheim has done a much better job at being an antagonizer than Sim has. Obviously, Scott Gordon has seen this as well and that’s why Sim has been riding the pine the past few weeks. Nevertheless, like I said before, this is an opportunity for Sim to show the rest of the league that he can be a factor out on the ice.

If all goes well, maybe someone will want to pick him up at the trading deadline.

Pregame Thoughts- When I look at the Philadelphia Flyers, I automatically think of the where the Islanders can be in a few years. Combining home-grown talent with some effective trades and key player signings, the Flyers are an example of how to build a team properly. If the Isles have their way over the next few seasons, I’m sure they’ll be built in an extremely similar way.

This afternoon however, the Islanders won’t be busy idolizing the Flyers. Instead, they’ll be trying to keep guys like Jeff Carter, who is having his best season in the NHL this year, with 34 goals already and Simon Gagne and Mike Richards off the scoresheet. If the Isles can find a way to shutdown the Flyers’ top two lines, they’ll put themselves in a solid situation today.

With both Yann Danis and Joey MacDonald both playing excellent hockey as well, this is going to be a great way to spend an afternoon.

That alone was a huge reason why fans should be proud of the direction this team is going in. The first year of the multi-year plan, the Isles are getting their youngsters the playing time they need in order to continue their progression towards building a consistent winner. Despite the fact that the chances are slim that this team will be ready for the playoffs next season as well, but I know this much, they’ll be better.

That, I think, is all Isles fans can really ask for.

From the way things are starting to shape up as well, one thing they won’t have to ask for is for Kyle Okposo to continue producing. With six goals in his last nine games, KO looks like he’s got the ability to crack the 20-goal barrier. Now ask yourself, when was the last time an Islanders rookie did that? In the 15 plus years I’ve been watching this team, I’ve never seen a rookie do that. If he can somehow manage to do that, I think it may even help draw some free agent over who see him as a budding star.

I know it sounds like a pipe dream, but hey, it could happen.

Anyway, back to the game…

Through two periods, the Isles were barely hanging on, but what else do you expect? The Devils are the real deal and the Isles are, well, the Isles. Brent Sutter has turned the Devils into a team that can hurt you offensively as well as on defense. It would be hard for any team to defend against that. Add in that Doug Weight was out of action for the third with an injured knee and its crazy to think the Isles could hang on, right?

You would think so, but Joey MacDonald was on his game. Saves with the glove at the doorstep, kick saves from the slot, reaction saves on redirections, he had it all last night. With Yann Danis playing as well as he has been lately, “Pickles” needed to have a strong bounce back game. His last win coming into tonight was on Dec. 31, Joey Mac looked like he was going to help guide the team to a win. A bad penalty from Brendan Witt however gave the Devils the opportunity they needed and Zach Parise made them pay, again.

How many goals does Kent Nilsson’s kid have this season?

Had to look that one up didn’t you?

Yeah, I thought so.

Add in an empty-netter from Jamie Langenbrunner and this one was over.

Sad too, considering what MacDonald was forced to do to keep his team in the game. With Weight’s status uncertain as well and Mark Streit still out, the Isles may be forced to deal with even bigger problems over the next few games.

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.

Nevertheless, in spite of the vigor and jam he adds when on the ice, I have a feeling time is running out for him. Not as far as his spot on the team is concerned, but as his status as a talented youngster goes.

With youngsters the likes of Frans Neilsen, Blake Comeau, Kyle Okposo and Josh Bailey stepping up, I feel Bergenheim has to start doing much of the same. Sure, he’s got another year left on his contract and is a restricted free agent at the start of the 2010 season, but for the Islanders to truly start to get this youth movement in full swing, I feel Bergie has to be one of the guys that steps up. Otherwise, he’ll have that niche of being a role player labeled on him and no one will ever give him a chance to be the top six forward I believe he can be,

Much like Andy Hilbert, I see Bergenheim as a jack of all trades on the ice, but a master of none. He’s a good skater, with good speed and a huge heart. However, much like Hilbert, he doesn’t produce enough offensively. On pace for a 20-goal season at one time before injuries and the flu began to creep their way into his game, Bergenheim needs to step up.

Now on a line with Richard Park and Tim Jackman, I think the Isles will possess one of the best energy lines in the league. Park has slowed down offensively after a white hot start and needs someone to get him going. That’s exactly where I think Bergenheim comes in. For way too long have I thought this guy deserves to be a top six forward and watched him get stuck in a role like this, but until he proves he can be consistent in both ends and start producing more, much like a Jason Blake, he’ll stay there.

Speaking of Blake, who proved in his time on the Island that he needed the puck as often as possible to be effective, I think Bergenheim is a much better shooter and can take advantage more than Blake did. For instance, Blake will end up taking over 300 shots again this season and will end up with about 25-30 goals. I think Bergenheim could score 20 eventually one day while taking under 200. It’s just a matter of him staying healthy and getting the type of ice time where he can accumulate those numbers.

When he actually got that ice time last season, I think he surprised a lot of Islander fans and even the organization with just how talented offensively he can be in the this league, in addition to all the other stuff he does. All in all, there’s no reason why he can’t be a dependable 20-20 guy and be a solid pest, even at this point in his career.

Again, it’s just a matter of getting him on the ice.

The question I’m about to ask may appear to be a simple one, but it is still one that has to be asked.

“What is going on here?”

I know that it appears that the Islanders Lighthouse Project is destined to the same fate as what’s going on with the New Jersey Nets in Brooklyn, but are they really on the market? Are things are bad as the last time this team was sold? I don’t think so. This team would have made the playoffs last season if it was not for injuries and would be .500 if they had a healthy defense and Rick DiPietro around.

Sure, Islanders owner Charles Wang has sunk a plethora of money into this team and has lost most of it, but chalk it up as a learning experience. Rather than buy a champion like he tried to do when he first came here, Wang now has to do the same thing every other team is doing now, which is building through good trades and draft picks.

Before the Islanders are attempted to be moved, he should at least give this team a few more years to see what he has with Josh Bailey, Kyle Okposo and the host of other youngsters that are starting to ripen. I don’t think he’ll be too displeased in the end, especially if they continue to build through the draft over the next few seasons.

Nonetheless, it’s never good to hear that the team you watch is thinking about taking their business elsewhere.

Luckily, one thing that isn’t tough to understand or decipher. This organization is starting to build a dedication to it’s youngsters , not only for the rest of the rest of the season, but the future as well.

“At the end of the day, there was nothing to lose,” Islanders head coach Scott Gordon told the AP before the Florida game a few night’s ago when asked about why the youth on the team are getting more minutes. I knew it would be a pretty tall order to make the playoffs; we’d have to go something like 30 and 10 and that’s a hard thing to expect. It’s not like we abandoned our older players, but we’re giving the opportunity to the younger players. Along the way, I think that made us a better team.”

With Gordon understanding the team’s MO and doing whatever it takes to help them accomplish their goals, the Islanders need time for all the pieces to come together.

Will they get it?

That perhaps is the most important question of all.

1- “It may sound a bit cliché because he’s African-American, but I really see a lot of Jarome Iginla in him,” he said. “He’s big, strong, has a great shot, can be a playmaker if he has to and isn’t afraid to get into anyone’s face. He plays with a lot of heart, works really hard out there and is a natural leader.”

2- “He has the whole package. He’s charismatic, intelligent and looks like an Adonis. When you think about how talented he is and that he’s a young African-American and this is hockey, it’s easy to see that the marketing campaigns and sponsorships can be tremendous. He could also really help the Islanders. They’ve been dying for a star for quite some time and it’s definitely a role he can fill if they give him an opportunity.”

When I heard that and saw some of the highlight goals, combined with what I gathered from nine games last season, I thought this kid was the light the team needed to get over the hump. I knew it wasn’t going to happen over night, but I still expected him to score 25 goals. I got a few e-mails from people all over the country that either thought I was crazy or that I was dead on point shortly thereafter, but in all honesty, I had no idea how close I would be to my prediction.

Over the years, I’ve predicted the Isles would make the playoffs and they did, so I may have gotten a bit drunk with luck since then. It certainly looked that way through his first 31 games, as he was far from the superstar Bernstein or even Islanders broadcasting legend Jiggs McDonald had him pegged to be. Deep down, I wondered if the Islanders had another Scott Scissons, Kristian Kudroc, Brett Lindros or the laundry list of other washout first round picks this team has had over the years.

However, over the past five games, it’s looking like Bernstein is a Nostradamus of sorts. Okposo is working hard in the corners and is making the most of every opportunity has with the puck. His shot, simply put, is the real deal. Seeing him take those one-timers with one knee on the ice probably makes older Islanders fans think of the players that made them smile over 20 years ago.

If he can continue the way he’s been playing as of late, those same people may again have something to smile about.

In the end, it just gets me thinking again.

Are we watching the beginning of what is to come with this kid or is this just simply a hot streak?

Damn, this didn’t start the way I wanted it to.

However, in spite of the Islanders playoff hopes having less life than a pack of batteries from the dollar store, this team still has a ton of time to do one thing much more important than reaching the postseason.

Winning back the faith of the fan base.

Let’s face it, the organization is going to win as many fans over with their “Can-do, Fondue” ticket promotion as Jason Alexander would if he became the new spokesperson for Bally Total Fitness. The only way this team gets a new place to play and the only way this team gets the support of their exhausted and broken-hearted fans back is by players the likes of Kyle Okposo, Josh Bailey, Trent Hunter and Mark Streit, the players that are all in for the long haul and will be built around over the next few years, getting as many goals, assists, points and anything else that can give the confidence they need to become impact players and players that can help change the motif the rest of the league has towards this team.

“I’m not going, the rest of the year, to base everything on wins and losses,” Islanders head coach Scott Gordon told Newsday the other night. “To me, our measure of success is going to be the confidence and the improvement of players that are going to get more ice time.”

Seems to me that Gordon has done the math and finally has found a formula that can get this team a bit more respect.

Being a writer, it’s in my nature to hate math, but I have come up with a few equations that have the possibility of determining the rest of the Islanders’ season.

More ice-time for youngsters= extreme-super-fun-awesome goodness for fans, great for franchise, no fondue necessary.

More ice-time for youngsters= veterans know they have to hustle more if they want to stay on the ice.

Veterans knowing that they have to hustle more if they want to stay on the ice= a revitalized franchise.

The only sad part is that it took over a half season to find this out.

The truth of the matter however is that they probably would have never realized any of this if they weren’t as bad as they were during the first half. Losing as often as the Isles did early on, you find out very quickly who the winners are and who the losers are. Despite the fact that this team has the record it has, I haven’t seen many players just giving up on plays. The fact is, as I’ve stated early and often this season, this team, with all the injuries they’ve had, just haven’t been very good. It was never a matter of them quitting.

Healthier and more confident than they’ve been all season, the Isles may have a few tricks up their sleeves that may put some smiles on their fans faces.

They deserve it.

What did you think?

I personally loved the “New Kids on the Block” line of Josh Bailey, Kyle Okposo and Blake Comeau. They definitely had the “right stuff” out there. Wow, did I just say that? Okay… moving on.

I was also a fan of the “Money for Nothing” line of Mike Comrie, Bill Guerin and Doug Weight line. Alright, so maybe that’s not exactly fair, considering that Comrie has been injured for a big portion of the season and Guerin will score 25 goals this season and Weight has been mucho excellente. But I’m on a roll here, play along.

At any rate, the combinations seemed to get the Islanders offense going the other night and while we know the playoffs are completely out of the question,unless this team wants to win 30 of their last 34 and get help from every other team in the league, these new combos will make the games a little more interesting.

“I think the whole second half here, we’re probably going to experiment with some things—obviously, with our younger players—to see if they can develop some chemistry over the second half of the season,” Gordon told the AP the other night. Whether what we go with remains the same down the stretch or we change from game to game will be decided by the success they have as lines. Given the younger players we have, if we can develop some chemistry over the second half of the season, maybe there’s something we can build on going into next year.”

Exactly, Flash. Put these kids in a situation to show what they have and earn their bumps and bruises. Let Bailey create and let Okposo shoot. Give Comeau an opportunity to get in front of the net and work in the corners. It’s exactly what the fans of this team want to see. Nothing against Guerin, Comrie and Weight, but the fans of this team know that while they are important to helping these kids develop, they won’t be around to see what this team hopefully will become. Young veterans like Chris Campoli, Bruno Gervais and Trent Hunter will.

So if these kind of combinations have to continue the rest of the season, I say keep ‘em coming. If Bailey continues to pass like Craig Janney and Okposo keeps firing those one timers, this offseason could become an interesting one and one that can continue the movement of building a consistent winner on Long Island. If not, it’ll just be plain old good for these youngsters, which isn’t a bad thing either.

Sure, they almost lost the game in another third period meltdown and they could have scored 10 goals with the amount of scoring chances they had, but when your team has as many wins as the Isles do, you take them any way you can get them.

Enough of the cliché-talk though. It’s not fun.

Okposo’s first goal of the game came on a beautiful pass from Josh Bailey that he ripped into the net with the kind of enthusiasm that makes you think that these guys are starting to gel.

“He knew where I was,” Okposo said after the game. “He knows how to find me. He has good vision. He’s easy to play with. Sure, there’s chemistry.”

Ah man. That’s exactly what I want to hear. If the Islanders lose every game the rest of the reason, but Bailey and Okposo can prove that they can be guys that can put up points next season, I will be content with that. Add in a more than certain top five pick in the draft and the rebuilding process with continue, but with more of the pieces falling back into place.

I also wrote a few days ago that I wanted to see the same Trent Hunter that was on the Isles team through the first 20 games of the season. Opening up the scoring last night after a sneaky pass from Mark Streit, who was also on his offensive game last night, Hunter utilized his excellent shot and got the Islanders the early lead. Was it super flashy? Of course not, Hunter, of course, was the trailer on the play and left himself in prime shooting position. That’s his game. It’s a good thing for him and the Isles that he’s getting back to that.

I also liked the fact that Andy Hilbert wasted no time in his first game and was a factor, especially on Tim Jackman’s goal. After the shot he took that led to Jackman’s goal, I said to myself, “Why didn’t he start doing this two years ago?” He was definitely getting the ice-time. Rather than complain about it, I think it’s best for Islander fans to enjoy it.

I think that sound be the team’s and fans’ mantra the rest of the season.

Just enjoy it.

While Sillinger’s impact this season wasn’t huge due to the fact that he’s only played in seven games, if he was indeed healthy, he could have given the team a very important bartering chip come trading deadline. Even though Sillinger has scored more points with the Islanders than any other team he’s played with over the course of his career, he could have gotten the team a decent draft pick or prospect. Now, after his second hip surgery in two seasons, who knows where he’ll be next season.

However, in spite of this, having the likes of Hunter, Weight, Campoli and Hilbert back in the lineup will provide the team with a huge boost.

If Hunter can get back to where he was earlier in the season, skating hard and taking high-percentage shots, a 20-goal season isn’t out of the question. Battling a lacerated hand and the shell shock of that hit he endured at MSG last month, Hunter had every reason to be off his game, but now it’s time to get back into the thick of things and make the Isles look smart for signing him to a five-year contract.

The same thing can be said for Campoli, who despite starting the season looking like to was finally ready to be the solid two-way defenseman the team is in desperate need of. With five points in his last 11 games before going down with a strained-groin on Jan. 19, Campoli was getting back to where he belonged, but with only 14 points in 40 games, he’s a long way off to getting back to his rookie numbers of nine goals and 25 assists.

Weight and Hilbert however are in very similar situations, but ones different from Hunter and Campoli, having their best seasons as pros for quite some time. Free agents at the end of the season, both of them could be on the market and could undoubtedly provide any team in the league with a more than solid number two center or depth forward capable of playing in all game situations. While Scott Gordon has stated that he is going with the youngsters more the rest of the season, I expect these two to get a ton of ice-time as the trade deadline approaches.

Bill Guerin- On pace for another quiet 20-goal season, teams the likes of the Chicago Blackhawks and the New York Rangers have shown an interest in the Islanders captain. The question however remains, do the Isles part ways with him? For a second or third round pick and a gritty player that should score 15-20 goals a season that’s under 30 that the Islanders could hold on to, I’d do it. But please Ranger fans, not the enigmatic, but washed up, Petr Prucha. Three years ago, definitely. But not now. Maybe someone in the mold of a David Clarkson. That would work for me.

Mike Comrie- Despite playing much better hockey over the past dozen games, after coming back from a hip injury, Comrie has made it excruciatingly obvious that he is no where near worth the incredulous sum the Isles are paying him. Sure, he’s got some nifty moves and who doesn’t like Hillary Duff, but to pay someone almost four million smackers who doesn’t score a point a game and doesn’t play sound defense is absolutely bonkers. For Comrie, I’d take the same thing I’d take for Guerin, but I’d even be willing to accept a pair of draft picks in the second-fourth rounds. Asking price may seem a bit high, but Comrie can be an extremely important addition to a team looking to make the playoffs. Just ask what Comrie did for the Senators a few seasons ago.

Doug Weight- A guy that I would hate to part ways with, however Weight could possibly net the Islanders with the biggest return of all their current players. Proving this season that he can still play at a high level, the only way Weight doesn’t get dealt in my mind is if he’s willing to resign with the team. Otherwise, the Isles will pull the same crap they pulled with Mark Parrish and trade a player that never wanted to leave the Island in the first place. If they indeed move him, I feel they can get a decent prospect and a second round pick. Teams like the Blackhawks, Sharks and the Penguins, who are always looking for more offense, could be a great place for Weight and could give him the final vacation he needs before hanging up the skates. Plus, with a rich prospect base, all three teams could satisfy the Isles hunger for youth.

It feels weird comparing franchise goaltender Rick DiPietro to a loyal dog, but with him done for the rest of the season, the chord has been officially been pulled. Now, the mutants, or NHL pundits can have their field day ripping the team every chance they get.

This isn’t going to be fun to read, watch or listen to for the next few months if you’re a fan of this team.

“After extensive consultation we feel this decision is in the best interest for Rick and the team,” Islanders general manager Garth Snow said in a statement Tuesday. “This will allow Rick ample time to make a full recovery for next year.”

Next year. I heard that last year from this organization right? Well, lets be fair here. In both situations, the Islanders were forced to deal with an uncanny amount of injuries. Any team in the NHL that has had as many injuries as the Islanders this season would have problems drawing crowds and winning games. However, for all of that to happen to a team already in a bad situation like the Islanders just makes things that the more frustrating for the organization, it’s fans and it’s players.

“This has been one of the most frustrating situations I have ever had to deal with, but this is the right decision for me and the team,” DiPietro said in a statement. “I am confident this will allow me to make a complete recovery, be ready in plenty of time for next season and compete to my highest ability for many years to come.”

I surely hope so because if this deal makes the Islanders look silly, it may be only of the last long-term deals they end up signing… on Long Island. With four surgeries in the past seven months, the jury is out on how dependable DP can be in the future.

Quickly becoming the story over the past few weeks is the Islanders inability to produce offensively, which continued yesterday afternoon, as the Isles scored only once on 28 shots on goal.

“We’ve got to keep working hard,” Okposo told the Associated Press after the game. “We just have to get some breaks. We’re getting chances.”

Scoring a powerplay for the first time in nearly ten games, it’s obvious the Isles are missing Doug Weight. Not having Chris Campoli and Trent Hunter in the lineup either played a big factor in the why the team wasn’t on the ball offensively.

In the first period, it looked like the Islanders were going to get on the board early though, as Capitals goaltender Jose Theodore was sloshing all over the crease and was out of position. The Islanders couldn’t put one on the board and soon enough, Ovechkin lit the lamp.

Like I’ve said before, playing from behind is something the Isles cannot afford to do and as we’ve seen from the team before, making mistakes seems to be something that happens in intervals with this team.

Today was no different.

However, in spite of my less than encouraging tone lately, I’d be out of my mind to not talk about how hard this team worked on the ice against a team that would be in the playoffs if the season ended today. Sure, Ovechkin had nine shots on goal, but the rest of the team had 29 and 16 of those came from Viktor Kozlov and Brooks Laich.

Alex Semin, Chris Clark, Nicklas Backstrom, Sergei Fedorov, Michel Nylander and Mike Green had a combined five shots on goal for the game. Stopping Ovechkin isn’t going to happen obviously, but the Islanders worked hard in their own end and limited everyone else’s opportunities. That’s all you can really ask for, especially from a team in the situation the Islanders are in right now.

Speaking of all you can ask for, Yann Danis bounced back after allowing a pair of flimsy goals against the Devils the other night and played one of his best games this season. Perhaps losing Wade Dubielewicz to the Blue Jackets wasn’t so bad after all? Giving up 12 goals over his past four games, Danis has given the Isles very similar numbers to what Joey MacDonald was producing before his injury.

As I’ve mentioned before though, the one thing the Isles do need to ask for more is offense.

In the end, the choice is simple, start scoring or finish with one of the worst records in franchise history.

You can’t help but feel bad for the kid, especially considering what he’s done for the team over the few seasons. Sure, some would say that the Islanders never put any real faith in him when they signed Joey MacDonald to a two-year contract, with the second being of the one-way variety, but I believe the fans of this team never gave up on him.

When word passed that he had been brought aboard, it gave Islanders fans a reason to smile.

Those moments alone have been few are far between this season.

This time it was the Columbus Blue Jackets that were taking a crap in the Isles’ cereal. Playing far more than the role of spoiler this season, the BJ’s did what they had to do to give themselves a chance to make the playoffs and for that you can’t blame them, but for what they did to the Islanders fans in general, don’t expect many cheers the next time they play at the coliseum.

Guerin’s quote the other night- “It’s disheartening to see where we are right now,” Guerin told New York Post. “What could have been, who knows? But you never come to grips with losing, I don’t care what the situation is. Never. It’s miserable. But I feel like we’ve held up our end of the bargain. We’ve produced on our end, and it’s disappointing to be where we’re at. I think we’ve both done our parts.”

Sounds pretty miserable if you ask me.

I like the fact that he hasn’t gotten used to losing, but as far as keeping up his part of the bargain- I’m not too sure of that one. Sure, he’s on pace for a 26-goal season, three more than he was this season, but take into consideration that he only has three goals in his last 18 games, in which the the team has gone 3-15 in and it’s easy to see that Guerin’s play hasn’t helped the Islanders fortunes.

Is he to blame? Absolutely not. Only an idiot could blame one player for the crap storm this team has had to deal with this season, but as captain Guerin has got to step it up and get these youngsters going.

“We didn’t play for two periods, and that pretty much says it all,” Islanders coach Scott Gordon told the Associated Press after the Isles 3-1 loss to the Devils. “Not many teams can afford to play like we did for two periods like we did. We’re in that category.”

Well, it appears that Gordon is beginning to understand that this team cannot get by the way they are right now. They are missing a true sniper and a real goaltender and without them, every game will end the same way: with the Islanders working hard, but in the end not having the necessary tools to induce wins.

Simply put, Bill Guerin and Trent Hunter have to start producing more. When they were playing well, the team was at least hovering around .500 and the team was looking games 5-4, rather than 3-1. Now, when the defense starts to pick up their play and support the goaltender playing in front of them, the offense can’t produce. With Doug Weight and Mike Sillinger out, the Islanders are missing two very important catalysts and in order for them to be at least competitive, Guerin and Hunter have to start scoring.

You can only expect so much out of the rookies and Richard Park.

On another note, Yann Danis played well last night. However, for all the solid saves he made, he gave up two pretty bad goals. With the team’s confidence being what it is, all it takes is one bad bounce to break their hearts and deflate them. That’s exactly what happened last night.

Plus,when you make mistakes and commit turnovers with the man-advantage, you set yourself up to fail. Like I said before, when your team isn’t that good in the first place, you can’t make mistakes. I’m sure the Dave Clarkson goal was another mistake the Islanders regretted when they watched the video after the game as well.

Lastly, I think it’s safe to say Radek Martinek had his best game of the season thus far. Less pensive, more snarl and his stick was all over the ice. However, it wasn’t enough, as he was on the ice for the second New Jersey goal. His defensive partner, Brendan Witt, hasn’t been the force he was the past two seasons and couldn’t clear the crease, allowing the goal to be scored.

Just another sour note on a sour season.

Why you ask? They claimed Wade Dubielewicz off waivers in a depth move, while the Islanders, dealing with injuries to both Joey MacDonald and Rick DiPietro are forced to keep Yann Danis and Peter Mannino in between the pipes. Don’t be surprised either if Columbus assigned him to their AHL team either after a week or so.

All in all, just a low-class move by the Jackets, who already have two stud goaltenders in the injured Pascual LeClaire and white-hot rookie Steve Mason. They even have a competent third-stringer in Fredrik Norrena. They also have another goalie in Dan LaCosta who isn’t too bad either, going 12-11 with a stead .912 save percentage in the AHL. So why sign Dubielewicz? I wish I could get inside the Blue Jackets heads on this one. I know goaltending is extremely important in today’s game and depth is always important, but this is like kicking a cancer patient. The signing of Dubielewicz would have been a blast to watch over the second half of the season.

[Edit- It has come to my understanding that Norrena went to Russia, leaving LaCosta as the team's backup, hence the reason why the BJ's wanted to go and get a veteran backup, problem solved]

Now, the Islanders fans will be the one to pay the price, making the last 40 or so games as fun as listening to the extended version “In a gadda da vida,” with a migraine.

Snow staying mum on possible move to KC- After lighting up hockey message boards and websites over the past few days after announcing a preseason game against the Los Angeles Kings next season, the Islanders and their general manager Garth Snow aren’t giving away any more details.

“I’m not worried about (the perception). It’s a preseason game,” general manager Garth Snow told the Associated Press before Thursday’s 2-1 loss to Boston. “The last few years, and even before I became GM, we always played preseason games in different markets. This is just another opportunity for us to bring this organization and our team to a different market.”

Yes, everything Snow just said here is true, but Kansas City is extremely desperate for a hockey team. From the quotes I had on the site yesterday, it’s obvious that they would take this team and be thrilled. The way the economy is right now, many people are wondering if the Tri-State area can support three teams. Simply put, this is the time for every single Islander fan to either put their heart and soul back into supporting this team or go to Modell’s and buy a Rangers or Devils jersey. It’s that easy my friends.

You alone have the power to decide if this team stays on Long Island. Go to games, start a blog, anything to support them. If not, they may not be around in a few seasons and in the end, you’ll have no one to blame but yourself.

Last night against the Rangers, every Islanders youngster got a hearty helping of minutes and despite the fact that they lost, the effort was there. The difference was of course was Rangers goaltender Henrik Lundqvist, who was uber solid after a first period where he looked to be having problems with his rebound control and overall confidence.

So with that being said, it’s obvious that as of right now, these kids lack the polish needed to win hockey games. Most of them are still growing into their bodies or getting accustomed to the NHL game. So what can we expect the rest of the season.

A lot of losses, that’s for sure, but a lot of entertainment as well.

While veterans the likes of Mark Streit, Bill Guerin, Trent Hunter and Richard Park are obviously going to continue to get minutes in key situations, don’t be shocked to see guys like Sean Bergenheim and Josh Bailey get much more time on the powerplay. Also, with his speed and desire on the ice, Kyle Okposo would make one hell of a penalty killer, so I wouldn’t be surprised to see him tried out there as well.

The way Islanders head coach Scott Gordon is talking right now, it feels like all these wild experiments will begin to take shape over the next few games.

“We used the first half of the year to allow our older players to run with it. Now we’re at the point, whether it’s our next game or a couple games after that, (where) there’s certainly going to be a bigger responsibility on our younger guys,” Gordon told the Associated Press a few days ago. “Not necessarily lineup changes, but bigger responsibilities. It’s something that I’m going to be cognizant of to make sure that (all our young guys are) moving in the direction to have a bigger impact and to have it carry over into next year.”

Exactly.

Trying all of these guys in different roles now will make next season a bit more predictable for them and help the organization truly assess where they truly belong to be. Some of these guys are going to be expected to be big parts of the team next season and if they don’t start to show some promise now, they may not be around to find out.

I seriously don’t know anymore.

Just when it looks like this team has control of a game and may squeak by a good team, things fall apart faster than a soggy piece of pound cake.

The better team in the first period, the Islanders bounced back after a shoddy start and were taking the body [thanks Tim Jackman] and taking shots. Regardless of the amount of talent on your team in this league, if you can skate hard in both ends and take shots on net, you’ll be succesful. That’s exactly what the Islanders did and that’s why they went into the second period with a 1-0 lead.

The second period was the period when the pound cake hit the milk though, as they fell apart and gave the Rangers too many opportunities. Even though they’ve had problems scoring this season, with guys like Scott Gomez, Marcus Naslund and Chris Drury in the lineup, you can not afford to make mistakes.

The team had some more giddy up in the third, as the defense, especially Brendan Witt, were taking the body and blocking shots and supporting Yann Danis, who replaced Joey MacDonald in the first after he suffered an apparent groin injury. However, the offense couldn’t set up a cycle and get quality shots in on Lundqvist, who’s rebound control was also much better after a sloppy third, paving the way for another Islanders loss.

Nielsen and Thompson back in the lineup- Both provide spunk and heart, something this team has been in a serious lack of at times this season. However, while they didn’t look out of place, it’s obvious that they still need a few games to get their bearings back.

MacDonald’s injury- Just when things look like they can’t get much worse for this team, Joey MacDonald goes and strains his groin. Not good. Luckily, Danis was solid last night and kept hem in the game. Unfortunately for him though, the team’s offense couldn’t help him out.

In spite of Danis’ play last night, if MacDonald is going to be out for any prolonged amount of time, could the Islanders possibly bring back cult hero Wade Dubielewicz [yes, I remember how to spell his name by heart. Yes, I rock.]? John Grahame is available as well. All in all, it’s a furry situation that should pan itself out over the next couple of days.

In other news, the Islanders traded defenseman Brett Skinner to the Atlanta Thrashers for Junior Lessard. In 27 career games in the NHL, Lessard has three goals and an assist.

Aside from Doug Weight [who if healthy, may have edged out Streit and appeared in the game himself] Streit has been the only consistent offensive threat this team has. Among defensemen, he’s in the top ten in every offensive category and even leads the league with 32 points.

If this guy was on any other team, he’d have the league and it’s fans drooling. In Montreal last season, he had the rest of the league in awe on the powerplay, but overall, he was looked at as a niche player. However, to put up the points he did while playing mainly on special teams was an extremely impressive feat.

Nonetheless, despite the fact that he could have led a handful of NHL teams in scoring last season, the Islanders, a team considered by many not to have the ability to sign big name free agents, nabbed him in the offseason and signed him to a long-term contract.

Ever since then, it’s been a match made in heaven.

Not only has his offense been stellar, his defense has been more than solid and he’s only gotten better as the season has gone on.

The Canadiens organization, who after leading the league in powerplay efficiency over the past two seasons are now ranked towards the bottom of the league. They may not want to admit, hell, they may never admit it, but they miss the guy’s talents with the man advantage.

Luckily for the Islanders, they saw something special in the kid and gave him an opportunity.

However, rather than catch any praise for picking him up, Islander general manager Garth Snow, much like Streit himself, has received no positive mention from the press. While it’s fair to say that both have a lot to do with how poorly the team is playing this season, the fact of the matter is that despite the fact that there is something definitely wrong with this team, the problem has never been Streit or Snow’s willingness to spend millions of dollars on him over the next half decade.

If things continue the way they have been over the next few seasons, it’s fair to say that Streit will never be the reason why this team can’t play at least .500 hockey or bring in quality players.

A few years ago, a good Western swing was the kind of thing that got fans in Islander country excited. The message boards would chat it up about who the team could get down the stretch to help during the playoff run and who should get traded. Even though many of us knew the team didn’t have much of a shot to get past the first round, it was always fun to see how the team stacked up against the good teams in the West, just in case the Islanders pulled off something magical later in the season.

Make no mistake about it though, this season’s Western road trip has proven this team has no shot at doing much more than causing the team and it’s fans a whole lot of aggravation.

Every night this season, Joey MacDonald leaves his soul out on the ice and the Islanders make mistake after mistake in their own end. If any goaltender in the NHL had it bad, MacDonald could laugh right in their face. If this keeps up, MacDonald may go down in the history books for having one of the worst records in NHL history. However, it’ll have nothing to do with his play as he’s been just as good as any goaltender in this league.

He just doesn’t have the support on the ice that the rest of the netminders in the league do.

By the end of the season, that may be the biggest travesty this team commits.

Tambellini stepping up?- You don’t beat goaltenders like Mikka Kiprusoff by accident, so make no mistake about it, Jeff Tambellini’s wrister last night was the real deal. Rather than skate in and try to deke his way to a goal like he’s been trying to do all season, he just shot the puck with a decent angle and rolled the dice. Guys with shots like Tambellini do that in this league and they score. If he can continue to skate hard and take those types of shots, maybe he’ll save this season for himself.

Trevor Smith’s first goal- I said it after his first few games and I’ll say it again; this kid has a nose for the net. It’s something you can’t teach. He’s not incredibly quick and doesn’t have a super duper shot, but he’s always in the right place at the right time and is tough enough to earn the bumps and bruises needed to continue scoring. My kind of player.

In the end though, it wasn’t enough, as San Jose is just too damn good a team.

Nevertheless, again, I like that this team didn’t lay down. Tim Jackman’s goal was the effort of hard work and determination. This season, he’s done that every night and because of that, he deserves the sweater with his name on it. The same thing goes for Sean Bergenheim and Richard Park, who were hustling out there and at least trying to make the most out the opportunities they had. Take away that offside call in the third where Park was sprung and he may have had another one there. At any rate, Park is a shining example of an amazing role player that can produce solid numbers on any team he plays on.

Again, it’s too bad his effort was wasted in another loss.

The same thing goes for Joey MacDonald. The guy was hung out to dry tonight. I don’t even want to know what San Jose’s time in the attack zone was. With all the saves he made and all the shots the Islanders defense blocked, I think Scott Gordon is going to have a plethora of things to discuss during the team’s next practice.

The way it feels right now is that this group of players is incapable of putting a total 60-minute effort together. If they were just terrible every night for 60 minutes, I’d actually not be too mad about it, but considering that they played good hockey for the last eight minutes of the second and amazing hockey for 90 seconds, it just makes me wonder. What does this team need to do in order to play consistent hockey?

I’ve already spoken at length about the personnel decisions I believe this team would need to make in order to be a .500 team and knowing that they aren’t going to happen, I feel it’s useless to talk about them anymore.

Let the John Tavares sweepstakes begin my friends. Until then, let’s hope the lunchpailers make life interesting until April.

Make his teammates better.

Under Weight’s tutelage, not only is Bill Guerin a better player, but every player he’s played with has been better when they’re on the ice with him. That’s not to say that Weight has been a miracle worker, but he has been a near a point a game player this season and has Guerin on pace for a 30-goal season. I’m also sure that youngsters the likes of Sean Bergenheim, Kyle Okposo and Josh Bailey are getting schooled after every great pass and harassed after every foul up. Weight is that kind of player.

That’s not too shabby a deal for everyone involved if you ask me.

As well as being a positive influence on and off the ice by providing results, my favorite thing about Weight is that he’s got the character and spunk of a winner. When the team is winning, he’s got a huge smile on his face and you can see that he’s really enjoying himself out there. He’s like a kid out there. When the team is being outplayed though, he looks pissed and is yelling at people, trying to make the most of every word, in an effort to turn the game and team around.

That kind of ability isn’t found in every player and Islanders are lucky to have him because of it.

Now, I know that if he continues this pace this season, he’ll be on his way to a 60-70 point season, which will of course have plenty of teams enthralled. I’m sure a team like the Blackhawks, a team looking for that something extra to get them into the playoffs, would love a veteran leader to help their promising young stars through the rest of the season. However, in spite of what the Islanders should be able to get for Weight, which I think should be a second round pick and a decent prospect, is outweighed [no pun intended] by what he can teach the youngsters on this team.

Now I’m sure you guys have read Chris Botta’s post yesterday where Weight said he’d prefer to stay here and doesn’t want to be traded and brought back like a hired gun. With that being said, why wouldn’t you want to keep him now! This is a guy that believes in the system and wants to finish his career here. Why not make it happen?

Now I understand this is a business, so what I think should go down is simple. Give the guy a one-year extension worth the same thing he’s getting paid now, but give him a few incentives for assists and games played to make it a little more worth while for him. If he says no, then you’ve done everything in your power to keep him and it wasn’t good enough. After that, all you can do is continue to play him the same way you have been down the stretch. By doing that, you’ll pull up his value. Then, you see if you can throw in something else with him, perhaps a certain defenseman that isn’t happy with the system the Islanders are playing, and see if you can hustle a late first round pick out of the deal.

What do you guys think?

In all honesty, it probably should have been. That way this team would know how poorly they played.

The breakdowns in the defensive zone have been a prolonged problem this season and if this team is going to get their respect back any time soon, that’s first thing that needs to be fixed.

With guys like Doug Weight, Mike Sillinger, Kyle Okposo and Mike Comrie all back in the lineup, the Islanders will be much better offensively, so it’s crucial that they play better in their own end. That obviously didn’t happen last night on a few occasions, as Petr Prucha and Scott Gomez especially had way too much room on the ice and were allowed second chances to create. That was probably the biggest reason why the Isles didn’t come out with at least a point.

Another huge reason this team didn’t finish off the Rangers is they couldn’t avoid another third period collapse. Anyone that watched the game last night knows the team was -24 in the third period going into last night’s game. Something has to be done about this and soon.

The hour glass is running out boys, but this season can still be saved [I know I'm being extremely overoptimistic here. Please let me live in denial here.]

What is up with DP? The Rick DiPietro saga took another turn yesterday when Yann Danis was recalled as the emergency backup to Joey MacDonald. The word now is a groin pull, but there’s no way to really know what is going on with this guy. All I know is he’s not in the lineup and he has about a dozen years left on his contract. This is not good. The fact that the Isles are being so tight lipped about things to the point where Chris Botta and Greg Logan can’t confirm anything. And to think, a few days ago, everyone thought DP was back and the Islanders, for the time being, were out of the water.

Guess Again.

Are we at the point in the season now that we should consider ourselves lucky that no one else is seriously injured to the point where no one knows when they’ll be back. For a few minutes last night, I think Trent Hunter was the next player to join that list. Thankfully though, he just lost his air in one of the scariest moments I’ve seen in a while as an Islanders fan. The next Islanders captain in my mind at least, the last thing this team would need at this point is for another impact player to go down for any prolonged period of time.

But, as this team has proven this season, when they skate their tails off for 60 minutes and don’t make mistakes on defense, they can and will win, regardless of the team they’re playing.

Even though I got a bunch of great things for Christmas this year, thanks to my lovely girlfriend and friends and family, this was one of the best gifts I received this year.

Simply put, this team skated as if their rears were on fire.

I, on the other hand, was totally exhausted from a hectic day on Christmas and Christmas Eve, but I stayed up anyway and watched them.

They deserved it.

I think us fans deserved it a bit too.

I mean seriously, no wins in a month is something I’m used to. I’m a Mets, Jets and Nets fan too you know. But none of those teams are that attached to my happiness as the Isles. Simply put, I don’t care if they win or lose, I just don’t want to see them embarrass themselves. That’s what my menstruations over the past month on this site have mainly been about.

Like the world-famous Paul Newman said in “Slapshot”: “Let ‘em know you’re there boys!”

That hadn’t been happening as of late.

However, last night, the Islanders had youngsters and veterans, promising prospects and journeymen and franchise goalies and role players, all on the same page, working as a cohesive unit.

On the whole, Rick DiPietro was solid and thanks to a complete effort from his defense, something Joey MacDonald hasn’t gotten in quite some time, DP didn’t have to bend over backwards or even come lose to testing his surgically repaired hip or knee.

Good stuff if you ask me. Good stuff indeed.

It’s only one win though, not time to go cash in my 401K just yet.

We’ll see what happens tonight.

Hilbert Injured- Last night’s victory came at a bit of a price. Hit in the skate blocking a shot, Andy Hilbert suffered a hairline fracture in his foot, which should keep him out at least a month. I know I haven’t been Hilbert’s biggest supporter over the past two and a half seasons, but this season has been different. He’s easily been one of the Islanders best players and has shown the finish needed for him to play on one of the top lines, of any team in the league.

Even in my darkest days as an Islanders fan, I’ve never seen things turn this sour. I mean, things were awfully bad during Butch Goring’s tenure as coach, but let’s be honest here, those teams had no chance. They were full of youngsters, with washed-up veterans that wanted nothing but a paycheck. There was no Bill Guerin, Brendan Witt or Trent Hunter. However, in spite of the markedly different lineup the Islanders have this season, things feel just as dire.

Taking a look at some of my old posts, particularly the “Worst Case Scenario” post I did before the season started, I came to see that this is in-fact the worst case scenario for this team right now.

Don’t believe me? Take a look at this I came up before the season started:

1- A change in philosophy if the team is close to a playoff spot at the trading deadline
2- Radek Martinek or Brendan Witt going down for any prolonged period of time
3- An uber inefficient powerplay…again
4- Rushing Josh Bailey
5-Mike Sillinger misses most of the season again
In my “Hopes for 2009” post, I outlined five things I wanted to see this season.
Take a look at this list:
1- Kyle Okposo’s continued development.
2- Jeff Tambellini solidifying a role on the team.

3- Bill Guerin and Doug Weight having solid seasons.

4- Chris Campoli and Mark Streit both become factors on the powerplay.
5- Rick DiPietro stays healthy all season.
Taking a look at these two lists, it’s easy to see that this season, so far, has been an absolute disaster. Aside from Weight and Streit playing well, everything else has fell to pieces. KO has been on the shelf too long to really assess, while injuries to Sillinger, DiPietro, Witt and Martinek have decimated the Islanders defensive ability, character and most importantly, heart. Tambellini’s play has been a joke as well, while Witt’s comments have shown some unwillingness in the Isles’ Over-Speed system.
With that being said, I take us back to the original question I proposed: When will this losing streak come to an end?
While I’ve been willing to throw around my opinion with a certain amount of confidence all season, regardless of the outcome, this is one that I have no idea on. I really wish I did.
Only the Islanders know the answer right now.

I’m not even sure on that one either.

From what I saw, Joey MacDonald was not on his game. He was giving up way too many rebounds and the first goal in particular was a bit soft if you ask me. Mathieu Schneider is a great defenseman, no doubt about it, but to score from the point like that on an NHL goalie isn’t an everyday occurrence. The pair of Little goals were the bi-products of Joey Mac giving up too many rebounds and the Islanders defense in front of the net not being what it should be. There’s a reason why Andy Hilbert broke his stick over the net after one of them, it shouldn’t have happened.

On a positive note, the Islanders were generation a plethora of quality scoring chances, but Johan “Call me Moose please” Hedberg was on top of his game and the Atlanta defense was solid enough to ensure a win. When you get good defense and quality goaltending, you tend to win in this league. When you don’t unless you have the offense of the San Jose Sharks or Detroit Red Wings, you tend to lose.

That’s what happened last night and that’s what’s going to continue to happen until the Islanders devote themselves to scoring more and playing better defense. Right now though, it just feels like they don’t have the right combination of players out there. Simply put, the faceoff and passing ability of Doug Weight, Frans Nielsen and Mike Sillinger are severely missed because the Islanders already have problems controlling the puck and without a good faceoff man and playmaker, that process becomes an even tougher one. With Nielsen out for at least another month, Sillinger back on IR and Weight day to day, the Islanders are going to have even more problems playing an overspeed system that depends crucially on puck control and establishing a forecheck.

This is exactly the time when guys like Mike Comrie and Josh Bailey have to step and show exactly what it is they are capable of.

Stay tuned.

Simply put, with all the injuries this team has had, you wouldn’t blame the guy if he did.

Not having Rick DiPietro in the lineup for virtually the entire season alone gives him a get out of jail free card, but even in spite of that, Gordon hasn’t made any excuses.

“Certainly, not having your No. 1 guy for the whole year has been a unique situation,” Gordon told the AP. “It would be a unique situation for any team, but certainly, as a first-time head coach in the NHL, to not have your No. 1 guy and to have to rely so much on a guy that’s done a great job at trying to make a name for himself as a proven NHL goaltender, it certainly has been a hurdle.”

Aside from the play of Mark Streit, Joey MacDonald and Doug Weight, things like this make the season a little bit easier to deal with. Anyone who reads Chris Botta’s rock-solid Point-Blank blog, knows that Islanders GM Garth Snow is sticking with Gordon for the long-term and regardless of what any of his players say about the team’s new system, the Islanders are going to give Gordon every opportunity to make things work.

Botta also did a great job on his blog recently talking about the strides the Washington Capitals have made over the years to become the team that they have. Much like Botta, I feel the Isles may have to tank the next few seasons and bring in the right people little by little if they have any chance at turning this team into a legitimate and consistent playoff contender.

The only problem is asking Islander fans to wait isn’t exactly an easy thing to do.

Being a fan of this team over the past 15 years has been like going to OTB and betting on a bad horse simply because you feel it’s got what it takes and then seeing it break every bone in it’s body and miraculously get up and do it over again the next race. Sure, there have been some moments where this horse finished, but after last season especially, it was obvious that the horse needed to be taken out to pasture. So now, while not having a completely new pony, the Islanders have a genetic misfit that hopefully can transform itself into something dependable and entertaining over the next few seasons.

If it doesn’t, then Gordon won’t need to make excuses, because he and Snow will be out of them.

You see, Crosby for all his talent, obviously has a vision problem. The other night, he thought Boris Valabik’s testicles were a punching bag. If you haven’t seen what happened, check it out here a few times.

Many of you guys know how I feel about fighting in this league. If you don’t, or you’re a first time reader, here it is. I feel that fighting serves a necessary function in the game and even if it didn’t, it’s entertaining and fans that aren’t necessarily interested in the game like to see it, which is good for the league as well. But when two guys are hitting a guy all over his body, that just not cool. That’s something I’d see on TNA Impact or WWE Raw, not in a professional hockey game. The team I cover in the EPHL, the Brooklyn Aces [here's a cheap plug, AcesOverBrooklyn.com] would never do something like that, so why do fans and media alike have to watch this in the best league in the world?

I’ll tell you why.

Sidney Crosby is untouchable and the league doesn’t care that he still has a ton of growing up to do. He was handed poster boy status in this league before his first game and in spite of his jaw-dropping offensive totals, he’s not the cleanest player in the league either. Right now, Crosby is like a young mafioso. He’s got more power than he could ever dream of and has all the right people watching his back. I mean seriously, this is a guy that from day one was living with Mario Lemieux. You can say whatever you want about Wayne Gretzky, but “The Great One” got initiated into the league by Billy Smith’s stick a few times before the Oilers started getting smart to having him protected. The Penguins on the other hand, have Crosby protected better than the pope.

One day though, someone in this league is going to make him pay for the things he’s done on the ice, like this, that are extremely questionable. Hell, in a one on one scrap, Valabik would destroy Crosby; he’s 6′7 240 pounds. But Crosby getting in a one on one scrap with someone legitimate and not named Andrew Ference will never ever happen because it’ll turn into something from the movie “The Warriors” in a heartbeat out there. If Gary Bettman is in the arena, you bet h’d jump out on the ice in defense of Crosby too.

However, that is what may be necessary for the maturation process to truly begin with someone aptly nicknamed “Sid the Kid.”

For the rest of the players in the NHL, a suspension would be mandatory for something like this, but Crosby is like Steven Segal for some reason. No, he’s not fat and doesn’t choke out baby seals on “Family Guy,” he’s just “Above the Law.” Why Bettman can guys get away with things like this and Thomas Pock gets a five game penalty for an elbow that did nothing? Why?

This isn’t even the first time someone has been borderline molested on the ice and nothings happened either. Remember last season when Garnett Exelby tried to castrate Blake Comeau?

If you haven’t seen this either, here it is.

After watching this and knowing that Exelby and Crosby never got suspended for these actions, it’s easy to see that the NHL has a sadomasochistic fetish here. They love seeing players getting hit in the chops. Why else would they let players get away with things like this? Exelby isn’t anywhere on the same level as Crosby and yet he got away with deliberately sphering someone in the nads. Knowing this, it’s fair to say that league probably has burned DVDs of the best chop shots and play them on slow nights or when the Lightning and Islanders are playing against one another.

While I can ultimately live with Exelby’s actions because I know it was out of sheer frustration [anyone remember that game?], Crosby does things like this because he can get away with it. He knows he’s untouchable.

Maybe I have a huge problem with this because of the way I was raised. Where I come from, Bensonhurst, Brooklyn, no one is untouchable and the second they think they are, they wake up with a horse’s head in their bed or they get what’s coming to them. It’s a natural thing. Everyone shows respect to one another and if not, you pay the price.

If Crosby isn’t show the light soon, he’s going to have to pay a price he can’t afford.

This is a team the Islanders should have beaten, even without the bodies they’re missing.

Instead, the Isles beat around the bush for 60 minutes, rather than establish the forecheck. On top of that, this team refuses to skate the puck into the offensive zone and repeatedly plays dump and chase, which, to me, is like praying to win the lottery every night before you go to bed [do you hear me up there, lottery gods?]. Why not skate the puck into the zone and start a cycle?

At any rate, I don’t have the answers to these questions. As a matter of fact, I don’t think anyone in the organization has the answers right now.

Time is running out boys. If this skid continues, the Isles will have dug themselves such a whole that the “Mole Man” wouldn’t be able to get out.

All childish comparisons based on Marvel Comics aside, this team is getting so bad that my mother, is even saying things like: “They stink, they can’t even complete a pass.”

This coming from a woman that doesn’t know the difference between Kyle Okposo and Hubie McDonough. However, in spite of my mother’s lack of Islanders knowledge, she’s without a doubt a die-hard. When my father seems to give up on the team after 65 games every season, my mother still watches the games and roots for them with all her heart. If that doesn’t prove her loyalty, maybe this will. She had Miroslav Satan’s back all season, especially when I was on him for under-performing, and was pissed when they didn’t resign him, saying he deserved another chance.

To see someone like that start to see the light makes me feel this team is really as bad as the rest of the NHL thinks.

Now with Doug Weight and Trent Hunter battling injuries, it’s going to be even tougher to change the minds of the rest of the league.

But hey, at least they know what the deal is. At least this team knows that they’re not only under-performing, they’re just not very good right now.

And the only people that get the Islanders out of this are themselves.

And maybe Chuck Norris.

“Nobody’s going to get us out of this slump but ourselves,” MacDonald told the AP after the game. “We know this and the coaches know this. Everybody has to get together and keep working. We are short on bodies, but we just have to keep battling and working hard. We’ll get out of it. I thought tonight we made a few good steps.”

The only problem was your defense forgot to show up.

That and Josh Bailey and Kyle Okposo proved that they have a lot of growing up to do defensively.

I said in my pregame piece yesterday that the Wild defensemen needed to be watched and not allowed to make that first good pass out of the neutral zone. With that obviously not happening, combined with the Islanders inability to generate quality scoring opportunities did the Isles in once again.

However, before a terrible third period, I really liked what I saw from both Mike Comrie and Okposo, who were hustling and were at least noticeable.

Then, again, it happened.

This team is so bad in the third period that I’ve seen blind people play NHL 09 with more competence. I mean seriously, why do they break down the way they do? Is it that they’re all out of gas by the time the third period comes, or is it that they are simply not good enough? The way things are going right now, most of the pundits out there will think the later, but I think it’s something else. Simply put, this team is missing something and I think I know what it is now.

They have the wily veteran leaders in Bill Guerin and Doug Weight, they have solid role players in Andy Hilbert and Richard Park. They have a shutdown defenseman in Brendan Witt [and even Martinek when he comes back] and they have youth in Okposo, Bailey and Bergenheim. This team needs DP back in the lineup and they need a legitimate sniper, to even be at .500. Right now, they don’t have enough firepower and as good as MacDonald’s been, he’s got way too much pressure on himself right now.

The way it is right now, it won’t matter who is in net for this team until someone decides to step up.

Who will it be? Who can it be at this point?

Sutton breaks foot- This is not good news at all. Up to this point, Sutton was doing his job and was even producing more offensively than I thought he was capable of. With Radek Martinek already on the shelf, the Islanders defense is doing to be running thin for the next month.

Witt talks about Scott Gordon’s system to Newsday- Witt can say whatever he wants to say about not liking the system the Islanders play, but when you get caught pinching and it leads to a goal, much like last night, you have to think the problem lies elsewhere. The problem in actuality is Witt’s skating ability. Many wondered how Witt would fit in when the league changed the rules and even though he made it out in one piece. Scott Gordon’s “Over-speed” takes the up-tempo game of the NHL to an even faster pace and Witt feels out of place physically and mentally. In order for this system to work, Witt needs to either adjust his game, or go somewhere that will accept him the way he is right now, which is one hell of of a stay at home defenseman. I hate to even say things like this, but that seems to be the case right now.

If Gordon sticks around for a few seasons and all indications are that he will, players that are brought to the team in the future won’t be in the same mold as Witt.

That, I think, is something to write about.

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Logan calls it a lesson learned. I, on the other hand, call it the Islanders organization finally using common sense.

In this world and especially in the world of sports, there are people in this world that regardless of how talented they are, don’t listen. They don’t listen when you tell them they can’t do things a certain way. It may be arrogance, it may be vision, but regardless, they fail to acknowledge that other people besides themselves may have the answers to the questions that are plaguing them. Some of them end up prevailing and become trend setters in the process. The others, however, take things too far and never make the most of their potential and become a footnote in history; the topic of late-night discussion in shady bars amongst the legions of sour fans whose hearts they broke.

After consecutive 30-win seasons, it looked like DP was headed down the first path I mentioned, but after a slew of surgeries and injuries over the past two seasons, it seems like he may be on another.

This recent decision of his however, may have him stuck in the middle.

The fact that Scott Gordon and Garth Snow are taking the initiative here and are letting him practice a bit before he comes back, while keeping Yann Denis on the bench, is proof that Islanders management has learned their lesson as well. For too long have they allowed DP to take matters into his own hands, on and off the ice. Still only 27 years old, the past two years won’t mean a thing if DP can come back healthy this season and help this team get rid of the water in the basement.

“The expectation is that he’ll be practicing with us by the weekend,” coach Scott Gordon told Newsday yesterday. “He’ll skate [Friday in St. Paul and Saturday in Nashville]. We’ll get into that routine. Until we see where he’s at, I would expect at least a week of practices.”

That’s exactly what I want to hear right now. Things are bad enough with this team and the last thing the organization and fans need is to see DP ruin his career before he hits his prime. He is supposed to be a pivotal piece in the puzzle and he deserves an opportunity to prove that he can help this team get their respect back. As I told you before, once a few of the other guys get back and DP gets back in the swing of things, that’s when the season begins for me.

I’m sure DiPietro feels the same way.

If any of the other team’s in the league didn’t pick up the one time All-Star, it was because he was coming off the worst season of his career and one that made it look like he was on his last leg.

That’s why many GM’S around the league and Islander fans alike thought Islanders management was crazy when they were the ones that brought him in this summer. However, Weight has easily been the team’s best player this season and has already proved his value, scoring 27 points in 30 games, two more than he scored of all last season.

Number don’t tell the whole story though. Simply put, you couldn’t ask for more from this guy. Alongside Streit, Weight has been something special on the powerplay and has done everything in his power to make sure the Islanders don’t embarrass themselves every night.

Now he’s just four points away from a milestone that every single hockey player from Pee Wee’s to Pros, dreams about.

1,000 points.

There’s just one problem, the Islanders are beginning to make good on the thoughts of every wannabe NHL pundit on the Internet and are playing themselves in a whole that not even the Disney version of the Might Ducks could get themselves out of. Sure they have Weight, who is their Charlie Conway and Trent Hunter, Bill Guerin and Streit are having solid seasons, but this team needs a lot more and fast or else this season is over.

And before the All-Star break.

That’s what makes this guy’s achievement a little bittersweet.

Even though Weight is a fun-loving guy who having a good time this season, you get the feeling that things could be so much better if the Islanders started winning.

“To play as long as I have and to be successful and to be coming up on that mark, I’m very proud of it and very excited about it,” Weight told Newsday. “It sounds like I’m answering in the politically correct way, but I want to mix it in with some wins. It’s more enjoyable around your team.”

It’s not like we didn’t all see this coming though, as all the fan boy blogs and even the guys secretly pulling for the team were hesitant to say where they thought this team was going to finish this season. A few weeks ago, I thought this team had the sneakiness to get into the playoffs.

Now it looks like Weight’s moment may be ruined.

What can the Islanders do to change that?

That’s the question plaguing the Islanders right now. Not to say that Sean Avery is exactly a quick fix, but he may be the injection of spunk this team needs right now. Over the past few games as well, the Islanders have put Jon Sim, who, let’s be fair here, is a poor man’s Avery, on waivers, making it obvious his services are no longer needed. Considering Avery isn’t extremely overpriced at four million per, do the Islanders take the plunge?

I know how many of you feel about Avery and I’d be lying if I said I was a fan of his antics. However, if the Islanders are to part ways with Sim, they don’t exactly have a youngster to plug into Sim’s spot. Considering where the Isles are as far as cap space goes, it’s definitely a risk they can afford to take fiscally. I just don’t know if Avery’s prescence in the locker room would be worth it. Just the fact that Mike Comrie goes out with Hillary Duff seems like it could be enough to set off a disaster in the Islanders room.

Like I’ve been saying over the past couple of days, I feel like this team is headed in a downward spiral that needs to be stopped. Can Avery help to stop it?

Simply put, hearing some of the things Scott Gordon has said as of late have been downright scary and haven’t stopped me from feeling that this team needs to be shaken up a bit.

“You say, ‘I don’t want to kill them in practice and not get it in the game,’” Gordon told Newsday. “Well, now I’m at the point where it doesn’t really matter. This needs to be addressed, and it probably should have been addressed three games ago.”

And what happens when your coach feels this way? Mike Sillinger strains his groin from being worked too hard in practice. Even more great news right? I don’t know guys, you listen to guys like Sean Bergenheim and Richard Park talk to the media and they say the team is still confident and they’re battling, but it just doesn’t feel that way.

The way the team has played, going from surprisingly good to downright awful over the span of just three weeks, makes me feel that something has to be done to get this team going.

So considering that, I take you back to the original question, do the Isles take a chance with Avery?

Where is the passion? Where is the intensity?

In the end, it was a better effort than what they put forth against the Penguins, but it’s not anywhere where it should be.

The game started off extremely slow, with both teams feeling each other out, making me wonder when either team was going to “show up.” Rick Nash scored a goal early on that got disallowed and Tim Jackman had a golden opportunity of his own as well, but Columbus goaltender Steve Mason had his number, making that listless feeling I had in my gut stick around a bit longer.

The second period felt similar until the Blue Jackets got on the board and the Islanders started to show their true colors. Only 11 shots through the midway point of the game, Mason wasn’t exactly busy. It’s not like they didn’t have chances though. Simply put, the Islanders powerplay just wasn’t getting it done and whenever they had an angle on a shot, they were shooting the puck right into Mason’s chest, rather than make him work.

The line of Doug Weight, Trent Hunter and Blake Comeau was buzzing at times, but they weren’t able to finish. Mark Streit too had a few opportunities, but was unsuccessful. After Jason Chimera skated past everyone on the ice and scored the Blue Jackets second goal of the night, everything looked like it was about to fall apart.

The look on Scott Gordon’s face was the same exact look on my face after Nate Thompson took a penalty less than a minute after the goal. Unfortunately, I was at my girlfriend’s house, so I couldn’t assault her animals or scream. So instead, I was forced to grind my teeth.

Then, out of nowhere, Richard “I never stop hustling” Park potted a short-handed goal that got the Islanders back in the game.

My girlfriend’s animals were without a doubt safe now, as were my teeth.

After the period was over and C.J. Papa interviewed Park and I listened to him speak candidly about the team’s attitude right now, I felt that maybe, just maybe, things could turn around in the third.

The way Joey MacDonald was playing early in the period nearly cemented that notion, but the Isles couldn’t get one past the goal line. The lines were mixed up for the period as well and Tim Jackman and Comeau [who has to sharpen his skates or get some new ones!] as well as Weight and Bill Guerin had a few chances. But again, things just couldn’t go their way.

Another Blue Jacket goal with just about nine minutes to go cemented another Islanders loss, making this writer consider wishing upon a star, to Santa Claus, or anyone one else with the ability to change this team’s luck, hoping for something to change soon.

But what can be done?

During a few of the earlier games this season, where Mac’s lack of positioning played a part in several goals, I would have to say yes.

However, with guys like Brendan Witt, Radek Martinek and Andy Sutton all out of the lineup, I think MacDonald did as good a job as anyone in the NHL… and that includes DiPietro.

Nonetheless, it would be idiotic to think that in spite of his injuries that DP isn’t still the Islanders franchise player. Without him, they haven’t been .500 team.

While it would take a toll on any player to see his team floundering without him, I think it’s been extra tough on DP, especially with the huge contract and constant expectations put on him.

“I’m not even sure I can put into words how hard it’s been,” DiPietro told Newsday. “It was a long summer, a lot of rehabbing, and a lot of things to get ready for this season, and then to have it not work out like it did in the beginning and have to go back and do it all over again—it’s tough. Definitely you realize how much you enjoy playing the game and the competition of being in net for the games, but now I’m rested and maybe we can go on a run to finish out the last half of the season.”

What is capable of at this point though?

Over the past two seasons, DP has had surgery on both knees and his hip. Can he still be the goaltender the Islanders need at this point? Can he be one of the players that helps lead them to the promise land of consistent entry in the NHL playoffs every season? Can he be the one that takes this team from semi-laughing stock and gets them the respect the need to get a new building as well?

I don’t know.

That’s the biggest problem for me as well. Over the past few weeks, I haven’t been able to escape the feeling that this team is missing something. It’s obvious that Kyle Okposo, Jeff Tambellini and Mike Comrie aren’t that something and we all know how much Radek Martinek is missed right now, but he isn’t the key to this team.

Again, is that key DiPietro?

Because of that, my poor dog and cat were stuck on the cold floor, nestled next to each other in my bedroom doorway, wondering why they couldn’t be up on the warm bed with their burly and usually-affectionate master.

I’ll tell you why, because this team is an absolute disaster right now. Watching an Islander game over the past two weeks is like the morning after eating a dozen sliders from White Castle. You have the burning feeling in your chest and your so full of gas that a bump in the car can ruin a pair of pants. After every goal, I felt the need to just go to the bathroom and let it all out.

Overall, the Islanders lost their cool and got horrible goaltending from both Joey MacDonald and Yann Danis, creating a smörgåsbord of mistakes that the Penguins exploited every time they had the chance. On offense, the Islanders were a complete joke and lacked the overall polish needed to score. The hustle and passion that was totally evident a week ago with this team has dissipated faster than the smell of a dollar store air freshener.

Kudos to Penguins coach Therrien [I'd say his first name, but he seems to change it every few days] as well for keeping his top players throughout the game as well. No sarcasm there either. I would have done the same thing if the opposition was as bad as the Isles were last night. No mercy, especially when the Islanders were so sloppy and were taking bad penalties throughout.

Sim clears waivers- He’s back, but what are the Islanders going to do with him? Still on pace for a dozen goals, what else can they ask out of the guy? Especially when most of the team isn’t producing the way they should be. Sim isn’t so much the problem as this entire team right now.

Something needs to be done and fast.

In other news, according to an ECHL press release I received yesterday Joey MacDonald was the MeiGray Group ECHL Alumnus of the Month for November.

Here’s what else the press release had to say about the Isles netminder.

MacDonald, who entered the 2008-09 season with 17 career NHL appearances with Detroit, Boston and the Islanders over a seven-year career, made 14 consecutive starts from Nov. 3-29 as Rick DiPietro has been sidelined by a knee injury. He was 8-5-1 with a goals-against average of 2.64 and a save percentage of .916 while leading NHL goaltenders in games (14), minutes (842) and shots faced (439).

The 28 year old began his professional career in the ECHL in 2001-02 and was 12-15-7 with a shutout, a goals-against average of 2.88 and a save percentage of .922 in 38 games with the Storm. He returned to Toledo on a rehabilitation assignment in 2005-06 and in his only appearance made 25 saves in a 4-1 win against Trenton on Nov. 12, 2005.

“What do you do?”

The question here has nothing to do with saving a bus with a bomb on it or saving humanity from aliens.

In fact, it is much more important than that.

What do you do when your team just isn’t good enough?

In all honesty, I hate writing things like this, especially about the one and only team that I still root for. Being a journalist does that to you after a while though, especially after you’ve covered a few teams in a few different sports like I have. But I digress, this site is supposed to give me the carte blanche to express myself without any journalistic veil over my eyes, or my heart. Rather than wax any more formalities, let me just get down to business.

Over the past few games, I can’t escape the feeling that this team just isn’t good enough. Six games ago, I felt like they could sneak into the playoffs. No other team, not even the Mets, has ever made me feel that way so quickly. Why? I’ll tell you exactly why. They have to play close to perfect hockey every night and hope the opposition plays poorly. In a league with the kind of parity the NHL has, that’s just not going to happen.

It took one of the biggest bloopers in NHL history for the Islanders to beat a team like the Canadiens and even a sloppy period and a half by a solid team like the Flyers wasn’t good enough.

It also feels like a lot of players are playing better hockey this season than they were before and it’s still not good enough. So far this season, Andy Hilbert has gone above and beyond anything anyone could have expected him to do and the Isles still can’t get to .500. Richard Park gives his heart on every single shift too an he too can’t give this team the spark they so desperately need.

So what can the Isles do?

I personally believe that the Isles have to combine the quality play of guys like Trent Hunter, Bill Guerin, Doug Weight and Mark Streit with youngsters and struggling veterans like Jon Sim, Sean Bergenheim and Josh Bailey. Put players in a situation where they have someone who is going to push them hard on every shift, so that they are accountable for all of their actions.

Here are the lines I believe could get this team going.

Forwards

Comeau- Weight- Guerin
Bergenheim- Bailey- Hunter
Hilbert- Sillinger- Park
Fritz [now that Sim has been put on waivers]- Thompson [once he comes back from the flu]- Jackman

Defense

Witt- Streit
Campoli-Meyer
Sutton- Pock/Callahan

I don’t know what else could be done at this point guys. Simply put, they are running out of excuses.

They got back in the game a few times, following nice goals by Bill Guerin and Mike Sillinger, but not once did it feel like they were headed in the right direction.

The reason for the most part I believe was the defense left Joey MacDonald out to dry… again. Every goal the Maple Leafs scored was due to a miscue on the Islanders defense. By the time Jeremy Williams scored his first NHL goal, it was painfully obvious that the Isles defense needed to get back to basics and simply watch for the back door pass and eliminate they space they offered the Leafs.

On offense, I wasn’t a huge fan of some of the changes in the forward lines Islanders head coach Scott Gordon made before the game. I know Sillinger has had chemistry with Trent Hunter and Andy Hilbert, but there was “real” chemistry starting to develop between he and Josh Bailey. I know the team is pressed for offense over the past few games, but that was a combination I wouldn’t have played around with.

All night, I just felt like there was too much of a feeling out process going on between most of the new lines, which was just one of the reasons why there was a huge gap in third period where the Islanders couldn’t complete a pass.

That combined with the sloppy defense really put the Isles in a situation where they couldn’t muster enough energy to get the W.

On a positive note, I really liked the way Richard Park and Blake Comeau played last night. Regardless of the score, they were making smart plays in both ends. The same thing goes for Tim Jackman who continues to make something out of nothing every night. He’s kind of like a slinky that you never think will be able to make it down the stairs, but surprises you every time.

Unfortunately, as a team recently, the Isles haven’t shown the passion or intensity to make it down a pair of steps, nevertheless a flight of them.

Something has to change soon.

On another note, what is going on with Ian White and Ryan Hollweg? They look like a combination of the Super Mario Bros and legendary porn star Ron Jeremy with those mustaches. Scary stuff if you ask me. However, even more scarier were a few questionable hits by Hollweg in the game, one that caused a scrap between he and Nate Thompson, who ironically left the game with the flu shortly thereafter [maybe it had to do with seeing that wad of facial hair up-close]. Simply put, this guy has had a history of hitting from behind and one day, he’ll be just as vilified as Chris Simon, the guy that went over the line on him a few years ago.

Mark my words.

57 games in the AHL last season= 38 goals.

Simply put, something is wrong here. The Islanders know it. That’s why they sent him to Bridgeport on Saturday.

Now, the rest of the NHL knows it too.

But more importantly, Tambellini knows it.

Over the course of the season, unlike the rest of the youngsters on the Isles, who have shown some type of progression, Tamby has been a wreck. Obviously suffering from a lack of confidence, Tambellini hasn’t been a factor at all.

“If you start playing mind games with yourself, you’re only hurting yourself,” Tambellini told Newsday. “It is what it is. I don’t know what to tell you. I go day-by-day and I just play each game as a new game. I can’t worry too much about the past. It is what it is. I can’t really dwell on it.”

Well Jeff, you kind of have to start worrying about it. You’re a former first round pick that has performed great at every level, except the NHL. You’re not exactly 21 any more either. In order for you to stay at this level and be more than a fourth liner, you have to change your game. Because obviously, what you’ve been doing this season hasn’t been working.

The way Blake Comeau played on Saturday, with passion, intensity and desperation, is exactly the way Tambellini should be playing. It’s easy to see that he’s never going to be a power forward or a role player. He’s a sniper through and through. With his skill set, he has to score or else he’s going to be stuck in the AHL forever. Right now, he lacks the desire to get himself to the places on the ice where he can score and takes garbage shots from all weird angles, hoping to catch a break.

So far this season, it hasn’t happened.

It hasn’t been because the team hasn’t given him an opportunity either. It would have been the case last season, but not now.

So what can the Islanders do about this?

Maybe a reality check in the AHL will wake him up, maybe it won’t.

I personally think he needs to have an epiphany of some sorts and soon. Otherwise, Comeau will finish this season here and Tambellini will be lost in the shuffle, either playing out his days as a depth player with the Isles or hopping from team to team that is willing to give him a chance to live up to his promise.

“We all want him to score,” coach Scott Gordon told the Associated Press. “There’s definitely a lack of confidence that probably has built up, which is natural. I’m sure he’s frustrated.”

That was the worst combined effort I’ve seen between two teams on a hockey rink in quite some time.

And that’s coming from a minor league hockey writer mind you.

In the end, there’s a reason why these teams are were they are in the standings. The Islanders, despite playing with a ton of energy at times and showing flashes of being a decent team, cannot put it together for 60 minutes. The Thrashers on the other hand, are just missing pieces. I mean seriously, if someone told me that Marty Reasoner and Chris Thorburn would be on the same line as Ilya Kovalchuk, I would have laughed a certain part of my body [the most attractive part, aside from my luscious green eyes] off.

Nevertheless, unlike the Isles, Atlanta made the most of the opportunities they had.

It didn’t matter that they were outplayed, outshot and outhit either.

That’s just way the cookie crumbles sometimes in this league though, especially when you’re not the Boston Bruins and you have to play as close to perfect hockey every night to even come close to winning.

Funny moment of the night: When Islanders sideline reporter C.J. Papa asked Islanders Assistant Coach [and a damned good passer in his day] John Chabot why things weren’t going the team’s way after two periods and Chabot responded with something along the lines of “I think we were watching two different games,” I almost lost it. Nothing against Papa, but damn to I miss Deb Kaufman this season. Any decent hockey fan knew that at that point in the game, the Islanders were the victims of good goaltending by Moose Hedberg of a some sloppiness on defense.

Sometimes Mr. Papa, the score of a game isn’t the only indication of the direction a game is going.

In other news, aside from the Isles inability to finish last night, there was one positive to take out of the game:

Blake Comeau.

Goddamn, was it just me or was this guy buzzing out there? Not only was he finishing his checks, he was playing very well in the offensive end and was just a few inches away from his first goal of the season. Because of the way he played, you gotta think that if he can keep it up, something is going to be done about Jeff Tambellini. Originally falling out of Scott Gordon’s favor in the preseason and learning the Islanders system in Bridgeport, Comeau has the ability, spunk and now, the smarts to be an effective player at this level.

Okay, maybe I’m getting a bit too far ahead of myself. Nevertheless, it should interesting to see how Comeau plays against the Maple Leafs on Monday.

Great, just great.

In all fairness, Okposo was starting to play well, especially alongside another first rounder in Josh Bailey, but he wasn’t playing like Mike Bossy. He wasn’t playing like Steve Thomas either. As a matter of fact, he wasn’t even in Wendel Clark’s league. Nevertheless, for a short while, it was pretty entertaining to see what the future could look like with those two on the ice together. At any rate, those euphoric desires will have to be quenched in other ways until he’s healthy again.

Luckily, Trent Hunter is easily having the best season of his career and is finally taking more high quality shots. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, even though he’s a good defensive forward and doesn’t have great skating ability, this guy is not a third liner. Anything but. He should be a 20 goal guy every season, regardless of who he plays with, especially with his stick handling ability and shot. On pace for 30 biscuits potted thus far, the next Islander captain [or maybe Witt] is proving that you can be a good player with an abundance of grit and hard work.

The same thing goes for Bill Guerin, Doug Weight, Andy Hilbert and Mark Streit, who are all proving that they can produce the way Islanders management believes they can. Once the majority of the youngsters do, I think this team is going to be a lot of fun to watch. Once Comrie and Okposo come back as well, I really feel that the Islanders can have four solid lines that can contribute on both sides of the ice. That may mean that a guy Jeff Tambellini would ride the pine in favor of someone who shows up every night and wants to play like Tim Jackman [or maybe Blake Comeau]. Some people may not like that, but in the end, those are the breaks baby.

You can only implement a true youth movement with players that are truly ready or close to. While Sean Bergenheim and Chris Campoli [and even Okposo and Frans Neilsen before they got injured] have shown flashes of brilliance, Tamby looks like he playing Dungeons and Dragons out there. No poise or drive. He either takes chances in both ends, trying to make the big play, or takes garbage shots that have no chance at going in, effectively rolling the dice with his chances of getting quality ice-time.

If he continues along these lines, he’ll not only lose ice time, he may lose his spot on the roster as well.

Even without Chris Clark, Sergei Fedorov, Alex Semin and Mike Green, Ovechkin played his heart out, using his body and his stick in a game the Islanders never had a chance in.

Even though they showed some moxie battling back, the Islanders didn’t put up a fight in front of the net, leaving Joey MacDonald, who played his tail off, despite giving up four goals, out to dry. It didn’t help matters either that he couldn’t get his stick in front of a Donald Brashear tip that ended up putting the game away.

In spite of that, the Islanders lost this game way before Brashear’s goal. Way too many penalties and a general lack of hustle in their own end early on gave both Ovechkin and his teammates the confidence they needed to get ahead. Then, once the Islanders got back into the game, they made their biggest mistake of the night.

They made Ovechkin angry.

And obviously, they didn’t like him when he was angry. [Is it kind of a freak coincidence that AO and the Hulk have the same haircut?]

Sillinger’s first game back- Overall, I think there was a bit of tentativeness on his part, but it wasn’t anything you wouldn’t see from any player that’s played his first game in close to a year. In a few more games however, we’ll get to see what he’s capable of now with his surgically repaired hip.

For the Islanders sake and his, I hope he can get going. If he score 35-40 points the rest of the way, a lot of pressure gets taken off the backs of players like Bill Guerin, Doug Weight and Trent Hunter.

In other news, I recently interviewed Ranger old timer Nick Fotiu at Aviator Arena while covering the Brooklyn Aces for Bay Currents Newspaper and asked him a few questions about one of the best rivalries in sports today.

The Drive for Five- You played for the Rangers when the Islanders rivalry was at it’s All-Time high. Was there a player on the Islanders that you couldn’t wait to get in a scrap with or lay a big hit on?

Fotiu- Not really. I actually really had a lot of respect for those guys. Bobby Nystrom and Clark Gillies especially were really tough players that you had to work your hardest against if you were going to be succesful. Actually, the team’s coach now, Scotty Gordon, I coached Nashville Tennessee.

TDFF- What was it like to be a part of that rivalry?

Fotiu- It was really tough hockey. It was a war. A lot of hard-hitting and great goaltending. Every time the Islanders and Rangers played, it was like the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

You can read the rest of the interview on my Brooklyn Aces site, AcesoverBrooklyn.com

Well, here are my thoughts:

Firstly, the Islanders will instantly get better in the faceoff circle. Always one of the best faceoff guys in the league, Sillinger’s ability on the draw will help the Islanders on the powerplay and in their own end as well.

As well, the Islanders forward lines will have a bit more depth and head coach Scott Gordon can have some more fun with the combinations. I mentioned a few of the possibilities last night, but didn’t think of the Islanders powerplay featuring the likes of Sillinger, Bill Guerin, Josh Bailey, Mark Streit and Doug Weight until just now. Again, while it pales to compare to what some other team’s have, the Islanders depth is finally starting to kick in and I think because of that, the offense is going to pick up rather shortly.

On another note, once Mike Comrie comes back healthy, the Islanders will be pretty damn solid, albeit a bit on the old side, up the middle, featuring Weight, Comrie, Sillinger and Bailey. With that being said, I think they’ll eventually be able to hold their own at that position with the rest of the league.

Isles Looking at Gaborik? According to Eklund of the infamous HockeyBuzz.com, the Islanders are allegedly going after Marian Gaborik.

All I can say to that is no…no…no.

Nothing against the guy, who is without a doubt a legitimate talent in this league, but the Wild will be asking for way too much and as teams like the Penguins and Blackhawks have proven over the past few years, you don’t rebuild your fanbase by trading away high draft picks. Over the past few years, the Islanders have been lucky on a few occasions, with the Ryan Smyth trade not biting them in the rear and guys the likes of Kyle Okposo and Josh Bailey having the potential to help play a part in turning th franchise around.

Even though Gaborik is only 26, he’s not the right fit for this team, that is unless the Isles can give the Wild a host of players that don’t figure to be in their long-term plans that may be attractive.

Immediately, a player like Comrie comes to mind, but obviously, that isn’t going to be enough. Who else could this team package in without sacrificing their future? Radek Martinek? Andy Sutton? I don’t know guys. The way this team is playing this season so far, they may be able to squeak into the playoffs once they get healthy. Do they take the risk of surrendering the rest of what could be a fun season, just to bring a big name in? What would you guys do if you were Garth Snow?

Guess we’re just going to have to see about that, but at any rate, they’re are a few players that I feel are going to get the most out of the next three days off.