I think first and foremost, the Islanders have to play 60 minutes of consistent hockey to stand a chance against this team. The Penguins have a ton of depth on their forwards lines and without Brendan Witt [who owns Evgeni Malkin by the way] and Radek Martinek, the Isles have to be perfect on defense tonight. Any lapses will result in a letdown worse than any the Isles have experienced so far this season.

For starters, Miroslav Satan seems to be reborn in Pittsburgh, and already has eight goals, compared to the 16 he had last season with the Islanders. Another former Islander, Ruslan Fedotenko hasn’t enjoyed that same amount of success, but with Crosby out of the lineup for a tad, it’s obvious that’s played a part. Speaking of Crosby, he will be in the lineup tonight, making things that much more difficult for the Isles.

Nevertheless, if they get ahead early, stay out of the penalty box and play a consistent 60-minute game, we’ll see what happens.

In other news, Greg Logan of Newsday reports that Sean Bergenheim will be back in the lineup tonight and that Tim Jackman has been called up to replace Mitch Fritz. Nate Thompson has a strained groin, so he’ll be out of the lineup as well. While Jackman isn’t the enforcer Fritz is, he’s a grittier player, who has more talent offensively. He’s been playing well in Bridgeport this season and should fit in fine with the team again this season.

Joey Macdonald will also be in the net as well, cementing his spot as the team’s starting goaltender with Rick DiPietro injured. Like I’ve said before, you can’t really ask for more for this guy. Who you can ask for more out of are the youngsters, Jeff Tambellini especially, alongside guys like Brett Skinner, who have done little or nothing this season.

Also, According to Newsday, Josh Bailey, Mike Sillinger and Martinek all practiced yesterday and are all close to returning. Once they come back, things are going to get mighty interesting with this team. Who stays? Who goes? Who knows. At any rate, it’s going to be fun seeing Bailey, Kyle Okposo play with guys like Doug Weight and Bill Guerin.

In other, other news:

I was quoted by the New York Times hockey blog today for my coverage of the New York Islanders.

You can check that article out here as well.

http://slapshot.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/11/07/isles-move-to-the-back-of-the-line/

Last season, the Islanders offense relied heavily upon chance. The chance that Bill Guerin and Miroslav Satan still had gas left in their tanks. The chance that Mike Comrie and Ruslan Fedotenko could develop into near point a game players with first line ice time. The chance that Josef Vasicek and Jon Sim could thrive in expanded roles and lastly, the chance that Sean Bergenheim and Trent Hunter could be consistent offensively all season long.

Considering the fact that the Isles didn’t make the playoffs last season, it’s safe to say most of those players missed great opportunities to prove themselves. However, Guerin proved last season that he can still be an offensive threat, but it’s obvious he needs a real playmaker by his side to get back to being a 30-goal scorer. With Doug Weight’s mediocre season last year behind him, the former Olympian may provide a spark in both of their games that helps the Islanders stay in the mix a little bit longer than expected. Nonetheless, there are holes all over this team’s forward lines that beg to be addressed. Better yet, they beg for someone with some grit, character and heart to step up and cement their spot on this team. Otherwise, it’s going to be a very long season at the Coliseum.

Chances are that Kyle Okposo, Jeff Tambellini, Blake Comeau and Sim will find themselves on different lines this season and these are the players that will have to be the spark plugs. While I’ve already said in previous posts what I think the youngsters are capable of, Sim is a guy that has scored 17 goals with no ice-time in Atlanta a few years ago and can really provide the depth needed to win hockey games. Because of that and guys like Hunter and Mike Sillinger, who he will most likely be paired with, I don’t think a 20-goal season is out of the question for him. Add in his tenacity and heart to a line with already plenty of moxie and I think it’s easily the Islanders most multi-faceted trio if given a chance to gel.

With the four aforementioned players can step up and add something different to the table, I see no reason why guys like Hunter, Richard Park and Bergenheim, noted for their grit and offensive upside as well, can’t follow suit and add respectable numbers themselves. Again, I’ve already discussed what I think Hunter is capable of and I think if Bergenheim finishes more, he can be a 20-goal scorer in this league as well. Park, I think is a lock for a dozen goals and some damn good defensive play.

Then it comes down to how bad a guy like Mike Comrie wants to win. Much like Isles goaltender Rick DiPietro, he has two sides to his game, a focused one where he has a deadly accurate shot and plays decent enough defense in his own zone to not be a liability and another side that knows only a mediocre toe-drag and loves to commit neutral zone turnovers. If the Isles have any chance at success this season, Comrie has to be on his game on both ends of the ice.

In the end though, it’s all about people stepping up and making themselves viable options. The days of having bona fide superstars on this team may be over for the time being, but there is no reason why this team can’t roll four lines that can play quality hockey on both sides of the ice. If they do eventually do that, I think they’ll be a lot of fun to watch and will surprise a bunch of people down the stretch.

With DP back at the helm for the Islanders, fans now have one less thing to worry about. If the team’s performance in game 2 is any indication, they now understand that they have to play their tails off for every second of the rest of this series if they want to stay in it.

Knowing that, it seems that Islanders head coach Ted Nolan isn’t going to take any chances and is going to bench anyone that isn’t up to the task.

One of those players in game 2 was Alexei Yashin.

Anyone else notice that Yashin got barely any playing time in Game 2? I did. Looks like Nolan is going through the same things that Peter Laviolette, Steve Stirling and Brad Shaw all had to deal with at one time or another, as Yashin’s play in the playoffs so far has been lackluster to say the very least.

Despite going through similar stretches during the regular season, it’s kind of hard to argue with 50 points and a +6 in 58 games. Maybe I’m stretching here, but if Yashin doesn’t get hurt down the stretch, maybe he leads the Isles in scoring and the team doesn’t have to fight as hard as they did to get into the playoffs.

For the time being though, guesses and hunches about what Yashin could have done aren’t going to help the team now. Going into the playoffs, I thought Yashin was at least going to have a little bit more jump in his game than he’s had now, considering that he had. Aside from drawing a penalty in game two, what has Yashin done so far in this series?

Not much.

It’s kind of sad when you think about how things have gone with Yashin. Here we have a guy that was supposed to give this team the kind of offensive presence they haven’t had since Ziggy Palffy got traded and aside from a decent first year with the Isles in 2002, what else has he done? I mean, sure, you can say that the guy didn’t have a consistent pair of linemates for a majority of the time he’s been here, but what about now? Viktor Kozlov and Miroslav Satan aren’t exactly Oleg Kvasha and Brad Isbister; they have talent and have proven it time and time again over the course of their careers. I may be stretching here, but they may be two of the best players Yashin’s ever played with.

In Ottawa, Yashin’s favorite linemate was Shawn McEachern. Last time I checked, Kozlov and Satan could skate rings around that guy. With the goaltending situation taken care of and the Isles having noticeably more jump, it’s time that Yashin starts playing the kind of hockey he was playing in the beginning of the season.

That means keeping his legs moving and getting himself in a position where he can use his shot. There’s a reason why NHL scouts still think that Yashin is one of the most talented players in the league; that’s because he is. However, his talent has never been under question. Sadly, his lack of desire has.

Let’s face it, he’s the captain of this team; it’s time for him to start leading by example. If not, the Isles are going to have a tough time taking the Sabres down.

First, let me say that spending some time on the NY Hockey Report last night was a blast. Gary by himself is a mountain of hockey knowledge, but with Derek there as well, it was something I won’t forget anytime soon. That was one of the first times in my life where I was surrounded by fellow hockey nuts in an environment catered solely to us. For those who missed last night’s show, you missed an entertaining one to say the least.

I hope Gary and Derek are ok after that comment I made about Travis Zajac. In any case, it felt good to be appreciated on the air for my sense of humor and for my amount of hockey knowledge. Gary made a comment during the show asking me if I read a hockey encyclopedia before going on after I mentioned Craig Janney. Brother, I am a hockey encyclopedia, ha-ha. I can’t tell you how much useless knowledge is crammed into my brain when it comes to hockey.

Simply put, Hockey is one of the biggest joys of my life, aside from having a career I love and a beautiful girlfriend that appreciates me. Nothing makes me happier than getting the opportunity to showcase my ability. For that, I owe you guys a firm hand shake and smile for giving me that chance.

Thank you.

OK, MOVING FORWARD TO TONIGHT’S GAME…

The Flyers are in town and the Islanders will have to put their last loss against the Penguins behind them and come out firing on all cylinders. Guys like Trent Hunter, Viktor Kozlov and Miroslav Satan need to start scoring consistently if the Isles are going to make due with Yashin. While some people think the Isles are destined to deflate as the season goes on without Yash, I think that they will get a solid team effort on both sides of the ice and will play well without him.

The Flyers are a team that has gotten some inconsistent goaltending this season and has shown a penchant for not being able to score when the chips are down. It’s so bad that Peter Forsberg and Petr Nedved have only EIGHT GOALS combined this season. However, with big names like this, the Isles need to understand that they can break out at any time and need to stay focused, play a smart game and get some offense.

As I’ve mentioned before, while Yashin is without a doubt the most important offensive player on the team, he’s not the only player that can produce offensively. The Isles have four lines full of solid two-way players that have speed, grit and energy. That’s what wins hockey games. If they come out with some “spunk and jump” tonight, there’s no reason why they can’t dominate the Flyers.

I don’t know about you guys, but to get two games like that in a row was great! The fact that Miro got going and guys like Trent Hunter and Richard Park played so well made it even better and really showed me that this team wants to win. Again, like most Islanders wins this season, Alexei Yashin and Rick Dipietro played phenomenally and powered the Islander attack. However, they were helped by a great performance from the supporting cast once again, mainly Richard Park, Miroslav Satan and Brendan Witt.

RICHARD PARK…

One of the most unnoticed pick ups in the NHL over the summer, Richard Park has been amazing all season for the Isles, doing everything from killing penalties to forming a great fourth line with Arron Asham and Shawn Bates. Tonight, aside from blocking a few shots with no stick, was flying all over the ice and easily played his best game since joining the team.

MIROSLAV SATAN…

Maybe it had something to do with the fact that his wife was at the game, or maybe a little bit more that he was being pestered by Noah Welch all game, but Miro was on fire! The goal and the assist was one thing, but seeing Miro come back and nail Welch after he manhandled him through the entire second period was great. The problem with players in slumps is they lose their passion for the game and focus on producing, instead of playing their game. Tonight we saw Miro exhibit the passion that I think was missing from his game the past few weeks.

BRENDAN WITT…

Easily the best game of the year for Witt. The hit on Malkin in the third period was enough to satisfy his most ardent critics, but a few blocked shots and other great hits put him over the top. I love the fact that whenever a smaller player or a scorer gets hit, Witt is right there. When Satan got punched by Welch, Witt was right there and had his back the whole way. That’s what great teammates do and those are the types of players every team needs when they want to win.

BACK TO THE GAME…

Maybe Evgeni Malkin doesn’t know it, but last time I checked it was ILLEGAL TO THROW THE PUCK INTO THE NET WITH YOUR HANDS! Considering the fact that the Phillies are in desperate need of pitching, I think Malkin would fit right in. 

The same thing goes for Noah Welch. Dude, WEARING A VISOR MEANS YOU’RE NOT SUPPOSED TO FIGHT! The overall clumsiness and lack of poise of the Penguins exhibited tonight was so apparent that I don’t even think Sydney Cosby could have fixed.

 Simply put, tonight, the Islanders showed the rest of the NHL that they are in fact the real deal. Critics will say that they beat a team without their best player, but that’s only half the story. One player doesn’t make a team. It takes 20 players working their asses off every night to create a winning team; the Islanders are starting to make that known to the rest of the league. 

TOMORROW AGAINST THE CAPS…

 After Bob Bourne gets inducted in the Isles Hall of Fame, the Isles will take on the hated Washington Capitals. Hopefully, playing three games in four nights won’t be a factor. Let’s see what happens.

Just one day after stuffing their faces full of turkey and stuffing and only two days after playing their best game of the season, the Islanders will have to put it all back together against the likes of the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Consisting of experienced veterans like Mark Recchi, John LeClair and Sergei Gonchar and blue-chip youngsters like Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Ryan Whitney, the Pens are a team that shouldn’t be taken lightly. In order to come out with two points, the Islanders will have to have to play similar to the way they played against the Hurricanes, which means staying out of the penalty box, taking the body and playing smart in addition to getting a few goals.
 
TRENT…

Despite not scoring as much as many would like, Trent Hunter has been playing some solid hockey as of late, hitting anything that moves and has exemplified what it means to play smart hockey. If it weren’t for a few goal posts and cross bars, Trent could easily have five or six goals. Nevertheless, Hunter is bound to get going offensively sooner or later and as long as he’s taking the body and playing hard, I don’t mind if he doesn’t score 20 goals this season.

Speaking of players getting going offensively, maybe two empty net goals over the past three games will give Miroslav Satan the confidence he needs to be the sniper the Islanders need be successful. Don’t get me wrong, Miro hasn’t been horrible for us, but he should be all means have at least 8 goals and about 18 points for us by now. There is no reason, with Jason Blake and Alexei Yashin getting most of the attention from opposing defenses, that Miro can’t score 30 goals and add another 35 assists; he just needs to get his confidence back somehow.

BACK TO THE PENS…

If the Islanders we saw on Wednesday night were the real deal, the Penguins don’t stand a chance. During that game, my dad made a comment about how the Isles looked like they were playing playoff hockey.

You’re damn right.

The Isles played the way every hardcore fan knows they are capable of. They played great defense, got good goaltending and scored when they had to and rolled four lines with jump. There’s no reason why they can’t play that way every night, especially with how incredible Yashin, Blake and the goaltending have been. All they need is for the supporting cast to keep their heads up and keep the tempo at the level it’s been the past few games.

However, that’s the weird thing about hockey. One night a team can be phenomenal, going as far to look like a playoff team and the next they can look like the Charlestown Chiefs. Regardless of which team shows up tonight, the game should nevertheless be interesting.

Let’s Go Islanders.

After a tough loss against the Maple Leafs, the Islanders now get a chance to redeem themselves against a tough Carolina Hurricanes team that features the likes of Rod Brind’amour, Eric Staal and Ray Whitney. Like I said yesterday, I expect a high scoring affair because the Hurricanes potent offense will force the Islanders to skate on defense and work equally as hard on offense.

Much like their last game against Toronto, the Isles can not afford to give up a few quick goals and play catch up the rest of the game; rather, they have to establish themselves in the offensive zone and play physically in the neutral zone, in effect forcing the Hurricanes to work for every inch of ice they skate on. The amount of grit players like Trent Hunter, Richard Park, Chris Simon and Arron Asham bring to the ice tonight will be a key ingredient in a victory. As well, Alexei Yashin and Jason Blake will have to continue their hot play as of late and will most likely find themselves matched up against Brind’amour, who is not only the team’s best defensive forward, but is also leading the team in scoring.

This is a great opportunity for the Islanders to reassert themselves after a sloppy game in Toronto, but they will have to play a smart game and not commit unnecessary penalties; that means you Alexei Zhitnik! The season is way too short to take penalties for doing things like slamming your stick against the back of the net because you don’t agree with a referee’s call. I can put up with a hooking penalty that is caused by not skating once in a while, but to do both, especially when your team is trying to claw its way back into a game against a conference rival is unbearable.

The Isles have the depth on defense and on the forward lines that many teams would die for; I mean c’mon, Miroslav Satan isn’t even a top line winger on this team, while anywhere else he’d be without a doubt. It’s time for the Islanders to stop showing flashes of brilliance and start playing consistent hockey. A win against the Hurricanes would keep them on the right track, because truth be told, they’ve been playing solid hockey as of late.

BY THE WAY…

For those of you who don’t know, Wednesday is considered the “hump” day of the week because it marks the middle of the week and tells us writers that we’ve gotten through the rough days and the weekend is almost here. To help add some more content on the site, every Wednesday I’m going to talk about players that are over the hump [meaning playing well] and players that are under it, in an effort to bring out the best and worst of the team for you, my readers.

OVER THE HUMP…

This one is obvious. Playing their hearts out the past four games, Jason Blake, Alexei Yashin and Rick DiPietro have been on top of their games and have kept the Islanders over the .500 mark for the majority of the season.

After suffering a groin injury early in the season, DiPietro has bounced back and played marvelous hockey during his past five games. Alexei Yashin has been hot since the first game of the season and has played extremely well on defense, in addition to bring out the best in Jason Blake. Despite putting up solid numbers the past two seasons, Jason Blake has finally began to get some exposure outside of the Long Island area and in spite of that has still produced a point a game, proving to everyone that he’s the real deal.
 
UNDER THE HUMP…

Through a quarter of the 2006-07 season, Andy Hilbert has failed to score a point. Need I say more? Unlike most of the Islanders, who have found at least one other line mate to consistently play with, Hilbert has been played with everyone from Yashin to Shawn Bates and still has yet to register a point. It’s so bad at this point that the only goal he’s scored this season has come during a shootout.

BACK TO THE GAME…

Take the body, play smart and stay out of the penalty box. I know I sound like a broken record, but if the Islanders can do that, they can play with any team in the league, even the defending Stanley Cup Champions.

Let’s see what they do tonight.