“It is nice to celebrate this one, we played a pretty good game,” said Tavares. “We did what we had to do to win the game. It was a great game by everybody. It was not just me getting the hat trick, but everyone contributed in all areas of the game.”

“It was a big game for Johnny,” said DiPietro of his teammate after the game. “I think over the last two or three weeks his game has come a long way.”

Head coach John Capuano had this to say of his young center after the game, “It’s a special game for him. You get three, and he had a chance at the end with the empty net go get four. He worked extremely hard tonight. His goals, obviously on the power play, but he played very sound defensively that lead to a lot of chances offensively.”

Another key part to the Islanders victory was the play of keeper Rick DiPietro, who out shined Buffalo keeper Ryan Miller. DiPietro was able to make some stellar saves finishing the night with 40 stops, while Miller finished the night with 32.

“I feel good physically today,” said DiPietro, who hasn’t played due to injury. “It was a good test today and I was glad to be able to get the victory.”

In a fast paced first period, neither team was able to get on the board in spite of many good scoring opportunities. Tavares would get a great opportunity at the 13:26 mark as he and P.A. Parenteau had a wide open two-on-one chance at Miller. The sophomore center would try for a nine foot wrister that would be denied by the Buffalo keeper.

New York would have another golden opportunity at the 14:08 mark as Radek Martinek tried to scorch a 59 foot slap shot, but that opportunity would be pad saved by Miller. Thomas Vanek would have a good opportunity for the Sabres at the 17:43 mark, trying for a 20 foot wrister that would be stoned by DiPietro.

Buffalo would end the first period of play with a 5-on-3 advantage, as Milan Jurcina and Radek Martinek had to both serve out two minute penalties for tripping and high-sticking. The Islanders were able to hold Buffalo out of their zone, skating into the locker room with a scoreless game.

The Sabres would not take long though to take advantage of their extra-man opportunity at the start of the second period as Thomas Vanek (17) tallied an eight foot wrister at the 0:17 marker, which was set up by Tyler Ennis (11) and Jason Pominville (13) for the 1-0 lead.

Tavares (16) was able to strike for his first goal at the 7:50 marker, recording a 15 foot wrister which was set up by P.A. Parenteau (16) and Matt Moulson (10) to tie the game up at 1-1.  Buffalo would allow for the star center to strike again when center Rob Niedermayer was sent to the sin bin at the 10:27 mark for high-sticking Jack Hillen.

Then Tavares (17) was able to strike for his second goal at the 10:34 mark, as he was able to put in a nifty backhanded shot, which was set up by Moulson (11) and Andrew MacDonald (14) to give the Islanders the 2-1 lead.

It was at the 13:36 mark that Tavares (18) recorded his natural hat trick, as fans proceeded to greet the goal by flinging their hats to the Nassau Coliseum ice. That third Islanders goal was a beauty of a backhanded shot by the center, which was set up by Moulson (12) and Parenteau (17) for the 3-1 lead.

New York would not stop their continuing to grind and play hard throughout the second period. Keeping the offensive pressure on Miller, who did not seem on top of his game. The Islanders struck for their last goal of the second period at the 15:25 mark when Blake Comeau (13) while falling to the ice, was still able to manage a 9 foot wrister past the Buffalo keeper for the 4-1 lead.

“I feel like I am shooting the puck more,” said Comeau on his game. “All of us are being competitive and not being satisfied with our game. We want to be a line that can contribute on a nightly basis.”

The Sabres would not back down so easily though as they would take advantage of a Milan Jurcina penalty at the 4:36 marker of the third period of play. Young Buffalo winger Tyler Ennis (10) would tally a 27 foot snap shot at the 5:55 mark to cut the Islanders lead to 4-2.

Just when Buffalo though that they would have another golden power play opportunity at the 15:19 mark, when Islanders center Josh Bailey was sent to the sin bin for hooking Buffalo center Nathan Gerbe. The Islanders would actually reverse that momentum, as winger Michael Grabner (10) tallied a 47 foot wrister at the 16:52 mark, which was assisted by Matt Martin (3) and Milan Jurcina (6), giving the Islanders the 5-2 lead.

In spite of the lofty lead, the Sabres still would not back down striking for a goal at the 18:15 mark as Jochen Hecht (7) tallied an 11 foot snap shot, which was set up by Jason Pominville (15) and Thomas Vanek (18) to make the Islanders lead 5-3.

Thankfully for the 12,223 in attendance, who rocked Nassau Coliseum all night long the play of DiPietro and the offense of the Islanders were enough as the team was able to skate away with the 5-3 victory.

New York will treat their fans to a rare 1:00 p.m. afternoon tally on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day as they host the New Jersey Devils on Monday, which you can read more about at BetUS’s Sports Betting News.

“The Devils look good right now,” Capuano said of his opponents on Monday. “They have size, experience, and some good talent on that team. They are a defensive team, but they can creative offense from that. We need to have one of our best performances, if we want to get those two points.”

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.

The only question is, what does the team do? Do they continue to develop the talent they have and hope that those needs get filled, or do they get proactive and ensure those dire needs? I personally feel that aside from a backup goaltender, the Islanders may sign a veteran leader or two to fight for a spot in training camp, but aside from that, they’re done.

That is unless they are willing to part ways with a few of their underachieving youngsters. However, I don’t expect Snow to pull a Mike Milbury here and trade any young player before he has a good enough idea of what they are truly capable of. No more Todd Bertuzzi or Bryan McCabe jobs here anymore.

Despite that, I figured it would be interesting to see who is available right now.

I know this list is far from complete, but here are some of the forwards who will be UFA’s this offseason:

Marian Gaborik, Mark Recchi, Martin Havlat, Keith Tkachuk, Mike Knuble, Maxim Afinogenov, Ian Laperriere, Nik Antropov, Brian Gionta, Steven Reinprecht, Bobby Holik, Alex Tanguay, John Madden, Mike Comrie, Mike Cammalleri, Eric Cole, the Sedin twins, Taylor Pyatt.

Thoughts:

Aside from Gaborik, Havlat, Cammalleri and the Sedin Twins, I don’t know if I’d take a chance on anyone here. Recchi and Tkachuk may get interest from the Isles, especially because they are leaders. Laperriere may be an interesting choice too and would be fun to watch with guys like Richard Park and Blake Comeau. However, like I mentioned before, for any of these moves to happen, the Islanders will have to trade some of the youngsters to make room. Do you do that in a rebuilding plan? Especially considering most of these guys don’t look to be the type of players who would want to stay here long term?

Defensemen:

Johnny Oduya, Niclas Havelid, Jay Bouwmeester, Adrian Aucoin, Francois Beauchemin, Mattias Ohlund, Marc-Andre Bergeron, Michael Komisarek.

Thoughts: The Islanders defense isn’t in horrible shape, but I personally would like to see Oduya get a shot. Bergeron learned how to play defense in Minnesota and isn’t the same player he was a few seasons ago with the Isles. Adrian Aucoin is still a god if you ask me.

Goaltenders:

Manny Fernandez, Nikolai Khabibulin, Antero Niittymaki, Martin Biron, Scott Clemmensen, Jason Labarbera.

Thoughts:

Take Clemmensen and be done with it. The guy proved this season he could handle the pressure. He’s in his prime and will be ready if DP gets hurt. A no-brainer if ya ask me. However, Niittymaki may be an interesting option as well.

Simply put, Danis and MacDonald still aren’t proven commodities in this league and with Rick DiPietro’s injury problems the past couple of seasons, the Islanders need not only to sign a seasoned backup, but someone who can also play at Bridgeport that is capable of backing up as well. As far as I’m concerned, Peter Mannino still needs to earn his bumps and bruises, making the Islanders forced to go shopping in the free agent pool or at the draft to solve these problems.

In my last post, I named a few goaltenders the Isles could go after in the draft, but I failed to address the message that could potentially send to DiPietro. Even if they are a few years away, it may agitate DP and make him even more of a loose cannon on the ice, giving the Islanders another disaster of a contract to deal with while they are still paying off the salaries of Alexei Yashin and Shawn Bates. Nevertheless, drafting a young goaltender who in a few years could play 30-40 games would be the best thing for the organization and something that the Islanders enigmatic goaltender will have to deal with.

In addition to signing a young goaltender, the Islanders would be smart to take a look at the Toronto Maple Leafs, who have Curtis Joseph, Olaf Kolzig and Martin Gerber entering Unrestricted Free Agency this offseason. Of the three, Gerber may be the best option. Making $1.8 million this season and coming off a less than mediocre campaign in ’09, Gerber, who won 38 games three years ago, can be the guy to the team if DP’s hips aren’t up for the long haul and can be acquired for a reasonable price. His apparent friendship with Mark Streit should only help facilitate the process as well.

Who knows, many the Islanders can hit the Swiss jackpot two years in a row.

So I’m sure you’re all wondering, what does this have to do with Danis and MacDonald?

Well, I personally think Danis would be the better choice to play at Bridgeport considering the fact that he was the better goaltender of the two last season, with a drafted youngster earning his stripes in Utah and Bridgeport before the Islanders decide where he’s going to go next, leaving Gerber and DP with the big club.

With that being said, I believe that leaves MacDonald without a gig.

But that’s just in my bizarre world.

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.

In the end, I felt horrible for my g/f, who had her first NHL spoiled by the exploits of Phil Kessel and the Bruins, who dominated the living crap out of an Islanders team that was sluggish in both ends of the ice.

Despite that however, you could see that Islander fans and the organization feel better about this team than their record indicates, especially Islanders head coach Scott Gordon.

“We have some elements of team identity to carry over into next season,” Gordon told the Associated Press after the game. “The second half of the season flew by with the attitude and commitment we had.”

After a dismal first half, the Isles were a different team in the second, as many of the youngsters carried them. Up until April, the Islanders were playing close to .500 hockey in the second half, no small feat for a team missing players like Rick DiPietro, Trent Hunter, Andy Sutton and Mike Sillinger. During that span, Kyle Okposo, Frans Nielsen, Blake Comeau and Sean Bergenheim proved that could be everyday NHLers, while Josh Bailey and Jeff Tambellini showed that they may be able to contribute a bit more than they did earlier in the season as well [keep your fingers crossed.] Even the super youngin’s like Jesse Joensuu, Mike Iggulden, Trevor Smith and Joe Rechlicz have shown some potential and will be fighting for a job in training camp next year.

Doug Weight came back for the last few games of the season and showed his support for the team by signing a one-year extension, while Yann Danis fizzled out after a three-week stretch of excellent hockey in February and March.

Sounds like a Soap Opera doesn’t it? Now imagine writing something about a team like this every day for a year and watching half the other dudes and dudettes give up halfway through.

Seeing the Blog Box occupied only by the uber dependable Gary Harding for the last game of the season yesterday was pretty disappointing. Those guys have a privilege and to just give up because the team is losing says way more than any of their writing ever could.

That’s one of the reasons why I’d rather write at home [aside from the fact that I cover minor league hockey, live in Brooklyn, run three other sites and teach college English and journalism] anyway. What I’m trying to say here is that the Islanders should pay attention to these things very closely. When your most dedicated super fans can’t show up to watch the game from one of the best seats in the house and do something hundreds of young journalism students would die for, you know you have a problem.

Simply put, this team needs more offense, needs to stay healthy and needs a new building. Once that happens, all the fans that gave up will have a reason to believe again and this team can gain it’s respectability back.

Nothing short of John Tavares, the lighthouse project and Rick DiPietro back in net can fix that.

Site News: Now that the season is over, I will update less often, probably once or twice a week, in order to give myself a much needed break. Thank you to everyone that helped support me this season. Hopefully next season we’ll be able to talk Islanders hockey a bit longer.

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.

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.

Regardless of if they are winning, losing or middling, there is always news, always things to think about and write about.

Despite being in last place, this team will have a serious goaltender controversy to think about this offseason. Everyone knows Rick DiPietro will be the number one, but coming off another injury-ravaged season, it’s highly doubtful that he’ll play the 70 games he wants to play.

My best guess is that DP will play about 50-55 next season and if all goes as well, then and only then will he be used in the Tim “Every Day” Cheveldae-esque role that he insists on playing.

However, will it be Danis or Joey MacDonald that is on the bench? Would one of them be willing to sign a two-way contract next season to provide support just in case DP gets injured again? Highly doubtful. Especially after both of them have proved they can be a solid backup if given a chance.

So what happens here? Who knows, but from what I’ve seen from Danis over the past few weeks and how much the coaching staff has embraced him, I think it makes this decision in the future an even tougher one.

“He’s played like a No. 1 over the short term,” coach Scott Gordon told the AP. “That’s ultimately going to be a decision to be made after the season is over. Ricky’s status will factor into it. All I can say is Yann has clearly shown his performance has been at a higher level than anything we’ve had all year. I’m happy for him.”

Wow. Big words, but that’s what comes with putting up the numbers that Danis has this season.

And who would have thought after his first two miserable outings? Not me, that’s for sure.

But then again, this is what the New York Islanders are all about. A few months ago, everyone, including myself, weren’t thrilled when Wade Dubielewicz got picked up by the Blue Jackets, because we didn’t like what we saw from this Danis-guy with the French-accent. We all wanted our Yoda back, so he could swing his light saber. Instead, we got d’Artagnan, with his saber and funny looking mustache.

But hey, he’s been great and it’s given this writer something to of course, write about.

What more could you ask for?

A playoff appearance?

One day fellas, one day.

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.

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.

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.

“It’s made the challenges of coaching the first year in the NHL and it’s allowed me to deal with adversity,” Gordon told the Associated Press right before the All-Star break. “Every team that I’ve coached, at some point you have adversity, whether it’s the loss of players, losing your goaltender, having to manage people that, at times, are unmanageable. There’s all kinds of different things that, when that year is over, you look back on it and learn from it and it makes you a better coach.”

With the amount of injuries this team has had to deal with this season, you kind of have to give Gordon a free pass. If Doug Weight and Rick DiPietro were healthy and Brendan Witt and Radek Martinek in the lineup a bit more often, I really feel that former Isles coach Ted Nolan could have gotten this team to the playoffs or pretty damn close to it. Then seeing what a positive impact Gordon had on some of the youngsters like Chris Campoli and Frans Nielsen in addition to Weight, Guerin and Trent Hunter, I really think this team could have challenged for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.

Yeah, I know what you’re thinking, this dude is one crazy cat, but back when Joey MacDonald was one of the NHL’s players of the month, this team was scoring enough to get by and was playing decent defense. The rest of the league, simply put, was shocked. No one wanted to admit that the New York Islanders played their tails off every night and had a decent chance at coming out with two points regardless of who they were playing.

Despite the fact of the rumors that this team may be moved and where they are in the standings right now, I feel that Gordon can be the guy to help lead them to the land of respect once again. Is it going to be a quick process? No, but the fact that Gordon isn’t letting up and is ready to continue taking the beating he’s taken this season is a good sign to me.

He’s not giving up. And if he doesn’t maybe some of the youngsters will play the same way over the last 35 games of the season and put a smile on my face a few times before the season’s over.

Just maybe.

Photo by the AHL.

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.

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.

Seeing the way these guys have played as of late is one of the only reasons why I haven’t put my foot through the TV. The same thing goes for Kyle Okposo, Blake Comeau and Mike Comrie, who have played their tails off over the past week.

In spite of the happiness these guys have been giving me lately however, I find myself watching this team score more goals than everyone thought they were capable of, but making crucial mistakes on defense that cost them games. Defense was supposed to be one of the team’s strong points this season, but I think the Isles are really missing Andy Sutton and Radek Martinek right now. That combined with a less than mediocre game from Rick DiPietro and the Islanders were sunk in the water.

So, as a result, the hard work of five or six players every night goes down the toilet…again.

But why?

I’ve said it before this season and I’ll say it again; right now, it just feels like the Islanders have to play as close a perfect game as possible to come out on top. One mistake, one defensive zone breakdown, one bad goal and this team has trouble coming back. It doesn’t help matters either that they are too concerned with playing dump and chase than establishing a forecheck and playing puck possession hockey. Sure, they play with a sense of urgency over the last two minutes and lately have shown enough spunk and jam to clean up a few messes, but in the end, it isn’t enough. This team is missing two many pieces and that, combined with DP’s problems, will make this team a big time contender in the John Tavares sweepstakes this summer.

I hate saying it, but as of right now, this team is a good two or three seasons from getting to where they were they need to be.

Weight gets 1,000 and 1,001- Seeing Weight’s kids run around with the banner trying to get the numbers right was one of the most adorable things I’ve seen in quite some time. It was about time he got that monkey off his back and even though it would have been great to see him get the point in front of the fans at home, the PA announcer in Phoenix did a stand-up thing and let Weight have his moment. Hopefully, now that he’s healthy again, he gives us a few more before the season’s over.

Bailey’s first- See what happens when this kid shoots? I know he’s a great passer, but he needs to stop being Adam Oates or Brendan Morrison and turn into someone like Doug Gilmour. With his stick-handling, skating and passing ability, I don’t see any reason why Bailey can’t eventually be a 20-goal, 65-point guy in this league. He’s just got to shoot more and be willing to make mistakes. Right now, he’s trying to be too perfect and much like his teammates, is failing at it.

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.

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.

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.

One great period wasn’t for the Islanders to win last night and why should it have been? How many times has this team played great for 40 minutes this season to only come up short? So when the Islanders managed to play one of their best third periods of the season, I wasn’t holding my breath.

It didn’t matter that Joey MacDonald battled back after a few shaky goals and kept the team in the game or that Richard Park played on his best games in an Islander uniform. It didn’t matter that Bill Guerin, Mark Streit and Weight were solid. It didn’t matter that Tim Jackman was killing himself in the corner or Freddy Meyer was doing a decent job against Alex Ovechkin.

One turnover, one shot, one game.

That’s how AO rolls guys.

Nevertheless, in spite of this, the Islanders got a point and played well against a team with both offensive firepower and a hot goalie.

I, alongside the rest of the Islander fans out there should be happy with that right?

Not exactly.

Mike Comrie, Kyle Okposo and Rick DiPietro should be back the next week or two and for me, that’s when the Islanders season will really begin. I know that sounds messed up, but yes, once those guys come back and are inserted into the lineup, that’s when I start to get excited.

Take a look at what the forward lines could be then.

Comeau- Weight- Guerin
Okposo- Bailey- Hunter
Bergenheim- Comrie- Park
Hilbert- Sillinger- Sim

Are these fantastic lines? Not really, but I think it’s fair to say the Isles have a solid group of centers, especially when Hilbert and Park can play center as well. As far as the overall diversity of the lines go, I also think all four of these lines can score goals if they have to, as every guy here can score at least 15 goals if they played a complete season. Is that something to be scared about? Absolutely not, but I think this is the setup this team need to truly take advantage of Scott Gordon’s over speed system.

Add in a healthy DP with a proven Joey MacDonald and I think the Isles will be much improved. Then once Frans Nielsen and Radek Martinek come back healthy, it may be possible that the Isles can make a trade or two to put them in better shape for next season.

Will they be amazing? No, but they will be a .500 team that can get away with a mistake or two every night.

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?

Once they get as close to completely healthy and some of the youngsters begin to get more comfortable as well , I really think this team can gain the respect of the rest of the league.

However, as we’ve seen before, playing 500 hockey may not be good enough to make the playoffs anymore in the NHL. I’ve also said before that if this team is healthy, I feel they can make the playoffs, but it’s really a toss up at this point. Overall, this team has to commit itself to staying with their game plan. That means the forecheck has to be consistent for 60 minutes. Over the past few weeks, I’ve been as repetitive as a Green Day hook, constantly saying these things. I’m sick of it. From the look on some of the veteran’s faces on Wednesday, I can tell they’re sick of it too. There’s only so much they can do though. The same thing goes for the host of role players on this team. Richard Park, Jon Sim, Sean Bergenheim and Andy Hilbert aren’t 30-goal scorers and even though they work their tails off every night, I really feel that this team needs a career year out of these guys for this team to really be able to compete with the rest of this league.

So how does this relate to the Boston Bruins?

Just like the Isles, the Bruins lost a tough game their last time out, but overall, this is a much better team. 8-1-1 over their past ten games, Boston has one of the league’s most underrated, yet effective playmakers in Marc Savard and Phil Kessel, who finally seems to be coming into his own. Patric Bergeron, Milan Lucic, Blake Wheeler and David Krejci aren’t to be underestimated either, as they have legitimate talent and are more than just spare parts. Add in a dominate duo in net between Manny Fernandez and Tim Thomas and it’s easy to see that the Islanders can and will be in deep trouble if they don’t commit themselves to working extremely hard in both ends of the ice.

I don’t know if there was turkey in the Islanders locker room in between the second and third period last night or if they were kidnapped and replaced with Bizarro World clones, but this team absolutely dumped the third period in one of the worst periods I’ve seen all season.

Let’s be fair here though, the crap storm started over the last five minutes of the second period as the Islanders basically lost any will to continue their stellar play and thought that they could sit on a three goal lead.

Big mistake.

There’s a reason why the three-goal lead is often considered the worst in professional hockey and the Islanders proved it last night.

In the end, the look on Doug Weight’s face said it all.

To start a game the way the Isles did, getting fantastic goaltending from Joey MacDonald and a few lucky bounces, to only lay down the way they did proves this team is still going through growing pains.

Nevertheless, I really like the way Josh Bailey’s line played through the first two periods and for my money, I’d keep this kid up here. Hes got nothing left to learn in juniors. Let him get his bumps and bruises here.

As well, I really love what I see from Weight this season as well. He’s the best passer this team has had since…dare I say… Pierre Turgeon.

In spite of that however, this team has got to remain focused on the ice for 60 minutes. Or else, this entire third period choke conundrum they just got themselves out of is going to rear it’s ugly face once more.

DP speaks- Islanders goaltender Rick DiPietro was interviewed by the AP a few days ago and while sharing his thoughts on various subjects, talked mainly about his array of injuries over the past two seasons.

“It’s crazy,” DiPietro said. “It’s like someone has a voodoo doll and keeps poking me. I’ve done everything but seek alternative medicine in different countries. I’ve asked about it, but there’s nothing to do but hard work. I’ve had a lot of bad luck, which sucks. But in the long run, it’s going to work out. There’s absolutely no question that my goal since signing that deal was to win here, and everyone here wants to win the Stanley Cup. I think we’re taking the right steps.”

After watching last night’s game, I think DP takes his turkey with extra gravy.

Nevertheless, like I said yesterday, in order for this team to continue it’s winning ways, people are going to have to contribute more.

I guess it was just Hilbert’s night.

Speaking of nights, Joey MacDonald wasn’t too shabby either, huh? With an 8-7-2 record, MacDonald has gotten better with every game under his belt and should create a juicy situation once Rick DiPietro gets back. For the time being though, Joey Mac is proving just how smart Islanders GM Garth Snow was when he let Wade Dubielewicz go to Russia.

On top of Hilbert and MacDonald being on top of their games last night, I really like how Brendan Witt performed as well. One of those guys that doesn’t get much attention when he’s on top of his game, but gets crucified when he’s off it, Witt’s presence in front of the net and in the corners last night was solid. Because of that, MacDonald had more support, which of course helps the Islanders offense and helped them pound out a victory.

Sure, it would have been nice if they could have capitalized on a few of those early powerplay opportunities, but the most important thing is that the Isles came out victorious. Winners of four of their past five games, the Islanders may just be starting to find the gritty and hard working persona they’ve been looking for all season.

8-10-2 may not be exactly where this team wants to be right now, but it’s a lot better than where most people thought they’d be, right? Three points out of the final playoff spot with 62 games left isn’t so bad if you ask me.

In other news, I apologize for not writing more on Saturday as I was stuck covering the Aces game in Brooklyn and watched the Islanders game at 2 A.M. Now fully aware of my surroundings, I feel it necessary to say that the NHL is crazier than Ty Cobb to suspend Mike Mottau for only two games, while Thomas Pock got five for an elbow shiver. Frans Neilsen will be out eight to 12 weeks now from the blatant to the head crosscheck that Mottau delivered and two games is not enough. The whole argument that Neilsen wasn’t hit in the face on that play is complete garbage and anyone with two working eyes can see that. Much like what Bill Guerin said the other day, the league has to deliver stiffer penalties and suspensions or else things like this will continue to happen for years to come.

As a matter of fact, I think he’s been a savior of sorts.

Up until the season started, no one thought MacDonald was capable enough to serve as the team’s backup goaltender. Much like Islanders Jeff Tambellini and Andy Hilbert, MacDonald had several solid seasons in the AHL under his belt, but had problems sticking around at the NHL level. This season however, MacDonald has been rock solid, getting better and better after every game.

Last season, I had the opportunity to cover a preseason game between the Islanders and Rangers at MSG where MacDonald played. The Isles had a ton of youngsters in the game and the Rangers featured most of their stars at the time, including Scott Gomez, Brendan Shanahan and Chris Drury, but MacDonald was still solid. It got me thinking what the future held for the kid. However, at the time, with Wade Dubielewicz backing up Rick DiPietro, Joey Mac didn’t look like he was going to crack the lineup. By the end of the season,he appeared in two games and one in particular, the 45 save effort against the Devils late in the season, confirmed in my mind that he should be given a chance.

Nonetheless, I was a huge Dubie supporter at the time and didn’t want to see the guy leave.

Right now though, I wouldn’t change the Islanders goaltending situation at all. And that includes bring DP back.

Sometimes in this sport, you have to ride the hot horse. Al Arbour is a guy that did that quite often and while the motif in the NHL over the past few years is to have one guy play 70 games, why can’t MacDonald play 30 this season and DP the rest? We know who the guy is going to be in the playoffs for this team, but if MacDonald keeps playing the way he has, and DP continues to battle injuries, it’s better to have Mac in net.

Nothing against DP, he is without a doubt the team’s most important player, but if he’s not 100 percent, he’s not going to be able to help this team. With Brendan Witt’s return possibly this weekend as well, MacDonald will have ever more support in front of him and can be even more of a force if given a chance.

From the perseverance he’s shown on the ice so far this season, you get the feeling he knows exactly what’s at stake.

“When you come in and play one or two games a year in the NHL, it’s tough because the different level of play from the American League is so much more up-tempo. Once you get used to the tempo, it’s a game,” MacDonald told the Associated Press.“You’ve got to come up with the key saves. All the good goaltenders in the National Hockey league, Luongo and all of those guys, they come up with the key save and that’s why they’re superstars. That’s my job, and that’s why I’ve got to give the team a chance to win.”

Scary stuff if you ask me.

For that reason alone, this is a game where the Islanders cannot make avoidable mistakes in. Otherwise, this game will be over before the end of the first period. Costly penalties and turnovers did them in on Monday against the Rangers, a team that is playing good hockey right now. The Flyers on the other hand are more like a sleeping giant. They have most of the pieces on their team in place, but haven’t gotten great goaltending this season and their defense hasn’t been that strong either. With that being said, the Flyers will jump all over the Isles if they have an opportunity.

The Isles can counteract this however if they get another solid game out of guys like Frans Nielsen and Kyle Okposo. As I’ve said before on the blog, the line of Doug Weight, Bill Guerin and Sean Bergenheim are playing solid hockey right now, they just have to start finishing. Once that happens and guys such as Jon Sim and Jeff Tambellini start to become factors, this team can hold it’s own. However, until then, this season is going to be a disaster.

Aside from Mark Streit, the Islanders haven’t had a consistent presence on the score sheet this season. We know that this team doesn’t have any legitimate offensive juggernauts, but is it asking so much to have a few guys that can score 45-60 points? As of right now, it looks like Streit and perhaps Weight are going to be the only players close to that. After that, the Islanders offense looks extremely grim.

Because of that and without Rick DiPietro and a bunch of other important players that I’ve mentioned a thousand times not in the lineup, the Islanders defense has to be pretty damn close to perfect for them to break out of this funk they’ve started their season in. If they work hard however, get a quick goal and perhaps a few powerplay opportunities, things could end up differently. So far this season both Marty Biron and Antero Niittymaki have been far from perfect as well, which leads me to believe this game could get hairy really fast if both teams get sloppy.

Cam Ward was damn good.

The Islanders offense, despite registering all of those shots, wasn’t up to finishing the job. Kyle Okposo had a golden opportunity to get the Islanders on the board in the first, but came up empty. As I’ve said before on the site, this is a guy that has to start finishing and soon. The same thing goes for Jeff Tambellini and Mike Comrie.

However, despite the fact that this team is having problems finishing, there were several positives to take from this game.

The physicality was there. Doug Weight and Nate Thompson were taking the body. I think overall, Thompson played his best game of the season. He had much better shot selection and was a force physically. As far as the responsibilities of a fourth line center go, he’s was on top of all them last night. With Mike Sillinger and Mark Parrish in the wings, Thompson is going to have continue to play that way or else he’ll find himself in Bridgeport.

Another Islander who was strong last night was Bill Guerin. On the whole, the line of Sean Bergenheim, who is quickly becoming a force, Guerin and Weight have been solid. All they need is a huge game to get the confidence going. Once that happens, hopefully the rest of the team can pick up the slack.

Speaking of someone who needs to pick up the slack, Rick DiPietro was not on top of his game. I’ve made several mentions over the past three seasons at how DP, while being a great puck-handling goaltender, needs to watch himself at times. When he tries to do too much, he usually ends up hurting the Islanders. Last night was no different. If this team has any shot at turning this season around, it all starts with Rico. He has to be on top of his game.

With the team’s next game against the Rangers on Monday, there’s no time like the present. Games against the Rangers usually bring out the best or worst of both teams as well, making this an even more important game for both teams, with the Isles struggling to find out where they belong in the league and Rangers trying to keep their lead in the conference.

If the Islanders offense could have gotten something going, this game could have been won. However, they didn’t have the same jump in their step they had against the Lightning. It just felt like every time they got a cycle going in the offensive zone, someone committed a turnover or failed to pull the trigger. Simply put, many of the youngsters have to shoot the puck more and stop hesitating. There were a few instances last night where that happened and it ended up costing the Islanders the game. If this team is going to battle for the last playoff spot this season, they have to finish on offense. That didn’t happen last night.

And therein lies the biggest problem with this team this season; they don’t have a bona fide finisher aside from Bill Guerin. So they have to get the youngsters and guys like Andy Hilbert, Trent Hunter and Richard Park to pot in a few every time they get a chance. Otherwise, this is going to be a very long season.

The only line that really had their legs in my mind last night was the Jon Sim, Guerin and Doug Weight line, who were buzzing in the offensive end, making passes and taking shots when they had to. However, Panthers goaltender Tomas Vokoun battled back after a less than mediocre appearance against the Wild a few days back and shut them down. Even a pair of powerplay opportunities couldn’t get this team going on offense. Because of how dormant the sticks were last season, I’m sure many fans are hoping that the team doesn’t fall into the same rut they did last season. If they do, things could end up even worse. Remember, this team doesn’t have the depth on the forward lines they had last season either.

The defense, aside from a few terrible passes in his own end by Thomas Pock, the Islanders defense was pretty solid. Again, their play in front of the crease needs to improve, but they weren’t allowing as many second chances as they were in the other games they’ve played this season.

That was one of the only real positives I could take out of last night’s game.

Looks like Scott Gordon is going to have some video to watch this week before the team’s net game with the Dallas Stars.

Last night was a night where I’m happier to do it than usual.

Why, you ask? Because guys like Jeff Tambellini, Mike Comrie, Kyle Okposo, Doug Weight, Frans Neilsen and Trent Hunter have to be able to produce offensively for this team to win hockey games this season and they did just that.

Good times I say. Good times.

Aside from a few meltdowns in front of the net in the third period [I'll get to that later, I'm flowing here!], did anyone else notice how solid the forecheck was? Anyone notice how hard the team was skating and how many penalties they drew? I surely did. And you know what, despite the fact that they just barely scraped out a win, it’s still two points and even without several key role players injured and no Rick DiPietro, this team played well enough to win. And despite the insane amount of penalties last night, most of them were right on the money. Guys like Richard Park, Andy Hilbert and Jon Sim were buzzing all night and drawing penalties and the referees had no choice but to blow the whistle.

In the end, it was a great game to watch and game I’ll remember for a while, mostly due to the sour puss on Barry Melrose Place’s face as he walked back to the locker room after the game. Possibly wondering if he’s going to lose his Paul Mitchell shampoo endorsement if the Lightning keep playing the way they are. As I’vementioned in my pregame thoughts, this team’s defense is spotty and both Mike Smith and Olaf Kolzig [every time I hear his name I feel like I'm in eighth grade history, talking about explorers or something. Ironic, since he needs to start to channel his inner Ponce De Leon if he wants to play another year or two in this league] have something to prove this season, giving this upstart bunch of misfits [minus Gerry Only and Danzig unfortunately] a chance at victory.

However, like I said, the Islanders just barely licked the top of the chocolate syrup bottle of victory last night and never had a chance to fully drink from it before their mother came into the kitchen and asked them why at 25-years-old would they do something like that… I mean it was a close game…yeah.

The very reason why the game was so close in the end was because Joey McDonald, while being stellar around the circles, was a disaster with traffic in front of the net and with players behind the goal line. After his performance in the matinée game against Buffalo on Monday, I’m starting to notice a trend here worse than the kids that refuse to take the stickers off their New Era hats. Pucks that DP would swat out of there or Wade Dubielewicz would slash his light saber at, MacDonald has problems with. At any rate, it may be a problem when team’s start to scout him further and the season progresses, but as of right now, it’s just something to look out for.

At any rate, the Isles are now .500. Take it in my friends. Enjoy it.

Like I’ve said a few times already this season, the Islanders need to be able to roll four lines and have solid defense in order to sneak into the playoffs. Already missing key players, the first 20 games this season are going to be tough, but once they get who they need back, they should be able to hold their own.

As a matter of fact, if those players get hot, this team may surprise more than a few people.

A lot of people that cover the NHL and fans have short memories when it comes to the Islanders; so short that it’s kind of nauseating at times. Last season, before injuries took their toll, this team was in the middle of the playoff race. This season, they have a few other things going on, as guys like Kyle Okposo, Jeff Tambellini and Frans Neilsen have to be able to contribute on both ends of the ice, but in the end, the story is very similar.

Missing Mike Sillinger, Andy Sutton and Chris Campoli, the Islanders are missing a great faceoff man that can contribute on both ends of the ice, a shutdown d-man that will stick up for his teammates and Chris Campoli, a kid that I believe can be a guy that can provide a physical edge and score 40 points a season. Add these players into the mix and I feel that this is a very different team. Nevertheless, there is one more player that can take this team and take them from zeros to a playoff contender.

Rick DiPietro.

I don’t think that anyone that roots for another team in this league truly understands how much DP means to the team. Without him in the lineup, it’s nearly impossible to see this team make the playoffs. Despite my comments about his attitude and his consistency over the years, saying that he was anything less than the franchise’s biggest asset would be a gross understatement.

So before you guys go out and pack up your bags, wait for the sheriff to come back and clean up this town.

So what exactly does Comrie have to do to get back on track?

1-Make decisions with the puck

Just like a bad driver, Comrie is at his worst when he isn’t aggressive. When he’s forced to hold on to the puck and do something with it, he often reverts to his toe-drag [I'll get to that some more later] to get around and often gets stripped of the puck. If that doesn’t happen, Comrie was resort to dumping the puck into the zone and often times that will be the end of the play. He doesn’t have the smarts of a guy like Mike Sillinger or the play-making ability of Doug Weight, but he does have good speed. If he uses his legs, he’ll get more scoring opportunities and will draw penalties.

2- Don’t get lazy

When Comrie isn’t on his game, he gets so lazy with the puck that he won’t hesitate for second to bring a guy down with a hook. The same thing goes for him on offense, as cross-ice passes aren’t out of the ordinary. Much like Rick DiPietro, when Comrie is on, he can be a dominant player. When he’s off however, he can really his team. In order to counteract this, Comrie needs to keep his legs moving and fully embrace Scott Gordon’s overspeed system. If he does, it could transform him into a different player.

3- No more toe drags!

I’ve said it a thousand times on this site and I’ll continue to say it until Comrie tries to become a more eclectic player. The toe drag works in moderation. Not every single game. Notice that after the first few weeks of the season last year, Comrie didn’t score with the move again until a late season game with the San Jose Sharks and again against the Sabres, the same team he used it against the first week of the season.

If he wants to be a player this team can depend on, he’ll have to devote himself to asking for more out of his game. Being more aggressive, using his speed and using other moves besides the toe drag can get him there.

Thompson on the other hand, is a guy worth looking at, especially with injuries to Mike Sillinger. He’s put up some decent numbers in the AHL and was one of Scott Gordon’s players, making him already comfortable with his up-tempo system. If the chips fall in the right places, Thompson could be an interesting guy to watch and at 24 years of age, he has at least this season and next before the ceiling on his development begins to truly close. You can’t say the same thing about Hilbert though; he already has over 200 games of NHL experience under his belt and as I’ve said before, is someone that the Islanders know what is capable of.

As far as what this does for the Islanders this season, I think it’s fair to say that Thompson’s appearance doesn’t change the outlook on the season. Simply put, Jeff Tambellini and Kyle Okposo have to develop in both ends of the ice this season, and Bill Guerin and Doug Weight need to prove they still have some gas in their tanks. Brendan Witt will be asked to bounce back from injuries and even the steady Radek Martinek will have to try to show people he’s more than just a solid defensive defenseman.

Above all else, Rick DiPietro will have to laugh at the words of the hockey pundits around the NHL and show them he can be a top five goaltender in this league and in spite of a less than mediocre offense, can win hockey games.

Of all the team’s in the NHL, the Devils have been a team the Isles have played well against over the past few seasons and a team that will be a good test as to what to expect from this ragged group of misfits this year.

Let the times, good or bad, roll.

Photo by the NHL.

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

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

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

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

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

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

The only question is how effective can he be?

Having only seen a few scarce videos of him and read what the scouts have said, I may not be the best person to answer that question, but I think it’s fair to say that Bailey is someone that does much more than numbers can indicate. He’s a skilled two-way winger at the junior level and while he’s still a youngin’ in hockey years, sticking around this long in camp has to mean something, doesn’t it? If he does in fact make the team out of camp, I’m not going to get my hopes up on him, as he’ll most definitely play eight or nine games before being sent back to his junior tam in Windsor, but I will pay close attention to what he does on the ice so I can see what his future can be with the Isles.

While the Bailey signing was big news, having Rick DiPietro back on the ice is probably the best news all training camp. Like I’ve said a bunch of times on the site already, DP is the team’s best player and if he isn’t on the ice, it’s going to be extremely difficult for this team to thrive.

From the looks of it, Rico is happy to be back as well.

“It’s been a long time,” said DiPietro, on the team’s official site. “This is the longest I’ve gone without playing an organized hockey game. It was really exciting today. Sitting in the stall it was good to get the adrenaline going again. I went out there and felt like I was at the Coliseum in front of 17,000 fans. I was just that excited to be out there.”

On another note, I’d just like to tell everyone about my new site, AcesOverBrooklyn.com. In June, Aviator Sports announced that an Eastern Pro Hockey League franchise was coming to Brooklyn and like many people, I was thrilled. Being an Islander fan in Brooklyn is not an easy task and sometimes I wonder what would have happened to be growing up if I wasn’t built like Brett Lindros. At any rate, while I love writing my thoughts on the Islanders and while I will continue to do so, I will also be covering the Brooklyn Aces this season. You see, while being a pundit is fun, it’s not nearly as rewarding as being a full-fledged journalist. Being the Sports Editor at Bay Currents newspaper in Brooklyn as well affords me the opportunity to do so much more than share my thoughts; it allows me to be a provocateur of truth. And that’s exactly what I plan to do over there this season. If you guys have the chance, come check it out.

Who’s Hurt:

Chris Campoli
Andy Sutton
Mike Sillinger
Rick DiPietro

Who’s Nursing Injuries:

Bill Guerin
Richard Park
Sean Bergenheim
Doug Weight

This simply is not good.

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

The forward situation isn’t quite the same though.

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

That’s not asking a lot is it?

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

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

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

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

Nevertheless, it’s great to see guys like Frans Nielsen and Trent Hunter scoring goals. With a lack of a huge offensive presence again this year, this team is going to need a good dozen to 15 players scoring 25-35 points, who can play their part on both offense and defense if they are going to be competitive. That kind of balanced attack is going to be the only thing that’s going to be able to support DiPietro in net.

With that being said, I really feel Scott Gordon’s philosophy can turn some of the third and fourth liners into better players and give the Islanders that kind of balance because good things happen to teams that skate hard every night. Looking at the team’s bottom six forwards, players such as Richard Park, Sean Bergenheim, Neilsen, Andy Hilbert and it’s easy to see that they have the speed to play within the system and eventually thrive.

Now, that I’ve gotten the meat of my post out of the way, I feel the need to vent:

As I said before, it seems like the Islanders are catching on with Gordon’s coaching philosophy, but most Islander fans aren’t able to see it unless they want to shell out dough to watch them in person. Rarely do I ever attempt to sound like an agitated fan, but enough is enough. Why aren’t the Isles’ preseason games on television? Every single Rangers preseason game is on MSG, so why can’t the Isles get at least half of theirs on the tube? You read books like Alan Hahn’s “Fishsticks” and there’s all this talk in there about how lucrative the Islanders TV deal is. Well, if it really was, then why can’t I find a game on television?

The rebuilding plan aside, there is no reason why this team should not be on TV during the preseason. I swear, the fans of this team have had to put up with so much over the past 15 years that the organization should go out of it’s way to make sure that the little things, like preseason games, get put on TV.

OK, I’m done.

He’s an indispensable commodity.

However, according to Newsday and a plethora of other hockey sites, Sillinger may miss opening night due to microscopic hip surgery. As of right now, it’s not known when he’ll be back and even Sillinger himself wasn’t sure when he’d be back. In his absence, the Islanders already anemic offense will not only have to find someone to play with Trent Hunter and Jon Sim, they’ll have to get offensive production from them as well.

That’s where the bigger problem lies: can the Isles fill Sillinger’s spot in house? Is either Fran Nielsen or Richard Park capable of centering a checking line and pinching in on the offensive end? What about Ben Walter or Andy Hilbert? Can they finally turn promise at the AHL level into decent NHL numbers?

Probably not. At this point, Hilbert and Walter seem like spare parts and don’t figure to be more than fourth liners. Of the four, I believe Park can thrive in that spot, but only if he begins to finish a bit more. If he can score few goals early this season and a guy like Nielsen can step up and play solid at both ends of the ice on the fourth line, the Islanders should be able to get by until ole Silly comes back. Much like last season, the offense isn’t going to be spectacular and Rick DiPietro will need to be close to perfect, but what else is new?

But what about Josh Bailey? Rumor is he’s bought a house on Long Island and could be NHL ready much faster than most people think. Given his noted two-way ability, could he make an impact in Sillinger’s absence? At the very least, it could be very fun to watch Bailey, along with the likes of Kyle Okposo, Jeff Tambellini, Blake Comeau and Chris Campoli develop.

If that does happen and Bailey does establish himself, what do the Islanders do with Sillinger then? Given his market value, do the Islanders trade away their assistant captain for picks and youth? At any rate, it should be an interesting situation.

Since I discussed what I wanted to see from the team this season in my last post, I thought I’d discuss the things that could ruin my hockey experience in 2009.

1- A change in philosophy if the team is close to a playoff spot at the trading deadline-

If this team is within striking distance and they decide to take a chance on another Ryan Smyth clone, I will personally fart in every seat in Nassau Coliseum. If it fails, not only would it ruin any chance this team has at getting any respect in this league, it will also reduce Garth Snow’s credibility as a General Manager and make it even harder in the future for the team to bring in key veterans to support the youngsters.

2- Radek Martinek or Brendan Witt going down for any prolonged period of time-

When these guys are healthy, I believe they are one of the top defensive units in the NHL. They inspire this team to play with their marbles hanging out and they support Rick DiPietro in a way that brings out his best. Having them out would also force youngsters into the lineup that may not be ready and could cause a chain reaction of inconsistency to occur, similar to that of what happened last season down the stretch.

3- An uber inefficient powerplay…again-

If last year’s team could have potted a few more goals on the powerplay, things could have been very different. As for why this found it’s way on this list, watching an inferior powerplay irks the crap out of me the same way as watching a football team that can’t stop the run does. It’s embarrassing to watch and says wonders about the depth and overall polish of a team. Let’s hope it doesn’t happen again this season.

4- Rushing Josh Bailey-

I know the kid just bought a house on Long Island, but I really don’t want to see another Tim Connolly or Taylor Pyatt situation where the guy goes somewhere else and starts to play well after earning his bumps and bruises here. Let him develop for another season or two and then bring him up.

5- Mike Sillinger misses most of the season again-

Greg Logan reported the other day that Silly most likely won’t be ready for the season opener. Hate me for saying this if you want, but I think he could have been the best center on this team last year if he was completely healthy. That third line of him with Trent Hunter and Jon Sim can be gangbusters too if they get a chance. If he misses a bunch of time this season, Ben Walter and Jeremy Colliton will most likely get time there, and while I like both of them, the Isles need as much offense as possible and Silly can provide it.

Freddy Meyer- He may look like Bill Pullman, but he was no nonsense last year when he finally got an opportunity to play. After his first season in the NHL, many thought he could be a decent option on the powerplay, but after two seasons with the Islanders, it looks like he’s more of a puck-moving defenseman, who can play physically or against a top or second line when needed.

However, those attributes are those that are pretty much taken care of on the Islanders front with guys like Andy Sutton, Brendan Witt and Radek Martinek being able to play the shutdown defense the team needs and with the exception of Martinek, take the body. With that being said, it looks like either Gervais or Meyer is going to be the sixth defenseman on this team and it’s too early to tell who. For my money, I see Myer as a seventh defenseman, not for a lack of ability, but because of a lack of versatility. If he can get his game going offensively and be even more physical, he’ll be a top six d-man in this league.

Jack Hillen- I think he falls into the same category as Meyer because he does a lot of things that players on the Isles can do. However, given his track record in college, I think he’ll get a very long look in training camp as well. If Gervais and Meyer come into camp with an attitude or out of shape, I fully expect Hillen to be able to jump in and provide the type of play that will get him noticed as a top six-D man.

Overall, while not as good a skater as Gervais and not as physical as Meyer, Hillen has the best offensive game of the three and plays very solid defense. That type of versatility is something neither Gervais or Meyer have and it could go a long way in deciding his fate this season.

Dustin Kohn- I’ve been hearing this kid’s name for years on message boards and on the team’s official site and while I don’t know much about his game, it appears like he too could be a candidate for the final spot if he comes into camp with the right mindset. A second round pick in 2005, Kohn isn’t 18 anymore and this may be the camp when he starts to really open up some eyes.

Photo by NHL Media

Speaking of which, tonight the Senators come to town and regardless of what happens tonight, I know one thing: This is going to be a great game. Ottawa has a solid team with Danny Heatley, Jason Spezza and company, but is most likely going to be without their best defenseman Wade Redden, which means the Isles may have an opportunity to take advantage.

However, the scariest thing about the Senators is their depth, as they have nine players with at least 16 points, so the Isles will have to make sure they play tough on both ends of the ice if they want to go home with two pints. This also looks to be a game where players like Shawn Bates, Park and Jason Blake will have an opportunity to use their speed and take advantage of Senators D-men like Tom Pressing, Andrej Meszaros and Joe Corvo, who have pinched in on offense much more than usual this year. 

Hopefully, the Senators throw Gerber in net tonight, because Emery has been solid all season and I’d really like to see another high scoring game. Islander fans really haven’t been treated to a really explosive offensive team since 91-92 and 92-93 when Derek King, Steve Thomas and Pierre Turgeon were scoring all of those goals. This year, if Satan, Blake, Kozlov and Sillinger stay hot and the “new” Yashin comes back strong, the Isles have the potential to have a few players with at least 25 goals. 
But anyway, getting back to tonight’s contest, as long as the Islanders play a disciplined game and stay out of the penalty box, while playing gritty and physical at the same time, I don’t see why they can’t increase their lead in the Atlantic Division. 

Damn that sounds good saying that.  

Let’s go Islanders. 

Being the third game in four nights for the Isles, they weren’t expected to come out with a lot of jump and at first, they didn’t. But, like most games the team has played over the past 3 weeks, they found a way to put things together and pulled out an impressive 4-1 win.

I only hope Yashin is ok after the knee to knee collision, he’s too hot now to get injured on us. We need him for than ever right now.

Over the course of the game, I found myself smiling numerous times. However, it wasn’t at the two beautiful goals Blake scored, the hard working goal Park scored, or even the empty net goal I hope gets Hunter going to get me to crack a smile, it was the play of Rick Dipietro.
 
After a few of those saves, I felt like throwing in my WWE soundtrack and playing Shelton Benjamin’s theme song, “Ain’t No Stopping Me Now.” [If you don’t watch wrestling and have no idea what I’m talking about, then just continue reading and think of other ways to not have a life.]

Not obsessed with playing the puck anymore, DP looked amazing, stopping everything in his way except for a lone Ovechin goal, but that’s the way it goes sometimes. They scored the goals they had to against a very solid goaltender in Olaf Kolzig, took the body when they had to and made sure they didn’t waste a great game in net. That’s what good teams do and ever since they took that shellacking in Tampa Bay a few weeks back, they’ve looked like a totally different team.

DP, for one, is playing the puck much less and has given D-men like Sean Hill, Brendan Witt and Alexei Zhitnik an opportunity to make the first pass more often. That alone has been a huge factor in the Islanders success. The Isles need those three guys back there working hard and being a part in every game they play; they play more minutes than anybody else on the team for a reason. Their invigorated play as of late is going almost completely unnoticed, but truth be told, they have been great over the past five games and it goes hand in hand with the matured play of DP.

POOR ANDY…

What does this poor kid have to do to score a goal? If the man upstairs let Mick Vukota score a hat trick on more than one occasion during his career, he has to let Andy get at least one before the All-Star break. The past few games, he’s been peppering the nets with shot and hitting goal posts, which has been good, but damn, it’s like he’s jinxed or something.

FAVORITE MOMENT LAST NIGHT…

Had to be when Kolzig slammed his stick down on the ice after one of the goals. He looked so frustrated. But then again, that’s what happens when your defense consists of NHL rejects like Jamie Heward and Bryan Muir, geesh.

NEXT GAME…

Tuesday, against the Pens….again. This time they’ll probably have Crosby back in the lineup, so the Islanders can silence the retards on the internet that don’t give this team any credit, making excuses every time they do something right and take these “Happy Feet” impersonators on a march that they’ll never forget.

Let’s Go Isles.

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.