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

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

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

Can you dig it?

I know I can.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

For now, that’s something.

Photo by Patrick Hickey Jr.

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.

Islanders fans everywhere know that the team’s offense has been in shambles, especially after losing the likes of Alexei Yashin, Ryan Smyth, Jason Blake, Tom Poti and Viktor Kozlov a few years ago, but for the first time in team history, the Islanders are in danger of being without a 20-goal scorer.

So despite the fact that the youngsters have been getting better and both Joey MacDonald and Yann Danis appear that they could be adequate backups next season, the fact that the team’s offense is so bad that they may make team history hurts bad.

Ah man, that hurts bad.

It hurts even more knowing that this wouldn’t have been the case if the team was healthy this season.
Even last season, when the team was ravaged with injuries and a plethora of under-achievers [Ruslan Fedotenko, cough, cough] as well, they had two 20-goal scorers.

In all honesty, I’ve seen guys in wheelchairs participating in jump rope contests that have better luck than the Islanders have had over the past two seasons. Last season, I think the Isles were good enough to make the playoffs before the injury bug infested them like a horde of ants on a wad of cheeze-wiz. This season as well would have been a bit better if they had some of their key players in the lineup a bit more often.

However, what makes this even tougher to digest is that without the injuries, the Islanders would have at least three 20- goal scorers if you ask me.

Trent Hunter would be right around there; the same thing goes for Sean Bergenheim and Kyle Okposo. As a matter of fact, you could even make the argument for Bill Guerin, who has 20 now after being traded to the Penguins. Had Doug Weight not gotten injured, Guerin’s game wouldn’t have hit the fan over the last month he was on the team. You could even make a good a good argument for Mark Streit.

Ah, but in the end, it’s all wishful thinking. No 20-goal scorers. So sad. Even the 92 San Jose Sharks had one in Pat Falloon. Are the Islanders that bad? Are they? Someone answer me already.

Wow, this team’s offense is so lacking this season that I’m talking to myself in my own posts now.

Is this what we’ve come to?

I think so…I think so.

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

Frans Nielsen has 10 points in his last 13 games.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

That was the case tonight.

Nevertheless, there were plenty of positives.

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

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

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

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

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

Over the past few weeks, Islander fans have seen the transformation of Sean Bergenheim from gritty third liner to possibly a top six forward that can play in any game situation. It’s been a process that many may still be in shock over, but like I’ve said countless times on this site, there is no reason why this kid can’t be a 20-goal scorer in this league. He’s got so much energy and has a much better shot and even better hands than most people give him credit for. It’s only a matter of time until everyone in the league begins to see it.

It also makes his life much easier when the players around him are playing well. Yesterday, that was exactly the case as Josh Bailey and Jeff Tambellini played their best games in quite some time, while Andy Hilbert, Kyle Okposo and Blake Comeau were no bums either. Add in a strong defensive performance [Anyone see Zach Parise on the ice yesterday afternoon?] and a great first game with the Isles by Mike Iggulden [an old friend of mine and a die-hard Islander fan Anthony Natoli is extremely high on him and has been waiting all season for him to be called up. Just figured I'd throw that out there] and because of that, the Isles had a winning formula.

The first period in my estimation was perhaps the best 20 minutes the team has played all season. The forecheck was amazing, Joey MacDonald made all the saves he had to and the Islanders defense was rock solid. It was like someone finally turned a light on in this team’s collective head and they played the way they were supposed to.

When the score was 5-2, I decided to go out and watch the rest of the game later. About 45 minutes later, I get a ring from Islanders Blog Box member and a damn good friend of mine Gary Harding, who tells me Trent Hunter is out for the season. Just when things start looking good for this team, they lose an emotional leader and a key player in Hunter. Well, it could have been worse; the Islanders could have been battling for a playoff spot and this happened. However, with nothing to lose, the best thing that could happen is for Hunter to heal up this offseason and come back healthy and lead this team next season.

For now, I’m just wondering if this means Jon Sim comes back or another youngster gets a shot.

Guess we’ll just have to wait until 3 P.M., when the Isles take on the Coyotes at the Coliseum.

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

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

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

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

What do you guys think?

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

Stay tuned.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

That’s exactly what I want to see.

It’s funny though thinking that a team could score four goals in such bursts like that and totally change the dynamic of the game.

In the end, good teams find a way to recover from bad bounces and the Islanders have not all season. You can say it has something to do with injuries. You could say it has something to do with the system the team is playing. But when it’s all said and done, the Flyers, who have been battling consistency problems all season, proved that they are in fact a team that deserves to be where they are in the standings.

Giving up three goals in just 1:13 and committing several costly penalties after putting themselves in a hole, the Isles did the same as well.

On another note, while Yann Danis wasn’t horrible, as one goal was tipped off the shaft of a stick, another two off his teammates, his defense fell asleep at times. The combination of Brendan Witt and Radek Martinek have been better as of late, but lack the polish that once had them as one of the best shutdown defensive pairs in the league.

Marty Biron wasn’t spectacular on the other side of the ice, but he made the saves he needed to. He limited his rebound opportunities and the Flyers defense forced the Isles to take low percentage shots. Anytime you can do that and do it against a team as offensively challenged as the Isles, you’ll be in great shape.

A positive to take out of this game was that Joe Callahan played his best game as an Islander, as he was taking the body and clearing the crease. Jack Hillen was also solid, making several nice passes out of his own zone that started Islander breakouts. Sean Bergenheim was also skating hard, but like most of the season, had problems finishing. Like I’ve said before, if he can’t finish, he’s never going to shake the naysayers that see him as more of a niche player.

One guy that shouldn’t have even been in the lineup was Mitch Fritz. I understand that the team wanted some toughness in there, but why not give a youngster a shot instead? What good is it having an enforcer out there when your team is in last place? I understand the youngsters need protecting, but Fritz is a liability on the ice and he proved it, going a -1 in just 5:29 o playing time.

Nevertheless, Fritz isn’t the only player to blame. The way the entire team played yesterday, a slew of players have some explaining to do.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

While this obviously good for Danis, who was a relative-unknown last season, it’s not exactly the best news for Joey MacDonald.

So with that being said, who gets to back up Rick DiPietro next season?

“One thing about Yann, I think he’s taken it a step further than what Joey did,” Gordon told the Associated Press last night. “Not that Joey didn’t play well, but certainly, Yann, from a level of consistency, has been able to play like a guy that’s a true No. 1. That’s reflective of his numbers…to consistently give up less than three goals is what you expect a No. 1 guy to do, and that’s the type of performance he’s been able to give us. It goes hand in hand with his success. When you have that kind of goaltending, it certainly makes it easier for your team to know that, when you have those off moments, it’s going to stay tight.”

Only on the New York Islanders could there be a goaltending controversy right now. With the trading deadline rapidly approaching, could one of the two be on the move? Again, only on the Islanders. Nevertheless, this situation alone should provide plenty of bar conversation over the next week or so.

What do you guys think?

Bergenheim back- Despite registering just one shot in 11-plus minutes of action, Sean Bergenheim is back. It may take him a few games to get back in the swing of things, but having another gritty player in the lineup is definitely going to help the Islanders the rest of the season. Another guy I’d like to see get up to 15-20 goals, Bergenheim got hot at the end of last season, lets see what happens this time around. A skilled penalty killer as well, having a healthy Bergenheim back in the lineup also makes up for the injury of Nate Thompson and allows either Richard Park or Andy Hilbert more responsibility at center. Considering how dependable those guys have been on the ice this season, I think that’s good news as well.

So again, while this team isn’t going to make the playoffs, at least there are things to think about the rest of the season and offseason.

That was a night as well where the Isles’ youngsters stepped up again and played well enough to help induce an Islanders win.

If Danis and the Isles’ babies can step up again, the Islanders can and will hold their own with the Panthers.

Seeing Kyle Okposo, Josh Bailey, Frans Nielsen and Blake Comeau play the way they have been as of late has almost given me a renewed sense of vigor. For a while there, watching this team play was like driving a screwdriver through my head. Now, it’s become fun again. Once Sean Bergenheim gets back in the lineup and Scott Gordon finds a place where he fits, the team should be even more energetic and fun to watch.

The way the veterans have stepped up as well has made this season an interesting one. What this team decides to do at the trading deadline should provide plenty of things to talk about too.

That alone should be enough to get me through the season.

Goalie Controversy?- Only with this team, I swear. Who would have that thought that Danis could hold down the fort the way he has over the past five games. No one in the NHL, that’s who. Like I’ve said before, nothing against Joey MacDonald, but Danis has been the better goaltender and the Islanders defense has supported him much better than they have Joey Mac. Because of that, you’ve got to give Danis every opportunity to make the most of his chance.

What happens in the end of this all however, is completely up in the air.

“We both want to play and I think we’re both capable,” Danis told the Associated Press the other night. “You know, I’m not worried about it. I’m feeling really good. I’m feeling big out there. This is a huge opportunity that I’ve waited a long time for. I was hoping to get in a few games and show what I can do. I wasn’t expecting what’s happening right now.”

When you also consider the fact that his team is playing for their pride at this point and MacDonald has already had 36 starts to prove himself to the team and the rest of the league, it’s only fair that Danis gets a similar shot as well, right? I mean seriously, what’s the worst thing that could happen? The team is already in last place.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Exactly.

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

Grade C+

Blake Comeau- After coming into camp in terrible shape and being forced to earn his stripes again in Bridgeport, Comeau has been solid over the past half dozen games. Extremely solid in his first handful of games, Comeau’s play was sporadic before he turned it up again. Much like Bergenheim, his spunk and potential are one thing, but his lack of consistency and in Comeau’s case, conditioning, may keep him from being the 20-goal scorer he should be.

Grade- C-

Josh Bailey- Great passer. However, in spite of his playmaking ability, he still has a lot to learn in the defensive end. He also has to take advantage of his shot more and gain confidence. With Okposo, Bailey will be asked to lead this team offensively as soon as next season. He has to earn those bumps and bruises now.

Grade- C

Kyle Okposo- Much like Comeau, Okposo has been a different player over the past half dozen games. However, over the first 20 odd games he played, there was a tentativeness and unwillingness in his game that scared a lot of NHL scouts and fans. However, since being paired with Mike Comrie, KO has begun to show the organization that he has to tools to be a more than solid NHL player. Is he a superstar? The jury is still out on that one.

Grade C+

Jeff Tambellini- A disaster. Everyone expected him to score 15-20 goals this season and prove that he belongs in this league. That hasn’t happened, even though he has begun to shoot the puck with more confidence. As of right now, this season has been a failure for him, but much like Bergenheim last season, a few solid games can turn things very quickly.

Grade- F

Nate Thompson- A true grinder, Thompson is the kind of guy that is great to fill out the bottom of a depth chart. However, it would be great if he could score a bit more. Block shots are hits are things that don’t show in box scores and for Thompson to truly have a spot on this team, he’s got to hit the net a bit more. Otherwise, he’ll be on the path of a mid-season call up the rest of his career, rather than true NHLer.

Grade- D+

Frans Nielsen- Much like Bailey, I think Nielsen is a great passer. However, with his skill in the faceoff circle and defensive ability, I think “The Great Dane” has he ability to be a more than solid third line center. It’s just a matter of him staying healthy and getting playing time.

Grade B-

Simply put, I’ve seen it all this season with this team.

Last night, the trend continued as the Oilers fourth line of Zach Stortini, Jason Strudwick and Kyle Brodziak just took over the game in the second period. After doing all the little things like creating traffic in net and taking shots and playing sound in their own zone, the Islanders simply forgot to play the last 30 minutes and that, combined with a plethora of missed and shoddy calls by the zebras [Sheldon Souray got away with a slash on a would be Sean Bergenheim breakaway and on a hook on Tim Jackman that ironically led to a penalty for goalie interference on Jackman. What about Stortini running into MacDonald? What about Trevor Smith getting blindsided?] and the Isles chances at coming out of Edmonton with a win were severely diminished.

Like I’ve said before this season, when this team makes mistakes, they happen in bunches. It started with a bad bounce off of Brendan Witt’s skate and then continued the rest of the game. This team has to find away to stop those type of escalations from stopping or there’s no reason to watch the last 40 games or so.

Weight on the air- With Jiggs MacDonald in the booth, I was already a happy camper, but Weight was pretty damn good on color if you ask me. What did you guys think?

Papa’s two flubs of the night- Within the span of two minutes, Islanders sideline reporter made two critical mistakes on the air, first by praising the starting All-Star selection of Canadiens defenseman Mike Komisarek, simply because he’s from Long Island. Look, Komisarek is a likable kid, but he is not an All-Star and is without a doubt not an All-Star game starter. For Papa to even make the assumption that Komisarek is a deserving choice shows how much he knows about hockey. I know you get cheap pops when you mention hometown kids, but that one was ridiculous.

The other one was saying Mark Streit leads the NHL in scoring. Did you mean he leads NHL defensemen in scoring Mr. Papa? I’ll be fair and say I’m being a bit picky on this one, but nevertheless it’s a mistake he shouldn’t be making.

I miss Deb Kauffman.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

Last season, Comrie started off hot because he wasn’t scared to take shots on net. No toe-drags, no fancy stick-handling moves, just plain old shooting at the net. Over the past four games, he’s done the same thing and has looked great on the puck. Simply put, he’s buzzing and has both Comeau and Okposo doing the same thing. The end result is one damn good line that played a key role in the Isles victory yesterday.

Speaking of key roles, Joey MacDonald was on his game in the first period and after a shoddy no-goal call, things could have fell apart, but they didn’t. After Brett McLean’s marker, Joey Mac was rock solid and the Islanders defense rose to the occasion, blocking shots and establishing themselves through solid passing in their own zone. When you do that, you make the goaltender’s work a whole lot easier. Thankfully, that was the case yesterday afternoon.

Add in another quality game from Mark Streit and what I consider a turning point game for Sean Bergenheim and you get enough to ensure an Isles victory.

Smith’s debut- With Trent Hunter and Mike Sillinger out of the lineup, Trevor Smith made his NHL debut and truth be told, I really like the kid. Forget about the fact that he’s wearing my favorite number on the back of his jersey, he’s got a lot of spunk and has a nose for the net. I got a feeling he may be someone that Islander fans may get to know a bit better over the next few weeks.

On another note, I just want to say that while I love the work of Howie Rose on Islanders telecasts, I loved hearing Jiggs McDonald yesterday. I know I say it every time he’s back with the Isles, but that’s only because it’s true. With everything that’s gone on with his life over the past few weeks, it’s great to see him in on TV doing what I feel he’s one of the best in the world at.

Make his teammates better.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

What do you guys think?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“What do you do?”

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

In fact, it is much more important than that.

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

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

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

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

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

So what can the Isles do?

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

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

Forwards

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

Defense

Witt- Streit
Campoli-Meyer
Sutton- Pock/Callahan

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

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.

Thank you Ryan O’Byrne, thank you.

Sometimes things work out in weird ways man, I swear. First Sean Bergenheim gets called for a phantom penalty [was he anywhere near Alexei Kovalev when he fell for no apparent reason or am I going crazy here? If it was for the small hug before that, then I'm afraid this league is turning into the NBA] and then O’Bryne takes a Patrick Stefan-esque dump and puts the Islanders right back into the game.

Again, thank you O’Byrne, thank you. [I'm singing it now, in a Rick Astley type monotone, Never gunna Give, Never gunna Give!]

At any rate, this almost makes up for the dump this team took the last time they played the Habs. Just to get a point after playing the way they did on even strength tonight proves the Islanders are heading in the right direction. Now I know what most of you guys are thinking: what the funk is this guy thinking? It had to be one of the luckiest things to happen on the ice this season! My response is a simple one: so freaking what! Three weeks ago, the complete opposite would have happened to this team. Now they’re on the other site of the coin. And buy does it feel good. Just like the old Virginia Slims ads, they’ve come a long way baby!

Then to be able to pull out the win in the shootout made things that much better.

Overall, the end of that game, just looking at that poor kid, reminded me of a specific scene of the cult-classic “Jay & Silent Bob Strike Back.”

“You look like someone just took a crap in your cereal…BONG!”

Bailey running out of time?- Two games to go on his audition, you gotta think this guy is going to stick around. That is unless the Islanders try out Ben Walter. At this point, with Frans Neilsen, Mike Comrie, Mike Sillinger and Nate Thompson already out, the Islanders don’t really have the luxury of letting the kid go back to juniors. Also, he’s been pretty solid thus far.

Streit Booed?- I find it funny that Canadien fans would boo a guy like Mark Streit. This was a guy that never really got a fair shot shot there. He was a fourth liner and a powerplay quarterback and that’s it. Simply put, he was a niche player that ended up having an amazing season. A free agent this offseason, Streit was looking for more responsibility and respect in Montreal. If that wasn’t going to happen, he’d look elsewhere. Thankfully for the Islanders, that’s exactly what happened. If fans in Montreal should be mad anybody, it should be the team’s management, for giving up on a guy that obviously had a lot more to give.

That’s exactly what happened last night.

Sean Bergenheim and Chris Campoli have the ability and heart to score 40 to 50 points a season in this league and with a few years under their belts, they have to produce. With that being said, it feels good to see these guys come through when they need to. Like I’ve said before, guys that can skate the way Bergenheim and Campoli can, are tailor-made for the Islanders new offense and have to continue producing. For me, it’s a given the Islanders aren’t going to have a 90 or even an 80-point guy on the team this season, but if they have a handful of guys with 40 and 50, then they’ll be more than okay.

However, when you talk about guys tailor-made for the Islanders system, Jon Sim is another guy that comes to mind. The pest that he is, forcing him to play puck pursuit hockey just brings out the best in his game. On pace for a new career high in goals, Sim, despite starting a bit slow this season, is starting to come around exactly when the team needs him to.

Speaking of guys that are coming around, what about Joey MacDonald? Shame on me for thinking for one second that this guy couldn’t hold his own with DP injured [yes, I thought it, but I didn't dare say it at the time] or even as the team’s backup for that matter. Nonetheless, as the season has done on, MacDonald’s weaknesses, such as his inability to cover the posts and take care of pucks in the crease, hasn’t been nearly as prevalent as it was before and it’s gotten to the point where he has singlehandedly kept this team in hockey games.

Last night was more of a team effort than anything, but without Joey Mac between the pipes, things could have gotten really hairy out there.

With their next game against the Canucks on Monday, it’s going to be interesting to see where this team goes next.

Working all day and coming home to watch a game that you already knew the score to.

Ah man.

If I was the Incredible Hulk, my first words on this game would be: “Hulk want powerplay goals, NOW!”

Seriously, it’s actually gotten the point this season where I have to quote superheroes I can’t stand [I'm more of a Spider-Man kind of guy] to depict the way I feel about this team.

As I mentioned numerous times on this site as of late, the Islanders powerplay has to be able to finish. With the injuries and lack of offense they currently have, the powerplay becomes even more important. Mark Streit and Doug Weight were brought here to help the powerplay and while their play overall has been solid, the rest of the team hasn’t stepped up it’s play. Guys like Kyle Okposo, Jon Sim and Frans Neilsen have to play with a bigger sense of urgency and simply score more often.

As Forrest Gump would say “And that’s all I have to say about that.”

From the looks of it, Weight knows exactly how I feel.

“When you go 0-for-8 with two 5-on-3s and give up a short-handed goal, it’s on us on the power play,” Weight told the Associated Press after the game. “No matter what five guys you have out there, you have to change the momentum of the game. You have to score on those. We didn’t.”

Simply put, there are no excuses for this, none at all.

On defense, the Islanders have to play tighter. The legs have to be going nonstop and they have to make a conscious effort to make better first passes out of their zone. With the speed the Isles have upfront, guys like Chris Campoli, Streit and Andy Sutton have to spring players like Sean Bergenheim, Andy Hilbert and Richard Park and get this team a few easy goals. Like I said before, with offense not coming at a level where they can get greedy, the Isles have to get as creative as possible. Otherwise, this season is over, today.

Not even Josh Bailey’s NHL debut can break me out of this feeling that this team is sinking fast. Make no its or buts about it, if this team doesn’t get Radek Martinek, Brendan Witt and Mike Sillinger back and back soon [and Mike Comrie, but who knows how serious his hip injury is at this point] this team is going to easily win the John Tavares sweepstakes.

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

Here are a few of my thoughts:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

In other, other news:

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

You can check that article out here as well.

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

Let’s face it, the first 20 minutes weren’t exactly pretty. While the Islanders only found themselves down 2-1, off of nasty looking goals by Mike Knuble and Jeff Carter that goalie Joe MacDonald had absolutely no chance at, Bill Guerin tallied with an impressive shot of his own that kept the Isles within striking distance. Looking horrible on faceoffs in the period, the Islanders really needed to get their legs going and get some traffic in front of the net.

Things got a little spicier in the second, as both the Islanders and Flyers started playing with more intensity. Much like the first period, the Isles were having problems with the Flyers in the corners as they generated several scoring opportunities via the cycle that MacDonald was forced to deal with. Nate Thompson had a great scoring opportunity at the midway point of the period, but he couldn’t cash in. Andy Sutton, making his season debut, did a good job blocking a few shots and clearing the crease later in the period on a Philly powerplay, but the Isles offense never responded. The newly formed energy line of Thompson, Richard Park and Sean Bergenheim [why was he taken off the first line?] had a few good chances, but they too could pot one, keeping the score at 2-1.

Nevertheless, they had more gas than they did in the first and the game still looked up for grabs.

The third period started off as a frustrating one, but after the midway point, the Isles stepped up their play on both ends of the ice and got an ugly one from Andy Hilbert that sent the game into overtime.

Then like most of the young season, the Islanders paid the ultimate price for taking a penalty at the wrong time.

Game over.

In spite of the over time loss, the Islanders need to take this as a positive first step. They came from behind against a tough Flyers team and did so with most of their key players on defense and their franchise goalie out of the lineup.

Not bad if you ask me.

Notes:

Close call: Simon Gagne nearly clipped MacDonald’s neck with his skate when the Flyers were on the powerplay in the second period. Whew.

Funny guy: In between the first and second period Carter told Isles reporter CJ Papa that they were being careful against the Islanders in spite of Marty Biron’s record against them, saying that the Islanders “Had plenty of guys who could put the puck in the net.” Next time there’s a roast on Comedy Central, they should snub Gilbert Gottfried [John Stamos walks into a bar...] and give Carter a shot.

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.

While he’s a far cry from Paul Coffey, Sutton will be able to give the Isles the toughness they desperately need right now. Aside from Trent Hunter, Nate Thompson, Freddy Meyer and Sean Bergenheim, Doug Weight has been the Islanders biggest physical presence. If you don’t believe me, just ask Brandon Sutter. At any rate, with the way this offense has performed this season, they need as much help on defense as possible.

Much like last season, if the Islanders can get Brendan Witt, Radek Martinek and Freddy Meyer back, the Islanders defense will be solid and the team won’t have to be forced to play catch up every night. Again, Sutton by himself isn’t going to change everything, but he can be a competent player than can give the team one less thing to worry about. Aside from giving the team an edge on defense, he’ll be able to play the point on the powerplay too if he absolutely has to, providing the team with another option for the second unit. Before his injury last season, Sutton started to come around and after a rocky start, became a leader on the team. If he can provide that same type of energy and clear the crease, he’ll be a pleasant addition to the lineup.

Nothing against Jack Hillen, but it looks like he’s not quite ready yet to be a regular. A sloppy pass here, a failed shot from the point there, combined with Chris Campoli’s return made Hillen a bit replaceable. Given that he has barely any experience in pro hockey in the first place, some time in Bridgeport could benefit his game immensely. His smarts and skating ability could provide him with an ample start there and by later in the season, he may be ready to give the NHL another whirl. That will only be the case though if this defensive core can stay healthy. Otherwise, guys like Hillen and Brett Skinner will be forced into action and as we’ve seen already this season, they are far from being dependable NHL defenders. That’s not to say that they won’t be at some point, but as of right now, they need to earn a few more bumps and bruises.

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.

Well, in actuality, there are plenty of thoughts and even more words to describe them.

For your reading pleasure, here they are:

Why does Kyle Okposo look so tentative out there? Why isn’t he attacking the crease and taking shots that hit the net?

Sean Avery seriously needs to get into acting. Even though he looks like someone cross bred a possum and Jeffrey Donovan [that dude that was in Hitch and that USA show Burn Notice or some crap like that], he’s like a virtuoso of the embellishment, a prince of farce and a patriarch of exaggeration all rolled into one. He’d be a great character actor or the first dude to die in a horror movie, don’t you think? As a matter of fact, the only thing more preposterous than Avery’s antics on the ice are the zebra’s the fall for his nonsense every single night. I’d still take him in a minute on this team though, idiotic Buddy Holly glasses and all.

The Islanders powerplay needs to take more shots…end of story. They were passing back and forth on the five on three opportunity they had when all they needed to do is put the puck on the net and clean up the mess. It was like the Islanders had Pierre Turgeon, Joe Sakic, Craig Janney, Marc Savard and Neal Broten [sorry, five best passers I could think of off the top of my head]on the PP; no one wanted to take a shot. They were all looking to set another guy up. Sometimes you have to be selfish in this game. When you have a chance like that to get a goal, you have to take it, especially for a team struggling on offense like the Islanders.

Jon Sim needs to skate towards the net and do what he did over the last few seconds more often or this team is toast this season. He’s already drew a bunch of penalties this season, he just has to finish a bit more and other defenses will have to think about him as a potential problem to deal with. Right now, the Islanders don’t have many of those types of players.

Sean Bergenheim worked his tail off last night. Keep him with Doug Weight and Bill Guerin. Only good things can come from this for all three of them. Weight has been solid this season even though he should have netted one last night. Guerin too has been ok and has been skating hard. Bergenheim’s work ethic will give these guys the space they all need to produce.

If Brendan Witt is going to be out for a long period of time, the Islanders need to call up Mark Parrish asap, regardless of where he is physically. If Jack Hillen is going to play defense in Witt’s place, the Isles defense isn’t going to be as strong as it needs to be, so they need to add more offense or else they are doomed. The Nate Thompson experiment was fun, but this team needs people in the lineup that are going to put numbers on the board and even though Parrish is slower than John Olerud, he’ll be a presence. Throw Parrish on a line with Comrie and Okposo and put Hilbert in the middle with Park and Sim. That at the very least would give the team some more depth on offense, something they desperately need right now.

On another note, Kudos to NBC’s Len Berman for stating the incorrect score of the last night’s game on the news. Looks like some broadcast journalists don’t like to watch the ENTIRE game anymore. Great job NBC, keep it up.

However, they are two teams that are very different from one another.

The Islanders on one hand are hoping, almost praying, that guys like Sean Bergenheim, Kyle Okposo and Jeff Tambellini can develop into superstars and take them to the next level. They’re also hoping that guys like Mike Comrie, Trent Hunter and Richard Park can have career years, while keeping their fingers crossed that Doug Weight and Bill Guerin can prove they have some gas left in their tanks.

The Panthers on the other hand, missed the painfully obvious memo last season that most of the kids they’ve drafted over the past few years have turned into decent players, rather than the superstars they’ve envisioned. Sure Jay Bouwmeester, Nathan’s Famous Horton and David Booth are great players that any team would like to have, but even the biggest Panthers fan would have a problem explaining what went wrong with guys like Stephen Weiss, who was supposed to a point a game player in this league at one point and Rusty Olesz, who prefers to hit people from behind nowadays, rather than put the puck in the net; something he hasn’t shown too much proficiency doing yet anyway. After that, they have former high picks like Shawn Matthias, Kamil Kreps and Anthony Stewart, who are servicable players that are merely taking up space on the bottom two lines. Add in acquisition Corey Stillman, who has never been the same player since leaving the Lightning and it’s easy to see how similar, yet different these two teams really are.

So with that being said, what do the Islanders need to do to come out victorious tonight? The same thing they did against the Lightning: SKATE! If the Isles keep those legs moving, they will draw penalties and with the way Hunter and Weight have played over the past few games, the Isles can and will pot few with the man advantage.

However, there is another way the team can give themselves a chance at victory tonight and that is having a healthy Rick DiPietro in net. Newsday beat writer Greg Logan seems to think DP is in the net tonight and I have to agree. He’s been off the ice first in practice, which is customary for the starting goaltender of the next game and I think after the 6-0 loss in his first game in the preseason, his conditioning may finally be where it’s supposed to be now. If he is healthy, the Islanders just got their best player back and a third defenseman on the ice that will keep the Panthers at bay behind the goal line.

If not, Joey MacDonald will get the call and that in itself isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Despite the one game against Buffalo, where the team’s defense called in sick, Mac has been good enough for the Isles.

At any rate, regardless of who is in net, this should be a fun one to watch.

When the Islanders skate, pressure the puck and play a little smarter in their own zone, they can be a pretty fun team to watch. Add in an empty-netter, a short-handed goal and a goal with the man-advantage and I don’t think the Isles could have played this one any better.

Overall, it was great to see guys like Andy Hilbert and Mike Comrie, who didn’t play their best hockey on Friday, turn it around and be driving factors in the win. Comrie, who was schooled so bad defensively on Friday that I thought I heard my dog cry in the other room, was snappier on the ice and was visible on nearly every shift. And more importantly, no toe drags! Hilbert wasn’t horrible on Friday, he just couldn’t finish. But last night, he, too, was noticeable and was making the most of opportunities.

However, while the team turned around their timid play from opening night, one player didn’t need to step it up. Simply put, Joey MacDonald was once again stellar, making breathtaking saves left and right, while having solid rebound control and poise. A lot of Islander fans weren’t happy when Wade Dubielewicz left the team to go to Russia [and because the Isles pretty much pegged MacDonald to be the backup this season] so number 35 kind of had a tough task ahead of him. One, play well an earn the respect of the fans and now, play well enough to keep the team above water until DP is completely healthy. It’s always a feel-good story when a guy performs well that you didn’t expect too, but MacDonald’s play over the last two games has proven [so far] that the Isles don’t have to play DP 70 games this season. With the NHL’s new policy on injuries, I doubt any of us will know what is exactly wrong with him and when he’ll be back, so until then, Joey Mac has to keep running with the ball.

Another guy that played very well last night was Sean Bergenheim. Anyone see Scott Gordon patting him on the back in the third period? Less than 10 minutes of ice-time and four shots on goal. Not a bad day at the office if you ask me. I think it’s fair to say he earned himself some more playing time last night and if he continues to play that way, he’s going to be playing much more. Also, I loved that the Isles had the veterans out there the last few minutes to sew up the game. Hopefully, by the end of the season, we’ll see a few of the younger guys in that spot.

Lastly, in my opinion, it looks like Radek Martinek has at least a separated shoulder. If you watch the video, it look like his shoulder disappeared under his jersey when he ran into the boards. Not good if you ask me. This guy has the worst luck of any player I’ve ever sen. When he’s healthy, he’s one of the best defensive D-men in the league. With Chris Campoli and Andy Sutton already out as well, this was the last thing this team needed. For the time being, Jack Hillen will most likely get the nod to replace him, which is good for you fans that want to see more youth, but for those who want to see the team sneak into a playoff spot this season, it’s scary.

Scarier than seeing Barrett Jackman punch Jon Sim in the face twice and not having a penalty called.

Photo by NHL Media.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Who’s Hurt:

Chris Campoli
Andy Sutton
Mike Sillinger
Rick DiPietro

Who’s Nursing Injuries:

Bill Guerin
Richard Park
Sean Bergenheim
Doug Weight

This simply is not good.

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

The forward situation isn’t quite the same though.

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

That’s not asking a lot is it?

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

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

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

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

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.

From the look of it so far, it looks like the team is diggin’ it.

“The essence of the style is to be constantly moving and getting the puck up the ice quickly. It’s all about high speed with and without the puck and putting pressure on the opposition. “It was a long night for the wingers when we played against Providence in the past,” said Tambellini on the team’s official website on Sunday. “The defensemen sat right up on the wingers when we tried to get the puck out. It’s a very fluid system that Gordon implements. It keeps the opposition from having too much time with the puck. We’re all going to have to be skating at top speed.”

Sounds to me that every player on this team is going to have pest-like characteristics then. With a lack of a true first-line center and a first line in general, this may work out well. Again however, I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t worried about guys like Hunter, Guerin and Weight getting comfortable. Over the years, I’ve seen guys [take Markus Naslund for instance] get their style cramped when a new coach came in with a new style, so I really don’t want to see guys games get hurt to their point where they are ineffective.

On the other hand, you’d have to think that after the relatively mediocre offensive production this team had last season, that a guy like Hunter or Guerin that have the talent to score 25 to 30 goals in this league if they get hot, are willing to try anything.

With that being said, I think this system to tailor-made for getting the most out of players like Richard Park, Sean Bergenheim, Frans Neilsen, Andy Hilbert and Jon Sim. I even feel that Mike Comrie and Kyle Okposo can benefit from it as well. Let’s face it, teams that skate hard and keep moving every night usually win hockey games. If not, they’re fun to watch. Look at the Sabres team that beat the Islanders in the playoffs a few seasons ago as an example. Many of those players work their tails off in both ends and keep the puck moving, which makes them hard to defend against. I don’t know if it’ll work with the Islanders this season, but it should be fun to watch.

With the season starting in about a month, I figured I’d discuss a player that despite his work ethic and passion for the game, may find himself a healthy scratch for most of the season.

That man is Andy Hilbert.

So rather than just end the post right here, I’m going to be fair and present five reasons why Hilbert should be on the Islanders opening night lineup and why he should start the season in Bridgeport.

In the end, you make the decision:

Why should Hilbert stick around?

1- He’s solid on both ends of the ice-

Unlike some of the other youngsters on the Islanders this season that play questionable defense, Hilbert is a solid defender that is willing to sacrifice his body and is adept at making the smart play in his own zone.

2- He’s a great penalty killer-

I can smell the tomatoes coming from every direction right now, but I think Hilbert is a great penalty killer that can make a living in this league for another eight or nine years just because of his play on the PK.

3- He fits the Islanders system-

He’s got a lot to prove and has the speed and potential to be a third liner with some moxie. Considering the fact that he has ties to the Bruins organization and has the skating ability needed to thrive in Scott Gordon’s new system, he may see time on the fourth line this season.

4- He has chemistry with a few players on the team-

Everyone knows that Hilbert plays well with Mike Sillinger and Trent Hunter, but he’s also shown plenty of promise with guys like Richard Park and Sean Bergenheim. If the Islanders offense falters at some point this season, Hilbert may be brought in to shake things up a little bit.

5- The Islanders know what he’s capable of-

Unlike the bevy of Islanders rookies this season who will be going into the year with virtually no experience in key situations, the Isles know that Hilbert can play well enough on the third and fourth line that he won’t be a detriment on either end of the ice. His play may be mediocre, but it also may be better than coddling a bunch of rookies all season.

Why should Hilbert start the season in Bridgeport?

1- He’s proven himself at the AHL level time and time again-

He’s had several solid seasons in the league and can help several of the youngsters.

2- He can’t finish in the NHL-

Take a look at his career shooting percentage in the AHL compared to the NHL. Scary stuff.

3- The youngsters need more playing time-

Jeff Tambellini on the bench in favor of Hilbert for the third season in a row? Not anymore.

4- He’s nowhere near as dynamic a player as the rookies currently on the Isles roster-

Hilbert has the heart of a lion, but isn’t even close to being the player a Kyle Okposo, Jeff Tambellini or a Blake Comeau can turn into.

5- The Islanders know what he’s capable of-

The choice is simple; wait for rookies to produce or get stuck with Hilbert on a second or third line again this season. Waiting will definitely produce more than that seven or eight goals and 25 points Hilbert will come up with this season. Suddenly, waiting doesn’t seem like a bad option anymore.

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

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

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

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

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

Okay here we go:

Line 1

LW- Sean Bergenheim, C- Mike Comrie, RW- Kyle Okposo- This line was a lot of fun to play with just because of Bergenheim’s toughness and the flashiness of Okposo. I think that Weight may be a better fit here, especially because Bergenheim and Okposo could benefit a little bit more from having a better playmaker with them, but with Comrie’s shooting ability, Bergenheim and Okposo did get solid second chances in the crease, creating several easy goals.

Line 2

LW- Jeff Tambellini, C- Doug Weight, RW-Bill Guerin- The speed of Tambellini really saved this line from being a plodding mess. Guerin’s presence in front of the net did give Weight more room to skate though, which gave Tambellini several chances of f nice passes around the circles. In real life, Islanders head coach Scott Gordon may eventually go to a line like this with one speedy guy to try and get more out of the other players.

Line 3

LW- Trent Hunter, C- Mike Sillinger, RW- Jon Sim- The face off ability of Sillinger and the overall checking ability of Hunter and Sim make this a fantastic energy line. In the defensive end, they were smart and tough and in the offensive zone they worked hard in the corners and while they had problems finishing, they were good enough to pose an offensive threat. This is a line the Isles formed last season that looked great and hopefully they bring them back this season. Here, they easily were the Isles best line in both ends.

Line 4

LW- Richard Park, C-Frans Nielsen, RW- Blake Comeau- Another good energy line, but for different reasons. Park and Nielsen’s speed combined with Comeau’s grit made them solid in their own zone and surprisingly solid in the offensive zone. Again, much like the third line, they had problems finishing and lacked the raw ability to get past defenders, but they proved they could hold their own against top lines. There was a problem however with the line’s overall toughness, as they were pushed aside by bigger teams and taken advantage of in corners.

Now that you’ve sit idly by and read this all, I have a question for you: Why aren’t you outside? It’s beautiful out!

Photo by Gamespot.com