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

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

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

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

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

Worst game of the season by far.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Just enjoy it.

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Guess Again.

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

I want to see passion. I want to see intensity. I want to see jam.

That third period, well the last minute and a half at least, the Islanders had me confused. They went from playing well-intentioned, but too unfocused to win hockey, to being the owners, founders and major shareholders of Smuckers. Yes, my friends, they were making jam.

The line of Blake Comeau, Mike Comrie and Kyle Okposo had all the flavors for you if you wanted as well. They were skating their tails off, carrying the puck into the zone, rather than play dump and chase and were taking shots. It also seems that in the process of scoring his 400th goal the other night, Bill Guerin now feels the need to become the passer he never was. Dishing the puck well all night, Guerin may take Doug Weight’s spot on the team as their top playmaker once he comes back if he continues playing the way he is.

Add in some good offensive play by Chris Campoli, Freddy Meyer and yes, Brendan Witt [who also blocked several key shots late in the game] and the Isles had more than enough of a team effort to skate out of Dodge with a point. Above all though, when Jeff Tambellini works as hard as he did last night, scoring his first goal in more than half a season, you know you have to get something out of it,

The expression on Lindy Ruff’s face said it all. Giving up two goals like that at the end of the game should have changed his game plan a bit, but it didn’t. Opting not to put his leading scorer on the ice in Thomas Vanek during the overtime period, he continued to role the dice an luckily for him, he came out on top in the skills competition portion of the game and got the extra point. That’s not the point here though.

The point is that regardless of what their record is right now and regardless of if the Islanders are saying DP tweaked his groin again [I personally think he's fine and they just want him to take things extra slow this time around so he's ready to play the Rangers], this team is playing harder and smarter than they have in a month.

That my friends, is good enough for me.

“I can at least hold my head up high the last five games and say the guys have resembled a team that is competing for 60 minutes,” coach Scott Gordon told the AP after the game.

Ditto.

The only problem was your defense forgot to show up.

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

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

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

Then, again, it happened.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

That, I think, is something to write about.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Something has to change soon.

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

Mark my words.

I should have known something wasn’t right when I woke up and felt like watching “Deliverance” at nine in the morning for some crazy reason. In the end, after that game, I would have much rather been stuck up a creek with a pair of drunken hillbillies “squealing like a pig,” than watch the Isles play like that again. It was the second or third time this season that I wanted to shut the television off in disgust because of a third period meltdown [how many have they had this season now?].

The second time in as many games as a matter of fact.

To make another really bad “Deliverance” reference in regards to the way this team has played this season, they’re like Jon Voight with a bow and arrow in his hands. They get the prey in their sights and they just lose control and can’t finish them off. It makes for a thought-provoking movie, but as far as hockey goes, it’s something good teams try to avoid making a consistent occurrence.

So far this season, that obviously hasn’t happened.

Like I said in my pregame thoughts, Boston has a host of players that are not to be underestimated. For the first 40 minutes, things didn’t look too bad, but in what has quickly become typical Islander fashion this season, the opposition found a way to strike and did so repeatedly. As a hockey fan, that is the worst thing to see in the team you root for every night. As a reporter, it’s got to be tough for those guys asking Scott Gordon the same questions every time this team loses. Because of this, right now is one of the few times I’m extremely happy beat reporting minor league hockey [most of the time, I'm just kind of happy about it] this season.

As far as I’m concerned, the only thing this team can do now is get back in gear tomorrow and hope and pray “real good” [last “Deliverance” reference I swear. Alright, maybe one more.] that they can get back on the right page against a team that they’ve had some success against this season, the Ottawa Senators.

Hopefully, the Isles can get their own version of Burt Reynolds to show up and save another disaster. Let’s hope who ever decides to show up though doesn’t break his leg shortly afterwards.

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

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

Big mistake.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Then something started to happen. After blowing a handful of third period leads, they woke up and decided to play as a cohesive unit and since then, they’ve won four out of their last five games.

Sure, they still don’t have a legitimate sniper or a point a game player, but they have enough pieces and have enough depth at defense that if they continue to play this way, they can surprise a few people.

Andy Hilbert, Doug Weight and Trent Hunter look like they’ve been reinvigorated under Scott Gordon and are proving they either are capable of more than they’ve produced in years past or their back to where they should be. In the case of Hilbert, it’s great to see the guy on pace for a 15 goal, 35 point season. I’ve said plenty of times on this site that that’s where he should be and considering what a solid job he does in the defensive end, he and Richard Park could give the team a great tandem of role players that can contribute on both ends of the ice. Weight and Hunter are both coming off years that they know they’re better than and have responded marvelously this season.

Weight looks like he did with the Blues a few years ago and looks extremely solid with Bill Guerin, who has looked good too. Hunter has been picking his shots much better than he did last season, when it felt like he was simply peppering the net. Scoring 25 goals his rookie season, Hunter should be around that total every season. I’m so sick of pundits calling him a defensive forward. The guy’s a power forward who needs someone to feed him the puck. Frans Neilsen was doing a good job of that through the early season and his injury may stunt Hunter a bit, but I feel as if he’s confident right now and will continue to produce in spite of the Great Dane’s absence.

Guys like Sean Bergenheim and Jon Sim are too proving that they can be depended on, but still have a ways to go to establish themselves. Both have great wrist shots, can skate and play a physical game, which makes them tailor-made for Gordon’s system; they just have to continue to work hard and I’m sure the goals for both of them will be there. Surely nothing in the 30-goal range of course, but if they continue to skate and get some time on the powerplay, I don’t see any reason why the both of them can’t score 15-20 goals each.

Nonetheless, the Islanders offense is still missing key contributors in Kyle Okposo, Mike Comrie and Mike Sillinger. Once those guys get back and can be healthy, the Isles offense can go from mediocre to surprising. I mean lets be fair here, this team is never going to be the Detroit Red Wings on offense, but combined with their defense and provided they continue to get the defense they have over the past few games, they can squeak into the playoffs.

Yes, I said it.

Can’t believe I did, but I did.

Scary thing is I know it’s not the Kool-aid talking either.

It just seemed like every time you thought the Islanders had learned their lesson on defense and got the offense going, the Devils came back and put an end to their party. That’s usually he case when a team like he Islanders that is slowly starting to find their identity plays a team that already has one like the Devils.

Nevertheless, the Islanders feel they are just starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel.

“Our season didn’t start the way we wanted it to, but if you take the positives out of some of those games where we blew a three-goal lead or a two-goal lead in the third period, in some cases, it was 40 or 50 minutes of good hockey,” GM Garth Snow said in an expansive interview Friday with Newsday. “I think we’re headed in the right direction, and we’re just going to get better as the season goes on and as players gain confidence in this system. I think we’re on the right track.”

With a game against Buffalo today, the Islanders need to quickly forget about last night and concentrate on doing the the things that broke them out of that ugly skid they were in early this season, which was establishing a forecheck, playing well in front of Joey MacDonald and getting offense from a wide variety of sources. If they do that, they’ll be able to hold the ice with any team in the NHL.

We’ll see what happens tonight.

Also, in other news, I just wanted to let you guys know about another site I have, AcesOverBrooklyn.com, where I cover the Brooklyn Aces of the EPHL. Simply put, this site is what I wish I could do with this one, as it is filled with journalism, rather than just be shooting off my opinion every day. It’s also filled with pictures, video, podcasts, polls and everything else you’d expect from someone covering a team with every free ounce of their time.

Check it out today!

Regardless of what the pundits think, I think it’s fair to say that this team is starting to understand what they have to do in order to win.

On top of that, Joey MacDonald is playing his best hockey of the season and with Andy Sutton and Radek Martinek both back in the lineup and the return of Brendan Witt looming, the Isles defense will be as close to 100 percent as possible.

With that being said, a team like the Canucks, with all their offensive ability and strength in net, will be facing a much better Islanders team than they would have faced two weeks ago.
Because of that, this should be a fun one to watch.

The Josh Bailey Experiment Continues- Through his first handful of games this season, Bailey has been a lot better than anyone could have possibly thought. From what the team’s coaching staff has said thus far, it looks like Bailey may be sticking around.

“He hasn’t played at a junior pace. So, that’s very encouraging. Whether he’ll be able to maintain that through these nine games will probably dictate whether he stays here or goes back to junior,” Gordon told the AP “I think the bonus for us if he’s able to stay here is that it accelerates his progress for next year.

“If he goes back to junior, granted he’ll play a lot. But he’ll play at a pace that he should be above. Then, it’s a situation where he comes in next year and has to start over getting back into our system versus what they’re doing in Windsor. If he’s able to come in here and play at an NHL pace through nine games, at least we’ll have a better read on what the right thing is to do for this year and next year.”

If he stays here the whole season, I’m cool with that. However, if he ends up hitting a snag in his development, the Isles will be stuck with another Jeff Tambellini. As of right now, Bailey looks like a completely different player, but it’s way too early to judge what this kid is truly capable of yet.

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.

It’s almost like a different team out there.

Add in a much better third period as well and the Isles now have some positive momentum for the first time in a few weeks.

With Radek Martinek’s return a possibility on Saturday, things have the possibility of getting even better in the near future as well.

Overall, the defense was solid and Joey MacDonald was extra sharp. For most of the season, despite the injuries, the defense has been solid, but has had lapses in consistency, which hasn’t made things easier for the team’s struggling offense.

Not last night.

Andy Sutton was solid in front of the net and the other veterans on the Isles really held their ground. If this team is going to save their season, that’s going to have to continue.

Good stuff.

Oh and by the way, a very special thank you to Jason Spezza for playing one of the sloppiest hockey games I’ve seen in a very long time.

The “Josh Bailey Experiment” continues- I don’t know how you guys feel about it, but this guy seems awfully comfortable out there. The goal that Kyle Okposo scored was a thing of beauty. It was like a rewind to a Sports Center highlight from the Bruins in 1991, with Craig Janney throwing a pass Cam Neely’s way. Or even better, dare I say Pierre Turgeon to Steve Thomas? In spite of my exaggerations here, seeing them side by side on the bench was pretty cool as well and regardless of what the Isles decide to do with Bailey, I think he’s proving he’ll be in good shape next season.

Yesterday, I had a Doug Weight quote from Newsday on the site and in all honesty, the kid played like a younger version of the Islanders assistant captain last night. He was moving a lot in between the circle and was making solid passes. At the very least, it’s great to have a guy out there with some vision. I only hope he continues to get better.

The only question is, what do the Islanders do after Bailey plays in his ninth game this season?

Something needs to be done so this team can hold a lead. They play well for 40 minutes and then fall to pieces like a house of cards. They seem so oblivious on the ice, that I’ve seen Kevin Federline speak at Harvard with more poise.

The even scarier thing though is in reality, what can this team possibly do to stop this? It’s not like a trade is going to solve this problem. If someone gets benched, who comes in that can fill shoes? No one. This team has to win with what they have right now. If they don’t, this season is over.

No its, ands or buts about it.

As bad as the Isles have played though, there are players doing the right thing on the ice.

Guys like Doug Weight and Tim Jackman came to play last night. Speaking of Jackman, maybe he’ll finally got it into his system what he has to do in order to stay in this league the rest of the season. Aside from Trent Hunter and Bill Guerin, the Isles don’t have many players that can crash the net and get garbage goals [one of the reasons why I'm still heavily pissed that they let Mark Parrish sign with the Dallas Stars]. A guy like Jackman could provide a lift and help this team get a few ugly ones to keep them above water.

Another guy that was sound last night was Andy Hilbert. On pace for an 18-goal season, if Hilbert can keep this type of play up, I may not rag on him so much. While that alone isn’t enough for him to be consistent, it’s great to see him contributing more on offense. The numbers that he put up in the AHL, I don’t think it’s asking too much for this guy to score 15 goals a season. Everyone knows he works hard, he just has to finish. So far this season, he’s done a much better job of that.

With their next game against the Flyers on Tuesday, things need to change and change fast.

If hearts grew on trees, the only person who would be able to grow said tree would of course be number 10 himself.

After starting their season in most dismal fashion, Park and the boys from Long Island have rebounded quite nicely, playing well enough to win and providing some spunk in the process. Despite some bumps in the round in the third period on Monday and a scary last minute at MSG last night, the Isles have their first winning streak of the season.

While guys like Park, Trent Hunter and Bill Guerin have stepped up their play as of late, Joey MacDonald kept the Isles in both games this week and has been a key reason why this team is treading water for the moment. At 4-4, MacDonald has played his part in relieving the injured Rick DiPietro.

Simply put, there’s nothing else more he could do at this point. Despite not hugging the post and having inferior footwork in the crease through a few of his losses, MacDonald looked stellar last night, making a handful of spectacular saves. Let’s be fair here, despite a nasty loss to the Leafs the other night, the Rangers have been one of the best teams in the league this season. Because of that, this was easily one of the biggest wins of the season.

Overall, the Islanders played like a team and players stepped up and that’s why they ended up with two points. Nate Thompson is now my favorite Alaskan [next to the uber-sexy Sarah Palin of course.], due to the fact that he not only got one shorthanded when the team needed it, but I think you’d agree that the way he did it was insane. Most players would have given up on that play, but he showed the moxie to keep his legs moving and finish the play [in mid-air nonetheless] he started that Frans Neilsen couldn’t finish. Good work Nate.

Speaking of Tambellini, the kid showed some fire last night in dropping the gloves. He also finished a few checks. Nonetheless, this kid has to score. Otherwise, he goes right back to being a healthy scratch when Sean Bergenheim gets back from the flu.

Now with a day off before their next game, the Isles can concentrate on facing another high energy team in the Atlanta Thrashers and proving that last night was no fluke.

After the final period of last night’s game, I was so sick to my stomach that a piece of Meat Loaf, even the ridiculously scrumptious end piece could not bring me any satisfaction.

However, through the first two periods of last night’s game, I was thrilled. After writing that this team was the worst Islanders team in over seven season’s yesterday and adding tat they alone could decide their destiny, it felt great to see them progressively finish their checks, win a fight and put some pucks in the net.

During those first two periods, even the powerplay was working. Frans Nielsen was looking like a bona fide NHL center and newbie Mitch Fritz did more than hold is own with tough guy Georges Laraque. It was like watching the Isles on an episode of the “Twighlight Zone.” At one point, I thought I was going to go blind because it seemed too good to be true. All season, the Islanders were looking for a few lucky bounces to get their confidence going. Jon Sim’s goal seemed like the tide turner. For a second, I thought these guys were gellin’ like Magellan.

Then, in an even more bizarre turn of events, they forgot to skate, protect the front of the net and fight in the corners, giving up four goals in one of the ugliest performances I’ve seen in years by any team wearing orange and blue.

That includes the Mets as well.

Just for the record, I’d like to say that goaltending is not the issue in this game. If anything, Yann Danis kept this team in the game with several solid saves in the first and second periods. In the third however, the defense was consistently on their heels. They weren’t attacking anymore and when a team as talented as the Canadiens smells blood, they go for the knockout punch.

Just watching the highlight reel on Yahoo Sports of last night’s game proves this. Look where all of Montreal’s goals were scored. With traffic in front of the net and plenty of bodies looking for second chances. Why was the crease cleared? Well, without Radek Martinek, Brendan Witt and Freddy Meyer, we know why the crease wasn’t cleared. At this point, it’s obvious this team has even more problems than are on the surface.

In the end, watching last night’s game was like watching a horror movie, with the Islanders playing the role of the surprisingly strong sexy female and the Canadiens playing the accomplished killer. It was fun to see her hold her own with someone that much stronger for a while, but you knew that at one point, when Mike Myers, Freddy Krueger or whoever else tickles your fancy, had their opportunity, it was the end of the road.

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.

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.

Last night, the Isles just couldn’t maintain the same kind of intensity they had in game 2. Regardless of occasional flashes of brilliance, New York was extremely sloppy and couldn’t break the Buffalo blue line on the power play and just didn’t execute they way they needed to. It didn’t help either that there were marginal penalties being called throughout the game that ended up playing a role in the final score.

It was so bad that Stan Fischler said that the referees calling tonight’s game made marginal calls and failed to use common sense.

You tell ‘em Stan.

On top of all of that, Islander fans started throwing debris on the ice after Randy Robitaille got called for a ridiculous tripping call at the end of the third period that just managed to prolong the misery. The fact that one Islander fan actually had the audacity to throw a bottle on the ice during the last minute of gameplay is a disgrace. It’s bad enough that the team got called for a joke penalty with less than two minutes to go, the fact that some Isles fans proved that they were utter trash just made things even worse.

The condition of the ice at the Coliseum was horrible as well, making it pretty damn hard to make long distance passes and throwing all that garbage all over the ice couldn’t have helped matters. When it was all said and done however, the Islanders were the ones that couldn’t get enough shots on Ryan Miller in the third and aside from the bad penalty calls, the fact that they couldn’t generate any serious offense was what really cost them the game.

On a positive note, I don’t know about you guys, but I think Ryan Smyth had one of his best games as an Islander. That line of Mike Sillinger [who was amazing on face offs as well], Trent Hunter and Ryan Smyth was really the only one that managed to maintain the same kind of jump they had in game 2. However since those guys were the only ones with real jump, Nolan was forced to throw the old Hilbert, Sillinger and Hunter line out there late in the third and was double shifting Smyth with a myriad of different players.

Sadly, the Isles could muster the game typing goal.

As well, DP kept the Islanders in the thick of things until the end. Getting out shot 17-2 in the third, the Islanders are lucky that they didn’t lose this game 5-2 instead of 3-2.

With one more game at the Coliseum before going back to Buffalo for Game 5, the Isles need to put the pieces back together.

Two loses in two games without Yashin. I can hear the Rangers fans talking trash already. Last night’s game was like hanging out with someone who has Tourette’s syndrome. Every five minutes the Islanders would show some a ton of emotion, and then would go flaccid.

On the whole, the way the Isles were playing in the first two periods was driving me crazy. I have no idea why you would play a dump and chase game when you have players that have solid speak and puck handling ability. It makes no freakin’ sense to me, it’s like giving Michael Jordan steel shoes and asking him to try and dunk with them on; not going to happen.

We’ve seen at time how dominate the Islanders can be when they play physical and play a puck possession game. Billy Jaffe made a great comment last night about how the Isles are a better team when they take the body. You would think now that they would put the two together, but they haven’t. It wasn’t until the last period that they started finishing checks and driving with the puck.

As a result, the third period was great. Richard Park and Chris Simon have been plugging away all season and I was happy to see them get goals, but other people have to step up too. Miro Satan played a solid game last night, making one beautiful pass to get a goal and Jason Blake and Viktor Kozlov were noticeable as well. But again, we need other people to step the fudge up!

Speaking of that, where has Mike Sillinger been the last dozen games? You can win all the face-offs you want brother, but you scored 32 goals last year and your on pace for like 16, that’s not going to cut the mustard on my fish sticks.

I’m not even going to get started on Trent Hunter and Andy Hilbert right now.
Overall, the Isles have depth on their forward lines that most teams would kill for. It’s time for these guys to start earning their pay checks. We want goals!

NEXT GAME…
 
The Islanders have another appointment with Bing Crosby and Evgeni “My last name sounds like an STD” Malkin tomorrow. After taking the night off against the Flyers, DP should raring to go. Let’s hope the Isles remember to take the body.  

RICHARD PARK…

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

MIROSLAV SATAN…

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

BRENDAN WITT…

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

BACK TO THE GAME…

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

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

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

TOMORROW AGAINST THE CAPS…

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