The Islanders can win out their final two home games this weekend and still finish with the fewest amount of points – guaranteeing them no worse than the second overall selection, but giving them the best (48.2% chance of picking 1st and a 51.8% chance of picking 2nd – nhlscap.com) chance at landing the number one overall selection in Montreal.

The Draft Lottery is being held up in Toronto next week (Tuesday April 14th) and will be televised on Versus. So Islanders fans, in less than a week – we will know for sure which selection we will receive for all of our pain and suffering this season.

I promise you this much, I want the Isles to absolutely kick the crap out of the Flyers and Bruins this weekend. I am “back” to being an Isles fan first – that’s for sure.

A brief note: There is an extremely GOOD chance that I will be attending the draft again this year in Montreal. I will know more in the next few weeks and be sure to get the news out as soon as I figure out the plan.

From here on out, it’s Tavares, Hedman or BUST!

Edit: As reactions roll in, I will be sure to post links back to those blogs speaking about the same subject.

First “at bat” is Ken Dick over at Okposo Net (Soon to be Tavares Net?). Ken and I were notorious for yelling back at opposing fans whenever they would tell us we were in last place – by saying “Tavares, Tavares”. The other fans, lacking a good comeback – would just say, you’re right.

The boys over at Hockey Night on Long Island have put up their take on securing the 30th position.

Voice of the Islander Fans has his hilariously real take on things as always.

Chris Botta tells us there is “No reason to Vic around” and gives a whole list of reasons why we should announce our intentions to pic Tavares right after learning if we get the number one pick overall right after the announcement of the Lottery next week.

Dee Karl (Aka 7th Woman) gives us her “Unique Perspective” as the she always does – and goes on to say that Garth Snow should just call in sick the day of the lottery – just in case he has any ideas.

James Mirtle goes all statistical on the Isles locking up the best chance at the number one pick and talks about the other teams filling in spots 29-25.

My buddy Dominik over at Lighthouse Hockey presents his case on the Tavares front and then completely blasts picks apart Botta’s PR-esque post in a secondary post.

Gary Harding joins the fray, he gives us his reasons behind why we should draft the one we call JT.

Things are getting interesting, yes?

Kyle Okposo just scored his fourth goal in four games for the second time this season to defeat the Montreal Canadiens 3-2 in overtime. It was Okposo’s 16th goal of the season.

No matter the outcome, I still have a problem with being conflicted with the Islanders play as of late. I have a constant eye on the standings I’ll admit – so with each solid game and each point earned in the standings (7 in last 4 games – eeeek) we creep further out of the league basement and make the Tank for Tavares almost a thing of the past. (Note: The Lightning have also won tonight, so the Isles maintain their four point lead cushion in the standings for the bottom (ie: LAST PLACE)).

I always want to see the Islanders do well, especially when the drive is being led by the team’s future. Players like Jesse Joensuu, Mike Iggulden, Blake Comeau, Jack Hillen, Frans Nielsen, Jeff Tambellini, Sean Bergenheim, Kyle Okposo, Josh Bailey et. al. make this season really exciting because we are witnessing a glimpse of our future. We are able to see our team grow and learn with each other, sometimes with really exciting results.

Last week I was asking everyone if Okposo could reach the 20 goal plateau this season, his first full NHL season. Now, I am starting to wonder if I should be asking if he can reach the 30 goal mark – he is doing THAT good lately. I know, let’s not get ahead of ourselves – but it’s certainly a very bright spot in an otherwise tough season.

The Tavares Hunt will continue – it’s still a long, yet short road trip against a group of tough teams.

Friendly reminder, if you don’t see a steady stream of updates here – head on over to Lighthouse Hockey as there is a good chance I already posted something over there.

I am going to record the call with my fancy device that allows me to do so with my digital recorder. I will either transcribe it or post the clip in it’s entirety.

More in a few!

Update: Well there were technical difficulties in the call. I think I heard Garth Snow say three of four barely audible words. Guess I have to wait for the press release – nothing went the Islanders way today, clearly.

Update #2 Per the Islanders official press release:

The New York Islanders have traded Bill Guerin to the Pittsburgh Penguins in exchange for a conditional 2009 fifth round draft selection. The team has also activated defenseman Thomas Pock and center Nate Thompson from the Injured Reserve while reassigning winger Jon Sim to the Bridgeport Sound Tigers of the American Hockey League.

The conditions of the Guerin/Pittsburgh trade are as follows: If Pittsburgh reaches the playoffs, the draft pick is upgraded to a fourth round selection. If Pittsburgh advances past the first round and Guerin plays in 50 percent of those first round games, the draft pick gets further upgraded to a third round selection. The fifth round selection originally belonged to Tampa Bay.

“The entire Islanders organization has the utmost respect for Bill Guerin and we sincerely thank him for his time on Long Island and as the team’s captain,” said Islanders General Manager Garth Snow.

Guerin recorded 16 goals and 20 assists for 36 points in 61 games with the Islanders this season. Since signing with the team as a free agent on July 5, 2007, he played in 142 games and recorded 39 goals and 41 assists for 80 points. Guerin was the 11th captain in franchise history.

Pock has played in 41 games this season and has scored one goal with two assists for three points. He missed the Islanders’ last 13 games with a hand injury. Pock was claimed off waivers from the New York Rangers on September 29, 2008. In 100 career NHL games, Pock has scored eight goals with nine assists for 17 points and 51 penalty minutes.

Thompson has played in 28 games this season and has scored two goals. He missed the Islanders’ last 12 games with a shoulder injury. Thompson was claimed off waivers from Boston on October 8, 2008. In 32 career NHL games, Thompson has scored two goals and registered 42 penalty minutes.

Sim, who cleared waivers earlier today, has played in 49 games with the Islanders this season and scored nine goals and six assists for 15 points. In 51 career games with the Islanders he has scored nine goals with seven assists for 16 points and 44 penalty minutes. Sim was signed by the Islanders as a free agent on July 1, 2007.

This was clear last night as we saw an awesome effort from Sean Bergenheim from the puck drop. Bergy had jump in his step and almost scored right in the first minutes of the game. Devils backup extraordinaire Scott Clemmensen made a marvelous save, and it gave me the impression he would have one of his normal outings and do everything he can to keep the Devils on their hot streak. However, Mark Streit would find Bergenheim streaking down the right wing and he would beat Clemmensen this time to give the Islanders a 1-0 lead.

The Islanders would play well the remainder of the first, but the Devils kept up with their pace – often times getting numerous scoring chances themselves. At one point I remember looking up at the scoreboard astonished that the Devils had around 24 shots in the second, shots that I really didn’t remember them having. In my ever present restlessness during the game, I bounced around from my seats in section 309 and spent the second period in the Blog Box in section 201. I think I do this because I get to see the Islanders attack in all three periods honestly – as my seats give me a good view during the first and third periods.

The Islanders would put good pressure on for parts of the second period, Jon Sim intercepted a clearing attempt and beat the lone Devils defender deep and score on a backhand fivehole to give the Islanders a two goal lead. I literally had to rub my eyes when I realized he was the player to shoot as he has scored goals in consecutive games for the first time this season. It was good to see him get on the board again because I felt he would be more active in the points department but have been pretty disappointed by him. As Dom from Lighthouse Hockey says – if anything it increases his trade value with every point he notches. Dom even says he wishes he would go on a tear so we can sucker a playoff team into giving us “at least a 6th round pick for him”. He has one year left on his contract at an affordable $1 Million dollar – chump change I say.

During the third period the fun would continue – the Devils David Clarkson would sit for 4 minutes for high sticking and the Islanders got set up on their power play. Not long into the first half of the power play – Blake Comeau fed a nifty pass to Kyle Okposo who one-timed it past Clemmensen for a three goal lead. With the Islanders still on the power play, Brendan Witt would take up his new position in front of the net and Bill Guerin fired a point blast past Clemmensen for their fourth goal of the game and second of the powerplay. This time when I looked at the scoreboard, the Devils had been out shooting the Islanders by about 8 shots – again surprising me because I just didn’t feel like they had that many. Call it disbelief because Yann Dannis would have a solid game stopping all 40 Devils shots and actually achieve his shutout for once. He has flirted with the no-no several times this season, but a late goal would always spoil his bid. Dannis is really coming into his own as a goaltender – I actually like his play better than that of Joey MacDonald who seems to allow a bunch of flukey goals or become victimized by deflections off his own men. Now that Campoli is gone, maybe he will fair better as it always seemed to go in off of his leg and/or skate.

The shutout was the first shutout by the Islanders ALL SEASON, and really seemed to put an exclamation point on things here as the season is winding down. The game last night really proves how effective the Islanders can be when the team works together and executes Scott Gordon’s systems properly. Dean MacAmmond would make his debut last night and fit right into the team. Dee Karl aka 7thWoman – claims his seemless fit is due to his 15 year career – but I actually think he fills a void for the team. As a veteran center – he won key draws for the Islanders last night and looks to be Mike Sillinger-esque in that area winning 7 of 12 faceoffs and playing a respectable 13 minutes 8 seconds. MacAmmond also wasn’t shy last night – Jon Sim would continue to play the role of antagonist and cause a scrum in front of Clemmensen. MacAmmond would jump in the pile and take a huge elbow to the jaw for his new teammates – that is the true definition of a veteran and hockey player. It was good to see honestly.

The Postgame Interviews

I don’t know what got into me last night, I generally don’t ask many questions because someone normally beats me with what I wanted to ask or I give the main stream media it’s chance to meet their deadlines out of respect. When Mark Streit was done talking to the likes of Dan Martin and Greg Logan, I jumped in there and asked him a few questions of my own.

I asked Streit how important it was to come out and get a big win after some player transactions and he had this to say:

Well I mean, it’s obviously nice to get a win, but it’s part of the business. You feel bad when you lose teamates that you have been working with for a while, especially a guy like Campoli whos been here his whole career – MC too, they are both really nice guys. It’s tough, it goes fast, you don’t see them from one day to the other and just hope the guys are doing really well. It’s good for them and hopefully it works out for them and you’ve got to move on and just focus on the game, try to get a win. It’s great for Danis too, his first game after and he gets a win – it was certainly sweet.

I followed up with asking if there was an extra sense of urgency to get the win for the coach or some of the other guys this close to the deadline that would maybe save some jobs. Streit gave me another great response:

Everbody in this league wants to win every game. Nobody in this league goes out and says OK we are not playing tonight, you don’t do that. You want to play hard and then some nights you play a team that plays really well, and they get a little lucky. They work hard, maybe you have a tough night and then you lose. You know NOBODY wants that. I think the important thing is you don’t let your head hang and be negative about it. You have to turn the page, come in the next morning work hard and you know, focus on the next game and just try to do your best out there and try to win. There is nothing else you can do, if you are mad about it and your grumpy the next day, and negative it doesn’t do anything. You have to turn the page and move on and just try to do better and learn from it.

It was really the first time I got to speak with Streit at length, he is such a well spoken and positive guy. It makes me so happy that he chose to sign with the Islanders for such a long period – we really need a guy like him. It’s even better that he is having such a great year, it has been a long time since we had a player like Mark. I topped off my little interview with a “Danka” – knowing he is fluent in German, I think I caught him off guard but he replied with a “Bitte” and smiled. Just had to plant the seed for later I guess.

Having finished up with Streit, Sean Bergenheim strolled into the room and we joined the scrum in front of him. I waited patiently again as the main stream guys did their stuff and once the area cleared out I asked Bergy a few questions of my own. I wanted to get his opinion on the same things I asked Streit – but these were more important because of the way Bergenheim has struggled and found himself in and out of the lineup and the subject of trade rumors himself.

I started with the same question on the importance of a 4-0 win the day after player transactions and if there was a sense of urgency because of them:

Yea, we lost two great, great guys from the team. They are two great players and I hope they will do really well there, but at the same time we have to continue to do what we can here. Some guys may get more ice time than others, but this is a chance for other guys to come in and show what they can do. Certainly, I think many of the guys wanted to show that they could play more minutes. With these guys gone now, we can show we can play them [more minutes].

My follow up question seemed like a natural one because he focused a bit on the extra playing time afforded to different players in the wake of the trade of Comrie and Campoli. I asked if personally being in and out of the lineup and not getting as much as a chance this season, if he felt affected the day after the transactions and caused him to come out with more of a spark which lead to his strong game. I asked him if his spirits were lifted and if it sent a message that says “I deserve to be here and deserve a shot”. Sean replied in a way I wasn’t expecting – and I was really impressed with another player who just plays the hand he is dealt and carries his head high

I don’t really think that way, because I think every player has to beleive in themselves. I beleive that I do belong here and this trade did not affect me in any way. As far as me being in and out of the lineup this year, it has been a really frustrating season. Right now, what I am focusing on is just to play my game, and play the way I thought I played last year during the last part of the season. I have just been feeling more comfortable out on the ice and lately it has feet much better.

I know this much about Bergenheim – if he continues to play the way he has been playing, he will not be going anywhere for a long time. Home grown players don’t exactly grow on trees in Islanders country. Once he figures out what his game is (and I feel he is on the road to finding himself) he will be the force he was at the end of the season last year in which he referenced. We are getting glimpses of the future of what Garth Snow is looking to accomplish, and the future looks pretty good.

If you think it is all fun and games, clear it is not if you are a visiting NHL club looking for some rest before a game. If you happened to catch Corey Witt’s blog from earlier today – the team was woken up by canons firing and boat horns blaring. He also talks about an elevator ride with a pirate and two of his lasses. Hopefully they boys do not drink before a game, it’s bad enough they get injured without being hung over or intoxicated. Unlike our Islanders team and media guys – I got to sleep in and only woke up because I was hot, being it’s about 50 degrees here today and my heat was set a bit too high.

Moving on to the hockey side of this post – a quick recap of the past few games.

Islanders vs Lighting: Win at Home 3-1

The last time that Tampa and the Islanders played was on Tuesday – think of tonight’s game as a delayed home and home. The Islanders did well against the Bolts, scoring three goals in just over three minutes and chasing rookie netminder Kari Ramo. We would see goals by Mark Streit, Trent Hunter and a player who had not scored in over two seasons – Radek Martinek. Martinek’s goal was just as strange feeling as when Brendan Witt scores his annual goal – a feat he has yet to accomplish this season, but has come awfully close. For the third straight game, Yann Danis would carry a shutout into the third period only to lose it late in the game, it’s not really the biggest deal because he has been playing very well – but it would be nice to see him get the no-no. The Islanders would win the game 3-1, but would lose their go-to defenseman in Mark Streit – whom at that point was one of only three Islanders to play in every game the entire season. Streit injured his shoulder during the second period in a collision and Tomas Pock was lost for four weeks after injuring his hand. While Okposo did not score and we saw his goal streak snapped, he did pick up and assist and extended his point streak to five games (5g, 1a). The kids continue to shine.

I wanted to give this next bit a paragraph all to itself because I felt it was really important. In the first period Tim Jackman went hard to the net and collided with Ramo whom fell over as if he was shot. Of all people to stand up and challenge Jackman – Vincent Lecavalier tried to fire his team up by dropping the gloves. The fight wasn’t really much to speak about, but it left me feeling conflicted – apparently Jacko as well. I didn’t get the chance to speak to him after the game, but it was clear he showed respect (and restraint) by not really pummeling him as he is capable of. It’s one thing when it’s two enforcers duking it out, it become something else entirely when it’s you are fighting one of the leagues superstars. Do you really risk injuring the player or do you just wrestle and throw a few punches as they wound up doing.

You can see the fight as always on Hockey Fights, but here is the youtube clip:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Islanders vs Panthers: Loss on Road 3-2

The trip out to the sunshine state usually involves the fathers making the trip with their sons, this year is no different it’s just unfortunate that they opened their little road trip on a loss. The Islanders would elect to start Joey MacDonald whom returned from a groin injury suffered on January 13th and also feature two call up defenseman in Jack Hillen and Joe Callahan. They would look to extend their win streak to a season high five games and a point streak to six games.

The Panthers are another team that the Islanders have faced recently, the Cats were in town on 1/31 and the Islanders walked all over them in a 3-1 win. The game on Thursday started a little later than we are used to, even though it was only a half hour later – I still didn’t manage to stay up for the entire contest. From what I did see, I saw the Islanders struggle against a team that looks much better when David Booth is in the lineup. I am sure Nate Thompson feels the same way – Thompson took a big open ice hit from Booth and immediately left the ice in pain. We would later find out that he injured his shoulder and would miss some time. The Panthers took an early lead, going up two goals before the end of the first period on goals by their defensemen – Jay Bouwmeester and Karlis Skrastins (Scratch and Sniff).

The Islanders would get on the board in the second period on a power play goal by Josh Bailey. Bailey had gone 11 games without a goal, but would get his second of the season on a nice feed from Nielsen and fire it past Florida goaltender Tomas Vokoun low glove side. The one goal deficit would be short lived however, as ex-Isle Richard Zednik would beat Martinek along the boards and dance to the middle of the ice and OVER a sprawled out Brendan Witt, while mid air he was able to deposit the puck through MacDonald’s pads to give the Cats their second two goal lead of the game. The goal was highlight worthy, and those plays are kind of hard to be mad at – see for yourself:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Armed with another power play, the Islanders would strike again – this time Trent Hunter would find himself all alone in front of Vokoun and again make it a one goal game. On the face off that lead to the goal, Josh Bailey would lose the draw but out of desperation dive forward and chip the puck out to Hunter who would deposit it backhand past Vokoun. Hunters goal gives him points in four straight games (3g, 1a) and also Bailey his second point of the night. It was Bailey’s third time this season with a two-point game and he now has 2 goals and 13 assists for 15 points in 37 games.

I missed a majority of the third period because I fell asleep, but I saw the Islanders make a last ditch effort to get the equalizer with MacDonald pulled. It was exciting to wake up and see some good hockey – but they were unable to score. It snapped their win streak – but I was ok with the effort I saw after the first period and happy with the play of the young players again.

Tonight’s Tampa Re-Match

Tonight should prove to be a fun contest to watch as you know the Lightning will come out with intensity looking for revenge against the Isles for their performance last week. The Bolts are not too far removed from the tight Eastern Conference playoff picture should they string together a group of wins – they need tonight’s two points a lot more then the Islanders do.

Greg Logan reports in his blog today that Sean Bergenheim will replace the injured Nate Thompson – which sort of confuses me a bit. It was said in all the games that Bergy was scratched he was out with an injured “side” – to me it just seems per Logan’s blog that he was more of a healthy scratch. Whatever the case, Bergenheim, does possess more of a scoring touch than Thompson but is not a centerman – so there will need to be some line juggling. MacDonald didn’t play too bad on Thursday – but coming off an injury will the team decide to give him a rest and go with Danis tonight?

I am still really conflicted with this team – which sounds confusing. As a fan, I have accepted the fact that this team really won’t amount to anything come playoff time – I know they won’t even be close. They also had a horrible stretch of hockey that only saw them win maybe two or three games through December and much of January. It was nice to see a nice little stretch of wins – especially at home because it gives us a look at the kids progressing nicely and how they will help in the future. This is where I get conflicted, I want them to finish dead last in the league with the fewest points as I want them to have the best shot at either Tavares or Hedman. If this team finishes with the fewest amount of points, the lowest we can pick is number two – because we cannot move down any more than one position should we wind up not picking first due to the lottery. There will still be great players available in the top six picks, but this team needs someone who will sell tickets and give hope to a fan base dealing with politicians who are balking and stalling on a decision regarding a new arena and rumors that the team will be sold and/or moved.

It’s a rough time to be a fan of the Islanders for sure, but it’s sadly an exciting time in a way.

It began with the home win over Anaheim before the All-Star break, a team the Islanders had absolutely no business beating. Move into Thursday’s four point contest in Atlanta and the Islanders stormed out front with a 4 goal first period. Of course, they would have a slight problem maintaining pressure as they have all season, but the difference this time was a third period effort that would keep Atlanta at bay and manage a 5-4 victory. Kyle Okposo would have his first two goal game in his young NHL career, Josh Bailey would find himself connecting with Okposo on both goals and Blake Comeau would solidify that kid line with awesome play himself. Personally, it was a game that I really would have preferred that they lose – because it allowed Atlanta to “catch up” to us in the standings – but I digress, it was nice to see strong play from our “future”.

I did not actually get to see the game, I watched the recap on NHL on the Fly because I was at the Metallica concert with Tom Liodice of The Tiger Track. It was a great show, my first time seeing Metallica live.

This brings us into last nights contest against the Florida Panthers – a team that has managed to bring themselves out of the cellar and into playoff contention for the first time in a very, very long time. For the sake of that franchise, I hope they sneak in there. It wouldn’t be right for me – a fan of a struggling franchise to wish anything other than success on another franchise, so should they make it – Florida is the Eastern conference team I will root for. Back to talking about the game – Mike Comrie was the lucky recipient of the puck after a communication breakdown between Vokoun and Bouwmeester. Comrie grabbed the puck behind the net and put it shortside on a nice wraparound. During the second period, Bill Guerin would take a rebound and pull a nifty spin-o-ramaesque move out of his bag of tricks to deposit the puck past Vokoun backhand for a 2-0 lead. Going into the third period the Islanders would be awarded a power play right after the backhalf of a power play that carried over from the end of the second. It would be a pass from Trent Hunter to Kyle Okposo that would give the Islanders a 3-0 lead. It was Okposo’s fourth straight game scoring a goal -a career and season high bringing his total to 10. Ken Dick over on Okposo Net did the math and claims that Okposo is on a point every two game pace currently, not too shabby.

The Panthers would pull their goaltender with over five minutes remaining in the third – they must have been watching tapes of all the Islanders late third period collapses and hoped they could sneak a few goals past a solid Yann Danis to potentially steal the game and break the Islanders psyche. They wouldn’t score for about 3 minutes, but they did break Danis’s shutout bid. Armed with a late 3-1 lead, the Islanders would persevere and come out on top giving Danis his win. If holding onto the lead wasn’t enough, the Islanders would do great things en route to that victory – they killed off every Panthers power play, including two different double minors, they successfully changed their game plan as well – something Greg Logan pointed out in a recent blog entry.

So – the Islanders are still last in the league in terms of points, but now they have won three in a row and allowed the teams behind them to gradually catch up. Chris Botta has an excellent entry about the precarious situation fans may now feel themselves in – torn between happiness that the Islanders youth is the guiding light during this “winning streak”, when some may have been starting to accept the losses in the hopes that the Islanders could add another important piece to their rebuild – namely one of the top three players in the draft.

That brings us into the next topic – and this one is a hot one.

It seems that another Canadian journalist just HAD TO resort to talking negatively about the Islanders. It happens every year, it’s not really anything new – I just look at it as a way for a no name journalist to get some views through being a sensationalist – I don’t blame him but this time it’s a bit too much for my taste. Here is the paragraph in question:

If I were John Tavares, I would be clear about my future and make certain I never play for the New York Islanders.

Tavares hasn’t said that much — and quite likely he won’t. But if I were in his position, as the logical No. 1 pick in June’s National Hockey League entry draft, I would pull a John Elway, an Eli Manning or an Eric Lindros.

And find a way to get out of playing for the Islanders.

If you think about it, why would anyone with dreams and aspirations of greatness want to play for the Isles?

They have become a Gertrude Stein kind of franchise: “There is no there there.” From the owner to the front office to the players to an old rink and older fan base, there is nothing about the Islanders that represents hope.

And, if nothing else, that is what Tavares can best represent for an NHL team come June. If I were him, I would rather have a say in my future rather than have it dictated by circumstance, or in this case, a lottery.

In a time where the NHL has had hardship after hardship, would they need someone like Tavares to do as this writer says and demand a trade before he even dons an Islanders crest? The guys over at Hockey Night on Long Island already have a great post about this – so I will just echo their feelings on this. In the grand scheme of things, Tavares would be the face of this franchise – he would help on the ice as well as off. It would be hard to ignore a player of his caliber mixed in with the already talented young crop of players the Islanders have, it would also be hard to ignore for those who are in charge of holding up the Lighthouse Project.

What this Toronto Sun writer fails to realize, he just opened up himself to an onslaught of angry emails from those in Islanders country – hope he has a few days of free time in order to read them.

Where should we even start? First and foremost the Islanders have halted their losing streak and finally mustered up enough solid play to get their first win of the 2009 calendar year. This happened on Wednesday, if you happened to watch the game – once the Ducks of Anaheim came onto the ice it was like watching the old Nintendo title “Ice Hockey”. Instead of the tall guy, the short guy and the fat guy – Anaheim is made up of tall and fat guys when the Isles only have the shorties on their side. It turned out far better than many expected, with Kyle Okposo blasting a shot past Giguere on the power play early in the game and then a beautiful feed form Nielsen to McLean on another blast that beat Giguere minutes later would give them a 2-0 lead. The second goal, McLean’s first NHL goal and point would chase Giguere from the net and cause him to throw a temper tantrum on the way to the bench, in front of the bench, walking onto the bench, slamming the door to the bench and finally commencing once he sat down. The look of horror and fear on those around him while he tossed things and broke his stick was absolutely priceless. It made this Islanders fan forget, even for the slightest moment that the Islanders are in the middle of a very bad season.

Although the Islanders would forget they were playing a powerhouse in Anaheim, they still managed to hold tight despite only getting around 5 shots on goal through the remaining two periods. Yann Danis apparently responded well to the public lashing from head coach Scott Gordon, or it could have been the fact that the Islanders passed up on claiming Danny Sabourin on waivers that day – a goaltender who had shutout the Islanders during two previous match ups. Whatever the case, Danis made save, after save and helped the Islanders reach victory. Good for you Yann! Another bright spot, Kyle Okposo continues to make his presence felt, it is safe to say that whatever ailments he had during he early part of the year are fully healed and he is beaming with confidence – scoring in back to back games for the first time of his career should certainly help even more.

For some information on who Curtis McLean is and what his path to the NHL was – be sure to check out the latest article on NYI.com

Getting my opinion on the first win of the season should please at least one commenter on my site – you are welcome Sean.

Meet me at the Lighthouse?

With news that the Islanders had inked a deal that would bring them to Kansas City for an exhibition game with the LA Kings – it certainly lit a fire under the butts of those in the Town of Hempstead government. Now, nobody knows if this was Charles Wang’s plan or not – but it sure did work. In the past several days there have been articles a plenty in both Newsday and around the web regarding a possible move to KC and the importance of a new arena and the Lighthouse approval. Fans have taken to the streets and shown their displeasure at the team’s possible future move to a new and empty arena elsewhere.

Neil Best has a great article today in Newsday involving the Islanders lucrative Cablevision TV deal that runs until the year 2031.

Mark Herrmann had a great article in Newsday recently as well, if you don’t already visit his new blog In The Crease regularly – you should check that out as well.

Mike Gasparino, one of my fellow Blog Boxers – says the cable deal is indeed great, he just wants every game in high definition.

Chris Botta conducts an excellent interview with Kevin Gorman from the Town of Hempstead regarding the Lighthouse Project that is a must read. He also posted some new information and concerns today that is also worth the read.

Kate Murray is THE problem

I have a little birdie inside the Town of Hempstead that will remain nameless – but this individual keyed me into some interesting points the last time we sat down together.

It is already widely known that Kate Murray will be running for Nassau County Executive during the next election. It is said at that time she will likely give up her position as Town of Hempstead supervisor in order to run as an incumbent. This is where things get interesting, apparently Murray feels running for County Exec will be a win-win situation. Win or lose it doesn’t really matter for her as she will likely be appointed to a judgeship should she not win the election – judgeship is something she has wanted for quite some time I am told.

Ask yourselves this question – if Nassau County has already appointed the Lighthouse Commission as the contractor and approved all of their plans why is the Town of Hempstead supervisor holding things up? It is my BELIEF that Kate Murray likely does not want to be involved in such a large project and decision before she steps down as TOH supervisor and should she win County Executive – she would be dealing with it on a new level, something started by the previous administration.

So Islanders fans and Town of Hempstead residents (and non residents too) – PRESSURE Kate Murray’s office with phone calls and emails if you want to get this thing going. Voice your displeasure with the political non-sense and red tape so we can get this project started and keep the Islanders here on Long Island where they belong.

What can they do to reboot you ask? Let’s do a quick synopsis of what I saw tonight:

• FORECHECK!!!! When it was there, the Islanders scored, when it wasn’t – well…..
• Work on clearing the puck out of your own zone. How many times during these losses has the team tried to clear the puck but throw it up the boards to a vacant position?
• Practice passing the puck. Too many passes to places and areas where players SHOULD be, but aren’t.
• Going back to the first item, the BREAKOUT – it’s not an anything out on most nights. Move the puck fast and follow it up – isn’t that the entire focus of “Overspeed”?
• How about REALLY watching some game tapes. Look at what Toronto did successfully tonight and mimic the small things. On a majority of the goals scored for them, they moved the puck beautifully. I have not seen passing from the Islanders that has blown me away or taken me back – aside from glimpses from Bailey or Weight. You have 5 players plus a goaltender – use them to move and set up plays. The last Toronto goal by Williams is a picture perfect play – and a play that I absolutely crave.
• Stay the heck out of the penalty box. Why is Bergenheim even thinking about putting his arm on a player. Sure, whoever it was (I don’t remember) fell as if he was shot – but you just DO NOT DO THAT! There were some other penalties, but nothing really to mention specifically.
• Shoot the puck – FASTER!!! I lost track, but Toronto must have blocked like 30 Islanders shots tonight. They closed lanes, kept shots wide and just kept pressure on the entire game.

I have faith in Gordon, this is not me sounding an alarm to get him out of here. He needs time to grow and adapt to the league in order to be completely successful – but at the same time, I don’t understand why the team just collapses like they do. When they are on, they are dead on – but the same holds true for when they are off.

On one hand, I am completely frustrated by their play. On the other – I hope they stay in the basement cellar for the rest of the season. The first round pick (very very HIGH pick) is just what this franchise needs to rebuild, no matter who says what.

Tomorrow is going to be interesting as always, Philadelphia always seems to play the Islanders hard – the biggest question is how will the Islanders respond?

Click here to view the embedded video.

Not only that, but some very angry Habs fans have already updated the guys Wikipedia page.

That was easily the strangest sequence of events I have seen in a long time, even better than Davison’s freaky 197 foot shorthanded goal last year. At least the bounces are going our way – it’s about time.

It’s too late to give a full recap – tomorrow is another day.

The sky is not falling, the bottom has not fallen out and there is no need to start a Tavares watch! These three common message board themes are a ridiculous line of thinking. It’s to the point where I visit message boards less and less because it’s the same rhetoric repeated over and over. Look, the team is not playing great – but we are only 6 games into the season – SIX! Six games is not an adequate cross section to determine the overall season outcome.

Things take time, they do. You cannot throw together a team with a new coach and EXPECT instant success – sure we can all hope, but I hope I run into $10-million dollars today.

Islanders fans have been calling for a rebuild for a long time, this is part of the process. Players like Okposo, Tambellini, Gervais, Campoli, Hillen, Pock and Nielsen are not going to be overnight successes. For the most part this is the first REAL chance any of them have had under any head coach the Isles have had. Everyone needs to learn the system, stick to the system and have it be second nature to play the system in order for it to be successful.

I saw glimpses of positive things during the Dallas game, that’s even without the rose colored glasses. Bill Guerin went to the front of the net – AND scored. Mark Streit scored a pretty back door goal on the power play. Jon Sim – well he FINALLY scored, maybe that monkey is off his back. The veterans called a team meeting – something that needed to be done. That shows me that this team cares – losing is not acceptable and neither is tanking regardless of any amount of first round draft picks. I also noticed the forecheck becoming increasingly effective. Less dump and chasing and more puck control along the boards is giving them offensive zone control often enough that they should be looking at more scoring chances.

With the positives, there are also negatives.

Brendan Witt lost to injury, although everyone around the organization is quiet about it. I saw him on the receiving end of a nasty knee-on-knee collision and knew it wouldn’t be good. He was grimacing and had a problem putting weight on it. In his place – Jack Hillen, although Andy Sutton is about a week away from returning. Witt was chased down on the way to room Six by Greg Logan – although Witt wasn’t very chatty.

Bad defensive breakdowns lead to too many virtual empty goals.

Penalties – they need to stay out of the penalty box at all costs.

Power Play, 5 shots and 5 posts on one power play…..close – but no cigar.

Positioning without the puck, I am fairly certain the reason why Gordon had no voice during his press conference was because he was giving his team a stern talking to about this subject. The Islanders were HORRIBLE without the puck. Bad positioning causes bad turnovers, bad defensive support and almost zero chance of a pass landing on the tape. Last but not least – you will have plenty of trouble with a breakout if you can’t find an open man.

Lastly, taking a bench minor while on the power play. That just cannot happen, especially on a two man advantage.

I can tell that the team is coming around, but I just hope that injuries do not destroy whatever forward momentum the team has accomplished – however small it may be.

Here are some of the notes that I jotted down during the game:

Freddy Meyer lands a beautiful submarine check early in the first period! Great to see FMIV has the same timing as last season!

The team looks like it has an identity and also sticks up for one another. While the team last year all stood up for each other, unlikely players are getting involved; Tambellini and Gervais for example.

Defensive pressure in the first period was great, the team lined up across the blueline and forced the Blues to dump and chase. Later in the game, they stopped doing the same things and the Blues were able to put more pressure on the Islanders.

When the pressure was on, the Isles forced the Blues to take 3 consecutive icings – without the tv timeouts, the line for the Blues was absolutely shot.

Joey MacDonald didn’t look like a back up goaltender, he was playing like a true number one and was standing on his head. One of the biggest highlights was stopping Keith Tkachuk on a breakaway, another when a nifty move made room by one of the Blues forwards with a cross slot pass. MacDonald had a point blank save and covered the puck.

Overall, I felt the Islanders played one heck of a game – they are really starting to excel at Gordon’s brand of hockey. Hopefully as time moves on, the little areas that need adjustment will be addressed and the Isles will play hockey like the first period for a full 60 minutes. Scott Gordon is likely looking at his first victory game puck, and thinking the exact thing.

Photos

Here are some quick photos of Seven Mary Three and Kevin Connolly dropping the puck! You can see more in the gallery.

Hockey was definately back last night, but the Devils were certainly the better team – shutting out the Isles in typical NJ fashion.

In all fairness, the Devils roster featured marquee players with names like Brodeur, Elias, Zubrus, and the always ON Zach Parise, compared to lesser knowns Skinner, Fritz, Sugden, Hillen, MacLean, Colliton, Jackman, and MacDonald for the Islanders. It felt like the Isles would be doomed from the start.

It was slow going at first, not much flow – even the shot clock wasn’t working as it was clearly preseason for everyone in the arena. The ice girls were also shaking off the rust, the linesmen requested a shovel three times to clean up their mess after they did their thing. Once the teams began to open things up, the officials started the preseason crackdown on obstruction calling Streit twice, sandwiched around one by Witt. The Isles were finally given a powerplay of their own, only to give up a shorthanded goal to Parise. Not a great start to what is supposed to be a vastly improved powerplay. To steal a term from Ken Dick of Okposo Net, it was SOI or Same Old Islanders.

There were glimpses of good things to come – Tambellini looked great, as did his entire line including Nielsen and Hunter. Comrie was all over the place, although I commented to Tony of Islesnation that he still skates like he has a brick in his pants. Just my witty observation, but he was flying – even for Mike Comrie. Kyle Okposo continued to shine, being really strong on the puck and being flat out dominant in the corners. At one point he was leveled, naturally the enforcers wouldn’t accept those types of liberties on the younger players, so we saw three first period bouts.

Brandon Sugden continued to make his case for a roster spot, throwing a series of devastating rights at New Jersey’s Bryce Salvadore – where we saw what all the internet buzz on Brandon was all about. Tim Jackman challenged Sheldon Brookbank, they took a few moments to situate themselves but Jackman was eventually wrestled to the ground. Eight seconds later, the Islanders giant – Mitch Fritz threw down with the Devils Michael Rupp. Fritz landed several enormous right hands to Rupp’s face that made his legs wobble and the fight ended as the officials stepped in. Fritz triumphantly headed off the ice as the period was drawing to a close, to the cheers if the Islanders faithful.

The second period was OK, yes – just OK. More hitting, better passing and some offensive chances. Same as the third period – nothing really going offensively. The one thing that stuck out during both periods was the movement of the puck back to the blue line. The defense seemed very poised with the puck – although there wasn’t enough shooting. Shooting and the lack-there-of was a common theme throughout the game.

During Gordon’s post game interview he seemed very relaxed being it was only a pre-season game. He came into the room sans jacked and tie, something Ted Nolan never did. You could see the beads of sweat on Gordon’s forehead – almost as if he was flailing his arms during his post game speech. When asked what he thought, Gordon replied:

“I saw a lot of good things, because there are a lot of things that we can talk about tomorrow,” said Gordon. “This exhibition season’s for getting everyone on the same page so there’s a lot of things we cover in practice that game situations don’t bring up. The good part is that we want to make the mistakes now and we want to show the guys on tape that this is why we weren’t efficient in what we needed to do. For me, that’s an important part of the process. I thought we played tentative tonight, where we were supposed to have patience. It was very inconsistent from that side.”

He them quipped about there being “three different zones” to worry about in hockey, laughed and said “We have stuff to work on in each zone” – to the enjoyment of everyone in Room Six. Thankfully, there is ample opportunity before the season starts to fine tune the way the team works as a unit with the new system.

Never really seeing this “overspeed” system in person, I can tell that it will be effective when everyone is in position and doing their part. Lots of quick short passes on the rush, it seemed as if New Jersey couldn’t quite tell when and where plays would occur, the only thing was – the Islanders would misplay the puck because the passed would be a bit off or get snarled up in traffic. All the things a team shaking the rust off and learning a new system would experience.

During the interviews in the locker room, something stuck me as absolutely amazing. The maturity that Kyle Okposo gained from last year up until this season was astounding. Not only that, but his ability to deal with the press seemed better this year, as if the spotlight didn’t really bother him as it did last season. He answered Logan’s questions with ease – but the best part was how he answered them. He knows what he needs to do (likely in part because of Gordon and the veterans in the locker room), to me – I know Kyle will be successful in this league. He is going to have a great rookie season, even if the team doesn’t have as good of a season.

Right from the drop of the puck, the Islanders were able to keep the pressure on the Flyers – whom seemed a bit snake bitten having lost to NJ the night prior. The Islanders were able to take a 1-0 lead after the puck to a ridiculously funny bounce and caught Nittymaki out of position. Richard Park corralled the rebound and put the puck (and himself) into the net. After a brief review the goal was determined as good and we were on our way.

Second period the Isles came out and the Park, Okposo, Comeau line looked great (as they have the past several games) and Okposo would show strong puck possession and Comeau would make the score 2-0. Goals by Brier and Lupul would tie the game, and eventually Franz Nielsen playing in his first game after missing several – would get the go ahead tally (and secure the crowd with FREE Wendy’s Chili!). The lead wouldn’t last however, as the Flyers would storm back and tie the game again on a goal by Richards. Overtime would be pretty uneventful, despite a carry over power play for the Islanders for virtually the entire 2 minutes, and then being awarded a late over time power play – they couldn’t convert.

Into the shootout, Ken Rosenblatt of Islanders Outsider and I were discussing who the probable first three shooters for the Islanders would be – we collectively nailed all three; Nielsen, Okposo and Park. However, the outcome of each we did not guess – as they all failed to put their club on the board. Daniel Briere would be the sole scorer in the shootout for the Flyers – and would earn the extra (and much needed) point.

Wade Dublielewicz would make 51 stellar saves in his performance, but it wouldn’t be enough in the end. The “taxi-squad” as they have been affectionately named in the media – continues to shine. Okposo, Bergenheim, Neilsen, Spiller, Colliton, and Reiger are all making their case for full time work or at least an extended look next season. With the Flyers getting points in their last several games – it should make the games later next week against the Devils and Rangers very, very exciting. The Rangers are likely to find themselves in a must-win situation – and it will be ever so exciting to watch.

Okposo Watch – Game 6

As I have been doing in Kyle’s time up with the big club, here are his stats from the game against the Flyers:

Total Shifts: 19
Time on Ice: 17:40
Power Play Time: 1:12
Penalty Kill Time: :00
Average Shift: :55
Shots: 3
Blocked Shots: 1
Missed Shots: 2
Assists: 1
Points: 1
Takeaways: 1
Giveaways: 0
Hits: 1
+/-: +2

It’s been really interesting to watch Okposo’s time on ice increase game after game, he has also been shooting the puck more (although he’s been having a problem actually getting them on net) but his confidence will get there. He continues to play a well rounded game and show poise on the puck, much like Comeau. One thing about Okposo, you know when you see that Isles sweater in front of the net or scoring position – it’s none other than Kyle.

I know I am impressed, as are many of the other fans in my section.

It seems moving to the center position has really sparked some sort of edge to the play of Satan, he can however be looking for a new contract from teams other than the Islanders next season so this doesn’t really surprise me. It does annoy me a little bit, because we really needed this type of play from him down the stretch and he was just a body on the ice at times. He has been great defensively this season, but injuries and bad bounces have really limited his offensive output this year. Satan is the type of guy who can disappear for stretches, as streaky as they come – so it’s nice to see him play gritty hockey, he just needs to find the net and someone will have a great winger.

Sean Bergenheim continues to impress every single game – although it’s not always on the score sheet. His timely hits, his positional play and the way he has become somewhat of an antagonist on the ice has really been a huge positive. He has also shown some toughness and a willingness to drop the gloves when the need arises, which is something this team needs in a bad way. With this season under his belt he should come into training camp next season beaming with confidence and should be able to pot anywhere from 20-25 goals.

Philadelphia comes to town tonight after a tough shootout loss last night to the New Jersey Devils, I expect them to come in and really work for those two points. Word on the street is Franz Nielsen will be back tonight and we should see the return of Bruno Gervais in the next few days.

Okposo Watch – Game 5

So, this is a late update (after game 6 actually) – but here are Kyle’s stats from Thursday:

Total Shifts: 18
Time on Ice: 15:41
Power Play Time: 3:34
Penalty Kill Time: :43
Average Shift: :52
Shots: 3
Blocked Shots: 1
Assists: 0
Points: 0
Takeaways: 0
Giveaways: 0
Hits: 0
+/-: -2

We had a first period short handed goal by Richard Park – assisted by none other than Kyle Okposo. We had a power play goal by Bergenheim and even two even strength goals by players who need to find the back of the net more – Bill Guerin and Trent Hunter. For whatever reason, the Penguins were not sticking to the game plan that makes them so successful, they were trying to be overly physical and it hurt them. They often found themselves scrambling to get back into position and took more penalties tonight then I have seen them take in the previous match-ups.

Conklin attempted to make up for the lack of offensive power tonight, but the Islanders really peppered him with QUALITY shots. In the previous matchup, the Islanders took shots from the perimeter which any goaltender would love all game long. Tonight the Islanders drove to the net and shot from the slot area – something that was missing during long stretches this season.

I don’t know what Ted Nolan said to the team since their deflating loss to the Flyers last night. So I tried find out – but my question came out like something sounding like gibberish, due to my stuttering and stumbling, so when he answered me all was he said he was that he couldn’t give up all his secrets.

Once in the locker room, PR Guru and “Blog Father” Chris Botta patted me on the back and complimented me on my “great question”. Yea yea, the coach and the rest of the press got a chuckle out of it – but I am human and suffered from a momentary loss of clarity, mind control and apparently – English speaking ability. I happened to be standing next to Greg Logan of Newsday at the time, so I asked him if he heard my “super question”. He told me to “Shake it off, it happens to all of us from time to time”. Jim Baumbach, also of Newsday told me through instant messenger that it’s not anything to worry about, although he can see my concern as a blogger looking to remain as professional as possible. When I told him I intended to poke fun at myself in my blog, he said that was the best part about these situations – self deprecation. So there you have it – it’s out in the open and it feels great?! Maybe not.

Fast forward about 15 minutes later and Dee, Tom and I run into GM Extroidonaire Garth Snow walking to his car. We began to chit chat with him about owning large vehicles and gas prices when I realized I was able to have a conversation with him and not feel entirely short. I was standing on a high part of the grass – so, I mentioned this (for those who don’t know during the trade deadline I had a conversation with him about height and how I was entirely too small for the NHL (a vailed attempt at getting him to offer me a ATO contract ::snickers::)) so with that he steps up on the grass to knock me down a peg or two. Strike two for Mike tonight says Dee. Thanks, it’s just one of those days I guess.

Back to hockey talk (or tawk as we Long Islanders would like to say), the game tonight is one of those that really makes you scratch your head. The style and competitiveness of this team varies from period to period, game to game and even minute to minute sometimes. Much like my line of questioning tonight, it’s really hard to wrap your mind around completely. However, with a lineup chock full of inexperience at the NHL level it is definately a positive sign when confidence is there more often than not – so I will take what I can get.

Okposo Watch – Game 4

Go Kyle Go! I don’t know how many times I said that tonight, as he was SO STRONG on the puck and pulled off some really confident moves through traffic. With each shift, this kid just gets more confident and plays like he has been in the league for years. Between him, Comeau and Bergenheim I really don’t know who to be excited about more next season. They really give fans something to be hopeful for in the future!

Here are Kyle’s stats from tonight’s game:

Total Shifts: 16
Time on Ice: 13:50
Power Play Time: 2:22
Penalty Kill Time: :36
Average Shift: :51
Shots: 1
Blocked Shots: 1
Assists: 1
Points: 1
Takeaways: 1
Giveaways: 0
Hits: 1
+/-: +1

Fairly respectable numbers, although his average shift time decreased from last night’s game – it is due to the decreased special team time. In 4 games with the Islanders, Okposo has 1 goal and 2 assists for 3 points – which is almost exactly the scoring pace he was on down in Bridgeport. So much for those saying Kyle’s game wouldn’t translate well into the NHL! However, having said that, 4 games is 4 games and we will reserve complete judgment until he is allowed to perform at an extended pace next season.

So, 4 points in 3 games isn’t too shabby – especially given we stole the points from division rivals/leaders. I am sure that all the Rangers fans were devout Isles fans tonight – just don’t get too comfy just yet boys – we have 4 points to take from you later on next week. The role of spoiler may not be the best, but it can sure be fun.

For now, I must bid adieu – this bumbling idiot needs to get some much needed rest.

Poll Answer!

For those wondering when I would post the answer to the poll, answer directly below the poll results:

The answer is: Jeff Tambellini

Scored his first NHL goal on March 14 at New Jersey (Brodeur) with the Islanders

Miro Satan finally broke out of his slump, scoring on the power play for the Islanders and thus breaking Biron’s chance at a shutout bid. Too bad, so sad Marty – from the South.

Okposo Watch – Game 3

If there is ever a shining moment in Islanders hockey these days, it is the continued outstanding play of the kids – Comeau, Bergenheim, Colliton, Spiller, Reiger and Tambellini. Did I leave someone out? How can I forget Kyle Okposo!

Kyle may not surface on the score sheet in every game he has played so far, but he has gained valuable skill and confidence during every shift. Last night he was used on the power play, penalty kill and received extended ice time at even strength.

As always, here is a look at his game stats from last night:

Total Shifts: 16
Time on Ice: 19:45
Power Play Time: 5:43
Penalty Kill Time: 2:43
Average Shift: 1:14
Shots: 1 (blocked)
Takeaways: 0
Giveaways: 0
+/-: EV

Penguins at Islanders

Well, the Islanders will be facing off shortly against the Pittsburgh Penguins who are still without Crosby due to that high ankle sprain, hopefully we can see some spirited hockey tonight in front of the home crowd. I am about to head out, look for a post sometime tonight recapping this game.

What wasn’t very rare about it was how they managed to score. It seems that Martin Brodeur was screened on a shot by Comeau by journeyman Richard Park. Comeau cycled the puck down low and Okposo took the puck behind the net and cut back towards the corner boards where he found Comeau again. Okposo went to the right post and Park went to the front of the net as Comeau turned and fired a shot that beat Brodeur for a 1-0 lead. The play would mark Okposo’s first NHL point with a primary assist on the play. The Devils would eventually capitalize on a power play, one of their many chances during the game by knocking in a rebound at Dubielewicz’s far post. They would appear to get the go ahead goal in the second period on another power play, but the goal was waved off because the net was off its moorings. Sprinkle in numerous Islanders and Devils power plays and fights here and there and it brings you to the third period.

The third period brought more north-south hockey by both teams and Dubielewicz was forced to make numerous stops at point blank range. Matthew Spiller and ex-Isles Aaron Asham would square off for a title bout, but Spiller would be felled by ONE punch from Asham that drew blood on his cheek. Guerin would later fight Clarkson and they would wind up tying their bout. Zajack would be called for holding late in the third period to give the Islanders a very important power play. Nolan elected to ice his Comeau, Park, Okposo line and it would pay dividends, as Park found a helmet less Okposo who fired a blast past Brodeur to make it a 2-1 Islanders lead. It was Okposo’s first NHL goal and he celebrated like it was his first goal – which is even more memorable because he had no helmet. The Devils would pull their goaltender with just over a minute left and Hunter would backhand the clincher past the sprawling Devils d-men to make it 3-1. Aside from Okposo’s memorable night, Vasicek would square off with NJ’s Pelley with seconds remaining – it seems that the Islanders really responded to the scolding by head coach Ted Nolan for their less than perfect effort against Toronto earlier in the week.

Okposo Watch – Game 2

Throughout the remainder of the season I will include a small section in each post highlighting the play of Kyle Okposo to see how he progressive during his time up with the big club. Here are Kyle’s numbers from his second NHL game:

Total Shifts: 17
Time on Ice: 15:35
Power Play Time: 2:31
Average Shift: 0:55
Shots: 1
Takeaways: 1
Giveaways: 0
Points: 2
Goals: 1
Assists: 1
+/-: +1

So, not only did Kyle notch his first NHL assist during the first period, he would then score his first goal on the power play against one of the greatest goaltenders to ever play the game. It was also Kyle’s first game winning goal and first multi-point night – clearly a great night of firsts for this budding star!

Contest Poll!

Just wanted to see if anyone else knew who on the Islanders current roster also scored their first NHL goal against Martin Brodeur.

Sometimes it doesn’t really matter who you call up to replace players lost to injury, even if they are your top prospect. This is by no means a knock at Kyle Okposo, despite playing a great game he just couldn’t provide enough of a spark to get the Islanders firing on all of their remaining cylinders. The shots were close during the first period and the ice looked fairly choppy so there weren’t many end to end rushes, but the game was relatively close. The Isles took a few early penalties and on one particular penalty kill, a seemingly innocent clearing attempt by defenseman Rob Davison bounced down the length of the ice and right over Toskala’s glove for a 1-0 lead. The goal was measured at 178 feet and it marked the first time Davison has scored this season.

I don’t know what it is about these types of freaky bounce goals, but this isn’t the first time that Okposo has been on a team where it has happened. While playing for Michigan, a bouncing puck allowed North Dakota to tie the game while shorthanded. The difference this time, the bounce went the way of Okposo’s team instead of the other way around. Had I known this I would’ve asked him about it last night – I will be sure to get on that for the next home game.

Getting back on track, the rest of the game was very poorly executed. The Isles did have some pressure and a chance here and there, but they just couldn’t hold onto the lead and eventually allowed a tying goal in the third period. With the game tied at 1-1, the Islanders took yet another penalty and I thought to myself this would decide the game. With that, the Leafs scored and went ahead 2-1. They would top it off with an empty net goal and mar Kyle Okposo’s professional career with a loss.

Okposo Watch!

Kyle played a pretty good game considering it was his very first experience playing against NHL caliber talent. I took a bunch of pictures during his first shift and throughout the game, I will upload those tomorrow as I need to get to bed early tonight. I know there are those out there salivating for Kyle’s exact stats from last night, so here they are:

Total Shifts: 15
Time on Ice: 14:45
Power Play Time: 1:33
Average Shift: 0:59
Shots: 2
Takeaways: 1
Giveaways: 1

Kyle, whom I have already praised for his poise with the press – continued to do so with his self-assessment last night. When asked how he felt he did given the amount of attention he received, he had this to say:

“I was a bit jittery,” Okposo said. “I think I psyched myself out. I thought the game was faster than it was the first period. I started to calm down a bit in the second and third … In between the first and second periods, I was like, ‘It’s no different than what I’ve played.’

The entire press corps had almost the same exact question, where numerous journalists asked the same question at the same time. Everyone wanted to know what he felt about the talent difference between Collegiate hockey, the AHL and the NHL. If anyone is the right person to ask this question to, it would be Kyle as he has played in each level over a period of 6 months. His response was the following, as expected:

“Obviously, the players are better, but hockey is hockey anywhere you go, whether it be on the pond or in the NHL or the AHL. It’s still hockey. I’ve played the game a thousand times, and it’s not going to change.”

His answer screamed confidence, so between the help of veterans like Guerin helping him out throughout the night, continued practice and eventually numerous games – Kyle Okposo will completely arrive at the NHL level and will continue to impress. He may not have had a game winner or been a difference maker, but he definately impressed me with his play last night.

Congratulations Kyle, I wish you many years of success and look forward to watching you grow into the powerhouse we know you can be.

For what seemed like the first ten minutes of the first period last night, the Islanders looked like they were going to get steamrolled by the Blueshirts. They could not clear their zone, gain any momentum through the neutral zone and would constantly go offsides. What happened next simply amazed me; the second half of the period the Isles looked like a completely different team, gaining the zone and supporting the puck. Comeau would capitalize on a weak defensive play by Marek Malik in the corner to Lundqvist’s left and attempt to center a pass to Mike Comrie in front – the puck would hit Michal Rozsival’s stick and into the net for a 1-0 lead with 1:17 remaining. Comeau wasn’t the only “kid” who looked great, Jeremy Colliton, Jeff Tambellini and Sean Bergenheim all looked spectacular. Wade Dubielewicz also looked great during the first period – and would continue to make save after save throughout the night.

The lead would last until a Rangers power play goal by Nigel Dawes tied the game at 1, but the Islanders wouldn’t quit there. Sean Bergenheim would unleash a sizzler of a wrist shot that beat Lundqvist through a screen 41 seconds later to make it 2-1. Exactly two minutes later the Islanders had great presence in front of the Rangers crease and Fedotenko would throw the puck at the net through traffic, it would hit Hunter’s pads and trickle through Lundqvist’s pads for a 3-1 lead. The Rangers at this point seemed to catch whatever was ailing the Islanders during the first period and were just outright sloppy – however, in a game of up and downs (that many fans of each team know follows their respective clubs) you could almost guess that neither team could keep the momentum on their side for long. Two minutes and two seconds later, Chris Drury would score his 22nd of the season to bring the Rangers back to within one – where the score would remain for the rest of the 2nd period and 14 minutes and 13 seconds of the third. With Jaromir Jagr off for tripping the Islanders abysmal power play would once again fail to control the puck at the blueline and give up a shorthanded 2-1 rush where the Rangers would tie the game at 3. It was the 14th time the Islanders would give up a shorthanded goal this season and the 4th time in the last 5 games.

Going into overtime neither team would have much of an advantage and the 5 minutes went by in uneventful fashion. Moving into the shootout – Nigel Dawes would start things off and beat Dubielewicz through his five-hole for a 1-0 shootout lead. The Captain, Bill Guerin would go first for the Isles and beat Lundqvist through his five-hole. Richard Park, Mike Comrie, and Miroslav Satan would fail their attempts for the Islanders, as would Brendan Shanahan, Scott Gomez, Brandon Dubinsky, Michal Rozsival and Martin Straka for the Rangers. Jeff Tambellini would unleash all the fury he could muster, perhaps from the frustration of his up and down season for an absolute laser of a wrist shot over Lundqvist’s glove to win the game for the Islanders in the shootout.

It was certainly do or die time for the Islanders, a loss last night would have made things very tough down the stretch with so many important divisional games remaining. What makes things even more interesting is the Islanders will again face the Rangers on Thursday at the Coliseum – another must win contest. What will be an interesting story to watch is that the starting goaltender for the Islanders is still up in the air. DiPietro had before this morning, been without practice for several games – so the decision to ride Dubielewicz in similar fashion to last season will need to be made shortly.

Notables

Aside from the Islanders power play giving them absolute fits, the defensemen continue to play solid without injured mainstays Chris Campoli (season ending shoulder surgery), Bruno Gervais (concussion – day to day) and Andy Sutton (hamstring). Brendan Witt did an absolute amazing job keeping the Rangers Sean Avery at bay – continually jawing at him whenever he would open his mouth, Bryan Berard would shutdown Jaromir Jagr all game and would literally cause Jagr to take him down in frustration. Freddy Meyer continues to shine by out skating, hitting and making smart plays in his own end and even the occasional offensive rush to get the puck deep. Equally as impressive (as always) was Radek Martinek, who was also used as a shut down man for the Jagr line. Rob Davison would get his first taste of the Islanders-Rangers rivalry and was amazed that so many Isles fans were in attendance – just wait until tomorrow night Rob!

Power Play Woes

While I was watching the power play, I noticed the Islanders try (and fail) at executing the same set play at least 5 times before trying something else. It is this lack of creativity and perhaps reluctance to change the system, that continue to produce more shorthanded goals that goals on the actual power play.

In the sequences I noticed, Bryan Berard would go down low and support Martinek (or whomever else was on the ice at the time) and skate up to the Islanders blue line and receive a pass. He would then gain the red line and dump the puck in where the Rangers would out hustle the Islanders to the puck and easily clear it. Now, I don’t know the exact play – but someone is obviously not completing their assignment properly. Berard shoots the puck in, the forwards should be rushing the corner opposite of where the puck was shot from and pressure the Rangers defense and back checkers. The puck has either been shot in with too much speed (beating the forwards rush) or the forwards have been way too slow on the attack. I have never been a fan of dumping the puck in on the power play, but I can see where the reluctance to gain the zone and make a passing play comes in for this coaching staff (holy lack of confidence on the blue line Batman!).

For a change of pace, I would like to have our newly acquired defenseman Rob Davison out on the power play – but I don’t want him at the point, as much as Satan prefers being on the half wall I want to see him at the point. Davison needs to maintain position in the oppositions crease and screen the goalie. It has been way too long since anyone has been willing to take the punishment of being in front, so let’s do what Boston has done with Chara in the past. Our power play can’t any worse – so to me keeping a defenseman down low is worth the gamble.

Power Play Unit #1
Hunter, Comrie, Davison
Berard, Satan

Power Play Unit #2
Fedotenko, Vasicek, Guerin
Martinek, Meyer

Between those two units you have just about everything you need – size, speed, grit and most importantly two completely different styles. There may be those who disagree with me and think the idea is crazy, but I really do not like the look of our current power play units.

If the Islanders are going to be successful down here on the stretch run, they need to score at even strength, on the power play and keep their opposition from scoring shorthanded. The also need to trust the “kid line”, 10 minutes of ice time is a start – but they are proving more and more every game that they deserve more time out there in order to shine to their full potential. Lastly, the Islanders need to continue to get bodies in front and manufacture those goals – two times last night bodies in front of the net and just throwing the puck on goal turned into goals. Keep up the same pressure as they did last night and they will be fine.