This poor kid in Montreal tonight, it’s bad enough he scored on his own empty net during a delayed Islanders penalty (with about 4 minutes remaining in a 3-2 game) in which the Isles would go on to win 4-3 in a shootout, but now the video is already on Youtube.

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.

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You may have noticed that I did not post any thoughts on the clunker the Islanders put up on Thursday. I will go into things a bit today, I have had enough time to decompress and really analyze where I wanted to take the discussion.

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.

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You may or may not have noticed that I said I would post some final thoughts when I got home from the game on Saturday. I sort of lied, but unintentionally. When I got home, I completely fell asleep on my couch – been working my tail off lately.

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.

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I started this post yesterday, never had the chance to get it posted. I know it’s almost irrelevant now that it’s two days old! Here it is anyway.

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.

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Good evening – in case anyone was wondering what was going on with my gallery today, there was a bit of a hiccup after my host updated the server. I had narrowed down the problem and my host made the necessary changes to get it back online. Anyways, just wanted to talk a bit about the game last night.

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.

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Sorry for the late recap of the Pittsburgh game from Thursday – quite frankly I only saw the first period as I passed out for the rest. Looking at the recap, I didn’t miss anything exciting surrounding the offensive play of the Islanders – but I did notice Miroslav Satan and Sean Bergenheim each getting fighting majors. Something else I noticed – a leagues worst 15th shorthanded goal against, this team really needs special teams help in a bad way next season.

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

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What a complete game tonight!

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:

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The answer is: Jeff Tambellini

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

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Not really much to say about what we saw against the Flyers last night. It was almost if it was a repeat of the last time the Isles made the trek down the Jersey Turnpike and made a right turn at Gino’s. They allowed the Flyers to score 3 more power play goals on top of the 4 they allowed the last visit. Unnecessary lazy penalties result in goals more often than not.

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.

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I know my post last night wasn’t much, I actually wasn’t even planning on putting anything up at the time – but felt compelled to post the Okposo news when it happened. The Islanders went into last nights contest against the Devils winless in 6 games and scoring very few times over the course of those 6 games. For the first several minutes last night, the Devils attacked Dubielewicz from all sorts of angles and were clearly shooting high. Their game plan didn’t really work out the way they wanted, as the Islanders turned all NJ momentum when they scored a rare first period goal.

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.

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Well – Islanders ice new cast, yet suffer the same result.

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.

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And the Islanders decided that it wasn’t quite their turn to roll over and let the season pass them by. You see, the lucky bounces were back – or was it more of an effort that allowed the Islanders to defeat the Rangers 4-3 in dramatic shootout fashion last night at Madison Square Garden? To make things even more exciting, the Islanders would do it without their franchise goaltender Rick DiPietro!

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.

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Well, yesterday’s game couldn’t get much more important than it was. Games against divisional rivals when the race for the playoffs are so tight are always must win game, especially when the opponent was only two points up on you. In what was labeled as “Fan Appreciation Day”, there was a bevy of things that proved so; give aways, prizes and even a feature in the Islanders Illustrated on Bill Hayes. Hayes, for those who are unfamiliar just recently attended his 1500th home game – he has only missed 4 games – EVER! That is an unbelievable statistic. Hayes also found himself being acknowledged on the scoreboard during the third period. I am lucky, because he sits in my section (309) and actually in my row to my left, so I got to see his reaction to the appreciation from the fans, which was priceless.

Bill Hayes made our entire section lucky yesterday – 309 was selected as the NY Lotto lucky section (we received a cooler that I forgot under my seat), the guy to my right was picked to match the Conn Smythe winners to their respected years (he won a State Farm prize pack for correctly doing so) and the best part – I won the 50/50 raffle much to the bewilderment of myself and everyone around me.

The unlucky part of the day however, the Islanders completely tanked. I felt they played an outstanding first period and played good hockey for 16 minutes – until the Flyers made some magic happen in front of DiPietro. The Islanders would tie the game on a rare power play tally from Guerin in the second – but wouldn’t do much more the rest of the game. They surrendered a power play goal, another shorthanded goal and then an empty netter allowing the Flyers to walk away with 2 points and a 3 goal victory.

Bill Guerin’s goal was his 20th of the season and marked only the second time in NHL history a player has scored 20 or more goals on six separate teams. He would tell us in the locker room he wasn’t so sure it was good or bad, but acknowledged it as an achievement none-the-less. What his goal did represent was how to correct the Islanders power play, he shot the puck while players were parked in front of Biron which is something they don’t do often enough – traffic in front of the net. It was also Guerin’s first goal in 9 games, second in 19 – ending a god awful drought.

Not much else really to report on, as it was a completely horrible game otherwise.

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