Bill Guerin Traded to Pittsburgh for Conditional Draft Pick; Snow Speaks to Media [Update]

According to TSN, the Islanders have traded Bill Guerin to the Pittsburgh Penguins for a conditional draft pick.

Stu Hackel in the Times reports that it's a 5th-round pick, which becomes a 4th rounder if the Pens make the playoffs, and a 3rd rounder if they advance to the second round.

Greg Logan and Chris Botta add that the 3rd rounder is also conditional on Guerin playing in 50 percent of the games (presumably the first-round playoff games).

Jon Sim assigned to Bridgeport, Nate Thompson activated—ouch. That's a hard one to swallow (other than the obvious youth-focus aspect of the move). I really feel for Sim in this situation.

What if...?

With one day remaining for teams in the NHL to complete trades, you are by now well versed in the "who." The "to where" and "for whom" are still mired in the swamps of speculation. Odds are that they won't become any clearer until you see those Islanders logos pop up on whatever ticker you choose to follow. But what if certain deals don't go through? What will it mean for the Islanders over these final weeks and into next year?

What if Bill Guerin doesn't get traded?

If a deal cannot be worked out for Guerin, then he returns to the active lineup. He and Scott Gordon conduct themselves like the professionals they are. Up until the point when Guerin was removed from the lineup, Gordon had not marginalized the captain. Yes, he was bumped down to the second power play unit so that the coach could see what Frans Nielsen, Blake Comeau, and Josh Bailey would do with first-unit responsbility. And Guerin likely would have to live with that situation again. He shouldn't look at it as an indignity.

As for the domino effect, who loses out to Guerin? Easy enough—Jon Sim is on waivers again, Trent Hunter is hurting, and Guerin's replacement, the fresh-faced Jesse Joensuu, wasn't expected to see the NHL season. Things only start to get uncomfortable if Sim stays, and Hunter, Doug Weight, Richard Park, and Nate Thompson all get healthy (and haven't themselves been traded). In that scenario, I don't envy Gordon. I'm sure he was counting on having extra forward slots to fill over the final twenty games.

Does Guerin retain the captaincy? Yes, absolutely. Unless he speaks out in a way that is detrimental to the coach's authority, Guerin deserves to remain captain.

Does Guerin re-sign with the Isles? It's entirely possible that Guerin and Gordon can put their differences behind them and come to understanding about how to make it work together. I don't imagine it playing out that way.

What if Brendan Witt doesn't get traded?

If you've read Point Blank, you know that one expert feels that Witt isn't going anywhere. The logical domino effect, then, is that Garth Snow uses Radek Martinek to bolster his draft ledger or prospect pool. It seems like a downgrade in trade value, and therefore a downgrade in return. But Martinek's fragility probably has him past the peak of his value, both on the ice and on the trade market. Despite some promising prospects in the system and competent showings by the likes of Joe Callahan and Andrew MacDonald, the Isles aren't deep enough on defense to trade both of these guys. Gordon adjusted his defense, and Witt adjusted his attitude toward being a part of it. If Witt stays, you could be looking at the next captain.

But what happens next year? Gordon did indeed make adjustments this year that were agreeable to Witt. That doesn't mean that the coach won't show up at training camp in September with designs on restoring his system to its original state and having another go that way. Can Witt make it work under those circumstances? That seems problematic. Will Gordon be willing to adjust again if things aren't working? I think so.

Witt has expressed the kind of genuine enthusiasm for staying that makes you believe. If he can keep the elbows down, his presence in the lineup will be welcomed for another two years. And if things don't work out, there's always next March when Witt will have one fewer contract year for a trade partner to absorb.

What if Doug Weight doesn't get traded?

The biggest impact here is on next year. The Weight experiment has produced good results and he would be valuable on next year's roster. But what happens if the Islanders are able (and willing) to draft John Tavares? They will will head into camp next year with Tavares, Bailey, and Nielsen at center, not to mention Richard Park and a host of RFAs currently in the organization who could be re-signed. So certainly the draft could play a role in Weight's future as an Islander. This one's impossible to predict.

What if none of the Islanders remaining best chips gets traded?

First of all, Garth Snow will come under heavy criticism from the fan base for failing to convert assets, especially the expiring ones, into draft picks. Second, Snow will be more likely to move his secondary assets for whatever he can get. Here's where you start talking about names like Joey MacDonald or Yann Danis and Bruno Gervais, who suddenly looks like he could fill Martinek's role.

The MacDonald/Danis question is a tricky one because Danis benefits from the recency effect. It's like the 11-1 college football team (pre-BCS) that lost its one game in September being ranked higher than the 11-1 team that suffered its only loss in November. Danis is excelling right now, whereas MacDonald's stretch of excellence is a distant memory.

Islanders 4, Avalanche 2

Goal scorers: McAmmond, Joensuu, Gervais, Tambellini. If that's not the unlikeliest bunch of Islanders goal scorers you've seen, it's gotta be close. But congratulations to Jesse on his first, and to Sim (3 assists) and Tambellini (1 goal, 1 assist) on their multi-point efforts. One more big question for Garth: Being that he's already signed, does Tambellini get another shot, I mean a real shot, at launching NHL Career 2.0 next year? If he survives the deadline, I'm leaning toward yes.

(This post was originally published at http://www.hockeybuzz.com/blog.php?post_id=19765.)

Streit Appreciation Day

Many of us sounded the call once before this year leading up to the All-Star break. But, in these dog days of February, with little to be measured by game results and visions of ping pong balls dancing in our heads, let us pay tribute to the revelation that is Mark Streit.

I will point to two moments from last night's game, one a shift in thinking and one a display of skill. You can add your appreciation as you wish.

With a little over ten minutes remaining and the Islanders trailing 4-2, it was apparent that Streit had eleveated his game to another level. You could practically see the thought process play out before your eyes...

I'm the leading scorer on this team...I'm going to take over and get this done...Hop on board, boys, here comes your offense.

Streit is aggressive from the backline both by nature and by role. But down by two goals with half a period left to play, that was not enough. He needed to force the play more, pinch more, rush more, and risk more. Not only was he willing to do it, he was capable. There was your adjustment in thinking.

With a little over eight and a half minutes remaining, Bruno Gervais sent a pass across to Streit at the left point. Streit had some space in front of him, so he drifted in toward the top of the left circle while preparing to take a slap shot. He had a decent look, with Josh Bailey and Pavel Kubina providing a screen halfway between the puck and Vesa Toskala in the Toronto net. Streit has the shot to score from there.

He didn't shoot. He faked. He drifted a little more. He got a clearer path for his shot. He got Toskala to move. Then he put the puck right through Toskala and into the back of the net.

It was an exquisite goal. In a moment of insanity, I found myself thinking, Maybe this guy should be a forward. But I quickly corrected myself. Streit's defense is just fine, thank you, and he's probably more dangerous attacking from the top of the offensive zone where all of his options are open. He can boom the slap shot by your goaltender or carve up your forwards and your defensemen on the way to the net. And he can finish.

You can break that goal down to the elements that add up to what a special player Streit is. He had the vision to see it. The patience to try it. And the skill to execute it.

With just over three minutes remaining, Jon Sim tied the game on an assist from Streit. The Islanders would go on to lose in a shootout. Streit looked a little gassed at the end of regulation on his way to playing 31:31 and with the Isles down two defensemen. It's not the totally happy recap, but it is an opportunity to express appreciation for a player that you get to watch for four more years.


Guerin Opens the Door
Streit's presence may become even more substantial next week as the Islanders shed themslves of other veterans at the trade deadline. Chris Botta reported last night on Islanders Point Blank that the Isles have cleared a path to trade captain Bill Guerin, who has a no movement clause. As expected, it is a narrow path, as Guerin still controls where he can go and it's up to Garth Snow to make it work with the few teams to which Guerin would be willing to go (previously speculated here as Boston, NYR, New Jersey, and Philly—Mr. Botta expands this to other eastern teams, including Montreal, Buffalo, Washington, and the very intriguing Pittsburgh). But it seems more and more like this is going to be a very young team for the final five weeks of the season.


The Shootout
If you had Nielsen with the deke to the backhand, Tambellini with the mid-range wrister over the glove, and Okposo with the in-tight drag to the backhand, well, you would have split the jackpot with thousands of other people. It's not that anyone can score in the shootout every time. And it's not as if these guys have been around long enough that it's like the goalie is sitting on their fastball. And if ever there was a time to work on things in a game situation, it's now. But at some point soon, these guys will need to work in some different moves.

(This post was originally published at http://www.hockeybuzz.com/blog.php?post_id=19658 on February 27, 2009)

The Weight Injury and What It Means for the Deadline

The sprained MCL that Doug Weight suffered Wednesday at New Jersey has significantly altered the outlook of the trade deadline for the Islanders. Before the injury, I (and probably everyone else) had the team's assets ranked as follows in terms of trade value:

1. Doug Weight
2. Brendan Witt
3. Mike Comrie
4. Bill Guerin

Guerin, though his perceived value may be higher than Witt's or Comrie's, ranks behind those two because his no-movement clause makes it more difficult for the Islanders to leverage his value.

But the loss of Weight from the picture doesn't necessarily mean that everyone else simply moves up a spot. Witt does become the most marketable trade chip. Philadelphia, Dallas, Chicago, and a few others are said to be intent on adding a defenseman. Just realize that Witt is hardly the only one available. After that, things become somewhat muddled.

If the Islanders were going to bring back a potentially useful young player, such as the oft-mentioned Marc Methot, it would have been for Weight. Comrie doesn't just take Weight's place in that kind of deal. You can pretty much eliminate the idea of the Islanders acquiring someone who is ready to step in now or next year—except for one scenario, which I'll get to shortly. What will be interesting to watch is how Scott Gordon uses Comrie over the next couple of weeks. Will the Islanders decide that they need Comrie to help fill the void left by Weight? Or will they use the injury as an opportunity to give another Sound Tiger a promotion? Ben Walter, Jeremy Colliton, and Kurtis McLean could all get another look. Depending on how they perform, Comrie could be deemed more or less expendable. If it's more, then the question is whether the return is worth the paperwork.

Weight's injury also impacts Guerin's status. Suppose Weight had stayed healthy and the Islanders decided to move him. That may have resulted in Guerin being more likely to waive his no-movement clause (unless they had some agreement by which Guerin agreed to stick around for the benefit of Weight's left-behind family—you know how tight those guys are). With Weight not going anywhere, Guerin has more incentive to stick around. And without the perceived obligation to convert the movable asset, Weight, into something of value, it's much less complicated for the Islanders to entertain another a year of Weight's skills, leadership, and infectious personality. You know the old saying: where there's Weight, there's Guerin. (Yet Smoke hasn't gotten a sniff all season.)

Based on all that, I think there's a new entry in the rankings that comes above Guerin, and maybe above Comrie. (A certain former PR exec already stole my thunder a little on this, but I'm going to proceed anyway.) This scenario assumes that Garth Snow has his heart set on continuing to fill out his draft-day coffers. With less depth (or height) in his stack of chips, he may have to make a tough decision on a young player who hasn't quite hit his stride yet. The new expendable asset is...the Upside Kids. Chris Campoli, Sean Bergenheim, and, to a lesser extent, Bruno Gervais, Jeff Tambellini (lots of you would pack for him), and even Blake Comeau (lots would howl).

Certainly, the last three may have more value to the Islanders as themselves than as trade bait. But if they have reached their ceiling for usefulness, then there's no reason why Snow shouldn't try something else with them. Campoli and Bergenheim, while potentially able to bring back a worthwhile pick, could be used another way—in an even swap for another young player who hasn't quite gotten over the hump in his current organization. I wouldn't be thrilled to see the Islanders taking on projects at this stage of the franchise's development curve, but if the project comes with size, toughness, or finishing ability, then trading one of the Upside Kids for someone else's upside kid might be a good gamble.

So let's revise the rankings:

1. Witt
2. Upside Kids
3. Comrie
4. Guerin

(This post was originally published at http://www.hockeybuzz.com/blog.php?post_id=19372 on February 13, 2009.)

The Buzz on Gordon's Sandbox

For those of you who don't already know, I'm filling in for B.D. Gallof as the Islanders blogger on HockeyBuzz for at least the rest of this season. I still haven't figured out exactly how I'm going to manage the content in both places, but I don't intend to let this blog die.

I imagine there will be many times when the content will be mirrored from one place to the other. I respect that some people may prefer to read here, so this arrangement will work out well for you. On these occasions, I will probably post there first, and then re-run the content here on a delay. We'll see how that works out. Thanks so much to all that have supported this blog, and I hope you stay with me one way or another.

Here's the latest (and first), originally published at http://www.hockeybuzz.com/blog/Celebrity-Guests/Introducing-Our-New-Islanders-Blogger-Kenneth-Rosenblatt/33/19250...


During the first period of the Islanders' 3-2 loss to Florida, I expressed both my disagreement with Scott Gordon's decision to start Joey MacDonald and my ambivalence over how much the decision really mattered. To sum up, I don't see how you deny Yann Danis the opportunity to keep rolling and to test how long he can maintain a streak of solid/winning play. The ambivalence comes from the idea that at this stage of this season, the winning doesn't matter, and Gordon is going to use MacDonald down the stretch anyway. So why not last night?

The overriding issue is that Gordon is free to play around (tinker toys?) with no fear of significant consequences. He isn't going to blow a playoff run, and he isn't going to lose his job.

The only possible dangers I see are Gordon hindering a young player's development or alienating the veteran players to the extent that the club atmosphere suffers. Let's look at these two dangers a little more closely.

Perhaps the prime example of Gordon being able to see what he has without worrying about consequences is his use of Kyle Okposo on the point during power plays. Did anyone imagine at any point until the coach put him there that Okposo would play the point? I certainly didn't.

But more to the point, what is the point of him being there? Does anyone envision that being his long-term role? I certainly don't. Which begs the question, Why put him there now? Wouldn't Okposo be better served, in this, a year of organizational development, by gaining experience down low where we all assume he will eventually be?

Maybe Gordon sees something and Okposo will be a fixture on the point for years to come. The coach has also explained that he views Streit as the sole point man, while Okposo and Doug Weight are really positioned more along the half wall. But it seems to me that both forwards spend plenty of time just inside the blue line with the man advantage.

We've seen Okposo blast a well placed one-timer home while playing point. We've also seen him rip a trio of one-timers wide of the net. Gordon is playing a delicate game of balancing what's good for the team right now and what's good for its future. Right now, he doesn't have many options to put alongside Streit on the power play. There's really no one else. So maybe Okposo is there only out of necessity. But if Gordon isn't intent on Okposo being in that spot next year, I'd rather see Chris Campoli (when Streit returns), Radek Martinek, Jack Hillen, or even a playmaker like Frans Nielsen on the point.

That being said, Okposo is showing himself to be every bit the professional both physically and mentally. He will not be ruined by playing out of place for a while.

As for the idea that the clubhouse could be poisoned by vets made unhappy by reduced roles, that's only a concern if the poison trickles down from the vets to the kids. That's not going to happen with Bill Guerin and Doug Weight around. And if they're not around? Then there's no problem to be had.

But those two have done everything the team has asked them to do, and been everything they've been asked to be. This team can continue to develop with Guerin and Weight in the fold for the rest of this year and next year.

By letting Okposo, Josh Bailey, Blake Comeau, Nielsen, and Trent Hunter feed off each other, Gordon has created a level of enthusiasm that his older players are forced to match.

Just as Gordon challenged Okposo not to be content with simply being there, the coach has challenged the rest of the young players to make it their team as much as it is Guerin's and Weight's. That is a significant step in the development of the team. Don't forget it.

I imagine that Gordon will continue to make the occasional small decision that leaves us scratching our heads. But let him have his sandbox for the rest of the year. That's where kids learn to play.

Islanders Take the Stage for Act II

The Islanders are officially one game past the midpoint of the 2008-09 season. But having just completed a western road swing followed by a four-day weekend off, Tuesday night's home date with the Rangers feels like the true kickoff of the second half.

Scott Gordon is doing his best to give Act II a distinct feeling—one that many Islanders fans have been clamoring for since the December dive, if not all season. The first-year coach has pledged to accelerate the development of his team's young players by continuing to put them in more prominent roles. If today's practice is any indication, Gordon is now clearly focused on the future.

As Chris Botta reported, the first power play unit at today's Iceworks workout featured Mark Streit, Josh Bailey, Kyle Okposo, Frans Nielsen, and Trent Hunter. The second unit was more veteran-laden with Chris Campoli and Bruno Gervais manning the points for Richard Park, Mike Comrie, and Bill Guerin.

Things will get complicated for Gordon when Doug Weight returns from injury in 2-4 weeks and if the coach decides he wants to get Jeff Tambellini and/or Blake Comeau looks on the power play. In fact, as exciting as it is to simply throw all cares about standings and scoreboard away and concentrate on development, it's hard to ignore the potential for the second half to also include some hard feelings as veterans lose ice time. No doubt those players will face constant questions about reduced responsibilities and the possibility of being dealt.

The challenge, then, is for Gordon, Guerin, and Garth Snow to maintain a positive and productive atmosphere. No one wants a toxic room, even if the consequences aren't as dramatic as they would be in a playoff race. As hard as they might try, athletes and coaches can't always say the right thing. Take Gordon, in Greg Logan's article yesterday:

"I think any team is going to have some struggles if they don't have their top player and their top goaltender. Ricky is that for us. That's not to say Joey hasn't done a good job, but he's not Ricky."

Not exactly what you want to hear the coach say if you're Joey MacDonald and you've done more than anyone could have asked you to this season. That's not to say that I think a rift now exists between MacDonald and Gordon. It's just an example of how hard it is to navigate tumultuous times.

Fans, you can probably count on one thing: Act II, the second half of the Islanders' 2008-09 season, will not be boring.

3-Point Weekend: The Good News/Bad News Report

"We had some pretty good energy," Gordon said. "We spent almost the entire game in their zone. Maybe they had one forecheck at the beginning of the first period. Our guys, from my standpoint, played with a lot of effort. There was a missed coverage on three goals where we had people in place but didn't pick up the man. That was a breakdown, and we didn't get the save. But from a defensive standpoint in our zone, we didn't give up anything and we spent little time there, so we must have been doing something very well in the offensive zone on the forecheck."

That was Scott Gordon's assessment of his team's 5-1 loss at home to the Atlanta Thrashers on December 6th. At the time, I noted that Gordon seemed to go a little too far to paint the loss as a good loss when the circumstances didn't call for it. You certainly couldn't blame Gordon if he wanted to accentuate the positive after last night's 4-3 shootout loss at Buffalo.

For the first time in a long time, there were plenty of positives in the play of the Islanders as they downed the Maple Leafs 4-1 Friday to end a ten-game losing streak, and extended the Sabres to a skills competition Saturday. Only those who wish to see the Isles lose at all costs could have come away from this weekend disappointed (granted, this team desperately needs John Tavares). Here are some of the good news highlights...

Friday

• Kyle Okposo hit the scoresheet with a goal and an assist for his first career multi-point game this season. [Corrected because Okposo had a goal and an assist in his second NHL game, a 3-1 win at New Jersey on March 21, 2008.] Okposo kicked off the scoring just 3:47 into the first period to get the Islanders going. The play was started by a clean breakout pass from Rick DiPietro, who recorded the only assist on the play and in the process set a team record for career points by a goalie (14, all assists).
  
  
• After playing only 2+ games this season, DiPietro made a surprise return to the lineup and recorded his first win of the season. He stopped 28 of 29 shots in a solid, controlled performance that seemed to give his teammates a shot in the arm.
  
  
• Bill Guerin lit the lamp twice to notch his 399th and 400th career goals. Guerin is the 8th American player to hit the 400 mark.
  
  
• In addition to Okposo's efforts, the youth brigade was all over the box score. Blake Comeau picked up two assists while Chris Campoli, Jeff Tambellini, and Josh Bailey registered one helper each.

Saturday

• Tambellini finally broke through for his first goal of the season (I—okay, Garth—told you he'd score) by converting a return pass from behind the net by Mark Streit. Tambellini started the exchange by finding a cutting Streit with a sharp pass across the front of the goal. Streit took the puck behind the net and found Tambellini open on the other side. Half the net may have been open, but it looked like a goal scorer's goal.
  
  
• Joey MacDonald stepped back into the starter's role just one day after the return of DiPietro and played solidly, stopping 34 of 37 shots. Odds are that the Isles will need to count on MacDonald more this season and it's important that he remains sharp and confident.
  
  
• Comeau, Okposo, and Bailey all got in on the scoring for the second consecutive game with an assist each. This was in addition to goals by Tambellini and Campoli.
  
  
• The Isles used a late power play and an extra attacker to score twice in the final 1:34, stunning the Sabres and sending the game into overtime. It was nice to see them force an opponent into a third-period collapse, especially after the Sabres extended their one-goal lead to two with only 5:23 remaining.
  
  
• Mike Comrie's goal, which brought the Isles to within one at 18:26 of the third, was the kind of prototypical two-man advantage goal that this team has not scored often enough in the last few years. With MacDonald pulled and the Isles skating 6-on-4, Guerin took a pass down low from Comeau and fed the puck across the crease to Comrie who was waiting on the doorstep with an open net to hit.
  
  
• On the game-tying goal, Okposo refused to be knocked off the puck. His toughness and determination enabled him to feed Campoli, whose perfectly placed shot from the slot tied the game with two seconds remaining in regulation.
  
  
• It looks like Brendan Witt is starting to round back into shape.
  

The Bad News?

• Andy Hilbert is out with a hairline fracture in his foot. Blocking so many shots has its consequences. As annoying as it is to lose another player, and as well as Hilbert has played this season, the Isles can survive without him.
  
  
• DiPietro did not travel to Buffalo and Howie Rose reported that the goalie has a strained groin. Monday should be very interesting. At this point, I feel like it's 50/50 whether DiPietro starts against the Rangers or we hear something about 7-10 days.
  
  
• Unnecessary penalties continue to plague this team. Four consecutive minors in the second period Saturday night and a momentum killer by Sean Bergenheim in overtime were too much to overcome.
  
  
• A 4-point weekend would have been really sweet. The shootout in Buffalo was no contest. MacDonald got toasted by Kotalik and Stafford while Park and Okposo did not fool Ryan Miller in the least.

All in all, a very enjoyable weekend of hockey.

Quickly, Before Another Game Hits the Ledger

I was as surprised as many others at the praise and optimism in the Islanders' locker room following Saturday night's loss to the Thrashers. Under certain circumstances, you may accept that a loss was a good loss. This was not one of those times.

It is true that the Islanders controlled the flow of play for the most part. But the attack was fruitless, and the puck ended up behind Joey MacDonald five times. If Weight, Hunter, Streit, and Guerin aren't scoring, no one is. Frans Nielsen and Kyle Okposo can't come back fast enough. Opposing defenses simply don't have enough to worry about right now. Josh Bailey is pointless in his last five games and is getting killed on faceoffs.

But Scott Gordon was willing to focus on "some pretty good energy" and declared that the power play was also "pretty good." MacDonald thought "the team played pretty well." Andy Sutton opened with, "Sometimes you play really well and lose."

But he, and the others, also backed off the positivity the more they spoke. And when Gordon said, "We had missed coverage on 3 of the 4 goals" and "We were doing something very wrong in the offensive zone and the forecheck," it's hard to take too much good away from the pretty good.

Gordon seemed more exasperated than usual in trying to answer questions. But I'm somewhat convinced that he was at least as exasperated with the having to answer questions as he was with his team's play, perhaps way more so.

In the end, I really have no problem if the Islanders are in a let's-keep-the-energy-positive mode. I don't think the alternative would serve them very well. But pointing to the energy, the plus margin in scoring chances and puck possession, and the negative differential in bounces and breaks just rang a little hollow on this night.

What if Streit or Comeau had connected with the back of the net instead of the post with just over nine minutes remaining? Well, it would have been a 4-2 game with just over nine minutes remaining. Nothing about the game convinces me that the end result would have been any different.

Finally, I don't know if running MacDonald out there every single game is a wise move. I can see decent arguments for both sides of that issue. What I can say is that in the locker room after a 5-1 loss on Saturday night, MacDonald did not look at all burdened by fatigue.

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Game 26: Thrashers 5, Islanders 1
Fantasy Stars of the Game
1st Star: Chris Campoli (1 SOG, 2 BkS, 15 PIMs, 1 hit)
2nd Star: Tim Jackman (2 SOG, 15 PIMs, 2 hits)
3rd Star: Bill Guerin (1 G, 1 PPG, 2 SOG, 4 hits)
4th Star: Brendan Witt (5 BkS, 8 hits)
5th Star: Trent Hunter (3 SOG, 4 PIMs, 3 hits)
Faceoffs (W-L): Sillinger 6-5, Weight 7-7, Park 8-2, Thompson 6-2, Bailey 4-10

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In case you missed it, A.J. Perez has a Q&A with Doug Weight in USA Today.

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New York Islander Fan Central points to a story in Sports Business Journal that suggests the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center as a possible home for the Islanders if the USTA puts a roof on Arthur Ashe Stadium. While a move to Queens would be a boon to my game attendance, the upper level of Ashe is ridiculously far away from the playing surface. Fans will put up with watching specks on skates for the Winter Classic, but would they do so game in and game out of an NHL season?

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Islanders Top Canucks, Stick It to Vancouver Press

I would have posted this regardless of the outcome of tonight's game, but I admit it's a lot more fun after the Islanders defeated the Canucks 2-1 in a shootout.

A lot was made on tonight's television broadcast of the hatchet job done on the Islanders leading up to the game by members of the Vancouver press. Columnists, bloggers, and TV hosts everywhere have been taking cheap shots at the Isles since the first season previews began to appear, but lately these criticisms are really starting to miss the mark to hilarious effect.

I first became aware of Gordon McIntyre's piece in The Vancouver Province during a visit to New York Islander Fan Central prior to today's game. Let's do a little more call and response...

General manager Garth Snow has put together a pretty good squad -- if it was the 2001-02 season.

But Mike Comrie, Bill Guerin, Doug Weight and Mike Sillinger are all past their best-by date.

All right. But let's just do this for fun:

Doug Weight—18 GP, 4 G, 12 A, 16 pts
Henrik Sedin—18 GP, 3 G, 12 A, 15 pts

Bill Guerin—18 GP, 6 G, 6 A, 12 pts
Daniel Sedin—18 GP, 6 G, 8 A 14 pts

I don't know. They still look fresh enough to me.

And, yikes, is that Richard Park wearing an 'A' and logging up to 19 1/2 minutes?

Yes, that is the highly respected veteran, loved by players and coaches alike, wearing an 'A' in the absence of injured teammates Sillinger and Brendan Witt. And while Park may have hit 19 1/2 minutes here and there, he's averaging around 15 minutes per game. Actually, now that I look it up, Park has only hit 19 1/2 minutes once, 18+ minutes once, and 17+ minutes twice. He's played as few as 12+ minutes four times.

This once-proud franchise has long been a joke and owner Charles Wang is hinting he will leave town or sell the team if the decrepit Nassau Coliseum, long past the glory years of Bryan Trottier and Mike Bossy, isn't replaced.

Actually, he's not hinting that. The media and the commissioner are hinting that.

The Isles will be missing defenceman Thomas Pock, suspended for five games after getting a major and being tossed from Thursday's game for elbowing former Canuck Ryan Shannon in the head in his debut with the Senators.

They would also be missing Witt and Freddy Meyer, who have played very little this season and, no offense to Pock, are much more significant losses.

I don't want to get in the habit of doing this (unless it proves to be endlessly fun), but sometimes they just make it too easy.

The NHL Injury Policy: Why Can't the League Trust the Players to Be Honorable?

The most commonly cited justification for the NHL's secretive injury disclosure policy is that it protects the players. Teams do not want the weaknesses of players who are playing hurt or have just returned from an injury to be exploited.

For example, Islanders defenseman Andy Sutton is thought to have a hand injury. The reason we don't know that for certain is that the Islanders don't want Sutton to be the recipient of extra whacks to the hand upon his return.

But don't NHL players compete within the framework of a code of honor? Don't they follow guidelines for what is right and wrong on the ice?

Just this past Monday, Bill Guerin described a multiplayer brawl between his teammates and members of the Buffalo Sabres, and the consequences of that brawl, as honest, presumably within the confines of the code.

The Sabres were taking it to the Isles, and Nate Thompson initiated with Adam Mair in an attempt to shake things up. As a result of the ensuing melee, Sean Bergenheim and Brendan Witt were tossed from the game, leaving the Isles short a forward and a defenseman. Guerin had no problem with his teammates' actions because they were committed in the name of standing up for each other.

Opponents of the third-man-in rule long for the days when players were permitted to fully police themselves on the ice. Dishonorable actions were noted and punishments were dispensed before officials had cause to intervene.

Last year Sean Avery was roundly criticized for his stick-waving antics in front of Martin Brodeur in the playoffs. His tactics were viewed by many as disrespectful. It would not surprise me if Avery's trip outside the bounds of normal sportsmanship played a large role, at least on par with his contract expectations, in the Rangers' decision not to bring him back—even if other players publicly denied being embarrassed.

With so much emphasis on principled behavior, wouldn't it be reasonable to expect a level of restraint among players in the presence of opponents with known injuries?

I'm not advocating for going easy on a guy in the heat of competition. I am suggesting that players can engage without taking cheap shots at a player with the intent to re-injure him.

When Radek Martinek returns from his shoulder injury, he is fair game for being separated from the puck by a hit that impacts that shoulder. If the injury cannot withstand the vigors of regular gameplay, then either he is not really ready or he simply must cope with his fragility. But a hit that intends only to separate his shoulder is dishonorable.

Perhaps I am incorrect and players feel that exploiting such a weakness is indeed a fair part of a very physical game and the injury policy does provide a layer of protection. But even if there is merit to the argument, and it is not too much to expect players to take the high road, the issue has some thorns. Owners, with so many millions of dollars at stake, are likely to cling to the policy rather than risk exposing expensive assets. And there will always be a handful of players who, regardless of peer pressure and basic decency, choose not to follow a code.

Are there any other reasons why the on-ice code of honor can't extend to injuries and make the policy of secrecy unnecessary?

Closing Thoughts on Columbus Day

Condolences to the family and friends of Alexei Cherepanov. I remember watching team after team pass on him during the 2007 draft. When the Rangers finally selected him, it occurred to me that he would eventually take the torch from Jaromir Jagr and become the next great source of Ranger torment for the Islanders and their fans. But I hesitate to talk about this in terms of hockey any further as the loss to his loved ones goes so far beyond that.

Locker Room Report
Despite the horrific performance by the Isles yesterday, the locker room did provide some good quotes, most of which you have probably read elsewhere by now. I will paraphrase a few of the things that were said, either because I didn't see them elsewhere or because they are worth repeating.

Scott Gordon

• Wanted Joey MacDonald to battle and figure things out
• Feels that pulling the goalie lets the team off the hook
• Was most disappointed in the failure to work as a unit of five, finish hits, and get above the puck
• Said the team wasn't even close to following the system, and didn't even change lines effectively
• Avoided answering questions about Rick DiPietro's readiness

Joey MacDonald

• Was glad that Gordon had the confidence in him to battle through the team's poor play
• Deflected attention away from the idea that DiPietro wasn't ready to start or relieve
• Noted that support between goalies goes both ways between starter and backup and he has that support

Bill Guerin

• Losing two guys in the fight shouldn't have been a problem, and the whole thing was honest
• The team used its sticks instead of its legs
• Didn't bite on the idea that DiPietro can't currently play

Nate Thompson

• Wanted to go with Mair all game to change the momentum
• Stands behind MacDonald 100% and is sure he'll shake it off come back playing unbelievably

I did get the chance to ask Thompson if, based on his familiarity with Gordon, the coach would respond to the performance by really tearing into the video and notes, or prefer to focus on a clean slate and the basics of the system. Thompson thought it would be a combination of both. He said they would come back tomorrow ready to work.

Fantasy Report—Game 3
I'm putting some thought into a new system for tracking the Islanders' fantasy leaders that would score the entire roster every game instead of just awarding five stars somewhat subjectively. If it looks worthwhile, I roll it out and include all the games that have been played retroactively. But, for now, here are your five Fantasy Stars of the Game:

1st Star: Nate Thompson (2 blocked shots, 15 PIMs, 2 hits)
2nd Star: Brendan Witt (1 shot, 17 PIMs, 1 hit)
3rd Star: Sean Bergenheim (1 shot, 15 PIMs)
4th Star: Trent Hunter (1 G, 1 shot, 1 blocked shot, 2 PIMs, 7 hits)
5th Star: Thomas Pock (1 A, +1, 1 shot, 5 blocked shots, 2 PIMs)

Other notables: Faceoffs—Weight (8-5), Comrie (10-3), Park (3-1), Thompson (6-5), Nielsen (11-4)

Overall the Islanders went 40-20 on faceoffs in this game. Getting the puck surely isn't two-thirds of the battle.

Game 1 Fantasy Report: Devils 2, Islanders 1

Okay, here's how this is going to work (unless I find a need to revise it later): For each game, I will award fantasy stars of the game to five players. The 1st Star will receive five points, the 2nd Star will receive four points, the 3rd Star three points, and so on, for the purpose of tracking fantasy value over the course of the season.

Tonight's Fantasy Stars of the Game:

1st Star: Mark Streit (1 A, 1 PPA, 3 shots, 1 blocked shot, 2 PIMs, 1 hit)
2nd Star: Joey MacDonald (27 saves on 29 shots)
3rd Star: Bill Guerin (1 A, 1 PPA, 4 shots, 1 hit)
4th Star: Doug Weight (1 G, 1 PPG, 2 shots)
5th Star: Trent Hunter (3 shots, 2 hits)

Other notables: Richard Park was 10-3 on faceoffs and Nate Thompson went 6-1.

And just a couple of quick comments on how Scott Gordon used his roster tonight. Ice time was distributed much more evenly than we were used to seeing last year. Only one skater clocked in at under 10:00, and that was Thompson at 9:42. So Gordon was very successful at rolling four lines.

What might distress some was that Kyle Okposo and Jeff Tambellini received virtually no time on the power play (Okposo was out there for nine seconds). It will be interesting to watch how those minutes are doled out over the next couple of games. Tonight Gordon didn't break up his top forward line for the man advantage, which resulted in Guerin, Weight, and Jon Sim getting the lion's share of the power play minutes.

Training Camp Quotes: Buying In from the Beginning?

I'm really enjoying some of the quotes that have come out of training camp so far. Players can either say nothing, say something but mean nothing, or say something and really mean something. The line between the latter two can be hard to distinguish, but I think some of the quotes that have been gathered by Greg Logan from the veterans about Scott Gordon are exactly what you want to be hearing at this point.

Brendan Witt:

"I think hockey is pretty basic, but everyone has a different way of looking at it. I see his perspective, and I’m trying to learn some things here about the way he wants it done."

Doug Weight:

"You can still learn at our age, and you can still practice things to get better throughout the season."

Bill Guerin:

"I think everybody is impressed and happy. There's no doubt who's in charge and how we're going to play. I think that's something we desperately needed. We needed more structure in our game, and we're getting it."

That certainly sounds like a group of veteran players that is open to change and buying into what the new coach is demanding. I would question whether overspeed requires too much physical and mental commitment over an 82-game season, but that didn't seem to be the case with Gordon's Providence teams.

I thought Islander Frontier had a good response to the outcry for an enforcer to be in the lineup at all times after the Bruins banged up Chris Campoli and Kurtis MacLean last night (and I'm also glad the quotes I zoned in on above weren't the exact same ones Dominik used in his previous post!). Dominik wrote:

Amusingly, this ignited calls on the Newsday comment forum (already!) that the Islanders must have a full-time enforcer. Because without one, the thinking goes, other teams will run roughshod over the Isles. Nice theory and all ... except that one of the candidates for Isles enforcer, Mitchel Fritz, was in the lineup!

While there is a deterrent value to dressing enforcers -- which is why GM Garth Snow has implied they will use them on a game-by-game basis this season -- the equation that Enforcer Present = No One Runs Your Players is a gross exaggeration, a falsehood. Some intimidation and policing built up over a season can be a deterrent, sure (even in today's NHL), but come on: Fritz's presence in the lineup obviously kept no one from taking their licks to earn a spot on the Bruins.

Just to expand on this idea a little bit, there are plenty of fearless players in the NHL that go out in search of the big hit regardless of who is on the other bench. And if doing so means that they are inviting reprisal, well, most of them are more than happy to take that on as well.

Confusion Says

I'm confused.

The season fell apart. A multitude of injuries to key players left a team that was already a marginal contender for the playoffs with no chance to compete for a spot. Players brought in last summer to fortify the lineup either failed to make enough of an impact or simply did not live up to expectations. The Islanders will finish under .500 and be done in early April. I'm supposed to be depressed, disillusioned, and disheartened. Why, then, am I excited? Why am I still enjoying being a fan right now? Why am I still hopeful? Let me count the ways.

1. The season's demise, though punctuated by two extended losing streaks, was somewhat gradual. That was easier to handle emotionally than staying in contention until the end and then falling short dramatically.
2. Instead of being overwhelmed, the young enforcements from the AHL are playing as though they intend to impact not only next year's Islanders' roster, but next year's Islanders' opponents.
3. Some of the veterans are playing as though they realize they need to keep up with the kids or risk being left in the spray. I'd prefer if everyone were motivated intrinsically every game, but that's not realistic. This will do because it's important to maintain a positive culture in the locker room when jobs are on the line instead of disintegrating into an Us vs. Them mentality. Of course, guys like Hunter, Guerin, and Comrie have the security of deals for next year. But they seem to realize that their own success is only part of the answer. As a result, the team doesn't look as though it's just playing out the string of a losing season.
   
4. In just four games, Kyle Okposo looks to be a bona fide difference-maker--not just a guy who scores a huge/pretty goal every 10-15 games, but a guy who makes opposing defenses say, "Uh, oh" several times a night. Islander Frontier had some good descriptions of this kind of ability in the last two paragraphs here.
   
5. As told to John Jeansonne of Newsday, Blake Comeau feels like an NHL player now. He certainly plays like one.
6. The schedules have aligned in such a way that the top prospects are getting a chance to get their skates wet in the NHL while still having a chance to make a playoff run in the AHL. Bridgeport has done a fantastic job of holding the ship together while it's lineup was squeezed like a Valencia juicing orange. Or sucked dry like the cup holding an apple pie a la mode milkshake from Ronnybrook Dairy Farm. I don't know, you make the call. Both are refreshing and delicious. Either way, it would be great to see the call-ups return to Bridgeport after next Friday and lead the Sound Tigers on a run deep into the playoffs.
7. I no longer view Bergenheim, Comeau, Okposo, Tambellini, Colliton, Regier, and others as individual prospects, one or two of whom might become regulars. A few of them will likely drop out of the picture for one reason or another, but I can't remember a time in recent history when I was so excited about a group of young players (Dalgarno-McInnis?). And it's not a case of them filling in admirably and doing the best they can with marginal ability under trying circumstances. They look like legitimate pieces of a group that wants to be the next generation of Islanders. Yes, I'm desperately trying to avoid using the word "core."
8. It's so easy to root for Wade Dubielewicz.
9. The draft lottery: It's time for the Islanders to get a super-stud. With this draft and this finish in the standings, it should be harder to make a mistake. They need to draft a guy who can come in as an 18- or 19-year-old and set the barn on fire with prowess, drive, and intensity. Other teams have done it. It's time to make them envious.
10. Who says a list has to have ten items?

Now, one thing I'm already nervous about: The free agency period. A lot depends on which players are re-signed, but July 1 will once again be a measuring stick of how players and agents perceive the state of the Islanders.

Daily Double

It's rare that I get to watch my two favorite hockey teams play simultaneously. So tonight was a pretty good way to spend an evening. In the right sight line, I had Islanders-Devils on the TV. In the left sight line, Cornell-Harvard in the semifinals of the ECAC Hockey Championship live via B2TV.com ($8.00 for the single game pass). The results were a mixed bag.

Cornell was the visiting team in the ECAC tournament game contested at the Times Union Center in Albany. I clicked on the "visitors" link hoping to hear a Big Red broadcast. Instead, I got the Crimson announcers. Thinking the site had possibly reversed the links, I fired off a quick e-mail to customer service asking if it were possible to access the Cornell broadcast without having to purchase another pass. B2TV Networks impressed me with an almost immediate reply that consisted solely of a link. The fact that the link included "harvard" in its address wasn't promising, however. Indeed, I was once again fed the broadcast in a darker shade of red. At that point, it wasn't worth pursuing anymore as I had two hockey games to watch and only two eyes!

The webcast, while not superclear, was high enough quality to be enjoyable to watch. The audio was often a second or two ahead of the video. I'm only pointing all of this out because B2TV also webcasts minor league hockey games, including those of the Bridgeport Sound Tigers. So, if the Sound Tigers find themselves involved in critical games over the next few weeks (a likely event), you may have the option of watching the game in the comfort of your own home.

As for the game, Cornell fell victim to a couple of lapses in discipline and was unable to contain the Harvard power play. The Crimson scored two quick goals with the man advantage on consecutive opportunities in the second period. Cornell responded quickly after the second goal to cut the lead in half with a power-play marker of its own.

In the third period, Cornell really took the play to its arch rival. The Big Red dominated possession and fired 16 shots on goal. Unfortunately, tonight's version of the Big Red looked a little like the Islanders in that it struggled mightily to finish its scoring chances. Still trailing 2-1 with just under three minutes left, Cornell took its sixth minor of the game. Harvard scored its third power-play goal in six chances to put the game away. Cornell was unable to cut into the margin with a 6-on-4 advantage in the waning minutes.

Harvard's Doug Rogers, a fourth-round draft choice of the Islanders in 2006, picked up an assist on the second Crimson goal and took five shots. Rogers stands second on the team in scoring with 13 goals and 20 assists in 34 games. He is a +15.

Cornell's season ends at 18-14-3 with no chance for an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament. [Note: Cornell defeated Colgate 4-2 in Saturday's consolation game.] The Big Red can be optimistic about the years to come. This year's top two scorers, Colin Greening (Ottawa) and Riley Nash (Edmonton), are a sophomore and a freshman, respectively. Assuming they don't leave early, they should be fun to watch for a few more years. Starting goaltender Ben Scrivens is also a sophomore. The team will lose only four seniors.

Fortunately, the Cornell game ended just in time for me to focus on a helmetless Kyle Okposo ripping an off-balance one-timer past Martin Brodeur to give the Isles a 2-1 lead over the Devils with 2:35 remaining. The power play goal, off a Richard Park feed, was Okposo's first in the NHL and his second point, after an assist on a Blake Comeau tally earlier in the evening. Wade Dubielewicz stood, well, tall in the face of a strong Devils attack. Dubie continues to state his case for being a legitimate NHL netminder who can be relied upon in any situation.

Bryan Berard recorded two assists, including the secondary on Okposo's goal. Trent Hunter sealed the fight-filled game with a rare Islanders empty-net goal. Bill Guerin, Matt Spiller, and Josef Vasicek all took fighting majors, as Ted Nolan got his wish for a more spirited performance. Spiller was the unfortunate recipient of an Arron Asham knockout punch to the cheek that drew blood.

The win by the Islanders and the performance by Okposo were a nice salve to the wound that was the Cornell loss. A double-victory would have been nice. But, for a hockey fan, it was still a pretty good way to spend an evening.

Mike and the Mad Dog at the Coliseum

I wanted to do this as a live blog, but that just wasn't possible. So, in the spirit of NBC's Olympics coverage, we'll call this a plausibly live blog. As such, the timestamps are only approximations. Yes, you can listen to these interviews yourself on wfan.com. But this way, maybe you can skim here while watching the game instead of trying to listen to two things at once.

1:25: Mad Dog's first utterance of "DiPieto" comes as he announces that DiPietro will sit again tonight. You'd think that with two Rs in his own name, Chris could take the time to slow down and learn to throw one in there for Rick. But let the debate begin...Is Ted Nolan simply going with the hot hand, giving Rick more time to get himself back together, or just looking to motivate the franchise goalie with a little competition?

1:46: Mad Dog just referred to Washington's star player first as "that kid," and then as "Ovchenkin." It was not my intention to make this all about mispronunciations, but that's all we've got so far.

1:58: Talking about the NBA. I guess it was a little far-fetched to think this was going to be five hours and twenty minutes of Islanders programming on WFAN.

2:01: Garth Snow coming up next.

2:06: Mad Dog goes right to "Dubie" rather than attempt Dubielewicz.

2:08: Mike presses Garth for the real message behind playing Dubie. Garth says DiPietro is ready to go and actually expresses a little surprise that Ted decided to go back to Dubie. One can infer that Garth would not have made the same decision.

2:12: Mad Dog unleashes his first "Lavalette." We're getting all of his greatest hits. Come on, Chris. Say it with me: Lav-i-o-lette.

2:13: Garth is really talking up the youth, including those currently on the roster and those still in junior. Names the five draft picks who competed in the WJC.

2:15: Garth has full authority to pull the trigger on trades (e.g., Ryan Smyth) but relies on feedback from Nolan and Morrow, particularly so he doesn't acquire players that Nolan doesn't like.

2:16: Garth still believes that the Islanders control their own destiny. If they go 14-0 the rest of the way, that will be true.

2:19: Garth endorses trimming down the size of goalie pads. Bloggers everywhere mock him mercilessly.

2:21: Garth says that the Islanders are not at a $44 million payroll by design and would pay to the cap for the right players.

A decent spot with Snow, with the most revealing answer being about tonight's starting goalie. If the decision doesn't harm the relationship between coach and goalie, it could go a long way toward making DiPietro understand that Ted runs the room. Playing 78+ games may be fashionable for the top goalies of the day, but it wasn't always that way and doesn't have to be now. It was nice to hear Mike and Chris break down the interview and related issues in the next segment rather than going back to Brett Favre or something. Interviews with Wang, Nolan, and DiPietro were promised for later. Unfortunately, the hosts just don't have the depth of knowledge to ask the kinds of questions they might ask to Willie Randolph or Tom Coughlin.

2:51: Pierre McGuire in the house. Or on the phone, anyway. Wasn't expecting that. Says that Madison Square Garden is hopping right now (i.e., these days, not right this minute). Pierre is bringing a little league-wide perspective to the show. I'm okay with that.

2:58: Pierre has no problem tweaking Mike and Chris about their lack of hockey knowledge: "Tom who? you're probably saying," when bringing up Tom Preissing.

3:01: Chris gives Pierre 10 seconds to comment on the Islanders. Pierre is very complimentary to Ted, Garth, and Billy Guerin for keeping the ship afloat and still being in the playoff hunt. Says that Nolan should be coach of the year if the Isles make it.

3:07: Charles Wang steps to the mic. "Until we win the Stanley Cup, we always can be better." Mr. Wang does not appear to believe in the concept of rebuilding. Paraphrasing: If you don't go into every season expecting to win the Cup, you are a loser. The team's goal is to get a career year out all of its players every year.

3:13: Renovations to the lower bowl of the Coliseum would commence in July 2009 and extend briefly into the season with the team starting the schedule on the road. Upper bowl would be renovated similarly the following the year. July '09 is the earliest they could put a shovel in the ground.

3:16: Transportation, water issues, environmental issues, and other unknowns are the biggest obstacles to the Lighthouse project.

3:17: What happens with the SMG lease, which runs to 2015, has yet to be settled. Buying it out is an option.

3:22: Mr. Wang believes that the Lighthouse has to be iconic, akin to the Arch in St. Louis and other great landmarks.

3:26: If the Lighthouse project does not get approved, there probably won't be a Coliseum renovation. Charles was reluctant to address what happens in that scenario.

3:29: "We built a great team. We have good guys." Charles bristled slightly at the notion that he should just spend the extra $6 million left under the cap, but said that Garth has the financial flexibility to continue building the team. I do sometimes chuckle when radio hosts talk about $6 million as though it's nothing just because the owner is rich.

It's nearly impossible to think of this as a great team. I suppose if everyone actually did have a career year, it would have been great. But that's an awfully lofty expectation to have going into a season.

3:36: In the next segment, Russo speculates that the Lighthouse project is too ambitious and will need to be scaled back. Mike states that figuring out a way to bring in mass transit is the key to everything and a railroad hub could have prevented the Nets from leaving. Then there was some sort of fight about engineering and voices leaking over the airwaves. Mike got angry. Chris sounded embarrassed.

4:08: Wade Dubielewicz on the air! Apparently, he's a big fan of the show. Chris is impressed that he's appearing on a night that he's playing.

4:09: Doesn't feel a lot of pressure. Sees this as an opportunity and is a little surprised to be in the net tonight.

4:11: Dubie is satisfied with his role right now, but not content. He's satisfied in the sense that last year he was a career minor leaguer and he's now moved up to career NHL backup.

4:13: Mike: This is a great show of respect for Dubie by Nolan. Dubie: I have a big smile on my face today. Wade also indicates that Rick isn't the type to come in and raise a ruckus because he's not playing. That would have a negative impact on the team, but it's not going to happen.

4:14: Dubie: Ted is the greatest player's coach he's ever played for. He allows everyone to prepare in their own way, so it's always on the player.

You gotta love Dubie. Maybe if he's a starter in this league one day no one will be able to go near him on gameday, but I doubt it. You could tell that he was a little jazzed about being on the show, even if it was a short spot.

4:21: "Botta does a great job. He's a good PR guy." Mike and Chris just compared Jason Blake to Jeff Weaver--both guys who found a home somewhere and should have stayed where they were successful. Now that Mike learns the terms Blake got in Toronto, he can't blame him for leaving. Chris says the Isles did a good job not signing him to those terms.

4:25: Rick DiPietro on the air. He was listening to the show earlier. He's disappointed at not playing in a game of this magnitude that's a must-win, but "You've gotta be a team guy," and Dubie played really well.

4:27: "The coach makes a decision and I'm going to support that."

4:28: Russo: "We all know how great a goaltender you're going to be." Rick says he'll continue to get better and he'll reach his maximum potential when they win a Cup.

4:30: Watching Mike Richter play his entire career with one team influenced his decision to sign a 15-year contract. He also just likes living on Long Island.

4:32: Sitting at home with a concussion watching the team play last year was even harder than sitting on the bench watching.

4:35: Having the long term deal gives him the ability to focus solely on becoming a better hockey player.

4:38: Baseball was a passion of Rick's growing up. Francesa is now on the Dustin Pedroia bandwagon after killing him last year.

Nothing too exciting from that segment. DiPietro sounded every bit the good soldier.

4:49: Bill Guerin's turn. Starts off with questions about his days with the Devils.

4:51: Being the little brother to the Rangers is about the same as an Islander as it was with the Devils.

4:53: Bill was impressed by how much the Core of the Four members seemed like a family.

4:54: Perspective on having played with so many teams is that he's fortunate to have had a long career in the league.

4:55: Guerin not really surprised that Dubie is playing tonight. Coaches tend to go with the hot hand and Ricky will be fine with it.

4:56: Decision to sign with the Isles was influenced by the team's immediate effort to commit to him. Other teams expressed interest but didn't give him anything concrete.

4:57: Doesn't really have an answer for all the shorthanded goals.

4:58: Really likes the direction the team is going. Good young players mixed with a core of veterans. "Teddy is a great coach...has his finger on what guys need."

4:59: Botta has seen Springsteen 40 times. That easily beats my record for most times seeing a band. Guerin has seen him 7 or 8 times.

5:05: And, finally, Ted Nolan. Chris says that the Islanders do a wonderful job every time the show is out there. Coaching staff began discussing goaltending situation right after last game. "What's best for the team? What's best for the player?" Combination of Ricky maybe being rusty and Dubie playing well led to their decision.

5:07: Ted: How players handle situations like this separates the good athletes from the great athletes.

5:08: DiPietro is very likely to play Saturday against Philly. Going with Dubie is not trying to stretch his luck--it's not a case of luck. Dubie is a "pure, old-time hockey player."

5:10: "We're not blessed with a whole bunch of dipsy-doodlers playmaking types of guys...We have to play basic hockey." They're a good team when they keep it close, have a good chance of winning close hockey games.

5:11: "The offense is almost like the weather. Some days it's there, some days it's not."

5:11: It takes a great mindset to succeed when the team doesn't have a player that can steal two points with a timely goal.

5:12: Ted thinks that the mindset of his team (having to grind out wins over the long haul) should be successful in the grind of the playoffs, but you have to get there first. Mentioned Park and Hilbert as being important players that we don't talk about all the time. He sometimes tries to fly the wings or rush the defense to create more offense. Half-jokes that he'd love to try it the other way with a bunch of stars on the roster.

5:13: Doesn't think Simon was a distraction. Prevented certain teams from pushing the Isles around and taking advantage of them. Thinks they need a player like Simon.

5:15: "The game's in great hands right now because we got some tremendous athletes and tremendous people in this game."

5:16: Growing pains are tough to go through while the young players are developing. Nolan is enthusiastic about all the young players.

5:17: "We're blessed to play this sport." Says he's more of a motivating type of coach, but you have to know what you're doing.

5:18: Charles and Garth leave him alone and let him coach.

That's about it. Mad Dog's overall take on the Islanders is that they are standing still. Every March we find them struggling to make the playoffs, and then they bow out in the first round. Not groundbreaking analysis, but not inaccurate either. The show did a really nice job for Islanders fans, giving the organization plenty of airtime, if not keen perspective or expert questioning. Now, if they would just focus on the Islanders regularly for a little bit of time instead of for four hours once a year, we'd really have something to get excited about.

Stand Up and Take a Bow

It's the first day of 2008, and I feel like handing out some accolades...

To the Islander players, for finishing 2007 with a strong 5 wins in 6 games, including a convincing one-off road-trip victory in Carolina on New Year's Eve. The only team out of reach at the moment is Ottawa. It's going to be a wild second half.

To Ted Nolan, for instilling in his team the belief that a squad without a top-tier offensive player can reach the top tier of the league.

To Richard Park, for running away with the opportunity to break free of labels and stereotypes that limited the roles he had been given throughout his NHL career. Maybe he won't finish the year on a scoring line, but he continues to prove that he can be one of those guys.

To Wade Dubielewicz, for answering the call and those who doubted his ability to do so (myself included).

To Rick DiPietro, for transforming himself into a leader with presence, deserving of high praise.

To Jeff Tambellini, for being named AHL Player of the Week and making it difficult for people to forget about him.

To John Hynes, Kyle Okposo, Rhett Rakhshani, Tyler Rueggsegger, James vanRiemsdyk, and the rest of the U.S. National Junior Team, for advancing impressively through the preliminary round of the WJC and earning a bye into the semis. Isles prospects Okposo and Rakhshani have been overshadowed on the scoring leaderboard by vanRiemsdyk, Colin Wilson, and Jordan Schroeder (not to mention Isles propsect Robin Figren playing for Sweden) but their line has been recognized numerous times for dominating play and they made significant scoring contributions to Team USA's 4-0 start.

To Brendan Witt, for being the kind of warrior that every good team needs.

To Freddy Meyer and Blake Comeau, for making Aaron Johnson's return to the active roster a very interesting story.

To Bill Guerin, for filling the role of captain admirably, and for demonstrating that there's plenty of life left in him.

To my colleagues in the Blog Box (and some outside of it), for their outstanding work, which provides us all with an unprecedented richness of Islanders coverage, and for their spirit of generosity.

This was not meant to be a recap of the 2007 portion of the season. These were simply some people who stood out in my mind recently.

And here's a fun one...The other day I was checking in on Team USA's performance at the WJC via the live updates at onlajny.cz (thanks to Slap Shot). At the top of the page, I noticed the in-progress score of a game in which Skalica was trouncing Trencin 7-0. Remembering that Skalica was Ziggy Palffy's hometown, I clicked on the scoreboard link. Sure enough, there was Ziggy all over the scoresheet with a goal and 3 assists. That one brought a smile to my face.

Ziggy was the first player I can remember being proud of. I remember watching him quickly go from being a young, struggling talent to an NHL-caliber sniper and feeling proud because he became exactly what the Islanders hoped he would be. It's too bad that his 3 consecutive forty-goal seasons didn't coincide with better results for the team. Sadder still, that his time on the Island was cut short by frugal ownership.

Please note that the playoff confidence poll is still open. If you haven't voted yet, please feel free to voice your opinion. Vote "10" if you think the Isles are a lock for the playoffs, "0" if you think they have no shot, or any other degree of confidence in between.

Islanders 4, Maple Leafs 3, OT

Comrie's Two Goals, Park's Three Assists, Help Isles Overcome a Depleted Back Line

While the stakes were certainly lower, tonight's victory over the Leafs rivaled last spring's playoff-clinching, shootout win over the Devils in terms of pure excitement. It's not often that a December game gets you to jump out of your chair and pump your fist in triumph. In fact, I think the last time I did that was for Dubie's now-legendary poke check. Circumstances conspired to make this an absolutely thrilling victory.

Let's start with the late news that Radek Martinek was scratched with a hip injury that is being termed day to day. Certainly, the Isles are fortunate to have two veteran d-men waiting to break back into the lineup, and Bryan Berard got the call. But Martinek's quiet, responsible defense is not easily replicated, especially not by a more offensive-minded player like Berard. As the game began to unfold, and the Leafs took an early 1-0 lead, it looked as though the Isles back line would not be able shoulder the load without the steady Martinek.

Much to the delight of Islander fans everywhere, the defense bent but didn't break. Meanwhile, the offense picked up its play to the tune of three first-period goals causing Howie Rose to invoke the spirit of opening night as well as the defunct New York Arrows of the old MISL. That brought back great memories for me, as my first trips to the Coliseum were not to see the Islanders, but to watch Steve Zungul, Branko Segota, Shep Messing, Renato Cila, et al., lead the arrows to four consecutive championships of their own. On this night, it was Andy Hilbert, Mike Comrie, and Bill Guerin filling the net, with Richard Park picking up assists on the second and third goals.

The momentum from the offensive outburst in the first was stifled at the beginning of the second with the news that a knee injury would keep Rick DiPietro from returning. DiPietro tweaked the knee during the pre-game warmup, and FSN was right on the ball with bird's-eye-view footage of the injury as it happened. DiPietro is scheduled to be re-evaluated on Thursday. With a rusty Wade Dublielewicz in net and the hulking Leafs finding more than enough room to operate, the outlook wasn't brilliant for the Long Island Locals. You could see the difference in positioning between Dubie and DP. You could also see the difference in physical skills. But Dubie pulled it together, shook off the rust, and became a key player in a scoreless second.

A boring third was just what the doctor ordered. Alex Steen would not cooperate, however, notching his second goal of the game, a shorthanded seeker to the top-left corner, to square things just 1:15 into the final (or not so final) frame. From there it was a battle of chances. When Comrie is battling people like Hal Gill for the puck and winning, despite the action looking like a deleted scene from Lord of the Rings, you know there's something to cheer about. Dubie held strong, but was matched by Andrew Raycroft, and we found ourselves in overtime.

In the extra session, a hard-to-figure hooking penalty (the Isles' fourth of the night) against Park put the home team at a 4-on-3 disadvantage. Having already missed on a couple of prime scoring opportunities, the odds of the Isles coming away with the second point looked slim. The Toronto power play put on as much pressure as you can imagine. A power-play OT game winner seemed inevitable. Brendan Witt and Andy Sutton, exhausted from being pinned in their own end and following quick passes back and forth, found the reserves to get in the way of pucks and clear them. Dubie saw the puck better and better and wouldn't let it through.

Park returned to the ice with 43 seconds left, and a chance at a shootout win suddenly seemed more realistic. Except Park wasn't interested in waiting that long. He stripped Jason Blake of the puck at the Isles' own blue line and tore down the ice toward Raycroft on a two-on-one with Comrie. Park didn't get all of his slapper, but Raycroft left a rebound after stopping the puck with his left pad. Comrie swooped in and knocked the loose puck under the Toronto goalie for the game winner, setting off a jubilant celebration on the ice and in the stands. Park recorded his career-best third assist on the play. The Islanders deserve a lot of credit for overcoming some key losses, sticking together, and entertaining their fans with an exhilarating victory.

Whither Tambellini?

It's a good thing Steve Tambellini didn't name his son Duncan. By now he might have a Chris Berman-caliber nickname like Duncan "Yo-Yo" Tambellini.

Ted Nolan said all the right things about the most recent demotion of the Islanders' not-so-next star forward:

“Jeff didn’t do anything wrong, but he needs to be on a top line to be effective. And with Ruslan coming back, we felt it would be best for Jeff to get those consistent minutes in Bridgeport for his development.” --newyorkislanders.com

The return of Fedotenko made it very convenient for Nolan to evaluate the situation this way. But doesn't a not-so-small part of you get the feeling that the coach has seen enough? More and more it seems like Nolan doesn't believe that Tambellini has what it takes to blossom in the NHL, or at the very least, under a Ted Nolan regime. And if he can't find the minutes to give Tambellini an extended look, then he obviously doesn't deserve the minutes. For what it's worth, I don't consider this recent five-game stretch an extended look.

If we are to assume that Nolan is going to be around for a while (seems like a safe assumption), and that Tambellini is unlikely to fit into Nolan's system, then it makes sense to convert Tambellini into another asset before he gets labeled as a marginal prospect. You can definitely get away with being 23 years old and in the AHL without losing your luster. But as each year passes and you haven't established yourself as a regular NHLer, words like fringe player start to surface.

I'd still love to see Tambellini develop into an exciting player for the Islanders. I hope I'm wrong and he really does need more consistent minutes at Bridgeport until the time is right to step into the Islanders lineup on a regular basis again. I just don't know how many more times we can watch him go up and down.

A couple of thoughts on last night's game...I spent the first 30 minutes of the game wondering why the Islanders never look dangerous or the least bit creative in the offensive zone. It seemed like no one was capable of making a move that created open space, a passing lane, or a path to the goal. I swear I see players on other teams to do this. They use their creativity and skill to create chances and make themselves difficult to contain. Even against a weak Coyotes team, albeit with improved goaltending, the Islanders once again seemed incapable of dazzling, or even amusing, anyone.

Fortunately, Bill Guerin went to the net and got some clean-up goals (garbage goals sounds too negative), and Marc-Andre Bergeron found the far side with a cannon shot on the power play. Billy Jaffe enthusiastically pointed out how, in that instance, Bergeron did use his feet to create the open space necessary to make a play. Still, I'm in the corner with those who say a win is a win, but this was not a great win. I'll let the team take the positives out of it. I'm looking for something more convincing against the Penguins on Saturday night.



Update: The Ducks have traded Andy McDonald to the Blues for Doug Weight, Michal Birner, and a 7th rounder in 2008. It looks like the Ducks have cleared the necessary cap space for Scott Niedermayer to return without giving up Mathieu Schneider, Francois Beauchemin, or Corey Perry. That's not to say that McDonald wasn't a major contributor to the Ducks' Cup team, but any of those guys could have helped the Isles in a trade. Perhaps another one of them will become available if Teemu Selanne decides that he's not done yet either.