Reason to Believe: Islanders 6, Red Wings 0

Just some things I'm thinking about following a joyful night of joyful hockey...

Matt Moulson's offense is heating up again. And he's finding the net while playing with Frans Nielsen. Both circumstances help negate the ideas that Moulson is a flash in the pan who got off to a hot start and that his production was due mostly to his pairing with John Tavares.

How nice it is to once again be able to legitimately pin the future of the Islanders on Kyle Okposo, Tavares, AND Josh Bailey. Bailey looked like a boy last year. Suddenly he looks like a man, and plays like one too.

Despite his slow start in the goal column, Okposo will surpass his goal total from a year ago. Watch him light it up in the second half.

Seeing my favorite player of his era, Kenny Jonsson, back in the Islanders family for one night.

The part of NHLer Rob Schremp now being played by...Rob Schremp.

BD might be right that keeping Martin Biron on ice (as opposed to on the ice) might improve his trade value. At the very least, it won't harm his value and it will also protect him from injury (as much as that recalls the awkwardness of the Bill Guerin situation last year).

At first I was opposed to the idea of keeping Biron out of the rotation. I thought he deserved to at least dress on occasion and his exclusion reflected poorly on him and reduced his perceived value. But this is going to be all about Dwayne Roloson and Rick DiPietro, and who gives the team the best chance to win night in, night out. That's clearly not Biron.

I would, however, not be so quick to pull the trigger on a deal for Biron. Let's see DiPietro get the rigors of a few NHL games under his belt before the team puts itself one more injury away from last season's goaltending carousel.

It was a shame that the 6-0 domination of the Red Wings had to occur on the same night as a thrilling shootout (in more ways than one) between the other locals. Not good for getting the deserved local press. On the other hand, it was the kind of win that the rest of the league's cities will notice.

It's good to see some old friends still plugging away in the Blog Box.

I resisted doing this for a long time, but I finally caved.

Let Okposo Hear You

Just a thought as this New Year's Day draws to a close: It would be a great thing if everyone who attends Saturday night's game channels his or her anger and disappointment at Kyle Okposo being left of the U.S. Olympic team toward a show of support for #21. Let him know how you feel about him—when he comes out for warmups, when he steps over the boards, and every time he touches the puck. The Coliseum could use a night of frequent, loud ovations.

And keep this a positive thing about Okposo and the fan base's appreciation for the kind of player he is and the kind of player he will be. No need to invoke the names Drury, Callahan, Burke, etc. Make it all about Kyle on this night.

Let's Give 'Em Something to Talk About

I don't know if there are any Bonnie Raitt fans in the Islander locker room, but it sure seems like they've been singing that refrain lately. Just over two weeks ago, I had nothing more to say about this team. (Okay, to be honest, I did have some things to say about breaking up the top line, burying Jeff Tambellini in the press box, and Bruno Gervais not playing with Mark Streit—but work craziness and a childcare crisis have buried me far away from the press box.)

But seemingly out of nowhere, the Islanders have won three in a row against three of the top teams in the conference. They are giving their fans and the rest of the league something to talk about.

At 4-4-5, the Islanders have reached the magical false .500 mark. Those 5 OT losses don't look nearly as bad when coupled with four regulation wins. The 13 points put the Isles on the cusp of the playoff picture.

What does this mean? It means that Scott Gordon and his coaching staff have demonstrated the ability to get something out of this team in its current constitution. It doesn't mean that the Isles will still be knocking on the door come March. But a season that was quickly slipping away into oblivion, for the time being, is interesting and fun again. And, furthermore, there is more reason—at least an impressive three-game winning streak's worth—to believe that with a deeper roster, Gordon and company can be serious players in this league.

And if you want something to talk about, look no further than Tambellini. Released from nosebleed purgatory seven games ago, the lost action hero has re-emerged with his scoring touch at the NHL level. With two multi-goal games, including a hat trick Saturday night against Buffalo, Tambellini is now tied for the team lead in goals. Bold for how unlikely it was that we would ever be able to say that, and how fun it is to say it now.

And to anyone who might minimize the hat trick due to the nature of the third goal, I would offer two suggestions:

1. When there is a loose puck in front of a gaping net, you take no chances even if it the puck is most likely on its way in already.
2. If it were up to Kyle Okposo, he would have done whatever was necessary to make that Tambellini's goal.

Also, count me in as one who was shocked that Tambellini wasn't named 1st star. Giving it to Martin Biron in recognition of the shutout and his 200th career win was nice, but the fans would have appreciated the opportunity to laud Tambellini more.

Several Islanders have emphasized how much they're enjoying coming to the rink this year due to the camaraderie that has built among the players. How much more fun are they having now that they're winning? They're certainly not a difficult team to root for.

And that's your fun hat trick for the evening.

As for me, I'm looking forward to talking more.

Losering (Yes, More Whiskeytown)

"And, of course, sadly, the Islanders lost to the Los Angeles Kings 2-1."
--Sports update Tuesday morning on WRXP

The Kings weren't built in a year, nor will the Islanders be. But, oh (and woe), the losing. The beginning of a new season has optimism programmed into it, regardless of whether the team finished 3rd or 30th the previous year. Even if you know in your heart that the bottom five is overwhelmingly more likely than the top 16, there is always the hope that things will click this year—that the development of the next generation of Islanders will take a leap forward instead of a step.

And then four games go by without a win.

Suddenly you are awakened from your October honeymoon by the cold reality that if the ship is ever going to be headed in the right direction, it is still hanging around the pier looking for a clear lane.

The Islanders are not in an adjustment period. They are not off to a slow start. They are still dangerously thin on talent. They have shown an ability to compete, but not a sustainable one.

They have not shown a knack for winning when the game is on the line and a win is in reach.

The second half of last year was productive in that it resulted in John Tavares becoming an Islander. It was not, however, enjoyable.

Could it be that, not even at the midpoint Of October, we are already in the position in having to endure a season the way we endured that second half '08-'09?

The thought of it seems insufferable. But it is painfully obvious that the Islanders need another high lottery pick. We want these guys to be good because they're our guys. But most of them are never going to be as good as we want them to be.

For the Islanders to enjoy success in the standings this year, the following would have to happen (forget about Kyle Okposo, John Taveras, and Mark Streit—you know what they are and you can just enjoy them):

• Trent Hunter would need to go 25-25-50.
• Josh Bailey would need to go 15-25-40.
• Frans Nielsen would need to 15-30-45.
• Doug Weight would need to stay healthy and perform at the same level he did when healthy last year.
• The team would have to get its goals against per game under 2.90, at least.
• A defenseman other than Streit would need to score double-digit goals.

How many of those things are likely to happen?

Streit had 16 goals last year. Do you know how many goals the other six defenseman on the Islanders' roster had last year? 16. Granted neither Andy Sutton nor Freddy Meyer played in as many as 30 games. But Streit cannot be the only offensive threat from the blue line.

Hunter is already missing several weeks of games due to a pec injury. Weight has been in and out of the lineup with a groislander injury (did you already do that one, Dom?). And Bailey has looked nothing like a player who's going to sniff 15 goals or 40 points.

So my optimism bubble has burst early this year. The good thing is that they have virtually an entire season to prove me wrong, or get the difference-maker draft pick they have to have again.

But right now I don't care for the pain and the drudgery of another season with little to cheer about. I have losing fatigue. I'm actually thinking about steering my son toward the Yankees. Or, you know, Civil War battle re-enactments. Those plans always turn out exactly how they built 'em.

10/08/09: Senators 3, Islanders 2, OT

A few quick thoughts off last night's game...

• According to The Daily News hockey page, the Islanders game last night in Ottawa did not happen. If you look hard enough on the hockey page of The New York Times, you at least can find a link to an AP article.
  
• You still get the feeling that Matt Moulson needs to put up a point per game in order to stick. But there's a good chance he'll do what Mike Iggulden did last year—start to tail off after a fast start. Then what? Do the Islanders have any inclination to invest some time in him? Or is he only here so they can see what they have while other guys are healing or establishing their claims to spots in the lineup. It will be interesting to watch. But the guy that skates to the front of the net on the power play and then bangs home the nifty feed from the vet behind the net? I like that guy.
  
• The team that gathered around Scott Gordon during a timeout toward the end of last night's third period displayed all the right body language. The players looked engaged, hungry, and ready to win. That being said...
  
• At the conclusion of regulation in each of the first two games, I thought to myself, "All right, a point against the defending champs," and "Okay, a point on the road." In each case, shortly thereafter, I felt like a point was no longer good enough. This team has made a lot of progress in learning how to play together. Next up: learning how to win together.
  
• Before this season, having Kyle Okposo on the team provided a sense of optimism. Getting John Tavares through the lottery also created optimism. After two games of them playing together, having both of them should make you downright giddy.
  
• I'm not thrilled about going into Boston two days after the Bruins got smoked. But they're off to a slow start, so maybe the Bear will remain Smokey.
  
• The Islanders currently sit one point out of a playoff spot and four points off the division lead. (What, too early?)

Note on the blog: The two blog rolls (Blog Box and Additional) are horribly out of date. A lot has changed since last season. My apologies to those of you who have moved. I will get to updating the links as soon as I can—probably after my son learns to sit up on his own. (Don't worry, he's a fast learner.)

Yesterday's News...

...is what I have been readin' (title hat tip to Whiskeytown)

Wang and Rechler Play Hardball

In comments at yesterday's announcement of a lease agreement between the Lighthouse Development Group and Nassau County for the development of the 77-acre Coliseum Property, the developers declared that they are no longer open to suggestions for changes to the scope of the project from the Town of Hempstead.

For months now, Charles Wang has insisted that he is willing to consider such changes if the town would just sit down with him and say what those changes might be. This is an unfortunate turn in strategy because it eliminates a significant pathway to making the Lighthouse, in one form or another, a reality. It was the prospect of such discussions that always caused me to believe that this project would eventually get done. With the option of negotiating the development eliminated, I'm far less optimistic. It was the one major chip that Wang and Scott Rechler could offer, and it has now been pulled off the table.

Not that you can really blame them. The impression one gets is that the town board could go on for at least another year doing what they're (not) doing without realizing that engaging in such a negotiation had become critical. With Wang's deadline of certainty for the project scheduled to pass tomorrow, he had to make a bold statement to acknowledge the lack of progress. Yes, Wang is playing by his own rules, which don't always seem conducive to helping the cause he professes to care so much about. But anyone who has followed his style over the last ten years know this wasn't going to go any other way.

Weight Named Captain

I'm a little turned off by the trend of handing over the leadership reins of a team to the young star before he's old enough to rent a car. So I'm pleased to see the Islanders (players or coach/GM) not do something showy like name Kyle Okposo, Josh Bailey, or even John Tavares captain at this juncture. On the other hand, in addition to all the other things Islanders fans are starving for, I'd like to see the team with a captain who's going to be around for more than a couple of seasons.

Obviously, then, the player vote that awarded the captaincy to Doug Weight leaves me with mixed feelings. His tenure could be as short as six months. But when you consider the makeup of the team, as well as the makeup of the player, it's clear that Weight is the best man for job right now. The fact that Weight is so enthusiastic about his service makes the choice all the more appealing.

That Kyle Okposo received an 'A' ahead of someone like Trent Hunter did cause me to raise an eyebrow. While I understand the inclination to give the younger players representation in the team's leadership structure, and I've stated previously that the team already seemed to gravitate to Okposo in his first full year, I'd rather see a more veteran presence in that role while Okposo focuses completely on being the best player he can be. Will it really affect his development? Nah, probably not. But I'm all for the idea of guys putting in their years of service as a way to earn such an honor. To that end, I'd prefer to see Mark Streit take over from Weight before seeing a Bailey, Okposo, or Tavares ascend to the captaincy.

Matt Moulson and the Roster

This year, the role of former Cornell Big Red player who has toiled mostly in the minors but now has his best chance to stick in the NHL will played by Matt Moulson, following on the heels of the successful, yet ultimately fruitless, stint of Mike Iggulden. Congratulations to Matt for making the squad and appearing to be the recipient of a plum line assignment. Point Blank has Moulson playing alongside Tavares and Okposo at today's practice. He sure picked the right guy to have chemistry with.

Despite his impressive preseason, Moulson has his work cut out for him if he wants to stick. Today's practice included five full lines of forwards and the news from Mr. Botta that Weight is possible for tomorrow's opener. Who would have to lose their spot once everyone is healthy to guarantee that Moulson remains an Islander?

Well, Rob Schremp is certainly going to get his shot once he's had time to acclimate or he would not have been brought in. That leaves Jon Sim, Jeff Tambellini, Joel Rechlicz, Nate Thompson, and Tim Jackman as possible bubble players. And precedent would suggest that Blake Comeau hasn't quite won full immunity yet.

But Thompson tends to play. Jackman could sit here or there, but seems fairly well entrenched. Rechlicz will no doubt see his time in the press box and in Bridgeport. For Sim and Tambellini, it's all about performance. Sim has added the pressure of not necessarily being part of this club's future plans. But it would be fun to watch both him and Tambellini make lineup decisions more difficult. It's remarkable how much competition there is on a consensus 15th place team.

The Opener

Ha, wouldn't you know it. The season opener (at home!) against the defending champs with their two all-world stars. The debut of the team's first #1 overall draft pick since Rick DiPietro. Catching up with old friends for a welcome night of hockey. And I won't be there. Or, probably, see very much of the game. Such is life!

But I hope everyone in attendance and watching at home has much to cheer about!

The NHL Protects Its Players

Dear Sidney Crosby,

We are pleased to inform you that can proceed with the 2009-10 NHL season with a clear head: Pascal Morency has been suspended. You can look forward to October 3rd's contest against the New York Islanders without fear. Morency and his antics have been taken care of. You and the rest of your NHL colleagues can go about your business. We have you covered.

Best wishes for a smashing season,

The NHL Head of Discipline

To be fair, the rule by which Morency was suspended for a total of ten games does aim to protect players. But it also protects the league's image (whatever that is). But all you need to know is that Kyle Okposo had several cuts on his face and minor swelling. Dion Phaneuf caused those injuries to the head with a textbook (read:rulebook) charge. Phaneuf has been cleared of wrongdoing and faces no discipline. So, Sid, you and your brethren are not as protected as you think. And it's absurd.

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Hoping for some amped up coverage of the Isles in The Daily News this year? Well, that particular news organization could teach another news organization a thing or two about how to redesign a Web site. You can actually still read The Daily News online. But here's what you can't do: go to the Islanders page. Because there isn't one. Here's the nav bar on the Sports home page:

And try to find an article on the Islanders on the Hockey home page. The only reference currently there is to Mark Feinsand's wonderful column from the Summary Essay Series about growing up an Isles fan and taking his son to his first game. Otherwise, you wouldn't know there are two other hockey teams about to begin their seasons.

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Speaking of Newsday, nice to see Greg Logan's name pop up in the byline of some Jets articles over the past several days. It was disappointing to find out that Greg's exit from the Islanders beat was not by his own wishes. I hope he is finding his new assignments to be satisfying, but he will be missed at the Coliseum and On the Islanders Beat.

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MSG+ will carry tomorrow night's preseason home game against the Devils. No word on whether the Calgary radio guys will be doing the broadcast.

Morency Suspended, Phaneuf Not

Point Blank has the news that Pascal Morency has been suspended indefinitely for his role in the post Phaneuf hit action, ostensibly to keep him out of Saturday's rematch.

Via Kukla's Korner, Elliotte Friedman twitters that Dion Phaneuf will not be suspended for the crushing hit on Kyle Okposo last night because a review determined that the hit "wasn’t late, was not targeting head, did not launch or leave feet before collision."

So at least we have this week's explanation.

Here's a comment I made on the previous post that I want to "promote to the main page" (copyright Lighthouse Hockey):

...These things always come down to judgment and perception. I'm not so quick to dismiss the charge call. Rule 43.1 states:"Charging shall mean the actions of a player or goalkeeper who, as a result of distance traveled, shall violently check an opponent in any manner. A “charge” may be the result of a check into the boards, into the goal frame or in open ice.

"Stu Hackel of The New York Times estimates that Phaneuf lined up Okposo from 45 away. Stu's take on the incident is definitely worth a read.

So many want to assign blame to Okposo for having his head down. The sequence suggests that having his head down may have been an unforunate byproduct of the contact with Dawes. But, setting that aside, if Okposo is expected to be responsible for knowing where Phaneuf is on the ice, is it too much to ask for Phaneuf to be responsible for knowing where Okposo's head is when he hits him? And make every effort to take him off the puck without attempting to destroy him?

I'd like to further add that one of the reasons Islanders fans are so upset about this incident is that they know concussions are like a cat having nine lives, and Okposo just lost one of his lives. But the truth is, with concussions a hockey player doesn't really get nine lives; he may only get three or four. The thought of Okposo being on the road to the devastating effects of multiple concussions before his career has barely started is almost too much to bear.

By the way, when does the statute of limitations run out on comparing every neutral zone, questionable, skate-and head-shaking hit to Scott Stevens? What Stevens was able to do doesn't necessarily legitimize anything that any other player does today.

Okposo Carted Off on Stretcher; Isles Lead 3-2 Midway Through

Hold your breath, Islanders fans. Just past the five-minute mark of tonight's preseason game in Calgary, Kyle Okposo absorbed a hit from Dion Phaneuf and didn't get off the ice. He left the playing surface immobilized on a stretcher. No replays of the hit were made available on the streaming broadcast.

The Islanders lead 3-2 on goals by Trevor Smith, Blake Comeau, and Matt Moulson on the power play. Martin Biron played the first half of the game and has now given way to Kevin Poulin. It's a testy affair and promises to get even testier down the stretch.

Update on Okposo to follow when available.

Update: Chris Botta reports that Okposo called his father to say that he's all right. That, of course, pending a medical update from someone other than Okposo.

Point Blank also links to video of the hit on Fanhouse. Phaneuf is simply the next in a too-long line of guys who has no respect for the amount of damage he can inflict on another human being. You can't let up in the heat of the action? Of course you can, especially in an early preseason game. Phaneuf could have played the body any number of ways without taking the livelihood of a promising young player in his hands.

Star Power

Any of you Islanders fans watching the Penguins-Capitals series? Are you, perhaps, more locked into that one than, say, Hurricanes-Bruins? (I'll choose that one simply because the two Western Conference series introduce some time zone issues.) I know I am, and it's so obvious why I'm tuning in:

Star Power.

At 2-1, the series is now competitive. But even if Washington had won Game 3, pushing the series toward disappointing, it still would have had drawing power. Sure, it would be even more special if the Ovechkin-Crosby-Malkin troika were battling with a Conference Championship and a trip to the Stanley Cup Final on the line. But each time I tune in for one of these games I feel like I'm watching NHL history unfolding. It's a treat to watch three such unusually talented players, perhaps not even yet in their primes, duel and dash and dish on the same ice. When the series is over, I fully expect someone to post a highlight video on You Tube with "Duel of the Fates" as the soundtrack.

But let's get back to the intended theme here.

Star Power.

The most-you-could-ask-for scenario for the Islanders and this draft is to have John Tavares turn on his Star Power. It doesn't even have to be of the same magnitude with which Ovechkin, Crosby, and Malkin shine.

But just imagine hockey fans throughout the world tuning in to watch an Islanders playoff game because they want to see Tavares perform.

We don't yet know if Tavares is capable of being that kind of draw. And, if he is, we certainly have no assurance that it will be Islanders' games to which he draws people. The Pens and Caps could go the next ten years without a Cup and they would still be compelling—even more so if they remain in the mix.

I would certainly give Tavares and the rest of the young Islanders another year to get their NHL legs.

Two years from now, the roster needs to include Star Power along with the right mix to make it to this stage of the playoffs. The Islanders need to make NHL fans want to watch.


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Potvin Dumped

Speaking of star power, one former Islanders star is out of work. Via Kukla's Korner, Denis Potvin has been let go as the Florida Panthers' TV color analyst. The Panthers are paring their broadcast team down to three. Steve Goldstein and Billy Lindsay will handle the TV work, while Randy Moller goes solo on the radio.

Potvin, who had been with the team for its entire existence, was caught off guard by the dismissal. From Steve Gorten's blog in the Sun-Sentinel: "You come to a point where you figure you're a lifer with a company or a group. That's not the case anymore. I was surprised. I was not expecting it."

The Panthers assured the Hall-of-Famer that the decision was neither personal nor performance-based. Still, that has to be a tough puck to swallow after 15 years with an organization.

Potvin has a son still in high school and is not sure of his next move, though he would like to continue in broadcasting.


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Congratulations to the U.S. Men's National Team for reaching the medal round at the World Championship. Yesterday's 3-2 quarterfinal win over Finland sets up a semifinal matchup on Friday with the defending champion squad from Russia. Team USA hadn't beaten Finland at an IIHF event since the 2002 Salt Lake Olympics. Kyle Okposo contributed an assist to the victory.

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I thought this was a cool picture, so here's the cover of the 2008-09 End of Season Media Guide...

(This post was originally published at http://www.hockeybuzz.com/blog.php?post_id=21092)

Excitement, Business Trend Upward

The Islanders are reporting that their recent triumph in the Draft Lottery has sparked excitement in the fan base and, more importantly, business in the ticket office.

According to a May 1st press release, interest in tickets for next season has grown since the April 14th drawing that deposited the No. 1 overall draft pick in the Islanders' deep but full-of-holes pockets. Phone calls and e-mail inquiries are up 300 percent compared to the same time a year ago.

The team also states that it is on pace to renew almost 90 percent of 2008-09's season tickets. Over the previous three seasons, that number ranged from 67 percent to 80 percent. The Islanders ranked 6th in the NHL this past year in new season tickets. Of course, while that's a positive trend, you have to account for the fact that some teams simply do not have a lot of season tickets left to sell. But the team reports being 40 percent ahead of last year's pace.

Business is good enough (or has leveled off enough—just trying to keep it real) that you can place deposits for partial plans and group tickets as well. A deposit now gets you seat selection priority later—the schedule and details of the partial packages are not yet available. At this year's Draft Party on June 26th, interested parties will be able to tour the available seating areas. (I imagine they should get that part of the event done before the pick is made.)

No doubt this press release is intended to drum up even more business and create a perception about the buzz surrounding the team. But you also have to acknowledge that there should be extra buzz this offseason. With the performances by Kyle Okposo and Mark Streit last season, you know that there's always something to see when you watch an Islanders game. With the possibility of seeing a potential star added to the lineup on June 26th, and the continued development of other young talents, there should be a bump in excitement.

Of course, there is still a sense of hesitation that prevails with some fans due to the increased politicization of the Lighthouse Project. In the past week alone, we've seen one blog assert that a political party opposes the project because of fears that it will increase the numbers of the other party on voter registration rolls. And another blog shines light on the strangeness that has the company backing the Town of Hempstead's evaluation of the Draft Generic Environmental Impact Statement also contributing to the Committee to Elect the town's supervisor—but perhaps also consulting for the Lighthouse Development Group.

So it's understandable when some say they refuse to commit their hard-earned savings to a team that might not be here very long. If it were me, and spending the necessary money was reasonable and provided sufficient joy, I would want to enjoy the team as long as I could.

So what's it going to be? Are you swept up by the excitement being trumpeted by the team, or beat down by the immovable project?

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In World Championship action, Team USA opened the Qualification Round with a decisive 6-2 victory over France. Kyle Okposo opened the scoring just 4:02 into the game. He later assisted on the goal that staked the U.S. to a 4-0 lead in the second period.

Team USA meets Russia Saturday afternoon at 2:15 ET before facing Mark Streit and Switzerland on Monday to finish out the round.

The Swiss surprisingly lost to Latvia 2-1 in a shootout in their opening game of the Qualifying Round. Streit assisted on the game-tying goal with just 1:31 remaining in the third period and played 34:30 total.

Okposo and Streit Win World Championship Opening Games

Kyle Okposo and Mark Streit both emerged victorious in their first contests at the 2009 IIHF World Championship in Switzerland.

Earlier today, Team USA defeated Latvia 4-2. Okposo assisted on a Jack Johnson goal at 11:15 of the first period to tie the game 1-1. Johnson would score the eventual game winner unassisted with four and a half minutes to go in the second period.

Drew Stafford (unassisted) and Patrick O'Sullivan (from Ron Hainsey and Dustin Brown) also scored for the U.S. The team finished 0-4 on the power play. Robert Esche made 18 saves for the win.

Okposo took two shots on goal, finished +2, and received 15:53 of ice time.

Going by the game notes, it looks as though Okposo (St. Paul) is playing on an All-Minnesota second line with T.J. Oshie (Warroad) and David Backes (Minneapolis).

Team USA returns to the ice Monday at 10:15 EDT to face Austria.

Yesterday, Streit assisted on a power play goal that accounted for all the scoring as Switzerland held off France 1-0. Martin Gerber recorded the shutout.

Streit's name inexplicably does not appear on the individual stats report page of the game summary, so you can just assume that he took 12 of Switzerland's 42 shots on goal and logged 38:42 of ice time.

The Swiss next face Germany on Sunday.

Numbers: Okposo Answers the Challenge

Back in February, a blog entry I wrote challenged Kyle Okposo to insert himself back into the Calder Trophy talk after a disappointing first half of the season. The point wasn't that he had a realistic shot at winning the award.

By performing up to a certain level for the remainder of the season, he could establish benchmarks from which to launch the type of career we're all hoping he has. He could also remind the NHL community that he is a player in the class of those who will ultimately compete for the award.

At the time, I wrote the following:

Okposo should set two goals to pursue for the remainder of the season. The first is to maintain the elevated level of play that saw him post six points in a five-game stretch from the end of January to the beginning of February. By becoming a consistent performer, he can establish himself as a go-to guy on a team that sorely needs one.

The second goal is strongly correlated with the first one, but goes a step further. Through his play, Okposo should force people—fans and media—to put him in the mix for the Calder Trophy...

...Okposo has ten goals and nine assists in 39 games played this season. Let's set an ambitious but reasonable bar for the rest of the way. How does 12 goals and 12 assists over the final 30 games sound? That would result in a 43-point season in 69 games. That's a good mark for a 20-year-old to launch a career from if you ask me.

That was on February 10th. Okposo played in 25 of the Islanders' final 29 games after that date. In those 25 games, he tallied 8 goals and 12 assists. The 20 points in his final 25 games enabled Okposo to finish the season with 39 points in 65 games.

Frankly, when I came up with 12-12-24 numbers as a goal, I thought he would have a harder time notching the assists than the goals. Instead, he hit the assist mark right on the nose. Who knows what would have happened if he hadn't missed four of the final six games?

Realistically, Okposo still would have fallen a little short of the goal mark. And, you know, I don't hear anyone talking about him in the same breath as the anticipated Calder finalists.

But color me impressed anyway. (And, as long as we're talking colors, the Red, White, and Blue were apparently impressed, too.)

Along the way, Okposo put up his second four-game goal scoring streak of the season. He also had an eight-game point scoring streak after putting together two separate five-game streaks earlier in the season.

Okposo finished his season by amassing six goals and ten assists in the final 14 games that he played. I'd love to see what the final totals would have been if not for those missed games and the rust they left for the final two contests.

But you know what I'd like to see more? A full season of Okposo scoring at the rate of .77 points per game that he achieved after Christmas. In fact, since that translates to a 63-point season, I think he can do even better.

He might even be able to do better without the help of John Tavares. But that's one hypothesis I don't think we need to test.

****

Playing without Okposo tonight, the Bridgeport Sound Tigers rallied from a 4-1 deficit to defeat the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins 5-4 in OT.

Sean Bentivoglio had the overtime winner and an assist. Jon "Mario" Sim finished the night with two goals and an assist. Peter Mannino scored the victory in net. Ben Walter had two assists, as did Chris Lee. Playing together, Sim and Walter each finished +4.

The Penguins scored on three of their four power play opportunities.

Justin DiBenedetto made his professional hockey debut for the Sound Tigers. He finished -1 with two shots on goal and a roughing minor.

The Sound Tigers now trail the best-of-seven opening round AHL playoff series two games to one. The series continues Wednesday night back in Bridgeport, with games 5 and 6 (if necessary) back in PA.

(This post was originally published at http://www.hockeybuzz.com/blog.php?post_id=20770.)

Two-Minute Minors for 4/16/09

• Lighthouse Hockey has some interesting perspective on Brian Burke's involvement in the upcoming Tavares/Hedman selections.
  
  
• It was nice to see Billy Jaffe get the plum gig of Flyers-Pens on Versus last night. His star has really risen fast.
  
  
• The Islanders' broadcast team was further represented in the postseason by Butch Goring, who got the call to man the studio desk alongside Deb Placey on the MSG Network's local coverage.
  
  
• Congratulations to Kyle Okposo for officially being named to the Team USA roster for the IIHF World Championship in Switzerland. I was also pleased to see that Mark Streit will get the opportunity to represent his country as it hosts the tournament. Now, both of you, stay healthy. The same goes for Sean Bergenheim, if he does take the ice for Finland.
  
  
• Speaking of Okposo, Okposo Net reports that #21 celebrates his 21st birthday today. Word is that he will be wearing #12 for the Sound Tigers this weekend, so, with back to back games Friday and Saturday, maybe he will limit his celebratory shot intake to that number instead of the traditional 21. (Disclaimer: I have no idea if Okposo drinks, shots or otherwise.)
  
  
• And there's been a Joe Sacco sighting! The former Islander will join Scott Gordon as an assistant coach to Ron Wilson for Team USA. It's always interesting to hear about what former players who may have slipped out of your consciousness are up to. According to Greg Logan's post in Newsday, Sacco coaches the Lake Erie Monsters of the AHL, which now that I think about it, definitely does ring a bell. Sacco played 98 games for the Isles over two seasons in the late '90s. Looking back at his stats on hockeydb.com, I would have pegged him for more than 6 goals and 3 assists in that time. It's funny what memory can do.
  
  Logan also noted that B.U. sophomore forward Colin Wilson made the U.S. squad, while now former teammate Matt Gilroy did not. I think that's more a reflection of player availability and the respective defense/forward depth charts than a commentary on the potential of Gilroy.
  
  [NEW]: Nice job by Logan getting an update on Gilroy from his agent. It doesn't sound like either party is in the other's plans.
  
  
• If you are not attending this weekend's AHL playoff games at the Coliseum, Tom Liodice of The Tiger Track will be providing the Islanders' official live blog for Games 1 and 2. The coverage will be linked from the Islanders' team site, where Tom has been writing the official game recaps all season long.
  
  
• Tomorrow, 4/17, New York Islander Fan Central closes its doors for good. I just wanted to take the opportunity to recognize the tireless work that NYIFC has done over the past couple of years. There was no greater source for news articles related to the New York Islanders. The blog will remain available for the next few weeks to allow for coverage of the AHL playoffs and WC through news feeds.
  
  
• Corey Witt has provided notice that Doug Weight will appear on XM's NHL Live today at 12:30 PM.
  
  
• Here's something that caught me by surprise last night: I already miss Islanders hockey. I was thinking ahead to today and all that the day would have in store. When I got to Thursday evening, it suddenly hit me: no Islanders game. It's Thursday night—there's usually a game. There should be a game. As much of a baseball fan as I am, at least there's also still hockey to follow, even if the Islanders are only involved in it at the AHL and international levels. And after only one night, this year's NHL playoffs already have considerable buzz and appeal.
  
  
• Finally, another big thank you to everyone who tuned in for Tuesday night's live blog/chat of Garth Snow's post-lottery press conference. My assumption is that the call was never planned to be that long in the first place, and perhaps the Islanders only reserved 15 minutes on the conference bridge system. When the time was up, the call simply dropped. Press conferences generally do have time limits placed on them by the media relations department—part of their job is to protect the players and coaches. The coach's post-game presser rarely goes beyond five minutes. Anyway, despite the abrupt ending on Tuesday, we still got some decent, if not dramatic, quotes from the general manager. In the end, the short call was fortuitous because I had time to open up the chat to reader comments. You guys did not disappoint! We had some terrific questions and comments, and I was blown away by the level of interest and participation. You all make the community—great job!

(This post was originally published at http://www.hockeybuzz.com/blog.php?post_id=20693.)

Deep Quotes by Mark Streit and Sean Bergenheim

At some point last season, I stopped recording the post-game locker room interviews on my voice recorder. It was no longer necessary because by the time I got home after a game, video of all of interviews was already posted on Islanders TV.

As you may have noticed, the blanket coverage that used to be provided by ITV has been scaled back. Lately, you usually get Scott Gordon's press conference posted after each game and nothing further. That's the case so far tonight.

If you read Newsday and The New York Post, you will get some of the best quotes from the player post-game scrums in the game recaps by Greg Logan and Dan Martin. But, because the papers have deadlines and limited space, you'll never get the complete take from the night's interview subjects in the absence of the ITV videos. Since I don't have to write a gamer and I don't have a deadline or space restriction, I thought you might enjoy hearing a little more of what the players had to say.

Here, then, are the full quotes from Mark Streit and Sean Bergenheim following tonight's 3-2 loss to the Flyers. Please note that the questions were asked by multiple members of the media and are not presented here verbatim. The questions as stated here do reflect the intent and the spirit with which they were asked. The responses from the players are direct quotes.

Mark Streit

How does today's game compare to recent efforts that resulted in lop-sided losses?

Well, obviously, you can't really compare it. We played way better tonight. Smarter and better effort, obviously. But you know what, at the end of the day it's a loss, too.

What's behind the recent losing after playing well for a long stretch?

Well, it's obviously frustrating. We played some pretty good hockey over a while and then we kind of lost it. I think we're missing consistency in our game and that's a big part in this league. If you want to play well, if you want to make the playoffs, you have to play consistent and we don't do that yet.

Are the recent results attributable to injuries or inexperience?

Obviously it would be nice to play healthy once in a while. It never happened this year. It's been one of those years. It's a very young team. You gotta make the experience and hopefully next year we're going to be better and improve in those certain areas.

How was the team's 5-on-5 play against the Flyers?

We played way better. We made smarter plays, we skated harder, and we kept it really simple. Still, against teams like that you make a couple of small mistakes and they take advantage of that right away. We have to learn and get better at it.

Has it been harder to be as effective against teams that are still playing for something?

I don't think so. Even before that kind of slump we had, we played well and we faced teams that are in the playoff race. The road trip we had in Canada, we played Montreal, we played well. We played in Boston, we played well. We played in Chicago, we played well. We have a young team, lots of injuries—that's just the way it is this year.

Does seeing a team like Philadelphia go from the bottom of the league to the playoffs so quickly give him hope?

Yeah, things can go really fast. I mean, even teams like Washington and Pittsburgh, obviously, Ovechkin and Crosby, Malkin, every year is draft choices. But, still, it can go really fast. You have a good core of young, very talented players and I think they make good experiences this year. You know, they play a lot, they play in key situations, they face good teams, and those experiences are very important for next year. And, you know what? The rest is up to the management. You know, just be here and try to do as good as possible as a player. That's basically what it is.

Does the team need to draft an offensive player or a defensive player?

Well, I think, yeah, we need kind of like a sniper, goal scorer. I think when Ricky's healthy and we have our whole D corps, we have a pretty good defense we can build on and a lot of good talent up front. And, obviously, one or the other guy who can put the puck in the net wouldn't hurt for next year. But, you know what? That's out of my hands and I do as good as possible to be ready for next year, be even better.

Sean Bergenheim

How does he think his line played?

I think our line played well. We should have had at least one, maybe two more goals. It's a little bit frustrating. I think we created chances, but we just didn't bury them. I mean, we got one, but it's a little bit frustrating because we feel we should have scored at least another one.

How did Okposo play in his first game back from 11 days off with an injury?

Great. He's such a good player you don't really notice it that much. I don't know how he felt. He said he felt really good. When I came back I noticed it a little bit in the conditioning, but I think Kyle skated well. I personally didn't notice anything. He played his game, which is always really good.

Does he himself feel close to 100% physically after a few games back?

Yeah, absolutely. I think the first, the Carolina game, the conditioning wasn't really at the game level, but these last two games have felt really good. Obviously, you want wins so you kind of feel a little bit down but the body feels good.

Have injuries caught up to the team and affected the last stretch, in which they've lost 9 of 11 after playing .500?

Yeah, I would say so. At some point, it's going to show. A game like today, also I think the Pittsburgh game, we played pretty well. Then they get a few goals and we really can't keep up after that. There's a lot of good stuff in our game, but we're a little bit off so we that don't get those wins. I would say that injuries are maybe catching up a little.

Which player should the team choose if they get the No. 1 draft pick?

I know there's talk about these two players, Tavares and Hedman. It's something that we can't control. I think both of those players would bring a lot to this team. Even if Hedman is a defensman, he's going to bring a lot offensively, too. That's why we have good scouts, and a good GM, and they're going to make the decision. So, it's not up to the players.

Has he seen Hedman?

Yeah, I've seen him. I think both players are impressively good, so we're going to see what comes out of the draft there for us.

Has he seen more of Hedman than Tavares? Has he played against Hedman?

I think I have. I can't remember—I'm sure I have because I played that one year in Sweden. I can't remember. But I've seen him on TV. I've probably seen him more than Tavares. Yeah, I would say so (Hedman has a lot of offensive skill). He's a pretty good all-around defenseman. You don't see those come that often.

Is the team headed in the right direction?

Absolutely. I think the coach had a pretty good quote there in one newspaper. He said that the first half of the season felt like three years and the last half was like a month and a half. That tells you something. I think a lot of the players, I know I feel the same way too, when things are fun, when things are going well and in the right direction, time goes by a little bit faster too. I think we're all positive and there's a good atmosphere here. We've got a few missing pieces to this team and then we're going to be...personally, I think there's a bright future here and I think everybody here thinks the same way.

(This post was originally published at http://www.hockeybuzz.com/blog.php?post_id=20590.)

The Dish on Bailey's Dishing

Every time I see Josh Bailey display his natural offensive abilities while scoring a goal, I'm encouraged that he will reach his full potential as an offensive threat in the NHL. His power play goal in the third period of last night's win over the Lightning is certainly a prime example of the full stable of talents that Bailey can bring to the Islanders' offense.



On the goal, which you can watch above, Bailey used speed, instincts, and hands to get behind the Lightning penalty kill, receive a fine pass from Blake Comeau, and beat Mike McKenna from in close.

It is this type of effort that makes me hope that Bailey is not too pre-programmed to always think pass first.

Sure, playmaker is the role he has grown up with and it is the role he is expected to fill for the Islanders. But we have seen convincing glimpses of what Bailey can do with the puck on his own stick.

So does Bailey have to be aware of his mindset on the ice so that he doesn't always defer to his playmaking abilities when a goalscoring opportunity arises? Here's what he told me:

"I'm always going to think that I'm more of a playmaker than a goalscorer. Since I was little I've always been like that, so I always think pass before I shoot. I'm just trying to open my eyes a little more, to shoot a little more. It'll open passes up when I do that. I think that's something I've been working on this year."

At this stage of his career, I'm glad that he's conscious of defaulting to a single role when he's capable of developing into so much more. That is to say (and forgive the ridiculously lofty comparisons), I hope he's thinking more Bryan Trottier or Steve Yzerman than Adam Oates.

Of course, if he achieves even two-thirds of any of their career point totals, he'll have had a fantastic career. But you get the point. Bailey is too young to settle for being a 15-20 goal guy when the sky is still the limit.

By the way, I'm fairly convinced that by this time next season no one will be wondering if Bailey would have been better served by playing an extra year in juniors in 2008-09. He is well positioned for an Okposo-like progression.

In other news, Yann Danis doesn't know what the coaching staff has in store for him and Joey MacDonald for the final week of the season, nor does he think knowing necessarily helps him.

"I don't know if they have planned it out or not. They haven't told us, so I don't know. You just have to stay ready, no matter what happens."

Danis also told reporters that he hates losing and hates not playing at his best. He said it was huge for him to have the opportunity to bounce back and get in a rhythm again. Danis seems to have just the right balance of fire and cool these days.

Finally, I have been referring to Joel Rechlicz as "Wrecker" for some time now. I now have unmitigated reason to believe that the proper nickname is "Recker." So from here on, we drop the W.

(This article was originally published at http://www.hockeybuzz.com/blog.php?post_id=20468.)

Saturday's Leftovers

What's the rule of thumb for how long you should keep leftovers before you throw them out? In my family it was always three days. Let's see...Sunday, Monday, Tuesday. Yup, better use these now or they'll be no good tomorrow.

Saturday night's leftovers...(*New fresh ingredients below!)

****

The integrity of the game is paramount in competitive sports, particularly at the collegiate and professional levels. So I'm surprised there hasn't been more criticism of Scott Gordon for using Brendan Witt in the shootout against the Flyers.

Sure, it was a topic of conversation. In fact, before Gordon entered the press room, it was pretty much all that was being talked about. And, if you watched the press conference, the very first question from Stan Fischler was about Witt in the shootout. Gordon treated the subject lightly, and went on to back up his choice by saying that his defensemen had performed well in practice shootouts. If I'm the Penguins or the Avalanche, or anyone else jockeying for any kind of position in the NHL standings, that's not good enough for me.

You can do things to reward players in concert with the game's integrity. Putting a big guy in front of the net on the power play is established practice. I can stomach that reward for a player like Witt, though I never believed it would bring about any long term power play success. I can't get on board with this one, though. Islanders fans would be none too happy if the Avs threw Adam Foote out there for a shootout at this stage of the season, and he has 66 career goals.

It's nice to be able to play things a little loose, to have some fun, when wins and losses are secondary to competing and developing. But I think you have to take a closer look when it impacts the rest of the league.

****

Rob McGowan, who writes his Islanders blog on HockeyBuzz and is also a member of the Blog Box, made an interesting observation during the course of Saturday night's physical mayhem. He said that for all the talk of Ted Nolan's teams being tough and physical, they never hit the way this Islanders team does.

So, does Kyle Okposo think that his team's physical style is providing an advantage against teams that aren't expecting it from a team that is challenged in the size department? I wish I could tell you that he took the bait, but here's what Okposo actually had to say:

"I don't think so. Everybody watches video in the league and they know that we're gonna come hard. I'm sure that they're expecting a hard game when we play them."

Ah, yes, the boring reality of the video age, where everyone knows what's coming all the time. The Islanders opponents can probably play Scott Gordon's system better than the Islanders can. John Stevens probably has clips of Tim Jackman's hitting technique on his iPhone. (I have no idea if John Stevens has an iPhone.)

****

After Doug Weight had been interviewed, after Yann Danis, and after Okposo had walked in, a very large, bearded man appeared on the carpet inside the Islanders' dressing room. He proceeded to ask blogger Dee Karl how she liked the game in soft, sweet, caring tones. You know the stereotype of the hockey pugilist who's actually a gentle giant off the ice? Meet Joel Rechlicz.

Of course, Wrecker is happy to be in the NHL, and at this stage of an NHL career, most would go out of their way to be accommodating. But watching him hold court with reporters and bloggers alike, there is no mistaking that he is the genuine article—a guy who gets, and embraces, his role with the team, appreciates the opportunity, will do whatever it takes to be a fixture, and understands that the people surrounding him after a game find him very interesting.

Did I mention that he's huge? Put him in a superhero outfit and you've got yourself a movie franchise. Off-ice character and demeanor aside, maybe referring to him as soft, sweet, and caring wasn't such a good idea.

****

If you missed the interview that HNLI Steve and I did with Greg Logan on Saturday, you can still listen to the archived show on the Hockey Night on Long Island show site. Greg did a really great spot with us, and I may add some quotes if I have time to transcribe them. You may have read the story he told about Mark Streit and Bruno Gervais in Greg's most recent Islanders Insider column in Newsday.

*Logan has more on Gordon's use of Witt in the shootout. He also reports that Streit is day-to-day with a strained groin and did not make the trip to Washington. Let's hope he didn't injure it in the shootout! (Kidding.)

Island Hopping

Two games in two days, four days off. Two games in two days, three days off. Lately, the schedule brings to mind island hopping. With the most recent two games anchored in the middle of a nine-day ocean, I think it's a good time to reset.

So put on your seatbelts as we take this puddle jumper on a three-hour tour of the Islanders archipelago.

Greg Logan reports that Kurtis McLean's footy foot injury is a dastardly ruptured Achilles tendon. Saying that this type of injury is a major impediment to the career prospects of a 28-year-old career minor leaguer may be an understatement. All the best to Kurtis for a quick and successful recovery.

A lot of people want to get on him for the way in which he injured himself. These types of cross-training warmups are fairly common throughout sports. A pitcher loosening his arm by throwing a football (or in El Duque's case, a softball) is probably the most common example. I'm not going to get on McLean because I'm in no position to say whether the injury was directly caused by the activity. It's entirely possible that the tendon was already vulnerable and regular hockey activity would have brought the same result. That being said, I think it's worth it for trainers and physicians to explore further whether it's risky for even highly conditioned athletes to engage in activities that use the body in ways that aren't required by their normal training. But, again, sometimes you just get hurt.

Also in Newsday, Tim Jackman is satisfied with his role but still looking to improve his game, and Joey MacDonald is ready to return. This is an important stretch for MacDonald as he's lost some ground to Yann Danis. On the other hand, perceptions being what they are (hard to shake), MacDonald might do better on the open market than Danis.

In the most recent Islanders Insider, Brendan Witt and Kyle Okposo do not have a problem with Alexander Ovechkin's 50th goal celebration, and Garth Snow compares Okposo's stickhandling ability to a lizard's tongue. The column also makes us relive the horror of Teemu Selanne breaking Mike Bossy's record for goals by a rookie. (For me, the horror was not the celebration, but the fact that the record was broken.)

The Ovechkin question is a weird one for me because I usually can't stand this type of scripted celebration. Generally speaking, if you hit a home run, and that's your job, round the bases and get off the field in a dignified manner. If you're a wide receiver and you catch a touchdown pass, you have similarly merely done your job.

Of course, there are times when circumstances call for, and intrinsically create, displays of enthusiasm. Such displays often endure as a classic moments, whereas their scripted counterparts run for a day and a half on SportsCenter. Ovechkin's 50th is clearly the latter. However, his hot stick routine came across more as Look how much fun I'm having! than simply Look at me! That doesn't mean that Rick Tocchet won't have someone take a run at him next time. In this game, that's okay too.

In the Post, Dan Martin confirms what many of us having been saying all year: the current players aren't at all focused on who might be joining them from the 2009 NHL Draft class.

Point Blank shows that time heals by throwing some love to this space's actual lease holder (I'm the sub-tenant), BD, and also speculates that Thursday night's Meet Me at the Marriott event will be more interesting than you might have anticipated. Messrs. Wang, Rechler, and Suozzi have something up their sleeves?

Lighthouse Hockey gives careful and well-thought-out consideration to re-signing Doug Weight. It's a complicated equation, and Dominik does a terrific job of breaking down the contribution factors.

Following the recent no-point weekend(!), the Isles stand six points clear of Tampa Bay and eight points clear of Colorado for 30th place in the overall standings.

Starting Wednesday night, the Isles play three games in four days (Minnesota at home on Wed., at Detroit on Friday, and back home for Philadelphia on Saturday). The Wild come into town with a disappointing 34-30-8 record (4th in the Northwest division, right on the playoff bubble in the Western Conference). The holders of one of the best looking home jerseys in the NHL finally got Marian Gaborik back, but now face a stretch without leading scorer Mikko Koivu. The Wild will pay a visit to the Garden tonight before heading east to take on native Minnesotans Okposo and Jack Hillen (pending Andy Sutton's return).

By Sunday, we should be able to put much of the calculating to rest. One thing you can be sure of: St. Louis and Stamkos, Stastny and Svatos, and Mueller and Turris aren't playing for draft position either.

(This post was originally published at http://www.hockeybuzz.com/blog.php?post_id=20205.)

Isles Drop Hard-Fought 2-1 Decision to Bruins

If you thought the resurgent Islanders might start dropping more points against top teams on the road, you might be a realistic Islanders fan.

If you thought the resurgent Brendan Witt could still occasionally be taken advantage of by younger, faster players, you might be a realistic Islanders fan.

If you hoped this whole post was going to sound like an old Jeff Foxworthy routine, you might be out of luck.

Indeed, Phil Kessel did make Witt look silly as the two met up at the Islanders' blue line early in the first period. The meeting didn't last long. Kessel left Witt flat-footed before feeding Marc Savard, who beat Yann Danis to give the Bruins a 2-0 lead before five minutes had elapsed.

Just over a minute earlier, Kessel had found himself the benefactor of a fortuitous bounce. He easily buried the loose puck to get the Bruins off to a fast start.

The Islanders played a first period that was much less fluid than their recent efforts. They fought the puck and made poor passes as the Bruins gave them little time to make plays.

It took a little longer than it did the other night in Montreal, but the Isles did eventually right the ship and put up a good fight in this 2-1 loss.

Kyle Okposo plays like a fullback who refuses to be brought down as three linemen and two linebackers jump on top of him. I wouldn't be surprised if one day he scores a goal by skating the puck across the goal line while dragging three opponents with him. How long before we start calling him El Toro?

As if that's not enough, on a second period power play, Okposo skated the puck back behind his own net with Patrice Bergeron in pursuit, and then turned up ice and skated away from Bergeron to lead the rush. Apparently he wants everyone to know that he could be a tailback too.

And there were other pluses to recount. Mark Streit displayed his brilliance once again on an individual effort, 3/4 of the rink rush to score the only goal of the game for the Isles. Streit took advantage of the extra space on a 4-on-4, and a wrong guess by Zdeno Chara allowed the Isles' leading scorer to burst through the offensive zone and get a clear look at Tim Thomas.

Bruno Gervais look as confident as he ever has carrying the puck through the neutral zone.

Danis was not at all fazed by the two quick early goals. And, just for comparison's sake, Danis has been playing solid to spectacular goal for two months now, not just one.

On the questionable side, Scott Gordon continues to take liberties with his game strategy. Despite his recent positive assessment of Joel Rechlicz's ability to contribute at the NHL level, Gordon didn't roll the agitator out there for a regular shift. Wrecker played a season-low 3:35 over five shifts.

Gordon also played clear favorites with his defensemen. Jack Hillen only saw the ice for 13:57, while Thomas Pock got off the bench for a scant 9:19. Fortunately, Gordon does have a solid core of four to lean on, so he can distribute major minutes to the pairings he prefers. Streit, Gervais, Witt, and Radek Martinek all played between 22 and 27 minutes.

Finally, if your power play has been struggling, and your second unit features Jeff Tambellini (fine), Andy Hilbert, and Witt up front, maybe it's time to take a look at Mike Iggulden's big frame down low with the man advantage instead of experimenting with Witt there.

I'm all for rewarding a hard-working, gritty player like Witt once in a while, but I'd like to think that the strategies Gordon employs now are geared toward future implementations. I don't think this one follows.

All in all, though, the Islanders continue to play entertaining hockey. That's all anyone can really ask of this season at this point.

(This post was originally published at http://www.hockeybuzz.com/blog.php?post_id=20058.)

Bergenheim Emerges (It's Our Time Down Here!)

[Those on the Islanders beat (Greg Logan, Chris Botta) are reporting that there will be no announcement tonight. Furthermore, there is no anticipation of an announcement at any particular time. Remember, Guerin always retained the right to refuse a trade. And GMs (Snow included) retain the right to change their minds. We now return you to your regularly scheduled program, Bergelicious: The Sean Bergenheim Story.]


In the midst of the hoopla surrounding the location and destination of Bill Guerin, there was a hockey game last night. I will leave the chasing of Guerin to the better connected for now.

Yann Danis posted his second consecutive shutout at home in a 2-0 Islanders victory over the Buffalo Sabres. But this was Sean Bergenheim's night.

The Islanders are a 30th place team in a 30-team league. They have won only 19 of 62 games this season (.306), and in the process of selling off most of their established talent to the most desperate bidder.

Yet, this will be the third gushing article I've written on an Islanders player in the last couple of weeks. And I've only complimented Danis and his impressive play in passing.

Bergenheim is a 5'10", 205-lb. left wing who was drafted by the Islanders 22nd overall in 2002. Now 25 years old, he has been playing on the fringe of the organization's plans for a few years now. You know the story—flashes of what could be if could ever figure it out and pull it together. Kyle Okposo seems to have done that at the age of 20. Some people just take a little longer.

For much of this season, talk of the Islanders' youth core has centered around Okposo, Josh Bailey, Blake Comeau, Frans Nielsen, and Jeff Tambellini. Bergenheim was often an afterthought in that conversation. Oh, yeah, it would be nice if he developed, too.

In accounting for all of the Islanders' scoring last night against the Sabres, Bergenheim established a career high in goals with 11. He has three goals in two games, four goals in the last four, and seven points in eight games. Like Okposo before him, Bergenheim has figured out that his time is now. (I would have given you a picture of the Goonies with Okposo and Bergenheim's faces photoshopped in saying, "Down here it's our time. It's our time down here!" But it's a busy day so you'll have to settle for the mental image right now.)

Also like Okposo, Bergenheim has shown, as he did last night, that he can play the role of the go-to guy for this team when necessary. It's not just that he's scoring consistently. It's also the manner of his offensive contributions. On the first goal last night, he battled for position in front of the net and was rewarded with a loose puck, which he whirled around on and threw past Patrick Lalime almost blindly.

On the second goal, it was tenacious forechecking by Bergenheim that caused Derek Roy to cough up the puck deep in the Buffalo end. The puck ended up on Nielsen's stick behind the net. He fed Bergenheim, now camped out at the side of the net, and Bergie shoveled it past Lalime to ice the game with just over two minutes remaining.

It was this emergence of Bergenheim as a go-to guy, along with similar play from Okposo, that led me to ask Scott Gordon in the post-game about the younger players realizing the need to fill the impending leadership void. Gordon, in an answer that was more revealing than I had anticipated, admitted to having spoken to those players already (updated with full quote):

"I actually addressed a few of our younger players at one point. I went right to the point and I said, 'In this group here there's going to be two captains. It's what you're going to do in the second half that's going to allow me to make that decision.' When it'll happen, I don't know, but there's a good mix of character in our room."

So they didn't merely sense an opportunity. They have been challenged, and some of them have already accepted. You have to have guys on your roster who will take turns saying, "I'm going to win this game tonight." Bergenheim appears at ease with that role. Maybe he always was. But now he can back it up.

Gordon also explained that he showed Bergenheim video of the things Okposo was doing right to elevate his offensive game. It seems Bergenheim is a fast learner.

Gordon's methods have been under heavy examination this year. As Newsday reports, they have not gone over that well in some circles—so much so that it's no longer necessary to ask whether Bill Guerin has expressed a desire to re-sign this summer after being traded away. Regardless of that controversy, and setting aside the record, this season will conclude with some success stories.

(This post was originally published at http://www.hockeybuzz.com/blog.php?post_id=19707.)