Take Deep Breath, We Finally Got One !

So after the Islanders fell and toppled like a set of pathetic dominoes on Saturday night, the newly resilient team fought hard, and, for almost sixty minutes last night, crept away with two points. Winning rookie goalie Big Mac stated after the game, “We need to play sixty minutes; tonight we played fifty minutes... It's really disappointing." And he's right. The Islanders must play the full sixty minutes and not hesitate or back off for the remaining ten odd minutes, even if they re leading by three. The Islanders made an improvement from Saturday's collapse, but they need to play an entire hockey game, like the rest of the league's teams. The islanders’ seven points is not a direct reflection of how the team has played overall, but how the team crumbles late in games.

Again, the familiar follies occurring game in and out are the lazy penalties, the lack of back checking after a neutral zone turnover and icings. "It seems like every game we struggle with the penalties", coach Gordon stated after the game. Late in third periods this season, nearly every game the Islanders have taken poor penalties, giving their opponents enough chances to take the game back from them ( Carolina, Philadelphia, New York, Montreal, and now Columbus). The solution to this problem is quicker shifts, more line changing and more heads up play from veterans who need to set the tempo of the game, late in the third. This team has the potential to play deep into April but they must seal the lid on the Victory Jar in the third.

Unexpected, yet timely, clutch offense from Islanders' defensemen Chris Campoli, and forward Richard Park sparked the Islanders during Monday night’s win over Columbus. On park, Coach Gordon added, “On the penalty kill, he did a tremendous job, and the face-offs... this was his best game of the year." Not only did Park accredit for two of the goals, but it's his consistent, every day simple play hockey style that he contributes to help this team. Camploi, who scored shorthanded in the second and the winning goal in overtime, said, “Tonight was a great win. We're a team trying to find our identity." Well, just what is the islanders’ identity? They appear to be a fresh, young team that pounces early and passes out late. The Islanders face cross town rivals the New York rangers tonight and Campoli mentioned that the islanders need to go in there (Madison Square Garden) tonight and show them (Rangers) what they've really got.

During last night's second period intermission, around the time in the locker room where Gordon may or may not be giving his standard "Let's Blow the game now speech", i happened to ctach my third tee shirt of the season in the Blog Box courtesy of the Ice Girls. Here, I am pictured with three young Islanders fans, who in fact sat in the box for a brief moment with me and discussed hockey. One of the lucky guys got to keep my shirt as he answered three Islanders' trivia questions I had asked him.





If the Islanders can build from last night's victory and the momentum from the last two games hustle, they should prove to the Rangers that they are still a New York team that can beat them six times, like they did last season. Let's hope tonight that Okposo is still paired up with top line mates Guerin and Weight, and we see Park, Hunter and Comrie just as often because for the last few games, Gordon's offense has been clicking, producing back to back four goal efforts.