Hunter, Hilbert Finding A Way in Scott Gordon's New System

Perhaps it's a little early to suggest that both Trent Hunter and Andy Hilbert will really provide for this Islanders team over the course of the season. However, in the first four games of this year, I and Christine have both noticed a slight difference in each player.

With Hunter as the top goalscorer on the team as of late (4 goals, 4 GP), he is starting to show the type of play many had hoped to see from him last season. Last year, he seemed to be all but invisible, doing little things to help his teammates out but not putting the puck in the net. But with a new contract perhaps comes a new incentive to play harder, as Hunter has been doing lately, and it's paying off for the Isles as of late. As they say, though, time will tell if he will continue this pattern.

As for Hilbert, he took no time at all to score his first goal of the season, and seemingly has been looking for more, as he's stepping out and slowly starting to find his role in Scott Gordon's new system. His play has become more confident, as he's finding his way to the net, shooting more, and is even being used more, I think, in the offense. Where he looked insecure and lost in Ted Nolan's system, he's playing with surety now- and even Howie Rose has noticed. Sure, he may never be a true skill player or a huge goalscorer, but as long as he does what he can to put the puck on and in net and make good plays, all the better for him and the team. It also helps that he has some background with Scott Gordon, having played in Providence for him a few years back- no doubt Gordon knows more of him and his game than Nolan did and is willing to give him more of a chance. As the season goes along, it'll be interesting to see if he keeps it up, and I am hoping that he will- it'll make a great story in the months to come.

Therefore, tonight, although the future is uncertain, just keep an eye on these two guys and make the call for yourself.

Bolts Hunt-ed In Overtime

Islanders 4 : Lightning 3 (OT)

If there was one thing missing from Trent Hunter's game last year, it was productivity. Only 12 goals (49 points overall) came from the physical forward all season, and he often seemed a step behind in the play. However, as of late, he seems to be in precisely the right place at the right time. Having scored four goals combined in four games as of today, he scored two of those four, including the overtime winner, last night in a game that perhaps should not have taken 60 minutes and 51 seconds to complete.

For the fourth straight game, Joey MacDonald started in net in place of Rick DiPietro, who might hopefully see the ice on Saturday against Florida, as mentioned by Scott Gordon. MacDonald himself did what he had to do, making 33 saves but not getting tested hard until the third period. The Islanders, as a whole, started off strong and with good effort, building a 2-0 lead over two periods on goals by Mike Comrie and Doug Weight (PP, his second this season). The defense was tough and on target, especially Freddy Meyer, who has continued to impress with his play over the last few games. Although Tampa Bay got a decent amount of shots on goal, the D kept the Bolts from getting quality chances on goal, and throughout the game they took an indecent amount of penalties that gave the Isles tons of chances on offense that they could not capitalize on, despite many shots on the PP (which still needs a little bit of work, although it's largely flowing smoothly as of late).

In the third, though, the Lightning would finally get some offense together, as Vincent Lecavalier opened up and slipped one past MacDonald's pads to make it 2-1, and then Vaclav Prospal turned a huge carom into a goal at 12:02 to tie it up. The Isles took only 1:49 to respond, on Hunter's first goal of the night, but then Ryan Malone, the former Penguins forward with a shiny new contract, tied it up once more with 5:03 to go. The goal exchange was fast, furious, and frustrating to a viewer unsure if the Isles would come away with two points after all.

Fortunately, veteran goalie Olaf Kolzig would get caught wandering early into OT, having come behind net to play the puck and giving it away to Frans Nielsen. Nielsen held onto the puck for a moment, patiently waiting for Hunter to join the play, and then skipped him the pass, which Hunter calmly backhanded for the gamewinner.

The effort was there for the Isles, a nice change from the listless play of Monday afternoon which resulted in a 7-1 Sabres win; however, some key breakdowns led to Lightning opportunities, and Barry Melrose's squad was only too happy to jump on the chances that the D eventually began to provide them. On top of that, the Islanders were unable to put more chances past Kolzig despite all of the chances on the man-advantage, a fact that might be because of the caliber of shots they had, or maybe because of the PP, which scored once but not more than that over the whole game. The good thing about this team, though, is their resilience; they bent, but didn't break, and were able to come back and get two points instead of just one.

Next up is Florida, against a Panthers team that seems to be a tough one for the Isles to crack; but all the Isles need to do is keep the intensity level high and the shots coming, as well as the play clean and disciplined. Also, the D has to make sure they play as well as they did in the beginning of the Tampa Bay game- tough, physical, and with each player covering his man. No giving the Panthers any easy goals.

LET'S GO ISLANDERS!!

Radek Martinek to Miss 4-6 Weeks; Blake Comeau Sent to Bridgeport

Radek Martinek will miss 4-6 weeks with an "upper-body injury" (OY!), likely a shoulder injury suffered against St. Louis in the first period, after a hit by David Backes.

Also, young forward Blake Comeau has been sent down to Bridgeport after reportedly arriving to camp out of shape and with a bit of an attitude problem, although Scott Gordon only commented on his conditioning. After sitting out the first 3 games of the season, apparently Gordon has decided the best choice would be to have him play a few more AHL games before coming back up to try out the NHL.

http://www.islanderspointblank.com/

Isles Speared By Sabres on Kids' Day Matinee

Islanders 1 : Sabres 7

The Dow Jones is slowly rebounding after a week of tumbling in value, gaining over 900 points in one day before the closing bell. Unfortunately, the Isles could not do the same in three periods of play, and so they collapsed in every sense of the word, falling 7-1 on a Columbus Day matinee game, also Kids' Day at Nassau Coliseum.

Down only 1-0 by the end of the first, Joey MacDonald and the Islanders still had a chance to establish their own game and get back into it. However, the Sabres were only getting started- and as the D got lost and confused, and MacDonald was caught vulnerable and less confident as time wore on, Thomas Vanek, Jochen Hecht, and the rest of the Sabres exposed every mistake for their benefit. Hecht slipped the puck through the smallest of holes behind MacDonald to start off, and over three periods the lead only grew, as Vanek (2 goals), Adam Mair, Jason Pominville, Ales Kotalik, and Craig MacArthur all poured on the offense for the Sabres.

It got to the point where, with a 5-0 lead, they provoked the Isles to start a fight that resulted in three ejections. First Nate Thompson and Mair tossed the gloves, but an unnecessary move by new captain Craig Rivet in pulling down Thompson made Sean Bergenheim (not a fighter by any means) tussle with Rivet, and then Brendan Witt got into it with Patrick Kaleta and cracked his head on the ice during a fall. He, Rivet, and Bergenheim all got tossed, with Rivet earning two game misconducts for being the third man in on the Thompson-Mair fight. All of this wouldn't help the Isles, who only got a Trent Hunter toe-drag goal in a match that did not show their disciplined side, with Buffalo scoring on 3 of 12 power play chances.

After the game, Gordon would talk about why he chose not to pull Joey MacDonald after the game became 4-0: "You can't pin it all on the goaltender. I want them to find a way to battle... I know how it feels to play for a coach with a quick hook." This is a good philosophy for the team, particularly the goalies, whose confidence can be shaken easily and who might wonder at times when they'll be pulled to make way for the backup, either for a change of momentum or simply for a break. Keeping confidence in a goaltender and encouraging him to battle through the struggle is key to keeping him in the game mentally. Plus, of course, it is a team sport- a defensive breakdown as a whole leads to disaster, not just the goaltender failing to make the save.

He also mentioned his opinion on the types of penalties the Isles were taking- "If it's not going to save a goal, don't do it... keep your stick on the ice, and keep your feet moving"- and the lack of offense- "I think the only line that generated any type of offense was the Doug Weight line [Jon Sim, Weight and Guerin]." Indeed, to start the second, the Weight line provided a very effective forecheck until the Sabres demoralized the Isles completely. Weight, along with Guerin, provided hard work and continued resilience that the younger players can definiely learn from.

Overall, however, the Isles definitely need to rebound from this, for lack of a better word, embarrassing loss, in which they were simply dominated in every way and, when they couldn't find a way to put the puck in the net, decided to resort to fighting, which didn't improve anything- in fact, it resulted in a top defender for the Isles getting tossed, along with a young forward who provided jump for the offense. On Thursday, in Tampa Bay, the Islanders would do well to keep their sticks on the ice, keep skating, and not lose their cool.

On a sadder note, New York Rangers first-round draft pick Alexei Cherepanov died of a heart attack on the bench during a KHL game earlier today. Reports say it may have been commotio cordis, a sudden disturbance of heart rhythm usually caused by blunt-force impact by a projectile to the chest. This is a terrible tragedy, and we extend our condolences to Cherepanov's family, hockey club, and the Rangers organization.

http://www.iihf.com/home-of-hockey/news/news-singleview/article/russian-talent-dies-in-game.html?tx_ttnews%5BbackPid%5D=955&cHash=5f0548f851

The DiPietro Factor

(written before Isles v. Sabres)

As the first two games of the season are entered into the books, the question arises of what the deal really is with franchise goaltender Rick DiPietro.

TSN reported the "real" reason why DP hasn't played the first two games is because of swelling and fluid around his surgically repaired knee, a story that many seemed to take as fact. Both DiPietro and Scott Gordon have shot down this story as untrue, and Gordon says his reason for benching the goalie is to ensure that he is completely ready to take the ice, as far as both health and preparation go. After all, he reasons, if Rick were less than one hundred percent, why would he take the risk and dress him?

Point? Yes. Proof? No. Of course, it's a great move to be cautious and not rush DiPietro onto the ice once more, simply because you want him to be completely healthy and give his teammates a chance to win every night. Plus, it isn't exactly like Joey MacDonald hasn't been doing that for the Isles lately (2 GP, 4 GA, .927 sv pct., 51 svs). However, the question is, or will be, how long will it take before Rick is completely ready? Gordon said there was "no set time frame" for getting him back into the net, but the longer it takes, the better that TSN report looks, and the less confidence fans will have in DiPietro playing all 15 years of his contract, let alone playing more than 63 games a season. Should DP be back between the pipes sometime this week, all eyes will be on how healthy he appears and how prepared he really is. For now, needless to say, we will be fine with Joey starting. Sooner or later, though, he will need a rest, and we will be wondering about someone who is not only our starter, but the face of this franchise, and one with a lot on his shoulders.

Kids All Right and Then Some in Home Opener

Islanders 5 : Blues 2

Who would have thought we'd be cheering for a goalie other than Rick DiPietro at this point?

Indeed, Joey MacDonald was the story, in net for the second game in a row in place of the still-preparing Rick DiPietro, who along with Scott Gordon denied reports by TSN (cited by this site) that he was suffering from swelling and fluid around his surgically repaired knee. In net, the calm and collected MacDonald made 26 saves and had the sellout crowd cheering "Joey, Joey" all night long.

Just how good was he? Well, for reference, you could cite the robbery of Andy MacDonald (no relation) not even a quarter of the way through the first period. Or the breakaway pad stop on a streaking Keith Tkachuk. Or the unbelievable glove tip to defend a practically empty net. Take your pick- each highlights the level or determination, not to mention of confidence, that MacDonald reached while on the ice. Those saves earned him the first star of the game, a 5-2 home-opening romp that earned new coach Gordon his first win of the game in front of a raucous crowd.

As for the scoring, it was in full swing last night. First came Mike Comrie on a quick rebound of a Richard Park shot through the legs of backup Blues goaltender Chris Mason. Then there was Trent Hunter firing a shot that trickled past Mason's pads on the power play. Afterward, just 1:39 later, Sean Bergenheim aimed right over Mason's left shoulder and sent the horns blasting once more. (OT, he had quite a game tonight!) Then Andy Hilbert, who took 20 games to score his first goal last year, took only a game and period to pocket his first goal of this season, shorthanded, no less. To cap it off in the third after a goal by Brad Boyes and another by Keith Tkachuk (his third in two games), captain Bill Guerin got the easiest first goal of his life, shooting into the empty net.

Defense, on the other hand, was somewhat solid, save for a couple of breakdowns that led to the two Blues goals. Freddy Meyer continued his solid defensive play, and Brendan Witt had some nice blocked shots. However, the defensive corps may have suffered another loss as Radek Martinek went down in the first with what looked to be a shoulder injury, after being hit by David Backes. He did not return to the game.

Jon Sim, though not scoring any goals, also deserve credit for his presence on the ice, especially in front of the net. For two nights in a row, he displayed great forechecking and netcrashing ability, as well as drawing penalties and just making life in general difficult for the Blues. And again, Jeff Tambellini and Kyle Okposo had some good offensive chances (though Tamby might want to work on puck placement a little bit before Monday).

A sloppy third period by the Isles would get the Blues within two, but the Isles would regroup and Joey Mac would see to it that the door closed and stayed that way, with a flurry of saves late in the third period. Scott Gordon (and his very, very nice Isles-colored tie) was thus able to get his first NHL win.

Some digressions...

• Blake Comeau was, oddly, a scratch for last night's game, and a source explained to us that it was because of "attitude problems"- apparently, the youngster's achieved somewhat of a swollen head. If so, then I applaud very sincerely the coach's decision to not dress him for the game- send the message early on that this is your team, and that you will not tolerate any behavior like that. That's the right way to squash potential problems for your squad.
• There were two MacDonalds on the farm-er,ice- last night, named Andy (for the Blues) and Joey (for the Isles). Also, Christine thinks that Joey Mac and Rick DiPietro seem to be a little friendlier than now-KHL goalie Wade Dubielewicz and Ricky were. Check on this as the season progresses.
• Notice a familiar face behind the Blues' bench? Yep, that was one-time Isles head coach Brad Shaw, now an assistant to Andy Murray in St. Louis.
• To the linesman/ref who blatantly ignored Barret Jackman's instigator against Jon Sim and only gave him two minutes- shame on you, sir.
• This was the Isles' sixth straight home-opener win, and it snapped a three-game win streak for St. Louis in Nassau Coliseum.

Off the Bat, Need for Comfort "Outside Comfort Zone"

Islanders 1: Devils 2

The key to start a season off on the right foot, for a team, is to be comfortable on the ice no matter what, to have fun and play your hardest, and also to make sure you know what you need to accomplish. The key to start a season right for a fan is to make sure you come into the game without any ridiculous expectations- in other words, know your team.

There's not much that we do know regarding the Islanders as of yet, other than that they are very young and that there will be a ways to go before anything is truly accomplished. Very little will be established regarding this team in Game 1 of the season, especially when your own coach is green and only getting used to the NHL stage himself.

The game began with a twist of suspense, as Scott Gordon decided to go with Joey MacDonald in net instead of Rick DiPietro (who, it is now reported, is suffering from swelling around his surgically repaired knee http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=252313&lid=sublink01&lpos=headlines_main), a move that he later said was to ensure "that Ricky comes back game-ready." That gave MacDonald the chance to show what he is capable of, and show he did, as he stopped all but two shots in the entire game (27 saves).

The Isles started the scoring off on the power play, with Doug Weight banking a shot off of the skate of Paul Martin and past Brodeur for a 1-0 lead. But Zach Parise came back and scored on the Devs' own power play 3:01 later. Then in the second, the Devils took the lead :49 in, on a terrific crease-crashing play by Patrik Elias off a feed by Brian Gionta and Brian Rolston. After that, the Isles would get PP chances that were lost by a static, unimaginative system and equally throttled by a characteristically strong Devils defensive corps. Defensively, they committed some mistakes that led to chances for New Jersey but were foiled by MacDonald. On the other end of the ice, Martin Brodeur shrugged off the one he allowed, and made 26 saves, including an amazing arm save in the last minute, to notch his 539th career win (12 shy of Patrick Roy's record).

Other than MacDonald, other bright spots were the young players Jeff Tambellini (who showed some good positioning and offensive prowess) and Kyle Okposo (who will hopefully become as dynamic as the club is expecting him to be). Also, Jon Sim showed that he can definitely provide a presence early on, with his reckless, go-get-'em playing style and net-crashing. On D, barring an unlucky turnover which resulted in a goal, Brendan Witt provided his usual shot-blocking that was sorely missed in the last few games of the season, and Freddy Meyer made some solid plays. And lastly, new coach Scott Gordon acquitted himself well over three periods of play, being very involved with his players and talkative behind the bench.

Overall, surely he knows things should and will improve from this point on, starting tonight against another young team in the St. Louis Blues, Doug Weight's old club where he played with old friend Bill Guerin once. The home opener starts at 7 p.m. tonight, and will now most likely not include DiPietro, who will be monitored and evaluated as day-to-day with his knee swelling. Tonight perhaps will feature some more offense and a more fluid PP out of the Isles, and some more solid goaltending from MacDonald. Scott Gordon says he hopes to push his players out of their comfort zone as far as speed and work ethic go... and for the next 81 games, I'd pay close attention to just how far this young team will push themselves.

LET'S GO ISLANDERS!!!

And So It Goes…

On April 11th my Grandmother (Nanny) Mary passed on at the age of 96. It is no coincidence that she became ill and then passed on during the NHL playoffs and the Masters. I love hockey, she loved golf. I’ll never forget sitting at her beside watching the games (and napping while the golf was on…boooooring) and explaining the basics of ice hockey to the nurses. I was very fortunate to spend a lot of time with her growing up and before she passed on however what I have realized in losing the closest person to me, maybe selfishly, it is never enough time. But I take comfort in knowing that she is once again dancing with her husband Arthur, who passed on at the young age of 53. My Nanny was a tremendous influence in my life and so as life goes forward, I will continue to miss her while knowing she is watching over me as a tremendous force from the spirit world. I want to sincerely thank Angie for continuing on with the blog while I took some time off, for her understanding and support, and for finally getting another cell phone so I could hear what the *&% she was saying! Cell phone + rain = communication issues.

And so it goes…and so it went, the season and now the off season – time to catch up

-Dubie has left the building. I hope Russia treats him and his career well. Definitely a presence on the team that will be missed.

-Ted Nolan has left the building. During last season Angie and I debated about Ted being around for the long haul. She said yeh, I said neh. The first tip-off for me was when Ted made the public comment about Andy Hilbert missing an empty net. Beyond it being a wee bit of a shock that he would publicly rag on Hilbert for something that had to totally suck for Hilbert, there was a tone in his voice that seemed reflective of distancing himself as a coach in a way that seemed more than just about Hilbert missing the net. Many blog moons ago I wrote about what appeared to be a deflation in his voice during interviews. Granted this could have been just his general demeanor but overall something didn’t seem ‘right’. While in Philly watching the Isles vs. Flyers (March 9th), it seemed as though (in the second period) that Ted had lost ‘control’ of the team. Freaky deaky thing was that I sat next to a teenager from Washington, DC – we chatted during the game. During the 3rd period he turned to me and said, “It looks like they (Isles) can’t control themselves”. Turns out I met a young hockey Buddha who was picking up on the same vibe. This particular vibe at the game translated into suspecting that he would not be back next season. Whatever the reason(s) for his departure, I would like to thank Ted Nolan for being the main reason why I started going to games again rather than watching them on TV, and for his unknowingly participating in this blog’s snazziest tie contests. Sorry Ted, Butch ‘fly suit and tie’ Goring wiped the floor with everyone else’s ties last season.

-Scott Gordon has entered the building. On August 15th I attended a women’s focus group at the Coliseum, held on the same night of the open house ‘Grillin’ with Gordon’ event. After the focus group was over we all were invited to meet and dine with the new coach. Upon being introduced to Coach Gordon, he sat quite a while and chatted with me, my friend Dom, and Jean, a long time Isles fan and focus group attendee. Among the barrage of questions we asked him (he graciously answered them all), it was his answer to one of Jean’s questions that created a positive first impression with the three of us. Jean expressed her concern about the strength of the Isles defense, asking him something to the effect of how he planned to ensure a strong defense for the upcoming season. At the tail end of his answer he stated, again something to the effect of, ‘if your offense is strong, there’s no need for defense’. His answer was not stated in a way that reflected a lack of focus on a strong defense, it was instead an effective way of getting his point across, evident in the three of us pausing for a few seconds and then, as if we had just been educated in the obvious, nodding our heads in unison, signaling ‘ah, we got that’. As we stood up to leave, I shook Coach Gordon’s hand and said, “Welcome to Long Island, I’m looking forward to seeing what you can extract from the players, I’ll be watching”. Yes I felt like a stalker with that last part but then again, I WILL be watching from section 303 – sitting right smack over center ice.

-The 2008-2009 Islanders will soon enter the building – home opener against St. Louis on Saturday night – after the Isles play their first game against the Devils tonight in NJ. Along with the usual shifts in the Isle’s roster, this season is also starting out during a transition of leadership which means…drum roll please…I have no clue. But I do know what I’d like to blog about after the last game is played – a season known to all as the one that undeniably created the lasting momentum needed to re-build what was once an ice hockey empire.

Everything blue, orange, white or with the Isles logo on it washed…check
Texts to Dom counting down the days until the game sent…check
Stupid traffic on the LIE noted in advance...check

LET’S GO ISLANDERS!!

and now for a better late than never review…

The women’s focus group (August 15, 2008) was an excellent initiative taken by the Isles organization. There were about 15 women in attendance, of different ages and history as an Isles fan. Everyone at the table took part in the discussion and the exchange of ideas with the Isles staff went very well. My agenda for the meeting?

-change the ‘hockey and heels’ night promotion name to something more welcoming to female fans of all ages, and nix calling the designated section Ladyville. (I’ll spare you from the full blurb about how the name ‘could’ denote that the females are the ‘heels’ of this event rather than referring to a shoe type…and heck no I did not ‘go there’ with that part at the focus group – I wanted to avoid a staff member calling the local psych hospital to inquire if anyone had gone missing lately.)

-instead of a fashion show during this promotion night, invite girls and womens hockey teams to play in between periods.

-if the ice girls must continue to exist could they at least PLEASE stop doing Ice Capades moves when shoveling ice into a bucket? (fat chance of that happening)

-change the girls youth hockey (Long Island Lady Islanders) logo to one that is consistent with the Islanders and Junior Islanders logos. As one woman who coaches a girls soccer team stated in agreement, “Every season I tell my players they are soccer players first and girls second”. (I mean could the word Lady in the logo be any BIGGER? Hockey first, gender second.)




At the end of the meeting it seemed as though everyone was in agreement about this event being a success, so much so that a suggestion was made to hold more women’s focus groups in the future. I am looking forward to seeing what initiatives the organization will take this season in response to the focus group. A chat about the focus group with someone who stopped me in the hallway was posted on the Isle’s website.

“A unique focus group for ladies was also set up at the Coliseum. The group was designed to facilitate conversation between female Islanders fans to help improve their overall Coliseum experience. More than a dozen women took part in the group.

“As soon as I heard about it, I knew I wanted to be there,” said Christine, a die-hard Islanders fan who grew up in Hicksville and currently lives in New York City. “I have been watching the Islanders since I was 5 and have watched the development of this team and there are things I am happy about and things that I am unhappy about.”

One thing Christine was certainly happy about was how the focus group went.

“I think everyone thought it was a great idea,” said Christine, “and I believe it went so well, that we are going to do it again. I think it was a great outcome, I couldn’t have asked for better.”” (1)

LET’S GO LONG ISLAND LADY ISLANDERS!!

http://www.iceworksli.com/camp/girlspremier.php


(1) ‘Fans Meet and Greet Gordon’. August 20, 2008, www.newyorkislanders.com

Game Day Preview: Isles @ Devils, 7:00 p.m., Prudential Center- SEASON OPENER

The curtain rises on another season of hockey for both the New York Islanders and the New Jersey Devils tonight, as the Isles come across the river to Newark before their own home opener. It will be the first true test for this young squad, under the leadership of new young coach Scott Gordon, and against a team they have had success against in the past, though there's no telling what this team will achieve in the next 82 games.

First off, the youth infusion Garth Snow has implemented has resulted in players such as Blake Comeau, Jeff Tambellini and Kyle Okposo having permanent roster spots, although there are still some veterans such as captain Bill Guerin, defenseman Brendan Witt and newcomer Doug Weight. With the movement, older forwards such as Miro Satan, Ruslan Fedotenko, and Josef Vasicek have gone elsewhere, leaving a need for the kids to step up and provide offense for the Islanders. Okposo has shown some skill especially in this preseason (five points in nine games, much like he had in the last nine games of the season), and time is still needed to figure out what Tambellini's role will be in the Isles' success. Alternate captain Mike Sillinger has been put on injured reserve, so Richard Park and Doug Weight have received the honors- Park at home, and Weight on the road.

On the defensive side of the puck, injuries have already hurt two of the top six defensemen, as Chris Campoli and Andy Sutton have been put on injured reserve, with Thomas Pock and Jack Hillen filling in their spots. A large part of the missed playoff chance last season was because two-thirds of the blueline had gone down by the time spring came around, and now it is all about getting the defense corps healthy and maintaining depth.

Last but in no way least, Rick DiPietro hopes to rebound and shake off the rust clearly on display Wednesday night in the preseason finale against Florida. The biggest concern is if he'll stay healthy, and how many games he will play to remain so. 60 should be the magic number, as he hasn't seemed to reach the 70-game mark just yet, and likely won't. As for staying content on the Island, as some people have been talking about, I think the major issue is him listening to coach Gordon and taking his advice and criticisms. Some people thought that was a problem between him and former coach Ted Nolan, and it may well have been, but whether it will be or not with Gordon is up to him.

With that said, it looks to be a great matchup between the Isles and the Devils, who have Brian Rolston and Bobby Holik back on the team, and will look to settle the score with the Isles early on. I myself am very excited for the start of the season, and I can't wait for that puck to drop!

LET'S GO ISLANDERS!!!

2008-09 Roster Set

The Islanders roster is all set for 2008-09, and except for an exceedingly fresh face in the form of Josh Bailey, the Isles' first round pick, the list looks pretty predictable.

http://islanders.nhl.com/team/app/?service=page&page=NewsPage&articleid=385315

2008-09 New York Islanders Roster

FORWARDS
12 C Josh Bailey 6-1 188 L 10/2/1989
20 LW Sean Bergenheim 5-10 205 L 2/8/1984
57 RW Blake Comeau 6-1 207 R 2/18/1986
89 C Mike Comrie 5-10 185 L 9/11/1980
13 RW Bill Guerin 6-2 220 R 11/7/1970
11 LW Andy Hilbert 5-11 194 L 2/6/1981
7 RW Trent Hunter 6-3 210 R 7/5/1980
51 C Frans Nielsen 5-11 172 L 4/24/1984
21 RW Kyle Okposo 6-1 200 R 4/16/1988
10 RW Richard Park 5-11 190 R 5/27/1976
18 C Mike Sillinger 5-11 198 R 6/29/1971 16
LW Jon Sim 5-10 195 L 9/29/1977
15 LW Jeff Tambellini 5-11 186 L 4/13/1984
93 C Doug Weight 5-11 196 L 1/21/1971

DEFENSEMEN
14 D Chris Campoli 5-11 190 L 7/9/1984
8 D Bruno Gervais 6-0 188 R 10/3/1984
38 D Jack Hillen 5-11 200 L 1/24/1986
24 D Radek Martinek 6-1 203 R 8/31/1976
44 D Freddy Meyer 5-10 192 L 1/4/1981
17 D Thomas Pock 6-1 210 L 12/2/1981
4 D Brett Skinner 6-1 183 L 6/28/1983
2 D Mark Streit 6-0 197 L 12/11/1977
25 D Andy Sutton 6-6 245 L 3/10/1975
32 D Brendan Witt 6-2 223 L 2/20/1975

GOALTENDERS
39 G Rick DiPietro 6-1 210 R 9/19/1981
35 G Joey MacDonald 6-0 197 L 2/7/1980