Wanted: Goal Scorers

While at Saturday's game, sitting next to a Flyers fan, I noted how our "team full of third-liners" couldn't score goals. I was half-kidding about the third-liners thing... sort of. A day later, after watching 53 shots yield zero goals, it was evident to everybody that the Islanders are in serious trouble.

I'm big on hockey cliches. To me, the most important one is "Put the puck on the net, and good things will happen." Turns out that isn't always true. Let's look at the Isles' last four games.

- 2/26, vs. Pittsburgh: 52 shots, 2 goals
- 2/28, @ Atlanta: 37 shots, 5 goals
- 3/1, vs. Philadelphia: 34 shots, 1 goal
- 3/2, vs. Florida: 53 shots, 0 goals

Noticing a trend here? Shots don't always translate into goals. That's what happens when your top two lines are full of grinders, role players, and Mike Comrie. And, of course, the Isles did nothing at the trade deadline, so we're stuck with this bunch until April. What part of April depends on whether the Isles get bounced in the first round or if they miss the playoffs altogether.

Just about every analyst who has been asked about the Islanders has given a universal answer: "It's going to be impossible to outwork the Islanders. Ted Nolan will make sure they give it their all, and Rick DiPietro can keep them in just about any game. However, their anemic offense will make sure they don't score enough goals to be considered serious playoff contenders." We've all heard this one before; maybe earlier in the season, we dismissed it as hearsay. Now, it cannot be denied - this team simply cannot score goals.

And here's the bad part - goal scorers need great playmakers to get them the puck. Aside from Comrie, who's going to do that? In this decade, we've seen Alexei Yashin and Miroslav Satan be rather ineffective compared to their prior stops due largely to the lack of a supporting cast. With Satan a likely goner after this season, it'll be time to bring in the next big-ticket scorer. Think about this - if the Islanders somehow manage to land Marian Hossa on July 1, can we even be certain he'll be three-fourths as effective?

We're seeing some positive signs out of the young guys, a.k.a. the only players on the team who are doing anything. In time, Jeff Tambellini could be a 30-goal scorer and Blake Comeau could be a great power forward. But, for now, the Isles are going to be looking at some lean nights offensively. And with the playoffs looming, and with two games coming up against the red-hot Rangers, the Isles are in serious trouble.