Three In A Row

In my last post, just after the Islanders-Thrashers game on Thursday, I guaranteed the Islanders would have a three-game winning streak at some point down the stretch. Little did I realize it'd be happening so soon. The Isles have now won three straight (and gotten points in four straight) thanks to their performance against Florida last night.

I had the rare opportunity to watch last night's game without any distractions and without having to miss parts of the game, and it was an absolute treat to watch. It might have been the best 60-minute effort put forth by the Islanders this season. On the defensive end, they were virtually flawless. It almost seemed like the Islanders were playing with a man advantage throughout the game; the Panthers never had the numbers on offense or any significant odd-man rushes, and every time Florida tried to do anything, the Islanders were right in their faces. It's a shame Yann Danis couldn't get the shutout, but that's a good problem to have.

We're seeing a different Islanders team these days, one that's a ton of fun to watch. People are talking about the modifications in Scott Gordon's sytem; I could not care less about these modifications. What I do care about, though, is that the young guys are starting to come into their own and figuring out their roles on this team. At the forefront of these emerging stars is Kyle Okposo, who was easily the best player on the ice last night. Okposo now has four goals in his last three games; of course, this isn't good enough to get into the YoungStars game, but that's okay. Let Okposo be our little secret for now. It's always nice to see young players start to figure it out and blossom before your very eyes. Mets fans saw Jose Reyes and David Wright emerge in 2005. Rangers fans saw Henrik Lundqvist become a star during the 2005-06 season. Now, Islanders fans get the opportunity to watch one of their own discover his potential. And after years of watching traded players become stars for other teams, it's about time.

These are good times for Islanders fans. This is not the time to worry about the Lighthouse or the race for the first overall pick. We're seeing something special - it's all starting to come together for the Islanders now. It won't last for the rest of the season, but the Isles won't be pushovers, and they absolutely have the potential to be spoilers down the stretch. And who knows? With Tampa Bay, Florida, Tampa Bay, and Los Angeles coming up, this little streak could continue for another few games or so.