Setbacks and Opportunities

The Islanders haven't even played a pre-season game yet, and they already have injury problems.

Mark Streit: Shoulder surgery, out for 6 months.

Kyle Okposo: Shoulder surgery, out for 2 months.

That's 100-120 man games lost to injury, and the season is still two weeks away. Feel free to insert your own joke about how Rick DiPietro's inevitable injury will cause those numbers to skyrocket.

If you're the Islanders, you might think about ratcheting expectations down a little bit. But you can you do that when your ticket prices are at an all-time high? Like it or not, injuries to your two best players don't make it okay to miss the playoffs again. Instead, the Islanders will need players - both the big names and the unknown ones - to step up.

These injuries to Streit and Okposo are devastating, but they also provide a tremendous opportunity to guys like Calvin de Haan, Nino Niederreiter, Travis Hamonic and countless others, including the newly-acquired Mike Mottau. These players now have the chance to step up and make a significant impact on the big club. It's also an opportunity for players like John Tavares and Josh Bailey to take a more active role in the leadership of this club.

Feel free to wallow a bit - after all, a 2010 without Mark Streit and Kyle Okposo is hardly what you expected. But life goes on, and so do the Islanders' playoff chances - and the expectations that they'll be significantly better than the draft lottery. The lost production and leadership of Streit and Okposo has to come from somewhere, and it'll be very interesting and exciting to see who steps up.

NYI Top Post-Lockout Moments #5-1

The conclusion to the Islanders' portion of the best post-lockout moments. Here's what we've done so far, followed by the top five.

20) Sound Tigers games at Nassau Coliseum

19) Fan response to the Kansas City exhibition game

18) First Islanders-Rangers game after the lockout

17) Rick DiPietro starts All-Star Game

16) Ryan Smyth trade

15) Road wins in Chicago and Detroit

14) Preseason brawl between Islanders and rangers

13) Opening Night 2009

12) Veteran purge of 2009

11) Hiring of Neil Smith and Ted Nolan

10) Hiring of Garth Snow

9) Signing of Mark Streit

8) Hiring of Scott Gordon

7) Al Arbour Night

6) Islanders win draft lottery

5) Meet Me At The Lighthouse

September 28, 2004

While Nassau Coliseum has always had a certain charm in the eyes of Islanders fans, nobody can deny that the Islanders have been in dire need of a new arena for some time. The Coliseum was literally falling apart as the 1990s concluded; a leaky roof and a falling scoreboard signified the need to replace the building that was derisively known as the "Mausoleum".

When Charles Wang purchased the Islanders in 2000-01, he spent significant money to upgrade the Coliseum. The leaky roofs stopped, new scoreboards were unveiled, and the fan exerience was significantly upgraded from "horrible" to "decent". However, as Wang knows, there is only so much polish you can put on a decaying building.

Wang's introduction of the Lighthouse in 2004 blew Islanders fans away. The massive Coliseum parking lot would give way to a ton of urban development. No longer would Islanders fans be stuck leaving the Coliseum with nothing to do after a game. Best of all, the actual Coliseum, the building that has seen countless great moments and could still on occasion be one of the NHL's loudest, wasn't going to be replaced. Instead, heavy renovation over the course of a few summers would bring the Coliseum into the 21st century.

As we all know, it wasn't quite as easy as Wang predicted. Before long, the initial Lighthouse proposal - which included physically lowering Hempstead Turnpike - was scaled down somewhat, and then the entire Lighthouse Project became the subject of intense political debate on Long Island. Today, it's highly unlikely that the Lighthouse will ever be built.

So, then, why is the unveiling of the Lighthouse a significant moment in Islanders history? Simply put, it was the moment when the Islanders refused to stand pat in a second-rate building. Either the Town of Hempstead was going to embrace its team, or the Islanders would go someplace where they would be welcome. The conjecture that has accompanied the Lighthouse is truly unfortunate. But at least Charles Wang has attempted to move this team into the state-of-the-art facility they deserve; it certainly is not his fault that politics have destroyed his vision and, potentially, the future of the Islanders on Long Island.

4) Islanders Buy Out Alexei Yashin

June 6, 2007

The Alexei Yashin era on Long Island began with a great deal of promise. While some were skeptical of the ten-year, $90 million contract Yashin signed in September 2001, nobody said a word when Yashin recorded 32 goals and 75 points (outstanding totals in the Dead Puck Era) and led the Islanders to the playoffs for the first time in four years. Yashin won fans over through his stellar play and star power, and he went even further to endear himself to the Islanders faithful by breaking Tomas Kloucek's nose in a fight at MSG in 2002. Though the Islanders would lose to the Maple Leafs in the 2002 playoffs, Yashin's seven points in seven games silenced the critics who claimed that Yashin was not a playoff performer.

Sadly, the 2001-02 season was the pinnacle of Yashin's tenure with the Islanders. 2002-03 saw Yashin get off to an inexplicably horrible start that saw him booed at the Coliseum routinely. He recovered in time to have a decent second half and playoff, but the Islanders could only muster the eight seed and a loss to Ottawa. The next year, Yashin, who had only missed five non-holdout NHL games since 1997, suffered an arm laceration and missed half the season.

After the lockout, Yashin was named captain of the Islanders and finally received the scoring winger fans wished for in Miroslav Satan. However, Yashin had difficulty adjusting to the new NHL, as his 66 points and 68 penalty minutes would attest. The 2006 offseason saw much speculation about Yashin's future with the Islanders. Reports stated that Yashin would have to make a difference in 2006-07 or risk being bought out. Yashin began 2006-07 on fire, but would soon suffer a knee injury, one from which coach Ted Nolan was in absolutely no rush to bring Yashin back. The combination of the knee injury, rust, and Yashin being thrown into a playoff race just after coming back from the injury meant that Yashin was ineffective down the stretch. He went pointless in five playof games, and the writing was on the wall.

Even after the 24 percent rollback on salaries, Yashin was making far too much money for far too little production. The Islanders had very little difficulty buying him out in the summer of 2007, bringing in Bill Guerin to replace Yashin as captain. Sadly, the lesson about big contracts had not been learned by Charles Wang, as Rick DiPietro had signed at 15-year contract with the club just one year before Yashin's buyout. However, the fallout from Yashin's huge contract has prevented the Islanders from ever giving a free agent a big contract. Yashin's contract has become a textbook example of how putting all a team's eggs in one basket and not accounting for the future - namely, the revised CBA - can destroy a team's future. Eliminating Yashin was the only way the Islanders could ever truly rebuild, and his excision meant a new era was about to begin on Long Island.

3) Mike Milbury Resigns

January 12, 2006

Believe it or not, there was once a time when Islanders fans didn't hate Mike Milbury. Of course, that time was about fifteen years ago, but it still existed. At that point, Milbury had just been named the Islanders' general manager, and he was sitting on a goldmine of talent. Bryan McCabe, Zigmund Palffy and Todd Bertuzzi started 1995-96 with the Islanders, a season in which Milbury was able to turn Wendel Clark and Kirk Muller into Kenny Jonsson. Yeah, Eric Fichaud didn't exactly pan out, but that wasn't Milbury's fault.

You could even argue that Milbury wasn't to blame for the Islanders' late 90s purge. In fact, in the eyes of this writer, Milbury's reign doesn't even begin to compare to that of former Knicks GM Isiah Thomas in terms of incompetence. At least Milbury had a reason to sell off the young talent that came through the Islanders organization. Small consolation, of course. But Milbury had to do what he had to do in order to save his job.

However, the deal that ultimately killed Milbury was the Roberto Luongo trade. Luongo, as you may recall, was drafted by Milbury in 1997; in fact, Milbury made Luongo the highest-picked goalie ever at that point in time. Luongo was a certain star in the team's future; however, Milbury saw it appropriate to trade Luongo (and then-bust Olli Jokinen, who was acquired for Palffy) for Mark Parrish and Oleg Kvasha. Milbury then took Rick DiPietro with the first pick, passing up the opportunity to select Marian Gaborik and Dany Heatley. History has not looked kindly on this trade, and with good reason. Luongo has become arguably the game's best goaltender, while DiPietro, for all of his charisma and natural likeability, has only made it through one full season as starter injury-free. For better or worse, Milbury's tenure will always be judged by DiPietro's career, particularly in relation to that of Luongo.

Milbury finally got the Islanders into the playoffs in 2001-02, thanks to his trades for Michael Peca and Alexei Yashin. (It's interesting to wonder what would have happened if Milbury landed his initial target, Jason Allison, instead of Yashin. For all of Yashin's faults, at least he wasn't made of glass like Allison proved to be.) However, once Milbury got his playoff team, he seemed to get trigger-shy, not doing a whole lot to improve his team. If anything, Milbury hurt the Islanders after the '02 playoffs through a series of blunders, such as waiving Jason Wiemer, trading Chris Osgood for uber-bust Justin Papineau and unceremoniously dumping fan favorites Steve Webb and Claude Lapointe. Let's not even discuss his decision to draft Robert Nilsson over Zach Parise.

Milbury attempted to bring the Islanders into the "new NHL" after the lockout by, among other things. trading Peca for Mike York. Milbury was correct in that Peca wouldn't cut it with the new rules, but unfortunately, neither would York. Signings like Brent Sopel and Alexei Zhitnik were hardly effective, and it was decided that the Islanders needed a new start. That start had to come without Mike Milbury.

There's still some debate over whether Milbury actually resigned on his own or if he was fired by Charles Wang. In any event, Milbury was the ultimate sign of the Islanders' failures in the late 1990s. In order for the Islanders to reinvent themselves in the new NHL, they would have to sever ties with the man many credit with making the team a laughingstock. Unfortunately, their handling of their next GM would only enhance that image, but the Islanders did get their fresh start by parting ways with Milbury.

2) Easter Epic, Part II

Continental Airlines Arena - April 8, 2007

As April 2007 began, the Islanders were on the outside looking in. The playoffs seemed a remote possibility at best. After all, they were behind both Montreal and Toronto and Rick DiPietro was hurt, leaving the Islanders with the craptastic Mike Dunham and little-known Wade Dubielewicz. Dunham, not surprisingly, wasn't up to carrying the team on his shoulders, leaving Dubielewicz with a seemingly impossible task.

On April 3, Dubielewicz stole the show in a 3-2 shootout win against the Rangers. Dubielewicz stopped Brendan Shanahan, Michael Nylander and Jaromir Jagr in the shootout; however, the win didn't do all that much for the Islanders in the standings. With three games left, they were four points behind Montreal and three points behind Toronto, who were the Islanders' next opponents two nights later. The Isles were able to prevail in that matchup, steamrolling the Leafs 5-2 in a game that saw Jason Blake score his 40th goal of the season. That set the stage for an unforgettable weekend.

That Saturday, April 7, the Islanders faced the Flyers at the same time as the Canadiens faced the Maple Leafs. If the Islanders lost, they'd be out. If Montreal beat Toronto, the Islanders would be out. If the Islanders and Leafs won, the Islanders would set themselves up for a win-and-in game the next day in New Jersey. Remarkably, that's exactly what happened. In the Isles' game against the then-hapless Flyers, Dubielewicz was once again the game's first star; meanwhile, Toronto beat Montreal in a wild 6-5 affair, knowing that they'd qualify for the playoffs if the Islanders lost to the Devils.

The Islanders played one Easter Epic in 1987. Twenty years later, they were about to play in another.

The Islanders caught a huge break when the Devils elected to start Scott Clemmensen over Martin Brodeur, a decision that would cause much consternation in Toronto. Since the game meant very little to the Devils and so much to the Islanders, many Islanders fans made the trip to New Jersey and made the Isles feel at home. It worked. In front of a pro-Islanders crowd, the Islanders led 2-0 in the third period thanks to a pair of Richard Park goals. However, as is customary for the Islanders, it wouldn't be this easy. John Madden scored with about four minutes left to set up the game's frantic finale.

The Devils pulled Clemmensen to get an extra skater and were unleashing heavy artillery on Dubielewicz. With seconds left, a scramble in front of the net resulted in Madden finding a loose puck. Madden fired the puck over a sprawled out Dubielewicz with just 0.7 seconds left in the game to send it into overtime. Billy Jaffe's screams of "No!!!" as the Devils celebrated perfectly summed up the feelings of Islanders fans. To be so close, only to literally lose it in the final second... this team of scrappers and grinders deserved better.

Ultimately, the game ended the way we all knew a season would eventually end - in a shootout. The segment of the game which was derisively called by some as a "skills competition" would determine whether the Islanders would be playing playoff hockey or golf that week. That the game reached a shootout would only serve to further infuriate Leafs fans, who already thought the Islanders had a huge advantage in not having to face Brodeur.

The first three shots in the shootout were all goals. Miroslav Satan and Viktor Kozlov for the Islanders, Zach Parise for the Devils. After Brian Gionta missed for the Devils, deadline acquisition Ryan Smyth had the opportunity to send his new team into the playoffs with a goal. Of course, Smyth couldn't convert. It was only fitting that it came down to Wade Dubielewicz, the breakout star of the Islanders' past week. If Dubielewicz could stop Sergei Brylin, the Islanders would be in the playoffs. And when Dubielewicz unleashed the poke check that stopped Brylin, it was total euphoria.

As the Islanders celebrated another Easter miracle, it was hard not to think about the events of the prior summer. The hiring of Neil Smith, the firing of Neil Smith, the hiring of Ted Nolan, the hiring of Garth Snow, the much-maligned Rick DiPietro contract, the widespread predictions of a 30th place finish for the Islanders... it all came to a head at that moment. The 2006-07 Islanders were comprised largely of veteran players on one-year contracts, virtually all of them with something to prove. They were a blood-and-guts group, one that would only win by outworking their opponents. For the final week of the season, that's exactly what they did, and it resulted in an unlikely - and unforgettable - playoff berth.

1) Islanders Draft John Tavares

Bell Center/Nassau Coliseum - June 26, 2009

It would be a gross understatement to say that the Islanders have had trouble attracting star talent over the past 20 years. Since Pat LaFontaine was traded in 1991, there hasn't been a true superstar on the Islanders. Pierre Turgeon, the player the Islanders received for LaFontaine, was a great player, but he didn't capture the heart of Long Island the way LaFontaine did. Furthermore, he was only here for a few years, and to be quite honest, he was never the same after the Dale Hunter hit. Zigmund Palffy was another great scorer, but playing on some horrifically awful Islanders teams in the late 1990s, he never reached true superstar status. Alexei Yashin was paid like a superstar, but didn't always produce like one. Add the built-in strikes against the Islanders - crummy, half-filled arena, no money, historically bad team - and it's easy to see why the Islanders have only had three players to even approach LaFontaine's status.

When the Islanders had the opportunity to select from John Tavares, Victor Hedman and Matt Duchene at the 2009 NHL Entry Draft, fans naturally gravitated to Tavares. First, and foremost, he was the biggest name of the 2009 class. He was the best scorer, he had the most hype, and he definitely had that "superstar" aura about him. In short, he was the type of player that the Islanders, even if they threw their entire salary cap at him, would never be able to sign. More than any of that, though, Tavares went out of his way to endear himself to Islanders fans. While the Toronto media was trying to convince the world that Tavares would refuse to play for the Islanders, Tavares took the initiative and told Chris Botta that he hoped the Islanders would pick him because he wanted to play for the Islanders. Tavares would repeat this message to anyone who would listen and would display not only a genuine desire to help turn the Islanders around, but also a true appreciation and knowledge of Islanders history. It didn't take long for Islanders fans to go from enamored by Tavares to being absolutely smitten by him.

As the draft approached, Garth Snow refused to give even the slightest inclination as to who he might select with the first overall pick. In doing so, Snow proved he belonged in the general manager role. He also managed to infuriate the Islanders' entire fanbase, virtually all of which was salivating over Tavares. Most fans wouldn't have been too upset if the pick was Hedman or Duchene; after all, both were considered franchise players in their own right. But the guy the fans really wanted was Tavares, as was evidenced by fans wearing his jersey before the Islanders even drafted him.

When June 26 finally rolled around, Islanders fans could be best described as basketcases. The reports in the media that the Islanders were taking Matt Duchene didn't exactly help things. Trivial items such as which nameplates were in stock at the Islanders draft party became headline news in Islander Country. Many were calling this the biggest draft pick in franchise history, and it would be hard to disagree. Nowhere was this sentiment more true than at the Coliseum itself on draft night.

On a Friday night in late June, the Coliseum was packed. There were more people at the Coliseum to watch a crappy feed of TSN on the Jumbotron than there were for most games in the 2008-09 season. The Coliseum floor was abuzz with rumors and anticipation for what was to come. And if there was any doubt as to who the people's choice was, TSN's open to the draft clarified the fans' position. Every mention and camera shot of either Duchene or Hedman was met with loud boos, while all things Tavares were cheered wildly.

As Garth Snow approached the podium in Montreal, all of Long Island held its collective breath. And when he said John Tavares' name, it's hard to tell what the prevalent emotion was at the Coliseum. It was a mixture of exhilaration, relief and excitement all at once. To think that Islanders fans could be so impacted by this decision about a player most fans had never even seen play showed how much people truly cared about the Islanders. For better or worse, they had labeled Tavares as their savior, the one player who could bring credibility to the Islanders... and finally, they had him.

On a night when the Coliseum rocked like it hadn't rocked since the Isles-Leafs series of 2002, there was so much to celebrate. Yes, it was nice to know that the Islanders didn't screw up a perfect situation. But with Tavares and the promise of the Lighthouse at some point in the future, it felt like the Islanders were reborn. As it turns out, the Lighthouse Project has taken a turn for the worse, but Tavares has been as good as advertised. And when you consider that the Islanders never would have signed Matt Moulson if not for Tavares, Snow's decision effectively added about 50 goals to the Islanders' 2009-10 total, with many more to come in the future from both players.

NYI Top Post-Lockout Moments #10-6

Back with moments 10 through 6 of the Isles' post-lockout countdown. Isn't it funny how Zach's Rangers list is full of games, whereas the Islanders list is all stuff that happened off the ice? This is what happens when your team has won one playoff game in the past six years.

10) Snow Job

July 18, 2006

That the hiring of Garth Snow even qualifies for this list is a testament to the job Snow has done as Islanders' GM. For a very long time, July 18, 2006 was a very dark day in Islanders history.

I can still remember the day like it was yesterday. I remember seeing the headline on TSN... my head hitting my desk shortly after... thinking it was an April Fool's joke in the middle of July... none of my friends believing me when I told them... Mike and the Mad Dog tearing Charles Wang apart during an interview... being teased incessantly by pretty much everyone. It wasn't fun. I even wrote this blog on my MySpace page from back in the day.

Thankfully, things have improved since then. The way the Islanders handled the move still doesn't make sense four years later, but time has proved that Snow was the right hire. At a time when general managers were still trying to figure out the "new NHL", the Islanders brought in someone who actually played under the revised rules. They hired someone who was completely reared on the new CBA and therefore had no preconceived notions about what he was "supposed" to do.

The results have been pretty spectacular. Snow managed to get into the playoffs in his first year, but saw that he couldn't rely on giving veterans one-year contracts forever. His ability to blow up the Islanders and rebuild them in his likeness shows that he has the support of Charles Wang and will be here for the foreseeable future. Of all the moves Snow has made, the only move that would be classified as bad is the Rick DiPietro contract, and that was Wang's call. So, while the move initially drew ire from the Islanders faithful, it's hard to argue that the move didn't pay dividends.

9) Islanders Sign Mark Streit

July 1, 2008

As the Islanders entered the start of free agency in 2008, nobody was quite sure what they'd do. They had made mention of their desire to rebuild and go with young players, but they didn't actually have any young assets outside of Kyle Okposo to build around. They had plenty of cap room to make any number of signings, but we all knew better than that. Most Islanders fans assumed that Snow wouldn't do anything on July 1; I joked on this site that Snow didn't even bother to show up for work that day.

Turns out he did.

As is customary, the big names flew off the board in exchange for big-money contracts. One of the biggest names, Brian Campbell, took seven years and $56 million to sign with Chicago. Wade Redden, as we all know, received $39 million over six years from the Rangers. At the time of these two deals, Mark Streit was still available. He was the one guy I thought the Islanders should throw big money at and, much to my surprise, they did.

Five years and $20 million later, Streit was a New York Islander. Zach, our Rangers writer, was furious that the Rangers had dumped so much money into an aging Redden while the Islanders got Streit - who had only played three NHL seasons - for far less. When asked why he signed with the Islanders, Streit replied that he wanted to be a true #1 defenseman, something that was never going to happen in Montreal. Streit did not disappoint in his first season on the Island, netting 56 points and earning some legitimate Norris Trophy consideration. His numbers have dipped a bit this year, but Streit remains one of the team's leaders and a potential future captain of the Islanders.

8) Islanders Hire Scott Gordon

August 12, 2008

After the shock firing/resignation of Ted Nolan, the future of the Islanders in terms of their next coach was unclear. It was a very important hire - the Islanders would be rebuilding and needed someone who would stay over the long haul. The big-name veterans like Joel Quenneville and John Tortorella weren't interested and passed on the Islanders' overtures, which came as no surprise to any real Islanders fan. As is the Islanders' custom, they went the road less traveled and brought in an unknown coach.

Scott Gordon, much like Peter Laviolette seven years earlier, came to the Islanders from the AHL's Providence Bruins. Like Laviolette, Gordon had turned the fortunes of the Bruins completely, taking a losing team and turning them into one of the league's best. Gordon had youth on his side, not to mention a reputation for mentoring young players, and his "overspeed" philosophy won over fans right away.

More than anything else, though, the Gordon hire was further proof that the Islanders were serious about rebuilding. Garth Snow easily could have brought in a big-name retread coach, but that would have been the safe maneuver. By bringing in Gordon, the Islanders effectively told their fanbase that the team wouldn't be good for a while, but they could get used to this core group because it'd be there for years to come. Fans have criticized Gordon's system, particularly when it has helped contribute to blown third-period leads, but when they're firing at all cylinders, the Islanders are one of the NHL's most exciting teams. This is one call Garth Snow knocked out of the park.

7) Al Arbour Night

Nassau Coliseum - November 3, 2007

I'll be the first to admit that I was a bit skeptical when Al Arbour Night was first announced. Did Ted Nolan really want to round off Al Arbour's career total, or did Islanders brass coerce Nolan into stepping aside for one night? Was this just another gimmick to bring Islanders alumni back and get a cheap sellout? Given the history of the Islanders, I was right to have my doubts. But on this night, they didn't really matter.

Prior to November 3, 2007, Al Arbour hadn't coached a NHL game since 1994. However, whatever he had lost in terms of X's and O's was more than compensated for by the desire of the Islanders to win the game for Arbour, the only coach of the Islanders that has won a playoff series. In many ways, the game itself was typical of the Islanders at that point in time insofar as the Islanders came from behind to win, Miroslav Satan scored the tying and game-winning goals, and Wade Dubielewicz came up huge in relief of the injured Rick DiPietro.

As good as the game was, it was almost secondary to the postgame celebration, which saw many Islanders legends paying their respects to their former coach. And it wasn't just the usual guys, either. The Islanders brought back some real fan favorites, including Benoit Hogue, Pat LaFontaine, and Steve Webb. I have to say, I was bawling while watching a replay of the ceremony. (Full disclosure - I was pretty hammered.) It was a great night and a great sendoff for Arbour, who doesn't get nearly enough credit for his work with the Islanders.

There's only one thing that bothered me about Al Arbour Night. The original Arbour banner read "739", referring to his number of career wins. When they replaced it with a new banner that night, it wasn't a "740" banner. Instead, it simply read "1500". As in, the Islanders had such little faith in Arbour's ability to produce a victory that they only had a banner made to commemorate his number of games, not his number of wins. The Islanders said they'd get a new banner made; nearly two and a half years later, "1500", not "740", hangs from the Coliseum rafters.

6) Islanders Win 2009 Draft Lottery

April 14, 2009

As the Islanders sucked their way through the 2008-09 season, we all hoped it'd be for a reason. In fact, the only way the 2008-09 season would have been successful would have been if they landed the first overall draft pick. After all, while there was a chance Tampa Bay or Colorado would have passed on John Tavares, there were no guarantees.

The Islanders clinched the league's worst record in late March, a distinction that brought with it a 48 percent chance that the Islanders would win the draft lottery. As the date of the draft lottery neared, Islanders fans feared the worst. Everyone figured that they'd get screwed out of the chance to draft a generational talent like John Tavares or Victor Hedman. Why should the Islanders get the chance to be successful, right? Besides, since the lockout, the team with the worst record had lost the draft lottery more often than not.

Thankfully, this was not one of those times. The Islanders won the draft lottery, and Islander Country breathed the world's largest sigh of relief. For the Islanders faithful, as sad as it is to admit, it was almost like winning the Stanley Cup. Finally, the focus was going to be on our team, even if only for the week between the Stanley Cup Final and the NHL Draft, and we were going to make the most of this extra attention.

Unfortunately, Garth Snow felt the same way. When asked who he was leaning towards on the draft lottery show, he admitted nothing, something that would become a trend over the next two months. While we were ecstatic about winning the draft lottery, little did we know that these two months would become some of the most stressful times Islanders fans have had in recent memory.

Beauty And The Moulson

It was only a matter of time before the Matt Moulson puff piece was written. This actually came out about a week and a half ago, but it was so horrendous I had to share it. No, there are no Molson Canadian beer puns in this one... but fear not, as some awful wordplay still awaits you! By the way, sorry if the font jumps around in size a bit - you can blame ESPN.com's cracked web staff for that.

ST. LOUIS --

Ooh, look at me! I get to write an article from the road, and YOU don't!

At the risk of offending Linda Hamilton and the entire Moulson family and that furry guy in the old television series (Ron Perlman)

Anyone have any idea what this means? Me either. But I'm sure it'd make sense if I were like 30 years older.

and maybe even John Tavares, there is more than a little beauty-and-beast action with the New York Islanders' dynamic duo of top rookie Tavares and out-of-nowhere winger Matt Moulson.

Beauty-and-beast? Dynamic duo? Asinine alliteration? The books I read my 19-month-old daughter feature more clever wordplay.

But put it this way: Moulson, the hitherto anonymous 26-year-old winger who quickly has become the cheese to Tavares' macaroni through the first quarter of this surprising season for the Islanders, was drafted in the ninth round of the 2003 draft, 263rd overall.

There are 43 words in this sentence. I'll sum them up in four - Matt Moulson was unheralded.

They don't even have a ninth round anymore. GMs figured it was better to pack up early and go golfing or head to a bar than stick around and draft players in the ninth round.

Or, the eighth and ninth rounds of the draft were lopped off after the lockout because GMs had like a week to prepare for the draft once the lockout ended. Or the owners didn't to be stuck paying two extra draft picks. Either way, I'm sure it had nothing to do with golfing or drinking. By the way, Mark Streit was a 9th round selection of Montreal in 2004, meaning the Islanders probably have more 9th round draft picks on their active roster than any other team in history.

Does Moulson, who has 18 points, including five multipoint efforts, through the Islanders' first 23 games, get tired of being treated like the hockey guy who fell to Earth?

He laughed.

"It doesn't really bother me," he told ESPN.com. "I'm here now in the NHL. I guess I have an interesting story to tell. It's always interesting for people to find out things like that and maybe a good story for some younger kids."

See, this is why we don't go the route of some of our Blog Box colleagues and actually talk to the players. They do a good job with it. We can't. Why? Because hockey players are BORING. Sorry to say it, but it's true. What was Moulson supposed to say here? "I'm tired of being treated like the hockey guy who fell to Earth"? Furthermore, what does that even mean? Did Moulson arrive in a UFO? My head hurts now.

Indeed, an apprehensive Moulson was in regular touch with agent Wade Arnott as the July free-agency period approached and his contract with the Los Angeles Kings expired. "I was bugging him every day, 'Where do you think I'm going to end up?'" Moulson said.

I'm sure Wade Arnott was like, "Who's this Moulson guy who keeps calling me every day?".

Tavares was among the first people Moulson called when his deal was completed during that first week of free agency.

"I was right on the phone to Johnny, and it was a pretty good moment," Moulson said. "I still didn't know what was going to come of it, but I was excited."

I distinctly recall reading about the Moulson signing and loudly exclaiming the following words - "Who the hell is Matt Moulson?". So did every single Islanders fan out there - even the ones who *knew* he'd work out from the moment he signed the contract.

"Matt was a guy that I knew from my days in Providence when he was playing in Manchester. I thought he had the ability to score. But I went back and I watched some of the goals in the NHL, which were goal scorer-type goals, and as it turned out through exhibition, he was our leading goal scorer," Gordon told ESPN.com.

Yes, because scoring goals in exhibition games guarantees success in the regular season. You know who led the league in points during the pre-season? Former Islander Mike Comrie, he of the eight points in 16 regular season games. But I'm sure he'll rebound in plenty of time to win the Hart and Art Ross Trophies, even if he's got mono right now.

"The thing that's good about Matt is if he's not scoring from the tops of the circle, he's scoring from the front of the net. That ability to score from two different places, you're talking about two different types of players. Some guys don't like to go into traffic. But the fact he was willing to do that, I thought it would be a good complement for John."

Truer words have never been spoken. And by "truer words", I mean "cliches that apply to virtually every forward in the NHL".

And?

"We didn't have a lot of options," Gordon added.

That's more like it.

"Actually, when people kept cutting down my skating, cutting down my skating, Mike O'Connell, when he was with L.A., he told me to look at a player named Andrew Brunette," Moulson said, crediting the former Bruins GM who is now with the Kings' player-development staff.

"I used to tape all his games and watch them and watch what he did," Moulson said. "[Brunette] may not be the fastest guy out there, but he's great at protecting the puck and making plays around the net and getting to the net. He was up and down in the AHL as well starting his career, and he's made a pretty good player of himself and pretty good name for himself in this league. He's someone I followed closely."
Okay, this is actually something useful. This is something I didn't know and is nice to hear. It makes infinitely more sense to emulate a guy like Brunette than a superstar. But nobody does it, because you never see the grinders on SportsCenter. Oh, wait, you never see the superstars of the NHL on SportsCenter, either.

This week Moulson met his guide, who of course had no idea he'd had any impact whatsoever on his career.

"He gave me a stick last night," Moulson said happily.

You mean Brunette stuck him, as in speared him?
ZOMG! ROFLMAO!

"No, no, he signed a stick and gave it to me last night. I got it this morning," Moulson said.
Oh. See, hockey players ARE boring.

"I got it this morning, and I had a grin from ear to ear. I told him he was one of my favorite players."
I'm sure Andrew Brunette has never been referred to as "one of my favorite players" by anybody outside of the Brunette family and Matt Moulson.

"I told him when he made the team out of camp, 'Treat every day like it's your last, because you don't know,'" Gordon said. "'You battled high odds to make the team, but that doesn't mean tomorrow won't be a different day. You have to prove everybody right that we made the right decision every single day.'"

That's right, Scott Gordon. Matt Moulson's singular focus over his first 27 games has been to prove to everybody that Garth Snow is a genius. As opposed to, you know, proving that he's actually a pretty good player. Moulson, that is, not Snow. We all know Snow could never make it in the post-lockout NHL.

"It seems funny from where I started from until now. I get two goals against Boston [Monday night], and I'm upset because I wanted a third one. I'm not disappointed but wanting more after that. Coming from where I came from, I never thought I'd be wanting more after a two-goal game in the NHL."
If I had a two-goal game in the NHL, I'd be wanting more. But it'd probably involve sexual favors, as opposed to a third goal.

Beautiful.
The first few times I read this, I thought to myself, "That's an odd way to end this piece." Eventually, I realized it was a play on the copious beauty-and-the-beast analogies found in the article, many of which I edited out for the benefit of your sanity. I still have no proof of any beast-like tendencies in Matt Moulson, or Andrew Brunette, for that matter. So, you know, hooray for Matt Moulson and all that.

Are The Islanders For Real?

One quarter of the way through the 2009-10 NHL season, the New York Islanders are tied for fifth place in the Eastern Conference.

Did you ever, in your wildest dreams, envision this scenario? Last year, around this time, the season peaked as the Islanders approached .500 and the eighth seed. That team crapped out and finished with 61 points. This year's Islanders team has 23 points after just 21 games. Over 82 games, that projects to 90 points. If you're thinking playoffs already, I've always used the Rule of 92 when it comes to playoff teams - as in, you need 92 or more points to stake a claim to a playoff spot. But even 92 points guarantees you nothing. Florida missed the playoffs last year with 93 points. Carolina had 92 points in 2007-08, but finished ninth. In other words, the Islanders will have to play even better than they are now - and sustain that level of play for 61 more games - if they want to make the playoffs.

Now, contrary to popular belief, the playoffs are not the sole determinant of a team being "for real". Most Islanders fans will take contention for a playoff spot as constituting a "real" team. Hell, I'm just happy the season isn't over at Thanksgiving. The question is, though, can the Islanders keep this up? Are the Islanders for real?

In short... yes, the Islanders are for real.

Botta wrote a piece earlier today about why the Islanders have gotten off to their hot start. I won't regurgitate his rationale. But health, goaltending, John Tavares and Matt Moulson have all helped. It also helps that the players are better suited to Scott Gordon's system; Gordon has helped his own cause by not dressing the likes of Joel Rechlicz and Mitch Fritz for three minutes a game. In short, everyone on the team has a role, and everyone fills theirs well. Even Jeff Tambellini has produced this year, before his inexplicable (and unexplained) absence on this road trip. And speaking of road games, the Islanders have nabbed 11 of 24 possible road points this year - not too shabby.

Perhaps the best thing about this Islanders team is that the Lighthouse isn't looming over the on-ice product - finally. It's amazing what can happen when the focus is solely on the on-ice product. The only unfortunate fallout from the Lighthouse happenings is that Charles Wang likely won't let Garth Snow spend big bucks to bolster the Isles' roster, but we're all probably better off that way. This Islanders team is pretty deep, and the eventual return of Rick DiPietro can only help matters.

There are still some questions about this team, some criteria I have for a good team that the Islanders aren't reaching as of yet. First, they've allowed more goals than they've scored. The disparity has come down significantly in recent weeks, but it's still there. Second, for all the talk about how the Islanders are above. 500 - they're not. It's this writer's opinion (I don't believe Zach shares this opinion) that .500 means winning half your games, not having more wins than losses. Let's not forget that the Islanders are actually 8-13 and have fattened up on, as Howie Rose would call them, "loser points". Oh, and the Islanders have played the most games of anyone in the East.

These are nit-picking issues Islanders fans are wont to come up with, mainly because we're so used to seeing the other shoe drop in excruciating fashion. I, for one, am not even thinking about the playoffs, 92 points, winning 41 of 82 games, or any of the other criteria I'd use to gauge a team's level of success. With these Islanders, they're simply fun to watch. They play hard, as they always have, but this year they have an added layer of skill that scores three goals per game and (usually) keeps them from self-destructing in the third period. After a summer full of Lighthouse acrimony and worrying about Snow screwing up the draft, Islanders fans deserve to watch this brand of entertaining hockey.

And yes, that entertaining hockey played by the Islanders makes them "for real".

On Face(off) Value

When you're a fan of a losing team, you generally don't watch them expecting to win. Instead, you watch hoping you'll see something amazing. For example, even though the Mets were out of playoff contention in July, I still watched them most nights, just in case they finally pitched a no-hitter (yeah, I know) or did something particularly special. In hockey, there are no milestones that would compare to a no-hitter, so I hope for very memorable games, the kind that transcend a losing season. Last year, beating Detroit and Chicago on the road were such games, and Opening Night would have been such a game had the Islanders pulled it out.

Wednesday night's game against the Rangers would certainly qualify as what I'd call a memorable game. If the Islanders to produce a 2009-10 highlight video, highlights of Wednesday night would be heavily featured. The Islanders played their game, were intense throughout, and won their first regulation game by sheer will. The Islanders also won because of a growing trend in their play - their success in the faceoff circle.

Over the summer, I read Moneyball by Michael Lewis. Moneyball, for those who don't know, explains how the small-market Oakland A's of Major League Baseball were able to stay competitive with teams like the Yankees by building their team around undervalued assets like walks and on-base percentage. As I read Moneyball, I tried to figure out what statistics in hockey could be the basis for a winning team in today's NHL. One of these days, I'll post my thoughts. For now, though, perhaps the most important stat I'd build around would be faceoff percentage.

Think about it. There are approximately 60 faceoffs in a game. The average team, of course, wins 50 percent of those faceoffs, meaning that they begin play with the puck 30 times a game. A team that wins 60 percent of their faceoffs, on the other hand, begins with the puck 36 times. That's twelve times more than their opponent. So, not only do you have the edge twelve more times than your opponent, that's twelve times that your opponent can't score until you give up the puck.

As of right now, the Islanders sit at third in the NHL with a success rate of 54.1% in the faceoff circle, with the Isles dominating faceoffs in their past few games. And while this success hasn't resulted in wins just yet, there's plenty of reason for optimism - aside from the Islanders (.409), Minnesota (.250) and Nashville (.458), every team over 50% in faceoffs has earned more than half of the points it could have possibly earned so far this season. What's particularly telling about the Islanders' success is that it's been widespread. Every eligible Islander is over 50% in faceoffs this year, including John Tavares at 50.3%, Josh Bailey at 53.9%, and both Doug Weight and Nate Thompson at 58.8%.

What does all of this mean? Simply put, if the Islanders are better than their opponents at controlling the puck off the draw, they're that much more likely to control play and potentially generate good scoring chances. In addition, their opponents will have to make more plays on defense than usual in order to get the puck. And if the Islanders can get past their third period hiccups - as they did on Wednesday night - their faceoff skills can help them become a truly dangerous team.

Sabres 6, Islanders 3

Another game, another loss for the Islanders. That's five straight losses to open the season, in case you lost count. Personally, I don't care about the wins and losses; this season is about improvement and developing young players, and these things don't always show up on the stat sheet. Far more significant than the end result is how the team played on the way to that result. Tonight... um... they didn't play that well. Here's what I saw tonight...

- As the puck dropped tonight, I thought about how strange it was that the Islanders completely changed their goaltending. It's not common for teams to get rid of both of their goalies, but the Isles did just that. Most of us were glad to see this. However, Dwayne Roloson's five-hole is giving me nightmares of the Ron Hextall era. Please let Martin Biron start tomorrow night.

- Speaking of roster moves, Rob Schremp should find himself in the Tambellini position tomorrow night, as he had a rather Tamby-esque game tonight. Here's hoping Schremp finds the pretzel twists as delicious as Zach and I do. I also hope Tambellini can make the most of his opportunity, assuming it does come his way tomorrow.

- Mark Streit is usually pretty reliable on the defensive end, but he got caught napping twice in the offensive zone tonight. One of those times led to the penalty shot that put the Sabres up 2-0. What happens if the Sabres don't score that goal? Who knows? But these mistakes don't make losses easier to stomach.

- Tim Jackman and Joel Rechlicz played 10:46 tonight. That's 10:46 COMBINED. Even with their totals added together, that's less than any individual Islanders player, just edging Josh Bailey. This brings up two points. First, why waste roster spots with guys who barely play; furthermore, why play guys who can't, you know, play? Second, it's not very smart to totally stunt Josh Bailey's development as a player by teaming him with stiffs like Jackman. Josh Bailey is a playmaker. Tim Jackman has seven goals in 142 NHL games.

- If I were Scott Gordon, I'd take every young player the organization is trying to build around and give those players serious minutes on the penalty kill. Letting up power play goals doesn't matter in a lost season (yes, the season is five games old, but we all know the Isles aren't going anywhere), but it can pay dividends down the line. John Tavares played 56 shorthanded seconds tonight; let's see that number go up. And for the record, Gordon does a great job of spreading out his minutes, but it'd be great to see him essentially force players to learn the defensive side of the game as they develop.

- Speaking of Tavares, every single time he touches the puck in the offensive zone, he's liable to create something. He managed to score a goal tonight, but of more interest to me were the two open nets he missed and the countless times he stickhandled out of trouble. Every time he touches the puck, I'm amazed. His hockey sense is uncanny and can literally make something out of nothing; given the lack of quality NHL players on this roster, often times, he'll have to do just that. What a tremendous player, and what a treat it is to watch him play.

- My last note for tonight - why, oh why, must the Islanders constantly be relegated to the dregs of MSG Plus 2? They played on Channel 414 tonight and they will be there again tomorrow, despite being at home and despite the Rangers being on the road. I understand the Islanders' ratings do not compare well to those of the Rangers and the Devils, but if the Islanders are at home, they really should be shown in high definition. It's a bit depressing to look for the Islanders game on TV and see that they can't even crack the double digits on the dial. This only helps perpetuate the image that the Islanders are a second-class organization, which surely doesn't help the Islanders as they attempt to rebuild all the facets of their team.

Busy night tomorrow. My predictions: The Rangers win 4-2 over the Maple Leafs, while the Isles lose 5-3 to the Sharks.

Isles Lose In Shootout - Again

As the New York Islanders played the kind of third period only they can play - you know, the kind of third period that starts out with a three-goal lead and ends in a tie game - I felt a certain calmness. Maybe it's because I was watching the game with friends. Maybe it's because I'm waiting for my wife to go into labor and hockey isn't as important as it ordinarily is. Maybe it's because I saw it coming from a mile away. But I think it's something different. Namely, I'm cool with losing this game because, quite honestly, wins and losses don't matter right now.

Nobody is going to confuse the 2009-10 Islanders for a great team, a playoff team, or even a mediocre team. This is a young group who's going to have plenty of tough times before things improve. Yes, it's troubling that many of the key players in tonight's loss also blew many third-period leads last season. At the same time, the Islanders' young players need experience when an opposing team finds it second gear and makes an all-out push to preserve one (or two) points. That's what the Islanders saw tonight.

Make no mistake about it, the Bruins thought they were going to get two easy points tonight. We've seen it a million times. Boston started its backup goalie and didn't exactly play with a ton of urgency in the first two periods. Their fans seemed more preoccupied with the floundering Red Sox than anything the Bruins were doing. But when the Bruins needed to turn it on, they did. The Islanders, on the other hand, simply proved what we suspected all along - they aren't at the Bruins' level just yet.

It's one thing to play well when your opponents are barely showing a pulse. It's another to weather the storm when they're playing at full capacity and you've got to take their best shots. Last year, the Islanders were in this position many times, but it happened mainly before injuries forced the team to truly rely on its youth. Now, the young players are the focal point of the team; they will learn more from this loss than they would have learned if they'd won.

So far, the Islanders have played three games and have forced overtime in each of these three games. These three games have been against the defending Stanley Cup champions, an improved Ottawa team and a team that finished one point shy of the President's Trophy last year. This is nothing to be ashamed of. If anything, Islanders fans should be proud that their team is pushing elite teams to the brink. They should also be pleased that players like John Tavares and Matt Moulson are contributing right away. Sure, Dwayne Roloson hasn't made a save in five shootout chances, but at least they're getting that far. There's still plenty to be excited about in Islander Country.

Islanders Lose, But...

The Islanders lost tonight in a shootout against the Pittsburgh Penguins. The cynic in me thinks that these are the same old Islanders who can't hold a lead against a good team. That part of me is legitimately crestfallen after this loss. After all, this was one of those nights that just seemed too perfect to screw up, and we won't have many of those nights this season, especially with the specter of the Lighthouse Project looming large.

Having said all that...

How can you possibly be upset about tonight's game? The Isles looked pretty awesome for much of the game. John Tavares made his debut in just about as grand a fashion as you could imagine, and that's the biggest thing. For those who attended the game, his first goal is a memory that will never be forgotten. From a practical perspective, it's great that Tavares got all of his firsts (first point, first goal, first shootout attempt) out of the way in one night. Hard to knock that kind of performance.

I'm not saying wins and losses don't matter. What I am saying is that this season is about developing young talent, and we saw significant evidence that John Tavares is ready to contribute to this team right now. If the Islanders focus on developing Tavares and his young counterpart, the wins will come soon enough. Good teams always get the lucky bounces, as tonight's shootout showed. Someday, the Islanders will get those breaks.

For now, we have four days to reflect. Not on the loss or the expiration of Charles Wang's "certainty" deadline, but on the spectacular debut of John Tavares and what other tricks he may have in store for us. If Tavares is even half the difference-maker he was tonight, we're in store for a special season, regardless of the Isles' win-loss record.

Happy Certainty Day!

Finally, we're here. October 3. Opening Day... and Charles Wang's "certainty" deadline.

It comes as no surprise that Wang's deadline was not met by the Town of Hempstead. Bad news, sure, but not at all unexpected, and that's good. Because this should not be a sad day for Islanders fans.

Instead, it should be a celebration. Tonight should be a celebration of what we still have. We get to watch this team play instead of worry about the future. We get to spend the night in Nassau Coliseum; warts and all, it's one of the few remaining arenas with a real home-ice advantage when the crowd's involved. We get to reacquaint ourselves with pretzel twists, easily the greatest arena food available anywhere. Most importantly, we get to welcome John Tavares to Long Island.

On many occasions, I've tried to put into to words what John Tavares means to the Islanders and their fans. I've failed each time. You never want to give a player the dreaded "savior" label, and it's not fair to give it to Tavares. However, it's okay to admit that Tavares is a bigger deal than just about anybody the Islanders have brought in since Pat LaFontaine. He's the kind of player the Islanders would never have a prayer of signing as a free agent and the kind of player they'd never be able to trade for, and yet John Tavares begins his NHL career as a New York Islander. Even better, he's a very willing and happy New York Islander.

It's a night to forget all the Lighthouse stuff. It's a night to cheer and to finally be proud of the Islanders. That's something no politician can take away.

Speechless

I don't really know how to explain the emotions that come with the Islanders taking John Tavares with the first overall pick.

This is as much as I know right now. We broke out a bottle of champagne in the parking lot after the pick was made. As people looked on, half mocking us, half admiring us, we said that this was our Stanley Cup. And I stand by that. Like I said earlier, we don't dream of Stanley Cups, just the chance to be relevant again. After tonight, we've earned that right.

I'm watching the Draft on DVR right now, and I can hardly believe my ears as the hosts praise the Islanders. I'll admit, I don't know much about Calvin De Haan. But the moves that led to his drafting were made with house money. All of that moving down last year set the pieces for this year's activity. If it doesn't work out, it's okay. The story for tonight is Tavares.

The pick was made six hours ago, and I still can't believe it. For once, the Islanders are the talk of the NHL, but for all the right reasons. If this is as good as it gets, I'll take it.

Coming Up...

I find it very amusing that 40 minutes from now, Islanders writer Bryan, will be either celebrating with thousands of other fans - by the way, apparently the way to sell out an Islanders game is to give away free tickets - or drowning his sorrows in pretzel twists.

Contrary to popular belief, I am not rooting against the Islanders picking John Tavares. I am hoping they do, and I'm hoping that all the "will they/won't they" about Victor Hedman and Matt Duchene will go the way of the Mats Sundin to NY stories (as well as the Michael Peca and Dave Scatchard to the Rangers rumors).

No matter who they pick, they'll be getting a great player. Hedman is a beast and very well could be their #2 guy behind Mark Streit tomorrow, and Duchene could be a nice compliment to Kyle Okposo and Josh Bailey. However, Tavares is the real deal, and I've been saying for 2 years now that I think he'll be better than Sidney Crosby.

Enjoy the show.

P.S.: Hey, you think Olli Jokinen will be moved again? I think he has been traded 3 times on draft day: from LA to the Islanders; from the Islanders to Florida; and from Florida to Phoenix.

One Last Thing On Tavares

I'm heading to the draft party in a little bit. I'll be updating Twitter (gag, I know) from the Coliseum.

Before I go, there's just one last thing I want to say.

Islanders fans don't dream of Stanley Cups. They don't dream of overtime goals in Game 7. They don't dream of becoming a dominant team that gets 100 points each year. Islanders fans can't dream big because they've had nearly all the optimism beaten out of them over the years. Instead, what Islanders fans dream of is being relevant.

Islanders fans are sick of seeing their team mocked by every analyst. They're tired of seeing their team overlooked by opponents and free agents. They don't want their team to be the laughingstock of the NHL anymore. They want so desperately to be proud of their team, even if just for one night.

That's where the John Tavares love really hits home.

Personally, I don't care if Tavares turns out to be an epic bust. If that's the case, every scout in the NHL was wrong. At this point, I just want to see the Islanders heralded for making the right decision, if only for one night. I don't want to hear any cracks about our "backup goalie GM" screwing up the draft. I want Garth Snow to be praised for keeping one hell of a poker face for two months. But most of all, I want to leave the Coliseum tonight proud to be an Islanders fan.

Because if they can't manage to draft the consensus top guy in the draft, the criticism of the Islanders is going to be worse than ever. And if being an Islanders fan is this hard now, I'm afraid to see what it'd be like if the Islanders pass on Tavares and he becomes a star.

Dear God

Dear God,

I don't ask for much. Come to think of it, I never ask for anything. This time, though, it's different.

As you probably know, every sports team I root for is absolutely terrible. These days, I openly question why I even bother watching sports. It seems like my teams only serve to let me down. The problem is, sports mean way too much to me. My teams are part of my identity, which hasn't been a great thing lately.

Of all the teams I root for, my favorite is the New York Islanders. This is a franchise that, as you are well aware, has been horrendous since I was in middle school. Everything they do is wrong, and every improvement they try to make just results in them looking stupid. Well, tomorrow night, they have the first overall pick in the NHL Draft, and this is a great chance to change their luck.

God, if you're there, please bring John Tavares to the Islanders. He's not only a good player and a great kid, but he could be the difference between us losing our team and maybe watching the Islanders win a Stanley Cup one day. We've been through enough bad times with this team. We deserve the chance to see something go right.

I know you're busy. This might be too much to ask. But I had to try. I only ask that if you can't bring John Tavares to the Islanders, please make sure that my team will be taken care of. The Islanders are one of the most important things in my life, and I don't want to see them taken away from me. Thanks.

Sincerely,

Bryan

D-Day

At long last, Draft Day has arrived.

I'm not sure how much remains unsaid about the 2009 NHL Entry Draft, at least from the Islanders' perspective. As Zach noted, the Rangers could be involved in some deals, which would be great for them. Truly, though, today is the Islanders' day.

It's been a pleasure to see the Islanders become the talk of the NHL, even if it's been for the wrong reasons. It's also been extremely interesting to watch the Canadian media totally turn on John Tavares because God forbid he joins the New York Islanders. But by the time tonight's draft ends, all of that will be a memory. The Islanders will return to their rebuilding project, the Rangers will prepare to make a big splash on July 1, and that will be that.

One of the most fascinating things I've read about John Tavares over the past year or so is that he might have been too good in juniors. That he scored 72 goals in 2006-07, then "only" scored 40 the following year. Tavares has been, easily, the most dissected prospect since Eric Lindros in 1991 - and Lindros doesn't even compare because he was the consensus #1 pick that year. What's happened with Tavares is what's happened with so many prospects in other sports. People have simply seen way too much of him and have started picking at every flaw in his game. And that's what scares me.

Zach and I appeared on our buddy Anthony's radio show in March, and one thing Anthony said is that it would take a new face to crack the "new" NHL. It wouldn't be one of the old guard; instead, a new GM would come in and figure it all out. I've said many times that Garth Snow understands the CBA better than any other GM in the game. And the way he's gone about his business over the past few years calls to mind the New England Patriots of the NFL. Very secretive, not giving much to the media, going about things a bit differently, but with a solid knowledge of what the organization needs and what it can do without. That's become the norm in football. But another thing that has become the norm is the overthinking of simple decisions. Coaches and GMs have too much information these days, and that can be a bad thing. So something that's a work in progress, like Tavares' skating, suddenly becomes a huge deal. And before you know it, people are saying things like, "Tavares might score you 40 goals, but Duchene will win you a Cup".

That's what scares me. Garth Snow doesn't live in a bubble. He doesn't listen to all the crap the Canadian media spits out, but he must be hearing the whispers that only came up after the Islanders won the Draft Lottery. I'm afraid Snow will talk himself into taking Duchene because it falls in line with his now-established model of unconventional thinking. Snow rarely plays it safe, which is usually a good thing, but now might actually be a detriment. Maybe someone should step into the Islanders' war room and remind them of a few things. Namely, Tavares has the OHL record for goals scored in a career. Tavares was the MVP of the 2009 World Junior Championships. Tavares averaged damn near a goal per game in juniors. Tavares was a slam-dunk #1 pick before all this nonsense about his skating and his defense came up. These are things the Islanders might want to remember before making their selection.

Here's the thing - I love John Tavares. Just about all of Long Island has fallen for this kid. From his play to his star power to how he went out of his way to assure the fans he'd love to be an Islander, every Islander fan is absolutely smitten with John Tavares. We like Hedman and Duchene, but we love Tavares. No other fan of any other team can imagine what Tavares means to us. For better or worse, he's our hope. And for once, I'd love to see the Islanders be praised for doing the right thing than to be questioned for yet another dubious decision.

With that in mind, here's The Rivalry's draft card for the top three selections. We're solidly in agreement on these items; we're just as solid in agreement that everything after the third pick is a total crapshoot.

1) New York Islanders: John Tavares, C, London Knights (OHL). There are just too many reasons why this has to be the pick. It's the safe pick and the sexy pick all at once. Tavares is the player the Islanders could never even dream of being able to sign as a free agent, and he could be theirs for the next 15 years. Tavares will not only get people excited about Islanders hockey, he'll be the goal scorer the team has lacked since Ziggy Palffy departed.

2) Tampa Bay Lightning: Victor Hedman, D, Modo (Elitserien). The Lightning went through a ridiculous 21 defensemen last year. Clearly, some stability is needed, even though they had that stability before they foolishly traded Dan Boyle. The Lightning have Lecavalier, Stamkos, Malone, Prospal, etc., but they have nobody on D. Hedman will solve that problem quite nicely.

3) Colorado Avalanche: Matt Duchene, C, Brampton Battalion (OHL). With Joe Sakic on his way out in Colorado, Duchene could pick up where Sakic left off and be the face of this franchise for a long time. The Avs desperately need to rebuild, and Duchene is a leader who can hold his own at both ends of the ice.

As for coverage of the draft... I'm going to be at the Islanders Draft Party at the Coliseum. The Islanders have distributed more than 20,000 tickets for this event. If even half of those people show up, it's going to be one wild scene. Word is that there will be customization stations around the Coliseum so people can order their Tavares (I hope) jerseys and wear them home.

Anyway, as much as Zach and I completely despise Twitter, it's probably the best way to send frequent updates about what's going on. I make no promises, but I'll do my best to make sure the updates aren't influenced by the heavy celebratory/depressed drinking that will surely take place after the draft. You can find us at http://twitter.com/therivalry. There's also a little Twitter feed on the right side of our main page. As you can see from our most recent updates, we don't really use Twitter that much.

If you're looking for some live updates from Montreal, my Blog Box buddies Ken, Tom, Michael, and Doug will be fully credentialed media members at the Draft. Congrats to them for getting there, and they should be giving us some awesome stuff.

Enjoy the Draft. And if my allegiances weren't already evident enough, here's one last bit of proof...

Words of Warning: The 1999 NHL Entry Draft

If you're an Islanders fan, you're pretty excited about this year's draft. You've got the first overall pick. Then, you have the 26th, the 31st, the 37th, and the 56th. Not a bad showing for the first-round, eh? You'd have to go back to 1999 to find a better prepared Islanders team in terms of draft picks in the first two rounds.

In 1999, the Islanders had four first-round picks. They had #5, #8, #10, and #28. This, coupled with the 1997 draft which saw the Isles draft Roberto Luongo at #4 and Eric Brewer at #5, should have been the start of big things for the Islanders. After all, according the Wikipedia, the 1999 draft was "considered one of the deepest in talent in years"... something that sounds pretty similar to what people are saying about this year's draft. Pay attention.

With the #5 pick, the Islanders selected Tim Connolly, the center of the future. Since the Isles had virtually no other talent to speak of, Connolly was immediately placed on the first line. This was a lot for the young Connolly to take, especially with the lofty expectations placed upon him. Connolly ended up totaling 75 points in his two years as an Islander, missing just one game over those two seasons. He was dealt to Buffalo as part of the Michael Peca trade; Connolly was still a 20-year-old future star at the time. He has only recently begun to reach his potential, though this high level of play has been tempered by constant injury.

At #8, the Islanders took Taylor Pyatt. Pyatt was considered to be more of a two-way player than Connolly, but still had potential as a scorer. Pyatt only played one year with the Islanders before being shipped to Buffalo in the Peca deal. Pyatt has since recorded years with 23 goals and 16 goals in Vancouver. He never became a great two-way player as many suggested he might, but he remains a solid NHL player who is in the lineup each night.

The 10th pick in the 1999 NHL Entry Draft was defenseman Branislav Mezei. Mezei scored exactly two goals in the Islanders organization - one in Bridgeport, and one on the big club. While it's worth noting that the Islanders didn't draft Mezei - he was drafted by Montreal - they should be scolded for trading then-captain Trevor Linden straight-up for Mezei. They were able to dump Mezei off to Florida for Jason Wiemer, but that's not saying a whole lot.

Kristian Kudroc was drafted at #28 by Dallas, but ended up on the Islanders as a result of a draft day trade. His biggest contribution to the team was being part of the package sent to Tampa Bay for Raffi Torres at the 2000 NHL Entry Draft.

Four first-round picks. A total of four seasons played by these four men. Wow.

It's worth noting that the 1999 NHL Entry Draft might have been the worst draft in NHL history. The first round has produced, to date, exactly three All-Star seasons - one each by Nick Boynton, Martin Havlat, and Henrik Sedin. The top ten featured such busts as Patrik Stefan, Pavel Brendl, Jamie Lundmark, and Kris Beech. In fact, the only truly notable players picked were Ryan Miller (fifth round) and Henrik Zetterberg (seventh round).

You'd think the 2009 draft couldn't possibly be this bad, right? Well, you never know. After all, the only real way to determine a player's worth is to see him play in the NHL. At this point, none of the big names have proven anything aside from the ability to dominate inferior competition. So don't get too frazzled about who the Islanders pick, because we truly know nothing about him right now. In other words, John Tavares might be the savior of the New York Islanders... or he could be the next Patrik Stefan.

With The First Overall Pick...

As every Islanders fan knows, the 2009 NHL Entry Draft is coming up on Friday. This is essentially the Stanley Cup Final of the Islanders' 2008-09 season. If they don't come out of this draft with a superstar, the entire season - and all the suffering that came with it - will have been a total waste.

Of course, there isn't much worry about getting a great player with the first overall pick in this year's draft. There are three stud prospects at the top of this draft. Everyone's ready everything about all of these guys already, so there isn't all that much I can add to the discussion. However, if you're an Islanders fan and you're not going absolutely insane wondering what they'll do with this pick, you're lying. After all, these are the Islanders; if there's a way to screw this up, they'll find it.

I will, however, say one thing. No matter what happens, I'm not going the route of many fans out there. That is, if the pick isn't John Tavares, I won't abandon the Islanders. With all of my heart and soul, I want them to pick John Tavares. After the past fifteen years of atrocious hockey and even worse personnel moves, I feel like the Islanders fanbase is entitled to see the team get the consensus top guy, not to mention a potential superstar. Make no mistake about it, if the pick is Victor Hedman or Matt Duchene, it's not going to be a pretty scene at the Coliseum on Friday night.

Islanders fans love to complain. (Don't get offended, but it's true.) To hear Islanders fans tell it, it's just their luck that this happens the year that they get the first overall pick. No other team has to deal with this crap... or so they say. Truth is, a very similar thing happened just three years ago.

In 2006, the Houston Texans had the first overall pick in the NFL Draft. That year, there were three main players that everybody thought had a shot to go first overall. There was Reggie Bush, the reigning Heisman Trophy winner who had torn up the entire college football world. There was Matt Leinart, Bush's teammate at USC who had won the Heisman the prior year and probably would have been picked first overall had he left school that year. Lastly, there was Vince Young, who pretty much won the Rose Bowl all by himself and had grown up in Houston. Of the three, the top guy was probably Bush, with the others not too far behind.

The Texans, not unlike the Islanders, refused to tip their hands. The night before the draft, word leaked that they had signed their first pick to a contract. Only thing is, it wasn't with any of the big three. Instead, they had agreed to draft Mario Williams, a physically impressive defensive end, but hardly a guy who would get fans excited about Texans football. As you can imagine, fan reaction wasn't very pretty. Nor was the reaction from pundits and analysts, many of whom immediately called the move one of the worst in football history.

There were two main reasons why the Texans made this move. The first was financially motivated. Contract holdouts, particularly among rookies, are prevalent in the NFL, and the Texans wanted to make sure they could sign the player they drafted. Williams wasn't the big name any of the other three were and didn't demand as much money. The other issue was that the Texans felt Williams fit their needs. Texans management felt they needed someone to pressure Peyton Manning twice a year more than they needed a quarterback or running back. Still, most thought they were crazy for passing on three elite talents.

Three years later, the picture has cleared up a little bit. During the Arizona Cardinals' run to the Super Bowl, Leinart lost his starting job and held a clipboard while his team played in their biggest games. Bush had a great first year for the Saints, but has been injured for much of the past two years. And, in perhaps the biggest tragedy of them all, Young had a mental breakdown, lost his starting job, and watched his Titans reach the AFC Championship game with a different quarterback under center. Williams, for all of the criticism he and his team received at the 2006 Draft, has recorded 26 sacks in the past two years and was named an All-Pro in 2008.

What can the Islanders learn from all of this?

- First and foremost, the players the Islanders pick doesn't immediately mean much. Only time will tell how good or bad of a pick this will be.

- The Islanders should be using this time to determine the best player available, not talk themselves into making the smartest move. This is something the Islanders have traditionally done, much to the chagrin of Islanders fans. We've seen Rick DiPietro over Dany Heatley and Marian Gaborik. We've seen Robert Nilsson over Zach Parise. Please, let's not see any more of this overthinking. The best player is the best player.

- The Islanders shouldn't be too worried about their needs right now. They need help in every area. Just take the best player.

After the Texans made their pick, many accused their management of overthinking the draft. This is something that's pretty easy to do, especially in the NFL, where crap players have suddenly become first-round picks because they had good workouts. And if anybody would fall into that category in this draft, it'd have to be Matt Duchene.

I'll admit, I've never seen Duchene play. But to hear the way people suddenly gush about him - particularly since the Islanders received the first overall pick - I'm a bit conflicted. People proclaim how Duchene is the most complete player in the draft and how he's a "winner". At the same time, though, he played on his team's second line in the OHL and didn't even make the Canadian World Junior Championships team - a team Tavares captained to the title, dominating throughout the tournament.

In addition, here's this. The whole theory of, "Tavares will score a bunch of goals, but Duchene will win you a Stanley Cup," is complete bullcrap. How can anybody say Duchene will be more of a winner in the NHL than anybody else? Duchene projects to be a Mike Richards-type player, which is great, but it takes a team to win. Besides, hanging the "winner" tag around Duchene's neck is just as bad, if not worse, than the "savior" tag Tavares has already been stuck with.

In the end, we know Garth Snow and his staff will show absolutely no consideration for what the fans want or what they feel they deserve. As much as that drives us crazy, that's the way it should be. My only hope, aside from Snow making the right pick, is that fans don't immediately turn on the Islanders if the pick isn't Tavares. Most fans have never even seen any of these three play. Let's not be so quick to judge this pick based on what we think we want. There will be plenty of time to judge the 2009 Draft over the next fifteen or so years.