Tambellini Recalled; Okposo Debuts; Isles win the Shootout

Well, I think some good news is coming from The Bridge...while we are getting a distress signal from the Islander blueline.

Tonight in Ottawa, Jeff Tambellini will join the team due to injuries to Miro Satan. Bad news on the defensive front. Brendan Witt will miss the game tonight with a sprained ankle suffered in Calgary. Luckily the Isles have some NHL-caliber players riding the pine on the blueline (I am thinking of Berard, Bergeron, and Meyer--all of whom spent time in and out of the lineup) so that our boys will have enough bodies going forward (no pun) so that the experience will be there in front of All-Star Rick DiPietro. Of course, none of those guys I mentioned is Brendan Witt so we hope he is a quick healer.

And by the way, it bears mentioning that this ankle must be a heap of trouble because Brendan Witt is a freaking warrior out there. I think that term gets overused a lot these days--especially with our men and women at 'real' war--but that is the only way you can properly characterize the kind of player that Brendan Witt is for the Islanders. How many times have we seen him block a shot or take a hit and think the guy is not even going to get up, let alone stay in the game? He's like John Wayne and Stone Cold rolled into one dude.

There's a very important MRI coming up for Brendan Witt and the Islanders. Let's hope that a sprain ends up being just a sprain.

Kyle Okposo is off and running. Last night in his home debut, Okposo had a goal and two assists in the Sound Tigers' 4-2 win over Springfield at the Arena at Harbor Yard. 5 points in two games. The Sound Tigers lost his debut game in Bingo on Friday but Kyle had two assists.

In his first game, Okposo was playing with AHL All-Star Jeff Tambellini. Tonight, as we said, Jeff meets the team in Ottawa.

Tambellini is scoring at a freakish pace in the American League. The guy has well over 4o points in like 34 games. The time is now for Jeff Tambellini. It's obvious that the AHL is not the league for him because he is too good. Tambellini has to prove to the coaching staff that he belongs with the Islanders and playing in the National Hockey League.

With all young players, it's tempting to want to throw them into the mix and see what you get. You also have to wonder about the other times he's had a chance to prove himself if whether or not he is just not getting a chance or if Tambellini is not taking advantage of his opportunities. Is it that the coaches aren't giving him a fair shake or is he doing something--or, more importantly, NOT doing something that he needs to do to succeed and get a regular shift for the team. With Miro out and the team still not lighting up the scoreboard, Tambellini has to seize this chance to make an impression. The Islanders still need a spark. He delivers that spark in the AHL all the time. Now he needs to decide to do it in the NHL.