Gordon to the Olympics and Other Notes

Newsday and Point Blank were amongst the first to report that Islanders coach Scott Gordon has been named an assistant coach for the 2010 USA Olympic hockey team under Toronto's Ron Wilson.

Kyle Okposo--to no one's surprise--has been asked to the US Olympic training camp in Chicago this July. Okposo did very well for the US team in the World Championships after the Islanders season ended.

Here is the entire list of invitees to the American camp:

Goalies: Ryan Miller, Jonathan Quick, Tim Thomas.

Defensemen: Tom Gilbert, Tim Gleason, Ron Hainsey, Erik Johnson, Jack Johnson, Mike Komisarek, Paul Martin, Brooks Orpik, Brian Rafalski, Rob Scuderi, Ryan Suter, Whitney Ryan.

Forwards: David Backes, David Booth, Dustin Brown, Dustin Byfuglien, Ryan Callahan, Chris Drury, Scott Gomez, Patrick Kane, Ryan Kesler, Phil Kessel, Jamie Langenbrunner, Ryan Malone, Mike Modano, Kyle Okposo, T.J. Oshie, Zach Parise, Joe Pavelski, Bobby Ryan, Paul Stastny.

Strange to note--as they did on NHL Live--that only 5 of these players have previous Olympic experience: Langenbrunner, Modano, Gomez, Drury, andRafalski.

Also worth mentioning is that while these players have been invited to camp, none are guaranteed to make the team. So a guy like, oh, let's say Rick DiPietro, could still make the team if he comes back and is okay and gets some major wins and playing time under his belt.

Tavares on the cover of THN's Draft Issue

The headline really says it all. I just got the digital edition of The Hockey News' Draft Issue and wouldn't you know, John Tavares is the cover boy. With all of the speculation going around regarding Matt Duchene and Victor Hedman, I am betting the overwhelming majority of fans are still pinning their hopes on the explosive Tavares.

One thing that tends the bug the heck out of me--actually, there are a lot--is when you get a highly-touted and skilled young player who has been on the radar for a while that eventually people and scouts tun on them and start making a big deal about what they CAN'T do versus what the CAN do. So now there are whispers (probably coming out from the Canadian media) regarding Tavares and all of his "shortcomings" of being perhaps one-dimensional while the other guys, Duchene and Hedman are being built up for what the best parts of their own games are.

I call shenanigans--or at least, over-familiarity. Tavares has been talked up since he was a kid who challenged the rules to get himself into juniors as an underager to play with older, more skilled players. We've sort of been tracking the kid for years as the next great Canadian player to come out and now, that familiarity has become breed some discontent. Lots of kids come out of juniors and it takes them time to learn the defensive game. And so what if he isn't a "creator" of offense. Either is Eric Staal and the last time I checked, he was scoring goals and his Hurricanes had the best team in the leage during the regular season on the ropes and down 3-1.
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Not going to get into the Lighthouse crap. I am sick of reading it and I am sick of worrying about it. You know where to go for updates and stuff. I will say that Kate Murray appears to be a leetle bit crooked when the company doing the feasibility studies are delaying their reports AND they also have contributed to her election campaigns in the past. Oh, yeah. And they're from out of county. Again, it doesn't take a truffle pig to smell shenanigans.
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Check out the latest issue of Islanders Illustrated if you can. It's a beautiful Year in Pictures Review and I want to thank Linzi for ordering the magazine for me this past season.

The Isles also are having a contest to fly 8 fans to Montreal for the draft for a meet-and-greet with whomever the Isles pick in the first round. Two winners are being named each week. Seems like a good deal if you win and Montreal is always nice any time of the year.
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I hope you've had a chance to follow the IIHF World Championships this spring in Switzerland. Kyle Okposo has played pretty well for the US, scoring two goals and he was also named the Player of the Game in a 3-2 loss to Russia after tying the game at 2 in the second period of the semifinal matchup.

The US goes for bronze tomorrow at 10AM Eastern on Universal Sports. They'll be playing Sweden while later in the day, Canada and Russia will face-off in a rematch from last's years final that Russia won. I know I'll be asking my mother to watch the games with me...she'll probably say no, but I will ask!

You can find more pictures of Okposo at the WC on the Islanders Facebook page. That's where this one came from.

World Championships on Universal Sports

We promised the programming schedule as soon as we got it, so here it is. All games are on the Universal Sports channel (249 in the Hartford area on Comcast; 'check your local listings' as they say for the channel number in your area.)

You can also watch the games online at universalsports.com.

Sean Bergenheim is out for Finland and the Isles have ruled Frans Nielsen unfit to play from Denmark.


WEDNESDAY, MAY 6
4 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.
IIHF WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS – MEN’S QUARTERFINAL 1 (same day)

6:30 p.m. – 9 p.m.
IIHF WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS – MEN’S QUARTERFINAL 2 (same day)


THURSDAY, MAY 7
4 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.
IIHF WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS – MEN’S QUARTERFINAL 3 (same day)

6:30 p.m. – 9 p.m.
IIHF WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS – MEN’S QUARTERFINAL 4 (same day)


FRIDAY, MAY 8
4 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.
IIHF WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS – MEN’S SEMI FINAL 1 (same day)

6:30 p.m. – 9 p.m.
IIHF WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS – MEN’S SEMI FINAL 2 (same day)


SUNDAY, MAY 10
11 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.
IIHF WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS – MEN’S BRONZE MEDAL (same day)

2: 30 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.
IIHF WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS – MEN’S GOLD MEDAL (live)

Newsday: Okposo to play for Team USA at the Worlds

Newsday is reporting that Kyle Okposo has indeed been named to the American team for the World Championships that begin on April 25 in Bern, Switzerland. As previously reported, Islanders coach Scott Gordon is an assistant on Team USA as well.

Okposo and Jack Hillen will be playing in at least the first 2 AHL playoff games for the Sound Tigers. It's assumed that after game two, Okposo will report to the American team.

Mark Streit has also decided to play for his native team as they host the tournament. Interestingly, the Worlds are being held in Streit's home town of Bern.

Greg Logan also reports that Sean Bergenheim will be playing for Finland.

Lots of speculation about the health (or lack thereof) of goaltender Rick DiPietro. Seems that DP was seen on crutches leaving the rehabilitation center that injured Islanders frequent.

Not surprisingly, GM Garth Snow had no comment other than to say Ricky was on schedule.

An NYIFORLIFE.com exclusive editorial: What's the deal with Ron Wilson

There's going to be a press conference today to introduce Ron Wilson as the coach of the 2010 USA hockey team and all I can think is that this is truly an uninspired choice.

First off, we have to recognize that Leafs' GM Brian Burke is the GM of the American Olympic team and that the Leafs' head coach is Ron Wilson. Plus, they're like best buddies. This would be like me hiring my friend Victor to run the Olympic team just because he's had my back for the last twenty or so years.

Wilson is always remembered for coaching the US to a stunning victory in 1996 when everybody expected Canada to win the inaugural World Cup of Hockey. No one can deny the importance of this tournament victory as the second-most important in the annals of American hockey.

Wilson also had the reins in 1998 when Team USA made us all feel like ugly Americans with their behavior on and off the ice in Nagano. I will always remember that Olympics as the one where I was all excited for the games and my Dad went out and bought me the US sweater but now it sits in the back of my closet and is never worn because I was so disgusted with the reports of the team coming out of Japan. I still blame Roenick for this.

Were there better choices for the job? Well, there surely are other candidates. The first two that jump to mind are John Tortorella and old friend Peter Laviolette. Johnny Torts is legendarily cantankerous so he might rub some of the players the wrong way.

Of course, Herb Brooks also had some sandpaper in him, and he turned out to be a legend.

Laviolette does well with younger players and in case you haven't noticed, this 2010 Team USA is going to be very young. The core of the 1996 team is out to pasture and into an easy chair now and the nucleus of the team is going to skew closer to High School Musical than it to Led Zep.

Laviolette has Olympic experience as a player and oh by the way has a big fat Stanley Cup championship ring on his hand. Wilson lost with another disappointing and AARP-sponsored World Cup team in 2004.

The question remains: if you're going into a tournament with a very young roster, doesn't it make sense to employ a coach who is used to working with younger players and getting them to play to the best of their abilities?

You know where I am going with this.

Can we get Scott Gordon on the team? Wilson is going to have a couple of assistant coaches. Johnny Torts is a decent idea, I suppose, and he has the Rangers profile. Laviolette has been coaching the USA entries in the World Championships so he'll get the nod as a company man. But if we are to truly go forward, USA Hockey has to be more active in developing the next round of coaches in the same manner that it tries to develop the next round of players. Saying that, they're going to have to wake up and see that Scott Gordon's Islanders are playing at a .500 clip since Christmas without the benefit of having well-known talent and two goalies who probably had "AHL" next to their names on many league-wide roster lists.

No matter how you look at it, Gordon has really done a heck of a job with the Islanders over the last half of the season. He's done it with kids and call-ups and AHL vets making their NHL debuts. He really can get the kids ready to play and he must know how to push their buttons to give them all the confidence to go out there and play their hearts out.

Now I am not saying that Scott Gordon is Scotty Bowman-in-training here...but we do have to face facts. Would USA Hockey get hammered by those who think they know if Scott Gordon was appointed to Team USA as an assistant coach? Probably. The knee-jerk reaction from talking heads without an understanding would look at the Islanders' record and their last place standing and wonder what the heck USA Hockey is smoking by letting this guy have an Olympic job. But those who understand and love the game and have followed the Islanders have seen nothing but improvement and growth over the past few months. If you truly wanted to develop a coach the way you would develop players, you'd need to give guys like Gordon some exposure at the the highest levels--and not just hire your best buddy retread.

Of course, I want to win games and develop talent; not just hire my friends.

Islanders Team Report--Yahoo! Sports

Inside Shots

General manager Garth Snow smiled and pointed to the gray hair atop his head.

Even though he has followed through with his plan to rebuild the Islanders nearly from scratch, that doesn’t mean it hasn’t been a frustrating, and at times, painful process en route to the NHL’s worst record this season entering Wednesday’s visit to Washington.

“We came up with a plan to build through the draft, and we’re sticking to it. This season has been painful, but we think we’ll be better for it,” Snow told the New York Post. “This is an important time for our organization to take the next step, and I take that very seriously.”

Several young players—such as forwards Kyle Okposo, Josh Bailey and Frans Nielsen—have shown marked improvement since the beginning of the season. And barring a late surge, the Isles should add to that with one of the top two players in the June entry draft.

Though that may be true if players such as Kyle Okposo and Josh Bailey develop like the Isles hope they do, but it also largely depends on what Snow does.

“Whenever (fans) come up to me, whether it’s on the concourse during games or at practice, they say, ‘Stick to the plan,’” Snow said. “The team we have next year will be very similar to the one we have now. I expect a lot of players to develop.”

FLYERS 4, ISLANDERS 3 (SO): Two cities in two nights. Two playoff-bound opponents. Two Islander goalies. And two shutouts? It looked that way for two periods Saturday night as goalie Yann Danis carried a 2-0 shutout into the third one night after Joey MacDonald had blanked the Red Wings Friday in Detroit. But the Flyers scored three goals in barely three minutes early in the final session before earning the extra point in the shootout to win a fight-filled game.

Notes, Quotes

• D Brendan Witt has no goals in 58 appearances this season, but coach Scott Gordon rewarded the rugged defenseman by choosing Witt to be the Islanders’ first shooter in the skills competition in a 4-3 shootout loss Saturday to the Flyers.

“Why not?” Gordon said, when asked why he chose Witt to participate. “The last time we practiced the shootout, our defensemen were pretty successful and I told Witter we would use him.”

• C Doug Weight got into a rare fight Saturday and also earned an instigating minor and a misconduct penalty for scrapping with Darrol Powe in the first period.

“Our team has come a long way the last couple of months and is really coming together,” Weight said. “It’s not like I would do that in a playoff race, but once in a while you have to do that…Our team has been sticking up for each other and really coming together and those things are good to see.”

Quote To Note: “One of the things our team has shown here is that they’re going to stick up for each other. A good sign of that is coming together and supporting themselves in all situations.”—Coach Scott Gordon, after the Isles drew four fighting majors in a 4-3 shootout loss Saturday to Philadelphia.

Islanders Team Report: Yahoo! Sports

Inside Shots

The Islanders weren’t slated to visit Ottawa for another week, but Scott Gordon ensured that a couple of Senators are likely to have next weekend’s game circled on their day-planners.

Unproductive forward Mike Comrie and unhappy defenseman Chris Campoli were dealt to the Sens shortly before the trade deadline. And they clearly were among those being referenced when Gordon was asked in recent days to explain the 30th-place Islanders’ recent 5-1-2 surge before losing Saturday in Boston.

“You know, we had a couple bad apples, too, that we got rid of,” Gordon told Newsday. “As a result of that, the chemistry in the locker room is what you would expect from a team that pulls together. They are pulling for each other, and they’re working with a purpose.”

Isles captain Bill Guerin was the other regular player moved before the deadline for draft picks, but the improved Isles since have threatened to move out of the NHL cellar.

“We’re not an easy two points anymore,” Gordon said. “We were at the beginning of the year, but now our guys are playing at a pace that it really hasn’t mattered who the opposition has been.”

Bruins 2, Islanders 1: Not much separated the teams with the best and worst records in the Eastern Conference on Saturday. A span of 65 seconds, to be exact. East-leading Boston scored twice within barely a minute early in the first period, and that was enough to send the Isles to only their second regulation loss in nine games (5-2-2).

“It probably wasn’t a highlight game for either team,” Isles coach Scott Gordon said. “It was slow-paced, but both teams played hard defensively and didn’t give up a lot. And, obviously, the start of the game hurts.”

Notes, Quotes

• C Richard Park, who suffered broken ribs Feb. 18, missed barely three weeks before returning Saturday in Boston. He originally was expected to be out up to six weeks.

• LW Jon Sim, who has one year at $1 million remaining on his contract, hasn’t sulked since a demotion to AHL Bridgeport, scoring six goals in his first five minor-league appearances, including at least one in each game.

Quote To Note: “To come here and play (Boston), who is one of the best teams in the league, is obviously a good measuring stick.” Coach Scott Gordon, before the Islanders dropped a tight 2-1 decision Saturday in Boston.

Player Notes:

• D Mark Streit, the Islanders’ leading scorer with 49 points, tied his career high with his 13th goal of the season in a 2-1 loss Saturday in Boston.

• RW Kyle Okposo registered an assist to extend his point-scoring streak to five games.

• C Richard Park recorded the other assist in his first appearance since Feb. 18 due to a rib injury.

Islanders Team Report from Yahoo Sports

With the fewest points in the NHL, the Islanders already will be playing for future jobs over their final 30 games.

But an official competition is shaping up for the right to back up starting goalie Rick DiPietro next season—a job that often entails a heavy workload because of the former All-Star’s frequent trips to the injured list, including his ongoing knee issues.

Joey MacDonald opened this season as DiPietro’s understudy and seemingly earned a new contract for 2009-10 with solid nightly play in starting 36 of 42 games before the All-Star break. But third-stringer Yann Danis has allowed three or fewer goals in seven of his last eight starts entering Tuesday’s home game against Los Angeles, and he appears to have gained the trust of head coach Scott Gordon.

“One thing about Yann, I think he’s taken it a step further than what Joey did,” Gordon said. “Not that Joey didn’t play well, but certainly, Yann, from a level of consistency, has been able to play like a guy that’s a true No. 1. That’s reflective of his numbers…to consistently give up less than three goals is what you expect a No. 1 guy to do, and that’s the type of performance he’s been able to give us.

“It goes hand in hand with his success. When you have that kind of goaltending, it certainly makes it easier for your team to know that, when you have those off moments, it’s going to stay tight.”

Lightning 1, Islanders 0: Yann Danis had won his previous four starts and certainly appeared in line for another, keeping the Islanders in a 0-0 tie with several acrobatic saves until late in the third period Saturday night in Tampa. Still, opposing goalie Mike McKenna ended up with his first shutout in just his third NHL start, as veteran Gary Roberts’ redirection goal with 6:26 remaining sent the last-overall Isles (16-31-5) to their second straight one-goal loss.

“It’s never fun to lose like that in the third,” said Danis, who made 27 saves. “We played a good game. We battled hard. There’s definitely some positives out of it.”

Notes, Quotes

• D Chris Campoli has been installed as the Isles’ power-play quarterback with All-Star D Mark Streit, the Isles’ leading scorer this season, sidelined the last two games with a shoulder injury.

“It was different. I’m in (Streit’s) position, and we’ve all seen he does such a great job every night,” Campoli told Newsday. “It’s definitely big shoes to fill, and I just tried to go out there and keep it simple.”

• LW Sean Bergenheim was activated off the injured list after missing the previous eight games with a strained muscle in his side suffered Jan. 13, replacing center Nate Thompson (shoulder) in the lineup.

Quote To Note: “Yann’s really stepped up. He’s given us a chance every time he’s played. It’s great to see a kid like that come in and play really well for us when he gets a chance.”—Defenseman Brendan Witt, on goalie Yann Danis, following a hard-luck 1-0 loss Saturday at Tampa Bay.

Player Notes:

• G Yann Danis lowered his goals-against average over his past five starts to 1.61, but he didn’t win for the first time in that stretch in a 1-0 loss Saturday in Tampa Bay.

• RW Trent Hunter’s four-game point streak (3-1-4) was halted.

• D Chris Campoli logged a team-high 24:19 of ice-time, including 5:40 of power-play time with No. 1 defenseman Mark Streit sidelined with a shoulder injury.

Medical Watch:

• G Rick DiPietro, who appeared in just five games due to multiple injuries, has been shut down for the remainder of the season with swelling in his surgically repaired left knee.

• D Mark Streit sat out his second straight game Saturday against Tampa Bay with a shoulder injury and remains day-to-day.

• D Thomas Pock also has missed the last two games with a hand injury suffered Feb. 3 against Tampa Bay.

• D Freddy Meyer remains out indefinitely with a groin strain suffered Jan. 5 in Edmonton.

• C Mike Sillinger underwent season-ending hip surgery for the second straight season on Jan. 26.

• D Andy Sutton suffered a broken right foot on a blocked shot Dec. 19 in Minnesota and underwent surgery. He is expected to miss 8-to-10 weeks.

• C Nate Thompson was placed on the injured list after suffering a shoulder injury Feb. 5 against Florida.

A Familiar Refrain

Isles lost again to the Rangers.

Team MVP Joey McDonald hurt his groin (doesn't matter which one) and now they are down to one goalie because they are going to shut DiPietro down for the year--which I have been begging them to do for the past couple of months.

I understand he is a competitor and that he is going to be aching to get out there and help the guys but shutting him down for next year is the right thing to do if the team is serious about playing the kids, getting them experience, and trying to tank so they get the first overall pick.

Ricky would come back, get hurt, come back, get hurt, and then come back again...only to get hurt. Sit him down, let the knee/hip/other knee/other hip heal, and have him sign autographs at the team store for the rest of the regular season. Then, next year, assuming he is all cleared to play, he'll be a freaking animal and so excited to play that we may steal a game or two for the Isles in the early-going.

Now comes word in Newsday that the Isles are reaching out to prodigal son Wade Dubielewicz, who was bought out of his (probably) sketchy Russian KHL contract with Kazan Ak-Bars this year. Dubie was 11-8-3 for those Ice Bears at the time of his buyout; losing the job to 20-year-old Stanislav Galimov.

(And no, I didn't just get that off the top of my head. Thanks, hockeydb.com.)

Just want to mention that the Isles lead the league in man-games lost and it is something over 260. That is just ridiculous.

Isles in Minnesota; Okposo and Comrie may return

Sorry for the lack of updates lately. Work has been crazy busy trying to get projects in under the wire. Thanks to those who wrote in wondering what has been going on.

I will try to get updates in through the Christmas and New Year's celebrations where I can. I am guessing that things'll be just as backed up both at work and with family visiting.

Thanks also to those who asked me about the place I work. It was recently announced that my employer was laying off some people (not great timing) but so far, I am safe.

Anyway, enough of that. We are here to talk about the Islanders and a seven-game winless streak.

The good news is that the Islanders' website is reporting that Mike Comrie should make his return tonight in Minnesota. Newsday and other places like Point Blank are also saying that Sillinger and Okposo are coming back better than expected from their respective injuries and could possible play either tonight against the Wild or tomorrow night in Nashville.

Do you realize that the Isles have not played either Minnesota or the Predators since 2006? Do you realize that we haven't missed those game a-tall? I mean, playing the Wild at this time of year is great for the red-and-green Christmas spirit but the Predators? Outside of Shea Weber and Dan Ellis, do you ever hear much about their players?

Anyway, the Islanders are riding a one-point December so far and man, has it been miserable. If you're reading this, I don't have to tell you. Of course, the "frequency" of my updates has been tempered by not only work, but my realization that the team could be out of the playoff picture already. And that just sucks.

What we need to face is that yes, we are the collective beaten-down dogs of a fanbase and yes, rebuilding takes time. Year one of the process--assuming ownership stays the course--is always the hardest, most painful, and depressing of the four-year plan.

Call me an optimist--I've been called worse--but we need to take pride in the development of the young kids, assuming they can make it back to the ice. Also, with Bill Guerin getting close to 400 career goals and Doug Weight now 3 points away from 1000 career points, we can take some satisfaction that these great players--and American hockey players at that--will be hitting some very serious career milestones in the sweaters with our favorite logo on it.

On the other side, hard to take those comments in Newsday from Brendan Witt this morning. What he said in the report by Greg Logan sounded to me like the frustrations of a proud man who is on a team that has not won in seven games--not to mention that he was a minus-five the other night. Some will say that Scott Gordon is trying to teach the old dog a new trick. Read into this what you will.

Regarding the team's style of play: "I don't think we play well defensively five-on-five, and it shows," Witt said. "We're leading the league with goals against . It almost looked like [the Capitals] were on a power play [with 40 shots]."

Gordon's system: "We're showing progress, but we haven't showed it very often for 60 minutes," Witt said. "Until he says something different, we have to play the way he wants us to play."

And this chestnut: "Personally, I think it's more of a risky type of game," Witt said. "There's a lot of odd-man rushes. But that's the way he wants us to play, and until he decides he wants to change that, we're going to play that way."

Yeesh. I am a big fan of Brendan Witt's but...wow...to say he isn't on point is being kind. Of course, he could also just be frustrated as hell. I know I am when I watch the games.

It's also not out of the question that any of the veterans playing well could be moved at the trade deadline. In fact, they probably should be if they're not able or willing to fit into Gordon's system or understand their roles in said system. Nothing surprises me any more with the Islanders so guys with value like Weight, Guerin, Witt, Sillinger, and Comrie are probably going to be traded for value (draft picks) come March 4. Witt is frustrated and Comrie did not show anything that says he can play the up-tempo style Gordon and Snow want to play. Sillinger also has had difficulty coming back from his surgery and found himself sidelined shortly after making his return with groin issues that are directly attributable to the forechecking style employed by Gordon.

Tonight the Isles are in Minnesota. Okposo is enjoying the comforts of home. Let's hope he's back in the lineup tonight, too.

Islanders Team Report from Yahoo! Sports

Scott Gordon asks the Islanders to forecheck so aggressively during games that he often backs off on his team in practice.

That all changed Friday, when Gordon punished his players with a super-hard skate following numerous breakdowns and lazy plays in a season-worst 9-2 loss Thursday at Pittsburgh.

“You say, ‘I don’t want to kill them in practice and not get it in the game,’” Gordon told Newsday. “Well, now I’m at the point where it doesn’t really matter. This needs to be addressed, and it probably should have been addressed three games ago.”

The losing continued Saturday night in Columbus, the Isles’ sixth straight defeat and their eighth in nine games entering Tuesday’s return home against Washington. The Isles (10-18-2) have given up an NHL-worst 110 goals.

“It’s been an ongoing situation where we have not backchecked with awareness and purpose,” Gordon said. “We have to play with more desperation and more purpose all the time. When you’re not doing that, you become easier to play against. That’s not what we want our team identity to be.”

Blue Jackets 3, Islanders 1: Well, at least it wasn’t 9-2. Since that was the bloated score of the Isles’ previous game Thursday in Pittsburgh, perhaps this represented progress back into respectability. But perhaps not, as the Isles meekly completed an 0-4 road trip and fell to a mind-boggling 2-7-1 in their history against Columbus. Goalie Joey MacDonald and the Isles’ defensive efforts clearly were sharper than they’d been in the Penguins debacle two nights earlier, but their offensive woes continued with just one shorthanded goal on 25 shots against Jackets rookie Steve Mason. During their six-game losing streak, the Isles have scored fewer than three goals five times.

Notes, Quotes

• C Mike Sillinger, at 37 and five NHL games removed from February hip surgery, probably wasn’t the best candidate to survive coach Scott Gordon’s punishing “bag skate” on Friday. And he didn’t. Sillinger strained his groin and sat out Saturday’s game against Columbus.

“I guess it’s a mini-training camp for me, and the tightness with my hips is going to go to other areas,” Sillinger said. “It’s just a minor tweak, but I’ve got to be able to skate. It doesn’t help whenever you have one hip compensating.”

• C Doug Weight has been a rare and surprising bright spot this season, leading the Isles with 27 points and moving within four of reaching 1,000 for his NHL career.

“To play as long as I have and to be successful and to be coming up on that mark, I’m very proud of it and very excited about it,” Weight told Newsday. “It sounds like I’m answering in the politically correct way, but I want to mix it in with some wins. It’s more enjoyable around your team.”

Quote To Note: “It’s tough, but we have got to try to keep it positive and try to do the things that we know that work for us. We can’t be too negative. We have to keep on going. We can’t quit here.”—Winger Sean Bergenheim, after the Isles lost their sixth straight game Saturday, 3-1 at Columbus.

Player Notes:

• G Joey MacDonald returned to goal after getting yanked after one period in a 9-2 loss Thursday in Pittsburgh. MacDonald stopped 32 of 35 shots in a 3-1 loss to Columbus.
• RW Richard Park notched his second shorthanded goal of the season, and the seventh for the Isles, second-most in the NHL.

• LW Jon Sim returned to the lineup, replacing injured C Mike Sillinger, after being a healthy scratch for the first time this season Thursday in Pittsburgh.

Medical Watch:

• G Rick DiPietro, who underwent arthroscopic surgery Oct. 31 on his left knee, has resumed skating in full equipment and hopes to return by late December.

—C Mike Comrie, who underwent offseason surgery on his right hip, has resumed skating but missed his 16th straight game since Nov. 11 with inflammation.

• D Bruno Gervais was placed on injured reserve and missed his ninth straight game with an undisclosed leg injury.

• D Radek Martinek, who’s been limited to 10 appearances this season, went back on the injured list with a shoulder injury suffered Nov. 29. He is expected to miss 3-to-4 weeks.

• C Frans Nielsen will miss 8-to-12 weeks after suffering multiple leg injuries, believed to include a high-ankle sprain, Nov. 21 in New Jersey.

• RW Kyle Okposo missed his 12th straight game since suffering a right wrist injury Nov. 17 and is expected to be out until mid-January.

• C Mike Sillinger, who missed the first 24 games due to February hip surgery, lasted five games before exiting the lineup again with a strained groin. He is day-to-day.

Islanders Team Report

Courtesy: Yahoo! Sports

Inside Shots

Islanders general manager Garth Snow took his time talking to men of various experience levels while searching for Ted Nolan’s replacement as head coach.

He found him in AHL Providence coach Scott Gordon, who was introduced as the Islanders’ head coach on Aug. 13.

Gordon, the AHL’s Coach of the Year, is accustomed to dealing with young players, which will be critical given the Isles’ commitment to a youth movement. Nolan reportedly was not, which led to his dismissal.

“I could tell right away when he walked through my office door that there was chemistry and that we were speaking the same language,” said Snow of Gordon.

While many big-name coaches with NHL experience were discussed before the club decided to give Gordon his first taste of coaching in the NHL, Gordon is optimistic that his experience in the AHL has prepared him to deal with a young, struggling Islanders team.

“It didn’t just take coaching Xs and Os, it took the players buying into the system that we play and being accountable to each other. That’s kind of the last step in my development as a coach in refining the team chemistry part of it—how to get the guys to want to play for each other. I’ve been able to find what works and doesn’t work and been able to do it on a small stage and not have to have the growing pains, hopefully, at the NHL level.”

Of course, hope springs eternal in August.

Notes, Quotes

• The Islanders announced their 2008 preseason schedule, including one home game at Nassau Coliseum, Oct. 1 against New Jersey. With training camp to be held in Moncton, New Brunswick, for the second straight year, the Isles will play host to Boston at Moncton Coliseum on Sept. 23. They also will play Philadelphia in London, Ontario, on Sept. 25 and Florida in Sumerside on Prince Edward Island on Sept. 27. The Isles also play in New Jersey, Boston and Florida in early October.

Quote To Note: “Communication is key, along with the ability to provide structure to the team, to be able to discipline players and to hold players accountable. I’ll look for a coach who has integrity, an inspirational, motivational, knowledgeable coach. Those are the ingredients I feel a great coach has. I look forward to the process of finding our next head coach.”—GM Garth Snow, on the Islanders’ coaching search.

Roster Report

Draft Picks Of Note:

Corey Trivino, 6-1, 170, OPJHL Stouffville, 36th overall: The speedy center scored 69 points in 39 games in the Ontario Provincial junior A league, plus four goals for champion Team Canada at the World under-18 Junior tournament in January.

Aaron Ness, D, 5-9-1/2, 157, Roseau HS (Minn.), 40th overall: The undersized defenseman was Mr. Hockey in Minnesota in 2008, with 72 points from the blue line in 31 games for his high school team. Interestingly, Ness will attend the University of Minnesota and coach Don Lucia, who took issue with the Isles and with Snow for signing 2006 first-round pick Kyle Okposo away from the Golden Gophers in the middle of the college hockey season last winter.

David Toews, 5-10, 175, Shattuck-St. Mary’s HS (Minn.), 64th overall: The younger brother of Chicago rising star Jonathan Toews had 100 points in 51 games (44-56) for Minnesota’s top high school program. The younger Toews is headed to the University of North Dakota.

Kirill Petrov, 6-3, 198, RSL AK Kazan: 73rd overall: The Isles took a chance on Petrov, the No. 2-ranked European skater (behind No. 6 overall selection Nikita Filatov) by NHL Central Scouting. Petrov plummeted in the draft because he is under contract for the next two seasons in Russia. The right wing was named the top forward at under-18 worlds last winter with five goals in six games.

Free Agent Focus: After signing center Doug Weight, power-play quarterback Mark Streit and third-string goalie Yann Danis, the Isles boast 24 one-way contracts for 23 roster spots for 2007-08. When asked by Newsday if that means he’s likely done shopping on the free-agent market, GM Garth Snow replied, “I would say so, but I’ll still poke around and make calls.”

Player Notes:

• C Frans Nielsen, a Denmark product who has appeared in 31 games for the Islanders the past two seasons, received a four-year contract worth $2.1 million.

• D Bruno Gervais became the last returning Islander to land a new contract, signing a three-year deal worth $2.225 million on July 25.

Scott Gordon named coach of the Islanders

....and I am super-pleased with the hire. Now that Garth Snow has the guy in charge that he wants, the rebuilding of the franchise can actually begin. No more Band-aids and no more splints. This is going to be a team that grows together as we move forward.

Many outlets are reporting that assistant coaches John Chabot and Gerard Gallant have been retained. This late in the game--training camp is only weeks away--it's probably for the best to give the guys at least some sense of stability after a strange and tumultuous summer.

Plus, you know, we can find out if Gallant and Chabot will thrive working with a boss who will listen to their suggestions. (Zing!)

With Gordon, the Isles are getting the reigning coach of the year from the AHL and a guy who proved valuable in developing players for the Bruins. My friends who are big Bruins fans loved the fact that over the past few years, if a kid was called up to Boston from Providence that that player was ready to go and knew his role walking into the Garden. That, my dear readers, is preparedness and leadership. If you're going to try and develop the kids you better get a guy who is known for being a good communicator and teacher and has had some experience and success doing just that. The young Islanders will know what is expected of them and what their roles are on the team with Scott Gordon as the head coach.

Many people knee-jerked--myself included--when Ted Nolan was fired; thinking that the next Islanders coach had to have some Stanley Cup pedigree. The more I thought about it, the more and more I was against hiring a guy like John Tortorella or Bob Hartley. Stanly Cup winning coaches are used to Winning Now and may not have the patience needed to start building the family from scratch. A seasoned and successful communicator with a resume of having developed players is what was truly needed...and in Scott Gordon, that is who we got.