The future is now

Because the present just ain't much to look at.

Kyle Okposo will make his Islanders debut Tuesday against the Maple Leafs, and we're sure Ken is giddy with excitement over at OkposoNet. Okposo will bring his Number 12 (hey... that's Dog's number!) to the lineup of a team that has performed down the stretch in a manner that calls to mind the Hindenburg.

Injury-riddled and utterly powerless on offense, the Islanders will give Okposo a free look in these last few games because he's going to be on the big club next year and hopefully for many, goal-filled years to come. Everything we know about him has been positive, and it will be exciting to see him on the ice, despite otherwise depressing circumstances.

Not much to add about the shutout loss to the Canadiens, or the loss to Florida, for that matter. You know the ugly numbers -- five losses in a row, 7 of 8, 9 of 11, all coming at what was supposed to be the start of a playoff push.

Did we have high hopes that the Isles would make the playoffs? Sure, and that makes the last two weeks incredibly disappointing. Did we think they'd go far? No, but once you're in, you never know, and every team looks forward to playoff revenue. Do we think Garth Snow should have been more of a seller? Not at all. At the time, the Isles had as much a chance at a playoff spot as anyone else. Snow made a couple of safe trades, picking up a couple of picks while keeping players who he figured would produce in a critical time.

That didn't happen, and no one could have foreseen this bad of a collapse. But it's over now. Time to watch Okposo and the other youngsters and try and get a glimpse of what's to come.

And if you needed more incentive, tickets are HALF OFF!