We shall overcome

Not to make light of a holiday that celebrates the life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., but as we prepare for the Islanders' holiday matinee this afternoon against the Capitals, consider:

• The Islanders are 2-17-2 since December 1, picking up 6 points in 21 games.


• They are 1-10-2 in their division.


• Rick DiPietro is just about lost for the season, and Joey MacDonald, his backup, is also out, which means Yann Danis is your starting goalie.


• The team and fans were crushed to learn that Wade Dubielewicz was claimed off waivers by Columbus, ending his return bid.


• Chris Campoli became the latest to be sidelined by injury.


• Newsday identified the person behind Kansas City's bid to get a pro sports team, and he's considered a more powerful figure in sports than Gary Bettman. Wonderful.


• The team has moved its training camp to Saskatchewan, which is a lot closer to K.C. than Uniondale.

Bad news, right? Well, please consider this as well:

• In this awful string the team is struggling through, 15 of the 12 games were decided by two goals or less, including eight one-goal games, so the Isles aren't getting blown off the ice despite being severely shorthanded by injury (and, yes, a talent gap that was there at the season's start).


• The Arizona Cardinals are in the Super Bowl.

Yes, the Cardinals, a team that hasn't won a football title in more than 60 years, a team that has been a laughingstock for decades, is in the Super Bowl against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

If the Cardinals can make the Super Bowl -- and don't be shocked if they win -- then anything can happen. So keep the faith.

Game recap: Islanders 4, Rangers 3 (SO)

Ted Nolan put it best after the season finale when he said, "The one thing with this group of guys is they never quit... We didn't take the easy way out, which is a good sign."

Certainly, the Islanders are disappointed with not making the postseason, and for much of the season this looked like a playoff team. There was a time when things were really clicking, and the chemistry looked great with additions like Josef Vasicek and Ruslan Fedotenko and Mike Comrie playing well, and we thought we might have something here. But water seeks its own level, and then when the injuries piled up -- a rash that included starting goalie Rick DiPietro -- the writing was on the wall.

That said, beating the Rangers at the Garden in a shootout to deny them home-ice advantage in the first round isn't the worst consolation prize. Wade Dubielewicz played great, making 48 saves, and we'll say it again -- he can be our backup goalie for the duration of DiPietro's contract if he wants. The guy has the ability to come up big in the clutch.

You also love how the Park-Comeau-Okposo line played the last two weeks, and that's something to look forward to for next season. Okposo scored the first goal of the game with assists from both his linemates, and Park's shorthanded goal gave the Isles a 3-2 lead after two periods. All three scored in the shootout, with Park's fourth-round tally the game-winner after Dubie stoned Prucha. Niiiiiice.

Jack Hillen also looked solid and assisted on Miro Satan's goal and again, here's someone who could contribute big-time, a puck-moving backliner with some poise. Add him to a list of young players like Okposo, Comeau, Neilsen, Bergenheim, Campoli (remember him?), Tambellini and Gervais, and there's plenty of reason to hope.

Meanwhile, the Isles have an 8.1 percent chance at the top pick in the draft and will otherwise pick fifth in what looks to be a loaded field.

We'll post a season-ending report card in the next few days, but in the meantime -- other than rooting for the Mets -- we'll be looking for the Devils to bounce the Rangers in the first round. And why not? Brent Sutter was an Islander.

Game recap: Flyers 4, Islanders 3 (SO)

There's been some scuttlebutt in the Blog Box about the Islanders possibly adding a different backup goaltender next season, perhaps a veteran former starter who could provide a bit more experience behind a presumably healthy Rick DiPietro.

It's certainly possible, but I'd be just fine seeing Wade Dubielewicz on the bench again.

He's shown to be a capable backup with the ability to come up big, which he did in the shootout loss to the Flyers. Dubie made 51 saves and gave the Isles a real chance to win, and while you hated to see the team blow the 3-2 lead with less than six minutes left, it was a solid effort all around. Great to see the youngsters like Nielsen and Comeau scoring goals, and Comeau's was a beauty. Congrats also to Richard Park for winning the coveted Nystrom award.

Just two home games left: Tuesday against the Devils and Thursday against the Rangers before closing the season out at the Garden. The Isles can still win the Hummer Metro Ice Challenge, standing in first place at 10-3 with 20 points, just a point ahead of the Rangers....

What's that? It doesn't really count for anything? Not even some free chili?

Rats.

Game recap: Islanders 4, Penguins 1

When I golf, I find I play much better against good players, like my man Frank Pasquale, and when I'm paired up with other duffers, we slog around the course like a bunch of Al Czerviks. The level of play is raised by better competition.

I guess that's the deal with the Islanders, because just a couple of days after improving to 6-1 against the Devils, the Islanders blasted the division-leading Penguins, 4-1, at home and in front of a national television audience. Sure, there was a 3-1 loss to Philly in between, but the Isles were done in by the power play that night, and hey, you can't win 'em all.

With so many young players fighting for 2008-09 roster spots, it was nice to see the veterans step up, with goals by Guerin, Park and Hunter, the last one created by Satan's superior effort. Bergenheim also scored and he's fast becoming a favorite. Dubie also played strong after getting the Flyers game off.

A couple of side notes for you: With so many eyes looking ahead to the draft, here's an interesting story by ESPN.com's Scott Burnside on the sorry state of the Atlanta Thrashers. The best part is that Ilya Kovalchuk's contract runs out in two years. Now, everyone will be after him and why wouldn't a superstar like him want to play for the Rangers? But Charles Wang threw a ton of cash at Yashin and isn't afraid of the big contract (D.P.). Hey, we can dream, right?

Also, you may have seen the video but what Jonathan Roy -- son of Patrick -- did in a QMJHL game the other day was disgusting. Thankfully, his cheap shot has been punished by the league, and so was Papa Roy, who denied that his gesture from the bench was meant to encourage his son to charge the opposing goalie at the other end of the ice. Roy senior was one of the all-time greats, but he and his son apparently have a lot to learn about sportsmanship and class.

Game recap: Islanders 3, Devils 1

One of the main postgame themes after the Islanders dropped their sixth straight game Tuesday against the Maple Leafs was the lack of effort by the veterans. With so many callups from Bridgeport in the lineup because of injury -- and with Kyle Okposo making his NHL debut -- the Isles' vets were called out by Ted Nolan and Bill Guerin for not providing the kind of example they should be providing to the young players, never mind committing the sin of going half speed while the team was in a tailspin.

Consider the message received. In a hard-fought (literally) game on the road against the Devils, a team with plenty to play for and Stanley Cup aspirations, the Islanders played their best game in weeks, winning a 3-1 decision that featured terrific goaltending by Wade Dubielewicz and Okposo's first goal.

Of course, the joy is tinged with more than a bit of frustration with the knowledge that the Islanders can somehow be 6-1 against a team like the Devils and yet be out of the playoff picture. Dubie has become a Devil-killer himself, with three wins against the Jersey boys.

Not surprised to see Guerin mix it up, especially after his pointed comments Tuesday. It was surprising to see the Isles actually score three goals on Martin Brodeur despite having a season-low 18 shots.

As for Okposo, he said he was happy to get his first NHL goal "out of the way" so soon. So were we. The Isles look to continue to play spoiler Easter Sunday in Philly.

DiPietro hip to be tied, out for the season

Two years into his 15-year contract, goalie Rick DiPietro will miss the end of another season with a second hip surgery. Last year it was his left hip, this year it was the right hip, an injury suffered during the All-Star game skills competition, of all things. He'll go to the same doctor and GM Garth Snow says he'll be ready for training camp next season.

DiPietro was not the same goalie after the injury, going 7-12 with a 3.38 GAA since the break. He was hurt. The Isles did win six straight in that stretch but the first four wins saw an offensive explosion of 16 goals, which certainly helped. And the Islanders, after that win streak, were in the thick of the playoff hunt so D.P. wasn't sitting. Then, after his grandmother's death, he missed three games, including the second Rangers game, when many (myself included) questioned why he wasn't in there. Was Nolan hoping an extra game would help his condition?

D.P. returned against the Flyers and lost, 4-1, then got hammered by the Lightning and that may have been the death blow not only to the playoff hopes but D.P.'s season.

Players who battle through injury are called warriors, and certainly when you're dealing with a goalie, arguably the most critical position on the team, you like to see him fight to stay in there. But there comes a point when an injured player is hurting his team, and you wonder if that was the case here, although the Islanders certainly have plenty of other problems (scoring, the power play, injuries) that fed the collapse.

It reminds me of Robin Ventura when he was on the Mets. In a terrible slump, he was clearly not hitting like he should, yet he kept playing. Then, when the season ended, we found out he was hurt all along. Sit down, get whatever is ailing fixed and then come back strong. Having a hurt player batting fifth cost the Mets runs and, likely, wins.

Did that happen here? Probably. Would the Isles have done better with Dubie in the net? Maybe, but with their injuries and lack of firepower Billy Smith in his prime would have had trouble posting wins.

All we can hope for now is for D.P. to be healthy and back in top form next season, skip the skills competition, and for the Isles to land a stud in the draft. Maybe Snow can inject some life into this team in the off-season as well.

LIVEBLOG: Okposo's debut - Leafs 3, Islanders 1

We're live at the Coliseum tonight for the game between your New York Islanders and the Toronto Maple Leafs, and we're very excited to see Steve Regier and Matthew Spiller take the ice.

Oh, yeah, there's Kyle Okposo, too.

The 19-year-old future of the franchise (no pressure, kid) makes his NHL debut wearing Number 21, and not the No. 12 he wore in Bridgeport. Kenneth Dick of OkposoNet informs us that Okposo wore No. 9 at Minnesota, so basically the number on the back doesn't matter as much as the logo on the front, or the numbers in the points column that he can provide. Or, he just likes Brent Sutter better than Duane.

Lots of youngsters in the lineup and Rick DiPietro is out getting an MRI on his troublesome hip, so basically, the Isles get a jump on the 2008-09 preseason. And we're pretty much reduced to rooting HARD against the Rangers. (Go, Sabres!)

Here's a fun fact: Okposo was born April 16 (same day as my son!), 1988 -- five years after the Isles last won the cup, when I was a sophomore in college. Ouch.

Okposo playing with Park and Comeau, doesn't touch the puck but generates some cheers when he steps out on the ice for his first and second shifts. Other than waiting on Okposo, not a ton of excitement here with these 2 teams. Personally? I'm looking for someone - anyone - to run Darcy Tucker. And I'm not alone on that front.

Okposo gets his first shot on goal at the 11:30 mark - save Tokala. No score but the Isles lead in broken stick blades, 2-0. You're welcome.

GOOOOOOOOAL! Talk about end-to-end! Rob Davison gets his first, shorthanded, FROM HIS OWN GOAL LINE. His clear bounced along toward Toskala like a football. He went down, it got by him. That'll be on YouTube within the hour. You got the feeling once the puck was in the Toronto end and it was clear that it was on net, that it could be trouble. But a goal? Unreal.

That's the book on Toskala - he has trouble with the long shots. The reeeeaallll long shots.

Isles up, 1-0, after one.

Besides the arrival of Okposo, the only other good news surrounding the team lately was the news that Nassau County executive Tom Suozzi threw his support behind the Lighthouse Project. Read more about it here. Hopefully, the legislature will get behind it as well and we'll have a new home here sooner rather than later. But knowing Nassau County government, I'm not holding my breath.

Isles killing their third penalty of the game early in the second. Meyer drills Blake, then Dubie stones Kubina on a slapper from the slot. Another good kill.

Penalty on Tucker for hooking, Isles on the power play. Of course, the Leafs have the best scoring chance so far, with Stajan stealing the puck at the blue line and then flying around Berard, who does his best imitation of a fire hydrant. No goal. Okposo almost gets a chance charging to the net, but the pass doesn't get there. Meanwhile, the Isles kill their fourth penalty (too many men).

End of two, still 1-0 Isles.

Is it wrong to be looking up the top 30 2008 draft prospects according to International Scouting Services? That's what I'm doing between the second and third periods. Here's a list -- no profiles yet, but the top prospects are ranked. Here's a tip: Use the list to look these guys up on YouTube. There's plenty of highlights to enjoy. Love that Internet. Here are some profiles as well. Again, you're welcome.

Bad goal allowed by the Isles so I guess they're even on that score as well as the actual score -- and we're tied, 1-1. My hand to God I had just been thinking about writing that the Leafs will score midway through the period, then again with about three minutes left, with an empty netter to cap it off. We'll see - we're a third of the way there.

While the glass is being fixed, here's a thought: The NYI Mobile trivia question asked, who was the first Islander to win the Calder Trophy. And it was multiple choice - Potvin, Trottier, or Bossy. Of course it was Potvin, who was here first -- and yet the most popular answer was Trots at 51 percent??! Let's hope a bunch of weisenheimers texted the wrong answer on purpose, because that's just flat-out embarrassing.

WEAK call against Johnson for holding against Blake. Is this hockey?

Sure enough - a power play goal by Kubina. Give them enough chances, and they're going to score. We'll wait patiently for the make-up call, refs. It's 2-1 Leafs with 8:49 to go.

Leafs goal waved off, Blake called for interference on Dubie, two minutes. Awwwww, tough break, Blakie. And thank you, Mr. Official. Alas, the spirit was willing but the power play is still weak.

Dubie to the bench, breakaway - but Toskala makes the toe save on Comrie. And then there's the empty-netter. Game over, 3-1 Leafs. That's six straight losses and 10 of 12 for the Isles-slash-Sound Tigers.

--

POSTGAME REPORT

Ted Nolan came out and said the veteran guys on the squad gave a poor effort and Bill Guerin agreed with him. Both praised Okposo's debut.

NOLAN:

The young kids played extremely well. We need a better effort as a whole.

ON NEEDING TO GIVE A BETTER EXAMPLE: I don't care who's in the lineup, you care about who competes in the lineup. We played OK, but that's not good enough.

ON OKPOSO: You can tell he's a player when he steps on the ice, he has a great sense for the game.

We didn't want to give him too much in his first game but he did well. He wants the puck.

Dubie gave us a chance. That's all you want from your goaltender.


BILL GUERIN ON NOLAN'S COMMENTS: I 100 percent agree with him.

They didn't have too much to work on off the older guys. It just wasn't there. We're going to try to win with who we have. The lines were shuffled, but in the end, hockey's hockey. You can't use that as an excuse. We could have won that game tonight. We have to do our best to avoid getting down and avoid getting negative.

ON OKPOSO: He played well. Your first game in the league, you're nervous. I think only Mario
came in and had a good first shift and was ready to go.

It's quite a thrill, your first NHL game. (Guerin remarked that his own debut was too long ago to remember but recalled it was at the old Chicago Stadium.)

He got involved in the game and had a couple of opportunities. There's a reason he's here.


KYLE OKPOSO (whose locker is between Comeau's and Guerin's, for what it's worth):

I thought the game was faster than it was the first period, but then I calmed down a bit.

On his scoring chance: I had a little more time than I thought.

The first period I was very nervous.

It's not different than what I've played. Obviously the skill level is higher. But hockey's hockey, whether it's on the pond or here. You've played a thousand times.

All the guys were really supportive and just said to relax.

Dubie, Dubie, Dubie, Du-BEEEEEEE...

Dubie, Dubie, Dubie, Du-BYE!!

Can't get that song by The Stories out of my head now that it's been announced that Wade Dubielewicz will start Thursday night's rematch against the Rangers at the Coliseum. It's a curious move by Ted Nolan for a couple of reasons, not the least of which is that Rick DiPietro is back and ready to go and is unquestionably the starting goalie for this team.

You'd think that after getting two strong efforts from Dubie while DiPietro was attending to family matters, Nolan wouldn't press his luck looking for number three. And don't you think that DiPietro, who has carried this team for much of the season, isn't raring to get back in there, especially at home against the hated Rangers? Don't you think he'll be a LITTLE bit P.O.'d? Why mess with him?

And then there's this S.A.T. analogy: Dubie is to the Rangers as Garth Snow was to the Flyers. Is that true now?

Maybe we're getting a little ahead of ourselves. Let's just focus on winning the game tonight, then getting DiPietro back in the nets, where he'll hopefully remain for the next 13 games, plus playoffs. Needless to say, I'd LOVE to be there tonight, but having just returned from a conference in sunny Palm Springs, I'm still getting my work and home lives in order and can't spare the evening out, so I will instead watch from the comfort of the living room.

What a game I missed, though (gotta get myself a Slingbox, I guess). Another blown two-goal lead, but winning in an extra-long shootout only makes a win over the Rangers that much sweeter, and the sting that much more painful for Blueshirts fans. And you love seeing a guy like Tambellini score the game-winner in an atmosphere like that. What a confidence boost.

And let's face it, Dubie played well so you don't mind giving him another shot and playing the hot hand. But me? I'd thank Dubie for filling in so well, then hand the mask to D.P. and tell him to go beat the Rangers. Either way, with the Isles three points behind the Flyers for eighth place -- a win is a win.

Game recap: Islanders 6, Hurricanes 3

So let me get this straight: The Islanders actually have the advantage when they're shorthanded, and they win more often when they're outshot. Make sense? Not really, but a win is a win.

Tuesday night's 6-3 win over the Hurricanes was the Isles' fourth straight road win (which dovetails fittingly with the team's four-game home losing streak) and got the two points back that they gave away the night before. Unfortunately, any good feelings generated by the win were tempered mightily by the news that Chris Campoli needs shoulder surgery and will be lost for the season.

It's a huge blow to the defense as Campoli has been a real asset so far this season, despite the occasional youthful mistake. The loss of Campoli means Freddy Meyer will continue to get a regular turn, and his solid play has been rewarded with a two-year contract extension.

Back to the game, and what more can you say about a penalty kill that scores three times? How messed up is this -- the first four goals of the game were scored with Carolina on the power play, and three of the goals were for the Islanders. Think Peter Laviolette had a few choice words for his club after the game?

Mike Sillinger had two of the shorties while Richard Park had the third on a beautiful breakaway triggered by Martinek flipping the puck high off the glass and out of the Islanders' zone. Park picked the puck up at center ice and did the rest.

Up 4-1, the Islanders let the Canes back into it; Matt Cullen somehow found some space between the left post and Wade Dubielewicz's pads to make it 4-3. But Dubie stood tall against a withering Hurricane attack in the third and finished with 44 saves. Brendan Witt scored the clincher off a nice drop pass by Blake Comeau, whose empty netter polished off the win.

The Isles visit Beantown Thursday night and get four days off for the All-Star Break (everyone but D.P., that is) before hosting the Senators on Jan. 29.

Game recap: Islanders 4, Hurricanes 1

What a way to ring out the old.

The power play was the one thing that still hadn't looked good in the Isles' recent resurgence, but that changed in a big way Monday night as the Islanders scored on three straight man-up opportunities to beat the Hurricanes on the road, 4-1, for their fifth win in six games to close out 2007.

There's plenty to look forward to in the new year. Rick DiPietro should be returning to the lineup shortly, the goal-scoring drought seems to be becoming a memory, the team is getting nice offensive production from the d-line, and young players like Blake Comeau and Freddy Meyer are playing well with the prospect of Kyle Okposo joining the team in the second half of the season.

And while the Isles may be fifth in their own division, they're right in the thick of the playoff battle, just three points from the fourth seed in the conference standings.

Monday's win saw three goals in less than four minutes in the second period to give the Isles a 3-0 lead. Marc-Andre Bergeron and Bill Guerin scored on the power play, followed by a gate-crashing goal by Ruslan Fedotenko. Bergeron scored again on the power play late in the period, his third goal in two games.

Wade Dubielewicz made 28 saves in another solid start in relief of DiPietro. The Isles host the Panthers Thursday night before hitting the road for five straight, the first four against western conference foes.

Game recap: Islanders 4, Maple Leafs 3 (OT)

This was one of those good news/better news/bad news games for the Islanders. The good news is that Wade Dubielewicz proved that he can step it up for the team when they need it. The better news is that Dubie's stellar play in the third period and overtime helped the Islanders win their third straight game, a 4-3 victory over the Maple Leafs Wednesday night at the Coliseum.

The bad news is that the reason Dubie was in goal in the first place is that Rick DiPietro suffered a knee injury in pregame warmups and lasted just the first period, in which the Islanders scored three goals, which if my math is correct represented a 300 percent increase in scoring efficiency compared to the last six weeks.

DiPietro was scheduled to get an MRI and be reevaluated Thursday, and as of 11:15 a.m. there has been no update. DiPietro will not make the trip to Ottawa for Thursday night's game against the Senators, so Yoda will need to use the force again tonight.

Mike Comrie scored twice, including the OT game-winner off an assist from Richard Park, who had a career-best three assists in the game. Of course, Park made the winning play as the final seconds of overtime ticked away by stealing the puck from Jason Blake, making his return to the Coliseum as a Maple Leaf. Blake was treaded well by the Islanders with a video tribute and was mostly well-received by the crowd, so there probably more than a few pangs of pain when he his giveaway led to Comrie's game-winner with less than 10 seconds left on the clock (right, Dee?).

It was a fabulous play by by Park, who has been one of the team's best players this season. He stole the puck at the Islanders' blue line, broke into the Maple Leafs zone and fired a shot of which a Toronto defender got a piece. But Comrie was there charging to the net and put the puck past Andrew Raycroft, another backup getting rare playing time.

Park has the opportunity to make that play thanks to Dubie, who got some help from the crossbar on a shot by Mats Sundin but was otherwise a stone wall as he made four BIG stops in the OT in a shooting-gallery atmosphere.

Another interesting development was the significant playing time afforded Blake Comeau and Freddy Meyer, particularly at the end of the game. Comeau has some serious jump and it's clear that Ted Nolan is going to give him the opportunities to help the team. I love the fact that there are so many young players contributing to a team that is also winning.

It was a thrilling victory, to be sure, and it was great to see Dubie coming up huge. But let's not kid ourselves - the Isles need DP back, pronto. Let's hope he's OK.

Tom Liodice of The Tiger Track (who had a great live blog of the game) says Joey Macdonald of the Sound Tigers will back up Dubie tonight in Ottawa.

Game recap: Al Arbour Night - Islanders 3, Penguins 2

Inviting Al Arbour back behind the Islanders' bench one more time so he could reach 1,500 games as the team's head coach was certainly an honor for the Hall of Famer and must have been a wonderful experience for his family, which was on hand in impressive numbers in the post-game ceremony.

(For incredible coverage of the game and festivities, check out the reports filed by my fellow bloggers in the NYI Blog Box.)

But for the fans, this brainchild of Ted Nolan provided us the opportunity not only to see Radar - with his ever-present glasses and notebook in his hand - at the helm of the Islanders once more, but to reflect on his career and truly appreciate what a great coach, and person, he is.

When the Islanders first raised the '739' banner in 1997, emcee Clark Gillies introduced Arbour as "the greatest coach in the history of hockey," and while that could be debated, there's no question he is in the NHL pantheon. That was underscored by the presence of Scotty Bowman, who gave Arbour his first coaching job with the Blues. Bowman was a surprise guest tonight and dropped the ceremonial puck with former GM Bill Torrey, and Bowman later said that as a player, Arbour was like a coach on the ice.

Arbour won three Stanley Cups as a player, a shot-blocking defenseman despite wearing glasses, which tells you all you need to know about how tough he was. As a coach, Arbour was one of the first to use film and video to break down games and scout the opposition, and he took pride in staying calm, cool and collected on the bench. But his players will tell you that Arbour knew how to lay down the hammer, with what has been described as a "paint-peeling baritone" of a voice.

The numbers alone say it all. His 1,500 games and 740 wins as Islanders coach are NHL records for a coach with one team, and no one else comes close. Four Cups, five straight appearances in the finals and 19 consecutive playoff series victories truly define a dynasty. But another of the joys of this one-game celebration was hearing the stories about the things that set Arbour apart, and perhaps the most famous one concerned the fifth and final game of the 1982 first-round playoff series against Pittsburgh.

Down 3-1 with less than six minutes left and the chance at a third straight championship on the line, the Islanders were about to go on the power play when Arbour changed goalies, taking off Billy Smith and sending out Rollie Melanson. It was classic Arbour, using the Melanson warmup to give his top-ranked power play a bit more rest. Sure enough, Mike McEwen scored to cut the gap to one, and then John Tonelli scored the tying goal in the third period and then game-winner in overtime, keeping the dynasty alive.

And looking up at the '739' banner, and the Torrey banner, and the names SMITH, POTVIN, BOSSY, GILLIES, NYSTROM and TROTTIER hanging in the rafters, you realize, "God, what a great team." From the front office to the bench to the players, that Islanders team was one of the best the league has ever seen, and as a young fan I could not truly appreciate what I was witnessing, despite the incredible amount of joy that team gave me. It's only now, 24 years since that last Stanley Cup championship, that I look back and think how spoiled we all were.

Arbour always gave the credit to Torrey and to his great players, but anyone can tell you without Arbour, it never would have happened the way it did. Fittingly, the Islanders of 2007 came through on Arbour's night and won game No. 1,500, giving him win No. 740, and was interesting to hear Arbour say that he would really enjoy coaching this squad because it plays the game hard. Like his teams did.

It was a comeback victory. Down 2-0 after a lackluster start to the second period, the Islanders got it going when Trent Hunter - who was all over the ice - capitalized on a bad bounce suffered by Sidney Crosby, who was trying to bank the puck behind his own net. It came out to Hunter and he buried it.

Five minutes into the third, Miro Satan finished off a play that began with a long pass by Andy Sutton off the far boards to Josef Vasicek, who drew two defenders before sliding a perfect pass to Satan, whose quick one-timer beat Marc-Andre Fleury. Crosby fired one off the post moments later, but the Isles had the momentum. Even Wade Dubielewicz came up big, getting the win and making seven saves after replacing Rick DiPietro, who was cut by Crosby's stick late in the second.

The game-winner came with 2:41 remaining. Marc-Andre Bergeron - who had been told to get his shots off quicker to the net - one-timed a snap shot from the point, which Fleury got a pad on, but Satan was there to put the rebound home.

All that was left was the banner-raising ceremony, and once again, the Islanders did it up right (if good karma means anything, the Isles have it in bunches after tonight). Besides Arbour's extended family, Islanders alumni were on hand, a roster that included Mike Bossy, Gillies, Gerry Hart, Benoit Hogue (awesome player in Sega '94) Pat LaFontaine, Jean Potvin and Bryan Trottier. Yet with all those stars, the guy who heard his name chanted like the old days - STEVE WEBB!

Just a great night all around. You couldn't have asked for more or for a better outcome, and it couldn't have happened to a nicer guy. Al Arbour, we salute you.

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An update on DiPietro: According to the Islanders web site, D.P. is day-to-day after suffering "cuts near the right eye" but no damage to the eye itself. You'd think that if it was just a cut near the eye, they'd stitch it up and send him right out there. We'll see if DiPietro is in the net Tuesday night against the Rangers, a game he'd sure hate to miss.