Disoriented already

Hey, wait a second ... is it hockey season? Or is it over already? Where am I? In some kind of box ... hang on ... (SLAP!) Aaaahh, that's better.

I was sure I was seeing things, or that there was something wrong with the Islanders web site, when I saw that they had a FULL WEEK OFF between this Saturday's game against the Devils and the Oct. 27 game against the Hurricanes. But no, it's true ... a WEEK OFF! Sure, the guys can get some shopping done, maybe catch a few movies, get a pedicure if they're into that, but that's no way to get into the rhythm of the season.

And it doesn't help us bloggers, either. I know we're supposed to post a couple of times a week, but with so much time off in between games, it's going to be tough. I guess I could write about why The Office and 30 Rock are the only shows worth recording on the DVR, or my feelings about Starbucks (nutshell: I don't drink coffee) like some other popular online sports columnists do, but that's not why we're here, is it?

The Islanders burst out of the gate with six games in eight days and went 3-3, losing their last two. Sunday, Oct. 14 began a stretch of 19 days with just four games. Talk about slamming on the brakes. I agree with my fellow Blog Boxer Dee Karl that long layoffs are not good at all, particularly with this team.

The Islanders have done quite well on the power play and on the penalty kill, the kind of things you can really work on in practice. Where they've fallen short is generating offense at full strength, and it seems to me the best way to turn that around is to get into a flow, and you can only do that in games. Good luck with that, Ted!

Thankfully, there's a game tonight against the Caps, who the Isles should have beaten down in D.C. Not sure what to expect, but at least they'll be well-rested.