On the Islanders Beat

The Islanders were energized and upbeat at the morning skate today, ready for the final push that starts with as tough a game as they can get, with Ottawa tonight. Let's put it this way, they're not going to catch the Senators on their heels again.

When the Islanders won in Ottawa Jan. 13, the Senators were coming off a draining game against the Red Wings the night before. This time, at the Coliseum at 7, the Senators are coming off a nice rest with the All-Star break. They no doubt will be mindful of Freddy Meyer, whose intense hit on Jason Spezza last time knocked Spezza out of the game and set a very physical tone. Expect it to be a tougher test tonight.

Then again, the Islanders know the whole last 32-game segment is going to be a test. The mantra in the dressing room today was that they've got to be more consistent. And Ted Nolan (fresh off a trip to northern Ontario to watch his son play major junior hockey, and a trip to the barber) said that although the Islanders didn't finish strongly before the break, he feels good about the team.

* * *
Andy Sutton is a question mark for tonight. Nolan said the defenseman has flu-like symptoms and will be a game-time decision.

* * *
The eventful Senators career of talented goalie Ray Emery took another odd bounce. He arrived late for post-break practice in Syaosset Monday because he was in Las Vegas. He was not allowed on the ice, Ottawa media reports said, adding that his career with the team could be in jeopardy

When Freddy Meyer IV returned to the Islanders from Phoenix by way of the Coyotes’ AHL affiliate in San Antonio, his smile and sense of humor remained intact despite his professional travails. After being reclaimed by the Isles on waivers, Meyer sat on the bench as an insurance policy for 18 of the next 19 games.

Since he wasn’t playing, Meyer often was the last one off the ice after the morning skates before games. Whenever he entered the locker room, Meyer would wave to any reporters in the vicinity and playfully announce that he was ready for interviews. Who knew the time would come this season when Meyer would make real news?

No one could have predicted Meyer would up playing an important role, but he was prepared when the opportunity presented itself. First, he stepped in as Andy Sutton’s partner and brought a level of consistency to that pairing, and when Brendan Witt was injured, Meyer filled in well on the top defensive pairing before Witt returned.

Nice guys who work hard and accept their role sometimes get rewarded, and that’s what happened to Meyer, who recently received a two-year contract extension worth $1.175 million. “There’s a rags-to-riches story right there,” said Ted Nolan, a coach who appreciates that genre as much as anyone. “It has a lot to do with Freddy himself. He kept a positive attitude and didn’t blame anyone. He just worked through it, and he got rewarded with a two-year deal.”

As usual, Meyer was in a good mood when the Islanders practiced on Wednesday at Boston University’s Agganis Arena in preparation for tonight’s game against the Bruins. Meyer’s picture is on the wall there as one of BU’s All-Americans as well as among the group of Terriers who made it to the NHL. When Islanders radio announcer Chris King asked him if Agganis Arena was “the house that Freddy Meyer built,” Meyer just smiled and said, “That’s about right.”

General manager Garth Snow insisted when he traded Alexei Zhitnik to Philadelphia for Meyer last season that he wasn’t simply dumping salary. He believed in Meyer and backed it up with the new deal.

“It’s obviously extremely gratifying for me to be able to sign for another two years here with the Islanders,” Meyer said. “It was a tough road early in the year. Everyone knows the whole story of being on waivers and having a baby, so, it’s been great to be playing the last month or so with the team and really trying to help out.”

Although Meyer is only 5-10, 192 pounds, Snow once called Meyer a younger version of Sean Hill in terms of the physical edge he was capable of bringing to his game. That came to the fore noticeably when he took Witt’s place defending top lines, especially with his open-ice hit against Ottawa’s Jason Spezza.

“When you’re going against bigger guys, it makes it tough,” Meyer said. “But ever since I remember being able to check, I’ve always enjoyed the physical aspect of the game. In juniors or college, I enjoyed hitting, and I try to do it whenever I can. You’re not going to take yourself out of the play, but when the situation calls for you to step up and hit someone, it’s part of the game and I enjoy doing it.”

As much as Meyer joked in the past about not being in the lineup, it was a tough situation that had to undermine the confidence of a young player with only two full seasons of NHL experience behind him. Yet, he played smart and aggressively rather than taking the tentative approach of a player afraid to make a mistake.

“I think confidence is key for everyone,” Meyer said. “That was the toughest part when you’re not playing and you’re getting bounced around. When I got in the lineup, I kind of looked at it like I didn’t have much to lose. I wasn’t playing, and I had to take every opportunity and make the most of it. As you play more and more, your confidence increases, and that helps with your performance.”

COMING IN NEWSDAY: Please look for Islanders Insider to appear in this cyberspace by noon Friday in addition to the game story in tomorrow’s newspaper…Sunday’s Newsday will contain a feature about Islanders goaltender Rick DiPietro in conjunction with his first All-Star appearance that day in Atlanta…Finally, Newsday’s website staff has asked us to let readers know that the site will not be available for writers to post blogs or for readers to post comments from midnight Friday to 6 a.m. Saturday morning.

The injury bug has taken another bite out of the Islanders’ lineup. Third-year defenseman Chris Campoli, who was in the process of nailing down a roster spot and developing a two-way game, has been lost for the season to a shoulder injury. Campoli is scheduled to undergo surgery on Thursday at the Cleveland Clinic to repair a torn shoulder ligament.

Together with forwards Jonathan Sim and Shawn Bates, Campoli is the third Islander to suffer a season-ending injury. In his third season, Campoli recorded four goals and 14 assists for 18 points in 46 games, which had him on track to equal or surpass his 34-point rookie season. Campoli and Marc-Andre Bergeron formed an especially effective pair at the points on the Isles’ top power play unit.

“Chris Campoli showed in the playoffs against a fast Buffalo team how effective he can be, and he carried that over into training camp,” general manager Garth Snow said. “I thought he matured and learned a lot in the first half of this season. I don’t think we’ve scratched the surface on how good Chris can be.”

Luckily for the Islanders, Snow stockpiled nine NHL caliber defensemen this season. Although he lost Freddy Meyer on waivers early in the season before reclaiming him, Snow always believed in Meyer’s defensive ability and physical play.

The Islanders’ GM backed up his conviction yesterday by signing Meyer to a two-year contract extension worth slightly less than $1.2 million. Meyer's salary this season is $525,000. After the Isles reclaimed Meyer from Phoenix on re-entry waivers, he sat for 18 of the next 19 games, but he joined the lineup on Dec. 19 and he stepped up and performed well in a major role in the top defensive pairing after Brendan Witt and Radek Martinek went down.

Witt and Martinek both returned on Monday, which allowed Meyer to return to the second pairing with Andy Sutton, which has been effective in the Isles’ defense-first strategy. Signing Meyer solidifies the defense, especially if he continues to play as tough as he has recently.

“Freddy got caught in a numbers game,” Snow said of his earlier release. “We knew when we let him go there was a good chance he’d be picked up. It was a bonus when he was put on waivers again and we got him back. Freddy handled himself like a professional, and his character was evident as a player and as a person with a new baby in the family.

“He’s played great, and his hockey sense and ability to skate makes him really effective. He’s one of our better defensive defensemen, and his numbers on offense in Philadelphia show there’s an upside on offense.”

Campoli’s injury means the Islanders are less likely to trade Bergeron, who leads the team with seven power-play goals. Bergeron has shown flashes on defense, but he also has games like Monday against the Canes, when he was charged with four giveaways. If Campoli hadn’t suffered a season-ending injury, coach Ted Nolan would have faced a tough decision between Campoli and Bergeron when the former returned. That’s no longer a consideration, and Nolan still has offense-minded Bryan Berard and defense-oriented Aaron Johnson in reserve on the blue line.

GAME NOTES: Islanders goaltender Rick DiPietro betrayed a hint of pain near the end of the second period of the Isles’ 3-2 overtime loss to Carolina last night at Nassau Coliseum. But that has nothing to do with the fact that Wade Dubielewicz is starting against the Hurricanes tonight at RBC Center.

The plan all along was for Dubielewicz to start the second game of the back-to-back against the Canes with DiPietro to finish as the starter Thursday in his hometown of Boston before heading to Atlanta for the All-Star game as a backup to starter Martin Brodeur of the Devils. DiPietro downplayed the situation after Monday afternoon’s game.

Asked if he suffered an injury, DiPietro said, “No, it was just a little tweak.”

Had it been anything serious, DiPietro would have been replaced as the backup tonight by Joey McDonald or Mike Morrison of Bridgeport. But he’ll be behind Dubielewicz, whose last NHL appearance was a 4-1 victory over Carolina at the RBC Center on New Year’s Eve.

After 2 1/2 months of watching, working on the exercies machines and (mostly) waiting, Aaron Johnson will make his return tonight, against the Flyers. By watching the morning skate today, you'd have to wonder if Brendan Witt might be ready to play. He skated well. For that matter, so did Radek Martinek. But Ted Nolan said the former needs another day (he might be ready Monday) and Martinek probably needs another week to be ready.

So that leaves Johnson, who had a brisk but thorough rehab stint with Bridgeport--two games at about 25 minues a game."I'm excited," he said this morning. "Obviously, physically, it's in the gym twice a day every day. I'd work out during hte games. But the last month, I really wanted to watch the games." Thus, he did his work before or after.

At some point the Islanders likely will have the problem of figuring out which defensemen won't play. There are nine on the roster. But with Witt, Martinek and Chris Campoli all out, the back line is stretched as far as it can go right now. "It shows you our depth," Johnson said. "that's what good teams have. That's why we're winning games right now."

* * *
Bridgeport goalie Mike Morrison is up, purely as deep insurance for tonight's game. This was because the Islanders wanted Wade Dubielewicz to have a chance to play a little. Dubie played last night (he was voted the No.1 star in a win over Philadelphia) and will play tonight for the Sound Tigers.. And Morrison gets to have a day's big-league pay. "It's a good reward," said Morrison, who has played well lately in the AHL.

Brendan Witt probably will not play against the Flyers tomorrow night, coach Ted Nolan said. "He wants to come back..." Nolan said, adding that the defenseman's high ankle sprain just doesn't seem to have healed well enough.

Chris Campoli, who left the game in New Jersey Wednesday night during the first period with a shoulder injury, will be reevaluated (to use a euphemism for "it's not imminent"), but probably will be out "a while," Nolan said.

That would leave Aaron Johnson, who has been out since Nov. 5 with a knee injury, as the sixth defenseman. And he hasn't had all that much time on the ice. He played one game in his conditioning stint with Bridgeport and will play another tonight before being recalled for the Flyers game. Nolan said that Johnson was one of the best defensemen on the ice for the Sound Tigers Wednesday and that he had worked hard in practices with the Islanders lately.

If Johnson responds anywhere near the way Freddy Meyer has in his emergency fill-in role on the back line, the Islanders will be quite happy. The team has been fortunate that its replacements have stepped up, although you wonder how many holes it can withstand.

You never know, Charles Wang said today during the English language portion of his international news conference for Project Hope. One of those kids from China wearing a jersey with an Islanders logo could grow up to be the Yao Mingh of hockey.

That isn't the intent of the initiative, organized by Wang four years ago to promote hockey in China. The real reason is just to do something for the part of the world in which he was born and to generally spread good will. But if one of the thousands of kids who are playing hockey now in Islanders-sponsored rinks makes it big, so be it. Wang would be gratified if some day one of the children from China who played on Coliseum ice this morning becomes president of China and says he recalls his first trip to the U.S. with warm feelings.

It was a proud day for Wang, seeing the squads from Harbin and Qiqihar playing (Qiqihar won, 6-0), then talking about hockey, the Islanders and international relations with media members from four New York-area newspapers, local TV stations, CNN and a bunch of media people from China. It was another one of those out-of-the-ordinary days for the franchise, the type that spices up the long season. It was probably the biggest media turnout since Al Arbour Night.

"We want to touch their lives," Wang said of the children, who were high-fived by Islanders players at 10 a.m., as they left the ice.

Coach Ted Nolan, who posed for photos with the kids, as did Wang, GM Garth Snow and 10 players, said the youngsters will remember the experience for the rest of their lives. Nolan said that for all he has acccomplished in his life--including making it to the NHL as a player and winning the league's coach of the year award--nothing can ever quite eclipse the feeling he had the first time he was on a travel team and went into a hotel. "I saw an indoor pool for the first time," he said.

But he knows who probably was touched most of all today. "I'm quite sure," Nolan said, "Charles gets a smile right in his heart."

Before we go any further, before tonight's game here in Newark, it is time to tip the cap to the job that Jiggs McDonald did as a temporary fill-in for Howie Rose on the recent road trip. We all know that Howie's work is as good as it gets--in hockey or baseball,on TV or radio--and we're glad he got a little time off in a hectic year. Islanders fans and hockey watchers in general simply got a huge gift when Jiggs was recruited to pick up the slack. He is an all-timer.

In fact (and apologies for stepping on Neil Best's turf here), you've got to admit that the hockey TV announcing in New York is the best of all New York area sports TV commentary. There are just no weak spots on the Islanders, Rangers and Devils crews. Too bad more people aren't interested, but for those who are, the treatment is informed without being condescending.

Jiggs was at the top of his game. Smooth, with enthusiasm but not boosterism. It was neat to see him at the Coliseum before the trip, taking notes. That's how you get to be a Hall of Famer.

* * *
Not to promote violence or anything, but Kip Brennan's fight in the Bridgeport Sound Tigers' game last Saturday was noteworthy. He didn't pick on some innocent winger, but rather a willing heavyweight from Springfield. The result was something you almost never see in NHL fights, with their clutching and grabbing and mostly even matches. Brennan caught him flush in the face and knocked the guy to the ice, causing the trainer to come out and escort the player to the dressing room, a sequence that has been well viewed on YouTube. Again, we're not saying this is the greatest thing in the worl,but the uniqueness of it was striking.
* * *

Sorry if the descriptions of the goals in last night's game were a little skimpy But those of us in the press box (including the stat crew) simply didn't have access to usual mutiple replays. We had only the feed from the Coliseum scoreboard. The game was on Versus, not FSNY, and they don't get Versus at the Coliseum, at least not in the press box

* * *

The official word on Brendan Witt and his sprained right ankle still remains day to day. Ted Nolan said this morning that the team's solid defenseman has made considerable progress for someone who barely could move a few days ago. Nolan gave a cryptic "we'll see him sooner rather than later" in projecting his return. Radek Martinek still probably is "at least a week" away from returning, the coach added.

Jeff Tambellini is back, despite not having to play Sunday after he was called up as a hedge against Miroslav Satan's injury (Satan played in the win over Ottawa). The Islanders do notice that Tambellini doesn't grouse, and that when he is in Bridgeport, he graciously is helping prospect Kyle Okposo get his footing in the pros. Let's face it, there aren't a lot of open spaces on the roster and Okposo could ultimately take Tambellini's spot. Still, the older player is being a mentor. That hasn't escaped Ted Nolan's attention. The coach said of Tambellini, "It's only a matter of time before he's in the NHL permanently."

Someone, and nobody was admitting anything, found a team photo of the 1996 Islanders Pee Wee travel team and posted it in the Canadiens dressing room during the morning skate today. Just to make sure no viewer missed the point, whoever put it up also drew an arrow toward the youngster standing first on the back row, towering over all his teammates, and aligned next to coach Gerry Hart.

"I don't know where they got that," said an amused Mike Komisarek, the standout Montreal defenseman from Islip Terrace who was, yes, the "stud" that the anonymous picture poster identified as the former junior Islander.

Komisarek recalled how the team didn't do all that great in a Pee Wee tournament in Quebec that year, but did so good naturedly. He knows how good those times were, and how productive. Every trip home brings out another good memory for Komisarek and another Canadien, a potential NHL star, winger Christopher Higgins of Smithtown.

Higgins joked in the Montreal papers yesterday that a game at the Coliseum, such as the one he has tonight, means he's playing for free because he has to spend so much on tickets. This time, though, Higgins said it wasn't so bad because his mom helped out quite a bit with tickets. He also recalled playing for the Junior Islanders, noting that he knows and likes the Coliseum rink just fine.

Each got to spend some rare in-season time at home this week, what with the Canadiens having been off since their loss at the Garden Saturday. "I get calls from people I haven't seen in years," Komisarek said with a big smile that suggested it is not a burden at all.

Both players have shown an ability to make a Canadiens-Islanders game all business. The fact that they are in the NHL and they are so good is a tribute to the Islanders legacy as a franchise. There is a chance that Long Islanders might have made it to the NHL if the NHL never had come to Long Island, but, come on, was it really likely? Who knows what the future holds for the Islanders, given the uncertainty over their arena, but the careers of Komisarek, Higgins and Syosset's Rob Scuderi (Penguins) and Eric Nystrom (Flames) certainly weren't hurt by having the NHL in their backyard.

There was only one nagging flaw in the photo, as far as Komisarek was concerned: Back then, the Pee Wee Islanders, like the regular Islanders had to wear those fishermen jerseys. "They were terrible," the Canadiens defenseman said.
--Mark Herrmann in Uniondale

The real Islanders news today is the loss of top defenseman Brendan Witt for an undetermined period of time because of a right ankle sprain suffered Friday night when he got tangled up with Calgary’s Jarome Iginla in front of the benches. Witt’s place going against the top lines will be taken by Freddy Meyer, starting tonight in Ottawa, and Witt will undergo an MRI examination tomorrow on Long Island.

But since the Witt situation will be an ongoing story for at least the next two weeks, if not longer, depending on the outcome of the MRI, the subject of this blog is forward Jeff Tambellini. He was called up yesterday by the Islanders as an emergency replacement for Miroslav Satan only to be sent back to Bridgeport after today’s pre-game skate, when Satan indicated he was good to go against the Senators.

Despite Tambellini’s speed, scoring prowess and work ethic, he failed to convince coach Ted Nolan he belonged on the Islanders in training camp, and when he came up for an eight-game stint, Tambellini was scoreless while receiving just 9:37 per game of playing time mainly at even strength. He could be this season’s Robert Nilsson, except for the fact that, instead of sulking, he went to the AHL and tore it up with 22 goals and 44 points in 35 games to earn an All-Star berth on the Canadian team.

Naturally, Tambellini was disappointed to be turning around after he just arrived in Ottawa, but he understands what he has to do. “Anytime you go back down, your mindset really changes,” Tambellini said. “Whatever it takes to get back up, you have to do it. I went back down with a real chip on my shoulder. You have to. In that league, you have to do whatever it takes to set yourself apart from the rest of the players and make sure that you’re a real impact guy. So, I’m just going to continue to push hard and put as many pucks in the net as I can, and hopefully, it all works out.”

Tambellini’s 22 goals rank second in the AHL, but it’s the breakdown of his scoring that is most interesting. He has 10 goals at even strength, 7 on the power play and a league-best 5 short-handed goals on the penalty kill. Much of the credit, Tambellini said, goes to center Frans Nielsen, his linemate the past two seasons in Bridgeport and his PK partner.

“Frans and I, it’s more a partnership,” Tambellini said. “If I play well, he’s playing well, and likewise. I attribute a lot of success to him and the style of play we’ve used, a willingness to go to the net and score whatever kind of goals, whether it be five-on-five, power play or PK. The two of us end up playing about 25 minutes a night. We’re just going to the hard areas, and that’s been the difference.”

Explaining their penalty-killing success, Tambellini added: “We’re trying to be a twosome that’s scary on the PK. Half the battle of being a good penalty killer is having the other team know you can push the offense. So, if they put five forwards out there, including two on the point, we’re willing to push the pace and take a couple of chances and make it hard on them and not let them sit back and shoot one-timers on us all night.”

Now that top prospect Kyle Okposo has left the University of Minnesota to join Tambellini and Nielsen in Bridgeport, the Isles’ farm club has what might become the best line in the AHL. Tambellini played in Okposo’s two-assist debut Friday night in Binghamton but missed his three-point home debut Saturday plus this afternoon’s home rematch with Binghamton. Here’s Tambellini’s scouting report on the Isles’ young stud:

“He’s a strong kid, about 6-1 with really good hands. He has the confidence to make the tough play, the play that most guys won’t try. You’ll probably end up seeing him on YouTube.com in a highlight a few times because he’s got some great hands. He plays hard and he plays with a little bit of an edge. He should be a good guy to play with down the stretch here.”

Islanders management asked Tambellini to take Okposo under his wing. They will be roommates in Bridgeport. Tambellini said he’s impressed with Okposo’s maturity and humility. If he has to remain in the AHL a little longer, Tambellini has something to look forward to in playing with Okposo and Nielsen. Who knows? Maybe Islanders fans can look forward to seeing that combination at Nassau Coliseum in the near future.

Speaking of that line’s prospects this season, Tambellini said, “I still say Frans is one of the most underrated players in the American Hockey League. He has terrific vision; he’s a great passer; he’s one of the best European centers I’ve played with so far. Hopefully, Kyle will bring some youthful exuberance, and I can chip in there. It’ll be a good line as long as the chemistry fits together.”

Now, the trick for Tambellini is to figure out what it will take to stick in the NHL. He’s proven he can score at the AHL level. Nolan’s complaint the last time Tambellini played on the top line with Mike Comrie and Bill Guerin was that they couldn’t get out of their own end with the puck. At 5-11, 186, Tambellini has a size deficit to overcome in the NHL, but he was the best-conditioned athlete at training camp even ahead of goaltender Rick DiPietro.

“There’s definitely a difference,” Tambellini said. “The AHL used to be an older league, but the way the game has gone with some of the money limitations they’ve put on in the AHL, it’s forced to be a younger league. You definitely get the mismatches with some of the young kids coming in.

“When you do make the jump up here, you’re playing against men. You don’t find those mismatches like you do in the AHL. I think most guys really have to work hard to challenge themselves every day and to push themselves against the top players in that league so that, when they do make the jump, it’s not as drastic.”

That’s the next big challenge for Tambellini.

OTTAWA GAME NOTES: Senators All-Star forward Dany Heatley suffered a separated shoulder against Detroit and will be out for an extended period. Asked if the loss of Heatley might make a big difference for the Islanders, Nolan scoffed. “They’ve still got Jason Spezza and a few other good players,” said Nolan, omitting All-Star Daniel Alfredsson. “They can afford to lose one. They’re such a talented team they can afford to lose one or two players. Our approach is going to be the same. We’ve got to make sure we play a very intelligent game.”

Since the 1996-97 season, the Islanders have a 6-28-8 record against the Senators, whom they beat at home earlier this season. Their record in Ottawa during that stretch is 2-15-4, including a 5-2 loss on Dec. 27. Their last win in Ottawa came on March 15, 2003…On defense, Nolan said Meyer will team with Bruno Gervais against the Senators’ top line. That means Andy Sutton will be paired with Bryan Berard, as he was in Calgary, and Chris Campoli and Marc-Andre Bergeron will remain together…Nolan admitted his coaching staff watched the Senators-Red Wings game without him Saturday night. “Actually, I watched my son play in Carolina last night,” Nolan said of his son, Brandon, who was recalled from Albany by the Hurricanes. “I guess I had my priorities straight. The rest of the coaching staff came here and watched the game. We know what Ottawa has. They’re very talented, and in order to beat them, we have to be the best we can be. There’s no such thing as a perfect game, but we have to try to play as perfect as possible.”

Goaltender Rick DiPietro isn’t the only All-Star who will be in the Islanders’ lineup tomorrow night in Ottawa. Speedy forward Jeff Tambellini, whose performance in Bridgeport earned him AHL All-Star honors, has been recalled to face the Senators.

Injuries to forward Miroslav Satan and defenseman Brendan Witt left the Islanders short-handed and forced them to make a move. Satan sat out the Isles’ 5-4 shootout victory Friday night in Calgary with a sprained right knee and still is listed as day-to-day. Witt suffered a sprained ankle in the first period against the Flames and also is listed as day-to-day.

Fortunately for the Islanders, they dressed seven defenseman in Calgary after losing Satan. So, they still could rotate three pairs when Witt went down. Coach Ted Nolan said he expects to use the same six defensemen – Andy Sutton, Freddy Meyer, Chris Campoli, Marc-Andre Bergeron, Bruno Gervais and Bryan Berard – against the Senators.

Without Satan in the lineup, Nolan moved Blake Comeau up to the second line with Josef Vasicek and Sean Bergenheim. But even though Tambellini went scoreless in eight previous games with the Islanders this season while averaging a mere 9:37 of ice time per game, he generally is considered a top-six forward.

With plenty of time and power-play opportunities in Bridgeport, Tambellini has scored 22 goals and 22 assists for 44 points in 35 games. He’s the second-leading goal scorer in the AHL and ranks fifth in points.

Satan should be ready to return to the lineup before too long, but the severity of Witt’s injury remains a mystery at this point. Nolan said Witt would undergo an MRI examination today, but a club spokesman was unsure if that had taken place or if Witt would wait until Monday when the team is back on Long Island.

If tone of voice and body language mean anything, Nolan seemed worried about the possible loss of Witt Friday night. “Those things are scary, but we’ll keep our fingers crossed,” Nolan said of the ankle sprain. “Witt’s one of those tough individuals. Maybe it’s not as bad as we think.”

Injured defenseman Radek Martinek is skating but has not yet been cleared to practice after suffering a lower right leg bruise. Defender Aaron Johnson has begun practicing, but needs time to get in condition after sitting out since Nov. 3 to recover from a sprained knee.

The Isles’ game against the Senators marks the end of a five-game road trip for them. After four games, they have four points on the trip. Despite their awful record in Ottawa, they might be catching the Sens at the right time. The EasternConference leaders are matched against Western Conference-leading Detroit tonight at Scotiabank Place in what is being hyped as the “game of the year” in the NHL.

The only time nerves seemed to affect Islanders prospect Kyle Okposo in his pro debut Friday night was when he first took the ice.

The 2006 first-round draft pick was the last Bridgeport Sound Tiger onto the rink in Binghamton and his first practice shot went about 10 feet wide to the left.

"I got a little nerves, but that's to be expected," Okposo said.

By game time, however, he had settled. His only penalty, a hooking call, came in the final seconds of regulation as he tried to defend the open net. He was not involved in any of the three first-period fights.

For a teenager, Okposo showed he wasn't lacking in maturity.

"Overall I thought his whole game was pretty good," Bridgeport coach Jack Capuano said. "Especially for his first game for a young kid -- very impressed."

When asked about the technical aspects of Okposo's play, Capuano kept repeating some variation of the same answer -- for a first game, it was impressive.

But for someone who is supposed to be an NHL star in the near future, there’s some work to be done.

Okposo had trouble handling passes. Though he made no major errors on defense, he did allow some Binghamton Senators to blow by him too easily. Okposo was strong when the puck was in his possession, using his 6-foot, 195-pound frame to his advantage, but his decision-making wasn’t the best, as he chose to pass a couple times when he probably should have taken the shot.

Okposo did have two assists, and established a rhythm with Jeff Tambellini on the top line. They nearly connected for a go-ahead goal in the third period.

"He doesn't look out of place one bit," said Tambellini, Okposo's roommate.

No, Okposo's not out of place. Just on a learning curve.

NOTES

Okposo's contacts were giving him trouble during a first-period line shift.

On his first assist, 11 seconds into the second period, Okposo knocked the puck down with his hands. He said he felt no pain after the game. "Thank God it didn't break my hand," Okposo said.

-- Evan Drellich

Part of the attraction of watching tonight’s game between the Islanders and Flames was the chance to see 24-year-old Eric Nystrom face his dad Bob’s former team for the first time in the NHL. It was obvious on Thursday how much young Nystrom was looking forward to the opportunity despite suffering a terrible injury on Tuesday night, when he caught a puck with his teeth.

Unfortunately, it’s not going to happen. Calgary’s medical team said today that it’s too soon for Nystrom to play. He wore a face shield that extended below his jaw line in practice on Thursday, but there’s always the risk of suffering a blow to the face. Nystrom has stitches in both lips and the roof of his mouth, where two teeth embedded and had to be bent back into place. He also is expected to have a couple of root canal procedures in the near future.

The one positive is that there’s a chance Nystrom’s first game against the Islanders team that he rooted for as a kid will take place at Nassau Coliseum. The NHL is switching to a schedule next season in which every Eastern Conference team plays each Western Conference team every season instead of two out of three seasons. So, it’s possible next season’s game against Calgary could be on the Island.

The Islanders also will be short-handed tonight. Miroslav Satan suffered a strained knee when Vancouver’s Mike Weaver dropped him with a check to the right side in the first period. Satan got through the game, and he recovered sufficiently to try skating earlier today. But it was decided to rest Satan, who is now listed as day-to-day.

Islanders coach Ted Nolan praised Satan’s ability to play hurt, saying, “They can say what they want about European players, but this guy is a real tough guy.” Satan played a month last season on a broken foot, but there was no sense in risking further injury in this case when a little extra rest will allow him to return at full strength.

Nolan said he likely would insert Bryan Berard in the lineup as a seventh defenseman. Defenseman Aaron Johnson, who played on the wing once earlier this season, took part in his first full practice on Thursday since suffering a sprained knee, but he’s not quite ready for game action, and defenseman Radek Martinek, who has a bruised lower right leg, has been skating on his own and isn’t ready to practice.

IN SATURDAY’S NEWSDAY: Goaltender Rick DiPietro discusses his first All-Star selection in a story that will appear in all editions. Because of the late start, early editions of Newsday will have a story about how Josef Vasicek and Ruslan Fedotenko have been affected by their recent benchings, and the late edition on newsstands will have a game story, which also will appear on Newsday.com

The Islanders have an All-Star this season, and to no one’s surprise, it’s Rick DiPietro. The 26-year-old goaltender today was named to the Eastern Conference team as a reserve for the All-Star game scheduled Jan. 27 at Philips Arena in Atlanta.

Consider this honor the first big dividend on the groundbreaking 15-year contract worth $67.5 million Islanders owner Charles Wang gave to DiPietro before last season. In light of the 13-year deal signed on Thursday by Washington forward Alex Ovechkin and the 12-year contract given recently to Philadelphia forward Mike Richards, the DiPietro deal, which pays $4.5 million every season, is looking more and more as if it could be a steal.

There’s no question DiPietro has been the Islanders’ MVP this season and is the primary reason they are clinging to the eighth playoff spot in the East by percentage points ahead of the Rangers heading into their game against Calgary tonight at the Pengrowth Saddledome. DiPietro plays on a team with the NHL’s 30th-ranked offense at 2.36 goals per game.

One game past the midpoint of the season, DiPietro has a 16-14-5 record with a 2.52 goals-against average, a .912 save percentage and two shutouts. Despite taking himself out of one game with a sprained left knee and missing three subsequent games with the injury, the Islanders’ workhorse has logged 2,139:45 in net to rank seventh in the NHL.

The All-Star honor is a first for DiPietro, who is in his sixth NHL season, but it surely won’t be his last. Coach Ted Nolan has spoken often of DiPietro’s growing maturity over the past two seasons. He’s an excellent athlete and expert puckhandler who needed to learn to play within himself a little more and take fewer risks, which he has done this season. At the same time, he’s always capable of making the sensational play.

With this honor, DiPietro should begin to achieve wider recognition around the league. Commenting yesterday on DiPietro’s most recent performance in Vancouver, where he made 43 saves in a 3-2 shootout loss, Calgary coach Mike Keenan said, “Their goaltender was exceptional. He always has been, so, he’s one of the keys. He’s a good athlete, and he’s an aggressive puck manager.”

Describing DiPietro to the hockey media on the Islanders’ current trip through western Canada, Nolan said, “He’s been terrific for us. People here in the west don’t have a chance to see him that much. But we know what kind of goaltender he is, and the people here in the west can see what kind of goaltender we have on Long Island.”

Everyone will get a peek at DiPietro’s talents during All-Star Weekend in Atlanta.

A few points of interest for Islander fans. First, check out the Kyle Okposo video by Newsday's Katie Strang:

Also, in case you missed it, you can read Mark Herrmann's column on Okposo from his first practice in Bridgeport, Conn., yesterday.

Evan Drellich will be covering Okposo's first professional game tonight in Binghamton. Drellich will also blog on how Okposo looked. Check for the story and blog entry on Newsday.com.

Enjoy!

First of all, what better way to meet the new prominent Bridgeport Sound Tiger than go on the Sound? What struck me on the ferry from Port Jefferson--to see Islanders top prospect Kyle Okposo in his first pro practice--was how close Bridgeport and Long Island are (I had wanted to blog from the boat on the way back but couldn't get a WiFi connection).

The more pivotal question is how quickly Okposo, the 19-year-old right wing, can make that short jump. He had a quick, exhaustive practice with the Islanders' affiliate late this morning. The team went through its business in about 40 minutes because it had a game last night and has three more in the next three nights.

So it was hard to get much of a read for Okposo, other than that he can get as tired as anybody. He was winded after coach Jack Capuano included him among the handful of players doing sprints at the end of practice. Okposo needed it because he hasn't played since Saturday in the World Junior Championships. He flew home to Minnesota Sunday and flew to Bridgeport last night. Welcome to the minors, kid.

"Just trying to get me back in game shape," he said, adding that when you haven't been on the ice in a while, "the legs start to go, the hands start to go a little bit. But I was good at the end."

Capuano, an Okposo fan from having coached him for the U.S. in the World Under-18 Championships, said the Sound Tigers will work on the new player's conditioning. The coach added that a person could see Okposo's natural scoring touch and scorer's hands even in the short workout. The new kid wore a red jersey, which had him on Bridgeport's top line with Jeff Tambellini and Frans Nielsen, both of whom have played with the Islanders.

It should be interesting to see how Okposo does with those two in his debut tomorrow night in Binghamton and his first home game Saturday night. The entire organization will start to see how close Okposo is to Long Island.

-- Mark Herrmann

Today we debut our online-only 'Islanders Insider.' Each Thursday the 'Islanders Insider' will appear on Newsday.com. Here's a link.

The 'Insider' will offer analysis and commentary, plus we'll have a minor league report in the future.

Take a look and feel free to comment.

As the shootout was about to begin last night at GM Place, Vancouver goaltender Roberto Luongo and the Islanders’ Rick DiPietro both were bent over, gathering themselves for the one-on-one contest to decide what had been an emotional 2-2 game matching two special players who always will be linked in NHL history.

He downplayed it later, but this game meant a lot to DiPietro, who was taken with the first overall draft pick in 2000 when former Islanders general manager Mike Milbury traded away Luongo and forward Ollie Jokinen to Florida for Oleg Kvasha and Mark Parrish. Heading to the shootout, DiPietro had to be running on fumes after facing 45 Canucks shots compared to 28 by the Isles against Luongo.

Yes, the tying goal DiPietro gave up to Daniel Sedin just 1:22 after Blake Comeau had given the Islanders a 2-1 lead at 2:58 of the third period was disappointing when it squeezed between his pads. It looked so simple compared to what seemed like an unending series of brilliant saves. DiPietro began by stopping 18 of 19 first period shots by the Canucks, including back-to-back breakaways by Byron Ritchie, and he reached a crescendo with a near-impossible spinning deflection of defenseman Willie Mitchell’s point-blank blast in front about 40 seconds into overtime.

It was reminiscent of the game last March 5 at Madison Square Garden when DiPietro stopped 56 of 57 Rangers shots only to lose in a shootout to rival Henrik Lundqvist. The same thing happened here as Alexander Edler gave the Canucks a 2-1 edge in the shootout to record a 3-2 victory in the game.

Still, it was an epic confrontation in which DiPietro earned applause from the Vancouver crowd after the save on Mitchell. Despite the result, DiPietro was asked if the game was as much fun for him to play as it was for the spectators to watch.

“No, we lost,” DiPietro said with a shake of his head. “It’s never fun. Losses are brutal. Never. I feel sick to my stomach.”

That’s what it means to be a professional. DiPietro knows how good he was for 99 percent of the night under extraordinary pressure. But he has to live with the bottom line and try to be even better the next time.

Speaking of Daniel Sedin’s tying goal through gritted teeth, DiPietro said, “It’s a deflection in front, and it squeaked in my five-hole. It happens. I get frustrated every time they score to be honest with you. I don’t like to be scored on, period, regardless of how it goes in. We took a 2-1 lead. I’d like to play at least a couple minutes with the lead, but that happens. We fought hard and got the point.”

Asked about his acrobatics in what he described as a “chaotic” first period, DiPietro said, “They’re a good cycling team. They create stuff in front of the net. You can’t always stay compact. You’ve got to flail around a little bit.”

While the Islanders missed a chance for two points, they at least grabbed one and hung tough in the eighth spot in the Eastern Conference despite four straight losses in which they still gained three points for reaching overtime. The rest of the Isles, who have been fighting themselves when it comes to scoring, know where their bread is buttered.

“Ricky has been absolutely spectacular,” said captain Bill Guerin, who scored the first of two fluky goals given up by Luongo. “He’s proven time and time again this year that he’s an elite goaltender in this league. I know he wanted to win real bad tonight. He wanted to beat Roberto. He’s a competitive kid. It’s our opinion in here, and I think Ricky’s making a great case for himself, that he is one of the elite goaltenders in this league.”

Reflecting back on all the first period breakdowns in front of DiPietro, Guerin said the Islanders couldn’t get as far as the red line coming out of their own end without losing the puck and creating breakaway chances. “Honestly, it was like watching the Harlem Globetrotters in our end for a little while,” Guerin said. “We were running around. It was disappointing. We were not happy with ourselves. But I like the character of our team to jump back and play two solid periods like that.”

Coach Ted Nolan, who was upset by a 4-0 loss the previous night in Edmonton, began the game by dropping Miroslav Satan, Josef Vasicek and Ruslan Fedotenko to the fourth line. Before the night was over, he would bench Vasicek and rookie Blake Comeau in the second period and then throw out at least five new line combinations over the course of the third period.

Comeau got back on the ice early in the third with Vasicek and Sean Bergenheim and scored the go-ahead goal when Luongo lost the puck in his skates and kicked it loose in the crease, where Comeau tapped it in while Luongo was searching behind himself. “It’s never nice to sit out, but I’m sure Teddy had a reason for it,” Comeau said. “I just wanted to come out in the third and contribute, and I got a lucky bounce.”

Nolan also had Fedotenko and Andy Hilbert together on the ice with Mike Sillinger for one shift and with Tim Jackman for another. He dropped Richard Park down from the top line to team with Sillinger and Trent Hunter and moved Satan up from the fourth line to Park’s spot with Guerin and Mike Comrie.

By the end of the game, the Islanders all were just playing a hard hockey game no matter what position they were asked to play. “When things ain’t working, it’s our job to mix and match and try to get them going and get that little spark to get them through this little bit of a lull we’re going through,” Nolan said. “Once we get through it, all the guys will be back on their regular lines. But when things ain’t working, you just try to find little things that will get them fired up and get them through the tough spots. But by no means are we giving up on people.”

The coach said it was a positive sign that his players were cheering for each other on the bench at the end rather than pouting or hanging their heads. Now, it’s on to Calgary, where DiPietro will face another high-powered Western Conference team on Friday night.

“Ricky’s been terrific for us,” Nolan said. “People here in the west don’t have a chance to see him like we don’t see Luongo that much. But we know what kind of goaltender he is, and the people here in the west can see what kind of goaltender we have on Long Island.”

In the Dec. 31 issue of Sports Illustrated, hockey writer Michael Farber offered his three predictions for 2008. Saving the best for last, Islanders fans hope, Farber said: “The Islanders’ Rick DiPietro, 26, will be among the NHL’s top three goalies by the end of the year. His poise and maturity have finally caught up to his seemingly limitless talent.”

From the pages of SI to the hockey gods’ ears. Not only is DiPietro the Islanders’ most valuable player on a consistent basis, but also he represents salvation for the franchise over the remaining 14 years of his contract. There’s no mistaking the leap forward DiPietro has made this season in terms of “poise and maturity.” At the same time, it’s an ongoing process, not something that happens with a snap of the fingers.

If DP doesn’t gain top-three recognition this season, it’s a good bet he’ll get there sooner rather than later. As another article coming out in this week’s edition of Sports Illustrated suggests, there’s a raging debate about whether DiPietro is better than third in the New York metropolitan area. “A Tale of Three Goalies,” also by Farber, compares DiPietro with the Devils’ Martin Brodeur and the Rangers’ Henrik Lundqvist, who ran 1-2 in the voting for the Eastern Conference All-Star team released today.

Going on statistics alone, DiPietro’s 16-14-4 record, 2.54 goals against average, .910 save percentage and two shutouts are middle of the pack. But the perception that he has less talent around him on the Islanders’ roster coupled with more athletic ability than most any other NHL goaltender, suggests it’s just a matter of time for him to arrive at the top level.

But facing a challenge like tonight’s game at GM Place, when DiPietro is matched against Vancouver’s Roberto Luongo, who was named starting goaltender for the Western Conference for the second straight year, it’s a reminder that a key part of the equation is out of DiPietro’s control. That’s the part about the personnel around him.

If Islanders fans could turn back the clock on two infamous deals by former general manager Mike Milbury, then Luongo probably would be the Isles’ goaltender today. Not because DiPietro isn’t destined to join the NHL’s elite, but because the surrounding cast would be so much better.

To reiterate for the umpteenth time, Milbury traded away Luongo and forward Ollie Jokinen (20 goals, 21 assists, 41 points) to clear a spot to draft DiPietro No. 1 overall in 2000 ahead of forwards Dany Heatley (25-30-55) and Marian Gaborik (21-18-39) in 2000. The next year, he sent away defenseman Zdeno Chara (6-20-26, Eastern Conference starter this year) and a first-round pick that became Jason Spezza (15-37-52) as part of a package for Alexei Yashin (bought out and sent back to Russia).

A team with a nucleus of Luongo, Jokinen, Heatley/Gaborik, Chara and Spezza has more than enough to become Stanley Cup champion. On too many nights now, it seems all the Islanders have is DiPietro.

General manager Garth Snow and coach Ted Nolan have done a good job putting together a competitive team with a changing cast of veterans the past two seasons. But the loss of that mother lode of young talent under Milbury set the franchise back, if not irrevocably, then for years to come.

While Islanders fans always will find it difficult to forget what might have been, Luongo is long over it. In an interview that appeared in today’s Vancouver Sun, he recalled his surprised reaction to the deal and noted Jokinen’s success since then, as well as his own.

“I think Florida was definitely the winner in that trade,” Luongo understated. “Not every trade is going to work out the way everyone wants it to, and in the long run, you see what happens.

“Obviously, I was disappointed when the Islanders traded me, but at the same time, I was younger and more naïve. I didn’t really think about it that much. I just went to Florida, and it was great because they gave me a chance to really start my NHL career.”

Since the deal, Luongo has only a 4-9-2 record against the Islanders, which is what can happen when a terrific young goaltender is surrounded by middling talent, as Luongo was in Florida. But by now, he’s proven himself, and a game against his original team no longer holds the same sense of excitement for him.

“I’ve played them a bunch of times already,” Luongo said, “so, that feeling is gone.”

Gone for Luongo maybe, but not forgotten by Islanders fans. They now must place their faith in DiPietro’s considerable talent and hope Snow and Nolan will be able to surround him with comparable skill when he comes into his prime in the next three or four seasons to give DP a legitimate shot to prove how good he can be.

It’s almost as though former Islander Robert Nilsson and former Oiler Marc-Andre Bergeron are flip sides of the same coin. They moved between Long Island and Edmonton in separate deals last February, but they share a common bond in terms of unfulfilled expectations and their continuing struggles to succeed in the NHL.

Tonight’s match between the Oilers and Islanders marks the first time Bergeron has returned since being traded after a falling out with Oilers coach Craig MacTavish. He had become a target for the anger of Edmonton fans toward the end of his stay and found a rebirth on the Island because the Isles were in such need of his slapshot for their power play. Now, Bergeron has been in and out of the lineup this season because of the same defensive lapses that got him in trouble with MacTavish.

So, Bergeron admitted this morning to having a lot of pent-up emotion for this game. “Oh yeah, there’s no doubt,” Bergeron said. “It’s first time back since I got traded. I’m nervous, but I’m excited. Hopefully, everything goes the way that I want and I feel fine and play well.”

He admitted to being unhappy about the way he was handled by MacTavish last season and said he felt sorry for his former teammates when they finished last season losing 18 of their last 20 games. “I was talking to a couple of them,” Bergeron said, “and they were like, ‘Oh, my God. It’s like a boot camp. It’s painful.’”

Trying to explain why he became a scapegoat for the fans, especially on Edmonton’s sports talk radio, Bergeron said, “After losing Chris Pronger, they were looking for someone who could be the guy on the back end, and they thought it was me. I was young and not ready for that. I’m still learning a lot and having my rollercoaster ride. It’s a tough job to be the No. 1 defenseman on the team. We had the best one in the league for a year. Obviously, I’m not as good as him.

“It was just unfortunate. It’s such a hard living. People expect a lot from every one of us. Which is right. I didn’t feel like I was playing as good as I could here anyway, so, I understand them having some frustration at me.”

Call it coincidence, but Nilsson is experiencing similar problems with MacTavish now. Last week, he was playing on the top line, but MacTavish sat him against the Rangers on Saturday and will send him to the press box again tonight as a healthy scratch against the opponent he most wants to face.

“I don’t know what’s going on,” Nilsson said after being the last Oiler off the ice this morning. “They want me to get a little bit of practice in. I’ll be back next game. He didn’t say I was playing bad or anything, but it would have been fun playing against the New York teams.”

Nilsson also had problems as an Islander when Ted Nolan became coach last season. Nolan determined in training camp that Nilsson lacked the necessary competitiveness to play for him. That was it. Nilsson spent the season in Bridgeport until the welcome trade to Edmonton came as part of the Ryan Smyth deal last February.

“I wouldn’t say I had the best training camp, but I was still disappointed,” Nilsson said of his time under Nolan. “I didn’t get even one exhibition game. I came into training camp better fit than the year before. Of course, I learned from the situation. I came in to camp this year as fit as the year before but with a different attitude. It paid off, and I got a spot on the team out of training camp.”

While in Bridgeport, Nilsson found it difficult to stay motivated because he didn’t believe Nolan ever would give him a chance. The Islanders’ coach generally prefers to rely on proven veterans, and Nilsson wasn’t alone among Islanders prospects in wondering about his future in the organization.

“It’s frustrating, but I must say, if you would rip it up and dominate the AHL, I think Ted Nolan would give you a chance,” Nilsson said. “But he trusts his old guys. They were in the playoffs last year and look like they can get in this year. So, he does something right… I’ve put all that behind me. I’m in Edmonton, and I think everything will work out great here. We’re the youngest team in the league. It’s fun to be a part of it.”

Well, Nilsson won’t be part of it tonight, but you know what he means. As for Bergeron, he will be part of it, and he was prepared for the booing he expects to receive. With a laugh, Bergeron said, “I don’t really care. I’m not an Oiler anymore. I still have some good memories from here. It’s an old saying: ‘Talk good or bad, but just talk about me.’”

Edmonton never looked so good. It required an 18-hour travel ordeal yesterday because of overbooking practices by United Airlines, but I got lucky and made it here for the morning skate and tonight’s game between the Islanders and Oilers at Rexall Place.

Normally, it’s against my policy to use the Islanders blog to relate stories about a sportswriter’s life on the road. We all have problems, and you’re here to escape yours and have fun discussing the Islanders with like-minded souls. But I’m making an exception today because United is overbooking flights out of its Denver hub to such a scandalous degree that it almost caused me to miss my first assignment in 35 years.

The original title of this blog was: “For Islanders results, write www.united.com.” But a miracle happened last night that allowed me to board the last flight from Denver to Edmonton last night. I was told it would be two days before I could get from Denver to Edmonton and was planning to fly ahead to Vancouver before United’s fumbling mismanagement worked in my favor and kept me from spending the night in Denver International Airport.

If you’re only interested in hockey, you can stop reading here and wait for a later blog before game time on Robert Nilsson’s thoughts about Islanders coach Ted Nolan and the trade that sent him to Edmonton last February plus defenseman Marc-Andre Bergeron's comments on what it means for him to return to Edmonton. Also, Newsday readers likely will receive an early story in which center Mike Comrie addresses his departure from Edmonton and the salacious rumors that made his life here miserable. That could change if the game is over in time for the first edition, but I will make sure to at least post the Comrie story on the web. The game story definitely will be in Newsday’s second edition, which generally is available on newsstands and to some home delivery customers.

Obviously, there’s no substitute for being here, and that information would not have been available to Islanders readers if I had not been in the right place at the right time last night to escape the “overbooking hell” United has created in Denver. So, I’m offering this account of my troubles yesterday as a consumer warning to fellow air travelers.

To sum up, I checked in far enough ahead of flight time for my luggage to go to Edmonton on my scheduled flight at 8:38 a.m. Sunday morning, but even though I arrived at the gate before that flight boarded, I couldn’t go to Edmonton because United sold me a ticket for a seat that didn’t exist.

I should have recognized signs of trouble when I purchased two separate and very expensive tickets for the Islanders’ five-game road trip to Denver, Edmonton, Vancouver, Calgary and Ottawa. I booked the first two legs to Denver and Edmonton with United because it offered the lowest fare and non-stop service from Denver to Edmonton. The rest of the trip is on Air Canada, starting Tuesday morning from Edmonton to Vancouver.

I was able to select seats on every flight except the one from Denver to Edmonton. I was not alone. I spoke with many United customers wh