At the end of last season, the New York Islanders and their fans couldn’t have been more down on their luck. After playing out the end of another abysmal year, (finishing last in the league, in a building in desperate need of a renovation) the glory days of the 1980’s dynasty team consisting of all time greats such as Nystrom, Potvin and Billy Smith couldn’t have seemed like a more distant memory. Not only was the on-ice product an absolute joke, the front office continually made moves that puzzled the fanbase. The Nassau Coliseum was a ghost town, as it was no longer fun to watch this team that had been ravaged by injuries play out another bad season. As if this all wasn’t bad enough, rumors floated about that maybe, the team Long Islanders love could have found a new home.
However, on April 14th of 2009, the Isles finally caught a break. They won the league’s draft lottery, assuring them of the #1 pick in the upcoming draft. Unfortunately, that wasn’t nearly enough to make believers out of the fans once again. Doubters emerged immediately. Surely they couldn’t pass up the number one prospect John Tavares, the teenage sensation from Canada? But these are the Islanders, surely they’ll find a way to mess this up, right? Wrong. With no disrespect to Swedish sensation Victor Hedman or the exciting young Matt Duchene, the New York Islanders, without a doubt, drafted the class of the draft when they chose the exciting young forward out of Mississauga, Ontario. Finally, just maybe, these fans who have endured so much over the last decade may have a reason to smile. And smile they have. These young Islanders led by Coach Scott Gordon, sit in 9th place in the Eastern Conference, just a point out of a playoff spot.
Who would have thought it. A mere 7 months after the selection of Tavares, these Islanders are absolutely one of the league’s most exciting young teams. They are led by a nucleus of young players including not only the previously mentioned Tavares, but others such as Kyle Okposo, Blake Comeau, Josh Bailey and Matt Moulson. But with all the youth and excitement, someone has to be an example. The Isles seem to have just enough of a veteran presence both on the ice, and in the locker room. A team with a core of players as young as these could easily get distracted, but veterans such as Doug Weight, Trent Hunter, and Mark Streit keep this team in line. However, there was certainly one major thing troubling the minds of the Islander’s fans. Problem- solved. On Friday, January 8th, the New York Islanders welcomed back, with open arms, Rick DiPietro. The franchise goalie for the next decade-plus returned to action against the Dallas Stars for the first time in what seemed like an eternity. Although they dropped the game 4-3, what they got back was way more important than what they lost.
The Islanders are a team that demands respect, and to be honest, for the first time in a while, they deserve it. And while we are by no means comparing the Islanders to the league’s elite such as the Penguins or Capitals, this is undeniably a step in the right direction. It is once again fun to head out to the Coliseum, because win or lose, you are guaranteed to see a young team with electrifying players give it their all and leave absolutely nothing out on the ice. So who knows? This team’s future on the Island is very much still in doubt, and that arena certainly isn’t getting any younger. But for now, Islander fans, sit back, relax, and enjoy the show.
However, on April 14th of 2009, the Isles finally caught a break. They won the league’s draft lottery, assuring them of the #1 pick in the upcoming draft. Unfortunately, that wasn’t nearly enough to make believers out of the fans once again. Doubters emerged immediately. Surely they couldn’t pass up the number one prospect John Tavares, the teenage sensation from Canada? But these are the Islanders, surely they’ll find a way to mess this up, right? Wrong. With no disrespect to Swedish sensation Victor Hedman or the exciting young Matt Duchene, the New York Islanders, without a doubt, drafted the class of the draft when they chose the exciting young forward out of Mississauga, Ontario. Finally, just maybe, these fans who have endured so much over the last decade may have a reason to smile. And smile they have. These young Islanders led by Coach Scott Gordon, sit in 9th place in the Eastern Conference, just a point out of a playoff spot.
Who would have thought it. A mere 7 months after the selection of Tavares, these Islanders are absolutely one of the league’s most exciting young teams. They are led by a nucleus of young players including not only the previously mentioned Tavares, but others such as Kyle Okposo, Blake Comeau, Josh Bailey and Matt Moulson. But with all the youth and excitement, someone has to be an example. The Isles seem to have just enough of a veteran presence both on the ice, and in the locker room. A team with a core of players as young as these could easily get distracted, but veterans such as Doug Weight, Trent Hunter, and Mark Streit keep this team in line. However, there was certainly one major thing troubling the minds of the Islander’s fans. Problem- solved. On Friday, January 8th, the New York Islanders welcomed back, with open arms, Rick DiPietro. The franchise goalie for the next decade-plus returned to action against the Dallas Stars for the first time in what seemed like an eternity. Although they dropped the game 4-3, what they got back was way more important than what they lost.
The Islanders are a team that demands respect, and to be honest, for the first time in a while, they deserve it. And while we are by no means comparing the Islanders to the league’s elite such as the Penguins or Capitals, this is undeniably a step in the right direction. It is once again fun to head out to the Coliseum, because win or lose, you are guaranteed to see a young team with electrifying players give it their all and leave absolutely nothing out on the ice. So who knows? This team’s future on the Island is very much still in doubt, and that arena certainly isn’t getting any younger. But for now, Islander fans, sit back, relax, and enjoy the show.
No comments:
Post a Comment