March 12, 2011, HockeyPrimeTime.com examination of the suddenly hot New York Islanders

Islanders aren't booking their tee times yet

Atlantic

Written by Denis Gorman

Saturday, March 12, 2011 04:22

'Crazier things have happened' than the New York Islanders making the playoffs, Blake Comeau believes. Their season has been crazy enough already. The Devils are the darlings of the Atlantic Division. They might even make the playoffs, in case you haven't heard. New Jersey has the won 20 of the last 25 games it has played, earning 42 points of a possible 50 points. It seems a foregone conclusion that Jacques Lemaire has warranted serious Jack Adams consideration, while Ilya Kovalchuk may receive Hart Trophy votes. AROUND THE ATLANTIC And while the Rise of the Devils has become a major story, a division rival has quietly authored an impressive streak of its own. The team: The New York Islanders, who are 12-4-3 since the All-Star Break and sit 10 points behind the Sabres and Rangers for eighth place. “I thought we did a good job of sticking together and sticking to what we had to do. It was a big two points. It was nice to get the win in overtime and not leave it up to the shootout,” Blake Comeau said minutes after his overtime tip was the difference in a 4-3 win over the ostensibly-still-in-the-race Maple Leafs Tuesday night at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum. “We're not out of it yet. As long as we keep winning, crazier things have happened.” It seems unlikely that the Islanders will be competing come the second full week of April. They would need to win their final 14 games in regulation while the six teams in front of them would have to lose in regulation. Still, the unified team truly believes. And belief is a powerful mechanism. “That's what you try to do, right? You try to take care of now so that later takes care of itself,” goaltender Al Montoya said. "I just want to give this team a chance. You just make a couple of saves here and there and you just establish yourself and know when they're not there, I'll be there for them. "You have to take care of what you can take care of. Maybe you look back at it five games from now and see where you're at. If we bring this every single night, there's no reason we can't compete and there's no reason we can't put our best foot forward every single night.” Long Island’s only major professional sports franchise has absorbed public relations punches for much of the season. That's almost to be expected when a team loses 20 of 21, fires a coach, rescinds an employee-turned-reporter’s media credential, loses its No. 1 goaltender to a fractured orbital bone in a late-game fight with the opposing goalie, engages a rival in game-long brawls, and sees its enforcer suspended for 10 games – in his first game back from a nine-game suspension. How's that for crazy? Those incidents are the origin for the negative publicity the franchise has received this season. But it bears noting that the Islanders have three players that have scored 20 goals and Comeau should join that group. The power forward has hit the back of the net 19 times in 2010-11. Just as important, the franchise may have stumbled onto a future No. 1 goaltender in Montoya. Acquired in a trade with Phoenix, the sixth pick in the 2004 draft boasts a 6-2-2 record with a 2.02 goals-against average, .930 save percentage and one shutout. “I'm just trying to do what I can do … I'm feeding off the team right now. I just wanted to give the team a chance and make that save and be sharp,” Montoya said. Notes The Associated Press reported Wednesday that the Penguins and Dan Bylsma agreed to a three-year extension. … Zdeno Chara’s devastating hit on Max Pacioretty has become this week’s NHL debate du jour. Flyers defenseman Chris Pronger weighed in, intimating that “the configuration” of the Centre Bell played a role in Pacioretty suffering a concussion and non-displaced fracture of the fourth vertebrae. … The Devils’ playoff hopes took a blow Tuesday night after a 2-1 home loss to Ottawa. … John Tortorella told reporters that his team “had some passengers” following Wednesday night’s 5-2 loss in Anaheim. On Twitter: @HockeyPrimeTime and @DenisGorman Photos by Getty Images

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