New Beginnings

"From small beginnings come great things."

Tomorrow night is a new beginning for the Isles. But will it be the start of great things? Hopefully, yes... realistically, probably not. I think it's obvious this team is some distance from truly great things. I think Isles fans need to look for and be satisfied with some "good things" this season, and maybe look for those signs that say - 2-3 seasons down the road we will see some great things.

We will see a significantly different look this season from the product that was on the ice during the 2007-2008 season. Yeah, some of the same bodies are in the ole orange & blue - Guerin, Okposo, Tambellini, Comeau, Gervais, Campoli, Bergenhiem, etc. But now, some of those bodies will be spending a lot more time on the ice and less time sitting on their keister on the bench. The arrival of Scott Gordon not only infuses youth and a new vision into the coaching ranks - but it also propels youth out onto the ice. Don't get me wrong, I was a Ted Nolan fan. I shook his hand at several fan functions and I respected his leadership & coaching style. That is, until I started seeing guys like Hilbert and Park on the powerplay while Bergenheim, Okposo, Comeau, and a list of other more offensively skilled players watched from the bench. I understand the philosophy behind rewarding hustle - but these decisions just didn't seem to make sense when you consider that the Islanders had a harder time scoring than a porn star in a convent.

So now we wind these young guys up & turn em loose & see what they've got. Yes, there will be some bumps in the road. Hell - bumps! - there will probably be craters filled with defensive lapses and games with goose eggs next to the name "Isles" on the scoreboard. But, alas, for us fans to stear clear of the island of despair it will probably require us to have the mental fortitude of a navy seal.

Some serious questions will get answered over the next 6 months. Does the captain have another decent year left in him? Can he reinvigorate Weight? Will Campoli remain healthy enough to blossom into the solid 2-way D-man he's shown flashes of being? And of course, what will Okposo, Comeau, Bergie and Tambs bring to the table? Will DP accept an occaisonal night off & stay healthly to avoid another end of the season stint in the trainer's room? Tomorrow night starts the journey toward finding the answers to these questions.

We may not know where this trip will take us - and it's going to be bumpy - but let's try to enjoy the ride!

See you at the Coli - section 318
Mr. LawyerDude