Are the Islanders for Real?

One of the best stories in the NHL this year is the worst-to-first Islanders. Who would have thought that a team that has consistently scraped the bottom of the Eastern Conference barrel year after year in front of thousands of empty seats at the Nassau Colosseum would trail only the Red Wings in points a month into the season and with two games in hand? I'd like to be able to say that I did, but that would be false.

The question now, is, can they keep it up? As my dad put it, is this the 80s all over again? Let's take a look at some of the keys to the Islanders' success this year.

Under New Management

The biggest turnaround for the Islanders was the finalization of their sale to Charles Wang in April of 2000. The 2000-2001 season was a transition year, but its conclusion brought about a demonstration of Wang's determination to make the team a winner. The June 24 acquisition of Alexi Yashin was the first in a series designed to build around a core of talented but directionless young players.

New York's improvement did not come only on the ice, but also on the bench. The hiring of Peter Laviolette is a move to solidify a coaching staff that has been a revolving door, comedy of errors in recent seasons. Laviolette, a former AHL player who had a cup of coffee with the Rangers, won the AHL's Calder Cup behind the bench of the Boston Bruins' affilliate in 1998-1999 and was an assistant coach under Pat Burns and Mike Keenan in Boston last season.

Something for Nothing(?)

The Islanders' fleecing of Ottawa to acquire Alexi Yashin was basically inevitiable, as Yashin had no desire to remain in Ottawa and the Senators had no trade leverage. The Isles gave up only defenseman Zdeno Chara, a superfluous goon, winger Bill Muckalt, who had never played a full season in the NHL, and a second round draft pick to acquire one of the most promising young players in the game. In September, he was signed by the Islanders to a massive 10-year contract that all but assures that he will remain an Islander for most, if not all, of his career, and solidifies Wang's commitment to winning.

Another high impact trade came only one day after the deal that brought Yashin to Long Island, when the Islanders acquired Michael Peca from Buffalo for two promising young players, center Tim Connolly and winger Taylor Pyatt. Although the loss of these two players was a blow, the addition of Peca gave the Islanders two lines with legitimate threats at Center. Already, through only eleven games, Peca and Yashin have combined for 24 points.

Parrish Bounces Back

One of the most controversial moments for the Islanders came last year when slumping winger Mark Parrish told the fans to "stay home" if they just wanted to boo the team. He quickly issued an apology, but it was indicitave of the difficult relationship between fans of a franchise when the management refuses to pay for a good product on the ice. Clearly, quite a bit has changed in the eleven months since Parrish's statement, both in the stands of the Colosseum and on the ice during Parrish's shifts. Parrish is currently the NHL's leading scorer, with 11 goals to date. His turnaround has fickle fans cheering for a player they once booed mercilessly. He's 24 years old and is looking at a breakout season for an up-and-coming young team, a bright future indeed.

Osgood, Osgood, Osgood

No discussion of the Islanders recent and unexpected success would be complete without a discussion of Chris Osgood. Waived late in the offseason by the Red Wings to make room for human slinky Dominik Hasek, Osgood was picked up by a New York team whose greatest deficiency was at goaltender. Now, Osgood has turned the position into one of the Islanders greatest strengths, with a 1.85 goals-against average and a .936 save percentage.

How was Osgood cast aside so easily by the Red Wings? Simple: Hasek. There is none better than he in the game right now, and the Red Wings are an aging team looking for one last run at the Cup. Osgood, on the other hand, was very good, if unspectacular, for the Red Wings for much of the 90s. But he's not yet 29, and seems to be in quite a bit of a groove. Goaltenders are strange animals, and some don't hit their primes until relatively late in their careers. Hasek, for example, didn't have his breakthrough year until he was 29, in his fourth year in the league when he posted a 1.95 GAA in 58 games. While I don't mean to compare Osgood to Hasek, if he proves to follow this pattern, his waiving by the Red Wings may go down in NHL history as one of the greatest blunders of all time, especially considering the aging Hasek may only play in one or two more campaigns.

So...Can They Keep It Up?

It's clear that the Islanders are an improved team, but the season is only a month old. Can they buckle down, stand the test of time, and perform for 82 games with the enthusiasm and work ethic that they have deomonstrated so far?

In this area, Laviolette may have his most difficult task. The NHL season is a long one, and motivating a young team for the long haul can prove to be a difficult task. Their collective talent and leadership under Captain Michael Peca, however, should overcome and lead this team to a high playoff seed come April.