How YOU Can Help Keep the Islanders on the Island

I'm going to keep this short and sweet. This coming Tuesday, February 24th, there is a critical public meeting being held at the Town of Hempstead's Town Hall. It's being called "one of the two" most important public events in the Lighthouse approval process. If you support this project as an Islanders fan or a concerned citizen of Long Island, you can play your part by coming out for this meeting and demonstrating that support.

Here are the specifics:

Tuesday, February 24th at 10:30AM
Town Hall
One Washington Street, Hempstead, NY

For more and better information than I could possibly hope to provide, please click over to Nick's Let There Be Light(house) blog. And while I'm on the subject, kudos to Nick for the great job he does.

This is a hockey blog, so from purely that perspective I'd encourage everyone who possible can to make it out to this meeting. There's some real evidence that public sentiment is finally having an influence on Kate Murray and the Town. This is a great opportunity to further that influence and help ensure our franchise's future on the Island.

MC

A George Divided Against Itself Cannot Stand

Like my friend Homer in the picture to the left, I've recently acquired a visitor on each of my shoulders. Prior to the Islanders current 3-game winning streak, I only had one voice in my ear. The devil was there, savoring every loss as the Islanders marched towards victory in nothing but the Draft Lottery and the opportunity to grab a cornerstone talent like John Tavares. Somewhere in the midst of winning only 2 of 22 games, I grew to accept the fact that utter failure was in the best long-term interest of the team. While one player does not make a team (especially a young talent like Tavares), it would certainly improve our chances of turning the franchise around. I mean seriously, do the Pens make the Finals if they don't win the Crosby Lottery? I think not. As much as I love the team, I was willing to accept some short-term pain to make the horizon that much brighter.

Now, though, things have gotten a little more complicated. Somewhere on the way to the cellar the Isles woke up and started winning. Relatively speaking, 3 straight is an absolute tear. More important than the wins, though, is the way they are winning. And in that regard, it's all about the kids. The Comeau, Bailey, Okposo line has been leading the charge. They are providing us a nice glimpse of what the future might hold. And Nielsen has been playing very solid hockey all year (when healthy).

Now, an angel has emerged on my other shoulder. Rather than look at this season an an opportunity for Tavares, why not see it as the year of Okposo, Bailey, and the other kids? If our wins are coming as a result of their development, how can I root against that?

So I'm torn. In a perfect world, the kid line will continue to tear it up, we'll win our share of games, but still secure that #1 lottery pick (Go Thrashers!). The playoffs are out of the question, so I would find it hard to stomach, say, the #5 pick (before trading down, twice...again).

MC