The New York Islanders announced that veteran defenseman Brendan Witt is set to return to the lineup when the Islanders face the Devils Friday in New Jersey. Rookie Kyle Okposo will miss a week and Mike Sillinger accepted a three-game AHL conditioning stint.

Joey MacDonald made 31 saves, three in the shootout, to lead the Islanders past the Vancouver Canucks 2-1 Monday night at the Nassau Coliseum. Frans Nielsen scored the only goal in the shootout. The win was the third straight for the Islanders.

Joey MacDonald made 38 saves while Sean Bergenheim, Jon Sim and Chris Campoli scored to help lead the Islanders to a 3-2 win over the visiting Ottawa Senators. The Isles swept the home and home from the slumping Senators who dropped their fourth straight game.

The NHL has suspended Islanders' defenseman Thomas Pock for five games as a result of his hit to the head of Ottawa's Ryan Shannon Thursday night. Pock's suspension will be begin immediately and he will not be eligible to return to the ice until November 26th.

The Islanders got power play goals from Kyle Okposo and Trent Hunter and Joey MacDonald made 29 saves to help lead New York to a 3-1 road win over the slumping Ottawa Senators. Filip Kuba scored the lone Ottawa goal. Isles' defenseman Thomas Pock was ejected from the game for hitting Ryan Shannon with a high elbow.

Mike Richards netted the game-winner to help the Flyers end a three-game losing streak with a 3-1 win over the Islanders Tuesday afternoon. Daniel Briere and Kimmo Timonen also scored for Philly while Martin Biron made 35 saves to earn the victory.

The New York Islanders lost yet another third period lead and fell in a shootout to the Pittsburgh Penguins 4-3 at the Nassau Coliseum. Tyler Kennedy scored twice for the Penguins including the game tying goal with 3:15 left in regulation. Petr Sykora scored the only goal in the shootout.

The Islanders blew yet another third period lead Thursday night in Atlanta against the Thrashers. This time, they led 3-1 after 40 minutes but allowed goals by Slava Kozlov, Jason Williams and Tobias Enstrom in the final stanza and fell to Atlanta 4-3.

The New York Islanders got shorthanded goals from Nate Thompson and Richard Park and strong goaltending from Joey MacDonald to edge the rival Rangers 2-1 at Madison Square Garden. It was the second win for the Isles in as many nights.

For the second straight game, the New York Islanders watched a three-goal lead disappear in the third period. This time, the Isles bounced back and earned a 4-3 overtime victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets on Chris Campoli's second goal of the game.

The Montreal Canadiens scored four unanswered goals in the third period to sweep past the New York Islanders 5-4 at the Nassau Coliseum Saturday. Alexei Kovalev and Tomas Plekanec each had two goals and two assists to pace the Habs.

The Islanders may be off to a slow start, but defenseman Mark Streit has done well with his new team. While other free agent defensemen got more attention, the Isles' acquisition of Streit might just be the best value of any free agent signed last summer.

Doug Weight's hit on Brandon Sutter in Saturday's Isles-Canes game was hard one and Sutter suffered a concussion. What Weight did was not illegal and no penalty was called on the play, yet the NHL needs to do something more to prevent hits to the head.

The New York Rangers got two goals from Chris Drury and defeated the New York Islanders 4-2 at the Nassau Coliseum on Monday night. The Rangers now have a three-game winning streak while the loss was the fourth straight for the Islanders.

Cam Ward made 57 saves and Chad LaRose scored twice to lead the Carolina Hurricanes to a 4-3 win over the New York Islanders in a wild game at the Nassau Coliseum. Doug Weight had a chance to tie the contest when he was awarded a penalty shot with less than one second left but Ward denied his former teammate to preserve the win.

Mike Ribeiro had a goal and four assists to pace the Dallas Stars to a 5-3 win over the New York Islanders. Loui Eriksson scored twice for the Stars while Brenden Morrow had three points. Special teams were the big difference in the game. The Stars ended their three-game New York-area trip with a 2-1-0 record.

Tomas Vokoun made 31 saves and the Florida Panthers got goals from Nick Boynton and Cory Stillman to blank the visiting New York Islanders 2-0. Rick DiPietro made his first start of the year for the Islanders and stopped 34 shots in the loss.

The Blackhawks appear to be in full panic mode. Just four games into the season, they fired Coach Denis Savard and replaced him with ex-Avs Coach Joel Quenneville. Quenneville is a very good coach, but the timing of this move makes no sense.

Trent Hunter scored twice including the game-winner just 51 seconds into overtime as the New York Islanders downed the Tampa Bay Lightning 4-3 in Tampa. The Lightning overcame a 2-0 third period deficit to force overtime but remain winless on the season.

The New York Islanders announced that defenseman Radek Martinek is out 4-6 weeks with an "upper body injury". New York also sent forward Blake Comeau down to Bridgeport for seasoning. Also, Rick DiPietro did not practice with the team today.

Brad Kurtzberg takes a look at pressing issues in the season's opening week, including the suspensions of Mike Peca and Ryan Hollweg, the shocking death of Alexei Cherepanov, the seemingly forgotten Paul Kariya and the Isles' curious handling of Rick DiPietro.

The Buffalo Sabres crushed the New York Islanders 7-1 at the Nassau Coliseum Monday afternoon. Thomas Vanek scored twice while Jason Pominville and Ales Kotalik each had three points to pace Buffalo. The Islanders were out of sync in all phases of the game and never really challenged the Sabres.

Scott Gordon earned his first NHL coaching win as backup goalie Joey MacDonald made 24 saves in the Islanders' 5-2 win over the visiting St. Louis Blues. New York scored four first period goals and never looked back.

Rick DiPietro sat out the Isles' regular season opener against New Jersey Friday as the club stayed careful with their franchise goalie's health. His status for tonight's home opener remains up in the air.

The New York Islanders head into the 08-09 season with a new coach in Scott Gordon and a new emphasis on younger players. Inside Hockey's Brad Kurtzberg takes an in-depth look at the Islanders and their prospects for the new year.

Scott Gordon hit all the right notes as he was introduced to the fans and media as the Islander's new head coach. Gordon will look to instill confidence and accountability while helping the Isles to build long term with youth.

The New York Islanders have named Scott Gordon as their new head coach. Gordon spent the last five years as coach of the AHL's Providence Bruins and was the league's Coach of the Year last season. He signed a multi-year contract, terms of which were not disclosed.

Doug Weight is looking forward to the challenge of joining the New York Islanders this season. He has accepted a leadership role with a team on a youth movement and also wants to prove he can still play at a high level.

The New York Islanders announced the signing of center Frans Nielsen to a four-year, one-way contract worth $2.1 million. The Isles are counting on Nielsen to be an important part of their ongoing youth movement.

Islanders' top prospect, Kyle Okposo and number one draft choice Josh Bailey are sticking together at the team's week long prospect camp this week. Hopefully, this is the beginning of a beneficial friendship...

The New York Islanders announced the signing of restricted free agents Jeff Tambellini and Sean Bergenheim to two year contracts. The deal with Bergenheim took place before he was scheduled to go to arbitration.

The New York Islanders announced on Monday that Ted Nolan would not return as head coach for the 2008-09 season. GM Garth Snow said the search for a new head coach will begin immediately.

The New York Islanders announced that they have signed veteran defenseman Brendan Witt to a two-year contract extension that will keep Witt on Long Island through the end of the 2010-11 season.

Inside Hockey's Brad Kurtzberg analyzes the first two days of free agency, looking at winners and losers as NHL teams wheel and deal this off-season.

The New York Islanders signed veteran center Doug Weight to a one-year deal worth $1.75 million, with bonuses that could bring the final total to $4.3 million. Weight, 37, will add experience and leadership to the Isles' young lineup in 2007-08.

The New York Islanders signed defenseman Mark Streit to a five-year $20.5 million contract. The 30-year-old former member of the Montreal Canadiens should boost the Isles' power play.

The New York Islanders placed forward Shawn Bates on waivers with the intention of buying out the remainder of his contract. This will make the veteran forward an unrestricted free agent.

The New York Islanders gave qualifying offers to six players including Sean Bergenheim, Jeremy Colliton, Frans Nielsen, Jeff Tambellini, Ben Walter and Bruno Gervais. They will all become restricted free agents on July 1st if they cannot agree on a contract.

The New York Islanders replenished their farm system in a draft that saw them select 13 players overall including seven in the first three rounds. But was trading down the right move for the Isles?

The New York Islanders traded down twice in the first round of the 2008 NHL entry draft before selecting center Josh Bailey with the ninth overall pick. GM Garth Snow picked up three extra draft picks while claiming he still got the player he wanted.

The New York Islanders have the fifth pick in this year's draft which is considered one of the deepest in recent memory. They also have two second round picks. The Islanders have a golden opportunity to add some talented players to their system and get some help for the big club.

Inside Hockey's Brad Kurtzberg takes a look at why Game 5 of the Stanley Cup playoffs represented so much of what's great about the game of hockey, and takes a look ahead to Game 6, when two exhausted teams will battle again with the Cup on the line.

Inside Hockey's Brad Kurtzberg looks at Detroit's 2-1 win in Game Four that put them on the cusp of another Stanley Cup and what the Penguins have to do to stay alive and send the series back to Pittsburgh.

Inside Hockey's Brad Kurtzberg takes a look at Evgeni Malkin's strange and sudden disappearance in the Stanley Cup Finals and other issues that will affect the outcome of the rest of this series.

Inside Hockey's Brad Kurtzberg takes a look at the reasons behind the Red Wings' continuing dominance of the Stanley Cup finals and what the Penguins have to do to get back into the series.

Inside Hockey's Brad Kurtzberg takes a look behind the reasons for Detroit's dominating 4-0 win in Game One of the Stanley Cup finals, paced by a two-goal performance from Mikael Samuelsson.

Brad Kurtzberg takes a look at the Stanley Cup finals and why this year's showdown will be one of the most exciting match-ups in recent memory. Very little separation exists between these two clubs and chances are it will take all seven games.

In the latest installment of "Brad's Barbs," Inside Hockey's Brad Kurtzberg looks at the importance of defensemen to the Penguins' and Red Wings' success in the Conference Finals.

The Pittsburgh Penguins are the favorite heading into their Eastern Conference final series against the Philadelphia Flyers. Inside Hockey's Brad Kurtzberg analyzes why the Pens will win the "Battle of Pennsylvania" in six games.

When will Chris Osgood ever get the respect he deserves? In the latest installment of "Brad's Barbs," Inside Hockey's Brad Kurtzberg examines that issue, evaluates the playoffs' first two rounds, and looks ahead to the conference finals.

With his performance in Game 4 of the Rangers-Penguins series, Jaromir Jagr erased any doubts critics may have had about his leadership qualities. The future Hall of Famer elevated his game and helped his teammates to stave off elimination.

Inside Hockey's Brad Kurtzberg offers his observations and analysis on the second round of the playoffs and what's happening around the league. Carey Price, in particular, has been inconsistent and the Habs are in quite a fight in their series with the Flyers.

Inside Hockey's Brad Kurtzberg offers his observations and analysis on the second round of the playoffs and what's happening around the league.

The first round of the playoffs has been very interesting, each series containing many fascinating subplots and stories. Here's Brad Kurtzberg's inside analysis and observations from the thrilling first round of the 2008 NHL playoffs.

Rangers rookie Marc Staal went from goat to hero in the span of one playoff game. In Game Three, the Devils' OT game-winning goal went in off his foot and into the Rangers net. But in Game Four, Staal scored the winner in the waning minutes.

Marty Turco has enjoyed a successful NHL career but even he acknowledges that it won't be complete without the the one thing that has eluded him so far: playoff success.

Scott Gomez had three assists and Henrik Lundqvist made 26 saves to lead the New York Rangers to a 4-1 win over the New Jersey Devils in the first ever playoff game at the Prudential Center. Sean Avery and Brendan Shanahan both had two-point nights.

The New York Islanders failed to make the playoffs due to a rash of injuries and the inability to score goals. But the season provided hope for the future; several young players stepped up and showed they had the potential to develop into solid NHLers.

The entire league may be talking about "Sid the Kid" and Evgeni Malkin, but if the Penguins hope to go a long way in the playoffs, they need goalie Marc-Andre Fleury to shine in the postseason. Since coming back in late February from a high ankle sprain, his performance has been stellar.

Jaromir Jagr scored two power play goals and Henrik Lundqvist made 25 saves as the New York Rangers blanked the New York Islanders 3-0 at Nassau Coliseum Thursday night. The victory clinched a playoff spot for the Rangers.

Zach Parise's goal at the 29 second mark of overtime lifted the Devils to a 2-1 victory over the New York Islanders, thereby clinching a playoff spot. Patrick Elias and Johnny Oduya each had two points for the Devils. Joey MacDonald made 45 saves for the Isles.

The San Jose Sharks are the clearcut big winners at the trade deadline, so far, with their acquisition of d-man Brian Campbell from Buffalo. The Pittsburgh Penguins and Dallas Stars also hope their big acquisitions will make a difference come playoff time.

This year's race for the Jack Adams Award as Coach of the Year is wide open. There are at least five worthy candidates: Bruce Boudreau, Guy Carbonneau, Wayne Gretzky, Brent Sutter and Barry Trotz. Here's a look at how the top contenders measure up...

Rangers' forward, Sean Avery may be the most hated man in hockey, but statistics show he is a very valuable player who the Rangers cannot afford to lose to free agency this summer.

The Islanders got a goal and an assist from Bill Guerin and strong goaltending from Wade Dubielewicz to defeat the Penguins 4-1 at the Nassau Coliseum on Monday. The loss dropped the Pens three points behind the Canadiens in the race for the top spot in the Eastern Conference.

The Philadelphia Flyers scored three power play goals to down the New York Islanders 4-1 on Sunday. Daniel Briere had a goal and two assists for Philadelphia while Martin Biron made 32 saves for his sixth win over the Islanders this season.

Kyle Okposo's made his first NHL goal count, as it proved to be the game-winner in a 3-1 Isles victory over the Devils. Wade Dubielewicz made 34 saves and Bryan Berard had two assists to help the Isles end their six-game losing streak.

The Chicago Blackhawks honored Hall of Fame goaltender Tony Esposito earlier this week. Perhaps more importantly, new owner Rocky Wirtz's actions have started to restore the soul of this long-neglected franchise.

Islanders' goaltender Rick DiPietro had successful surgery on his right hip today. The move ended his season, but he should be ready for action at the start of training camp come September.

The Maple Leafs netted three third period goals en route to their 3-1 victory over the Islanders last night at the Nassau Coliseum. Pavel Kubina scored the game-winner for Toronto on the power play goal and Vesa Toskala made 27 saves.

The New York Islanders have recalled top prospect Kyle Okposo from Bridgeport of the AHL. Okposo will make his NHL debut on Tuesday night at the Nassau Coliseum against the Toronto Maple Leafs.

In his weekly look around the league, Brad Kurtzberg takes a look at the Chris Pronger incident and explains why the Ducks defenseman deserves some kind of suspension for his actions.

Karlis Skrastins' third period goal proved to be the game-winner as the Panthers downed the shorthanded Islanders 4-2 in Florida last night. The Panthers have won a season-high five straight games and have improbably battled their way back into the playoff hunt.

Vincent Lecavalier registered a hat trick to lead the Lightning to an 8-4 win over the Islanders in Tampa. The Lightning's John Tortorella earned his 235th career victory to become the all-time winningest American-born coach.

The New York Islanders announced the signing of prospect Jesse Joensuu to a three-year entry level contract; the deal takes effect at the start of the 2008-09 season. The Isles selected the 6' 4", 207 pound right wing in the second round of the 2006 NHL entry draft.

The Philadelphia Flyers scored four times on the power play while holding the Isles off the board with the man advantage to defeat the Islanders 4-1 in Philadelphia Saturday. Scott Hartnell scored twice for the Flyers.

In his weekly look around the league, columnist Brad Kurtzberg looks at the surging San Jose Sharks, who are finally getting contributions from captain Patrick Marleau and Jonathan Cheechoo as they make a run at the Pacific Division lead.

Sean Avery scored twice while Brendan Shanahan and Scott Gomez each tallied once to lead the Rangers to a 4-1 win over the Islanders at the Nassau Coliseum last night. The Rangers earned three points in the home-and-home series and dealt the Isles' playoff chances another blow.

Jeff Tambellini's shootout goal and strong goaltending by backup Wade Dubielewicz helped lead the Islanders to a desperately needed 4-3 win over the Rangers at Madison Square Garden last night. The two rivals meet again Thursday on Long Island.

The New York Islanders set an NHL record by taking 53 shots on goal without scoring; backup goalie Craig Anderson earned his first shutout of the season. David Booth's first period goal gave the Panthers all the scoring needed in the 1-0 victory.

The Islanders will celebrate the 25th anniversary of their four straight Cup wins today at the Nassau Coliseum, reuniting the players, coaches and members of the organization who participated in all four championships.

Mike Knuble's shorthanded goal midway through the third period helped lead the Flyers to a 4-1 victory over the Islanders Saturday afternoon at the Nassau Coliseum. Martin Biron made 33 saves to earn the win for the now-eighth-place Flyers.

The Ottawa Senators' firing of coach John Paddock earlier this week was inevitable and probably necessary. But the Sens have some deeper problems that coaching probably won't be able to resolve.

Trent Hunter scored 1:09 into overtime to frustrate a big comeback by the Thrashers and give the Islanders a badly needed win. Atlanta overcame a 3-0 deficit and tied the score with just 1:22 left in regulation on a goal by Bobby Holik. Mike Comrie scored twice for the Islanders.

The New York Islanders outshot the Pittsburgh Penguins 52-21 but couldn't solve goalie Ty Conklin in a 4-2 loss to the Penguins. Evgeni Malkin and Jeff Taffe had two points each for Pittsburgh while Conklin made 50 saves to earn the win.

The Islanders completed two additional deals at the trade deadline, sending forward Chris Simon to the Wild for a sixth round draft choice in this year's draft and shipping defenseman Marc-Andre Bergeron to the Ducks for a third round pick.

The Islanders added depth to their blue line by acquiring defenseman Rob Davison from the Sharks for a seventh round pick in the 2008 draft. Davison adds toughness and grit on defense, something the Isles have been lacking of late.

The New York Islanders signed another one of their potential unrestricted free agents on Tuesday morning when they announced the signing of center Mike Comrie to a one-year, $4 million contract. Comrie leads the club in assists and points this season.

The Devils defeated the Islanders 4-2 at "The Rock" in Newark to end the Isles' six-game winning streak. Zach Parise scored the game winning goal to break a 2-2 tie and Martin Brodeur played another strong game for New Jersey.

As the trade deadline approaches, the Islanders are unlikely to pull off another blockbuster deal like the one they made last year for Ryan Smyth, but expect GM Garth Snow to make a few moves to improve his team's chances during the stretch drive.

The New York Islanders announced the signing of forward Trent Hunter to a five-year contract extension. Hunter had been eligible to become a free agent this summer before the deal was signed. He has spent his entire NHL career with the Islanders.

The Islanders won their sixth straight game on Thursday, downing the visiting Lightning 1-0. Miro Satan scored the only goal of the game early in the third period while Rick DiPietro made 32 saves to earn his third shutout of the season.

The New York Islanders won their fifth straight game Wednesday night in Washington, overcoming an early 2-0 deficit to defeat the Caps in a shootout 3-2. The Isles won despite missing four of their top six defensemen.

The New York Islanders suffered a critical loss to their already depleted defense corps Tuesday when it was announced that Andy Sutton will miss 4-6 weeks with a partially torn hamstring.

The New York Islanders overcame a 2-0 third period deficit to down the San Jose Sharks 3-2 at the Nassau Coliseum Monday; Freddy Meyer scored the winning goal. Sharks' goalie Evgeni Nabokov returned to action after being struck in the face with the puck, but was not sharp, allowing three third period goals.

The Islanders won their third straight on Saturday night, dominating the Thrashers 4-1 before a sellout crowd at the Nassau Coliseum. The Isles outshot Atlanta 49-10, setting a new team record for fewest shots allowed in a game.

In his weekly look around the league, Brad Kurtzberg examines why parity is good for the NHL as we head towards the trade deadline and the race for the playoffs heats up, he also looks at Evgeni Malkin, Rod Brind'Amour, the Richard Zednik incident and more.

The New York Islanders scored four power play goals including a pair from Ruslan Fedotenko to down the Toronto Maple Leafs 5-4 at the Air Canada Center Thursday night. The win moved the Isles to within four points of eighth place in the East.

Islanders forward Chris Simon rejoined the team at practice on Wednesday for the first time since taking a "leave of absence" to work on personal issues. Simon still has four games remaining on his NHL-record 30 game suspension.

The New York Islanders ended a seven-game winless streak by defeating the Flyers 4-3 at the Nassau Coliseum Tuesday night. Trent Hunter scored a goal and added two assists to pace the Islander attack.

The Anaheim Ducks ended their six-game losing streak with a 3-0 win over the New York Islanders last night. Sniper Teemu Selanne returned to the Ducks' lineup for the first time this season and added an assist. J.S. Giguere earned his third shutout with 25 saves.

The New York Islanders announced that veteran center Mike Sillinger will be out of action for three weeks with a hip injury; they recalled forwards Jeff Tambellini, Frans Nielson and Kip Brennan from Bridgeport of the AHL to replace him.

To paraphrase William Shakespeare, parting can be such sweet sorrow. 36-year-old Mats Sundin is still the Leafs' best player, and he is the heart and soul of the franchise. But the Leafs, as they are presently constituted, are just not working.

Islanders coach Ted Nolan was disappointed with his team's effort in Thursday's 3-1 loss to the Los Angeles Kings. The slumping Isles are now 0-5-1 in their last six home games and have fallen to ninth place in the Eastern Conference.

The Senators forced the Islanders into key turnovers and then took advantage of them in a 5-2 win at the Nassau Coliseum on Tuesday night. Jason Spezza and Mike Fisher each had a goal and an assist for the Senators, who never trailed in the game.

Most experts picked the New York Islanders to be cellar-dwellers this year after losing so many key players to free agency. Instead, Bill Guerin and company have demonstrated tremendous grit and character, staying right in the thick of the playoff race.

The New York Islanders scored three shorthanded goals to earn a 6-3 win over the Carolina Hurricanes Tuesday night in Raleigh. Mike Sillinger scored twice for the Islanders, who won their fourth straight road game.

For the second straight game, the New York Islanders watched a two-goal lead evaporate. Monday afternoon, a sellout holiday crowd of 16,234 saw the Isles blow a 2-0 lead after two periods and settle for an 3-2 overtime loss to the Carolina Hurricanes.

It would be tough to find a more unlikely in the NHL this season than Penguins goalie, Ty Conklin. The 31-year-old journeyman is riding an amazing hot streak that has helped propel the Penguins into a first place tie in the Atlantic Division.

The New York Islanders bounced back from a sluggish performance the previous night against Montreal to defeat the Devils 3-1 in New Jersey. Bill Guerin scored twice while Rick DiPietro made 37 saves for the Isles.

The Islanders came out flat against the Montreal Canadiens Tuesday in their first home game after a five-game road trip. The result: only one shot on goal in the first period and a 3-1 loss.

Alexander Ovechkin became the latest NHL player to land a very, very long term contract yesterday, signing a 13-year, $124 million contract with the Washington Capitals. Does the deal make any sense for the Caps? Brad Kurtzberg weighs in...

The New York Islanders have assigned top prospect Kyle Okposo to their AHL affiliate in Bridgeport. Okposo will likely make his AHL debut on Friday night in Binghamton and his home debut on Saturday night vs. Springfield.

The NHL will not suspend Islanders' goalie Rick DiPietro for wearing unapproved pads during the first period of Thursday's game against the Florida Panthers. The penalty is usually a two-game suspension.

The Winter Classic game between the Buffalo Sabres and Pittsburgh Penguins was a big success on New Year's Day. It gave the NHL some badly needed positive publicity and despite possible obstacles, is an idea worth repeating.

Islanders' goalie Rick DiPietro returned from injury Thursday night but now faces a possible two-game suspension from the league for wearing unapproved goalie pads during the first period of the Islanders-Panthers game.

Richard Park scored at the 3:43 mark of overtime to give the New York Islanders a 3-2 victory over the visiting Washington Capitals Saturday night at the Nassau Coliseum. The Islanders now enter the Christmas break with back-to-back wins.

Islanders prospect Kyle Okposo has announced that he is leaving the University of Minnesota to turn pro. The 19-year-old native of St. Paul, Minnesota, will play for the U.S. at the World Junior Championships which get underway just after Christmas, and then sign with the Isles.

The NHL announced today that Islanders' forward Chris Simon has been suspended for 30 games as a result of his attempt to step on Pittsburgh's Jarkko Ruutu with his skate blade, the longest disciplinary suspension in NHL history.

The New York Islanders announced that Chris Simon is taking an indefinite leave of absence from the team after Saturday night's attack on Pittsburgh's Jarkko Ruutu. Simon is facing the seventh suspension of his career.

The New York Islanders were frustrated by their 3-2 loss to the Penguins on Saturday night, frustrated with their sloppy first period, by numerous calls made by the officials and by Tyler Kennedy’s three point night.

Ted Nolan called out his top line after Wednesday's 5-3 loss to Buffalo. The results were immediate as Bill Guerin scored twice in the Islanders' 3-2 win over Phoenix on Thursday.

There has been a rash of injuries to goaltenders in the NHL recently, including a high ankle sprain that will keep the Penguins' Marc-Andre Fleury off the ice for up to two months. Brad Kurtzberg evaluates these injuries and their expected impact.

It seems that issues of excessive violence always haunt the game of hockey. Understand that one can never advocate for the elimination of a good, hard, clean body-check or hip-check. But things have gotten out of hand...

The Islanders had one of their poorest efforts of the season and were beaten soundly by the visiting Atlanta Thrashers on Saturday night at the Nassau Coliseum. The Islanders allowed six breakaways and countless odd-man rushes in the ugly loss.

In the first of what will be a recurring "Around the Rinks" feature, Brad Kurtzberg takes a look at the NHL's recently-announced schedule changes, the revitalized Central Division, and much, much more...

The New York Islanders gained confidence with a big 3-2 shootout win over the league-leading Ottawa Senators at the Nassau Coliseum on Wednesday night. They also got an important contribution from their slumping captain, Bill Guerin.

The Islanders are still struggling to score goals, but a strong team effort and tallies by two unexpected sources&mdashAndy Hilbert and Richard Park—helped them defeat the Bruins by a slim 2-1 margin on Saturday night.

While nobody expected the Islanders to be among the league leaders in goals scored, the team is struggling mightily right now to put the puck in the net. The Isles have gone seven straight games without scoring more than two goals.

The New York Islanders wrote a perfect script for the return of their Hall of Fame coach, Al Arbour: Miro Satan scored two goals in the third period to lead the Isles to a 3-2 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins.

The Islanders have welcomed back Hall of Fame coach Al Arbour, who signed a one-day contract to coach the team he led to four straight Stanley Cups from 1980-1983. Arbour will be behind the bench for his 1,500th game as the Isles' coach on Saturday night.

The New York Islanders made Thursday night "Mike Sillinger Night." They honored the 36-year old veteran with a ceremony before the game to commemorate his 1,000th career NHL game, then they went out and shutout the Tampa Bay Lightning 4-0.

If anybody had any questions as to how the Islanders would be affected by not playing for a week, they were answered quickly on Saturday night. The Hurricanes got a hat trick from Rod Brind’Amour and crushed the Isles 8-3.

The Islanders are feeling confident as they enter a strange week with no games on their schedule. They are riding a two-game winning streak and have a 5-3-0 record through the season's first eight games.

The New York Islanders are 3-3-0 on the young season and the difference between the games the Isles won and lost is easy to figure: when the Islanders can put the puck in the net, they win, when they can’t, they don’t.

The Islanders have signed veteran defenseman Bryan Berard to a one-year contract worth a reported $725,000. Berard was invited to training camp without a contract and performed well; the Isles hope he can inject some life into their power play.

Toronto Maple Leafs winger Jason Blake has been diagnosed with a rare form of leukemia. Blake made the diagnosis public on Monday with a statement released on the Leafs’ website; the illness should not prevent him from playing hockey.

Olaf Kolzig made 30 saves to lead the Washington Capitals to a 2-1 win over the New York Islanders before a sold out crowd at the Nassau Coliseum on Monday night. The win improved the Caps to 3-0-0 while the Islanders dropped their first game of the season.

Mike Comrie sat at his locker and answered questions from reporters with confidence. After the first two games of the new season, the Isles’ top line center has every reason to feel that way, as his team has started the year 2-0-0.

The New York Islanders are prepared to open the 2007-08 NHL season with a lot more questions than most teams. The club had an eventful summer, losing Ryan Smyth, Jason Blake and Tom Poti in free agency and saying goodbye to former captain Alexei Yashin.

Defenseman Bryan Berard will attempt to revive his NHL career back where it began. The 30-year-old native of Woonsocket, Rhode Island, has accepted an invitation to training camp with the New York Islanders.

The New York Islanders have signed veteran defenseman Andy Sutton to a three-year contract worth $9 million according to published reports. The 32-year-old Sutton is a large, physical defenseman who stands at 6’6” and weighs 245 pounds.

The New York Islanders have signed forward Trent Hunter to a one-year contract worth $1.55 million dollars. The amount was decided by an arbitrator and the Islanders accepted the award.

The Islanders announced that they have re-signed winger Chris Simon to a one-year contract. “Chris is just one of those old school guys who gave our team a little bit of everything last season,” said head coach Ted Nolan.

The Islanders are giving Hall of Fame coach Al Arbour a unique 75th birthday present: they are going to allow Arbour to coach the Isles for one more game (the 1500th of his career) on November 3 against the Penguins.

If, as the saying goes, patience is a virtue, than the Islanders’ Garth Snow wants to be the most virtuous GM in the NHL. “You’ve got to be patient and make rational decisions so you can make the team better,” Snow said.

The Islanders wasted little time showing how highly they think of newly-signed forward Bill Guerin. During Monday's press conference to introduce the four newest Islanders, they announced that he had been named as the team’s new captain.

The New York Islanders have signed veteran forward Bill Guerin to a two-year, $9 million contract and center Mike Comrie to a one-year, 3.375 million deal, good moves that help make up for the losses of Ryan Smyth and Jason Blake.

The Islanders have announced the signing of free agent left wing Ruslan Fedotenko to a one-year contract worth $2.9 million. The 28-year-old forward scored 12 goals and 32 points last season for the Lightning while appearing in all 80 games.

The first day of free agency hit the Islanders exceptionally hard, as they lost Ryan Smyth, Jason Blake, Richard Zednik, Viktor Kozlov, and Tom Poti while only managing to sign checking-line winger Jon Sim.

The Islanders announced that they are introducing a new season ticket plan that will allow kids under 12 to attend games for just $10 a ticket, giving parents and their children a season ticket in a designated family section close to ice level.

The Islanders promise to have a very busy offseason. They have already parted ways with Alexei Yashin and Mike Milbury, while the future status of both Jason Blake and Ryan Smyth remains up in the air.

The Islanders have announced the signing of former first-round draft pick Sean Bergenheim to a one-year contract. The 23-year-old forward spent last year in Europe, playing in Russia and in the Swedish Elite League.

The New York Islanders announced on Friday that forward Kyle Okposo, the top-rated prospect in their system, will return to the University of Minnesota this fall for his sophomore year.

The New York Islanders made it official Tuesday, buying out the contract of captain Alexei Yashin. As a result of the buyout, the 33-year-old Yashin immediately becomes a free agent.

It’s official: North America’s favorite frozen piece of vulcanized rubber is back after an absence of more than 25 years. Peter Puck is making a comeback, and Brad Kurtzberg gets the scoop from Peter's creator, Brian McFarlane.

Wade Dubielewicz received his just reward this week. After backstopping the Isles to an improbable four-game winning streak that allowed them to qualify for the playoffs, they have given the career minor leaguer, a one-year, one-way contract.

The Islanders found out on Friday that defenseman Sean Hill has been suspended by the NHL for 20 games for violating the league’s substance abuse policy.

There was no hesitation in the voice of Isles’ coach Ted Nolan as he addressed the press after the club’s 4-2 loss in game 4 of their series with the Sabres: “I don’t care what anybody says, that was a goal.”

The old cliché in the playoffs is that checking is tighter, goaltending is key, and the importance of special teams is augmented. With that in mind, the Islanders spent a good portion of Tuesday’s practice working to improve their power play.

On Thursday, Rick DiPietro passed a much-talked about neurological exam. And on Friday, DiPietro took part in his first practice with his teammates since March 25. Can he be the difference-maker for the Isles against Buffalo?

The Islanders enter their first round playoff series against the Sabres with the attitude that they have nothing to lose. And given the way their regular season ended, that should come as no surprise to anyone.

Paced by Richard Park's two-goal performance, the Islanders completed a miraculous comeback run to earn a playoff spot. But nothing came easy for the Isles; their fate wasn't decided until they won a nailbiter of a shootout.

The Islanders are still alive in the race for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference as they head into today’s season finale against the Devils at the Meadowlands. In fact, the Isles control their own destiny.

The Islanders still have a pulse in the race for the final playoff spot in the East, and much of it is due to the goaltending of Wade Dubielewicz. Brad Kurtzberg takes a look at Dubie's impact on the Isles in his latest column.

Islanders’ coach Ted Nolan challenged his team after Saturday’s 5-2 home loss the Ottawa Senators, saying they showed a lack of heart and effort. “They [Ottawa] just wanted it more than we did,” Nolan said. “There’s certain parts of this game where the pride factor has to step in."

The New York Islanders finally admitted that not only did their franchise goaltender Rick DiPietro suffer a concussion in the collision with Steve Begin on March 13th, he also was victimized with a second one last Sunday versus the Rangers in the Sean Avery incident.

The Islanders have announced that goalie Rick DiPietro is out “indefinitely” due to post-concussion syndrome. He will not play in tonight’s crucial home game against the Devils and it is not known when the Isles’ franchise goalie will return.

With seven games remaining, the Islanders find themselves in the thick of the race for the playoffs in the NHL’s Eastern Conference. So why does there seem to be so much concern in the Islanders’ locker room these days?

A new book by two prominent hockey historians will be of great interest to Rangers fans. It is called, Game of My Life, New York Rangers: Memorable Stories From Rangers Hockey, and is written by John Halligan and John Kreiser.