On the Islanders Beat

The difference between the Islanders’ 9-4 start and their 4-5-1 record over the past 10 games was the effectiveness of their power play. If you’re looking for answers to the Isles’ recent scoring drought, that’s the place to start.

Through those first 13 games, the power play converted 14 of 59 chances, and the result was that the Islanders scored at least three goals in eight of those games. Over the past 10 games, the Islanders have failed to score more than two goals (not counting their shootout goal against Ottawa) primarily because the power play is 3-for-39 in that stretch, including a goal credited to Miroslav Satan that actually was poked in by Rangers forward Blair Betts in Thursday’s 4-2 loss at Madison Square Garden.

After playing nine games in 15 days, coach Ted Nolan gave all but a few players a day off from skating today while he and his staff looked at ways to fix the power play for Saturday night’s game against Atlanta at the Coliseum.

“We’re going to change it up a little bit, maybe use Miro a little more on the half-wall,” Nolan said. “He’s very intelligent with the puck, and he loves to attack the net.”

Satan had been working on the second unit with Mike Sillinger and Trent Hunter, but he’ll move up to the first unit with Mike Comrie and Ruslan Fedotenko. Nolan plans to put Bill Guerin with Sillinger and Hunter to create a “banging line.”

“We’ve got to get pucks to the net, get traffic and create some opportunities,” Nolan said.

Against the Rangers, Nolan returned to a lineup with seven defenseman because he was uncertain whether Radek Martinek could get through the game after suffering a gash in his left cheek that took 15 stitches to close. “He could barely chew his food on game day,” Nolan said of Martinek. “We were going to scratch him, but he really wanted to play. So, we had extra defense just in case.”

Look for Nolan to stick with seven defensemen against the Thrashers, not only as a precaution against injury, but also because it keeps both Bryan Berard and Marc-Andre Bergeron available to quarterback the power play units.

If the power play gets going, the rest of the offense should follow. “We’re scoring most of our goals even strength,” Guerin said. “Two even strength goals a game is pretty good. If you put in one or two on the power play, that makes a big difference.”

Guerin overstated the numbers a bit. Over the past 10 games, the Isles have scored only 12 goals at even strength (1.2 per game) along with three on the power play, two short-handed goals plus a shootout goal. But you get the idea. The numbers for the first 13 games included 23 even-strength goals (1.8 per game) plus the 14 power-play goals and one shortie. When the power play works, it opens things up.

COMING ATTRACTIONS: More lineup changes are afoot, though not necessarily all for the Atlanta game. Please check out the Islanders story in Saturday’s Newsday.

The long wait is over for Shawn Bates. The groin pull he suffered against Detroit last Jan. 30 turned into a season-ending injury when he pushed to come back in March and suffered an abdominal injury that required surgery and a long rehabilitation process.

But coach Ted Nolan made it official after the morning skate that Bates will be in the lineup at wing on the fourth line with Richard Park and Sean Bergenheim against defending Eastern Conference champion Ottawa tonight at the Coliseum. Bates has been taking a ribbing from teammates about his long vacation, so, he’s fired up and ready to go.

“I’m definitely hungry,” Bates said. “There’s no question about it. I’m going to come in and do what I do, skate, hit and chip in if I can and try to bring in some energy to the game.

“It’s been a long time. My last game was almost 10 months ago to the day. It’s been a battle. Mentally, it’s been frustrating, but it’s nice to be back with the guys and get into a game.”

Nolan said he plans to keep Park at center because he’s the better defender to cover the middle of the ice. He expects to use Bates for 7-10 minutes in the beginning, which will allow him to go back to rolling four lines.

“We have to play four lines in order to compensate for some of the things the other teams have,” Nolan said. “We have to have some energy.”

Bates’ return means one of the seven defensemen Nolan used the past two games will be a healthy scratch tonight. Judging by the fact Bryan Berard met with the coach after the pre-game skate, it appears he’ll get the night off. And Marc-Andre Bergeron will remain in the lineup for a third straight game. But it’s quite possible that could change again when the Islanders visit the Rangers tomorrow night at Madison Square Garden.

With forward Jonathan Sim out for the season with a knee injury, it’s conceivable the return of a veteran like Bates could help the Islanders balance their lines a little better and get an offensive spark. In his three-game conditioning stint with Bridgeport, Bates scored two goals and was a plus-2.

“It was good to go down there,” Bates said. “I played somewhere between 20 and 25 minutes a game. I got to play in every situation, penalty kill, power play, regular shifts. It was good to skate a lot, be around the guys and be in a game atmosphere…It was fun to pop in a couple goals and get on the scoreboard. It’s a different game down there as far as the tempo and the speed and things of that nature.”

Bates admitted to having a case of butterflies before tonight’s game. “I missed 60 games, and that’s close to a year,” Bates said. “It’s going to be fun but weird at the same time getting back into an NHL game.”

When defenseman Radek Martinek’s elbow inadvertently connected to the side of teammate Rick DiPietro’s head with about eight minutes left to play Saturday night against Boston, it was almost as though the Islanders’ goaltender had been hit with a sucker punch. He never saw it coming, and it was obvious when DiPietro wobbled for a moment in front of his net that he was woozy momentarily.

But DiPietro shook it off and hung tough to the end of a 2-1 win that marked the Isles’ eighth straight game scoring two goals or less. The fact that they are 4-4 in those games is a testament to how strong DiPietro has been in net this season, and he’s prepared to make his 16th straight start against Dallas tonight at the Coliseum. It also will mark his 20th start in 21 games this season, and he’s showing no signs of backing off that pace.

Coach Ted Nolan was in a jovial mood at this morning’s pregame skate when asked if DiPietro had been checked out on the team’s day off Sunday. “We double-checked and triple-checked,” Nolan said. “Doctors talked to Ricky, and our medical staff talked to Ricky. We did everything humanly possible to make sure there’s nothing there. He woke up yesterday feeling good, had a nice day off and came here today feeling good. There’s no concern whatsoever.”

The Stars began a five-game trip through the Atlantic Division with a win over the Rangers yesterday that was their fifth straight, and they are 7-1-2 in their past 10 games. So, this should be another in a string of tough, tense games for DiPietro, who seems likely to start against both Ottawa and the Rangers on Wednesday and Thursday. That would mean playing five games in seven days, including last week’s back-to-back against Boston.

It’s a demanding schedule with no apparent openings for backup goaltender Wade Dubielewicz. “We had a good discussion on the ice here today about certain games where we can spot him and put Dubielewicz in,” Nolan said of his talk with DiPietro. “But he’s still raring to go. He’s a special kid. He wants to play, and he’s capable of playing those type of games.

“Last game, he faced two shots in the first period. His style of play this year is really helpful. He’s not going behind the net and playing the puck as much; he’s not chasing the puck to the corner or skating it up to the blue line. He’s much more controlled, and I think he’s conserving his energy and using his hockey ability much more.”

Looking back on last season, DiPietro faced a much heavier workload when you consider the Islanders yielded an average of 32.6 shots on goal per game to rank 26th in the NHL. This season, that figure has dropped dramatically to 26.4 shots per game to rank as the fourth-lowest average in the league.

“We know the type of goaltender we have,” Nolan said, explaining how the Isles began training camp with a plan to emphasize defense and rely on DiPietro. “Ricky can keep us in a lot of games and win us a lot of games as long as we do our part defensively. We keyed on that early. We got guys like Brendan Witt and Andy Sutton, and Chris Campoli and Bruno Gervais are coming on and Radek Martinek is doing well. We have defensive type of defensemen, and our forwards are doing their part.”

DiPietro, Nolan said, also has helped limit opponents' shots by making better decisions when he plays the puck, resulting in fewer giveaways.

Marveling recently at DiPietro’s appetite for work, Dubielewicz laughed and said, “The guy’s a machine.”

Of course, Dubielewicz is the one in danger of accumulating rust, which hurt backup Mike Dunham last season when he came off the bench after 41 days without action before DiPietro suffered his first concussion. Asked if he must consider sending Dubielewicz to Bridgeport for a conditioning assignment, Nolan said, “There’s got to be some discussion of that very shortly.”

There were no new faces in the Islanders dressing room at IceWorks this morning, no callups from Bridgeport, unless you want to count Shawn Bates, back from his conditioning stint. But the whole team was there for a meeting, which is unusual for a game-day morning after a game the previous day.

Coach Ted Nolan brought everyone in to get them focused and revved for the game tonight. He said he was reassuring in the brief meeting that preceded an optional skate. "We don't give up on people," he said later in his small dressing room, just off the rink.

He was not happy with the way the Islanders played in their 2-1 loss at Boston yesterday afternoon, coming off a 4-1 loss to the Canadiens at home Wednesday night. Nolan and his assistants are especially honed in on the power play, which failed to produce even one shot during a 5-on-3 advantage Friday.

So don't be surprised if we see some different people on it when the Bruins visit the Coliseum tonight. You might see more of Miroslav Satan and Josef Vasicek. You might see some variety at the point. Nolan said he might dress seven defensemen, which presumedly would allow Marc-Andre Bergeron some playing time on the power play, or at least on regular shifts if Nolan wants to save Bryan Berard for extra-man situations. Bergeron said he had not been told anything one way or another.

He agreed that the meeting was an upbeat one. "It's no time to panic," Bergeron said. "You're going to have ups and downs."

Bates worked out hard and was one of the last players off the ice, so he does not expect to play tonight. But, having played more than 20 minutes for Bridgeport Friday and having scored a goal, he says his conditioning is good and he is looking forward to testing himself in an NHL game.

It has been a difficult and, in many ways, frustrating time for defenseman Freddy Meyer IV since he was placed on waivers Oct. 8 and claimed by Phoenix, sent down to San Antonio in the AHL and then reclaimed on waivers by the Islanders on Nov. 10. The pay is good, but spending games in the press box as an insurance policy against injuries on defense has been anything but glamorous for Meyer.

Despite not dressing for a game since his return, Meyer has good reason to be thankful today even though he didn’t get to spend Thanksgiving with his family because the Islanders had an 11 a.m. practice followed by a 6 p.m. flight to Boston for their game tomorrow afternoon. After all, it could have been worse.

Thanks to the decision by Isles general manager Garth Snow to pick Meyer up on re-entry waivers, he has been able to spend more time with his wife, Lindsey, and their first child, a son who was born on Oct. 16 in the middle of Meyer’s travels between teams. What did the Meyers name their son? Frederick V, of course, in the family tradition.

“Yeah, it’s something I’m pretty proud of,” Meyer said. “Obviously, the second and the third are my grandfather and father. My father’s still alive, but my grandfather is no longer with us. But they’re two great men, and I figured I’d carry on the tradition. I’m proud I could name him the fifth, and hopefully, he carries it on.”

Wife and baby both are healthy and doing fine, and since Meyer’s family still lives near his wife’s parents in central New Jersey outside of Philadelphia, she has had plenty of help while he's away. “I did get back in time to see my son be born,” Meyer said. “It was a great experience.”

But the life of a player fighting to hang on in the NHL hasn’t been easy. Right now, the Islanders are carrying 22 players on their roster, including extra defensemen Meyer and Marc-Andre Bergeron. Only an injury to Aaron Johnson, who likely will go to Bridgeport when he’s healthy in January, cleared a spot to bring Meyer back.

“It was an interesting month to say the least,” Meyer said of his time away from the Islanders. “I’ve never experienced anything like that before, but I’ve come to learn it’s part of this business. I’m not the first guy to get bounced around to a few teams in a short period of time. You’ve just got to take it in stride.

“It made things a little hard on my wife. I was out west and had to come back east for a day or so for the birth and then fly back out west. I’m just trying to take it one day at a time, work hard and see what happens.

“I’ve been living out of my suitcase in hotels for the past month and a half. I had five games in Phoenix. Then, I cleared waivers and was sent down to San Antonio and played eight or nine games down there. It’s what it is. My goal is to play in the NHL, not the AHL. I’m here to work hard and try to get in the lineup.”

When Meyer was placed on waivers by the Islanders, he left on good terms with Snow and coach Ted Nolan. Still, it was a surprise when they claimed him after the Coyotes tried to recall him. “That morning, I had a 6 a.m. flight from San Antonio to Phoenix, and I was hanging out at the airport for a few hours to the 12 o’clock waiver deadline. Phoenix was in San Jose, and I had a connecting flight after the deadline. I wasn’t sure what was going to happen.

“I got the phone call from my agent that I was heading back east. I spoke to Snowy while I was at the airport, and he said, ‘Welcome home.’ It’s been good.”

Since being reclaimed, Meyer was able to get home to visit his wife and son the past two weekends. He’s still living in a hotel near the Coliseum but hopes to settle into a rental property in the area soon.

“It would be nice to be in a place where you can go to the refrigerator and get out something to make a sandwich,” Meyer said with a laugh. “I’m looking forward to that.”

Written off as also-rans at the beginning of the season, the Islanders once again are beginning to attract attention around the NHL. As the only traveling beat writer covering the Isles, my handy barometer for measuring such things is the number of radio interview requests I receive from outlets based in Canada.

Got two in the past few days from the “Hardcore Hockey” show based in Toronto and aired on Sirius XM Satellite Radio and from Team 990 radio today in Montreal hosted by P.J. Stock, the feisty former player. In both cases, the first question was the same: “Do you think the Islanders are for real as a playoff contender?”

With all the upheaval during the offseason, you can understand the skepticism. Even though I saw enough during the preseason to pick them to finish seventh in the Eastern Conference, defense was a concern because of the loss of Sean Hill, a player I felt made a big difference last season with his toughness and locker-room presence.

But coach Ted Nolan said in camp that he planned to surround goaltender Rick DiPietro with a responsible defense, and he has done that. Last season, it didn’t seem things were in place until the Isles got hot in February, but their 5-2 record over the past run of seven straight one-goal decisions combined with DiPietro’s heady play shows they truly are becoming a team that, not only is tough to play against, but a team that can handle pressure at the end of games.

Approaching the quarter pole of this season with an 11-6 record going into tonight’s game against the Canadiens at the Coliseum. That is only three points better than the 8-6-3 record they had at the same stage a year ago, but it’s a good sign they are finishing off wins instead of settling for one point in overtime games. And 6-5 Andy Sutton, the free agent defenseman signed to replace Hill, has begun asserting himself on the ice and in the locker room.

It was telling when Chris Simon recently mentioned that Sutton has begun to step up as one of the vocal leaders in the locker room. When Nolan was talking to TV commentator Bill Clement recently in Philadelphia, he mentioned a hit Sutton delivered to the Devils’ Arron Asham on Nov. 10 that left the former Isle cursing and vowing vengeance even as he made his way back to the bench on rubbery legs.

Sutton was at it again the other night in the Garden. Yes, he took a bad penalty in the final two minutes to give the Rangers a six-on-four power play after they pulled the goaltender, but he lowered the boom on Sean Avery and several other Rangers. It took a while for Sutton to get comfortable in Nolan’s system after playing a style in Atlanta that called for him to sit back and basically cover just the left side of the ice. Now, he stays high if the puck comes down his side and challenges the opposing centerman if the pass goes to the middle. That’s where the Islanders are causing turnovers.

The beauty of that system, Sutton explained this morning, is that it frees him up to be more physical. “I love it because I love getting open-ice hits,” Sutton said with a smile. “And I’m coming back with speed to hit guys in the corners.”

Sutton’s physical play complements that of Brendan Witt, who really does deserve All-Star consideration this season as my Daily News cohort Peter Botte observed recently. Now, if the power play improves and Mike Sillinger and Trent Hunter start to score the way they did last season, the Islanders are going to be a tough out for everyone they play. At least, everyone this side of Ottawa in the Eastern Conference.

Before this season began, coach Ted Nolan called veteran forward Richard Park the Islanders’ most underrated player because he fills whatever role he’s called upon to play with energy and a smile. Fourth-line center and penalty-killer is the role Park usually plays, but Park also has jumped in as left wing on the second line with Josef Vasicek and Miro Satan and as right wing on the third line with Mike Sillinger and Andy Hilbert when Bill Guerin was injured.

Friday night in New Jersey, Nolan didn’t like what he saw from Sean Bergenheim, who normally plays left wing with Vasicek and Satan and has been effective chasing down the puck and creating space with his physical play. So, Nolan tossed Park into the mix to get that line on the right track.

Explaining the move yesterday after practice, Nolan said, “Richard was playing well, and Bergenheim didn’t have a great game. One shift, he was running all over. He was in the left corner, the right corner, the top left hand slot, the right hand slot all on one shift. Young kids once in a while get caught up on the emotion side, and he was a little bit off his game. Richard jumped in.”

In recent games, Bergenheim, Vasicek and Satan have formed the Isles’ most effective offensive combination, and they at least will start out together against the Rangers tonight at Madison Square Garden. Asked if he’s generally happy with Bergenheim’s play, Nolan said, “Oh, no question. You love his enthusiasm and energy, but energy without thought is not very good sometimes.”

Having seen Park provide a spark for whatever line he’s on with his speed and his smarts, the next logical step seems obvious. Now that Guerin has returned from his eye injury and is back playing on the top line with Mike Comrie and Ruslan Fedotenko, why not use Park in place of the scoreless Hilbert at left wing with Sillinger and Trent Hunter?

Hilbert, who usually teams with Park on the PK, still could play that role if he dropped to the fourth line with left wing Chris Simon, and the Isles could call up Ben Walter again to play fourth-line center, which he did well earlier this season. Sillinger, Hunter and Hilbert were the Isles’ most consistent line last season, checking the opponents’ top lines and producing offensively even though Hilbert didn’t get his first point until the 22nd game and his first goal until the 25th game.

But this season, Hilbert’s snakebitten presence in front of the net seems to have slowed down his linemates, as well. Why not give Park a shot with Sillinger and Hunter? They would be as good defensively, if not better, and even though Park has only one goal, his six assists show he has been more of an offensive catalyst.

Nolan acknowledged he has considered subbing Park for Hilbert, but he added, “Andy Hilbert seemed to get a little bit better last game. One thing we never want to do is give up on people. You let them ride through it, and you show confidence in them.

“Hopefully, Andy will get his game going and play the way he’s capable of playing. We don’t expect him to score hat tricks for us, but we expect him to play sound defensively, be a force on the forecheck for us and create opportunities for his linemates, which he’s done very successfully so far.”

Nolan explained that he likes Park’s experience at center on the fourth line, and by keeping him there instead of calling up Walter, it allows the Isles to add a little more size with Tim Jackman at right wing. Still, the Islanders’ offense hasn’t been lighting up the scoreboard lately and needs more points from the third line.

If Jonathan Sim hadn’t been lost for the season with a knee injury, he would have provided offensive energy on the third line, and Hilbert would have been on the fourth line anyway. Shawn Bates just began a conditioning stint in Bridgeport and scored a goal in his first game. When he’s ready to return, maybe Bates can provide a veteran presence as fourth-line center with Simon and Hilbert and allow Park the chance to move up to third line and see if he can give it a jump start on offense.

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In hockey, the quarterback is a special teams player, but it’s no different than football in the sense that you need a good quarterback to win. Bryan Berard, quarterback of the Islanders’ power play, returns tonight against Pittsburgh at Mellon Arena after missing the past six games with a strained groin, and not a moment too soon.

Over the past five games without Berard running the show, the Isles have gone 2-21 on power plays and gave up the short-handed goal that beat them Monday in Philadelphia. In the five games Berard played before getting hurt, they were 7-for-27 with the man advantage with goals in four of those five games.

Following their 3-2 loss to the Flyers, alternate captain Mike Sillinger was vocal about the need for the Isles to establish the point shot rather than spending so much time passing around the perimeter. Berard said that’s easier said than done, but his experience should help in a game where the Isles need all the goals they can get against the offense-oriented Penguins.

Berard and Chris Campoli will man the points on the top PP with Marc-Andre Bergeron going to the press box as a healthy scratch. “I’m going to try to get my shots tonight,” Berard said. “Me and Campoli will be up there. I’m going to try to use him a little bit, use him quick. I told him, ‘Don’t be shy to shoot the puck.’ Hopefully, Billy [Guerin] and [Ruslan] Fedotenko will do a good job down low.”

Philadelphia’s penalty killing unit did a tremendous job of pressuring the points on the Isles’ power play, finally forcing the turnover that led to Mike Richards’ short-handed winner. Asked how to handle that pressure, Berard said, “It’s tough because some teams will play high and forwards and defensemen do a great job now of blocking shots and getting in the shooting lanes. Our job is to get it by that first forward that gets in the way. Sometimes, maybe you have to shoot it off to the side of the net and look for sticks.

“It’s tougher than it looks back there. I know sometimes when I struggle or think too much, I get my shots blocked instead of making those first couple of quick steps and getting down in that goal zone out there where rebounds and tips happen.”

In general, Berard wants to get to the middle of the ice to get the four-man penalty killing unit scrambling and open up his passing options as well as the shot down the middle. But first he has to beat his defender and then be decisive about shooting or passing to the open man.

“Once you get that box running around, that’s when you’re going to get the puck in the net,” Berard said. “You don’t necessarily always have to get to the middle, but if you can beat your guy with a couple steps or a pass from ‘D’ to ‘D’ and then get a shot on net, that’s when their breakdowns will happen and we can get an outnumbered situation in front of the net and score some goals.

“If the forward does a good job of following you, you can go backdoor, or you can go back to Mike Comrie on the sidewall and kind of start over. If you beat your guys with a pass, Comrie can jump and take it to the net, or it goes down to Fedotenko or Trent Hunter or whoever is down there and they try to jam the net. There’s a lot of little plays we’ve worked on the last two days that we’ve got to get back to doing.”

GAME NOTES: The Pens are honoring another great power play QB tonight, Paul Coffey, by inducting him into their Hall of Fame…Captain Bill Guerin is set to return tonight after missing the Philadelphia game to recover from his eye injury. Joking about the stitches above his right eye and the bruise underneath, Guerin said, “I feel good, but I don’t look that good. But that’s never the case.”…Center Shawn Bates, who has been out since January, has been assigned to Bridgeport for conditioning...TV play-by-play announcer Howie Rose missed the Flyers game and will sit out the next two after being called away by a death in the family. He will be replaced for the next two games by former Isles broadcasting great Jiggs McDonald.

Islanders coach Ted Nolan and goaltender Rick DiPietro are no different than their fellow Long Island residents. They’re waiting anxiously for the day when the suburban starter home they bought into can be transformed into their dream showcase.

But in their case, the fixer-upper is Nassau Coliseum, and the architects for their home improvement project are Islanders owner Charles Wang and his real estate partner Scott Rechler, who filed their plans for renovating the Coliseum late Tuesday with the Town of Hempstead.

Wang and Rechler plan to invest $300 million into the Coliseum and a new sports complex as part of their $2 billion Lighthouse Project to develop the surrounding 77-acre parcel by building two high-rise towers housing a hotel and condominiums, a convention and exposition center and a grand canal lined by restaurants, complimentary retail outlets and loft-style housing units. Their plans also call for additional office buildings, a larger neighborhood condo and townhouse development, underground parking and a minor-league baseball park all tied together by trolley-style buses to move people from the far reaches of the site and from parking areas at nearby RexCorp Plaza, Hofstra University and Nassau Community College.

“A facility like Charles is attempting to build is fabulous,” said Nolan, who is in the second year of a three-year contract but hopes to remain with the Islanders and continue his efforts to revive the tradition of a four-time Stanley Cup franchise. “It’s something special for the fans here who went through good years and bad years and who see the team is starting to come back.

“I’ve seen videotapes and presentations of it. Even if it’s half of what I’ve seen on video, it’s going to be something spectacular.”

DiPietro, who has put down roots on Long Island and last year signed a landmark 15-year contract to serve as the face of the franchise, also has reviewed plans for the project. “It’s going to be beautiful,” he said. “It’s going to be a place where people want to come and watch hockey games. Not only that, but it’s going to be a meeting place for a lot of people. I think it’s going to bring a lot of business and a lot of attention to that area.”

The 26-year-old goaltender appreciates the varied social outlets Long Island has to offer, but he also understands what having a hub area could mean to all Island residents. “Living on Long Island, there’s a lot of little towns we like to go to,” DiPietro said of the Islanders. “We sneak into Huntington and other places, but this is going to be a great spot. There will be a bunch of restaurants and the hotels. It’s definitely going to be a place where people can go, not only to watch a sporting event, but to have dinner and socialize.”

When the Islanders were in the process of winning four straight Cups from 1980-83, the Coliseum was packed for every game. But the franchise went through a series of ownership changes in the ’90s and some lean times on the ice that saw them lose much of their fan base. Since Wang bought the team in 2000, the Isles have made the playoffs four of the past five seasons, but the lockout interrupted that stretch by canceling the 2004-05 season and the fight to rebuild attendance in a suburban market lacking large corporate support has been tough going.

Nolan’s enthusiasm and ability to motivate players started a turnaround last season, and he’s a believer that Long Island sells itself as a place to live. But he said a top-of-the-line playing facility together with a sports complex that will house four NHL-size sheets of ice and a fitness and sports technology center as well as two NBA-size basketball courts only will help with the recruitment of future free agents.

“We don’t take a backseat to anybody in the league as far as location, scenery and a place to live,” Nolan said. “If you get a facility to match that, recruiting becomes a lot easier, especially with some of the things Charles is putting into this facility like a state-of-the-art training facility and medical facility. It’s going to be something to behold.”

Wang’s presence has stabilized the franchise and probably prevented the Islanders from moving, but he has suffered losses of $15 million to $20 million each season as owner. If the heart of the Lighthouse Project, including the renovated arena fails to receive approval from the Town of Hempstead, old questions about the future of the franchise on Long Island will rise again.

“If you don’t get a modern facility, there could be a worry to it,” Nolan said reluctantly. “I’d feel for the Long Island community here. The Islanders is a powerful name, and people have stuck with it through thick and thin.

“I’m one of those guys who sees the glass half-full. Charles just has to take it another step further to get this Lighthouse Project completed, and the politicians have to get behind it and know what this type of facility does for the community. We know sports franchises can rally cities, plus you create more jobs and more vibrance. I think it’s going to happen.”

DiPietro cited the dramatic 34 percent surge in attendance so far this season as evidence that the Islanders are making progress rebuilding their fan base. “People are excited,” the goaltender said. “But when you build a new building, people are interested to see what it’s like, and it’s going to have a lot more to offer as far as fun things for the kids to do. Every time you go to a game, it’s going to be like an event. There’s going to be a lot more to do than just watch a hockey game. I think it’s going to be a huge draw for people new to the sport.”

As far as Mike Sillinger was concerned, the giveaway and the breakaway that led to Philadelphia’s first two goals in a 3-2 win last night at Wachovia Center didn’t matter so much. The Flyers are a good team that crashes the net, and they’re going to get their share of goals. For Sillinger, the reason the Islanders aren’t in first place in the Atlantic Division this morning boiled down to the ineptitude of a power play that went 0-for-4 and gave up Mike Richards’ gamewinner on a short-handed goal early in the third period.

Philadelphia doesn’t actually have the best penalty-killing unit in the NHL as Sillinger asserted, but the Flyers have been strong in that area lately, killing 29 of their past 31 short-handed situations, and Richards now leads the league with three short-handed goals. What happened at the end, when Josef Vasicek lost control of a puck near the blue line and Marc-Andre Bergeron failed to control the right point, bordered on the inevitable in Sillinger’s view.

“The one mistake was on our power play,” Sillinger said. “We know the Flyers come up. We talked about it before the game. We said they test you, they want to go on the offense, and they’re aggressive. When you have an aggressive penalty kill, the only way to beat it is to establish a point shot and go to the net. When you establish the point shot, wherever the rebounds go, that’s when you catch them out of position, and we did not get one rebound tonight.”

Defenseman Chris Campoli was the only Islander back to defend against the Flyers’ two-on-one rush, and he made the right move by allowing Richards to shoot coming down the left wing. Goaltender Rick DiPietro went down to stop the initial shot, but Campoli also went down, leaving no one to tie up Richards in front to prevent him from getting to the rebound.

“I just played a two-on-one,” said Campoli, who has played well enough at both ends lately to earn the praise of coach Ted Nolan as having the potential to become a “top-end” puck mover. “I didn’t want the pass to get across, and that’s why I went down. He shot it. I stuck my stick out. I was getting up, and the puck bounced right back to him. He had another whack. I didn’t even see the puck, to be honest with you. It’s unfortunate. It was a mistake, and they capitalized on it. It’s a lesson to be learned for our team.”

In general, the Islanders played a solid defensive game, yielding only 17 shots on goal to the Flyers. But Richards’ game-ending rush wasn’t the only one the Flyers got against an Isles power play that got too cute with the puck, often making touch passes that were easily picked off in traffic in front of the net.

“We gave up too many odd-man rushes on power plays,” DiPietro said, “and it ended up costing us.”

The Islanders had one last power play at 15:54 in the third period and a chance to tie the game for the third time, but they failed to get even one shot on Flyers goaltender Martin Biron.

“The way you work it, is you keep it simple,” said Sillinger, who delivered that message to his teammates loudly after the game. “You get the puck back, and you shoot the puck. It’s the forwards’ job to get to the net. If we’re not getting that point shot, you have to establish it. Once you establish it, I don’t care what penalty kill you play against in the league, that’s when they start running around. The reason they were effective is because we moved the puck around and let them stay in place. It’s pretty simple.”

The answer to the problem seems fairly simple, too. Defenseman Bryan Berard, who has been successful quarterbacking the power play this season, is just about ready to come off the injury list for Thursday night's game in Pittsburgh. “If he’s cleared, he’ll be back in,” Nolan said. “We need a power play guy.” Bergeron was that guy at the end of last season, but his struggles this season have been costly and seem likely to result in a return to the press box as a healthy scratch.

Captain Bill Guerin did not accompany the Islanders to Philadelphia for their game against the Atlantic Division-leading Flyers tonight at Wachovia Center. Guerin was hit in the eye by a puck in Saturday’s home win over the Devils and is suffering from a condition known as hyphema, which is bleeding in the anterior chamber of the eye.

When Guerin was hit by the puck, it caused a blood vessel to burst and essentially turned the eye red and made it difficult to see when he took two brief shifts at the start of the third period. The Islanders described Guerin’s condition as day-to-day while he waits for the swelling around the eye to subside and for his vision to clear.

The good news is that the swelling has receded faster than expected. It’s possible Guerin might be able to play Thursday in Pittsburgh, but Isles coach Ted Nolan sounded cautious. Another hit to the same area could cause a recurrence of bleeding into the eye.

“It’s one of those things that has to take a few more days to settle down,” Nolan said. “There’s no concussion issue, just more of an eye injury where we have to wait for things to settle down. It’s day-to-day, not long-term.”

Fortunately for the Islanders, the timing of Guerin’s injury was good in the sense that forward Sean Bergenheim (shoulder, finger) was set to come off the injured list. Bergenheim will return to his regular spot at left wing on the second line with center Josef Vasicek and right wing Miro Satan. Forward Richard Park, who was subbing for Bergenheim, will shift to Guerin’s spot at right wing on the third line with center Mike Sillinger and left wing Andy Hilbert.

“Bergenheim is ready to go,” Nolan said. “His hands were a little rusty this morning, but that’s to be expected. I’d rather have some rusty hands than a rusty attitude. One thing about him is that he’s full of energy and he should add a little spark to us.”

The fourth line will remain the same as it was against the Devils with Ben Walter centering rugged wingers Chris Simon and Tim Jackman. Asked if he’d like to see that crew set a physical tone against Philadelphia, Nolan emphasized the need to play as smart as the Isles did against the Devils when they were not called for a single penalty.

“We want to play physical, but you don’t want to play ‘goony,’” Nolan said. “That’s two different things. We’d like to have an attack, and those three guys are energy guys we want to get on top of the puck and create some kind of body contact and create some opportunities and tire the other team’s defense. Hopefully, they can do that for us.”

Defenseman Freddy Meyer, who was picked up on waivers by Phoenix when the Islanders tried to assign him to Bridgeport earlier this season, was reclaimed by the Isles today on re-entry waivers. General manager Garth Snow cited the loss of defenseman Aaron Johnson for two months because of a sprained right knee as the reason for bringing Meyer back.

“We got the bad news on Aaron Johnson that he’ll be gone for a minimum of eight weeks,” Snow said this afternoon. “Bryan Berard could be back in a week, but with two injuries on defense, we didn’t think we were in a good enough position depth-wise. Getting Freddy back, we know the player, and we know the person. We were fortunate that the timing worked out that he was on re-entry waivers.”

The Islanders originally lost Meyer because he’s on a one-way contract and was subject to claim by another team when they tried to send him to the AHL. Meyer played five games for Phoenix, but the Coyotes sent him down to their AHL affiliate in San Antonio. When they tried to recall him, Meyer was subject to re-entry waivers because he makes more than $100,000.

Claiming Meyer on re-entry waivers actually is a bargain for the Islanders because they only are obligated to pay half of his remaining salary this season, which amounts to $190,000. Meyer won’t be available for tonight’s game against the Devils at Nassau Coliseum, but he should rejoin the team in time for its next game Monday in Philadelphia. Whether he steps into the lineup or not is another question.

When Berard is ready, he’s likely to go straight into the active lineup, and it will be up to coach Ted Nolan to decide whether to go with seven defensemen or scratch one, such as he did earlier with Marc-Andre Bergeron. For now, the acquisition of Meyer looks like insurance against more injuries.

Asked if he might be stockpiling defensemen for a future trade, Snow said that’s not the case. “No,” the general manager said, “we’re just worried about being too thin on defense. We found out last year you can’t have enough defensemen.”

Bryan Berard, Sean Bergenheim and Shawn Bates all practiced today--and it was a good practice overall, coach Ted Nolan said after having had one that wasn't as sharp yesterday--but none of the three is expected to face the Devils tomorrow night. Nolan said all of the three injured players need a bit more time to get in game shape.

Coming off three wins and five wins in six games, why mess with something that's working?

The Devils game will be Military Night, with members of the 106th Rescue wing of the Air National Guard swooping in from the rafters to drop the first puck. Sgt. Jennifer Castle, a Long Island teacher and member of the New York National Guard will sing the national anthem.

A good crowd is expected, which is not something, surprisingly, the Devils always can say about their home games. Despite being in only their first month at the eye-catching Prudential Center in Newark, the team has had about 3,000 short of capacity in recent games. Maybe that is a function of the rise in ticket prices, maybe it's going to take a while for people to get used to going to Newark, maybe it's never going to be packed. In any case, it's interesting.

Newsday's Elizabeth Moore reported today that plans for the refurbished Nassau Coliseum as well as the commercial, entertainment and residential hub around it are expected to be filed with the Town of Hempstead next week.

Anyway, back to practice, Nolan said that the schedule has the team playing more games in shorter time frames and that the players are getting geared up for that. "They want to play" he said (as opposed to practicing so much). An added treat today: chocolate cake in the dressing room in honor of Bill Guerin's 37th birthday. Somehow, Guerin wound up wearing a chunk of it.

After three straight wins, Islanders coach Ted Nolan might feel he can afford to take a cautious approach regarding the timetable for the return of injured defenseman Bryan Berard and forward Sean Bergenheim, both of whom practiced today. Before the Rangers game on Monday, both players said they were hoping to rejoin the lineup against the Devils Saturday night at the Coliseum, but Nolan doesn’t want to push them.

Berard suffered a pulled groin against the Devils on Oct. 20 but has been skating on his own recently and worked with the full team at the pregame skate on Tuesday. But Nolan excused him from the last half of practice today, saying, “We’re going to slowly bring him back. With a groin pull, you don’t want to bring him back too early.”

Bergenheim went through the full practice, but Nolan said his sore shoulder is “still tender.” Shawn Bates, who last played on Jan. 31, is making progress in his rehab after abdominal surgery in March. “Bates is coming along fine,” Nolan said. “We might talk about a conditioning stint in Bridgeport, considering he hasn’t played in months.”

Considering the Islanders have won five of their past six games, Nolan might be reluctant to shake up the roster right now. If Berard comes back, a defenseman has to be scratched, which could mean a return to the press box for Marc-Andre Bergeron. If Bergenheim is inserted into the lineup, then, Richard Park, who has been playing left wing with Josef Vasicek and Miro Satan, and Ben Walter, who has done a good job as fourth-line center in place of Park, could be affected.

“When I come back, it’s going to be a totally new situation,” Bergenheim said recently. “Richard has been playing well on that line. My goal is to play myself into that role again. We’ll see how it goes. It’s not up to me. It’s all up to the coaches.”

In addition to his shoulder problem, Bergenheim also suffered a finger injury when he was slashed. “There’s no point at this time of the season to play hurt,” he said. “We figured we’d give it one more week to get my body 100 percent again. Now, it feels much better, so, I’m pretty confident. I would say Saturday is pretty realistic to come back.”

The Devils game is the one Berard was targeting, too. “I’d say I’m 90-95 percent pain-free,” Berard said on Tuesday.

That might not be good enough for Nolan who wants to make sure his players are 100 percent ready to play at this early stage of the season.

SNEAK PREVIEW: Check out Newsday tomorrow for Mark Herrmann's interview with Islanders owner Charles Wang about his thoughts on their hot start this season.

From the moment he became coach of the Islanders, Ted Nolan has been preaching the importance of restoring the tradition of a franchise that reigned as a true NHL dynasty by winning four straight Stanley Cups from 1980-83. He’s not the first to sound that theme, but he might be the first who truly means it.

If I had a dollar for every time Nolan spoke last season about reconnecting with the fans and reviving the excitement that once made Nassau Coliseum the place to be, I could afford a couple of tickets in the lower bowl. As every Islanders fan knows, attendance, the condition of the Coliseum and the high cost of living on Long Island have been major issues for a franchise that struggled through some ill-fated ownership changes before Charles Wang stepped in.

The first step for Nolan, of course, was to establish the mold for the kind of hard-working team with a mixture of toughness and skill that he believed Islanders fans would find entertaining. No one enjoyed it more than Nolan every time the Isles beat the Rangers or Devils or Penguins in front of a loud capacity crowd at the Coliseum last season. But Nolan and general manager Garth Snow wanted to build on that and also to begin to send a message to players around the league that the Islanders are serious about winning again.

So, when Nolan came up with the idea of bringing Al Arbour back to coach his 1,500th game with the Islanders, it seemed like a good way to reinforce the connections between the franchise, the fans and the players, past and present. Thanks to the fairy-tale finish provided by Miro Satan’s two third-period goals to beat the Penguins, the whole production came together better than anyone could have imagined.

“I thought people would come for sure, but I underestimated the love the fans still have for Al Arbour,” Nolan said when the Isles returned to work on Monday. “It’s truly something you hope for and wish for, and then all of a sudden, you see it. I mean, a night like that, not too many teams could do what hockey does once in awhile by bringing back a legend like that as part of a real game. This wasn’t an exhibition or a lot of fanfare before the game. It was a real game.”

Near the end, the fans were chanting “740” in recognition of the additional Islanders victory that will be credited to Arbour. The effect was spine-tingling for fans of a franchise that has had too little to celebrate on the ice in recent years. “It was truly one of those special occasions I’ll never forget,” Nolan said. “That was an indication of the way they feel toward Al Arbour.”

To some, the notion of 75-year-old Al Arbour coaching might have seemed gimmicky, but the Islanders pitted him against Sidney Crosby, the best hockey player in the world, in a game that figured to be close to a sellout anyway. Years ago, I recall covering Gordie Howe when he scored 15 goals during the 1979-80 season when he turned 52 years old with the Hartford Whalers in their first season in the NHL.

That was real, and so was this. If Arbour began hesitantly because he was mindful of stepping on the toes of the coaching staff, he became more decisive as the game wore on and the feeling of being behind the bench again came back to him. Arbour didn’t forget how to coach. He was just out of practice.

And if anyone thinks the Islanders weren’t trying to win for Arbour, well, they weren’t paying attention. In many ways, it was the current players who might have benefited the most from this so-called “gimmick.” For one night, they got a sense of what it must have been like to play for one of Arbour’s teams when the Islanders ruled the NHL.

It was a taste of what life as an Islander could be like again if they buy into the vision of a true believer like Nolan. As he explained his idea of rekindling the connection with the Islanders’ elders, you could hear the echoes of Nolan’s First Nations heritage ringing clear in his mind.

“One thing you have to learn is respect for the people who broke the trail before you,” Nolan said. “They’re the ones who had to go through a lot of things for us to be where we are now. To respect the players and what they did for this organization a long time ago, I think it’s way, way overdue.

“It feels good for our players. They had tears in their eyes just like the fans. It’s nice to see Clark Gillies hop on the ice with Al Arbour and Bryan Trottier and Mike Bossy. We’ve got to get a few more of them back here, but it’s a great honor for us to have them around.”

Islanders goaltender Rick DiPietro said everything felt good in the morning skate today at the Coliseum before the second game of the year against the Rangers, and that was all coach Ted Nolan needed to hear. “He looks ready to go to me,” Nolan said, “so, he’ll go tonight.”

DiPietro’s status was in doubt after a stick to the right eye from Pittsburgh’s Sidney Crosby on Saturday night, but the blurred vision he experienced in the immediate aftermath of that incident has cleared up. So, it came as no surprise that DiPietro was primed for what should be a battle of the goaltenders against the Rangers’ Henrik Lundqvist, who pitched a shutout against Philadelphia last night at Madison Square Garden.

“The only consideration was for the safety and well-being of Ricky,” Nolan said. “Anytime you go near the eye, that’s a pretty serious thing. We’ll count our lucky stars it wasn’t more serious than it was. Whether it was the Rangers or anybody else, Ricky’s health is more important than anything.”

Although DiPietro said he might consider an equipment change to protect against another stick getting under his mask the way Crosby’s did, a face shield or closer bars on the cage might be impractical for a goaltender. Defenseman Bryan Berard, who lost most of the vision in his right eye because of a blow from a stick, expressed some skepticism about potential remedies.

“He was talking about it, but a visor definitely distorts your vision a little bit,” Berard said. “Then, with the fog and the scratches, I think it would be a tough thing to [put a visor] in his eyeholes. If you squeeze the bars, they’re in your line of vision, too.”

The best thing might just be for the Islanders to keep their fingers crossed that it doesn’t happen again. After all, DiPietro said it was the first time in all his years playing hockey that a stickblade ever got inside his mask.

“I think the odds of that happening again,” Berard said, “are a tough possibility.”

GAME NOTES: Forward Tim Jackman was called up from Bridgeport to replace Aaron Johnson, who is out six weeks with a sprained right knee. Jackman will be at right wing with fourth-line center Ben Walter and left wing Chris Simon. Jackman also skated on Walter’s line with the Sound Tigers…Berard skated with the rest of the team today for the first time since going on the injured list with a pulled hamstring, and forward Sean Bergenheim (shoulder, finger) also put in a good workout. Both players are shooting for a return against the Devils Saturday, but Nolan said he might exercise some caution with Bergenheim because there’s no point in risking further injury to a young player so early in the season.

BLOG NOTE: For what it's worth, I'm planning to post a blog later this afternoon sharing my view of the significance of Al Arbour night.

A nasty abrasion remains at the corner of Rick DiPietro’s right eye courtesy of Sidney Crosby’s inadvertent stick to the face Saturday night, but the Islanders’ franchise goaltender was cleared to practice today and was pleased with the way he performed. The best sign about his readiness to go against the Rangers Tuesday night at the Coliseum might have been the way he rolled around on the ice and clowned with teammates. It was Ricky being Ricky, which is always a good thing.

As per usual, coach Ted Nolan declined to pronounce DiPietro the starter a day ahead of time, saying that decision will come after the morning skate tomorrow. But when asked if there is any consideration of giving DiPietro a full week off between games, which would mean a return Saturday against the Devils, Nolan scoffed, “Oh, no.”

DiPietro admitted his vision was blurred for awhile after being hit, but the relief was that, when he opened his eye after the incident, he still could see. Caution with such an injury might be the better part of valor, but considering the opponent, it appears there is a good chance DiPietro will be in net against the Rangers unless he experiences any difficulties in the morning skate.

The status of fourth-line winger/defenseman Aaron Johnson is another matter. Johnson suffered a sprained right knee in a practice collision with Brendan Witt and will be out for six weeks. Nolan declined to say who might be called up to replace Johnson, but Tim Jackman might have earned a promotion with seven points in 10 games in addition to the toughness necessary for a Rangers battle.

Much thanks to Mark Herrmann and John Jeansonne for doing such a great job covering the Islanders during my two-week absence. I’ll have to earn my way back into the lineup.

The Islanders have the day off today, in more ways than one. They aren't practicing and they aren't sending Rick DiPietro back to the doctor. A team official saw it as positive news Saturday that DiPietro's eye injury did not require an immediate follow-up, but that, instead, he goes back for another examination tomorrow. That will determine whether he can play against the Rangers at the Coliseum Tuesday.

Long-time hockey watchers at the Coliseum Saturday could recall seeing a goalie wearing a mask getting struck in the eye, as DiPietro was by Sidney Crosby's high stick last night. Just a freakish injury, which left him with cuts, a bruise and, according to the team, no serious damage in the eye.

The offday allows a chance to reflect on the Al Arbour coaching appearance. A few thoughts:

Arbour himself said he agreed to do it because it would be a lift for his former players, who have felt out of the loop with the Islanders for a few years. Whether that is justified or not, that is what some of them have said privately. They have felt as if they were trotted out as crowd-pleasing props, then sent on their way. Again, without working inside the organization, there is no way to tell who was at fault (the alumni have their opinions on that) or if there was a fault, but those feelings were there. Charles Wang obviously recognizes this and has done a lot to combat it, hiring Mike Bossy and Bryan Trottier and holding the Arbour night.

The voice behind the bench was not vintage Arbour, for the first five minutes. He was probably as nervous as he ever has been back there, by his own admission. Ted Nolan mentioned that for the first few shifts, when Arbour called for the next line, it came out like a whisper. But down the stretch in the third period, said a very moved and honored Nolan, you could really hear him.

There is nothing wrong with any team celebrating its heritage, and other teams around here in hockey and other sports do it well. The key is not dwelling there.

In the view of someone who has been at most of these Islanders tributes since 1990, this one was vastly different because it became relevant to the current players. They had a stake in it and they will feel invested in the whole Islanders package for as long as they're here. Bill Guerin called it "a big honor" and added, "We’re all happy to be here, we all want to be here and play for this organization. It’s got such a rich tradition." Referring to Bossy, Trottier, Pat LaFontaine and others, he said, "It’s great to see those guys around. They’re the ones who made it great here."

The Islanders announced after midnight that Rick DiPietro was examined by team opthalmologist Dr. Bruce Zagelbaum, who determined that the goalie has no permanent damage in his eye. The team had been encouraged when Zagelbaum decided to examine DiPietro in his office, rather than at the hospital. No further updates are expected until Monday afternoon, team spokesman Chris Botta said.

So it is unclear for now whether he will be ready to play against the Rangers Tuesday nght. But it does not appear as serious as it could have been, given that any eye injury is potentially very serious. Botta's report indicated the exam "did not [show] any serious damage to the eye."

His status was the one cloudy note on what otherwise was one of the most vibrant nights at the Coliseum in a long time. Islanders alumni who have been at many tributes and ceremonies noted the difference. So did Arbour. The key was that he was part of a live game. The tribute was dynamic and not a museum piece that made the game anticlimactic. This time, current players and today's fans were an active part of the show, not just witnesses.

Fact is, as Pat LaFontaine was saying on his way to a reception afterward, we have not seen the likes of this anywhere else in sports.

More rumination on this in Sunday's blog.

It will be a neat confluence of the past and the future at the Coliseum tonight, with Al Arbour coaching the Islanders (with help from Ted Nolan at his side) against the Penguins with Sidney Crosby, 20, the reigning MVP and scoring leader and the player who figures to be the face of the NHL for years.

That is to say that, amid all the nostalgia and good feeling, the Islanders do have a big game to win. Their hope is that Arbour's presence will be a boost. Still, they can't get caught up in the festivities. "It's going to be awesome," Rick DiPietro said. "But our focus has to be on the Pittsburgh Penguins. It's a real two points."

Crosby is worth watching. He seems to be a born leader who is not burdened by carrying a franchise and a league. It was interesting to hear Arbour talk yesterday about Bob Nystrom (who was present at the news conference), Garry Howatt, John Tonelli and other role players as the guys who win Stanley Cups for you. True. But let's face it, the Islanders needed the bedrock of Denis Potvin, one of the greatest defensemen of all time, and other Hall of Famers.

Grit is great, but there's no substitute for talent. Star power never hurts at the box office or on TV, either

On the topic of Al Arbour memories, former Islander Ken Baumgartner once told me this one:

The coach was once so incensed that one player poke checked instead of taking the body that he kept running the tape backward and forward of the poke-checker. Arbour said, "Who are you, Errol Flynn?" Nobody in the room reacted much.

It wasn't until months later that Baumgartner happened to be watching an old movie, starring actor Errol Flynn as a swashbuckling sword fighter. He started laughing, finally realizing that Al was trying to be funny. The problem had been that the players in the early 1990s figured Errol Flynn was a defenseman from the 1950s.

Left wing Sean Ber