On the Islanders Beat

No medical update on goaltender Rick DiPietro’s condition was forthcoming from the Islanders today even though the franchise player was examined by the medical staff on Monday. But if all goes well, coach Scott Gordon more or less acknowledged the plan is to have DiPietro practice by the end of this week.

The Isles play the Devils Wednesday night at Nassau Coliseum and then meet in a rematch Friday night at the Prudential Center before heading to Boston for an exhibition game Saturday afternoon. They finish preseason action with a game Monday night at Florida. That means there’s an opportunity for a full practice Thursday, a morning skate Friday, a full practice Sunday and a skate Monday.

If DiPietro practices Thursday, it’s conceivable he could play a period or half a game at Boston in his home area. There’s absolutely no reason to push it before he’s ready, but playing in Boston is special to DiPietro. Far more likely is the prospect of him playing in Florida, especially if he’s gone through a couple of practices and a morning skate or two by then.

It’s all in the realm of speculation because the Islanders are so vague about how they’re handling injuries, but there’s a definite buzz from people in the know around the team about DiPietro playing before the preseason runs its course. As a former goaltender himself, there’s no mistaking Gordon’s desire for DiPietro to put on the pads in game conditions before the season-opening back-to-back Oct. 10 at New Jersey and home the next night against St. Louis.

“It’s nice to get the rust off,” Gordon said. “You can take all the shots you want in practice, but when you don’t play the game, you don’t get the bumping, the screens, the battle. That’s hard to replicate in practice, and when you do, it’s not for an extended period of time. When you get a team in the zone for 40 seconds, a minute, on the power play, all of a sudden, you’re in that stance for awhile. That conditioning is hard to get in practice.

“I hope he gets in one [game] and feels good about it. No matter what happens in any exhibition he plays, he’s better off playing whether he gets a shutout or lets in 10 goals. There are things you get worked out in a game. You get your game legs under you. At that point, we’ll have to monitor how he feels during the week [before the opener].”

As for whether DiPietro’s workload might have to be spaced out early on, Gordon said it would be a matter of feel. “That is a tough thing to do,” Gordon said of the back-to-back start. “We’ll have to gauge it. What happens if, in a perfect world, you only get 15 shots in that first game. That probably won’t happen, but if it did and he felt good, we’d have to reevaluate. We certainly don’t want to [burn] him out as far as an injury by playing back-to-back. If he gets 40 shots his first night, going back-to-back is not the right thing to do.”

The Islanders acquired Rangers defenseman Thomas Pock on waivers this afternoon in a move that provided a strong indication of the severity of training-camp injuries suffered by top-six Islanders defensemen Chris Campoli and Andy Sutton.

“There’s a chance a couple of our defensemen could be out for a good period of time,” Islanders general manager Garth Snow admitted. “This helps fill a hole.”

Snow declined to define “good period of time,” but it’s safe to say it would be a major upset if Campoli or Sutton were in the lineup on opening night Oct. 10 at New Jersey. Campoli was crushed into the boards in the exhibition opener against Boston a week ago today in Moncton, New Brunswick. Sutton suffered his injury two nights later against Philadelphia. Per club policy, the nature of the injuries has not been disclosed nor has the timetable for a return.

The Islanders easily could plug in NHL veteran Bruno Gervais and call upon highly regarded prospect Jack Hillen or AHL veteran Brett Skinner, who played for new coach Scott Gordon in Providence. Instead, they chose to pick up Pock, who has seven goals and 21 points in 59 NHL games and was 7-37-44 in 74 games last season at Hartford. Pock is on a one-way contract worth $675,000, which means he probably will remain on the NHL roster after Campoli and Sutton return.

Teams don’t often interfere with each other’s waiver moves when they’re sending players down to their minor-league affiliates, but Snow said, “I see it as a situation where every team is trying to make itself better. The injury situation is what made it so appealing. Thomas Pock is a serviceable defenseman who can help our team.”

It’s a hockey axiom that you never can have too many defensemen, and the Islanders learned the hard way last season when they used 13 because of injuries. Campoli and Sutton both saw their seasons cut short by injury. Campoli underwent shoulder surgery, and Sutton suffered a partially torn hamstring.

Both defensemen and goaltender Rick DiPietro were scheduled to undergo further medical examinations this afternoon, but Snow already had a good idea how long his defenders would be out when he put in the waiver claim. The Isles’ GM said Campoli’s injury is “not the same” as the one that required surgery, and he said Sutton’s new injury is “totally different” from the hamstring problem last season.

One player who did return from the injury list to undergo a full practice today was forward Jeff Tambellini. “It was just a lower body thing,” Tambellini said. “I kind of tweaked a muscle. Everything was kind of tight. We took a few prevention days to make sure everything was all right before I went back on the ice. It was fantastic today.”

Tambellini said he’s ready to play against the Devils Wednesday night at the Coliseum if called upon.

Four other players nursing injuries, forwards Bill Guerin, Doug Weight, Richard Park and Sean Bergenheim, all left the ice early today in practice as a precaution because they aren’t yet ready to push it. All would be doubtful for the Devils game.

Forwards Ben Walter and Mike Iggulden and defenseman Joe Callahan all cleared waivers today and were assigned to Bridgeport.

As expected, first-round draft pick Josh Bailey remained with the Islanders when coach Scott Gordon trimmed the NHL roster to 31 players today with four exhibition games remaining.

In addition to Bailey, who has not yet been signed, enforcers Brandon Sugden (tryout) and Mitch Fritz still are with the Isles, which means at least one of them is likely to play in the only home exhibition game against the Devils Wednesday at the Coliseum. The other five players who are on two-way contracts include forwards Tim Jackman and Jeremy Colliton and defensemen Jack Hillen, Brett Skinner and Chris Lee.

Forward Mike Iggulden, suffered a foot injury in Saturday night’s 4-2 win over Florida, or he likely would be in the group sent to Bridgeport. It is believed forwards Ben Walter and Tomas Marcinko and defenseman Joe Callahan were placed on waivers for the purpose of assigning them to Bridgeport.

Another 16-player contingent was assigned to the Sound Tigers, including goaltenders Peter Mannino and Nathan Lawson, defensemen Dustin Kohn, Andrew MacDonald, Jamie Fraser and Jordan Hart and forwards Trevor Smith, Rob Hennigar, Sean Bentivoglio, Jesse Joensuu, Michael Haley, Kurtis McLean, Tyler Haskins, Jason Pitton, Joel Rechlicz and Long Island native Vladimir Nikoforov.

Returning to their junior teams are forwards Justin DiBenedetto and Matt Martin, defensemen Mark Katic and Simon Lacroix and goaltender Kevin Poulin.

The Islanders’ current 31-man roster breakdown looks something like this:

Forwards
Jon Sim, Doug Weight, Kyle Okposo
Blake Comeau, Josh Bailey, Mike Comrie
Jeff Tambellini, Frans Nielsen, Trent Hunter
Sean Bergenheim, Richard Park, Andy Hilbert
Mitch Fritz, Jeremy Colliton, Tim Jackman
Brandon Sugden

Defense
Brendan Witt, Radek Martinek
Andy Sutton, Freddy Meyer
Mark Streit, Bruno Gervais
Jack Hillen, Chris Lee
Brett Skinner

Goaltenders
Joey MacDonald
Yann Danis

Injured list – G Rick DiPietro, RW Bill Guerin, D Chris Campoli, C Mike Sillinger.

SUMMERSIDE, Prince Edward Island -- Linemates Frans Nielsen and Trent Hunter scored two goals apiece, and the Islanders scored three power-play goals to take a 4-2 exhibition victory last night at Credit Union Place. Two of those goals came with a two-man advantage, but it was a clever play by Nielsen on the Isles’ even-strength goal that broke open the game.

Early in the final period, Florida goaltender Craig Anderson stopped a shot near the left post and then turned to reverse it behind the net. Nielsen anticipated the play and practically took the puck off Anderson’s stick behind the net. Nielsen quickly passed out to Trent Hunter who scored his second goal of the game from right of the crease for a 3-1 lead at the 2:30 mark.

The Panthers continued to respond to Islanders pressure by committing bad penalties. Two within a span of 16 seconds gave the Isles 1:44 of five-on-three time. This time, it was Hunter sending a cross-ice pass to Nielsen, who converted his second goal from right of the crease for a 4-1 lead at 6:39. The goal came on a delayed penalty, which left the Islanders with a two-man advantage for another 1:14, but they failed to add to their lead.

There was no question which line was the Islanders’ most effective. The combination of Nielsen, Hunter and Trevor Smith exerted the most pressure and produced all four goals. Nielsen totaled four points, and Hunter had three but probably should have gotten a second assist on the first goal of the game.

Florida’s Drew Larman narrowed the margin to 4-2 at 14:05 of the third. But Islanders goaltender Joey MacDonald stopped 18 of the 20 shots he faced, and the Isles finished with a 29-20 advantage in shots on goal. Following the game, the Islanders were scheduled to fly home to Long Island. They play their only home exhibition against the Devils Wednesday night.

The Islanders’ control of play in the second period was reflected by their 10-5 advantage in shots, but the teams still traded goals as the Islanders maintained a 2-1 lead. They scored their second power-play goal of the game when Trent Hunter converted his own rebound in front at 11:51. Frans Nielsen was credited with an assist on the play, but the way the Islanders crashed the net produced the score and a 2-0 advantage.

On the ensuing faceoff, Florida’s Tanner Glass challenged Isles winger Tim Jackman and got a whole lot more than he bargained for. Jackman grabbed Glass with his left hand and pounded away with a series of rights to the head that had Glass holding on for dear life until he managed to pull Jackman to the ice.

From there, the Islanders generally controlled the flow of play, coming out of their own end with speed and the kind of quick passing new coach Scott Gordon has been teaching. This was a team that sometimes had trouble getting out of its defensive zone last season, a team that often found itself passively moving the puck backwards. But so far, the Islanders are moving aggressively, and the defensemen aren’t hesitating to pinch.

The Isles had a chance to push their lead to three goals, but Kyle Okposo shot wide left on a breakaway down the right side. At 17:23, Florida got back in the game when Michal Repik fired a blast coming down the slot. Isles goaltender Joey MacDonald made a lunging stop, but the puck shot back out to Ripak, who lifted it over the sprawled MacDonald to make it a one-goal game heading to the final period, which will begin with the Panthers on the power play for another 25 seconds.

After squandering some early power-play opportunities, a tripping penalty on Florida’s Noah Welch gave the Islanders a five-on-three situation, and Frans Nielsen converted a rebound for a 1-0 lead at 6:55 of the first period. Goaltender Joey MacDonald made it stand ujp to the end of the period with several outstanding saves on quality shots by the Panthers.

One came on a short-handed rush after a giveaway by defenseman Jack Hillen at the Florida blue line. Moments later, MacDonald faced another short-handed rush and got his glove on a drive by Rostislav Olesz, deflecting it into the crossbar and then over the net.

But Welch committed the infraction that gave the Isles a two-man advantage for 27 seconds. That was enough time for defenseman Mark Streit to unleash a drive from the high slot that Panthers goaltender Craig Anderson couldn’t hold. It bounced to Nielsen right of the crease, and he quickly buried it. Nielsen made a nice play earlier in the period on a pass in traffic to teammate Trent Hunter.

Before the period ended, MacDonald made another sprawling save in the crease on a point-blank shot by Florida center Gregory Campbell. The period ended with the Islanders holding an 11-9 edge in shots on goal. Rookie Kyle Okposo showed once again that his speed can make an impact for the Islanders this season. He was first into the offensive zone while caryring the puck on several occasions, pressuring the defense and creating room for trailing teammates.

SUMMERSIDE, Prince Edward Island – Of all the datelines I expect to type this season, this one is my favorite. Having traveled to P.E.I on a golf vacation with two old college friends three years ago, I truly was looking forward to crossing the Confederation Bridge and driving about eight miles over the Atlantic Ocean to one of the easternmost outposts in North America.

There is no superstructure above the roadway, just gray sky above and white-capped water below. Once on land again, it’s all farmland, woods and the greenest grass this side of Ireland. It’s easy to imagine how harsh the weather must be in winter, but that’s part of what gives the people and this place its rugged character. Playing the seaside Links at Crowbush three years ago was about as close as you can get to the St. Andrews experience on this side of the pond.

But instead of turning south from the Confederation Bridge as I did then, I followed the road north to Summerside, where visitors are greeted at the edge of town by a display of three shrink-wrapped hay bales. One was colored black like a hockey puck, and the other two were turned up on end with the Islanders logo on one and the Florida Panthers logo on the other.

The parking lot at Credit Union Place, a modern facility that just opened in March, 2007, was more than half full 90 minutes before game time for what was billed as the “first-ever” NHL exhibition game on P.E.I. The Isles held intrasquad scrimmages here last year and again this year. But this still was the first appearance by two NHL teams, and there was a festive atmosphere in the arena lobby, where a live band played the kind of folk rock with an Irish lilt that is popular throughout the Maritimes. When they sing “Heave Away” in the pubs in Atlantic Canada, everyone stands and belts it out like the unofficial anthem.

As exhibition games go, this is a fun experience comparable to the Hockeyville game in Canada. Even though there’s a heck of a rainstorm supposed to hit tomorrow night, it almost makes you wish you could stay and enjoy the hospitality and the peaceful beauty of P.E.I. a little longer.

Almost time to drop the puck. Joey MacDonald is expected to play the whole game in net for the Islanders. I’ll be back with updates between periods.

The Islanders packed their gear and emptied their lockers after the morning skate today, ending another training camp in Moncton. They’ll have only two veteran forwards, Jon Sim and Trent Hunter, plus veteran defensemen Brendan Witt, Radek Martinek and Mark Streit in the lineup for their exhibition game against Florida tonight at Summerside, Prince Edward Island before flying home to Long Island.

In case you’re wondering how tough a training camp could be with no scrimmages, you have only to look at the laundry list of minor injuries that were suffered over the course of camp as new coach Scott Gordon pushed everyone to turn it up a notch in his high-tempo drills. I’d list the injuries here except the club doesn’t make them all available. Suffice to say, Gordon didn’t have enough healthy bodies available this morning to conduct the kind of review session he would have preferred to go over the mistakes made in the first two exhibition games and continue teaching his system.

“The first four days went really well,” Gordon said, referring to the practice sessions that preceded Tuesday night’s win over Boston. “My only concern is the amount of injuries. Some of them, you can’t control. Because we did things differently this year [compared to what the players were used to], I’ve never seen what we’ve seen here with the nagging injuries. They have to kind of run their course. I look at the different players and what their backgrounds were and where they played last year and I’m assessing, ‘Is this the way it is because guys aren’t used to it?’

“By next year, coming into training camp, they’ll be used to what the expectations are, and they’ll be more geared for the type of practices we had the first few days. To me, that’s the only thing that’s disappointing. After Wednesday’s practice, we haven’t really been able to touch on the things we can fine-tune, and that was my expectation. We didn’t have the numbers that allowed us a full practice. But we have two great days on Monday and Tuesday…We’re optimistic that everybody should be full go, if not on Monday, then on Tuesday.”

That means players like forwards Jeff Tambellini and Sean Bergenheim are expected to be back in the lineup. Gordon hasn’t yet determined the lineup for the only home exhibition game against the Devils Wednesday at Nassau Coliseum, but it’s a good bet No. 1 draft pick Josh Bailey will be on the ice.

As for whether the Islanders will return to Moncton next fall, general manager Garth Snow said no decision has been made yet. Crowds were down significantly this year for both the game against Boston and for practices, but one local organizer blamed it on a lack of promotion rather than the absence of former coach Ted Nolan, who previously coached the Moncton Wildcats in the QMJHL. Still, the veterans like Moncton and the facilities, and the Islanders could return for at least one more year.

While Moncton Coliseum was only half full for the Bruins game on Wednesday, it is booked to capacity Sunday night. The headliner: Elton John.

Andy Sutton hurting

One of the players added to the injury list after Thursday’s loss to Philadelphia was defenseman Andy Sutton. Gordon said the injury is unrelated to the partial hamstring tear that cost him the final 22 games last season. Sutton could have played if necessary at the end of last season, but there was no point in risking further injury. He came to camp 20 pounds lighter at 240 than he weighed the previous year.

“I’ve had a really great summer, getting together with Chris Schwarz,” Sutton said of the strength and conditioning coach. “We spoke almost every day this summer, and he got me on a new program. I’ve had so many injuries over the years. But he’s got me balanced, and honestly, I’ve never felt better.

“Now, I’m 240, which is a weight I’m a lot more comfortable at. I’m a lot more efficient, and I’m moving better. I’m lighter, but I’m stronger than I was last summer. Chris is really good at getting you to work small muscles that are not firing effectively. He gets all the ‘light switches’ turned back on, as he calls it. It’s got me feeling really good.”

That was before his latest injury, whatever it is. But Sutton is one of those guys Gordon expects to be back on the ice in a few days.

Rick DiPietro watch

It depends on what the doctors say when they examine goaltender Rick DiPietro early next week, but GM Snow indicated some hope that he might see action in the final two exhibition games at Boston and Florida. “He feels good and he’s looking forward to taking some pucks,” Snow said of DiPietro.

Stay tuned

Assuming a good wi-fi connection tonight on Prince Edward Island, I will post updates after each period of the Florida game here on the blog.

On the day after a 4-0 exhibition loss to Philadelphia in London, Ont. and an intrasquad scrimmage on Prince Edward Island, coach Scott Gordon eased back on the training camp throttle with an optional practice today and a day of meetings with several players. After one more intense workout Saturday morning, the Islanders will break camp in Moncton, bus to P.E.I. for an exhibition game against Florida tomorrow night and then return to Long Island.

“We’ll put together a team [Saturday] that is probably based on health,” Gordon said. “I don’t want guys to leave here any worse off than we were yesterday. We’ve got four or five guys who are starting to turn the corner to be ready to go on Monday. We want to make sure we don’t add to the [injury] list. Everybody played last night. Guys are a little sore today. I’d rather have one high-quality practice tomorrow before the game. I thought we had to take a step back today. The players’ health was more important.”

Forward Jeff Tambellini (lower body injury) remains out, but he worked today on the ice and obviously is close to returning. Forward Sean Bergenheim and several veterans stayed off skates and concentrated on off-ice work or treatment. Gordon said some players likely will be sent to Bridgeport after the Florida game on Saturday. The team will get a day off Sunday and resume work Monday at Iceworks in Syosset. The roster still will be well over the NHL limit of 23 to make sure there are enough bodies to fill in for injured players.

As pleased as Gordon was with the Islanders’ opening exhibition win over Boston, he felt they took a small step back against the Flyers because of a lack of experience with a system that is new to them.

“We started the first 15 minutes great,” Gordon said. “We outshot them, 11-3, and we were controlling the play. Then, we had a couple shifts where we were off, and our coverage in front wasn’t what I expected throughout the whole game. As a result, Philadelphia got some chances.”

Gordon said goaltender Yann Danis, who played the full 60 minutes, was not at fault for any of the goals. One was a double deflection in traffic, and one went off a post after an Islander left the spot he was supposed to be to go cover an opponent on the perimeter.

“Yann played well last night,” Gordon said. “There wasn’t an awful lot he could do about the goals. He made the saves he had to make. The goaltending has been good, and it will get better as we get more accustomed to our defensive zone coverage. Right now, we’re a little off on it. Once you get it, all of a sudden, the light goes on, and you say to yourself, ‘This is easy.’”

No. 1 draft pick Josh Bailey’s NHL preseason debut was uneventful. He tried to get cute with a couple of fancy passes that resulted in turnovers but otherwise didn’t look out of place. “That’s part of the learning process,” Gordon said. “Some of the things you can do in junior, you can’t do in the NHL, and you’ve got to find that out by failing. I think his skating is up to par. I didn’t notice him getting outmuscled. He tried to make some offensive plays. They weren’t high-risk plays, but they just didn’t connect. It’s one thing if you’re making a ‘hope play,’ and it’s starting the other team’s breakout. That’s not good, and he didn’t make any of those.”

DiPietro’s working hard

Goaltender Rick DiPietro, who is trying to rebound from knee and hip surgery in time to start the season, is expected to meet with the club’s medical staff to be re-evaluated early next week on Long Island. DiPietro has been pushing himself daily in on-ice workouts and his conditioning off the ice. But he still must be cleared by the doctors before he can face shots and subject himself to game contact.

Apparently, DiPietro is making some progress. Gordon said the franchise player has reached a point where his return is anticipated “sooner rather than later.” Still, there is no way he will play in either game against the Devils Wednesday at Nassau Coliseum or Friday in Newark.

Camp notes

Minor-league forward Kurtis McLean is sporting two black eyes courtesy of the vicious hit he received from Boston’s Johnny Boychuk Wednesday night. McLean admitted he delivered a couple of shots to defenseman Dennis Wideman that likely resulted in retaliation early in the third period of that game. McLean courageously returned to action with six minutes left and said he would have been back sooner except that he had trouble getting his nose to stop bleeding. Ya gotta love hockey players.

Forward Michael Haley impressed with his winning battle against Flyers tough guy Steve Downie…Enforcer Brandon Sugden didn’t get to display his punching power, but he did outmuscle Riley Cote to win their wrestling match…Forward Tim Jackman, who played 36 games with the Islanders last season has had an impressive training-camp showing…Gordon praised the play of goaltending prospects Kevin Poulin and Peter Mannino. Poulin was a fifth-round pick in the June draft and will return to Victoriaville in the QMJHL. Gordon called him a “pleasant surprise.”...The Islanders yesterday reassigned four players to their junior teams, including defensemen Travis Hamonic, Jyri Niemi and Jared Surgeon and forward Max Gratchev.

Josh Bailey is no stranger to the arena in London, Ontario, where the Islanders meet Philadelphia tonight in the rookie’s preseason NHL debut. He travels there regularly with his Windsor team in the OHL, and he grew up in Oshawa, which is about 148 miles away.

“I have an aunt and uncle near there who always get a box when I play there,” Bailey said. “It’s a 10,000-seat arena, and it’s always packed. I’ll probably need 20 tickets. It’s good to have family there.”

As detailed in today’s Newsday, Bailey has a serious shot to earn an NHL contract coming out of camp and start at least the first nine games of the season with the Isles. “I’ve been happy with camp,” Bailey said. “I think the real test will be [tonight] in the game. I’m looking forward to that. I’m a little nervous, too, but I think that’s expected. When I get the first couple shifts out of the way, it should be all right.”

Wish I could be in London to bring you game updates, but it’s cost-prohibitive to leave the training-camp base in Moncton. However, I’ll be driving to Prince Edward Island on Saturday for the next exhibition game against Florida.

Revisiting the enforcer question

Another reason I’d like to be in London is that Brandon Sugden is in the lineup, and I’m sure he can find someone on the Flyers’ side to give him a go. But as much as Islanders fans are interested in how Sugden fares, it seems there’s another tough guy flying a little under the radar.

Forward Michael Haley, a training camp invitee, was added to the roster after playing well last week in a rookie scrimmage against Boston and in another rookie scrimmage against Moncton University. Haley split time between AHL Bridgeport and Utah in the ECHL last season, totaling 190 penalty minutes, and Sound Tigers public relations director Kimber Auerbach assures the pugnacious 5-10 forward can more than hold his own and isn’t afraid to challenge the heavyweights. In fact, Haley had a bout last season with 6-8 Mitch Fritz, who also is in camp vying for a spot in Bridgeport.

“He deserves an opportunity to come up and play his first NHL exhibition game,” coach Scott Gordon said of Haley. “I asked if he wanted to play, and he was pretty excited. He’s responded in doing what he’s supposed to do as a player, and he’s also elevated himself out of his comfort zone and played the way we’ve asked everybody to play.” In other words, he can skate and play the rest of the game, which is the best way to earn consideration for a future callup.

For those fans who expressed concern about the lack of a response from the Islanders the other night after Boston players leveled Kurtis McLean and then Chris Campoli in the exhibition opener, I need to provide some clarification. Right after the hit on McLean, Gordon sent Fritz onto the ice. He let Johnny Boychuk, who delivered the hit, know he was around, but Fritz avoided taking a penalty in the third period of a 1-1 game.

“Given the situation, Mitch did what he had to do,” Gordon said. “He let the guy know. He did what I felt should have been done. If it was a dirty hit, more blatant, then he responds the way he thinks he has to respond. It comes back to the situation, the time and place we’re at and recognizing that, too. Yeah, it would have been easy to say it’s only an exhibition game, but the thought process was the right thing for a regular-season game.”

Tambellini, Bergenheim injured

Remember a couple of seasons ago when goaltender Rick DiPietro suffered a concussion and was listed as having “general body soreness?” Prepare yourselves for more equally vague injury reports this season.

Jeff Tambellini left the ice during practice two days ago and was replaced in the lineup tonight by Jesse Joensuu. When I asked Gordon about Tamby’s injury, the coach said, “It’s below his neck.”

He was smiling, but general manager Garth Snow’s policy forbids discussing injuries in detail, and NHL general managers apparently have endorsed this policy. The idea is to prevent the opposition from knowing an opponent’s injuries, and it also allows GMs to hide injuries when they are trying to trade a player. The downside for the player, in addition to being forced to be less than honest with reporters, is that fans don’t know when a player is struggling to play through an injury. For instance, Mike Comrie was listed with the flu for one game last season when he actually was out with a hip injury that required surgery.

So, right now, Tambellini is out with a “lower-body” injury, and Sean Bergenheim left the ice today with an undisclosed minor injury and will miss tonight’s Blue-White scrimmage on Prince Edward Island. Also, Chris Campoli was scheduled to see the Islanders’ medical staff today on Long Island, but don’t hold your breath waiting for details of his condition.

At least Tambellini’s situation doesn’t appear serious. “He went for a skate today,” Gordon said. “We want to work him back slowly and not rush him. There’s no urgency to play an exhibition game. The fact he’s on the ice means he’s close, but we’ll take our time with it.”

On the morning after he was crushed into the end boards by Boston forward Michael Ryder, top-six Islanders defenseman Chris Campoli was not in attendance at the team’s training camp in Moncton, New Brunswick. According to coach Scott Gordon, Campoli returned to New York “for further evaluation.”

For a player coming off shoulder surgery as Campoli is doing, those words had an ominous ring. The defense is considered the Islanders’ strength, but they were so decimated by injuries on the back end last season that they had to use 13 defensemen before the season was over.

“It’s not the same injury,” Gordon said. “So, that’s good.”

After about a minute on the ice, Campoli got up looking a little woozy, but he left under his own power. Following the Isles’ 2-1 overtime win, he asked who won, and Gordon joked that he must have received a concussion if he didn’t know the answer to that question. But the new coach learned quickly that head injuries are a touchy subject around the Islanders.

“I swear to God it’s not a concussion,” Gordon said this morning. “I was joking last night.”

Seventh defenseman Bruno Gervais, who will play against Philadelphia Thursday night in London, Ontario, is the most experienced candidate to replace Campoli if he’s not back in time for the Oct. 10 season opener at New Jersey. Gordon listed Jack Hillen, Chris Lee, Brett Skinner and Joe Callahan as other defensemen who could contend for a roster spot.

“Among those four guys, I think there’s a real good competition there, and we have some options,” Gordon said. “If Chris is out for a week or two, we’re in good shape.”

A video review of Ryder’s hit on Campoli and the open-ice shot by Boston’s Johnny Boychuk that left Kurtis McLean with a nasty bruise across the bridge of his nose convinced Gordon both hits were clean although Boychuk’s forearm rode up into McLean’s face.

Gordon also expressed pleasure with how well the Islanders executed his high-tempo system first time out of the box. They outshot the Bruins, 38-19, and the defense did a good job of joining the rush and generating quality shots. Even Brendan Witt, who has 23 goals in 12 NHL seasons, jumped into the play once and drilled a shot that handcuffed Bruins goaltender Tuukka Rask and almost bounced in off his glove.

“Yeah, he joined at the right time,” Gordon said of Witt. “It wasn’t reckless; it was calculated. There was good coverage by the forward, and had Witt not joined, it’s a two-on-two, and we don’t get the shot.”

After coaching his first NHL exhibition, Gordon came away even more excited about how his system might translate with a higher level of skill. “It’s funny,” Gordon said. “In Providence, we did the same thing, but it’s a little bit harder because we couldn’t make the plays these guys can make. So, that makes it better to know that, if we’re in the right spots, instead of that puck being a foot left or right of where our stick is, it’s on the tape and it’s a shot versus having to get possession and maybe having to beat a guy.

“I always knew the skill was better, but we’ve got some guys who can make some plays, and that’s an exciting thing to know. I’m hopeful that’s going to take the way we play as a team to another level.”

For most of three periods, the Islanders outskated Boston, but they weren’t reward until 2:03 of overtime when rookie Trevor Smith broke in alone on Bruins goaltender Tuukka Rask to beat him with a backhand on the short side for a 2-1 victory last night at Moncton Coliseum. Top-six Isles defenseman Chris Campoli left the game after being run into the end boards early in the third period and did not return.

Jon Sim had the other goal for the Islanders, who outshot the Bruins, 38-19. Backup goaltender Yann Danis stopped all 11 shots he faced.

Somebody must have read the riot act to the Bruins before the third period. They came out bent on banging the Isles. Johnny Boychuk laid a massive open-ice hit on Kurtis McLean, catching him in the chops and leaving him on the ice at the Islanders’ blue line. McLean left the ice, but he returned with six minutes left in the period.

The Isles suffered another loss a couple minutes later when Michael Ryder rammed Campoli into the boards in the defensive zone. Campoli, who is coming back from shoulder surgery, crumpled to the ice and remained there in a daze for nearly a minute. He also headed off to the locker room under his own power.

Those big hits slowed the Isles’ attack considerably. But Danis kept them in the game with a couple of nice saves on tough shots by Mikko Lehtonen and Ryder. Rask rose to the occasion for Boston to stop a short-handed breakaway by Sean Bergenheim with five minutes left in regulation. But Mike Iggulden forced a mid-ice turnover and slid the puck to Smith for the decisive play in OT.

The Islanders' shot advantage was at 19-7 when Boston drew first blood with one of its few quality chances. Defenseman Dennis Wideman’s blast from the high slot zipped under the crossbar to beat MacDonald for a 1-0 lead at 8:01. But the Islanders went on the power play seconds later and evened the match when Jon Sim scored off goaltender Tuukka Rask’s skate at 9:17. Traffic created the goal, a novel concept a year ago for the league’s 29th-ranked power play.

During the stoppage after Sim’s goal, Yann Danis replaced MacDonald in net. The period ended tied at 1 with the Islanders holding a massive 27-12 edge in shots on goal. Only a couple of acrobatic saves by Rask on point-blank shots by Doug Weight and Chris Lee prevented the Isles from taking control.

Like so many first periods last season, the opening frame of the Islanders’ first exhibition game against Boston tonight at Moncton Coliseum was scoreless. But that doesn’t mean the Isles didn’t have their chances.

Their 13-5 advantage in shots on goal over the Bruins was an accurate reflection of how well they controlled the puck and pushed the pace of play in new coach Scott Gordon’s system. Their best scoring opportunity came on the penalty kill when rookie Kyle Okposo forced a turnover, leading to a breakaway shot from the right circle that Bruins goaltender Tuukka Raska handled. New Isles defenseman Mark Streit also displayed a hard shot when he found open ice in the high slot.

Goaltender Joey MacDonald got the start but was barely tested in the opening frame. He is expected to split time with Yann Danis tonight.

Each team had two power plays but failed to convert. Gordon sent out Streit and Chris Campoli at the points on the first unit along with the top line of Okposo, Doug Weight and Jon Sim. Jack Hillen and Chris Lee were at the point on the second unit with forwards Richard Park and Andy Hilbert along with a combination of Kurtis McLean and Mike Iggulden rotating at the other forward spot.

Greg Logan answers your Islanders questions today in a live chat at 1:45 p.m.

This hasn’t been a training camp in the traditional sense. It’s been more like a coaching clinic as Scott Gordon goes about the business of bringing the Islanders up to speed – literally – with his high-tempo approach to the game. The scrimmages in which players practice old habits have been replaced by drills designed to teach them new ways to do things physically and mentally.

The Islanders’ locker room has its share of grizzled vets with more than a decade of NHL experience, but they have been very responsive to what they’ve seen so far. Defenseman Brendan Witt, who is entering his 13th NHL season, said of Gordon: “He’s a very enthusisastic coach and a studier of the game. There’s been a lot of teaching and learning, which is a good fresh start…I think hockey is pretty basic, but everyone has a different way of looking at it. I see his perspective, and I’m trying to learn some things here about the way he wants it done.”

The first game action for the Isles will come against Boston tonight at Moncton Coliseum, and that’s a good thing, as Witt sees it. Asked for examples of how Gordon’s camp has been different from the norm, Witt said: “Everything is done at a high speed. We don’t do drills for too long, but they need to be at a high speed, which is really good. We like those kind of skates because we’re not messing around on the ice. We’re there to get business, and we’re focused. You’re on for an hour and a half, and you’re off.

`”I like it better that we practice because we’re working systems. The last couple years, my first time on ice was the intrasquad game. It’s kind of nice to get to practice and learn the system before you even go in any exhibition games.”

Witt said he kept an open mind when Gordon asked him to try things differently in a one-on-one drill. Center Doug Weight, who is entering his 17th NHL season, said Gordon’s “overspeed” technique in practice of encouraging players to skate faster and react faster is good in the sense that it helps them prepare to play at a high tempo, but he added that Gordon really doesn’t expect them to become different players as a result.

“He’s not talking about the way you skate as a style,” Weight said. “He’s saying, ‘You’ve got to move your feet more and move them more often.’ We’ve talked about it, and I’m a guy that slows the game down. But when I’m at my best, I’m playing my fastest while slowing the game down. You get more room the faster you are, and you can still make your snowplows and still make your fakes and buy yourself room. But by skating faster, you’re buying yourself more room. That’s the point he makes. It’s not changing guys’ games.

“It’s catching passes and making passes at full speed. Not only is it a great way to play, but it really does make you better. You can still learn at our age, and you can still practice things to get better throughout the season.”

In general, the Islanders will be doing things differently in several areas. For instance, Witt said Gordon wants the defensemen to use the centers more on breakouts rather than going up the wall so much. Going up the middle of the ice creates more options and space for the offense.

Gordon wants an aggressive forecheck, which can be risky at times if someone makes the wrong read. But Witt said everyone’s role is well-defined, and the options for where to go in various situations are limited. “It’s pretty textbook,” Witt said. “It’s not rocket science.”

In Witt’s view, Gordon’s defensive approach is more sound than the way the Isles played last season. “I think it’s a lot easier for the forwards,” Witt said. “Last year, we had wing-on-wings, and it took our forwards a while to figure out that system. This is just an aggressive 1-2-2, and I think everyone in hockey has played some form of a 1-2-2. It’s just tweaks here and there.”

According to my e-mail, the Islanders need a legitimate enforcer even more than they need a 30-goal scorer. I can’t begin to tell you how many fans have wished for a guy like former enforcer Eric Cairns in the lineup, a guy who could hold his own with his gloves off and as a regular player.

If nothing else, fans say, they want someone who can provide “entertainment value” while the Isles go through the process of rebuilding and developing a more youthful core. But the need to keep roster spots open for the kind of players who might make the Islanders a contender again weighs more heavily on general manager Garth Snow and new coach Scott Gordon.

Snow sees the enforcer role as a part-time job for a player who can come up to face an opponent that has some legitimate tough guys in the lineup. “I think we have some players that are tough,” Snow said. “We have Mitch Fritz, and Joel Rechlicz is a young player who is not afraid to play that type of game. We brought in Brandon Sugden for a tryout.

“You have to find a player of that nature who can play within the rules of the new NHL. They’ve got to be able to skate. If you can’t skate, you can’t cut the mustard. It’s tough because you have a 23-man roster you have to respect. If you could carry 25 or 30 bodies, it would be different. The hard part isn’t finding a tough player. It’s finding the tough player that can really play.”

Anaheim won the Stanley Cup in 2007 with a lineup that included several enforcer types, But Gordon drew the same distinction as Snow. “One of the things Anaheim did is they got guys that could play,” Gordon said. “George Parros was more of a third-line checker in the minors, so, he was accustomed to playing minutes and being effective that way. Same thing with Sean Thornton, who is now in Boston. He was actually a first- or second-line guy [in the minors]. It’s not like those guys are one-dimensional.

"All three of our guys [Fritz, Rechlicz and Sugden] have to understand that you can be the best fighter in the world, but if you can ‘t be reliable on the ice, we won’t be able to count on you.”

Without a doubt, the trend in the new NHL has been to reduce the role of true enforcers. But teams still want players who have a knack as agitators or pests. Sean Bergenheim provided some of that element last season with his energy and hitting, but Snow said he’s looking forward to a full season from Jon Sim, who blew out a knee two games into last season. For now, Sim has been penciled in at left wing on what figures to be the top line with Doug Weight and Bill Guerin.

“I remember playing against Sim, and he’s crazy,” Snow said. “He’s yapping at you all the time. In Sim, we have a player who can get under our opponents’ skin.”

And he can do it while skating, hitting and contributing the occasional goal.

As a native of Pictou, Nova Scotia, Islanders backup goalltender Joey MacDonald enjoys a small degree of celebrity in Atlantic Canada. Not all of it is good. A local reporter reminded MacDonald yesterday of his 17-game stint with the Halifax Mooseheads in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League that resulted in only three wins, forcing MacDonald to politely point out his subsequent success for three seasons with Peterborough in the Ontario Hockey League.

Now the spotlight is about to get a lot brighter for MacDonald. With All-Star Rick DiPietro on the mend from hip and knee surgery in the offseason, MacDonald and Yann Danis figure to get the majority of time in net during the exhibition schedule that beings against Boston Tuesday night at Moncton Coliseum.

“We’ve got seven exhibition games, and I think me and Yann are going to play quite a few of them,” MacDonald said. “That’s all good. We work hard all summer, we’re going to have three good practices here, and then, we’ll get right into it Tuesday night. I expect to play quite a bit during preseason. It’s going to be fun.”

MacDonald said he’s in the dark about DiPietro’s rehab timetable like everyone else. “I’m just going day to day,” he said. “If they tell me I’m playing that’s great. They keep it pretty quiet. That’s the way they’re going to keep it all year, I guess. I’ve just got to be ready every single day.”

In two games with the Islanders late last season, MacDonald had a 0-1-1 record with a 3.00 goals-against average behind an injury-riddled lineup. That showing helped his confidence, but if he’s called upon early in the season, it will be interesting to see how well MacDonald measures up to what Wade Dubielewicz did in the backup role the past two seasons before accepting a deal in Russia last summer.

DiPietro is working hard to be ready for the season opener Oct. 10 at New Jersey, but it’s hard to imagine him taking on his usual heavy workload right away if he sees little or no action during exhibition play. For instance, the home opener is the next night after the Devils game. Would the Islanders ask DiPietro to play a back-to-back right away? And if they have to choose a spot for him to start, wouldn’t it make more sense to play DiPietro at home even though he always plays well against Devils netminder Martin Brodeur?

Whatever happens, MacDonald will be under the microscope this exhibition season. “Oh, it’s huge,” he said. “That’s where you get your timing. If the worst-case scenario or something like that happens, I’ll be ready.”

As much as he needs the game action to prepare for the season, MacDonald said DiPietro, with his athleticism, might be the exception to the rule. Asked if he could imagine heading into the season while playing only one or maybe even no exhibition games, MacDonald said, “It would be difficult, but Ricky is an unbelievable goaltender. He could do that. He’s one of the most fit guys out here. I’m pretty sure he could play one game and be ready for it. Whatever happens, I’m just here to work hard and to push him.”

The breakdown of lineups for training camp, which began this morning at the CN Sportsplexe in Moncton, New Brunswick, had a couple of wrinkles that revealed new coach Scott Gordon’s initial plan for the Islanders. First, goaltender Rick DiPietro is working on his own rehab program and is not a member of any of the three teams the roster is divided into for the workouts. For now, backup Joey MacDonald and Yann Danis, who figures to be the starting goaltender in Bridgeport, will get most of the work in exhibition games.

I spoke with DiPietro and goaltender coach Sudarshan Maharaj this morning for an article that will appear in Sunday’s Newsday with more details about the franchise player’s recovery from hip and knee surgery. DiPietro is in great spirits and still believes he will be ready for the season opener Oct. 10 in New Jersey.

Second, No. 1 draft pick Josh Bailey is playing center on a line with right wing Mike Comrie, who was last season’s first-line center. This suggests Bailey will be given every opportunity to make the team out of training camp. Technically, it’s even possible he could play nine NHL games before returning to Windsor in the OHL without losing his eligibility to continue in major junior hockey.

Finally, free-agent defenseman Mark Streit is skating on the third defensive pairing with Chris Campoli to start out. Bruno Gervais essentially is the seventh defenseman in a pairing with free-agent Brett Skinner, who was signed last summer to a two-way deal.

Without regard to which teams they are on in training camp, here is how the Islanders’ 23-man roster looks right now:

The first forward line has four players, including left wing Jon Sim, center Doug Weight and captain Bill Guerin and Kyle Okposo splitting time at right wing. Bailey is centering the second line, which has Blake Comeau at left wing and Comrie at right wing. The third line includes left wing Jeff Tambellini, center Frans Nielsen and right wing Trent Hunter. The fourth line has Sean Bergenheim at left wing with Richard Park at center and Andy Hilbert on right wing.

Obviously, if Bailey goes back to juniors, it’s probable Comrie would center the second line with Comeau and Okposo on the wings.

The defensive pairings have stalwarts Brendan Witt and Radek Martinek as the top pair with Andy Sutton and Freddy Meyer, who played well together last season, as the second pairing. Campoli and Streit are the third pair, which works well because it’s easy to imagine them teaming at the points on the top power play.

If the season began today, MacDonald and Danis would complete the 23-man roster, which would include a 13th forward, Gervais sitting out as the seventh defenseman and DiPietro either on injured reserve or on the sidelines as third goaltender. Once DiPietro is in the lineup, Danis goes to Bridgeport, and the Isles’ roster would number 21 or 22 players depending on Bailey’s status. Center Mike Sillinger, who also is working out on his own, likely will begin the season on injured reserve in this scenario.

Sean Bentivoglio had a second-period hat trick to spark the Islanders’ rookie team to an 8-4 victory over Boston this afternoon at the Sports Center in Shelton, Ct. Trailing by a goal after the first period, the Isles had a five-goal outburst in the second frame to take a 6-4 lead after two periods.

Goaltender Kevin Poulin allowed one Bruins score in the second half of the contest and held them scoreless in the final period. The Islanders also got goals from No. 1 draft pick Josh Bailey, Tomas Marcinko, Trevor Smith, Maxim Gratchev and Justin DeBenedetto. Marcinko, DiBenedetto and Rob Hennigar each had two assists, while Bailey, Smith, Gratchev, Mark Katic and Vladimir Nikiforov added one apiece. Starting goaltender Peter Mannino gave up the first three goals.

New coach Scott Gordon attributed the high score to some loose defense in the neutral zone. “Our guys had a great effort, but they gave up a lot of chances,” Gordon said. “We worked through some gray areas, and in the second half of the game, our guys played a lot better five-on-five. It was good to see. I think they figured out how efficient they could be by working together and keeping the pressure on as much as they did.”

Gordon said Bailey and defenseman Katic were among several Islanders who stood out. “Bailey was very poised with the puck and had a lot of patience,” Gordon said. “The plays he made were outstanding. That’s one of the things that made him attractive as a first-round pick.”

Friday is a travel day for the Islanders as they move everyone to training camp in Moncton, New Brunswick. The first full-team practice is Saturday morning.

Every NHL training camp I’ve ever covered has included intrasquad scrimmages as part of the daily routine. But that won’t be the case under new Islanders coach Scott Gordon.

As he explained, he hasn’t eliminated “scrimmages” all together. “We have seven of them,” Gordon said with a smile. “They’re called exhibition games.”

But when training camp practices begin Saturday in Moncton, New Brunswick, the Islanders won’t be beating on each other. The veterans will be going through the same learning process the rookies did for three days earlier this week at Iceworks in Syosset. Practice was scheduled for two hours, but it always lasted from 15 to 30 minutes longer as Gordon put his players through drills designed to teach them a new system that has rules that run counter to what many of them are used to doing.

In the next few weeks, players and fans alike will hear a lot about “overspeed,” Gordon’s name for his technique of teaching players to move faster and more efficiently with the puck in practice by lengthening their stride. He will make changes in the way the Isles break out of their defensive zone, the way they try to force turnovers in the neutral zone and the way they apply pressure on the forecheck.

Practice on Saturday, Sunday and Monday will mirror rookie camp. The Isles will be divided into two teams before the first exhibition game against Boston on Tuesday in Moncton. One team will practice in the morning, and the other will play the game. They will switch roles for Thursday’s game against Philadelphia in London, Ont.

“I don’t feel we have a lot of practice time with all the games we have,” Gordon said. “With me, there aren’t any returning players. It’s all new to everybody. I want to try to eliminate as much gray area with what we’re doing as I can and create a comfort level going into the exhibition season.

“I’ve never liked watching scrimmages. We basically do controlled scrimmages within our practice. We do drills that touch on things we want to accomplish in a game. If you do scrimmages with two lines or three lines, the intensity isn’t there, and you’re basically asking your players to play slow. That goes against what we want to do here.

“We want to play fast. Usually in those intrasquad games, there’s no hitting, no intensity. We’ll save our hitting and intensity for the opposition and not for our own teammates.”

ISLES UPDATE: Check back later today for an update on the outcome of the rookie scrimmage against the Bruins’ rookies in Shelton, Ct.

Islanders rookie Kyle Okposo and new coach Scott Gordon talk about getting familiar with their new surroundings as they prepare to being training camp.

Welcome back, Chris Botta. The Islanders yesterday announced their former vice-president of media relations, who left that post in May, will return to cover the team from the perspective of his popular Point Blank Blog. The club will be the primary sponsor, but Botta has no shortage of opinions and he’s a maverick, to borrow a political term, who doesn’t always toe the pa