A Question of Identity

Throughout 17 games, the Islanders are 5-9-3. They're last in the Atlantic Division, last in the conference and 29th in the league (ahead of only Columbus). And somehow, the idea that there is absolutely no identity to this team bothers me more than the standings ever could.

This team seems lost in the shuffle. We might as well face it. There's been lack of effort some days, a lack of toughness much of the time, and above all, there's just something missing- that je ne sais quoi they had even during the plentiful losing streaks, that started when Zenon Konopka told cameras, "We're not the doormat of the NHL anymore." That assertion sparked a revolution in the locker room, and the team became a unit for the first time. They got into trouble, but more importantly, they got wins, and they showed people that from then on, things were going to be very different.

This season? It's not quite the same. Konopka is gone, Micheal Haley (another tough guy) is in the AHL, and so is the notorious Trevor Gillies. While I don't miss Gillies, I'm wondering just what happened to the spunky, upstart team I was hoping to see more of last season. It's disappeared completely, save for (perhaps) the closeness in the locker room. And it's worrying me.

I'm not saying I want this team to turn into a bunch of goons, but this is also the same reason I lobbied so hard for Konopka to stay on the team. He didn't do a whole lot other than win faceoffs and get a lot of PIM, but he did one more thing: he gave the team a personality. Watching him in the locker room during videos and such, seeing how teammates responded to him, you really got the sense that he was well-liked and respected. In fact, many considered him the Isles' de facto captain after a while. Having that kind of spark on the team, just the right amount of venom along with a genuine loyalty... it really transformed them.

Now? Not so much. And it's through no fault of our captain. Mark Streit is trying hard. He's no doubt as good a leader as he can be, trying to keep positive and honest. And maybe he's trying a bit too hard on the ice- and who can blame him? He doesn't want to lose anymore.

But that's just what they're doing tonight. Losing to arguably the very best- Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins. As of this writing, Crosby has four points on the night in his NHL return, and it's no surprise, what with an AHL goalie (Anders Nilsson) in net and absolutely NO intensity by the Isles.

Something has to give. But the coach and GM, and the players themselves, have to figure out exactly what that is. And they need to figure out in what direction they want to go- namely, up from rock bottom.