Josh Bailey

With just six days left until the most climactic day of the regular season, surely New York Islanders GM Garth Snow has a lot on his mind.

He has many decisions to make, regarding who should stay and who can be dealt away, which "bubble players" deserve a second chance, and which ones to give up on. He also needs to determine whether there are any valuable players and draft picks to be had or moved, and at what type of cost.

Having won six of their last seven games, the New York Islanders are taking the high road, in both the metaphorical and geographical perspectives of the phrase.

The Isles will try and keep their improbable playoff push alive, heading north of the border to face the Toronto Maple Leafs at the Air Canada Centre tonight.

New York is just 11 points out of eighth place in the Eastern Conference, and there are still 22 games left on the schedule.

What a Friday night it was in Islander Country. Isles fans are still chanting Michael Haley's name in their heads, reliving Michael Grabner's goals and Tavares' goal, and well, the other six goals the Islanders scored.

Not to mention, the Isles and Pens racked up over 300 penalty minutes in this game, and you can be sure that there will be plenty of suspensions and/or fines levied on members of both teams. I'm sure NHL Disciplinarian Colin Campbell is having a field day.

All the talk about the infusion of youth on the New York Islanders always starts with John Tavares. That does not mean that there aren't other well-deserving young players who are looking to change the future of the team and create their own legacy.

As the puck hits the ice, two eager centers begin to claw for possession. Resembling a flock of birds during autumn migration, the offense takes form.

It’s a sport that requires exciting aggression and skilled finesse on every play, and lot of heart for three periods.

The feisty New York Islanders have plenty of heart but lack the talent to compete right now... but they’re on their way.

The News York Islanders announced Wednesday morning that Josh Bailey was called up from their AHL team in Bridgeport, and will be on the ice with the Islanders Wednesday night as they take on the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Make no mistake about it, there will be no quick fixes or easy answers to turn the New York Islanders hockey franchise into a Stanley Cup contender.

Having not won a playoff series since the 1992-93 season, it will not be an easy task to get the squad moving in the right direction and fans will need to wait at least two years before they can think about a possible run at a playoff berth.

The last season that the Islanders finished with a winning record was 2006-07, and besides the signing of John Tavares, not much has been done to improve the club since then. 

The Islanders head north to Toronto and are looking to end the Leafs four-game winning streak tonight. Coming off an impressive 5-2 victory over the visiting Colorado Avalanche on Saturday night, the Isles will need to play their most complete game against the Leafs if they want to give them their first loss of the season.

If you're an Islanders fan, you would know about General Manager Garth Snow's youth rebuilding plan.  After not panning out just yet, I finally think all his hard work and waiting is about to pay off, this season or the next.  The Islanders were able to make this possible after enduring year after year of finishing near the bottom of the Eastern Conference. 

NY Islander GM Garth Snow and owner Charles Wang want to fill some more seats in 2010-11 by securing a playoff berth for the team. What will it take to achieve that goal?

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