At Seasons End

With the end f Easter Sunday, so too will end the 2008-09 NHL regular season, and what a memorable one it has been. We have seen records fall, such as Washington's Mike Green setting the NHL goal record for a defenseman, and superstars playing in their prime, such as Pittsburgh's Sidney Crosby and Evgenni Malkin and Washington's Alexander Ovechkin. However, if you live out here in Islander Country, this season has been one to forget. 

With the conclusion of Saturday's matinee against the Flyers, the Islanders, already guaranteed a last place finish, looked like a team which had been through hell and back. The tone in the locker room was somber and melancholy, with both players and coaches not looking relieved to have this nightmare of a season over, but appearing as if the season took years of everyone's lives. When asked to explain his experience this year, rookie coach Scott Gordon elaborated that "the last few weeks of the season seemed like it lasted for a day, but the first few months lasted for years". 

There is no question that the season has worn on the players. When interviewed downstairs at the Coliseum, the common theme was "frustration". Kyle Okposo, Mark Streit, and Sean Bergenheim all expressed their feelings of frustration at the injuries which have plagued the season, and each of them indicated in some way that the future is bright for this young organization. 

Now we can all put this catastrophe of a season behind us. We can focus on things like draft lotteries, the AHL playoffs, making smart offseason pickups via the draft and free agency, and f course, rooting AGAINST the Rangers. The season may be over for the Islanders, but the organization will likely be very busy in the upcoming months. All I will say, on behalf of Islander fans everywhere, don't mess this one up!