New York Islanders Off To a Great Start to 2010-11 Season

Islander fans have been talking about the play this season of the Islanders and how exciting all of the games have been so far this season.

Their record stands at the moment at 4-2-2. The two regulation losses to the Capitals and Panthers saw the Islanders get outplayed in very small periods of time in those two games.

One lucky bounce and both of the games could be in the win column.

The Islanders are showing that they may be in a rebuilding phase but the rebuilding phase is starting to show progress to make the hockey world take notice. However, let's not get ahead of ourselves and proclaim the Islanders as a contender, but if you look at the body of work over the eight games this season you can tell two things.

1. The Islanders themselves believe they can win every game they play and will not be intimidated by the best the league has to offer.
2. Playing the Islanders is no longer an easy two points. Other teams are going to have to battle the Islanders every step of the way. This team will not take a night off.

Now what the team has to start doing is to make its fan base believe what they already know. The Islanders are competitive, young and exciting.

If you buy a ticket to watch this team you will no longer feel as though you would have been better off watching Avatar at home for the sixth time.

What you will see if a healthy Rick Dipietro, or is steady as oak back-up Dwayne Roloson.

You will see a defense corp that will not wilt before your eyes in the third period but a group that can and will stand tall and hold leads. One or two injuries will not cripple team defense as it has in seasons past.

You will see a very young and very fast group of forwards all on the upswing and one 39-year-old who is keeping up with them in Doug Weight.

You will see a 21-year-old sniper John Tavares coming into his own in the NHL beginning to carve out his place in the NHL along side its elite players.

You will see last years success story in Matt Moulson prove he is no one hit wonder.

You will see young forwards making the progress Islander fans have hoped they would.

What you will not see if you buy a ticket in the old barn to see the Islanders play is the home team embarrass itself on the ice, putting a third rate product out there with coaches and management who don't seem to care.

What you won't see is visiting teams come in and treat the Coliseum ice as if they own it. What the Islanders need to see is more blue, orange and white in the stands instead of blue and green empty seats.

Islander fans you are out there. I know there are tens of thousands of Islander fans who still remember the early '80s or younger fans have had their fathers tell them about the great Islander teams of the period.

For the fans who have written this franchise off I say this—It is time to come back to the team. It is time to fill the stands of the Coliseum again and breathe life back into that arena.

Sure its an old outdated arena. Fill it with 15,000 plus fans and no one is going to care.

If you remember the glory days of the Islanders and how much fun it was to go to the Coliseum come on back.

If you remember the Islanders playoff series against the Toronto Maple Leafs then come on back.

You will not be disappointed at the effort and skill this young team is putting on the ice.

Post your thoughts in the comment section below.

(Also be sure to follow the following Islanders players on Twitter.)

Matt Moulson
Rob Schremp
Michael Grabner
Bruno Gervais