I didn't make it to breakdown day at the Coliseum until almost noon. Interviews had been going on since 10 am. When I got there, I saw something that made me incredibly sad.
But it is May after all and the Islanders will take a little break before returning for another season. At least today wasn't quite as sad as some in the past. There is a lot to be happy about now.
Year after year the words “no identity” were used to describe the New York Islanders. It was discussed on the airwaves, in print and around the Internet. They had a star, but they just had no real definition. Today, as they left for the summer, those I had the pleasure of being there to speak to, talked about finding that identity and buying in.
When Kyle Okposo was a guest on the Butch Goring show, he said they “figured it out.” They evolved and picked up their game, Grit, heart and passion. Jack Capuano said in his post final game report. He invoked the name of Al Arbour and the Dynasty teams of old. “Blue Collar” he called them. Leaving it all on the ice. He was proud of his team. So are the fans.
Stan Fischler asked Casey Cizikas if it was fair to call this team ‘Blue Collar?” “That’s EXACTLY what we are. We’re a team that works extremely hard. That doesn’t mind getting in those dirty areas. That’s when our season turned around, everyone started buying in. Everyone was starting to hit. Every guy almost had a hit per game. Everyone was laying the body out there. It’s something exciting to see and it’s something we’re going to take pride in.”
While Cizikas made everyone take notice with his play, he understands his place, or at least where he thinks he fits in.
“I know I’m not a top six forward. I know that. But I want to be that energy guy. I want to be the guy that goes out there with a ton of momentum and maybe get that big hit or maybe that key goal. I want to be the player that they look at as we’re going to send him out there and get the guys going. That’s something I can take pride in. It’s something I’m going to try to accomplish next year.”
Casey was asked how it felt to play when the barn was rocking. “I didn’t expect that. It’s incredibly emotional, I really didn’t expect it. Even though we lost the series, they showed their support the whole way.” The one thing he says he will always remember is game three, when he was waiting to come out “…and I could hear the crowd chanting, I could hear them yelling. I’m kind of getting them now-- I had chills down my back. That’s something that you can’t repeat. You want to go out there. That’s what makes hockey so much fun. It’s a feeling you can’t even explain.”
I asked if it was difficult to play the same team six games in a row, Casey was honest. “Yeah, you kind of develop a hate for each other when you play the same team. That’s what playoffs are all about. What happens in game one is still around in game five or game six. That’s the way it is. “
While you wouldn’t think Casey was good with numbers, he reminded us it was only 110 days until next season. And that’s what he’s looking forward to. He knows how hard he will have to compete and have that willingness to battle. Game in and Game out, he said he’ll have to bring his A game.
I have no doubt this kid will.
Sideboards: Just a few other observations from today. Evgeni Nabokov is quite the snazzy dresser. Travis Hamonic doesn't have lotto numbers tattooed on his arm, they remind him of his family's birthdays. But he should play them in lotto. Colin McDonald is a great interview. He went on for almost 11 minutes. Stan Fischler isn't the Maven for nothing, he asks the best questions. And, John Tavares has improved his golf game but can't play tennis.
New York Islanders Blogger • 
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