Climate Change

At Okposo Net, we don't sleep. And we're information junkies. So when trawling the major Internet news outlets for fresh tidings late, late last night (or more accurately early, early this morning), we were a bit taken aback when we saw the following on CNN's main page:



"Ho, what's this?" our sleep-deprived mind wondered. An Islanders story? On the main page? And why would they go to a climate meeting?

But before even clicking on the link, we knew that this had nothing to do with our New York Islanders. As the eyes scanned the headline again, we could already tell it was just a tale of Papua New Guineans seeking relief from the adverse effects of global warming.

However, and of more relevance to us, is the lack of change in the climate currently surrounding the Islanders hockey club. Still no offense. Still no media coverage.

The latter is a constant, so let's deal with the former. After the latest whipping at the hands of Boston (a team that hadn't won on Long Island in 10 previous tries, mind you), the Isles were still searching for answers.

Despite shuffling lines and calling up Jeff Tambellini, coach Nolan still hadn't brewed a magic elixir potent enough to wake up the sticks. He could only offer hope that things would turn positive once the team got out on the road for the upcoming contests. He reflected on missed chances in the just-completed game (3-1 Bruins, by the way) and believed that things would start clicking sooner rather than later.

More of the same was echoed by captain Bill Guerin, who opined that getting the team back on a winning track isn't like splitting the atom. That said, his recent on-ice production during the current drought has been equal to that of Enrico Fermi or Robert Oppenheimer. In other words, zilch.

But there's plenty of blame to go around, and it's unfair to lay it at the feet of the always-quotable Guerin. It's a team-wide slumber. Passes that were hitting sticks a month ago have inexplicably missed their marks. Potential goals have slid past empty nets. And right now as fans we just feel like griping about it. Throughout the final period boos were heard and an unflattering chant reared its head.

But we want to add that from what we observed in the crowd, the fans are still behind this squad. We know everyone at Okposo Net is. So let's hope that as the Isles embark on a southern swing this week (the first three are at Atlanta, Florida, and Tampa) the offense will thaw and the seasonal outlook will again brighten.