Twenty plus games have been played by teams in the "New NHL." Many teams have been adjusting and re-adjusting to the changes in the rules and patterns of this offensive oriented league. For Steve Stirling and the Islanders, it has been a learning process of the highest magnitude, as the men of Uniondale have suffered through strong road trips and some absolutely difficult games at home to watch. However, as bad as the latter may seem to sound, the Islanders are hanging around the middle of the pack as the Holiday Season approaches.

Rick DiPietro: There are times that this guy is a world-beater, capable of winning a game on his own. However, the occasional sloppy goal comes and returns him to the human race. Eliminating that situation would make his mark improve dramatically. B-

Garth Snow: The gutsy veteran; if he could play against the Flyers 50 games a year, he would be in at least 45 of them. He plays a smart game, and on many occasions, has saved the team. B

Defensemen:

Chris Campoli: What a nice story. A mid round draft pick takes off in Bridgeport the year before; then makes the big club this season. Improving with each game, he has shown tremendous progress. Getting involved in critical situations. Should end up being a Top 5 for the Calder, if he keeps it up. B

Brad Lukowich: Solid defensive player. Rarely makes critical mistakes. Loves to hit, and got the game winner against the Flyers in Philly. Good leader and will be depended upon in the stretch. B

Radek Martinek: Could not understand how he was not playing to start the season, but Stirling put him in and #24 has not looked back. Solid play and good skills have kept him in the lineup. Has done well being paired with Campoli. B-

Janne Niinimaa: The biggest disappointment this season, bar none. Leads the league in minor penalties, and has made many bone-headed mistakes costing goals and penalty killing situations. Probably the one that the fans most want to see hung at the stake. F

Tomi Pettinen: Started out horribly, then was put to the scratched squad for fifteen straight games before being called up recently. Did improve slightly, but is definitely not NHL material. D

Brent Sopel: Had a great start, but had a wrist injury which forced him to lose some time. Took a while to get back, but has done an adequate job. He needs to be a little stronger with pushing the puck up on the power play. C

Alexei Zhitnik: There are times where #77 is so solid, and a great help to his goalie. Then, on occasion, he gets back to the clutching and grabbing, which has caused him to be fourth in the league in minor penalties. If he gets simple, very few defensemen are better. He has to remember that. C+

Aaron Asham: Bounced around from fourth line to first line and everywhere in between. Has done a yeoman’s job, looking good on the front line with Alexei Yashin. However, he is inconsistent, which make him Steve Stirling’s ping-pong ball. C+

Shawn Bates: A hard working start for him provided some nice results, especially during the recent road trip. His unfortunate hamstring injury will have him out until January. This team needs him back, despite some dissension in the 300 sections and some Islander message boards. B+

Jason Blake: "Here I come to save the day!!!" was the old slogan for Mighty Mouse. The character has been reincarnated as #55. The only negative thing I can say about the Minnesota boy, is the fact that he can sometimes hold the puck too long and sometimes does not play well with others. But if you want an annoying pest, he is your man! B+

Eric Godard: The new NHL does not give players like Eric the essential playing time. With only 10 working forwards against Philly, he actually got ice time, even with Yashin as well. However, I really think his roster spot is being wasted, and with offense so important in this game, the need for an extra speedy winger is warranted. No disrespect to Eric, he has always played hard, but is he needed? D

Trent Hunter: Is this a classic example of the sophomore jinx? I think it is. He has been totally snakebit, having 12 shots in one game with nothing hitting twine. I also think that he has been a victim of questionable line creations from his coach. He needs confidence and some lucky goals to get him going. He has only 3 goals. Michael Ryder, his Calder trophy competition last season has 11. Enough said. D

Oleg Kvasha: I expected big things from him this season. I am still waiting for a glimpse of SOMETHING. F

Robert Nilsson: Many questioned keeping him up and keeping guys like Bergenheim and Papineau down on the farm. He has some excellent moves and shown signs of breaking out. However, as a rookie and with 20+ games of North American experience, he needs some fine tuning. I like his effort, and I really expect to see some great things from him. C

Petteri Nokelainen: Similar situation to Nilsson. However, out with a serious knee injury with no timetable for his return. Was playing well before the injury. C

Mark Parrish: Either getting married has blurred his vision, or he is lost. He has also been a victim of the line juggling slot machine known as Steve Stirling, but has not stepped up to the plate. D

Miroslav Satan: Has always been known to be a hot and cold player and has shown signs of just that. He is still on pace for 30+ goals for the season. He needs to take over some games and show the crowd the kind of player that he really is. B-

Mattias Weinhandl: After leading the Swedish lead in scoring (beating the likes of Peter Forsberg), you would have thought that he would step up his game by leaps and bounds. However, he has spent most of the season on the fourth line, and has images of stepping up. He just has not taken advantage of it. D+

Alexei Yashin: Has done everything that the captain is supposed to do. He is constantly double and triple teamed, but in those moments, still gets to send a great pass off to someone that will produce a scoring chance. Fans are expecting to see Gretzky-like numbers, but he has done well, and is trying to be a complete player. A-

Mike York: See Trent Hunter and Mark Parrish for his description. Just needs to step up the game. C-

Steve Stirling: Does not have the confidence of the fans; ask Section 317. I do not think that he gives line combinations enough time to get together. He pulls the trigger too quickly. The special teams, the critical component of the new NHL, has not come together the way they should. They penalty kill did well during the road trip, but has quickly sputtered since. He has benched and made players suffer when they play bad, but too many has skated under the radar. He publicly yelled at Janne Niinimaa, but did not bench him. He needs to do a better job. Good thing the fans do not control his fate. C-

Tune in again in another twenty games, and let’s compare the grades. Do they improve? Do they suffer? Only time will tell.