Atlantic: Isles have been the surprise at the head of the class

Six weeks into the season, the New York Islanders are the hottest team in the Atlantic and beating up on division opponents.

When you saw Ryan Smyth, Jason Blake, Alexei Yashin, Viktor Kozlov and Richard Zednik flee Long Island over the summer, you must have wondered how low those Islanders would sink in the Atlantic Division this season.

That five-man group accounted for 126 goals last season, more than half of the Islanders’ total offense. You also have must wondered if newcomers Bill Guerin, Mike Comrie and Ruslan Fedotenko, along with holdover Miro Satan, could carry the offensive load for coach Ted Nolan’s vagabonds.

Well, here we are six weeks into the season and the Islanders are the hottest team in the Atlantic, beating up on division opponents, turning the tables on those who thought they would be bottom feeders this season.

“We're a resilient bunch,” said goaltender Rick DiPietro, who was tied for third in wins with eight entering this week’s divisional games against the Flyers, Penguins and Devils.

“This is a real good character kind of team that doesn't quit,” echoed Nolan.

After starting the season with a 3-3 record, the Isles went 6-1, taking points away from the Devils with a pair of wins, the Penguins and the Rangers. They currently are halfway through a defining eight-game stretch against Atlantic opponents.

Unlike last season, when the Flyers were out of the Atlantic Division race by Halloween, this year’s battle for the division title looks like it could be the closest in the NHL. This week started with just six points separating the first-place Flyers and the last-place Devils.

The Isles entered Monday night’s game in Philadelphia just two points out of the lead, thanks to the late-game heroics of Satan.

Satan was Mr. Clutch last week, scoring third-period game-winners in consecutive wins over the Penguins, Rangers and Devils. Satan made up for a slow start (one goal in his first 10 games) by netting four third-period goals in three-straight games.

“It’s pointless to analyze it,” Satan said. “I'm just glad to help the team.”

Satan, who is in the final year of his contract with the Isles, entered the week as one of five Islanders forwards with five goals. The others are Comrie, Guerin, Fedotenko and Josef Vasicek.

So, who said GM Garth Snow didn’t have a plan last summer when he signed Guerin to a two-year deal worth $9 million, Comrie to a one-year deal worth $3.375 million and Fedotenko to one-year deal worth $2.9 million.

“I think Snowy did a great job over the summer,” Flyers General Manager Paul Holmgren said. “He picked up some players who were leaders and he’s got a very competitive team. And (Ted) Nolan has always been a good coach.”

You won’t find any Islanders among the league leaders in scoring, but Nolan has spread offensive balance throughout his forward lines. Comrie, who scored 20 goals for Phoenix and Ottawa last season, leads the Isles with five goals and 15 points on a top line with wingers Fedotenko (5-6-11) and Trent Hunter (4-3-7).

Six-foot-five center Vasicek, who scored just six goals last season for the Predators and Hurricanes, has brought a physical presence to the second line, where he centers Richard Park and Satan. With five goals, Vasicek needs just one more to match last season’s total.

New York Islanders head coach Ted Nolan has gotten his team to play hard without going to the penalty box.

Nolan’s third line has some sandpaper with Mike Sillinger centering captain Guerin and Andy Hilbert. And Chris Simon, Ben Walter and Tim Jackman keep teams honest with their hard-nosed play.

Nolan has gotten his team to play hard without going to the penalty box. They entered this week with the second-fewest penalties in the NHL, saving most of their special teams work for the power play, where Fedotenko and Guerin each have three goals.

Does this mean the Islanders are a kinder, gentler team under Nolan? Not exactly.

“It means we’re not skating from behind,” Nolan said, “and we're in good position.”

On the back end, Brendan Witt, Radek Martinek, Andy Sutton, Marc-Andre Bergeron, Chris Campoli and Bruno Gervais have been quietly effective and on Saturday the Isles re-claimed Freddy Meyer off waivers after seeing him claimed by the Phoenix Coyotes.

The Islanders’ unheralded defense was blitzed for 16 goals in a pair of losses, but in the Isles’ nine wins, they’ve surrendered just 16 goals.

Of course, the Islanders’ playoff chances this season will fall on the shoulders of goaltender Rick DiPietro, who was forced to watch the end of last season from the injury list as backup Wade Dubielewicz pulled off a miracle finish.

DiPietro entered this week with an 8-3 record and a 2.44 goals-against average. So toss out those preseason predictions. The Islanders are looking very much like a playoff team in a much-improved and incredibly close Atlantic Division.

Around the Atlantic -- Even without Simon Gagne the Flyers’ power play remains in the top third in the NHL. Defenseman Kimmo Timonen, who plays the point on the man-advantage, scored one goal and set up three others in a 5-2 win over the Penguins Saturday night. … Pittsburgh’s Sidney Crosby extended his point streak to a career-high 16 games with an assist in the loss to the Flyers. The Pens, however, entered the week having lost five of their last six games. “We’ve got to step up in some way," said Crosby, who has nine goals and 16 assists during his streak, which began after his scoreless season opener. "We couldn't kill our penalties and it hurt us. We can't get down two and three goals. It makes it easier for a team to play against you." …The Devils have converted 14.1 percent of their power plays, one of the lowest marks in the League. The Devils are 0-for-18 with the man advantage in their last five games. … Martin Brodeur is still waiting for his 500th NHL victory. It’s a good bet Brodeur’s milestone victory will come at the expense of a division opponent. The Devils’ next four foes are the Penguins, Rangers, Islanders and Flyers.