Brendan Witt is back in the lineup

1:19 PM By Katie Strang

 Defenseman Brendan Witt is back in the lineup for the first time since November 14 against Florida.

Witt was gracious enough to share the frightening family situation that kept him away from the team for part of last week.

Islanders am skate at ACC

11:49 AM By Katie Strang

 Here are the lines today:

Moulson-Tavares-Park

Hunter-Bailey-Sim

Bergenheim-Nielsen-Okposo

Tambellini-Thompson-Jackman

Looks like Schremp and Comeau will be the healthy scratches

D-pairs (Witt is back tonight, remember)

Sutton-Hillen

Streit-Gervais

Witt-Meyer

And if all goes according to rotation, Biron will be in net

Ron Wilson: Tavares a player to be reckoned with

11:42 AM By Katie Strang

 Maple Leafs head coach Ron Wilson talked about the first time seeing Wayne Gretzky play and said he didn't want to like Tavares to The Great One, but that the Islanders No. 1 overall pick does warrant their attention

"You've got to respect these young guys," Wilson said.

Tavares, he said, looks more physically developed than Steve Stamkos did at the beginning of last year.

"He's a guy that has to be reckoned with right off the bat."

And that goes for the whole Islanders team, as far as Wilson is concerned.

"The Islanders are a bubble team, an improved team," he said. "We can't focus on them based on how they were last year."

Tavares ok with some boos

10:59 AM By Katie Strang

 Asked this morning in his pre-skate press conference with the Canadian media what type of reception he expects at the Air Canada Centre tonight, Tavares said he " had no idea."

"I don't think it will be a good one," Tavares said. "But I just want to help us get a win. If that takes some boos, I'm ok with it."

Tavares said his first Leafs game was against St. Louis when he was 8 or 9 years old { "Mats Sundin scored a beauty backhander for the game-winner" ), and that he's looking forward to going against the team he grew up watching.

"The city of Toronto means a lot to me and to go up against the team I grew up cheering for will be fun," Tavares said.

The 19 year-old rookie scoring leader (9 goals, 10 assists) said it was nice to spend some time with family and friends at home and sleep in his own bed for once.

But don't expect him to get too nostalgic.

To end the press conference this morning a reporter asked him if he was still a Leafs fan, and Tavares deadpanned:

"No, not anymore."

Pre-skate press conference

9:19 AM By Katie Strang

 Before the Islanders morning skate, John Tavares will be having some sort of press conference at the Air Canada Centre...

Check back in at 10:30 for more...

More on Tavares' trip to Toronto

Sunday November 22, 2009 9:25 PM By Katie Strang

 Here's my story on Tavares' homecoming

Also, if you haven't yet, check out Arthur Staples column about the improved state of the Isles.

Tavares' homecoming to Toronto

Sunday November 22, 2009 1:45 PM By Katie Strang

 That's how tomorrow's game against the Maple Leafs will be heralded, as John Tavares returns home to play in Toronto.

Just got off the phone with Tavares, who said he expects about 100 family and friends at the game. Quite the cheering section.

"Obviously I won't really know exactly what it will be like, but I think it will be a lot of fun," Tavares said. "To play in front of a lot of the people who helped me get to where I am will be pretty special."

Will have more on this later, but check out my story in tomorrow's paper for all the goods.

Off day for the Islanders as they prepare for the last game of a 7-game road stretch.

**Also, I realized I forgot to post a recap after last night's game, so here you go.

Live Game Thread 23: Isles at Blues

Saturday November 21, 2009 8:05 PM By Katie Strang

 Dwayne Roloson in net. Starters are your usual five: Jackman, Thompson, Park and Gervais and Streit on D. 

Tambellini back in the lineup. And, not a huge surprise. As I predicted via Twitterverse, Blake Comeau sits this one out with Rob Schremp. Brendan Witt also out tonight but he'll be back in the lineup for Monday's game against Toronto.

UPDATE: Islanders trail 2-1 after second period.

Patrik Berglund makes a nice move to cut inside from the right boards, find a shooting lane, and use a fortuitous screen in front of Roloson to give the Blue a 1-goal lead heading into the third period.

UPDATE: Islanders tied 1-1 after first period

The Trent Hunter-to-Josh Bailey connection yields a goal for the second straight game, as Hunter took advantage of a clumsy Blues line change and fed cross-ice to Josh Bailey, whose wrister beat Chris Mason stick-side at 5:10 to give the Islanders a 1-0 lead.

The Blues tied the game less than three minutes later as Eric Brewer unleashes one from the left point to even the score at 8:02.

Tambellini tonight?

Saturday November 21, 2009 5:10 PM By Katie Strang

 We'll find out in the next couple hours, but I know that's a topic that concerns/vexes/puzzles many of you (judging from the amount of emails I've received on the subject).

Tambellini, who went on a streak of 6 goals in 5 games in October including a Halloween night hat trick,  has been scratched the past four games. If he sits again tonight that will be the tenth game he has been scratched this season. An up-and-down season? That's a bit of an understatement.

"There have definitely been some peaks and valleys," Tambellini said. "It's been eventful, but I choose to take the positives from it."

Tambellini knows there isn't much he can do at this point but to bide his time, work hard in practice, and wait for his opportunity to get back into the lineup and show what he can do.

Scott Gordon said he has sat Tambellini because the 25 year-old winger got away from the things that made him successful during previous stints this year.

"Going to the tough areas, winning puck battles, getting into shooting lanes," Gordon said of the details lacking from Tambellini lately."When you stop doing the little things and you don't score, what are your contributions?"

It remains to be seen whether he'll will get his chance tonight, or anytime soon, but Tambellini remembers the last time he had success off the bench. That's what he'll shoot for again once he gets his chance.

"I don't ever doubt I can come back and play," Tambellini said. "I feel good about my game still."