Struggling Okposo says Olympics aren't affecting him
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Kyle Okposo
Vancouver, 2010. The Olympics. Minnesota-born Kyle Okposo certainly does not deny his desire to play for Team USA, but at this moment he's mired in some hard luck for the Islanders.
Okposo has five goals and 11 assists but has not scored a goal in the last nine games. But he has 15 shots in the last four games, and that can be a positive sign.
"It's good to be able to say he's snake-bit,'' coach Scott Gordon said, "in that if he's snake-bit, you have to have some opportunities. He's had opportunities every game and they are just not going in for him.''
Okposo isn't blaming his drought on any preoccupation with the Olympics. "Not at all,'' he said Monday. "Obviously, it is something I'd like to play in, but you know, my first obligation is here to this team. If I make that team, great. But I'm focused on the New York Islanders right now.
"If you are not playing well and you're not getting chances, then there is something really wrong . . . I'm going to continue to keep shooting every chance I get and hopefully, I'll get a bounce there.
"It would be great to make the team and I would love to have that opportunity to put that USA on your chest and represent your country. It would be a great honor.''
Teammate John Tavares knows what the Olympics would mean to Okposo, but he said that is being dialed down at the moment. "He's a big part of our team,'' Tavares said. "I think that's the pressure he puts on himself the most, more than worrying about the Olympics.''
Okposo is thought to be on the bubble for Team USA, which will be coached by the Maple Leafs' Ron Wilson. Gordon will be one of the assistants, but he isn't on the phone with Wilson promoting Okposo.
"You can be asked about your players, but at the end of the day, I think it is the general managers ,'' Gordon said. "It has to be the general managers because they are the ones who are seeing all the players. They are kind of an independent source. They can go watch the opposition play and look at things objectively.''
Wilson will get an in-person look at Okposo Wednesday when the Isles visit Toronto. "I'm sure they watched more than enough games on most of the players,'' Okposo said. "They have four different scouts, GMs, that I know of who are involved in the process, so they are at more of your games than you think. Just because we are up there doesn't mean it's anything different."
But a good performance certainly would help.
