Tambellini raring to get back in lineup for Islanders
Photo credit: Getty Images | Jeff Tambellini dressed for the first time in 10 games and played more than 12 minutes in the Islanders' 2-1 shootout win.
ST. LOUIS, Mo. - To say Jeff Tambellini has had his fair share of highs and lows this season is an understatement.
When asked to characterize how this season has been, Tambellini took a long, reflective pause.
"It's been eventful," he said. "But I choose to take the positive from it."
Twenty-three games into the Islanders' season, Tambellini's sometimes turbulent year has left him at both ends of the spectrum.
There have been down times - Tambellini already has been scratched for stretches of at least four games twice this season.
But there also has been an upside in which Tambellini seemed to finally arrive as a bona fide NHL player, most notably his streak of six goals in five games in October, including a hat trick on Halloween.
"There have definitely been some peaks and valleys," Tambellini said.
Tambellini, who had six assists and three goals in 13 games before last night's game against St. Louis, sat five straight games after playing in the Islanders' season opener against Pittsburgh Oct. 3. When he returned Oct. 21, he had eight points in his next eight games, but his production tapered off in the next four games.
Tambellini then found himself out of the lineup. Coach Scott Gordon scratched him for four games, including Friday night's loss to Minnesota. He returned to the lineup against the Blues.
The reason? Gordon said Tambellini has gotten away from the things that brought him success earlier this season.
"Going to the tough areas, winning puck battles, getting into shooting lanes," Gordon said. "When you stop doing the little things and you don't score, what are your contributions?"
Tambellini demonstrated a willingness to do those little things while he was playing well, but Gordon said he began to neglect those crucial details.
"Habits can creep into your game," Gordon said. "Just as much as positive ones can creep into your game, negative ones can, too."
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 in the lineup.
One source of comfort during this difficult time is his faith in his capabilities. Despite his absence from the lineup, Tambellini remembers the success he had off the bench earlier this season as he helped lead the Islanders to their season-best four-game winning streak from Oct. 28 to Nov. 2.
"It's hard," Tambellini said, "but all I can do is be ready to go so when I get back in, I play the way I know I can."
And regardless of the frustration he has experienced while watching games from the pressbox, Tambellini said he's confident he'll prove himself once he's re-inserted into the lineup.
"I don't ever doubt I can come back and play," Tambellini said. "I feel good about my game still.''
