Islanders upset about lack of respect

NEWARK

You'll forgive the Islanders if they once again feel like the NHL's stepchildren.

Saturday, in a matchup of the two hottest teams from the bottom half of the Eastern Conference, the Islanders grabbed a point. But they were left feeling as though referees Stephane Auger and Chris Lee were more interested in keeping the Devils' juggernaut going than in seeing which squad could take the extra point.

The Islanders had 15 shots on goal and 11 seconds of power-play time. The Devils had three power plays in the third period -- and also had one player, David Clarkson, chirping insults at Islanders coach Jack Capuano and his assistants during the game.

That was too much for Frans Nielsen, the mild-mannered Dane who was in the penalty box for the final 8:33 of regulation and most of overtime thanks to the first misconduct of his career.

"I tried to talk to [Auger] because they had some guys who were saying things to Cappy," Nielsen said. "I've never seen that before, a guy talking to the other team's coach. So I went over to [Auger] to just let him know that this wasn't right, and he kind of lost it on me, told me to get lost.

"Then, when Hammy [Travis Hamonic] got the penalty, 2-2 game and they already had power plays in the third, I just lost it a little bit. Maybe I shouldn't do that, but it wasn't right."

The Islanders have suffered a million tiny cuts these last few years -- many self-inflicted, some not. Charles Wang's quest for the Lighthouse Project stalled out, and now, with a low payroll and low attendance, the indignities are piling up.

From Evgeni Nabokov's refusal to report after being claimed off waivers in December to the overzealous and over-the-line retribution on the Penguins a month ago -- plus more than 500 man-games lost to injury, a goaltending rotation to make your head spin and Trevor Gillies' 19 games' worth of suspensions -- many of the Islanders feel like marked men.

That they were willing to speak openly about the officials and Clarkson's insults, at risk of fines from the NHL, speaks to how much frustration has built up over this season and the two before that.

"Maybe it's a rookie coach," Capuano said. "Maybe if we win a few more games . . . "

They have trumpeted their tight-knit group often this season, and their 21-14-6 record in the last 41 games is an indication that the Islanders are not far off, even if this season seems an impossible climb, with only a dozen games left and nine points to make up.

They have some pieces in place for next season, including the coach who Clarkson saw fit to disrespect. Capuano brushed off the insults, saying there were bigger issues from the game.

His players, in the heat of the postgame, were angry. Some of them cried conspiracy on Auger and Lee, saying they felt the officials saw the Devils' amazing run as more important than their own impressive comeback this season.

Nielsen, who along with Andrew MacDonald are the glue guys on this team, was shocked that a referee would blow his stack on a player. "When you wear an 'A' [for alternate captain], I don't know why you shouldn't be able to talk to the refs," he said. "I just wanted to talk to him."

Even after two months of good work, the Islanders found out Saturday night that it takes more than a few dozen good games to keep everyone from piling on.