Biron's prepared to make best of goalie situation for Islanders

Martin Biron was so frustrated at the trading deadline on Wednesday that he spoke with everyone he could think of, including himself.

The result was reflected in a talk with Islanders coach Scott Gordon, with the goalie recalling his own part this way: "Am I disappointed? Yes. But starting tomorrow morning, I'm turning the switch and, boom, we're going."

Getting going instead of being gone; that's how Biron sees the season's final stretch. He doesn't deny the bewilderment he shared Wednesday with general manager Garth Snow, Gordon and teammates, but he is prepared to make a go of it.

"I want to play. I want to go in," he said. "I sat long enough this year. I sat for a long, long time. I got a chance to play a couple of games before the Olympic break and I got a taste of victory and feeling good again. I want to go out there, I want to start some games, I want to play."

When he signed with the Islanders last summer, Biron felt assured he either would play or be dealt. But Rick DiPietro's return proved complicating rather than liberating for him. Biron became a distant third on the depth chart, which didn't help his market value.

Another complication: DiPietro was placed on injured reserve with swelling in his knee this week. Snow retained all three goalies, a decision criticized by players in a Newsday story Friday.

"There was a lot of stress leading up to the deadline," Biron said Friday, hinting that two days earlier, he second-guessed himself about having signed with the Islanders.

"You take the rest of the day, you have different things going through your head," he said. "But you can't live in the past. You can't re-evaluate whether you personally could have done something else, maybe made a better decision . . . Was it hard? It was hard, but now it's over and you move forward."

Gordon said he will start whichever goalie is hot. "I think hockey is a day-to-day situation," he said. "Whether there's a deadline or not, you can get traded at any time. You can get bought out at any time, you can get sent to the minors at any time. You know what? It didn't happen, and whether you wanted it to happen or didn't want it to happen, the bottom line is your job is still the same. You're expected to perform."

Notes & quotes: John Tavares had new linemates at practice, Matt Moulson and Blake Comeau, in an effort to spark him. "I'm getting that confidence back,'' Tavares said. "This is the highest level in the world and I'm only 19 years old. Sometimes I have to put a little less pressure on myself."