Isles eat right, dress right, play right?

John Tavares likes "to have some ice cream on the day of games at a certain time." P.A. Parenteau eats chicken parmesan before every game. "Been doing it for, like, three or four years now," he said. Kyle Okposo dons his game equipment in essentially the same order, though he considers that a "pre-game routine" rather than superstition.

In sports, such attempts to please the gods of competition are legion, and the Islanders are no different. Skill, preparation and focus are of the highest priority, of course, but why take any chances in terms of encountering good fortune?

Islanders coach Jack Capuano declared himself "the most superstitious guy, probably. It starts from home, different ties I wear and how I drive to the rink and my daily routine. When I eat and all kinds of crazy things."

Even basketball superstar Michael Jordan, whose talent has widely been judged the most abundant in his sport's history, nevertheless was reported to wear North Carolina blue shorts - from his alma mater - under his Chicago Bulls pro uniform for luck.

Tavares said he has "too many" superstitions to count, some going back to his days in junior hockey. "It all becomes routine," he said. "I always get loosened up by the same trainer, same time, that sort of thing. Sometimes, it's just the way you tie your laces."

Linemate Matt Moulson also acknowleged having "a bunch of" superstitions. "Little things; I don't even notice them sometimes. Wake up the same time on game day, have one of the trainers always give me my gloves [before going on the ice]. One I have that goes way back is I always shoot three pucks at the net at the end of warmups."

Moulson puts his hockey stick in the same place before every game. Where, he said, is "secret. Can't tell you that."

Not that he can point to a direct correlation between these practices and success on the ice. "No," he said with a laugh. "No evidence it works. In my mind, I think part of superstitions is just when you're doing them, you feel mentally ready, mentally prepared. Not whether it works or whatever, but you're at ease when you're playing. I think that's why most people have them. It puts your mind at ease."

Defenseman Andrew MacDonald's take is that, "obviously, while it's a big tradition to have playoff beards and stuff that people think is good luck and whatnot, there's always a loser on the end of that, too. When you win, obviously, you think it works, but I just think every day brings something different so, in fact, I try to do something different every game.

"While you have routines, I don't have a thing where I put a certain skate on first or do stuff at different times. Just try to go slow and be mentally prepared."

So while Parenteau always puts on his left skate first, forward Zenon Knonopka "used to have a ton" of superstitions, he said, "then I'm like, 'Forget this.' I used to tape my stick the same way, put on my skates the same way, all that stuff. Now I just get the trainer to tape my stick. It's just positive thinking. Positive thinking."

Okposo, though admitting to some quirks of ritual, said he is "not one of those guys whose whole game is going to be messed up because I didn't do something the same way." Besides, when favorable results aren't forthcoming - as with the end to the Islanders' four-game winning streak last week - "I'll probably change a couple of things," Okposo said. "Just keep going; there's ups and downs."

Capuano, meanwhile, has a superstition strategy after such a loss. "Now we've got to have new superstitions," he said.