Okposo has big Night Saturday Vs. Rangers

Kyle Okposo had a big night Saturday scoring the game-winning boal in overtime over the rival New Yor Rangers. Okposo has played well but struggled statistically at a time where all indication he is a forward that is on the bubble of making the 2010 Team USA for the upcoming Olympics. From the New York Daily News....Full Story Here

The second-year winger picked an opportune time to halt his 18-game goal
slump since mid-November, setting up the first two Islander scores with hard
work and pretty feeds and then netting the game-winner in overtime for a 3-2 win
over the Rangers Saturday night at the Garden.

"Monkey's off the back, and it definitely felt good," Okposo said
after his wrister from inside the blue line deflected off Rangers defenseman Marc Staal and in with 47 seconds left in OT. "(Making the Olympic team) is up to the GMs and coaches making the
decisions, but I'll be tuning in and hopefully will hear my name called.
"I feel like I've played pretty well, but it's not up to me anymore."

Gordon, who will serve as one of Ron Wilson's assistant coaches for the Americans
in Vancouver, can attest that he never was concerned about the rest of Okposo's gritty game being affected by mounting frustration over his scoring woes.

"Kyle's as honest a player as you can have on a team. He's not going to cheat you or cut any corners," Gordon said. "His work ethic is second to none on our team."

Okposo, who led the low-scoring Isles with 18 goals as a rookie last season, had been stuck on five this season since scoring in back-to-back games Nov. 13-14. Still, the 2006 first-round pick now has notched 12 assists during the last 19 games, including a backhanded feed to Frans Nielsen for the Isles' first goal Saturday night.