(Long Island, N.Y.) It would be easy to use all of the arena/possible moving talks as a distraction, but the New York Islanders are playing so bad that can’t even be used as an excuse. The 2011-12 NHL season is still young, per say, but the team is already entrenched in last place in not only the Atlantic Division but Eastern Conference, as well, with only 13 points. If it were not for the also-hapless Columbus Bluejackets (12 points), the Isles would trail the entire league.

They have now lost 12 of their last 14 games and are still winless (0-5-2) away from the “friendly” confines of the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum. In their most recent contests – both losses, of course – the Islanders have been outscored 11-0. That’s embarrassing and something that needs to be addressed before it gets even worse, if that’s possible.

Head coach Jack Capuano should be looking over his shoulder if he isn’t already, knowing that it was a similar situation a year ago that resulted in him taking over for the fired Scott Gordon. Although general manager Garth Snow recently told Newsday that he “has no intention to replace our coach,” that can be the kiss of death at times.

Capuano did admit to ESPNNewYork.com’s Katie Strang that recent meetings with his GM covered many topics, but his job status was not one of them. “We’ve got to ignite some fire into our lineup,” the second-year coach told Strang. “I talked to Garth about that and we’ll see what takes place for our roster (versus the Philadelphia Flyers).”

Part of that spark that Capuano is looking for is from the netminder, and that position has been a revolving door of three candidates without one coming through strongly enough to be considered the obvious frontrunner. So far, the Islanders have been going with the hot hand.

Al Montoya has been the most consistent with a 2-2-1 mark and a 2.43 goals against average. Rick DiPietro has a similar record (one added tie to go along with the .500 win/loss), but his GGA is higher at 3.35. Evengi Nabokov has a decent GAA (2.83), but is 1-5. Anders Nilsson has played in two games and is 0-1, 4.85 GAA.

But the main issue is not who is stopping potential goals, but scoring them. There is not one player with double-digit goal totals on the roster. Center John Tavares leads the squad with 16 points (eight goals, eight assists) and has four power play tallies. But following him, the stat sheet is akin to a Bingo board in the early rounds.

There is so much going on behind the scenes with the plans for a refurbished Coliseum and what the options are if that does not occur. The last thing that owner Charles Wang wants to do is move out of Long Island – or even New York, for that matter. But the reality of the situation is that the more the team struggles, the possibility of them moving to somewhere such as Kansas City becomes even greater.

The pattern has been set and the team’s doldrums grow with each loss.

(Long Island, N.Y.) Rex Ryan was boastful at the start of the season. Nothing out of the ordinary for the brash head coach of the New York Jets, but this was even a little strong for him. With the victory over New England in the divisional round of the AFC playoffs last year, Ryan was confident in his team’s ability to continue that into the present campaign.

He made a public plea for someone else other than the Jets to beat the Patriots, opening the door for his team to win the AFC East and receive a home playoff game in the process. There was one small problem, though.

The Jets haven’t held up their end of the bargain.

Sure, the Pats have been defeated so far this season by the likes of the Buffalo Bills, New York Giants and Pittsburgh Steelers, but they have dominated the Jets in their two head-to-head meetings in 2011.

On the road earlier in the season is one thing, but getting trounced in front of your own fans on national television with first place on the line is another. The Jets were swept by the Patriots for the first time since 2007 and are once again looking up at their rivals in the standings following the 37-16 loss at MetLife Stadium.

When asked if the division was still attainable, Rex Ryan answered honestly. “I don’t think so right now,” the head coach said. “They beat us twice. We think we’re as good as they are, but clearly, we’re not. We weren’t today, that’s for sure.”

Mark Sanchez also realizes the opportunity that wasn’t taken advantage of and knows that the team cannot lament on it for too long. “Any time you don’t play your best, it’s frustrating and all you want to do is play again,” the Jets signal caller said. “So if there was any time to get rid of a loss quickly, this is the time.”

Sanchez and his teammates will have the opportunity in just a few days, as the schedule maker wasn’t kind to the Jets in a Thursday night follow-up in Denver after a Sunday night game. “We have to get ready to go down there,” Ryan added. “With the way Denver’s playing, we know it’s going to be a tough game. But we have to get this thing behind us and go play Denver.”

In the other locker room, Bill Belichick wasn’t popping open any champagne bottles just yet. “Of course the division games are important, no doubt,” the Patriots head coach said. “But we’re not even at Thanksgiving yet. There’s a lot of football left in the season. One football game won’t win you much. But it’s a good win and we’re happy to have it.”

It may just be one game, but New England holds more than the tie breaker with the Jets. They have erased a good part of what that postseason loss meant and are once again in control and the team to beat in the AFC East.

Exactly what Ryan was talking about back in July.

(Long Island, N.Y.) Getting his team ready in the huddle, it was difficult not to think back on a similar situation that worked out quite well for him and his teammates. Even at a time where total concentration on the present is paramount, Eli Manning found his mind drifting, albeit so slightly.

“(I was just thinking about) the fact that the last time when we played we had a two minute drive to win the game,” the Giants quarterback said, referring to another late win in his career. As Manning readied his squad for a crucial third down play from the New England one-yard line with 19 seconds remaining, no one could fault him for envisioning his greatest moment as a pro against these same Patriots in the waning minutes of Super Bowl XLII in Glendale, Arizona.

In a see-saw battle that had the Pats come back from a ten-point deficit and then score a late touchdown to go ahead by three, the Giants could have played it safe and kicked the game-tying field goal. But Manning was glad that they kept at it after being stopped on the the first two plays after being given a first-and-goal following a pass interference penalty in the end zone.

“You never want to take it into overtime,” he said. “You always want to get the win, if possible. But fortunately enough, we made some big plays. We got into a situation where we could be aggressive and go for the touchdown.”

Tom Coughlin never thought about kicking on third down. “We have to be playing for the win,” the head coach said. “That’s what we were thinking all the way.”

The play that was called ended up being a pass to Jake Ballard, who made a 28-yard reception on 3rd down and 10 earlier in the drive that kept the G-Men alive. The tight end was able to find an open spot in the end zone and Manning hit him.

“The offensive line pinched and I ended up getting off quick and breaking it out because I knew I had to get separation from the linebacker,” said Ballard. “As soon as I turned around, Eli threw it and it was there. I was just concentrating really hard to make sure that I caught the ball.”

That he did and the Giants improved to 6-2 with a quality win over arguably the best team in the league. Because it occurred in New England made the win even sweeter. The Patriots had won 20 games in a row at Gillette Stadium and this was also the first time the two teams have met since that classic in February of 2008. In case a reminder is needed, that loss snapped New England’s attempt at a perfect season.

It seems as if the Giants are making a habit of bursting the Patriots’ bubble and spoiling their party. And both times, Eli Manning was at the center of it.

(Long Island, N.Y.) When the offseason abruptly began for the New York Yankees, there were two moves that needed to be made before anything else was addressed. General manager Brian Cashman’s contract was up and it was basically a formality when he was re-signed.

Such was not the case with number one starter CC Sabathia, who had an opt-out clause in his contract that everyone expected him to use in order to get even more money. It was also the worst kept secret that he would stay in the Bronx, albeit with a fatter wallet.

But the lefthander decided not to make the move and will honor the remainder of his free agent contract he signed three years ago. But it’s not as if Sabathia is giving any hometown discount. He signed a one-year extension for $25 million and is now signed throughout the 2016 season, with a vesting team option for the following year.

“I was confident that we would get to an agreement,” Sabathia said to reporters. “I wanted to stay here, I wanted to be here, I love it here. I love pitching here, I love being a part of the Yankees organization and I’m so happy to be able to come to an agreement.”

With a 19-8, 3.00 ERA this past season, Sabathia, 31, was consistent on a staff that was anything but. He led the team to the American League East crown and a third consecutive playoff appearance. Since coming to New York, Sabathia is 59-23 with a 3.18 ERA and has been everything the Yankees expected.

On the eve of his own official return, Cashman commented on the Sabathia deal. “CC is the ace of our pitching staff, a leader in the clubhouse and a driving force for the Yankees in the community,” he said. “He is exactly the type (of) player that Yankees fans and this organization can be proud of. We are excited that he will be wearing the pinstripes for many years to come.”

Now Cashman can focus on surrounding Sabathia with other quality arms. While it will not be an easy task, it is one that the general manager welcomes. Following the signing of a three-year deal, he flat-out stated, “The main focus will be on the rotation.”

Exactly who he goes after remains to be seen, but a good bet is that C.J. Wilson will get a call from Cashman. The lefthanded ace of the Texas Rangers is expected to test the free agent waters and probably out price himself on returning to the two-time American League champions. The same scenario took place a year ago when Cliff Lee was all but wearing pinstripes before the Phillies swooped in with an 11th hour deal to bring him to Philadelphia.

Besides Wilson, the other big names on the market are righthanders Mark Buehrle (White Sox) and Roy Oswalt (Phillies). The Yankees will no doubt make very generous offers to one if not all of them, depending on how the market is.

But that is all second compared to bringing back their two most important names in Cashman and Sabathia.

(Long Island, N.Y.) Even the most talented athletes have to shake the rust off at times. In the case of Plaxico Burress, nearly two years without football was a hurdle he needed to overcome. Besides that, the labor issues caused him to sit around even longer once he was released from prison.

But the talented wide receiver seems to be heating up at just the right time and made a huge impact last Sunday with three touchdown receptions. “We’ve been working so hard at it in practice,” he said following the New York Jets 27-21 win over the San Diego Chargers. “I was just being patient. Schotty (offensive coordinator Brian Schotenheimer) stuck with me and was still calling the plays. Just working hard in practice and seeing the results in practice. I said, ‘There is going to come a time in the game where these things are going to click,’ and today we just had a great day.”

Frustration had been setting in for the former Giant and he had publicly called for more looks to come his way. But his head coach knows that he is a team player. “Obviously he wants to catch passes and everything else,” Rex Ryan said. “But last week he complained when he caught one ball, ‘With that coverage, maybe we should have thrown it to somebody else.’ I don’t think that I’ve ever heard that. He’s a good teammate. He knew his time would come. It’s not his first rodeo.”

The 34-year-old is playing in his tenth NFL season after being drafted out of Michigan State by the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2000. Even with having to sit out two full years, Burress has some pretty impressive career statistics. 500 receptions, over 8,000 yards and 60 touchdowns are the type of numbers that go-to receivers bring to the table and are exceptional for the number two role he is playing on the Jets, who employ Santonio Holmes as the focus coming off the line of scrimmage. But the Jets offense is made up of many moving parts and the more weapons that Mark Sanchez has at his disposal, the better things go.

“We were waiting for a breakout game like this (from Burress) and it all kind of clicked, but it doesn’t happen without Dustin (Keller) occupying defenders, without Dustin making big catches, without JK (Jeremy Kerley) converting on third down, giving us more chances to make plays, and then Santonio (Holmes), not his biggest day numbers-wise, but an awesome job converting on a couple of things,” said the third-year quarterback.

With a bye this coming week, the Jets have some extra time to continue working on the chemistry that the wide receiving crew and Sanchez enjoyed against the Chargers. Not only is Burress getting acclimated, but the rookie Kerley is as well. Then you also factor in the failed Derrick Mason experiment, and this is a unit that needed some time to get on the same page.

That appears to be the case now and if Burress can continue to harness some of his past, scoring points will not be a consideration of the Jets.

(Long Island, N.Y.) Years from now when we look back on the 2011 season, Long Island Ducks fans will see it as a great success and one of the team’s best campaigns. But if you followed the team since May, it goes without saying that this was a missed opportunity at what would have been only the franchise’s second Atlantic League championship.

Kevin Baez took over as manager and guided the Ducks to not only one, but division titles in both halves. The squad was dominant all summer long and could have taken it easy after clinching a postseason berth before the All-Star break. But the Ducks repeated their success in the second half and were the overall favorite to hoist the trophy when it was all said and done. They owned the league’s best record (78-47), set a franchise mark for home victories and led the AL in attendance for the 12th consecutive year.

Things appeared to be going as planned, as the Ducks ousted Southern Maryland in the Liberty Division Championship Series in four games and advanced to the finals. The York Revolution awaited them and was not intimidated. A comeback victory in Game 4 in Pennsylvania clinched the second championship for the Revolution and the Ducks once again were left to ponder what went wrong.

The flagship franchise of the Atlantic League has one lone title, and that was back in 2004. The Ducks have been a perennial playoff team, but this was only their second appearance in the championship round.

Mike Loree took home many offseason accolades, such as the Atlantic League Pitcher of the Year, First Team All-Star, Pitcher of the Month (June, 6-0, 1.40 ERA in six starts) and led the league in wins (13), ERA (1.98) and strike outs (131). He had a 2-0, 1.11 mark in three postseason starts, but his last was the one that counted most.

In that pivotal fourth game versus York, Loree pitched six innings of one-run ball and left with a slim lead, but the Ducks could not hold it or muster up much of an offense. “It is disappointing,” the starter told reporters. “It was something that we were working towards all year. We were talking about it from the start to win a championship. We came real close. York is a real good team.”

Perhaps there will be a day when all the good from 2011 will be enjoyed, but the manager feels the same pain as the players when it doesn’t end in a champagne shower.

“As a whole, this feeling is not a good feeling to have,” Baez said to reporters after the season came to a conclusion. “Losing is never fun, but what I told the guys is that I’m proud of them. I enjoyed this whole year. But it’s a bitter feeling when your ultimate goal is to win it and you really felt that this was the year and everything was leading up to that.”

2012 will be another challenge, as every year in the Independent minor league circuit is. The roster changes drastically and to keep solid payers around is a challenge, to say the least. The Ducks will have another day, but this one still stings.

(Long Island, N.Y.) When you make the playoffs with ease and go into the big dance with the league’s best record, anything short of a pennant should be considered a letdown. Such was the case with the 2011 New York Yankees, who face a long off-season following the five-game defeat at the hands of the Detroit Tigers in the American League Divisional Series.

The Game 1 rain is no excuse, as both teams had to shuffle their rotations around and lose their respective aces for a possible three starts in the short series. We will never know what may have happened if CC Sabathia and Justin Verlander pitched the finale instead of the fourth game.

But the one thing all of us are assured is that the front office is not going to rest on their laurels and be satisfied with another postseason appearance. Quite the contrary; Hal Steinbrenner is already in the process of looking ahead and not behind.

“I personally share in our fans’ disappointment that this season has ended without a championship,” the Yankees managing general partner said in a statement. “It is, and always will be, our single goal every season. I assure you that this disappointment will strengthen our resolve to field a team in 2012 that can bring a 28th championship to the Bronx. That work starts now.”

We will have to wait for further details, but all things point to general manager Brian Cashman being retained and allowed the chance to improve on a roster that has a few holes and possibly some deeper than others.

The pitching is an area that needs to be addressed and will be a mess if Sabathia invokes the escape clause on his contract – and signs elsewhere, of course. The lefty will most likely look to get a raise from the Bombers by doing just that. Cashman has no problem throwing more money at Sabathia and it is a game of cat and mouse that will be played here. The end result will be that Sabathia will be back.

That move will be necessary because there is nothing but question marks after that. Ivan Nova may have been impressive in his first full year as a major league starter, but can he repeat? How about Phil Hughes? Consistency and staying healthy are the concerns with the young right-hander.

If Hughes has some questions, then times that by 10 when it comes to AJ Burnett. You never know what you’re going to get from start to start with him. And the stopgap seasons from Bartolo Colon and Freddy Garcia cannot be expected for an encore.

The plan going into last off-season was to sign Cliff Lee and count the days until the World Series. Neither occurred and Lee and the rest of his Philadelphia Phillies teammates were also ousted in the divisional round. So nothing is definite in baseball.

Flags and rings are expected in the Bronx and selling a few playoff tickets means less to the Yankees than any other franchise in sports. Only when a ticker tape parade is part of the fall does it matter.

(Long Island, N.Y.) There are no style points in the National Football League. It makes no difference how you get it done, as long as you’re on the long end of the scoreboard when it shows three zeroes.

A few years ago, the Jets were using the character Shrek as sort of a mini mascot because they – Gang Green – were winning ugly. After Sunday’s comeback win in Arizona, the Giants should think of something of their own.

Are there any unattractive Smurfs?

The Giants trailed for most of the afternoon but mounted a fourth quarter comeback to hand the Cardinals a 31-27 unexpected loss. “We knew it was going to be one of those 60-minute ball games and it was,” said Giants head coach Tom Coughlin. “Very happy to win.”

In improving to 3-1, Big Blue maintained a share of first place in the NFC East with the Washington Redskins. As far as the other two teams in the division, both the Philadelphia Eagles (1-3) and Dallas Cowboys (2-2) lost in Week 4. As usual, nothing is predictable in this league and all of those records are certainly a surprise with one quarter of the season in the books.

Eli Manning, who obviously has fond memories of University of Phoenix Stadium, realized that this one was not played out exactly as it was written up. “Not the prettiest at times, but we got into the second half and were going no huddle on the ball,” the Giants quarterback said. He also was being a little sarcastic when saying that the team has had “some good games here,” subtly referring to the thrilling win in Super Bowl XLII, in which he was named MVP.

Although there is no comparison to that historical contest and this one, winning two straight while your closest rivals are losing may bode well for the Giants to return to the playoffs and have an opportunity to win another championship.

Hakeem Nicks, who was not a part of the 2007-08 team, also felt that the team climbing back from a 10-point deficit was the important thing and not that they had allowed themselves to be in that position.

“It’s just a matter of us stepping up and making plays when the time makes itself available,” the third year wide receiver said. “That’s what we did as a group.”

No wins are tainted, but a controversial play on the Giants final scoring drive ended up being the turning point in the game. Wideout Victor Cruz left the ball on the ground without being touched and the Cardinals believed that they had recovered a fumble. But the officials ruled that Cruz had given himself up and the play was dead.

“The official just told me that I couldn’t challenge it,” said Arizona head coach Ken Whisenhunt. “There’s not much I can say after that.”

Larry Fitzgerald didn’t place the blame on the one play, rather putting it on his and the rest of the offense’s shoulders. “Had we been able to execute offensively before they got the ball, we wouldn’t have even got to that play,” the Pro Bowl wide receiver said.

But they didn’t and they did. And it didn’t even matter that it didn’t look good.

(Long Island, N.Y.) When the New York Yankees made it official and clinched the American League East crown, the only surprise was how they won the deciding game. The most unlikely of heroes had the clinching hit and RBI last Wednesday in the 4-2 win over the Tampa Bay Rays at Yankee Stadium, as the much-maligned Jorge Posada stroked a pinch hit, two-run eighth inning single to break a 2-2 tie.

One of the last remaining players from the present Bronx Bombers dynasty, Posada has seen his playing time dwindle down to being a bench player. The long time starting catcher was switched to full time designated hitter and is having his worst year statistically (.242, 14 home runs, 44 RBI), with critics saying that age and too many innings behind the plate wearing the tools of ignorance finally caught up to him.

“We went through some difficult struggles at times, but I believe in Jorge,” Yankee manager Joe Girardi said to reporters. “Jorge is a guy that I told you, there’s times that I sat (him) a little bit, but I said, ‘I still believe he’s a guy that’s going to help us,’ and that’s exactly what he’s done.”

Girardi and Posada have had their differences this season, and that has made the swan song of the switch hitter’s tenure in New York very tedious at times. First, Posada felt slighted by being moved down to ninth in the batting order and there was the question if he asked out of the lineup. But all of that seems like a long time ago when you celebrate another playoff berth.

Although the Yankees figured to be in the October mix, it was the Boston Red Sox who were thought to be the class of the division. They had a great offseason and brought in talent such as Carl Crawford and Adrian Gonzalez to an already loaded lineup. But a recent slide has seen their wild card lead dwindle to a precious few games.

With the AL East wrapped up, the Yanks now set their sights on clinching the league’s best record and gaining home field advantage throughout the playoffs. The Texas Rangers and Detroit Tigers can still catch up, but they trail by four and five games, respectively.

So it appears that the road (at least) to the World Series will travel through the Bronx and veterans such as Posada will be counted on to bring those years of experience to help out younger players such as Francisco Cervelli. The backup catcher can lean on Posada for advice behind the plate and in the batter’s box.

Even the starting backstop can learn a thing or two from Posada. Russell Martin may not be as young as Cervelli, but the former Los Angeles Dodger is only in his sixth major league season and first in the Big Apple.

So before we put Posada out to pasture, the old dog may have a few more tricks up his sleeve.

(Long Island, N.Y.) It came as no surprise in last Thursday’s newspapers when they told all of us that the New York Mets had been mathematically eliminated from the playoffs. No, we didn’t need to wait until mid-September to hear that. If you had your ears – and mind – open wide enough, you knew that was going to be the case back in April.

Sure, you die-hard fans held out some sense of false hope that this mix of youngsters and a few veterans would scrap their way into the wild card race and pull it out with a miracle finish. But unfortunately miracles and magic have already ran their course with this organization a long time ago.

When the Mets broke spring training and headed north, there were a few things to hold onto. Would Chris Young stay healthy and give them some much-needed innings from a veteran? How about seeing a few meaningful starts from the returning Johan Santana? Jose Reyes staying healthy all summer long and re-signing with the team? Is this finally the year that David Wright becomes the leader of the team he is billed as the centerpiece of? Can Josh Thole and Ike Davis become even somewhat reminiscent of Gary Carter and Keith Hernandez? Was Jason Bay’s first year here a fluke?

Needless to say, you scored 100 percent if you answered ‘no’ to all of the above. At this stage of the game, the new set of questions is much longer and probably much harder to guess. They are looking to read like:

1. Will Santana ever be the pitcher he was and is getting paid to be?
2. Is Jose Reyes worth offering a top-dollar, expensive contract to with his injury history?
3. Is Wright an untouchable, and if so, why?
4. Will Thole and Davis even remind us of Paul Lo Duca and Todd Ziele?

We didn’t bother addressing the Young and Bay remarks because the glass will never be half-full with them.

So as a Met fan, you have a team that will not publicly admit to a full rebuilding program. They cannot afford even a mediocre free agent but are afraid to tell their ever-dwindling fan base that they should only expect to see kids and reclamation projects taking the field at Citi Field for years to come.

The one slimmer of hope is gone with Fred Wilpon turning down David Einhorn’s $200 million for a percentage of the team. If there ever was a franchise that needed a Care package containing the type of lettuce you don’t use on your lunch, it’s this one. But the stubborn old man has no intention of giving up control of the team, for worse and not better for all involved.

The players have been a kind and loyal bunch by saying that the potential sale of part of the team has no bearing on them, but it surely does. Their own contracts will be affected and the financial ability of the Wilpons to put a quality contending team on the field, as well.

So don’t hang your heads that they won’t be a part of the postseason, Met fans. You could have saved yourself six months of waiting if you came to the same conclusion earlier.