Filed Under "Things I Should Have Seen Coming"

It's that time of year again.

Atlantic	GP	W	L	OTL	Pts	GF	GA	Home	Road	L10
Pittsburgh	56	32	19	5	69	167	152	17-9-3	15-10-2	6-2-2
New Jersey	56	31	21	4	66	147	134	17-11-0	14-10-4	5-4-1
Philadelphia	55	30	20	5	65	175	156	13-9-5	17-11-0	5-5-0
NY Rangers	59	28	24	7	63	144	147	17-13-0	11-11-7	6-3-1
NY Islanders	56	24	25	7	55	134	164	13-12-3	11-13-4	1-7-2

(source: Yahoo! Sports)

After looking like they might make a decent season out of it, my Islanders have engaged in their annual winter tanking expedition. They had me going for a little while, after they lost seven of eight in early December, before turning it around pretty nicely. They've now lost nine of ten and, well, all hope is lost (But remember I am of perennially little faith.). So now you can all rejoice -- you won't hear me talk about them for a while. They're dead to me (temporarily). Although that does exclude Rick DiPietro and Ted Nolan. They're still cool. But not you Andy Hilbert. Not you. Not ever.