A quick glance at the NHL's standings shows the New York Islanders to be pretty much where you'd expect them: 27th overall.
Let's be honest, there aren't exactly lofty expectations for this team that hasn't won a playoff round since 1992-93 when Glenn Healey and Ray Ferraro were star players and not TV analysts. The Islanders haven't made it to the post-season the past two years and are real long shots to get there this season.
Chances are when the NHL's entry draft rolls around next June, they'll be right there with the Boston Bruins, courtesy of the Toronto Maple Leafs, fighting for the top pick.
Even with first-overall draft choice John Tavares, the Islanders managed just one victory in their first 10 games. Ironically, it was Tavares that secured the win with his shootout goal.
The funny thing about the Islanders is, with a little luck, they could be riding the same wave that has carried the upstart Colorado Avalanche to the very top of the standings.
Say what?
Think about it. With five successful shots, the Islanders could be 6-4-0 and right in the thick of things in the Eastern Conference. And if my aunt had ...
Well, you get the picture.
The point is, the Islanders have not been the dog's breakfast this season they have been in the past. Regardless of their ongoing fight to have a new home built and the fact there are no guarantees the franchise will remain on Long Island, you could make a strong case that a corner has been turned.
The Islanders opened the season losing 4-3 to Sidney Crosby's Pittsburgh Penguins in what was a great match-up of the present (Crosby) versus the future (Tavares). Each had a goal and an assist.
That was followed by a 3-2 overtime loss to the Ottawa senators and a 4-3 shootout loss to the Boston Bruins. Three points for the Islanders, but three missed opportunities for wins.
The Islanders lost another nail biter, 2-1 to the Los Angeles Kings, before being defeated 6-3 by Buffalo and 4-1 by San Jose. Then it was back to extra time, Tavares beating Cam Ward with a snap shot to give the Islanders that elusive win.
The Islanders last two games were both overtime losses, 3-2 to Washington and Montreal.
"We come up against Montreal and you look at their record versus ours and see they have five overtime wins against our six losses in overtime and the shootout," said Islanders coach Scott Gordon. "There is the difference between where they sit in the standings and where we sit.
"There are two things that have hurt us. First, we simply haven't been able to bury our chances in the third periods of close games. Also, we have had an unbelievable number of bad bounces go against us that have resulted in goals for the other team."
There is no quick fix for the Islanders. General manager Garth Snow said the organization had a town hall meeting with fans a year and a half ago and assured the Islander faithful a plan was in place to build through the draft.
"We don't intend to change that," Snow said. "If you look at our team, we have an 18-year-old, 20-year-old and 21-year-old playing significant minutes. If you take the glass is half full approach, I think we have shown some pretty good things already this season."
Assuming Snow remains in charge as the team's GM, he is best advised to take comfort in the fact he has one of the best young players in the game and is slowly -- make that steadily -- building through the draft and free agency.
Aside from Tavares, who had three goals and seven in his first 10 games, the Islanders have other young players that give cause for promise. Josh Bailey, 20, took advantage of the Islanders' lack of depth and made the squad as a 19-year-old last season, scoring seven goals and 25 points in 68 games. He's off to a slow start with one goal and three points in 10 games.
Matt Moulson, 25, kicked around the L.A. Kings organization for a few years before signing with the Islanders as a free agent and has taken advantage of his new situation by taking the early lead in team scoring with five goals and nine points. Kyle Okposo also played last season as a 19-year-old and finished second in team scoring with 18 goals and 39 points in 65 games. You wonder if he and Tavares won't ultimately emerge as one of the league's many great dynamic duos in very short order.
"It's tough because you play against Pittsburgh and you get into the third period and you can just see (Sidney) Crosby and (Evgeni) Malkin start to take over the game," Gordon said. "Every time they are on the ice you just know they are going to generate scoring chances. The young guys that we depend on for offence just aren't at that stage yet. "
The Islanders don't have a lot of veterans who will likely still be around when the team turns the corner, but Mark Streit is one of the best two-way defencemen in the NHL, a Norris Trophy candidate when he's on his game, and 25-year-old Jeff Tambellini (three goals in five games) is showing signs of finally finding his mark in his fifth pro season.
For now, the Islanders will have to be happy staying close in games. Given the way they have played, though, it might not be too long until teams hope teams are trying to hang with the Islanders.