INSIDE HOCKEY

The shuttle between Bridgeport and the Nassau Coliseum has been very busy this year taking Bridgeport Sound Tigers back and forth from Long Island. Islanders coach Scott Gordon’s head must be spinning with his roster constantly changing due to injuries and young players being called up and then sent back down.

One of Gordon’s most important jobs this season is to figure out which of these young players that have had a chance to play for the Islanders are actually going to be a part of the future. Each player that has come up has had a chance to play and show what he brings to the table and hopefully have left a good impression in the eyes of Gordon and Islanders management. Jesse Joensuu is one of those players who has played well and has left a good impression in his limited playing time in the NHL.

Joensuu was selected in the second round of the 2006 draft by the New York Islanders. Before being selected by the Islanders, Joensuu played in the Finnish Superliga where he was a star. He set career highs in 2006 with 9 goals, 17 assists and 26 points. Last year, Joensuu began the year in the Finnish Superliga where he led his team in every offensive statistical category. This past season, down in Bridgeport, Joensuu was having a fine year before being called up. In 69 games Joenssu had 19 goals, 18 assists and 37 points.

The Islanders called Joensuu up from Bridgeport to play in his first game as an Islander on March 02, in a game against Colorado. In his first game as an Islanders Joensuu scored a goal by rushing to the net and putting the loose puck past Andrew Raycroft. Gordon liked what he saw from Joensuu since he has been preaching all year to the young Islanders to drive to the net.

Joensuu has played in five more games with the Islanders since his debut and recently had a very impressive game against the Tampa Bay Lightning. Joensuu’s aggressive forechecking led to the Islander’s first goal of the game and he also received and assist for the Isles second goal of the game. Gordon had this to say of his young forwards performance against Tampa, “I was really happy with Jesse, I thought he used his speed and I thought he was physical. His positioning was good all night and obviously he’s a guy were excited about for the future”.

What makes Islanders management and fans so excited about Joensuu is his ability to dominate physically, which would work very well in the Islanders aggressive offensive system. Joensuu has good size and will only get stronger as he gets older which could make him an offensive force to be reckoned with in the future.

With the season coming to an end for the Islanders, Joensuu’s main focus will be continuing to work hard in Bridgeport and perfecting his game. If he does, Islander fans can get used to seeing him play on Long Island, hopefully, for years to come.