AROUND THE NHL Islanders' GM issues a challenge to team

Mike Milbury is threatening to dismantle the team if it doesn't improve.
By IRA PODELL
AP SPORTS WRITER
The New York Islanders need to show Mike Milbury that they want to stay together.
If they don't start acting committed to each other and playing more consistently, the fiery general manager is ready to begin dismantling the team.
"There's no Sword of Damocles hanging over their head," Milbury said. "It's in their court. This team needs to take control of its own destiny."
He issued his challenge at the start of this week, when rosters were frozen for the Christmas holiday. But the moratorium has expired and deals can now be made.
The Islanders rebounded from a weak road performance against their rivals, the Rangers, last week. They won last Sunday at Washington for the first time since 1997.
"We have to win a fair share of those battles or we won't be a playoff team," Milbury said. "We have to figure out if we have the right collection to get there."
Poor road mark
New York raised its pitiful road mark to 3-9-2-1, and then improved to 12-6 at Nassau Coliseum on Tuesday by winning a rematch with the Flyers.
But that victory came at a high price.
Alexei Yashin, tied for the team lead with 24 points, had two tendons in his right wrist partially severed when the skate of Philadelphia forward Michal Handzus cut him after Yashin fell to the ice. He will be out 10 to 12 weeks, most of the rest of the regular season.
"Throughout the history of this league, the good teams have always found a way to step up when one of their top players goes down," Milbury said. "I know our guys will do the same."
If not, he will again try to find new ones who will.
Interested in Hamrlik
The Tampa Bay Lightning are known to be interested in All-Star defenseman Roman Hamrlik, whom they chose with the No. 1 overall pick in the 1992 draft. Lightning center Vincent Lecavalier has been butting heads with coach John Tortorella and might be on the way out.
Just this week, Tortorella benched Lecavalier for a period after the forward didn't shoot the puck on an odd-man rush. Lecavalier publicly criticized the decision and Tortorella lashed back.
"He's got to start playing in the team concept," Tortorella said. "I don't care who he is or who he thinks he is."
Gaborik
Minnesota's Marian Gaborik is starting to find his way back after a forgettable beginning to this season.
He scored just his fourth goal in Tuesday's 3-3 tie with Nashville. In 23 games since ending a nasty contract dispute by signing a multi-year deal, Gaborik has four goals and five assists. Over his last 55 regular-season games, he has only eight goals.
But Gaborik recorded five shots against the Predators, and Wild coach Jacques Lemaire left him on the ice for some double shifts.
"It's obviously motivating," the 21-year-old Slovakian right wing said.
The Wild refused to hold a grudge against Gaborik, who didn't sign his contract until Oct. 31. The restricted free agent rejected one offer this summer and another two days before training camp. He made his season debut on Nov. 4 at Colorado, the Wild's 13th game of the season.
"We play as a team and we help each other," Gaborik said. "The most important thing is when we push each other."
Happy tunes
St. Louis Blues coach Joel Quenneville has never been fired. He hasn't worried about his job security in the past and really has no concerns now.
"As coaches, we know we're in this business, and longevity is not one of our strengths," Quenneville said. "You want to be in a place where you're happy and you're appreciated. Here I feel that's in place."
Entering the weekend, the Blues were tied for second in the Western Conference with 44 points -- trailing only Central Division-rival Detroit. They are well on their way to a 25th straight playoff appearance, their eighth under Quenneville.
The Blues reached the Stanley Cup finals in each of their first three NHL seasons. They have not even reached the semifinals since 1972.
"We're still trying to get to our final destination of winning a championship," Quenneville said. "I think we still have some unfinished business here until we get there. That's our motivation."
Spaced out
At the request of the NHL, the AHL will test revisions to the neutral zone to see if more skating space will translate to more offense.
With more teams playing variations to the trap, offensive flow has been constricted and shutouts have soared this season.
The AHL, hockey's top minor league, will add two feet of width to each blue line beginning at the leading edge of the line and going into the offensive zone. One foot will also be added to either side of the center-ice line.
Initial passes will be allowed within the enlarged blue area across two lines, without being offside. That will increase the neutral zone by as much as five feet without changing the size of the attacking zone.
The new dimensions will be used by four teams in eight games.