Uniondale, NY -- If indeed it was his last game, at least he got to play it in front of the fans he came to love during his tenure on the island. Trevor Linden, rumored to be retiring at some point in the offseason, broke down after the heartbreaking 3-2 loss suffered at the hands of the Pittsburgh Penguins. Perhaps it was appropriate that Linden scored the last goal of the Islanders' season. Perhaps it was fitting that his parents were in town, sitting front row, hoping their son could extend the series at least one more game. However, none of that mattered, as Linden held back tears when the final buzzer sounded. "No comment," said Linden, when questioned about his looming retirement. Others seemed to be more optimistic. "Trevor was all that we could have asked this season," said GM James Jones. "This guy exemplified what it means to be a captain. He played hard every game, and was a major reason this team was able to reach the Conference Finals. Would we have him back next year? In a heart beat. But that's not up to us. Trevor needs to sit down with his family and decide for himself."
Perhaps overlooked in this loss were the futures of Scott Niedermayer and Peter Forsberg, both of whom could retire at any moment. What seemed more important was the devastating loss to an arch rival. After what looked to be such a promising post season, the Isles were unable to break through even once against the Penguins, being swept at home 4-0 in the series. "Yah, it hurts," said Brian Rafalski. "But this is nothing to be ashamed of. If you look at our roster we are full of players who are only going to get better. This is a team that is set up to only get better for the forseeable future. I am excited for next year already. I give full credit to the Penguins, and wish them the best of luck in the Cup Finals. I would also like to with their GM best of luck with his pending legal issues."