This Time, It's For Real.

The title of that classic old Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes tune aptly describes the return of Islanders captain Michael Peca in Boston on Thursday night. Late Wednesday, a source close to the Isles' captain confirmed published reports to The Morning Skate that Peca will indeed make his full-time return to the club at FleetCenter.

	Michael Peca couldn't return at a better time.

Peca, who has been rehabbing from offseason knee and shoulder surgeries, turned in a cameo appearance against the Blues on Nov. 2 at the Nassau Coliseum. That evening, Peca took the opening faceoff, landed one light hit (on St. Louis defenseman Barret Jackman), then skated to the bench after just 27 seconds. He didn't play again as the Isles dropped a 6-1 decision. Afterward, coach Peter Laviolette took responsibility for the move, saying he wanted to energize his slumping club.

Now, just 12 days later, Peca is ready for full-time duty. And he couldn't return quick enough, as the Islanders find themselves near the bottom of the Eastern Conference with a 5-10-1-0 record. The Isles' biggest problem has been keeping the puck out of their net. They've allowed a league-high 3.69 goals, thanks in part to poor goaltending and poor attention to detail.

GM Mike Milbury and Laviolette hope Peca's strong two-way play and leadership skills will help right their sinking ship. No doubt, he gets a tough test right out of the gate against the Bruins, who are averaging an Eastern Conference best 3.67 goals per game.

Peca's early return also will allow him some time to better prepare for his grudge match with the Leafs and Darcy Tucker on Dec. 6 in Uniondale, N.Y. Originally, the club (and Peca) had targeted that date for his return. As you might remember, Peca suffered a torn ACL in his left knee as a result of a low hit by Tucker in Game 5 of a bloody first-round playoff series last April. Since then, Peca has been looking forward to another meeting with Tucker.

Until then, Peca and his teammates have a lot of work to do. With their captain back, the Isles definitely need to get real.

Scratch them from your lineup
Rangers goalie Mike Richter won't be available for Thursday game at Calgary or Saturday's tilt in Vancouver. Richter suffered a concussion after being kicked in the head by the Oilers' Todd Marchant in the final minutes of a 5-2 win on Nov. 5. The Rangers' veteran stopper hasn't played since. On Thursday, Richter is scheduled to visit Montreal neurologist Karen Johnston, who has treated Eric Lindros in the past. Sophomore Dan Blackburn, 19, likely will start against both the Flames and Canucks. Johan Holmqvist has been recalled from Hartford to back up Blackburn.

E.J. Hradek writes hockey for ESPN The Magazine. E-mail him at ej.hradek@espnmag.com.