What's this? After one step forward, two steps back?

For Mike Milbury, a general manager who always seems to be trying to avert a free fall down the standings, this was just too much to take. So for the seventh time in his eight years on the job, Milbury cut ties with another coach.

2002-03 BY THE NUMBERS

Record: 35-34-11-2, 83 pts. (16th overall, 8th East, 3rd Atlantic); Home: 18-18-5-0; Road: 17-16-6-2 Goals for/Avg.: 224/2.73 (T11th overall) Goals against/Avg.: 231/2.81 (T21st overall) Differential: Minus-7 (16th overall) Power play: 15.4 percent (59-384, 17th overall) Penalty kill: 83.5 percent (338-405, 14th overall) 20-goal scorers: Dave Scatchard (27), Alexei Yashin (26), Jason Blake (25), Mark Parrish (23). 50-point scorers: Yashin (65), Blake (55).

Peter Laviolette, it seems, was dismissed after not pandering enough to some players. That will now be the job of Steve Stirling. A former minor league teammate of Milbury's and assistant and interim head coach for the Isles, Stirling was elevated from the head coaching job at Bridgeport of the AHL ... presuming the Island is still an elevation.

Milbury's firing record is enviable, and includes killing himself as coach a couple of times. But really, it's killing us all. For too often during Milbury's tenure the Islanders' franchise follies have been a sidesplitting show on and off the ice. There's only so much Milbury has been able to do right or wrong during it all. For that reason majority boss Charles Wang continues to like Milbury, although he pulled the plug on the spending show after a one-year run.

Adding the outrageous salary of Alexei Yashin (just about eight years and $75 million or so left on that deal) and the not-so-cheap professionalism of Michael Peca to their previously barren budget put the Isles in the playoffs for the first time in seven years back in 2002.

But a season of discontent unexpectedly played out on the Island. They made the playoffs again, almost in spite of themselves. During the second half of the season, Yashin made regular appearances centering the third and fourth lines, while Peca, who recovered admirably from offseason knee surgery, was unable to put the puck in the net. Was it Laviolette's fault? Possibly, but it's only because Yashin still has half the GNP of a third-world country left on his contract, while Peca's own long-term deal will pull in close to $5 million in 2003-04. No wonder Milbury was a little grumpy -- especially when he couldn't deal Peca at the draft.

Ah, but everybody knows how tough it's been to unload payroll dollars this summer. But maybe it can all work out, especially since the Isles still have some talented players floating around in grand survival mode.

Looking ahead
While the eternal search for appropriate linemates for Yashin will continue, Peca needs to come back healthy and return to form for the club to have any chance of pleasing the powers that be.

Helping make Peca's comeback efforts a little easier will be Jason Blake. A $600,000 center of irritation, Blake picked up the slack created by Peca's recovery and Yashin's lack of production and suddenly turned into one of the Atlantic Division's best forwards. Transplanted to the right side, Blake prospered with 25 goals and 55 points, while Mark Parrish (23-25-48 points) scored often earlier in the season before wearing down.

The Islanders also solidified their checking line with Dave Scatchard, who somehow scored 27 goals as a third-line center. Able assistance on the wing was provided from the likes of Arron Asham and Jason Wiemer.

Milbury will have little problem this summer keeping that forward group intact. Asham is the only free agent of consequence there, and he's restricted. But it's clear the Isles have to find a way to score some more, hence the availability of Peca on the dormant summer trade market.

Of course, it would help if huge forward Oleg Kvasha (12 goals and 26 points in 69 games) would contribute more to the Isles' anemic offensive efforts.

As for the defense, it remains one of the Isles' strong points. They received strong performances from both Roman Hamrlik and Adrian Aucoin, who should continue to be steady anchors next season. Even more encouraging was seeing oft-injured Kenny Jonsson put together a steady season, earning a new two-year contract earlier this month.

Unless Milbury finds a way to swing to a blockbuster deal without adding more dollars to the payroll, the most significant change for the club this season will be in goal, as Rick DiPietro finally assumes the starting job. The opportunity was there last spring after Chris Osgood was dealt to St. Louis, but DiPietro was unable to supplant the hot Garth Snow, who is still an unrestricted free agent and may return as DiPietro's presumed backup on the Island again.

Rob Parent of the Delaware County (Pa.) Times is a regular contributor to ESPN.com.