Editing New York Islanders (section)

===New ownership and a return to the playoffs (2000–2006)===
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| quote = Let's face it, the Coliseum is a dump, and the team, well, they're losers. It's a real shame. We want to see it change because this is our home. We all deserve better.
| source = —[[Charles Wang]]<ref name="TeamSold">{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2000/05/07/nyregion/islanders-unlikely-saviors-wang-kumar-computer-executives-say-love-for-long.html|title=The Islanders' Unlikely Saviors; Wang and Kumar, Computer Executives, Say a Love for Long Island Has Made Them Sports Owners|last=Toy|first=Vivian S.|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=May 7, 2000|access-date=January 14, 2015}}</ref>
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In 2000, Milstein and Gluckstern sold the team to [[Computer Associates]] executives [[Charles Wang]] and [[Sanjay Kumar (business executive)|Sanjay Kumar]]. The sale cost $187.5&nbsp;million (${{formatnum:{{Inflation|US|187.5|2000|r=2}}}}&nbsp;million in {{Inflation-year|US}} dollars{{inflation-fn|US}}) and gave fans hope for the team to turn its lack of success around.<ref name="TeamSold"/> The new owners allowed Milbury to spend money and invest in free agents. His first attempt proved unpopular with fans, as he traded away future star players [[Roberto Luongo]] and [[Olli Jokinen]] to the [[Florida Panthers]] for [[Oleg Kvasha]] and [[Mark Parrish]]. Milbury then further surprised the hockey world when he took [[Rick DiPietro]] with the first selection in the [[2000 NHL entry draft|2000 draft]], ahead of consensus picks [[Dany Heatley]] and [[Marián Gáborík|Marian Gaborik]]. Reporters and fans were alternately confused and enraged by the moves, which Milbury acknowledged, saying, "As dangerous as this may be, we think Mad Mike maybe has something going for him."<ref>{{cite web | url = http://slam.canoe.ca/HockeyNHLDraft00/jun25_isl.html | title = Isles shake up draft | work = SLAM Sports | access-date =September 19, 2006| url-status = usurped |archive-url=https://archive.today/20030915182051/http://slam.canoe.ca/HockeyNHLDraft00/jun25_isl.html|archive-date=September 15, 2003}}</ref> Establishing a record of controversial decisions, Milbury held onto the "Mad Mike" nickname for years to follow. He remained adamant that his moves were to immediately improve the team, whose poor winning percentage that year was ahead of only the franchise's first season.<ref name="HockeyDB">{{cite web|url=http://hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/teamseasons.php?tid=52|title=New York Islanders season by season stats|work=The Internet Hockey Database|access-date=July 19, 2009}}</ref> The team's uninspired play led Milbury to fire head coach and past player [[Butch Goring]]. Fans vocalized their dislike of Goring taking the fall rather than Milbury, which was further worsened when Milbury passed on hiring [[Ted Nolan]] as Goring's successor; Instead, [[Boston Bruins]] assistant coach [[Peter Laviolette]] was hired.<ref name="LavioletteHired">{{cite web|url=http://www.newsday.com/sports/thursday-special-general-electric-laviolette-vows-to-put-charge-into-islanders-1.802479|title=Laviolette vows to put charge into Islanders|last=Price-Brown|first=Laura|work=[[Newsday]]|date=June 20, 2001|access-date=January 14, 2015}}</ref>

[[File:Alexei Yashin edit.png|thumb|left|The Islanders acquired [[Alexei Yashin]] (left) prior to the [[2001–02 NHL season|2001–02 season]]. Yashin would go on to become the team's captain in later years.]]
Three key personnel acquisitions were made prior to the 2001–02 season, Laviolette's first. [[Alexei Yashin]] was acquired from the [[Ottawa Senators]] in exchange for forward [[Bill Muckalt]], defenseman [[Zdeno Chára|Zdeno Chara]] and the Islanders' second overall pick in the [[2001 NHL entry draft|2001 draft]]. Next, Islanders prospects [[Tim Connolly]] and [[Taylor Pyatt]] were traded to the [[Buffalo Sabres]] in exchange for [[Michael Peca]], who became the team's captain.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/2001/06/25/sabres-grant-pecas-wish-trade-center-to-islanders/|title=Sabres grant Peca's wish, trade center to Islanders|date=June 25, 2001|work=[[Chicago Tribune]]|access-date=January 14, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=514168|title=Michael Peca retires after 13 NHL seasons|publisher=[[National Hockey League]]|date=January 19, 2010|access-date=January 14, 2015}}</ref> By virtue of finishing with the worst record in the previous season, [[Detroit Red Wings]] goaltender [[Chris Osgood]] was the next addition, taken as the first pick in the September 2001 waiver draft, adding a former Stanley Cup championship goaltender without giving up any players in exchange.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://articles.philly.com/2001-09-29/sports/25313800_1_waiver-draft-evgeny-petrochinin-goalie-chris-osgood|archive-url=https://archive.today/20150118211952/http://articles.philly.com/2001-09-29/sports/25313800_1_waiver-draft-evgeny-petrochinin-goalie-chris-osgood|url-status=dead|archive-date=January 18, 2015|title=Isles take Osgood in waiver draft|date=September 29, 2001|work=[[The Philadelphia Inquirer]]|access-date=January 14, 2015}}</ref> The additions proved to be a great help, as the team opened the season with a 9–0–1–1 record, the best in franchise history. They finished the season with new broken records; their 96 points marked the fourth biggest one-year turnaround in the league's history (44 points higher than the previous season), while Osgood's 66 starts surpassed [[Ron Hextall]]'s previous record of 65.<ref name="IslesHistory"/> During the [[2002 Stanley Cup playoffs]], they were seeded fifth and faced the fourth-seeded [[Toronto Maple Leafs]]. The Islanders lost in a very physical first-round series in seven games; the home team won every game of the series. Notably, game 5 featured [[Gary Roberts (ice hockey)|Gary Roberts]] charging Islander defenseman [[Kenny Jönsson|Kenny Jonsson]], and [[Darcy Tucker]] submarining Peca with a questionable check that tore the Islander captain's [[anterior cruciate ligament]], sidelining both players for the series' final game. The situation between Tucker and Peca caused a bit of outrage, with speculation that Tucker had intended to injure Peca before the game had begun, which Tucker denied.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2002-apr-28-sp-nhlnotes28-story.html|title=Injury Puts Peca Out of Playoffs|date=April 8, 2002|work=[[Los Angeles Times]]|access-date=January 14, 2015}}</ref>

Despite the promise shown in the Toronto playoff series, the Islanders had a slow start to the [[2002–03 NHL season|2002–03 season]]. They rebounded to make the playoffs, but lost a five-game series in the first round to the top-seeded [[Ottawa Senators]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/nhl/recap?gameId=230417014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170919095415/http://www.espn.com/nhl/recap?gameId=230417014|url-status=dead|archive-date=September 19, 2017|title=Sens win fourth straight to move past Isles|date=April 17, 2003|publisher=[[ESPN]]|access-date=January 14, 2015}}</ref> Milbury continued his controversial move-making by firing Laviolette after the season, citing postseason interviews with the players in which they expressed a lack of confidence in the coach.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://articles.philly.com/2003-06-04/sports/25446473_1_peter-laviolette-minor-league-coach-martin-brodeur|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150709125021/http://articles.philly.com/2003-06-04/sports/25446473_1_peter-laviolette-minor-league-coach-martin-brodeur|url-status=dead|archive-date=July 9, 2015|title=Islanders, sore losers, fire Laviolette He's the seventh coach sent packing in 7 1/2 years. He got N.Y. to the playoffs, but twice they washed out.|work=[[The Philadelphia Inquirer]]|date=June 4, 2003|access-date=January 14, 2015}}</ref> He was replaced with [[Steve Stirling]], who had previously been coaching the team's top minor league affiliate, the [[Bridgeport Sound Tigers]]. In the [[2003–04 NHL season|following season]], the Islanders again lost in the first round of the playoffs, this time to the eventual champion [[Tampa Bay Lightning]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/nhl/recap?gameId=240416020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170919052855/http://www.espn.com/nhl/recap?gameId=240416020|url-status=dead|archive-date=September 19, 2017|title=St. Louis' fourth playoff goal eliminates Islanders|date=April 16, 2004|publisher=[[ESPN]]}}</ref>

Following the [[2004–05 NHL lockout]], which eliminated that season of play, the Islanders made several player moves to increase offense for [[2005–06 NHL season|following season]]. Peca was traded to the [[Edmonton Oilers]] for center [[Mike York]], freeing up room under the NHL's new salary cap.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://forecaster.thehockeynews.com/hockeynews/hockey/player.php?93#|title=Michael Peca Career Transactions|work=[[The Hockey News]]|access-date=January 14, 2015}}</ref> The same day, the team signed winger [[Miroslav Šatan|Miroslav Satan]] to play alongside Yashin.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.legendsofhockey.net/LegendsOfHockey/jsp/SearchPlayer.jsp?player=14871|title=Miroslav Satan Player Biography|work=Legends of Hockey|access-date=January 14, 2015}}</ref> Milbury also worked on remaking the team's defense, adding [[Alexei Zhitnik]], [[Brad Lukowich]] and [[Brent Sopel]] to replace the departed [[Adrian Aucoin]] and [[Roman Hamrlík|Roman Hamrlik]], who left as free agents, and Jonsson, who left the NHL to play in the [[HockeyAllsvenskan]] in Sweden.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/02/sports/hockey/02nhl.html?pagewanted=print&_r=0|title=Few Signings on First Day of Free Agency|last=Diamos|first=Jason|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=August 2, 2005|access-date=January 14, 2015}}</ref> In the aftermath, Yashin was named as the team's new captain.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://islanders.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=463817|date=September 20, 2005|publisher=[[National Hockey League]]|title=Alexei Yashin Named Captain}}</ref> The team's inconsistent play led to Stirling's dismissal midway through the season.<ref name="Newsday"/>