How does he do it? Going into Wednesday night’s action, New York Islanders defenseman Andy Sutton leads his team in plus/minus with a whopping +2 rating. Perhaps more impressive is the fact that he’s the only one on the Islanders on the positive side of zero. He’s outshining teammates like veterans Doug Weight (-2) and Mark Streit (-6), and he’s even soaring ahead of OHL scoring phenom John Tavares, who sits at an uncomfortable -6.

Sutton has been helping his own cause, having played in all ten Islanders games, composed of a single win and five overtime losses. The 34-year-old Canadian has scored two goals and four assists from the blue line with seemingly no help from those around him. He also leads his fellow defensemen with a 22.2 shooting percentage. Even so, he has been focusing on his primary position this season, averaging just short of twenty minutes a night and not taking bad penalties while out there.

So how does Sutton do it? This question can be asked from many points of view. There’s the positive way: How does he manage to be the only one on his team on the good side of zero? Then there’s the negative way: How does he put up with the incompetence around him? Regardless of how it’s asked, the answer is always the same. Andy Sutton plays for the New York Islanders.

It’s no secret that the Islanders are probably not going to the playoffs this year. Not many teams who are in the processing of building around a number one overall draft pick will. But it’s still rather shocking to see the team playing as poorly as they are. Goalies Martin Biron and Dwayne Roloson need to start blocking some shots, and those in matching jerseys around them need to help out as well. The guys at the other end of the ice need to step up also. You’re not going to win too many games when you’re averaging 2.2 goals per game. Perhaps the players should take a hint from Andy Sutton and start doing what they’re paid to do.