"If the Islanders' monthlong search for a head coach were a beauty contest, it just reached the stage when the finalists must answer a question that .reveals something about their personality and, of course, their desire for world peace. Considering the internal tension between general manager Garth Snow and former coach Ted Nolan last season, nothing is more important than establishing a peaceful working relationship at the top to move forward.

After a painstaking interview process in which he spoke with eight known candidates and .contacted a few others, an NHL source indicated Snow has narrowed his list to three finalists. Former Atlanta coach Bob Hartley, former Toronto coach Paul Maurice and current AHL Providence coach Scott Gordon still are in the running, and Snow is expected to name one as the Isles' next coach early this week.

Although former Tampa Bay coach John Tortorella and former Colorado coach Joel Quenneville were regarded as the most high-profile candidates when Snow's search began because of their consistent winning records, any handicapper judging by the criteria set by the Isles' GM probably would have picked the same three finalists Snow settled on. When he parted ways with Nolan, Snow cited "philosophical differences" over the direction of the franchise as the reason.

Snow made a firm commitment last season to a patient, long-term approach to fashioning a championship contender by developing the top young prospects in the organization and building through the draft as opposed to relying on free agency to provide a quick fix. The coach he chooses must share the same, and he must be able to communicate equally well with management and players.

Hartley, Maurice and Gordon all have credentials that fit the job description. Of the three, Hartley might be viewed as the most likely to come under critical scrutiny. He coached Colorado to the 2001 Stanley Cup championship, and he later moved to .Atlanta and turned an expansion team into a winner that qualified for the playoffs for the first time ever in 2006-07.

But Hartley was fired after an 0-6 start last season because of the perception the Thrashers had tuned him out. His long friendship with Snow also might draw fire. On the one hand, the Islanders' GM would have a bond of trust with Hartley, who coached him in the AHL at Cornwall, but Hartley's selection might be seen by some as a case of Snow choosing a buddy."