Although he continued to harshly heap blame on the head coach for the Islanders’ massive 3-12-2 hemorrhage, GM/coach Mike Milbury said yesterday he doesn’t plan to step aside temporarily from his coaching duties in the next 48 hours.

A day earlier, following the Islanders’ fourth consecutive loss against weak competition in Saturday’s 4-3 OT stinger against the Sharks, Milbury raised speculation about such a move. He made cryptic remarks that sounded like he was considering firing himself and perhaps allowing assistants Bill Stewart or Lorne Henning to temporarily run the program.

Milbury, who had to be convinced by ownership over the summer to return in a dual role, also intimated Saturday a change of some kind would be in store in the “next 48 hours.”

Milbury said he plans to be behind the bench tomorrow against Chicago but added: “Obviously, if things continue on this road, things have to change personnel-wise or whatever-wise.”

Asked yesterday if the head coach is “on alert,” Milbury responded: “I’m disappointed in the team’s performance and I’m the first guy that I look at. We started out [the season] with discipline and jump and we’ve lost a semblance of unity that we had earlier in the year. There’s no question that the coaching is a part of it. I haven’t been able to reach them.

“The key to executing a plan is discipline and our discipline has not been good on many occasions and we haven’t seemed to been motivated on too many occasions, which falls clearly under the responsibility of the coaching staff and the head coach in particular. I freely admit, grading the coaching at this stage of the season, it’s not very good.” *G Tommy Salo practiced and felt he was ready to go tomorrow after missing last four with broken finger … D Bryan Berard skated separately from the team for the first time since straining his groin Dec. 18 in Anaheim but doesn’t think he’ll practice until mid-week.