ALL-STAR GOALIES DON’T GROW ON TREES
Gallof on some of the frustration aimed at DiPietro
Remember that feeling that we all had back in the early part of this calendar year? Yes, before it all went south last season. If you recall, we were right in the pack. Our starting goalie was selected for the all star team. This is how powerful and monumental an all-star goalie can be for a team. How a competitor and leader could offset mediocre or at least decreased play.
When Rick DiPietro got the call, the Islanders were in 8th, carried by his 2.52 goals against average and a .912 save percentage. Sure, the Islanders weren’t exactly coming up aces as they did back in October of 2007. Bill Guerin was in the middle of a cold streak. The offense was stifled. The defense was thinning. The power play was fizzling. Tank was tanking. Satan was freezing over.
When DiPietro went to the all-star game, there seemed to be a sense of relief that went through the throng. Almost like, “Finally, they recognized how good this guy is!” Here he was, MVP of this team, holding it together. Everyone knew it.
At the NHL All Star game in Atlanta, as DP showcased himself, things quickly changed. The climate and team mechanics seemed to cave-in upon itself. Suddenly DiPietro was gone for the rest of the season, but not after some drama or at least some “raised eyebrows.” The team had continued its downward trend in play. Then over the summer, the carnage of coach and GM left a lot of bewildered fans.
Joey MacDonald has done admirably well, as well as perhaps Dubie had done in the pinch two years in a row. But make no mistake. This team needs its starting goaltender. They need their all star. They need Rick DiPietro. A healthy, steady, leading hand as they attempt to be more than what the stats and standing imply thus far this season.
Sure the injuries are concerning. He’s the best guy on the team. Any injury or potential will always be concerning to any top star.
Those who cite his contract as complaint, you just can’t blame the goaltender. That is business. Don’t get me wrong - I am of the personal opinion that anything that cannot be insured (more than 7 years) is just not a good buy. But here we are with not just DP with a longterm deal. Ovechkin tops out with 13 at a far higher rate. 12 years was made for Mike Richards on the Flyers. So clearly the Isles are not alone in making longterm commitments that might hold pay down over longer lengths of time. This is a normal business procedure outside hockey. It’s called investing.
There is not a doubt that this year’s team could do much better with a Witt, a Martinek, or even a Freddy Meyer back in the fold. But it is only with the return of The Rick that this team can potentially transcend a scenario that is shaping itself somewhere between rebuild and a hard place.
If the Islanders were finally to remove that murky fog that has followed their goaltender this season, it might lead to him being removed from the doghouses of many fans who have been concerned over his health and the longterm contract which has acted like a counterweight to some of the vilification going on. Most of the fan frustrations, and even writers/bloggers ones, all revolve more around the lack of transparency between the Islanders and the status of their No. 1 star.
However that tale and issue unfolds, make no mistake about it: the Islanders need Rick DiPietro.
Reaction? Comments.
48 Responses to “ALL-STAR GOALIES DON’T GROW ON TREES
Gallof on some of the frustration aimed at DiPietro”
Please Wait
Great write up BD, couldn’t have said it better myself…or could I…no never mind. Good job.
thanks for writing this. it’s common that passionate fans tend to eat their own in the bad times and DP has seen taken a lot of heat of late. short memories are common in sports but this guy is a fantastic goalie. it’s much harder to be a great goalie on a bad team. khabi won a cup and now what, he’s “lost it”? dipietro’s one of the best goalies in the NHL - period. I hope he comes back healthy at some point because you’re 100% right, this team needs him desperately. i don’t like the long contract but for DP, his passion for long island (which is not exactly popular with the rest of the NHL), his passion for the game, to be great, to compete, to lead…it’s not a bad deal.
“Make no mistake about it: the Islanders need Rick DiPietro.”
What they need MORE than Ricky is a legitimate NHL back-up capable of playing major minutes when Ricky gets hurt - how often does that happen? - and push him when he’s not hurt.
Ricky’s a good guy and a very competitive professional, but IMO he has yet to show - after 7 years - that he was worth a #1 overall. Even when healthy, I doubt he’s top 10 or at this point, even top 15.
When he gets back I hope he has a real sense of urgency that his career is really beginning to get along in years and that it’s time he needs to start being an IMPACT goaltender. To date, he just hasn’t shown it.
Good read Gallof. A lot of fans this year definitely have short term memory loss.
Islander fans for the past several years have strongly debated with Ranger fans over who was better: DiPietro or Lundqvist…
…and now suddenly DiPietro has become a persona non-grata.
This is not to say that DiPietro is better than Lundqvist, but only to state that Islander fans including myself would compare the two and make arguments for DiPietro.
Now a lot of fans are calling for his head. It’s the “what have you done for me lately” syndrome.
I personally can’t wait until he comes back. They are much better with him, much more exciting and he’s got star power from the goalie position.
DOC
rb…Are you saying that Ricky was not an IMPACT goaltender last season when he was healthy? Or the season before that? He is the only legitimate all-star our team has had since…Ziggy Palfy? Last season, when he was hot, the very obviously under-talented team was in the thick of playoff contention. The year before, when he was hot, the under-talented team was doing well enough to make Garth believe it was worth the risk of prospects to rent Smyth. Last season, when he got injured, our team fell apart. This season, he has been injured, and look at our record.
I’m sorry, what sort of IMPACT do you expect? A team that considers Freddy Meyer a top-3 defenseman, and is last in the league in goals for, is NOT going to have a 50-win season no matter who your goalie is. Do you expect a goalie to be good enough to magically erase the flaws of the rest of the team? Your expectations are absurd
I love DiPietro, but a goalie with what 3, 4 operations in a short span gives me a legitimate reason to worry. How can that not have a negative effect on his quickness and lateral movement?
The ONLY raeson he was in the All-Star game was because Brodeur decided not to go.
DP is a good goalie but far from great.
I understand the fans frustration- but at the end of the day ; Rick didnt ask Milbury to trade Luongo and Jokinen for Kvasha and Parrish ; so he’s not the whipping post for that nonsense
Rick made the All Star game because someone from the Islanders had to be there. He was not an All Star calibre goaltender.
How quickly people forget how good he really is…
THE LESS DP, THE BETTER. IN MY OPINION, AND MANY OTHER ISLANDER FANS WHO ARE INTERESTED IN WINNING. HIS INJURIES ARE A BLESSING TO US ALL.
Yeah maybe Ricky was chosen for the all star team cuz we were lacking in the all star department but not because Brodeur decided not to go. Ricky was named starter because Brodeur and Luongo opted out.
And I seem to remember that a lot of the weekend buzz around the all-star weekend was squarely focused on DiPietro.
Skills competition, the game, and he was “miked-up” for most of the weekend.
I think both sides have legit arguments here. I DO think DP is a good goaltender, and when he’s healthy and in his groove, he can be great. But I don’t think that he’s ever - even at his best - proven worthy of a 15 year deal. Don’t get me wrong - I’m anxious to get him back in net, and I hope he DOES prove himself worthy of that kind of committment from the organization. But so many surgeries at his age is concerning…
i i think we would be at least 500 with rick between the pipes…
Ricky is highly skilled but he needs to stay in the net, not take himself out of position and stop passing the puck to the other team.
I think that when DiP is on his game, he is one of the top five goalies in the NHL, however, when he tries to do to much, e.g. over handle the puck (see game this season v. CAR), he loses his focus and let’s up soft goals. The Isles are useless without DiP. I think that once he is healty, they have a chance of at least being competitive.
Basically, what Julie said.
I’m enjoying the lack of theatrics in net right now. But that’s just me… and a few of my friends. I’m sure I’ll come to miss it soon enough. By then, he should be healthy.
Regaredless who went to the allstar game last year and who didn’t, if I’m not mistaking, DP had the best #’s outta all the goalies in that game… or he was 2nd to Nabakov I think… I’m just saying
…Too much ganja
Bottom line - We just need the guy to stay healthy. He’s capable of carrying a team. Possibly to the cup. Just need to build better around him. I’d rather him be hurt now, with a bad team, then later, when we can sign some FA’s and our draft picks come through (crosses fingers).
Agreed that the 15 year contract is Wang at his best trying to re-invent the wheel.
However, it is at reasonable money over the long haul if he is able to fulfill the contract or at least the majority of it.
Unfortunately, DiPietro has had a string of injuries. It’s not due to poor conditioning, poor work habits, lack of desire or commitment. Everything you hear about him is positive regarding his work ethic and dedication.
When he gets back, perhaps he will be less reckless in roaming around and trying to be a 3rd defensemen.
DOC
DiPietro is easily a top five goalie in the league when he is healthy. Unfortuntely for him, the defense in front of him is lackluster, and he needs to make a tremendous amount of saves, many of which are highly acrobatic and strenuous, in order to keep the Islanders in each and every game! His injuries are due to the fact he needs to play at another level to keep his team winning! With a better defense in front of him, and a team that could put pucks in the back of the net, DP would be much healthier, and he would last a lot longer! He is a true all-star, and perhaps the only one on our roster for now. Just wait till we have a better team after the rebuild, DP and his contract will prove their worth. I can’t believe how quickly “loyal” fans jump on him just because he is out.
Happy Birthday CB
Nice write up, but I don’t buy it, personally. I’ve gotten lit up on boards before for suggesting DP is not a top 5 goalie (while he was still performing well, btw), but I stand by that. Way too inconsistent. That run through the second half of the 06-07 season, until he got hurt, was simply amazing, no doubt. But lots of goalies have streaks like that. You have to sustain the performance for much longer to be considered elite or especially top 5. It seemed to me during the 06-07 season that DP actually worked on his angles - which has always been a weak point of his game that he was able to make up for with speed. Since then, out of position far too much again.
Now his side-to-side may be severely compromised as well. Jocelyn Thibault had double hip surgery, and has always said his side-to-side isn’t nearly what it was before the surgeries. I don’t know how much similarty there is between DP’s and T-Bo’s hip injuries, but it’s something to think about.
I think DP’s an athletic goalie…a good goalie too. He could be a great talent, but he’s got a lot to prove still, especially recovering from mulitiple injuries. We have no idea, honestly, what we’re getting back when he finally returns. But all that aside…top 5? He’s, maybe on a good year, third best in the Atlantic division - how could he be top 5 in the entire league?
First of all, I think a lot of the animosity toward Ricky is due to the perception that he’s incredibly arrogant, i.e., that his reputation far exceeds his actual accomplishments to date and that he still insists on trying to do more with the puck than he knows damn well he should. Second, I’m not so sure the knee and hip injuries are not his fault. Now, I’m not a trainer, but Rick seems to have worked out to the extent that his physique is very muscular. It seems to me that a goalie doesn’t need all that muscle mass—rather a goalie needs flexibility, which sometimes decreases with muscle mass. Whatever, it just concerns me that his workout regiment is all wrong, which is a contributing factor to his injuries. Feel free to flame away.
I agree with Justin. DP is quality and he’s put up great stats with a lackluster D in front of him. IMHO, give him all the time he needs to recover completely from whatever he has. Give him most the year off. He’s got a long contract and it’s worth it to keep him out most of the season if it improves his longevity.
IMHO, with DP out, this team should finish close to bottom of the league. As much as I want the Isles to win, it’s not much of a rebuild if we continue to marginally make the playoffs, get a mediocre draft pick, only to add more mediocre talent to our already mediocre prospect pool. That’s a road to nowhere. Unfortunately, this is the painful part of a rebuild. But I’m willing to suck it up if it gives the Isles the best chance at a return to glory!
GO ISLES!
BTW, on a somewhat unrelated note, not having seen Jackman since he was on the Isles last year, I was dead set against calling him up to fill Thompson’s roster spot. But, even forgetting the goal, does he just look bigger to anyone else, or is the team just that much smaller? He also seemed to be stronger on the puck with much better balance. Seems to me he worked hard on developing the “power forward” aspect of his game in the offseason. Just looked like a different player out there - good for him. I guess we’ll see soon if that’s really the case or if last game was an anomaly.
Great article, BD. Complaining and whining about his injuries is one thing- but when it gets to the point that a fan deludes oneself into thinking this team isnt better off with a healthy Ricky in net, well then its time for that person to take a step back and remember reality once again.
Relocation discussion.
On ESPN.com They have a comment area set up where blogger Pieere LeBrun asks “Which teams would you relocate and where?”
He lets users make their arguments and he will discuss it on Wednesday.
http://myespn.go.com/s/conversations/show/story/3693263
Of course everyone is throwing out the Isles already in the discussion.
Maybe if we had a team with at least a .450 winning pct in the last 15 years we wouldn’t always appear in these discussions.
I know of the brief moments of success we have enjoyed since 1993 but seriously we haven’t had a whole lot to get excited for.
Some of the comments
NY Islanders MOVE to Hartford and become the Whalers (LeBrun, I know an issue with moving the Islanders is TV money, but would they still get the TV money if they moved an hour or so North?) NOBODY goes to Isle games anymore and their arena situation is dead in the water, NY area has 1 team too many, and Hartford is right in the middle of Boston and NY and has an affluent, hockey starved market.
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I should clarify my earlier response. While I hear the arguments of Nashville and Florida, economically moving the Islanders makes more sense. Florida’s and Nashville’s arenas opened in the late 1990s, meaning they probably still have a ways to go on their leases. It would be costly to pay their way out of that, whereas the Islanders’ arena is older than dirt, plus they have actually had a worse track record than the Panthers since Florida’s had a team.
So Islanders to Winnipeg all the way, and if other teams are to be relocated, I say look to Canada first.
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Islanders to Winnipeg. I can live with anything else they do as long as that happens
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im glad someone said moving the islanders to houston, that would be great, i live south of houston and i love hockey. i believe that was a rumor around 5 years ago or so. the state of texas has plenty of hockey teams,all minor, but hockey teams nonetheless, another pro would be great.
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Not that any of this matters, because with the awesome Prudential Center, I don’t see the Devils moving anytime soon. More likely the Isles bounce elsewhere.
That said, ship the Fishsticks to Seattle and Atlanta, an unmitigated disaster, to Winnipeg. Then send Chicago and Detroit to the Eastern Conference.
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Islanders - Brooklyn…not a real move, but getting them out of Uniondale could only help them
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New York Islanders to Houston
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We all know this means nothing.
But in the heads of the “common” fan out there we are a team that most feel should move.
We as Isles fans know the whole story. But across the country we are lumped in with Atlanta, Florida, Phoenix, Nashville, etc.
That is a damn shame.
No offense Frank James- but why are you copying and pasting big blobs of text from espn.com when it has absolutely nothing to do with BD’s article (the article youre commenting on) AND you already gave us the link, anyway?
Sorry, but I disagree. This team doesnt miss Dipietro at all. Joey Mac has done fine. What this team does need is to play a full 60 minutes, especially 3rd periods as we all know. I dont miss DPs attitude or his puck handling or his subsequent giveaways from said puck handling. Rick Dipietro is Ron Hextall, but not as good.
I get torn over whether the Isles should relocate to Brooklyn, if that arena is actually built. We have a certain identity, but this identity (re: Long Island’s team) ultimately hurts us because we are essentially marketing to a small base of people, praying that every hockey fan in the area gets tickets to our games. If we expanded to Brooklyn, we would never overtake the Rangers as the city’s team, but we’d certainly draw from a wider and more diverse base than we do now. What’s interesting is that there was an article in the Times today about this sub-professional team (they called it “Single-A”) in Brooklyn, called the Aces, that play at a 2,200-seat rec center at the old Floyd Bennett Field. It will be interesting to see how many hockey fans are in the borough.
Anyway…I teeter on both sides of this argument - born and raised on the Island, now living in Brooklyn - and I feel like the Isles are Long Island and should remain so. However, if the Lighthouse doesn’t happen soon, and the Nets get clearance to build, then it’s absolutely worth our time to discuss becoming a tenant in what should be a showplace of an arena.
And we then wouldn’t have any issue in worrying about 7pm start times for people that work in the city, and for those on the Island, the LIRR is directly beneath the arena. It seems logical, if still a 2nd option.
it would be great to have dp back ..but i think we have the 3rd fewest goals in all of hockey..why does the coach get such a pass on the play of his team??
Chris, it has been hinted in blogs and media ( was it a Newsday blog which suggested that Ricky did not like Dubie - and that is why he is gone?) that Ricky has a fairly significant influence in how the team is actually run. Personally, I would not have a clue….but some fans feel that he is like an associate GM or something….and has great influence on Wang and Snow…..
Also, was wondering if you could provide insights on the fallout between Ricky and Ted Nolan ( asking if those games that Nolan started Dubie to the dismay of Snow - was in reaction to DP’s reaction) and if DP is a coach killer?
Personally, I think DiPietro is a GOOD goalie - but it might be prudent for him to actually lead the Isles to a playoff series win or two or three before I start calling him a “Top 5″ goalie. I think its hard to call him a “Top 15″ goalie based soley on his numbers.
In short - I am not drinking Ricky’s Kool Aid. Top 5 goalie in the NHL? How about top 5 goalie in our division?
Marc Andre Fluery - Stanley Cup Finalist (yes, acknowledge he plays in front of a good team)
Lundqvist - YEEEEEEEEEEECHHHHHHHHH - but he is better - sadly
Martin Biron of Philly ? ( Ricky is better)
Martin Brodeur ?
Now, I fully am aware - going to about 25 Isles games a year in person - that the team is not so good - and DP can’t win them all on his own. How I would love to see him play on a more competitive ISles team.
But please stop wiht the “Top 5″ label for this guy. He is not that good. Sorry !
Pat
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I was just posting it up there for people to see.
Didn’t mean to hijack the thread.
Getting waaaaaay tooooo tired of the same stories (no offense to Chris- I mean total coverage of the Isles).
3rd period collapses.
Rick’s injuries.
It is what it is.
The Isles are not a good team.
The Pens looked like they were on a power play the last ten minutes of that game.
Rick is hurt.
What else can be said?
I posted here previously that I was sick of seeing teams get rewarded for tanking. Like the Pens in getting Lemieux and winning the lottery on Crosby. Then they get a new arena.
I said maybe it would be best if Rick sat for a long period and finally was able to get the rest and rehab needed.
That buys Gordon and the prospects time.
Also it would give them a better chance in the draft lottery.
I am a huge hockey fan and I can barely stand to watch the Isles anymore. Because of the consistent 3rd period collapses.
It’s like getting kicked in the stomach every 2-3 days at exactly 9:30PM.
I hate the Rangers and acnnot even watch the Devils anymore.
Seeing Parise at the top of the goals leaders makes me sick.
Sorry to vent but we need something catclysmic here on the Island.
Either a new arena.
An insane trade by another GM where the Isles pick up a Rick Nash or Iginla for a bag of pucks.
Or getting the #1 pick and having Tavares actually be a top player.
Love the Isles.
Love the players.
But man it is getting real tough to keep tuning in and showing up just to get kicked in the stomach.
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Glad the event in Rockville Center went well.
I had to travel for business.
Next one n Nassau county I’m in.
The real problem with the islanders is the pricks who wont allow wang to build the lighthouse. If that happens the isles would attract free agents and we would be a very good team in 3 yrs!
The islanders need to lose. I actually think not having DP this year is a good thing. Let him heal 100% and let him play with tavares next yr!!!
Frank James:
Did you forget that Texas has a team called the Dallas Stars???
“All of the teams are minor” is not really true.
Stumpy:
Nassau County is not a small population.
There are approximately 1.4 million in Nassau alone with less than 300 square miles of land. That’s about 20 miles x 15 miles. Pretty densely populated if you ask me.
That’s not including Queens, 2.25 million people in just over 100 sq. miles, Brooklyn 2.5 million people in 70 sq. miles and Suffolk 1.5 million people in 900 sq. miles.
The solution to drawing big crowds…???
Win. Simple as that.
DOC
Doc - listen, I’m under the belief that the Isles would draw just fine in the Coliseum or anywhere else if they had even a semblance of a competitive, near top-level caliber team on the ice. However, you mention a few places that the Isles don’t draw from - namely, Queens and Brooklyn. Frankly, I don’t see how the Isles make any attempts to draw from anywhere other than Nassau and far western Suffolk.
I believe the Isles could survive and thrive in Uniondale, but they need to go after more than the Newsday readership. This LI-centric marketing never existed before about 10 years ago. Sure, we were never going to make a run at the Rangers for the most popular team in the area. Even when we were winning Cups, the Rangers owned whatever back pages hockey got in the NYC newspapers. But, hell, can’t we try, just a little, to tap some parts of the largest city in the world? We’re really not that far, and I’m sure I’m not the only person who lives in the city and supports the Isles.
The fact is, we’re eons smarter in marketing than the Devils. The Devils are arguably the model NHL franchise for the last 15 years. And where are they in attendance? #28, a mere 300 or so more people on average than us, in a new arena easy to get to from anywhere via public transportation. My feeling is that, throughout all their winning, their marketing was poor. At least we market to Long Island. Where in the hell do the Devils market? Secaucus?
I just feel like, to be successful in this arena or the next, we need to tap people outside the Nassau/western Suffolk base. We haven’t done that in over a decade, and that’s hugely important if we want to maintain a footing in the NYC market.
Stumpy:
My first impression was that you were arguing in favor of relocation… stating that Nassau was too small of a population to survive. So I was just pointing out that there is more than enough people to draw from in Nassau and whatever few may come from Brooklyn, Queen and Suffolk. I realize that is not where they primarily draw from… but nonetheless there are fans in those counties that come to Islander games.
But I think we are in agreement that if they start putting a winning team on the ice… they will sell out at the NVMC. Right?
Doc - yeah, we’re in agreement, in the sense that we can draw at the Coliseum (or Coliseum site) with a winning squad. However, I believe that it’s not good enough to draw 16,000 people a night (however great that would be right now). We need to create a stronger brand, beyond that of the “suburban team.” We need to start bringing in people from outside LI. Sure, they must have a few season ticket holders outside Nassau and Suffolk, and fans like me who grew up on LI and live in the 5 boroughs. But to be able to be a top professional organization, they need to reach past what seems to be as a fading community with minimal large, strong F-500 businesses. That’s the key to survival in today’s sports world.
This goes beyond whether or not the Lighthouse project is approved and completed - although it could be a moot point if it’s not. This is for the strength of the franchise, and the continued unwillingness of the franchise to understand where it lives. It is unacceptable to me that we have 17 million people at our doorstep (NYC metro area), and we market to, as you say, 1.4 million of them. We need to be better than that.
I see your point…
Doc,
I never said the Stars or any of the other teams were minor.
Those comments (post 32 on this thread) were from the responses posted on espn.com.
“suburban team” LOL. You’d be surprised how many fans are from the queens, brooklyn area. The main problem with the Lighthouse Project at this point from what I understand is the evironmental aspect of it. Welcome to Long Island whose “environmentalists” can’t get out of their own way.
Any NHL goalie can be a “top five” when “on his game”. The difference between the REAL “top five” goalies, and Brian Boucher, (and Rick DiPietro), is CONSISTENCY. Rick has shown ZERO consistency in his career. Some blame the Defense, some blame his injuries. But no one ever stops to think that maybe the Defense sucks in part BECAUSE of Ricks antics, or that he’s injured because, while he’s a very good athlete, he’s just not a very good GOALTENDER. When you’re constantly out of position, and relying on little more than speed, reflexes and blind luck to make saves, how much stress do you think you’re placing on your hips? Knees? Groin? Back? Again….he’s injured BECAUSE he’s not very good at his position, not the other way around. For every “spectacular” save he makes, bear in mind that if he’d been square to the shooter, and/or properly positioned, it would have been a “routine” save. For every time he plays the puck, look at his Defensemen, confused, discombobulated, and oftentimes on the receiving end of a hit from an opposing player, (see B. Witt), because Rick has thrown them off track with his (poor) decision making. The Organization will simply not allow us a day without force feeding the Rick Kool Aid they’ve been pouring down our throats since he was (mis)drafted. He’s a good goaltender, sure. But he’s nothing special. He’s the FIFTH best goaltender in the Atlantic Division, for Christ’s sake. How can ANYONE, in good conscience, call him “top ANYTHING-other-than-30″ in the League? Take off the #39 Blue and Orange goggles and watch OTHER Teams, and their goalies, play. It’ll open your eyes, but QUICK.
Interesting. Thanks!