RICK DiPIETRO SPEAKS
Plans on returning “as soon as humanly possible”
In his first public comments since undergoing arthroscopic knee surgery, Rick DiPietro told Point Blank today via text that he is determined to return as the Islanders No. 1 goaltender in the near future.
“The last six months have been the most physically and emotionally difficult time of my life,” wrote DiPietro, who had hip surgery in March and meniscus surgery over the summer. “I am doing everything that I can to get back in the net as soon as humanly possible.”
Responding to a request from Point Blank for a message to Islanders fans on his state of mind, DiPietro made it clear that he plans on making a 100% healthy return and shared his singular focus.
“This team, the organization and our fans mean everything to me. My only goal is to win, and to bring the Stanley Cup back to Long Island.”
With tomorrow’s early start time for the likely NHL debut of Josh Bailey, this may probably amount to the Pre-Game Show. Your thoughts on the above story, Bailey’s debut, tomorrow’s game and your predictions are welcomed in Comments.
62 Responses to RICK DiPIETRO SPEAKS
Plans on returning “as soon as humanly possible”
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toorude says:
no kneed to rush back here ricky.
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Of course he wants to get back as soon as possible. We may forget his name.
Hope to see Josh in the line up tomorrow. That will make the day worth while… sort of.
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Strummer's Army says:
Fully support you Rick! Fantastic goalie. This time take the time and don’t come back until your 100%. In the mean time get hold of your GM and respectfully ask him to get a real defense to play in front of all the goalies. That will help prevent further injuries.
Guys like DiPietro, Okposo, Josenu, Nielsen, Witt, Bailey, Petrov, Sutton, Petrov, Figren, Comeau, Harmonic, Neimi etc give me a lot of hope for the future. It will be so nice to see #12 on the ice tomorrow.
Oh, Botta reported that Colin Powell might do the puck drop. He is good friends with Wang. Everyone know what the Powell doctrine is? He said never confront an enemy without overwhelming force. Garth Snow obviously does not subscribe to the Powell doctrine! LOL
I hope Powell may have some influence with the state of NY to help with the Lighthouse project.
I hope Fritz gets inserted into the line up tomorrow.
Anyone heard when Witt might be back?
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mrlbem says:
Would be kind of nice if there was even some kind of phony humility. Like “I know I’ll have to work my way back into the lineup, blah, blah, blah.” But of course, since the team, God forbid, can’t even sign a backup goalie who is a threat to take playing time away from Prima Donna-Boy, what else can we expect?
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Chris TMC says:
And I absolutely believe him. This man loves this team and he loves to play.
Take all the time you need and come back to us when youre ready, Rick. So many of us look forward to it!
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Oh come on, mrlbem. You say its “Prima donna-boy” for Rick to think that he will be the Islanders goalie when he is healthy? WTH??? Im not looking to fight but this stuff is just getting so ridiculous.
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Think Ricky would ever accept a rehab assignment to Bridgeport?
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Brian from Massapequa says:
We need a healthy DP, nothing less, no matter how long it takes. I’m hoping to see a #12 Josh Bailey debut tomorrow even if shortly finds himself in Windsor.
Prediction – Isles 4, Philly 3
Fight Prediction – Just one. Jackman vs Asham – No Decision.
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mrlbem said: Think Ricky would ever accept a rehab assignment to Bridgeport?
Yes, I do. Now do YOU think if he is 100% that the Isles would have him playing in Bridgeport instead of here? -
Chris TMC,
Would he go to Bridgeport on injury rehab or does he think he’s too good for that? Just let him keep his mouth shut and play and let his playing do the talking. What has he ever done to justify his reputation? A great 40 games? Come on.
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(1) I already answered you, why are you asking again?
(2) I agree with letting his playing do the talking. How about the people bashing him waiting until he is 100% and doing that themselves instead of continually dumping on him? Why do you blame HIM because people like the guy? Jeez. -
beatlebailey says:
let DP take all the time he needs to rehab. this is a rebuilding year anyway so why jeopardize DP’s health to come back early for what…so we draft 10th instead of 3rd (because you know no matter how bad we are we will have just enough points to get screwed out of the top two picks..i know i know lottery blah blah but we are the islanders we always get the $hit end of the stick…take your time ricky we can see what joey mac has got in the interim
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ron says:
bla bla bla, i’ve heard this song before. come back next season when you’re 100% ready, ricky. you talk of gold, but really you’re spitting garbage.
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Here is the bottom line with DiPietro.
Did we get another starting goaltender, when DP went down….no.
Is DP better than MacDonald when healthy….yes.
Who will start when both are healthy….DP.
Nuff said.
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i took a half day off from work to be at the game tommorow so to paraphrase the immortal words of Leon Hess “let’s show em we’re not a bunch of horses asses!!…yes i am jets fan as well…what a miserable sports fan existence it is been for the past 15 years
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Travelchic59 says:
I, for one, hope DP does NOT come back this season. We are not going anywhere anytime soon. Take the full season to rehab and get back into 100% tip top game playing shape. I am not a huge fan of his, but do think he has talent. I agree with those who say he hasn’t won anything yet to be considered an elite goalie. I do wish him the best of luck with the rehab process. I am sure with his competitive personality it is driving him crazy not playing.
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Jon says:
Prediction – Flyers 4, Isles 3. Isles lead 3-1 after two periods.
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Where does this Prima-Donna crap come from anyways? God forbid we have a goalie who loves to play, win, and be a part of the Isles org. for his career.
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Hurrapop says:
All I’m gonna say is, when DP comes back, he needs to stay in the net, not skate around his 3rd of the rink for the loose puck. He makes me really nervous sometimes… I’m just saying
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Uncle Jr says:
why is he a prima donna ? cause he cares so much that he plays hurt??? if we had 20 guys who cared as much as Rick does we wouldnt be waiting 15 yrs for a playoff series win. Get real people. You get on him cause he loves the island the fans and wants to win …. uh isnt that what we want in our players?? Give me rick over Muller, Smyth and the rest of the players who dont want any part of the island.
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Joe says:
Can we dress him on the fourth line as our enforcer while hes not in goal? Christ, this team is soft!
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The prima-donna crap comes from the team not re-signing Asham after the season in which Asham and Ricky supposedly had some kind of scrap in practice (even though we needed some players who could drop the gloves, even middleweights like Asham). It comes from rumours of Ricky having something to do with the team getting rid of Dubie because those two didn’t get along. And then there’s the issue of Nolan not starting him against the Ranger$ in the two games at the end of the season when Garth went on the FAN and publicly called out Nolan for not starting him. It comes from Neil Smith being fired shortly before the 15 year deal was finalized, when Smith was trying to convince Wang not to do 15 years, and Ricky and Wang finalizing the deal when the two were out socially together. I mean some of these incidents are documented. Others are rumours, though they have some legs. That’s where the prima-donna crap comes from.
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Neil Smith was terminated well before Snow gave Rick the longterm deal.
Nolan got himself fired with his self-destructivness. He is a good man but I think he shoots himself in the foot. He butted heads with Snow. He stuck his neck out and wanted Simon. Snow got him Simon and Simon was a major embarrassement and barely did his job of enforcing even when he was playing and not suspended.
I don’t see Rick as anything but an elite player and someone devoted to the team and winning.
Whoever posted if we had more guys like Rick we wouldn’t have such a poor record over the past 15 years they are right! I see players on this team who just expect to lose and who don’t compete as hard as they should. There are fewer this year but still a few that need to get moved on.
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Chris A says:
Though some of this might be true I think DP wants whats best for the team if he were a total prima-donna he would want out but hes committed to this team, after all he chose to sign the dotted line on the 15 year contract.
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Negative Nancy says:
Is it true the Islanders drafted Ricky 1st overall because Wang’s daughter has a crush on him?
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We need someone that wants to win after this year once we have Tavares and hopefully, a better team next year. It doesn’t matter, we have an AHL goalie for an AHL quality team, a 100 percent healthy DP plus a decent team could be something good.
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Isles fan in CA says:
Ricky is a true competitor and will undoubtedly help the team when he is inserted back into the lineup. A little help from the defense goes a long way as well. The guy has heart and loves being part of the organization. Bashing him over and over might make you feel good, but it won’t win games. Been a fan for MANY years and I am FRUSTRATED, but whining on this blog is not going to do any good. You can choose to show your dissatisfaction with the franchise by not going to games. Though, will poor attendance lead to moving the franchise? It’s a double edged sword. Sad to say that I will always support this team no matter what. Go Isles!
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STOP with TAVARES...!!! says:
Can we please stop assuming we will have Tavares next year… A lot of things can happen between now and next July.
I understand you WANT Tavares on the Islanders although I am quite sure you know nothing about him, never seen him, don’t know how tall or big he is or couldn’t pick him out of a line-up…
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Ok guy, would you prefer I say Hedmen? Something decent has to come of this season rather than an injury ridden, craptastic team.
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AngryPete says:
Where there’s smoke, there’s usually fire. All the prima donna stuff comes from somewhere, and I believe that 50% of it is probably true. You’re HURTING your team when you insist on being the #1 guy even when you’re not 100% physically (and you realize it) or when you’re just not playing well. I respect the competitor in him, but he still has some maturing to do.
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Strummer’s Army: I don’t believe it was Snow who gave Ricky the 15 year contract. That was Wang and Milbury. Good idea at the time and others have followed suit.
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Im weary of the draft talk, too. It makes Islanders fans look so pathetic.
At least it only went on for 1/3 of last year. Stamkos was an Islander if you listened to these same people- and look how that worked out! This year its just ridiculous. The Isles didnt get Stamkos and will not get this one, either- so get over the fairy tale already.I dont know why spamming Chris Bottas blog with this stuff all the time seems like a good idea to anyone- it seems awful disrespectful to me.
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joey says:
When Ricky does get back, he will probably just get injured again…… maybe in warmups or something. Part of being a great player is to stay healthy and play the games.
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You post how some of the draftees are doing well. Why are Toews, Trivino and Ness doing so little? Islanders should get them out of college and into Juniors.
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Since 1972 says:
For this franchise to go forth, it needs a healthy DiPietro in nets, so in this rebuilding year, I advocate allowing all the time needed for him to get healthy—bringing him back too soon and having him get reinjured accomplishes nothing.
Bailey should get playing time in all 3 periods today—not just early in the game and then be stuck to the bench. LOTS of players the ISLANDERS could have had, but traded down to get Bailey for, are playing significant minutes at key times for their teams……..would be nice to have that happening on our injury-depleted blueline right now.
FLYERS come in and win 5-2.
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stumpy32 says:
Once a prima donna, always a prima donna.
He may say the right things, but his action tend to be opposite of what he preaches.As one player told my friend, “DP says he wants to be treated like everyone else, but at the same time he acts like he is better than everyone else”.
True story.
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I find it very hard to believe that so many Islander fans are ripping on our only true star of a player. Almost no one in this league wants to come to the Island anymore to play with a team that is lackluster and mediocre and on the rebuild in a terrible building. Ricky, on the other hand, decided to sign with us for 15 years because he wants to win and he wants to win here. How can you go and rip on the guy for wanting to win? Yes, he may be a little cocky at times, but that’s not a bad thing. He is a damn good goalie, and many consider him the most athletic goalie to ever play the game. With a better defense in front of him that does not allow him to get battered, and a team that knows how to win, he will truly prove his worth. He is a franchise player, and any team in the league would love to have him on their roster if they were missing that great number one. In three years, when the Islanders are icing a great all-around contender, he will truly show his value as he carries this team.
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“The prima-donna crap comes from the team not re-signing Asham after the season in which Asham and Ricky supposedly had some kind of scrap in practice (even though we needed some players who could drop the gloves, even middleweights like Asham). It comes from rumours of Ricky having something to do with the team getting rid of Dubie because those two didn’t get along. And then there’s the issue of Nolan not starting him against the Ranger$ in the two games at the end of the season when Garth went on the FAN and publicly called out Nolan for not starting him. It comes from Neil Smith being fired shortly before the 15 year deal was finalized, when Smith was trying to convince Wang not to do 15 years, and Ricky and Wang finalizing the deal when the two were out socially together. I mean some of these incidents are documented. Others are rumours, though they have some legs. That’s where the prima-donna crap comes from.”
There is not 1 true fact in this entire paragraph….
DiPietro decided he wanted to spend his entire career here….for under market value. He plays hurt, volunteers his time and money for charity, and is not involved in beating his girlfriend, steriods, or driving around at 100mph with a loaded shotgun under his seat.
The Prima Donna crap comes from people like you, who don’t know whats going on and spread internet rumors about a player who cares deeply for this organization.
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I find it very hard to believe that so many Islander fans are ripping on our only true star of a player. Almost no one in this league wants to come to the Island anymore to play with a team that is lackluster and mediocre and on the rebuild in a terrible building. Ricky, on the other hand, decided to sign with us for 15 years because he wants to win and he wants to win here. How can you go and rip on the guy for wanting to win? Yes, he may be a little cocky at times, but that’s not a bad thing. He is a damn good goalie, and many consider him the most athletic goalie to ever play the game. With a better defense in front of him that does not allow him to get battered, and a team that knows how to win, he will truly prove his worth. He is a franchise player, and any team in the league would love to have him on their roster if they were missing that great number one. In three years, when the Islanders are icing a great all-around contender, he will truly show his value as he carries this team. More injuries are guaranteed, Ricky is still gone for another 5 weeks, Witt will be out another 2 weeks, Meyer another 2 weeks, and the trade deadline is March 4th. If Weight and Guerin keep up their solid play, they could be on their way out of here on March 4th with a nice little return for the Isles. If Comrie goes as well, for whatever he’s worth, there goes three of our veterans and a tremendous part of the leadership. From there on out, players will move up and down from B-Port as much as they did last year.
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That’s why I think we have a better chance of landing Tavares this year than we did of landing Stamkos last year.
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Ed J says:
Get well soon Rick, we need ya. But Joey Mac has been great & it looks like you be able to rest once in awhile now once you are back…
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Why is everyone hating on Ricky? Yesterday he was arogant. Today he’s a prima donna. Let the guy get back into game shape and see if he stays healthy. Cuz really that’s all that matters, no?
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1) I would like to know for how long is Dipietro expected to be out…
2) We cannot expect much of Baily tonight…but it will be fun to see him on the ice.
3) If being a primadona is what Dipietro is, then there are tons of them in the league…. Loyal to the team, very talented, intense competitor, wanting to win…if the Islanders had more of such Primadonas, the team would be performing much better.
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bCarey says:
Tavares had a significant drop in goals last year in the OHL. He played eight fewer games but compare the lines:
06-07 – 72G 62A 134PTS
07-08 – 40G 78A 118PTSSo far this season he has 16G 14A 30PTS in 20 games. He is on pace for 64G and 120PTS at his current 1.5 PPG clip. By comparison, Josh Bailey’s stats at Windsor:
06-07 – 11G 24A 35PTS (42 GP)
07-08 – 29G 67A 96PTSHedman is 6’6″, 212LBS but not a real two-way defenseman. Stats are pretty meaningless for him in comparison with Tavares. Personally, I’d rather have Tavares. Pure goal-scorers don’t grow on trees, and if they did grow on trees, you can bet your ass they would not be indigenous to Long Island. But who knows? I still think the league will rig the draft so the Leafs get the first pick.
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Bill says:
I know his situation has been hard on Islander fans, but just think how he must feel. Rick is in the prime of his career and these injuries are now at the point where his future ability to play in the NHL is uncertain. I just can’t believe how unsupportive people are being right now. All I can say is, Get Well Rick! We need you.
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Rob says:
I don’t have anything against Rick’s off-ice personality; he seems like a cool guy, and he does seem like a true competitor to whom winning means a lot.
My problem with Rick is his ON-ICE performance! Contrary to what so many people on this blog believe, the guys has never proven himself to be a top-tier goaltender, although it is hard to truly tell with such a shoddy defense in front of him year-after-year. He has shown glimpses, yes, but he is one of the worst goaltenders positionally (in terms of playing proper angles) I’ve ever seen, and he makes far too many mistakes with the puck. Maybe he can still become a top-end goalie, but he has not shown it yet.
Anybody remember when he was actually drafted? I can vaguely recall Mad Mike talking at length about how this guy’s puck-handling abilities are going to revolutionize the way that the goalie position is played. No mention, however, of that little matter of being able to prevent the puck from going into the net.
And lastly, to anyone who thinks Rick did us a “favor” by signing the 15-year deal at a “market discount”…you’re joking, right? A guaranteed 15-year contract, at over $60 million total, is utterly unprecedented, and you would have to be insane NOT to sign that deal if you are Ricky. What if he gets injured at age 26 and can’t perform at a high level anymore? Oh wait…. Good thing he’s got that guaranteed deal.
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Rob WTH are you saying?! Before the All-Star Game the Isles were in playoff position and how could you say hes not one of the top goalies when healthy. Last time I checked the All-Star game was for the best players so he must be doing something right to get himself there.
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Willis says:
Eh, I don’t really care what he’s like as long as when he’s here and playing he’s not a locker room cancer. He’s young, there are feasibly many more years to watch him and judge every little thing he does or says. Hopefully in the loooong run we all think he was worth it.
I’m thinking 7-2 Philly today but I always think that and so far I’m always wrong…:) -
What I’m hoping for is that Ricky’s carreer parallels that of Phil Simms, who also had all kinds of injuries to deal with in his first few years with the Giants. But no one within the Giants organization or the fanbase was saying the Simms, despite being a first round pick, was an elite quarterback until after he accomplished something.
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Chris A, because DP had a good half-season, and made one All-Star appearance, that means that he has proven himself over his career to be a top-tier goalie? You know who else was a goalie for the Eastern Conference All-Stars last year? Tim Thomas. How has his career been?
And I’m not sure if it’s still an official rule that each team must have at least one All-Star representative, but if it’s not an official rule then it certainly seems to be an unofficial one. Who else was going to represent the Isles last year? Richard Park? Darryl Bootland?
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Rich says:
Hey CB I thought you said Mark Parrish was nowhere near NHL ready when the Isles sent him to Bridgeport. ‘A hat trick return’ Hmmm I wonder why we couldn’t use that veteran presence to try and lock down third periods. Another head scratching move.
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Bloggers say anything they want so they can hook you into responding. I call it feeding the fish. Throw something into the pond and all the stupid fish swim on over to it and start to peck at it. Don’t expect Josh Bailey anytime soon. Josh Bailey’s been activated. Josh Bailey’s making his debut. And here we all are, swimming around the different sites, checking things out, throwing thoughts and opinions around………..somebody always bites.
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Meg says:
Wow. In the words of Chris Crocker, LEAVE RICKY ALONE! sheesh
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UIF says:
On Ricky, he’s got a tremendous upside, but strikes me…and this is just my opinion based on what I see…as someone who just never listens to criticism. There have been times right after games where coaches have publicly commented on how he wanders too much, and Ricky would make the same exact mistake multiple times in the very next game. He threw a fit last year when he didn’t start the Isles-Rangers game, even though he was obviously hurt and giving up 5 or 6 goals a game at that point.
The skill is there. He has great natural abilities. But part of being successful in anything in life is learning how to accept criticism and make yourself better for it. It was easy to forgive Ricky for this earlier in his career, as he was just a kid whose head was filled with all sorts of talk about “being the franchise”. But he’s not a kid anymore. Hopefully he’s learned a lot by sitting out all this time…especially about being honest about his injuries. And also about cutting down on the distractions. Being a third defenseman, fighting with everyone that comes in the crease, constantly yapping at forwards, etc. Trust your team to fight some battles for you, and just, for now, worry about stopping the puck and playing your angles.
4-3 Isles today…
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“He threw a fit last year when he didn’t start the Isles-Rangers game”
A “fit”? Says who? WFAN, who didnt even know how to say 75% of the Isles players names? (Dubawitz, anyone?) Enough with the wild speculations already… they arent helping anyone.
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Pat says:
The difference between being a prima donna or being “brash and exciting” is winning some playoff series.
this means Ricky is a prima donna in my eyes – till he wins. The Phil Simms analogy is a good one. Clearly – Simms grew into the role and the supporting cast improved.
I am tired of people touting DP as the next Terry Sawchuck. He is not…..but I will grant you this – he still has significant upside….and here is hoping that next year – he starts to achieve that -with his new Center – John Tavares.
Pat
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Hockey North says:
DiPietro can/might be a great goaltender when he is 100% but with a 15 year contract (that was deemed a gamble due to the possibility of injury shortening a player’s career – DOH!) you’re going to get criticism. Remember, we gave up Roberto Luongo for this guy – the actual best goalie in the League. In the League! As an organization,you’re just asking for trouble with dumb moves like that and believe me, its not hindsight. I remember the shock and disgust of draft day, June 24th 2000, quite clearly. DiPietro was sold as the star of this team before he’d earned it. That’s why some fans like myself who love the team have a chip on their shoulder about DiPietro. I hope for his success but its things like when you see this team’s jersey displayed on TV, its always one with a “39″ stitched on the front of it like the whole organization is about DiPietro. Maybe he’s the supposed big star now but he should be the one asking to have it toned down until something of team value is accomplished and something tells me he’s not. There have been a lot of great players play for the Islanders and it was never about the individual. Confidence and the will to win is one thing but show a little humility once and a while (you know like hockey players act as opposed to other pro atheletes). Other than that, as far as the team goes: win games, win a playoff series, stop shooting ourselves in the foot in the offseason with controversey, keep a coach around for more than a year and basically keep it simple stupid.
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Stumpy32 says:
You want to bitch on DiPietro, fine. I agree with a good chunk of it. However, he’s our goalie for many, many, MANY more years, and has more talent that almost all other goalies. Now, if he can use that talent to lead us to the Cup, great. It hasn’t happened yet, but so far in Ricky’s young career, the Isles haven’t suffered because he’s on the team. In fact, if you look at the results since he’s been our starting goalie, you can’t argue w/ me that we could have been any better with someone else in goal. Were we anything more than a low-seed playoff team in 2007? Were we a playoff team last year? On both cases, probably not. The guy isn’t perfect, and may end up being just ok, a little above average. But right now, the guy is our goalie and clearly, for reasons unknown to even the most die-hard of us, wants to play for the Islanders for his entire career. For that he should be applauded, because if any of our players are going to lure other FAs to the Island in the future, it’s going to be him.
So, I say..get the guy back, and win the damn game today. LETS GO ISLANDERS!!!
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Its too bad that many people who put these labels on him dont realize that it is FANS who say and do these things. Rick is just a player- he isnt the media, he isnt your opinion of him, he isnt all the people wearing his jersey, he isnt his contract, he didnt force anyone to draft him, he isnt the comparisons people make, he isnt ANY of that. He is just a PLAYER… and when healthy, he is a very good one. He didnt bribe anyone to become a #1 goalie, he earned it. He didnt force anyone to make him an olympic goalie, he earned it. He didnt coerce anyone into putting him in the ASG, he earned it. And all the BS about his personality- from people who have never spent 5 minutes with the man in their LIVES- is just that- BS. And it doesnt matter. At all. All that matters is that the guy gets himself in top shape before he comes back and then when he DOES, he simply does what he always does when healthy- play good hockey.
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Rob says:
DP, why dont you stop and sign autographs for the fans once and a while like your teammates do. ?
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When I met Rick at the NHL team store there were signs up saying there were to be no autographs or pictures. However, I was standing there when the NHL store quietly asked Rick if he would do an autograph session. They asked really quiet in case he said no. He nodded and said, “Sure!” Then he stayed there and proceded to sign something and take pictures with everyone there. Im just telling you what I saw happen right in front of me.
Ok Jerk…..Show Us That You Mean It And Stop Letting In Soft Goals