BUFFALO at ISLANDERS, 7:05 pm
Rick DiPietro starts; can the NYI impress again?
Chris Botta on Twitter
11:15 am - Rick DiPietro is the starting goaltender tonight when the Islanders host the Buffalo Sabres at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum.
Scott Gordon explained that he did not want the comebacking goalie to go too long between starts and liked the routine of the morning skate today for DiPietro. The coach complimented DiPietro for his honesty throughout the rehabilitation process and his hard work in getting back to the NHL. Gordon also very candidly admitted that last season he did not always fully grasp what the goalie was going through.
Plenty of lessons learned all around the organization, starting with DiPietro.
Gordon on DiPietro playing in front of the home fans: “Whether he gets a lift tonight will depend on how he plays.” The coach is so right. If DiPietro is not sharp or if he wanders too much, the crowd could go the other way.
Asked if he looks forward to a day when the issue of whether DiPietro is starting is no longer a story, Gordon said, “Yeah…you wanna start today”?
Thoughts from DiPietro and more on tonight’s start on Twitter.
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Lindy Ruff said the Islanders are not merely a collection of gritty-gutties, but of blossoming skill.
“They’ve built quite a crop of young talent,” the Sabres coach told reporters after his team practiced at the Coliseum on Friday afternoon. “They’re a group that’s playing hard for each other.
“You look at what John Tavares accomplished in his first half-season and then compare it to some of the struggles Steve Stamkos went through last year. Tavares is a very good player and he’s only going to get stronger. (Kyle) Okposo is outstanding and now Josh Bailey is really starting to come on.
“The Islanders are a good team with the puck. They are creative. I’ve seen some highlight-reel goals, some toe-drags…skill goals. But they also go hard to the front of the net.
“Detroit lined up the excuses the other night, but the Islanders really took it to them. The Islanders’ record is very indicative of the way they’ve played this season, and they continue to improve.”
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Ruff was right. I spent the majority of Tuesday morning and night around the Red Wings. As respectful as he tried to be to the Islanders – “Give them credit, they played a good game” – Detroit coach Mike Babcock down-played his team’s domination at the hands of the NYI by constantly talking about their travel schedule. Babcock said he knew the game would be impossible to play “the minute the schedule came out in July.”
If Gordon wanted a little something extra to push his team over the three-game mountain of vs. Buffalo and New Jersey and at Pittsburgh, he could point out to his Islanders that his team’s 6-0 win over Detroit was completely minimized by the Red Wings coach.
Consider this three-game stretch the latest barometer for the Islanders in this marathon on a season.
Comments.
105 Responses to BUFFALO at ISLANDERS, 7:05 pm
Rick DiPietro starts; can the NYI impress again?
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Islesin2010 says:
Ill be there
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Ruud from Netherlands says:
Tavares scores tonight! He has been playing better de last couple of games especially against the Wings. Good luck Ricky!
LET’S GO ISLANDERS!
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battfist says:
I was wrong again.
My apologizes to CB and to Katie of Newsday.But this is major risk to the Islanders season.
Best of luck DP.
But I rather have seen Rolo.Go Isles.
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Joseph says:
Good luck Rick, answer the question!
Go Islanders !!!!!!!!! -
kurvers28 says:
what a huge mistake. slap in the face to roloson. if he is going to split the back to back, that means roloson plays only 1 of the next 3 games. He is 7-0-1 in his last 8 and has carried this team. Rick has already cost this team 2 pts. So much for trying to win. I am a season ticket holder who now wants no more of going to this game. Correction, I’ll be there smirking when Rick gets lit up.
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Steven says:
I think it’s the right move starting Ricky. You do not want to have him sitting to much and the Isles need to find out what he can do.
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Mike from VA says:
Haha Kurvers. Well if you ran the team, roloson would be starting all 82 games? Give the kid a break man, he hasn’t played in two years and its not like its the playoffs and this is an elimination game. DP is the future, best to get him into shape now.
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IslesRock says:
Good luck DP!! Regarding the Detroit game, as I said before, the Isles played great. Lets be honest with ourselves, Detroit did not show up. No effort at all. In fact, I think it was one of the worst efforts I have ever seen a pro team give in any sport. Nice words by Ruff.
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Radek says:
Isles have played Pittsburgh well this season. We will get 3 points in these next three games, should get 4.
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german islesfan says:
Surprise surprise DP is the starter.But on the other end Rolo is 0-5-1 vs Sabres. Good luck Rick and go Isles!
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Adam says:
agree with kurvers, however i am still looking forward to the game. Rolo should be starting after posting a shutout. Anything Gordon says is BS than anybody with half a brain can see through. This is political. But why should we expect anything else from Gordon, he has shown time and time again that he will make bad personnel decisions in favor of letting the hot player play (witt all of last year and the first half of this season, nate thompson, benching tamby forever, etc.)
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Bryan says:
Roloson is 40 years old. I agree that he should be number 1, but some rest wont kill the guy. Its not like dp is chicken scratch, getting him some work will definitely help us in the long run for this season and hopefully years to come. I hope im wrong, but i feel a blow out coming tonight. Part of having a young team is the over confidence that leads to a let down.
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Dreu Theran says:
DP has got to be the front-runner for the Masterton Trophy, no?
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Rick was quoted as saying his first game felt like an exhibition game. This team does not have the luxuary to let the golden bust feel better on the job. His Dallas game cost the team already. Dallas is 1-6 in their last 7. Their only win? You guessed it. I need to walk away from this post because I will be validated after Rick’s latest debacle.
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for all those wanting rolo to start. consider this, he has played poorly against the sabres in his career, and does not have a winning record. Please, enough of the “slap in the face” crap talk about rolo not starting after shutout. the way the isles played det. and the way det played, any bufoon in net would’ve gotten a shutout. Roloson and biron knew the deal heading into the season, regarding the rick situation. Deal with it folks. This is Ricks team until he shows he can’t do it, anymore.
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Rolo has been very good and should be number 1 but let’s calm down about a 16 save shutout. Rolo cannot play every day. This is not Brodeur. Ricky can add a lot to this team if healthy and there is only one way to find out.
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Paul B. in New Mexico says:
WECOME HOME RICKY!!!
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Frank says:
Are there like Rags fans on here or something! Ricky needs this start in order to get back into game shape. Some people just need to take deep breath… and give Ricky a break. To be rooting against DP is so anti- Islanders!
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Jim S says:
Awesome, breaking out my DP jersey for tonight’s game. Hope the crowd is nice and loud tonight and we blow them out!
Go Isles! -
jimisles says:
I do not like this at all. Rolo is the reason for where the Islanders are this season and he blanked the Wings!!!!!
Yes the kids are growing, but the team has collapsed around Rolo too many times and the Islanders are fortunate to have the record they have. Hell they should have at least 6-7 more wins if they knew who to hold a lead earlier in the season.
Rick could’ve started on Monday…… Hopefully I’m wrong and Ricky get’s a shutout tonight…… Unlikely though.
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Konroyd and Cummins says:
Its not so much rooting against DP…Its ppl thinking he is like a savior for our organization..he was drafted 10 years ago and now is going to to be 29 and he just has not lived up to his half of the bargain along with just being average when he plays…IMO, if Rolo played tonight we would have won but with Ricky playing tonight and letting up soft goals left and right that have nothing to do with rust…he lets the same BAD out of position goals up even when he was healthy….watch how many times he looks behind him when they shoot at him..he has no clue where the puck is on atleast half his saves…watch tonight and tell me im wrong…i would love to be wrong
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Big Van Vader says:
I personally LIKE Rick Dipietro and WANT him to be a part of our teams future. However, when I read posts that state, “Ricky needs this start in order to get back into game shape”, I can’t help but be puzzled. Isn’t that what Bridgeport is for? He should be playing his way back into game shape on the Sound Tigers, not at the NHL level. The Islanders SHOULD have won the game against Dallas. I am confident in stating that if Rolo was in net, they would have won. He is the #1 on this team and barring injury or extreme drop off in play, should remain the #1 for the remainder of the season. Rick, when he’s back in top form, IS the future for this team in net. Make no mistake. Just not there yet.
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I find it interesting that some are forgetting how lousy the Defense played in the Dallas game. The forwards were not much better. Ricky is such an easy target. Ricky has proven to be more than an avarage goalie when healthy.
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Eric says:
It’s a shame that the team is in the playoff hunt, Roloson is playing amazing, and we have to just give away 2 points tonight by starting DiPietro. I guess I understand it, but it still sucks. Buffalo is going to score a bunch.
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Jim Clark says: Thanks to our front office, the Islanders and Rick DiPietro will be together for the next decade. The Islanders should cater to DP as the number one goalie until he absolutely proves he isn’t. One start in Texas doesn’t prove much.
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thepolishprince says:
The whinning of some fans never ceases to amaze me:
Roloson is 40 and is signed for another year. Lets give him a rest.
DP is attempting to slowly work back into the NHL. He’s signed for what another 12?
He stll is the future of the team in net. Let’s get him a start. Good luck Rick! -
Lenny says:
If I’m not mistaken Rolo knew the situation when he signed with the Isles. The whole world knew Ricky was the isles #1 goalie going into the season.
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kabbage19 says:
Good for Ricky!! People need to relax. Take a look at the schedule. We play 9 games in the next 16 days. Roloson cannot play all of them – Ricky or Marty must play some of them. I’m sure the coaching staff have discussed this and have some sort of plan formulated for the next 16 days. I’m quite confident they do not just wake in the morning and flip a coin!
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joe fred va says:
DP needs to just keep it simple, wandering arond the net and flopping all over the place will guaranttee a top 5 pick. Sabres are one of the hottest teams in the NHL right now! He has to stay on his feet.
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MJS says:
It seems more people have approached this with common sense than not. If Roloson had put up 35 saves with one or two really dazzling ones, then you might be on to something. It would be evident that Roloson should be the go to guy, but really, the way the Detroit game went the best thing that Rolo did was to keep himself from taking a nap. Besides, if DP didn’t start this game he would’ve started against Jersey and people would have complained that the team is going up against the best team in the Eastern Conference. If it wasn’t Jersey it would’ve been Pittsburgh. The bottom line is that despite their point total, Buffalo is considered the least elite team out of the Isles next three opponents. DP has to get starts somewhere. If he starts someone else can’t. Don’t like it if you want, but even Rolo knew this was coming.
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IslanderFan says:
its the right decision!
Dipietro is the future of the team and he’s more talented then Rolo.
Roloson is 40 years old!!! him playing to much he will be out of gaz towards the end of season.
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Justin in Chicago says:
I hope DiPietro shows better lateral movement tonight after he looked kind of slow in Dallas. I understand it will take time for him to be at his best but it’s going to be tough for him to win games when his movement isn’t in top form.
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Since72 says:
Rolo is a professional and certainly understands what the team is doing with Rick better than the whiners on this board. (also – a 16 save shut out is Karma for the times he stood on his head but lost a shut out because od someone elses collapse).
Biron doesn’t become a tradeable asset until Rick is full time and delivering.
It doesn’t get mentioned enough here but the 15 year contract was expected to be a bargain for the team in the later years when he signed it. If people don’t get that Rick is a blood and guts, 100% dedicated Islander by now they never will. What else would he need to do?Good Luck Rico. Supporting (as a fan should) your comeback.
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Justin says:
DP….DP….DP…,Let’s go Islanders
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Bryan says:
I guess they figured we would lose to Buffalo anyway.
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Score more goals than last game and Botta would look good in the nets.
Team game folks.
A goalie only gets lit up or scored upon after the 5 guys in front of him fail.
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Staten Islander says:
Good for him, sooner or later they’re going to have to get Biron into a game or two also.
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Chris Mc says:
DiPietro can’t go to Bridgeport without going through waivers so saying he should be working his way back into game shape in Bridgeport is not an option. I’ll agree I’d rather Roli play tonight and against Pitt and have DiPi play against Devils since they have the least firepower. But this is the decision the Isles made and it’s fine with me.
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DocDuke says:
And if Dp loses tonight??? So what! It’s not the point. Rollie is 40 years old and could use a break every here & there, and DP needs games to prove himself…so what’s the big deal? I question whether some of the post are truly from Isles fans.
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hockeytime says:
I hope Ricky plays well tonight. He should earn some respect from working back from all the injuries and setbacks. He could of called it a career, but he is a competitor. This team needs that, they need the fire and confidence he brings to the rink. The next ten games will show us what this team is made of… LET’S GO ISLANDERS!!
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rb says:
Uggh. If Red Light Rickey is starting we’re going to need to score 6 again.
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DiPietro can’t go to Bridgeport without going through waivers so saying he should be working his way back into game shape in Bridgeport is not an option.
So you’re saying that some team would claim him and take on that ridiculously long contract? Really?
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islesfan999 says:
Who cares. Were not a cup team yet. This season does not matter. Next season could matter if we sign some UFA top talent.
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Eastonhockey says:
Lets give away points… After all isles don’t need to make the playoffs…winning is not priority #1. Making wangs friends happy has always been priority # 1 (milbury. Dipietro)
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Eric Cup says:
Short memories people. We all knew Rolo was brought in here to stabilize the goaltending situation UNTIL DP was ready. He HAS to play. What’s the difference when it happens? Slap in the face to Rolo? This guy is a pro through and through. Plus, he knew the situation when he signed here. You guys are worried about a playoff spot? WE ARE REBUILDING!!! Now is the time. The Sabres are one of the lowest scoring teams in the league. I couldn’t think of a better spot for DP’s 1st home start. Stop worrying about Rolo’s feelings or a playoff spot. And, if you’re not going tonight because DP is playing, send me your tickets. That’s so absurd. This guy has worked his butt off to get back to the NHL. He could have easily packed it in with all the injuries and surgeries. Instead, he dedicated himself to becoming a world class goalie again. GIVE THIS MAN HIS DUE TONIGHT! His paycheck is guaranteed so we all know he didn’t do it for the money. He’s a hockey player 1st and he has earned our thanks as Islander fans for working his hardest to get back. Well, here he is. Love him or not – he’s ours and I, for one, can’t wait to stand up for him tonight!
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19 Isle in NJ 22 says:
CB — Good choice of words … This is the latest barometer to gauge the team’s progress.
I know that we look at these 3 games in one capsule because of the teams they play and how close they are played together. However, the Isles were coming off of a 3 game West road trip themselves … only to have to host the West Conference Champs … and dominated them. MB’s excuses don’t hold any water … and his players are smart enough to know that.
So I count the Red Wings within the capsule of tough games the Isles face … and even the top 5 West Conference Coyotes & Avalanche … with Dallas their only weak opponent (ironically a loss).
Then after the Pens on Tuesday they have 3 of the next 5 games vs. Devils, Caps and Flyers … This isn’t an easy month for the Isles … and this month should let us know how much “starch” this team really has.
Sit back and enjoy the ride. It may not always be pretty … but it should be filled with thrills … hopefully not spills.
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TimQ says:
Good for DP, but I’m kind of glad I bought tix for Monday instead of tonight
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Mario says:
Why is everyone got it in for DP. Let the kid come back and if they played like they did Against Detroit, my 5 yr old would win. How did the Detroit game compare to the Stars game, NIGHT AND DAY. Cheer Rick and Kurvers you will apalogoze to Rick on this board if they win and Dp plays good.
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Swan says:
DP apologists are the ones that don’t get it. Today, right now, Roloson gives an Islander Team the best chance to win. For a young Team trying to get into the playoffs, every win is important. This is not the ideal time to see what DP has or doesn’t have. That would be in the AHL, the off-season or in one of the games in a back to back (e.g., the MLK Devils game).
I hope Ricky gets the win and plays well. Still is the wrong decision for the Team.
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Gordon is one the one who should be apologizing to us paying fans….
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JBranny says:
What a mistake. DP is not ready and will cost us 2 points like he did in Dallas, regardless what people say about the D. The place for him to rehab is in the AHL, not against one of the top teams in the league.
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Pat says:
I can’t wait for DP to start tonight than all these people doubting Gordo’s decision will be like Oh I missed DP blah blah…Look at Rollie’s career numbers against Buffalo before you go complaining about him not playing. DP is the future of our team, and I am looking forward to seeing him back and healthy tonight at the barn.
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Rest Roloson tonight because he is 40? Those are the people that should be questioned whether they are real Islander fans. Apparently, they don’t follow the Team closely enough to know they were off for three days. And that Roloson played more games last year at 39 than DiPietro ever played in any season of his career even when Ricky was healthy the entire year.
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Put him on Waivers……whos going to claim him? nobody with that contract….nobody
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Tim F. says:
I’m not looking at it as Ricky playing over Rolie; I see it as Rick playing over Marty Biron. Rolie wouldn’t have played all of the games in this stretch even if DP was still out. Give Rick a chance and let’s see what he can do. The Stanley Cup is not riding on this.
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I apologize in advance if this was already mentioned … I haven’t read other posts yet.
Facts:
Rolo’s record vs. the Sabres recently isn’t stella.Ricky and Miller rivalry always gives Rick a lil extra incentive to beat him.
Rick had zero support vs. Dallas .. gave up 4 goals … not a DP loss .. but a Team Loss. Oh … and Rollo also gave up 4 goals vs. Phoenix the next game … but got more goal support to help Isles win in SO.
Rollo played a flawless 16 save game vs. Wings … a total “Team Win”.
This year the Isles are Rollie’s team … he got them to where they are today. Rick has to take the #1 spot away from Rollo. Might not even happen this season.
So as you can see … the facts conflict with each other … That being said … I’m surprised Rick is playing … I thought for sure he’d play against Devils … he actually gives Brodeur a good game. Rollo on the other hand does not. Just have to hope Gordo made the right rotation choice.
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UIF says:
Against Buffalo? Really Marty should be starting given his record! If he’s just sitting around as a third goalie, might as well use him against a team he dominates
But out of Ricky and Rolli…eh, I won’t make a huge deal out of it. Personally, out of the two, Coach UIF would start Rolli and then Ricky on Monday. But I’ll still cheer my heart out for Ricky today.
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#51, Tim I agree that is probably how the front office SHOULD look at it but I don’t think that is what is going on here.
Biron would probably not play two of the next three games vs Buf, NJ, Pit. However here, starting DP tonight essentially guarantees that DP gets another start vs NJ or Pit. I’d be surprised if Roloson gets both games of a back to back.
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RD says:
Stay in the damn net! That is all I have to say!
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Coral springs Isle fan says:
Stay home Kurvers28. One less DP bashed at the game. Go Ricky!!!
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To everyone here against the idea of playing DP, and putting Rollie in so the team has a better chance at winning, well what do you suggest we do with a 28 year old all-star goalie who needs playing time?
I, just like every other fan, want the Islanders to win every game. But that ain’t going to happen. We are in the learning phase. What matters most is that the young corp keeps growing up and getting ice time. And after DP was lost for last season, he needs to learn and grow up again.
I know, it sucks, but i think DP deserves the oppertunity to play. Why not tonight?
And by the way, if the Isles don’t make the playoffs this year, so what? It’s year 3 through 5 of the rebuild that they should be focusing on the playoffs.
For now, let’s really just evaluate the talent we got, including DP.
Go Isles!
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56 – Coral…….nah, I will go and just smile when the red light goes on and on and on and on and on…..plus if the DP bashers stayed home, you’d have about 1,000 people there
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Just bought my tickets. Very happy the Isles give almost a 50% discount for students. 303 for 38 bucks… sign me up! Anyway, I’m very excited to see Ricky back in the nets but let’s be honest here, this schedule has been butchered by Gordon and Co. I don’t care about Roli’s lifetime record against Buffalo. Its a different season, different players, different situation, different Roli! DP always plays well against Marty (Brodeur) and why give DP two games in 4 days if he does in fact split the back to back against Pitt, hasn’t Roli played pretty well against them this year?!? I guess we’ll see how it plays out. Go DP and Go Islanders
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Brian G says:
Good Luck Rick, but I am surprised. I thought Gordon would have did this:
Roloson vs. Buf
DP vs. NJ
Roloson vs. Pit -
Numbers65 in Ohio says:
Glad to see DP making the slow strides to a hopefully excellent comeback. Rollie is a mature veteran and a class act, and probably knows his roll in this. If he does what he is asked with a smile he would be a great guy to have as long as he can play well long term. It could be a win-win situation.
Let’s go Islanders! -
Frank nyc says:
Just got my tix for tonight. Looking to see this good young team for the first time live this season. Also happy that DP is playing at the old barn for the first time in a longgg time. Hope the Isles play a good game tonight. GO ISLES.
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jamnasty says:
no excuses. roli should be starting tonight. we are in the playoff hunt we have over 10 years to get him back in to nhl form.
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local25rooster says:
dp cant start monday he’s scheduled to take batting practice with carlos beltran
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tonysac says:
It amazes me how many DP haters there are now on this site…When DP was an ALLSTAR and OLYMPIAN, we are all praising HIM saying hes a top 5 GOALIE in the league..Now the guy gets injured, and everyone on this site says to shut him down so he can fully recover 110% and want him to come back even stronger..We all get what we want and shut him down for over a year to allow him to come back strong and ready, which was a last week.. He comes back and has a iffy first game back and now everyone wants to BASH the kid… DID anyone really believe he would have a stellar game? Its pathetic how fast fans turn on players…Give the kid a chance to prove himself….Judge him after around 15-20 games…Its going to be even more hysterical when he proves he is BACK and playing awesome hockey like he used to and everyone is going to start chanting D P…D P…D P again….Good luck tonight RICKY, LETS GO ISLANDERS!!!
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Billy-no-not-Jaffe says:
I’m not a big Rickey fan, but he is on the team, and if he can show that he is fully recovered from all his health issues, will be the future #1 goalie for NYI for better or worse. He has to be played just for that reason. Rolli is the better goalie, and IMO Ricky even before his injury problems, was never as solid a goalie as Rolli. In the end it will be Rick until he retires from old age or injury.
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Boss12 says:
Snow is in rebuild mode not playoff mode, if you think otherwise you’ll just be disappointed come deadline time. Playing DP tonight, holding a healthy Bergy out, keeping a immobile Witt in, not signing anyone except for goalies over the summer, it seems pretty clear to me…
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Eric says:
Yes let’s start Rollie every game for the rest of the year. Don’t give him any rest. 40 year old goaltenders don’t need a break. We’ll maybe get in as the 8th seed, maybe. Then we’ll get trounced in the first round and have no clue what DP can handle because we never played him. Give me a break. Swan #49…your stats are incorrect. Last year Rollie started 62 games. It was only the second time in his career that he surpassed the 60 start mark in 11 seasons(not counting this one). Prior to the injuries DiPietro had 3 consecutive years of 60+ starts(62, 62, 63, from ’05/’06-’07/’08). We get that you hate DP but at least get the stats right. In the ’06-’07 season DP posted a GAA of 2.58 and a save % of .919. Numbers that are slightly better than Rolosons are this year. Roloson gives us the best chance to win this year but we need to evaluate DP against NHL TALENT. One friggin game a week is not going to ruin our Stanley cup chances. By the way who says that Biron doesn’t snag a start in the back to backs?
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me says:
Anyone who states that currently Dipietro is more talented than Roloson needs to wake up and smell the coffee. No way is Dipietro currently better than Biron nevermind being better than Roloson. I understand the need to start Dipietro and get him some minutes but it should not come against one of the best teams in the Eastern conference. This is the same as just forfeiting the game to the Sabres.
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To say that a DP start is as good as a forfeit is to suggest that the rest of the team is garbage. DP can’t win. If he started that Detroit game DP bashers would be posting that it was a cake walk and DP didn’t have to do anything, blah, blah. But if our team goes out and coughs up the puck left and right and gives up numerous odd man rushes and breakaways and we lose, it’ll be all DP’s fault. Everybody complains that we can’t attract FA. That nobody wants to be here. Well DP has always wanted to be here. When he signed his deal he was an ascending goalie reaching all star status, nobody could foresee the injuries. Look around, there have been numerous 10-12 year deals handed out to guys who are older than DP was when he signed his deal. Had he stayed healthy and continued to ascend his salary would be a steal right now. So kill one of the few guys who made LI his home and desperately wants to bring a championship back here.
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WoW … finally got to reading the posts.
You’d think that DP was the anti-christ.
Last year CB laid out all the reasons why the DP haters hated DP … some of them legit. Others were funny, and maybe true.
I’ll say this.
DP didn’t ask Milbury to pick him #1.
DP didn’t ask for a 15 year contract which he took at an annual discount for a player of his caliber.DP WaS playing great hockey before the injury. If you guys recall he was stealing games left and right when the Isles couldn’t score in a women’s prison with a handful of pardons.
Is DP better than Roloson? Nope … not right now. Did DP press Gordon to play him tonight? Nope … I doubt it.
So why all the DP hate? He had one blah game with no team support in Dallas after a year out of the game. Tavares hasn’t done anything great in about 14 games or so. Are we going to get all over him?
Keep in mind … DP was the only reason to watch the Isles for about 5 years b/c he had nobody infront of him. He still has a lot to prove to us … but come on… Let him prove it.
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ken says:
How does anyone not love Dipi. Hes given every ounce of himself to this organization. Support him.
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#72 Eric, the point of my comment you sited was to counterpoint the silly argument that Roloson is 40, therefore now is a good time to start DP vs Buf because he is an old man who might break down. Specifically, I was stating that Roloson last season at 39 played more games (or at least the same number of games) than DP has at any given season in his entire career. Therefore his age is not as meaningful as it might be for another player. Btw, Roloson played in 63 games last season, not 62. Also Rolly played in 68 games during the ’06-’07, far surpassing the number of games DP has played in any single season. This means Rolly has played in 63 and 68 games in two of the past three years and played them at a level higher than DiPietro’s career avgs of .905/2.80.
If I have to explain the gist of my arguments in detail, they are going to be even less interesting than they already were before.
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Lav says:
Pumped for the game tonight. Let’s see what the kid can do. Go Ricky!!!
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Doug says:
DP…DP…DP…
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#72, You are arguing my point. Ricky had one career, all-star caliber season, and Roloson’s play this year is approaching that level stats-wise, as you stated.
I’m a broken record now. For all of his surgeries and setbacks, the idea to bring this lifetime goalie along slowly is not a bad one. The time to do it is not during a playoff run, with two solid goalies already on the roster. We have 12 years to see if DiPietro can be the #1, again.
If Rolly played tonight and DP the NJ game, I wouldn’t be posting. If DP played a solid month in the AHL before coming up, I wouldn’t be posting.
Good point about Biron still being in the mix. But I’d be stunned if Biron gets a game in the NJ/Pit back to back. It is a specious argument.
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Actually I was talking about starts Swan. Rollie started 62 games last year and appeared in relief in one other. As to the 68 games it was actually 66 starts and 2 relief jobs. Hardly “far surpassing” DP’s career high of 63 starts. You also fail to mention that 40 of those 66 starts resulted in a loss(34 in reg and 6 in ot). But that’s neither here nor there. Roloson also has a losing record over the course of his career and has never won 30+ games in any season. Ricky has won 30+ twice and has a winning record over his career(by NHL standards). I say this not to diminish Roloson who’s been outstanding for us but to demonstrate that Ricky is not as awful as some people make him out to be. DP is in our future, like it or not. We have to see if he can handle even a modest workload. It seems that no game is good for DP to get a start in by your reasoning. Let’s not kid ourselves here and think that we’re cup contenders when we’re currently sitting in 10th place in the eastern conference past the halfway point of the season.
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Bryan says:
we struggle against buffalo, prob would lose anyway. maybe dp will step up and be big for us tonite, if not then at least roli wont be subjected to a beating. would be surprised if we dont come back down to earth tonite. it wont be that bad though, bc we can just say it was bc of dp
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isles316 says:
I think Rolo should have gone tonight. Not happy.
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#81 Dude, I hate you. You’re going to make me explain my point again. Last time. My point was that the last few seasons, Roloson has shown that he is capable of carrying a 60+ game No.1 tender workload. That the general argument that he is 40 and will breakdown is silly. Whether he played 63 games last year or he started in 62 of them is irrelevant to my point that he is physically capable of handling the workload. If Roly played 60 games last year instead of the 63 he played, my point is still valid.
Likewise, the amount of wins are irrelevant to the argument of Roloson being prone to breakdown.
I also stayed away from wins/losses because these stats get more into team performance. For instance, Roloson had a number of all-star caliber seasons, including one back to back years posting .927/2.00 and .933/1.88. These are numbers DiPietro will never attain, ever. But Roloson posted these while playing for a trap team. It is also why I didn’t compare DiPietro’s/Roloson’s playoff records.
Roloson is a better goalie, but I am not interested in tearing DiPietro down. I want Ricky to do well, because that means the Team will do well. However if I did care, it would be easy to backup my point that Roloson is the superior goaltender. Roloson has had the better career, he is the better goalie today, he has shown capable of carrying a less-talented team to the Stanley Cup Finals. DiPietro, even when healthy, has yet to show he can even win a single playoff round.
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I get your point, I just don’t get why this game has to be Rollies. What does it really matter? Every one of our games over the next 3 are against eastern conference foes. Why does it bother you so much that Ricky starts this one? You argue that Rollie doesn’t need a break so then it shouldn’t matter if Rollie plays Monday afternoon and then again Tuesday night. DP getting a start tonight doesn’t mean Rollie won’t play the next 2. Again, let’s not delude ourselves into thinking that a DP start tonight will cost us the cup. That’s how some people are coming across here.
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Let me just say this, WE’VE SEEN ONE GAME FROM DP!!!!!!!!! Not 10!
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Jim says:
I’m OK with this as long as Roloson gets the back to back against NJ and Pitt.
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mrlbem says:
The Ricophants are out in force, I see. The Masterton trophy. Could he get a win first? Moulson should be our candidate for the Masterton.
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pj says:
I dont know why there is so much DP hating. He needs starts to get in shape, he cant do in bridgeport. 1 start out of every 4 games is no big deal. in the end when he is healthy he will be our number 1 goalie, which to me he is in the top of the league when healthy. This team is playing so good right now it does not matter if it is dp or rolo.. Lets give some credit to the team out there for a change..It is silly that there are all those dp haters out there. Lets go isles, JT breaks out tonight
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Strummer's Army says:
So happy for Ricky! What a great booost to the Isles! I wish that Snow would provide a better defense to Ricky, ROlo, and Biron. Three or 4 of their d-men stink, Martinek does too, kinda reminds me of how terrible Tom Kurvers was on defense.
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I hope DiPietro gets his career back on track. He is a talented kid who happened to have some rotten luck regarding his health.
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admin says:
Patrick Kaleta is going to injury somebody…CB
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Terry19 says:
He is going to find a SUTTON!
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We win tonite, we really are for real for a PO stop. Still early but I’m a believer.
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This game features 2 players who should be on our U.S. Olympic team: Okposo and Connolly.
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Blizzard says: …hosed again by the officials. Its just pathetic.
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Islesfan_in_Vancouver says:
how in the world does an isles goal get waved off and then dp getting run over isn’t a penalty? Someone needs to explain that because that makes no sense to me at all.
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Jerry says:
props to hunter for sniping that shot under such pressure.
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cusi says:
Impressive….you got your answer CB. Great win and nice to see Ricky D playing well.
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Just like I was not ready to say DP is done after giving up 4 goals against Dallas … I’m not ready to start a parade for DP for giving up only 2 goals and winning the SO.
Good game for the Isles … they kinda lost some umppph in the 3rd period and let the Sabres bring it to ‘em.
Here’s a positive thing to look at overall … the Isles took 8 points in 4 games from 4 of the top teams in the league.
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@Post 100:
I know! I also love the fact that everytime an islander tries to forecheck the defender behind the net, miller comes out of his crease and gives a little bump. Apparently its a penalty to jeopardize Team USA’s chance at gold.
Good Luck, Ricky!
Go Islanders!!!