On the Islanders Beat

Best wishes to DP, hurry home, take care of business.

FAMILY FIRST

And kudos to you Greg Logan for doing what very few in the media do anymore.

SHOWING OTHER PEOPLE A LITTLE GD RESPECT.

Logan is a good journalist, and a decent man, for sure.

I am on a business trip in Cali until 3/14 and BUMMING that I will miss the entire Core of Four thing, and the chance to meet everyone. Ugh!! I wanna see 19 Isle-esque LONG blog entries describing all the goings on! Enjoy, guys.

DP, thoughts and prayers - definately family first.

All my best DP.....

Anyone remember how Lundquist played just before and after the all star break, when he knew his fath was ill ????

Imagine what these guys must go through to play a game at this level when they are hurting inside ove a loved one. I cannot even look at a computer screen or talk on a phone when I am thinking of a sick loved one !!!

This explains a lot !!!

Thanks Greg Logan for the facts.
DP: best thoughts and wishes to you and yours.

Tonysac: and ill keep sayin this over and over and over and over....WHY IS HILBERT ON THE FIRST LINE??????????????????? PLEASE FOR THE LOVE OF GOD SOMEONE GIVE ME AN EXPLANATION!!!
--------------------------------

Here's why I think Hilbert is, and perhaps should remain, on the first line for now:
They need his defensive capabilities to cover for his line mates, Mr.and Mrs. Turnover. And the other three current line combinations all seem to be clicking pretty well as is.

The first line did score 3 goals last night. Perhaps they are finding some rhythm?

That said....I would love to see Comeau up there, if for no other reason than to give him the TOI he clearly deserves. Sh*t, why not just start rolling all four lines to get all the kids more time, and keep the older guys fresh?

My condolences to the DiPietro family.

Rick needs to take whatever time he needs.

Best wishes to DP and his family. Gotta love a guy that actually plays through the pain!

If he can't play with it, then he shouldn't have played. No excuses.

He sucked last night.

Greg -

You know you have my respect, but I'm not really sure if you're telling us the whole story. Your question to Nolan that prompted his cryptic comment last night cited DP's save percentage SINCE THE ALL STAR BREAK. Ted could've easily passed it off by talking about the injuries to the defense. But he didn't. And his response was to you question about DP's play - not just in last night's game - but in all the games since the break. Couple all this with the fact that there's no doubt Ricky suffered some kind of injury during the skills comp, and also that he had to sit out a few games with a knee sprain earlier in the season. I guess what I'm trying to say is that I smell smoke. And considering that you asked your excellently phrased question during the Nolan post-game interview, I suspect you smelled it too.

Posted by 19 ISLE in NJ 22 | February 29, 2008 00:17 Thanks for the info Isle27. My condolences to DP and his Family.

....................................................................

Great piece Greg ... as always your show class and sensitivity.

However, I'm with Cincy .... I had the game on TiVo ... and when I heard Nolan's response ... I played it over and over about 10 times .. just to make sure I heard him right ... The question was about his save % performance of late.

I am one of the first people to boost up Ricky and defend him ... trust me ... I work, live and play hockey in NJ ... dominated more by Ranger and Devil fans ... we have this debate all the time .. who is better? .. Marty, Henrik or Ricky ... You don't need any SI article to bring up that debate in these parts ... and us fans know it.

Ricky is the sole reason the Isles are in position to grab a playoff spot post trade deadline. That is another fact that doesn't need a headline to us fans. I really wish DP well in his time of loss ... we all go through it inevitably at times in our life ... and right now there are some things more important than hockey. I think he deserves to have the time off to be with his family ... he's a real trooper for even trying to play last night.

That said ... I also hope he has the time to take care of what ever injury may be ailing him. I'm not convinced he's going through a slump ... like all goalies do. I've noticed that he isn't peforming at his normal level since returning from the All-Star game.

Infact ... during the All-Star game ... he performed outstanding ... after I saw that performance I felt completely relieved that he wasn't hurt from the skills competition. However his performance since then is nothing but average, or a tick below average.. and I think he knows it too.

Take care of your family Biz Ricky ... we are all behind you ... I wish you and your family all the best.

I don't think it's an injury with DP, personally. Injury wouldn't explain why he's having so much trouble just playing an angle correctly. Lately he's reminded me a lot of MA Fleury - all the skill in the world, and all the tools to be great, but just horrible positioning more often than not that athleticism can't always make up for. DP made such great strides last year playing the angles, it was amazing to watch really. he was able to save his energy because he was always where he should be, and the diving athletic saves were only made when they were absolutely necessary. This year he's gotten gotten beat consistently from very awkward angles, and I think that's happened since before the AS break, actually. Part of it may be dealing with personal problems. We can all only guess what he's going through and how long he's been going through it. Hopefully he's getting a lot of support from family, friends, and teammates. Part of it may be a coaching problem. Perhaps Dunham is not the best person for this job. I just think there's a very noticeable regression as far as where DP is positioned on most shots. There are far less acrobatic goalies that are stopping a much higer percentage of shots on teams that are not exactly stocked with all stars, and those goalies do it by being positionally sound (Bryzgalov, for one). There's no reason, given how much DP learned last year, that he can't be among them, or beyond them, on the stat sheets - and yes, even with this Islanders team in front of him.

I'm sure he'll get better than he's been. If it's a personal issue, then definitely we all should be supportive and patient until he gets through it. If it's something else, then the coaching staff needs to figure it out and correct it.

Posted by Islander505 | February 28, 2008 18:00

Attention all Isles Fans..

I have long maligned Newsday on this blog for it's dearth of attention give to the Islanders. Most notably THE COMPLETE NON-EXISTENCE OF BACK PAGE COVERAGE. Now, I've never said that the Isles should be there every day. BUT ONCE A YEAR would be nice.
In fact, in my New Year's post/prediction of what Islander fans would see in Newsday this year, I sarcastically alluded to the fact that this being a Leap Year, the Isles would now get their "one day every 4th year back page coverage".
Well tomorrow is that day. And the Isles play tonight
Will the Isles get back page coverage from the HOMETOWN NEWSPAPER tomorrow?
...........................................................

In regards to 505's post from the previous thread made last night and shown above.

NOT!!!!!! The Isles couldn't even get back page coverage on Leap Year with an OT win.

They plastered a pointless, BS, stupid headline with regards to a FORMER Mets' comments in a Sports Illustrated story. So not only are they not promoting .. LONG ISLAND'S ONLY major professional sports team .... they are promoting in a sense another publication.

No wonder there are lay offs there as 505 also included in another part of the above post.

Shame on Newsday. SHAME!!!

Keep your 50 cents LI Islander fans ...

I think it's time for Islander fans to start making a loud and clear objection to two office issues that affect the Islanders.

#1 - The media coverage of the Islanders ... or lack there of by Newsday which claims to be "Long Island's" newspaper. Long Island fans should only buy the paper on days after a game ... and a home delivery subscriber should cancel the paper during the offseason to send a message. Sorry Greg ... nothing against you... I know you have nothing to do with it .. if it was up to you you'd have back page all the time.

#2 - The Light House Project ... I know that there is a once a month email barrage on the 12th of every month ... however I see one flaw. They can disconnect their email server on the 12th of every month ... and if I'm right ... the mail gets lost in cyber space. That is if they manage their own hosting and email server.

They can also filter their email to ignore any reference to the Islanders... and it will go into a spam or trash bin.

So another strategy has to be coupled with the email barrage.

..... That is my barrage for now.

Upstate ... you make some good points in your counter to DP being injured.

It may be a combination of both. He did have a problem at one short point during the early part of the season ... that clearly was positioning.. and Yes, I've noticed it again as of late. However ... maybe he's cheating on his positioning because he is hurt? I don't know ... I don't want to speculate. I am not a goalie .... and goaltending is all together different than playing forward.

If I'm out of position .. it means I don't get to a loose puck, or receive a pass .. maybe I let my guy break free of my coverage ... it usually doesn't result in a goal against.

I can however detect that a goalie I'm bearing down on is out of position or deep in the net .. that is usually what determines in a split second whether I just blast a shot if he'd too deep ... fake or make a pass if he has an angle on me .... or go for a deke to force him to commit first.

It seems like DP is flopping more on breakaways ... staying deep in his net ... getting off on angles .. and even giving up some rebounds .. that god help us ... the Isles bandaid defense hasn't been all to good at clearning.

For now I'll just wish DP the best during this time ... and when he gets back ... I'm sure he'll work on what ever it is ... personal distractions from this hard time ... or physical ... and he'll be back on his game.

BTW ... I see no benefit for Dunham (DP's insufficient backup from last season) to be his goaltending coach. Just weird.

First and foremost: Prayers to the DiPietro Family

Second. A Note to the Bobbleheads: The follwoing is from Greg's Insider on Davison's getting to Tuesday's game after the trade:

"It was pretty overwhelming, considering I was late and trying to get out there," Davison said, explaining that the rush-hour ride from LaGuardia to the Coliseum took about 90 minutes."

Guess what morons? If you can't even get your players out to the game in time for a 7:00 p.m. start on weekdays, then how easy do you think it is for your fans? Or better yet, how many fans do you chase away because they won't even try?

But that's okay; keep your stinking empty building on weeknights and blame everything else but your own stupidity.

Merrick~

I hear ya ... I don't expect them to accomodate me having to come from NJ ... but I would expect them to accomodate LI residents and Queens Brooklyn residents at the very least.

I'm not sure though that Snow has anything to do with the start times. I think he's strictly Hockey Ops.

Anyway ... that was a great post.

Does #1 = your place in line for Hades?

only the simple minded believe in hell.

Been out of the loop - slammed with work - and there is no way I am going to even think about catching up on posts, let alone try.

In any case, sorry to hear about DP's loss. This sounds awful, but I do hope this has been part of the reason for the soft goals as of late, because he has let in pleny of them, including at least two of last night's goals.

Anyways, this team dropped some critical points as of late, and need another good run to keep pace with the teams ahead. I still think they control their own destiny at this point, given their remaining schedule, so they will only be able to look in the mirror if they blow it.

Condolensces to DP.

One thing thats particularly evident the last two games is that DP's concentration is off. Concentration is the most important factor that seperates the elite goalies from the rest. How able a goalie is to zero in on the play allows him to better read it, position himself, and have his reflexes take over.

Particulary if you check out Zhitnik and Holik's goals from the ATL game he seemed to be suprised by them even though they look like harmless perimeter shots. Something like the death of a family member could certainly be throwing off the mental edge DP has shown all season.

A question has been brought up how this doesn't explain the prolongued period of less then stellar play. DP could be hurt or perhaps the death in the family was a drawn out affair (PURELY SPECULATIVE). This could explain the extended period of time.

Condolensces to DP.

One thing thats particularly evident the last two games is that DP's concentration is off. Concentration is the most important factor that seperates the elite goalies from the rest. How able a goalie is to zero in on the play allows him to better read it, position himself, and have his reflexes take over.

Particulary if you check out Zhitnik and Holik's goals from the ATL game he seemed to be suprised by them even though they look like harmless perimeter shots. Something like the death of a family member could certainly be throwing off the mental edge DP has shown all season.

A question has been brought up how this doesn't explain the prolongued period of less then stellar play. DP could be hurt or perhaps the death in the family was a drawn out affair (PURELY SPECULATIVE). This could explain the extended period of time.

Whoops sorry about the double post... the first time I tried it gave me a Forbidden error message...I guess I wasn't after all.

All my best to DP and his family...

For all those going to the game tomorrow and meeting down at Doolin's, I'll be in my new blue DP jersey with a cream-colored hat that says "US Open - Oakmont"

Also, are any of the Jersey or PA-area fans going to the game next Saturday in Philly? I scored tickets a week ago, and I'm heading down with a friend of mine. It'd be nice if Philly wasn't all hostile territory.

DP says he'll play Saturday and maybe skip Sunday, and that his injuries are just "normal bumps and bruises"

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/hockey/islanders/2008/02/29/2008-02-29_rick_dipietro_may_miss_sundays_isles_gam.html

I'm glad to hear that Nolan was pretty pissed off about the game last night. He ripped into the pp and hopefully this will lead to some fire, or even personnel changes.
As for DP, I definitely think his concentration has be terrible not only in the last 2 games, but since the losing streak occurred. DP is extremely competitive and I wonder if the frustration of knowing that the season isn't going very well has impacted his play. I'm sure he has some injuries, but I don't think they are the whole story as others have said. The point that19 Isle made that maybe the injuries are causing his abysmal positioning seems right. You hear about all the time in baseball, why not hockey?
One last point, Nolan needs to play the kids more than 8 minutes a game. They had 2 or 3 more prime scoring chances and played alright. What happens when Silly comes back though? Tambs gets sent back down and we'll probably see Bergenheim and Nielsen playing cards on the bench cause they are going to be so bored without the ice time.

19Isles....
re- Lack of Newsday coverage....
Here's a comment I put on Neil Best's blog in reference to a blog he wrote about Leap Year, Feb 29:

From the files of.....
What if Long Island had a hometown team, but nobody told the hometown newspaper?

Here I was, all excited....
Feb 29, leap year.
The extra day of the year....
The day when the Islanders, LONG ISLAND'S ONLY HOMETOWN TEAM....
Receives their once every 4 years back page coverage in THE HOMETOWN NEWSPAPER...
After all,
They played last night....
They won in overtime....
They are still in the playoff chase.....
And what are we Isles fans and the rest of LONG ISLAND treated to?
A juvenile bitchfight between the New York METROPOLITAN'S Milledge and Wright.
About as newsworthy as the tampon dispenser breaking down in the locker room at Sacred Heart Academy..

Ya gotta wonder why the hometown newspaper is crying the financial blues when.......
A/They "giveaway their content for free"
B/They generally ignore the only hometown team they have.

Bryan,
I agree with your comments about TOI for the kids.....

One comment though,
"What happens when Silly comes back though?"

I doubt we'll see Silly back this year.
I question whether we well see him playing again at all..
Hip surgery for a guy his age is not a good thing.

Time for him to look at opening the Sillinger/Trottier Center Iceman Summer Camp.
First enrollee?
Black Comeau.

Black Comeau???
"Edit last post icon" alert!!!!

You know what I meant...

My bad, I forgot he needed surgery on his hip. Black Comeau got me chuckling. Witt's coming back Saturday!! Bigggg boost for this team, any news on Sutton and his progress anybody?

The linked story about DP also says no Smitty at the ceremony Sunday. Does he have any lingering issues with the organization since he doesn't work there anymore?

I would like to point out that the OT goal last night would not have been possible without the previous play by Meyer. 3 out of the 4 players went off for a change while Meyer carried the puck to the off wing. Atlanta was changing too, so he skated hard into their zone, fired it at the goalie, and rushed him to force a whistle.

Seems like a small thing, but I haven't seen too much of that kind tactical play this year. They got a faceoff in their zone and Hunter scored the OT winner shortly after. Meyer was still on the ice but I don't think he got an assist for that goal. Maybe Hunter should give him a big kiss on the cheek!

:)

Meyer is definately a smaller sized hockey player but his quickness and hockey smarts make up for it. Anyone know what the contract status is on Meyer?

Kevin T.

LMAO!!!! 505!!! That post that you put on Neil Best's blog most definitely is the leading candidate for "Post of the Year" Honors .... and if we go by Leap Year standards ... that will be the best post for Feb 29th for at least 4 years.

Tomorrow the kids either shine ... or get mugged. The Flyers are another team joining the Isles at their local physical therapy clinic. Tomorrow's a Battle of the Battered and Bruised Royale.

I have a game tonight ... Flyer fans, Devils fans & Rags fans galore ... it ought to be an interesting pow-wow at the local barn. I love hearing others' biased views. Can't wait to hear what they have to say about DP.

I read that article posted by Bring Back KJ in the NY Daily News also ..... I'm really sad for DP ... losing a Grandma is tough ... I bet ya she was a huge influence in his life.

That said ... I'm not convinced that normal bumps and bruises make a goalie less effective ... not that he said he was. I'm just saying ... concentration as some of our fine esteemed goaltenders that post here mentioned is "critical" to a goaltender's focus and effectiveness. I will not contest that .. I'm sure that is very true. My thing is ... if he's losing consentration .. isn't he putting himself in danger out there?

My brother played goalie ... then forward ... then defense .. then goalie ... back to defense ... he has a great perspective on all positions ...I gotta have his take on this.

Kevin T. -

Garth gave Meyer a 2-year contract a few months back. Both he and Nolan cited Freddy's work ethic and non-complaining attitude as a factor in giving him the piece of paper. Ya gotta love how Freddy has stepped up his play in response to the increased ice time. And you have to love the message that it sends out to the players when Garth rewards a guy with real character and grit after having endured three trips through waiver-land.

They might all be bobbleheads... but they're OUR bobbleheads.

19Isles,

"My brother played goalie ... then forward ... then defense .. then goalie ... back to defense ... he has a great perspective on all positions ...I gotta have his take on this."

If your brother is half as "analytical" as you, we look forward to you compiling that "take" by........next Feb 29.

ari-erik .... regarding Smitty .... I kind of got the feeling from a friend of mine in Florida that he really wants nothing to do with the current Isles ownership / organization.

That friend of mine is a season ticket holder for the Panthers and ran into Battlin' Billy and Duane Sutter a few years ago... apparently Billy had some choice words about Mike Milbury when it was asked why he isn't with the Isles anymore ... so ... I'm not sure how he feels now that MM is outta here ... but obviously there is some lingering resentment. I don't even think that Billy is with the Panthers anymore ... so who knows what he's up to?

What we do know is that Billy isn't one to mince words.

Of course I got my info second hand from a former Ranger fan ... her hero is Messier ... and Beezer .. so I take it from where it comes.

Cincy,
Freddy the IV has been the epitome of a diamond in the rough.

AND....a special pat on the back.....
TO ME!!!!!.
While many others from this blog on November 11 were BLASTING the Isles for picking him up on waivers (you know who you are!!!).....I pulled a rabbit out of my hat with this little nugget....
(I called the Devil turnaround as well)......

Posted by Islander505 | November 11, 2007 00:27 Thoughts and Perspectives from 2 Time Zones Away.

Islanders played their best 53 minutes of hockey this year tonight against the Devils.
2-1 lead controlling the lead.
Islanders played their worst 7 minutes of hockey this year tonight against the Devils.
A beyond reason number of icings, WAY too many faceoffs lost.
Got to find a backup for Sillinger. He got tired. (1,000 games, remember?)

Devil's will be a tough team in February.
Sutter has a good system.

BIG road trip ahead.
Potential for 8 points.
Let shoot for 6.
Be happy with 5
And accept 4.

GREAT PICKUP OF FRED MEYER today.

Just my opinion, I could be wrong..

First off... Thoughts and prayers are with DP. Don't know who it is, or how close, but it's always tough for a young person to lose friends or family.

I would not quetin the fact that every human alive including past friends and present family are in Smitty's DOGHOUSE. I don' tthink he took kindly to being replaced by the maharishi... but that's just my opinion. I heard on one broadcast recently that he was in the Ottawa system and doing a really good job there.

I wonder if they scheduled it for a FL game to make sure the most important person shows up?
In a FROZEN IN TIME piece on the NHL Network Gillies and Nystrom were reliving the '80 cup. Gillies said, "Denis definitely had a very high opinion of himself..." But those guys would have naked fingers without Denis. IMHO... It's one of the biggest holes in this team. Even if they had a defensive corp on par with that of what Laviollette started with they would be in the middle of the race. But they don't have one guy who moves the puck, is a threat from the point and can move bodies in front of the net.
When they find that guy, they'll be okay...

Witt... warrior... slow... and a shot that has been timed with a calendar.
Marty... closest we've got... he moves teh puck well, but his passes are devoid of anticipation and he doesn't carry the puck strong.
Sutton... road grader... not strong on the puck at all.
Campoli... moves it well, passes are accurate... developing better instincts offensively and defensively. He lacks size, presence and confidence... and he doesn't handle it in the nuetral zone with vision. He's close though... if he is paired with Witt or Sutton next year he might surprise.
gervais... mediocrity personified
Berard... He was the next potvin [for this organization] now un occhio is struggling to get some of that magic back. he shows flashes. Hopefully the TOI and responsibilities to come will help him get it back... but time is not on his side.
I don't really need to go into the rest of the corp, do I?

Let's hope there is a blue line diamond late in the first round.

I will say this, Grebeshkov didn't look too bad on the EDM PP last night. Small sample, but he's better than what we got for him.

505 .... my brother will be talking about one thing ... then drift off the subject to something else in the middle of the convo ... so this ought to be interesting.

Kevin/505

Meyer has been a GODSEND... I can rememebr not so long ago when I would literally (literally) bash him on a daily basis. There was some speculation that he played through a terrible injury last year and had solid 2nd or 3rd pair potential. So I was happy when they picked him up off waivers as NINTH defenseman. WHO KNEW?
It's nice to see him holding on to his equipment, and dishing out more than he accepts...
But I can't put him in the category of COMPLETE just yet. He does make the small play, and it's appreciated, but he does it in a manner consistent with his talent. When we see Freddy making the nuetral zone play that deosn't stall 70% of the time I will jump on the bandwagon.
One of the better "little plays" was the pass from Davison that sprung Comrie. those plays are available 2 or 3 times a night, and we (as Islander fans) NEVER see them. For the most part it is due to our defensemen skating with their heads down.
Davison has shown some confidence, and if he helps them get through the next four with more than 5 points he will be on the team next year... and in a 50-80 game role.
He just might be the THIRD PAIR 6'3" 220 lb guy I thought we desperately needed. If they can fill the 1st pair puckhandler/ PPQB role and top 3 forward positions they could be tough next year.

19Isles,

"my brother will be talking about one thing ... then drift off the subject to something else in the middle of the convo ... so this ought to be interesting."

really?
Well, when you sit him down, don't call and order any pizza delivery. And if the Buxom blonde shows up with her Green Navigator (whatever) and golden retreiver looking to get her chassis waxed, give me a call and I'll bring over whatever loose change I have with a steak bone in hand and play wingman for you so you don't Hilbert out and can keep your brother on task.

;)
Thanks for the setup Costello.

505, 19Isles

First off Condolences go out to DP and his family.

Being a former goalie, I just wanted to give my 2 cents on what i may think is wrong with DP. The first thing i noticed was his positioning, the second is his glove side arm doesn't come up as high as it used to.

Over the last 5-6 games, i tried to watch DP's positioning and i noticed he's a second off, which could indicate a minor hip injury or bruise.

I'll explain....Try standing in a defensive basketball position, feet shoulder width apart. Now push off with your left foot to the right side as far as you can, while taking a step with your right foot .
If you move correcly, you should feel the left hip a little. Same goes for the right side.

Now if you have a hip injury of any kind, minor or major, you're not going to move as far to the left or right because you're adding moe pressure to the hip.

Now try being on the ice with skates, and you have to push off with either the left or right skate, on your knees, in a butterfly position. Now you have more pressure on your hips. If you're hip is sore or injured, it slows your speed down to anticipate where the puck is going. Hence, more difficult to make the save, and more possible "five-holes."

The other observation i made on him, as stated before, was his shoulder on his glove side. I have not seen him make a "robbery" (rotating his arm forward to snag a goal) save on anyone lately. He has only been able to bring his arm up to his shoulder or mask height. Possible shoulder injury....maybe.

Of course family distractions are also a factor. Being a goalie means to have more emphasis in having your head in the game.

Just my thoughts on DP'd play though. Hope this explained what you guys were looki for.

with neilson out tomorrow who will the islanders call up...colliton or walter? i think i would almost like to see coliton more since i liked what i saw from him...please dont put johnson on the 4th line thro like he skated today in pratice

Its obvious that DP needs at least one game off. My question is why is Dubie not getting a conditioning stint with the Sound Tigers. It seemed to be exactly what he needed when they tried it earlier in the season. I'm just worried that with points being so important right now that a rusty Dubie can cost us 2 points. Don't get me wrong, I'm one of the few that think he has rebounded well since the beginning of the season and has proved to be a decent back-up. But any keeper with rust will not play to potential.

Reading other articles it seems like DP will play against Philly and take off Sunday for his grandmothers viewing and funeral (monday). He will definitely be back for the home and home against the NYR. I feel like we need 6/8 points from now till the end of the home and home. Lets hope Witt coming back and some rest for DP is just what we needed.

On a side note... Does anyone know where to get FREE archived news articles. I've located the first game that I've ever went to against the North Stars on 01/21/89 and would love to read a wrap up report. Newsday's website charges for such things. The reason is that my father and I are wondering if Smitty relieved Hrudey in that game. I seem to think he did and the old man says he didn't. But I remember chants of "Billy, Billy" similar to the "DP" of today. It may have been a different game that year for all I know... I was only 8. If anyone has info I'd appreciate it... thanks fellas

watching the devils play the caps....Caps got some great young talent. Their kid Green on def. shows you just how LESS of young talent the Isles have....Bobbles have a lot of work to do.

Hi Greg. Great work.

My sincere condolences to Rick Di Pietro. But It
really was an unwise decision to let him play yesterday
against Atlanta. Firstly, when a family member passes
away, one must mourn properly; and one must honour the
dead. Therefore, it should not be "business as usual". In
order to go through the normal mourning process and
respect the deceased family member, one needs to
take some time off. Secondly, your not helping your team
by playing shortly after a family member dies. In professional
sports, especially down the stretch, you need to be totally
focused on every game. In such tragic situations it's impossible to retain that focus and killer instinct that is required to perform well. A death in the family is a huge distraction. Thirdly, the Islanders probably have the best backup goalie in the NHL - Dubie. Just look at how he played the last 4 games of last season and how he has been playing recently. He's perfectly capable of doing an outstanding job backing up Di Pietro anytime. He deserves more faith/confidence from Nolan. He deserves more ice-time. He got us into the playoffs last year. Therefore, it really wasn't necessary for DP to have played last night nor should he play the next two games. He still needs to take some time off. Again, my condolences to Rick Di Pietro.

netminder39 ~ You pretty much laid it out ... we all know goalies don't just stand infront of the net .. it takes an incredible amount of athletic ability to just manuever in the goal crease ... and keep the mental sharpness to know where you are infront of the net ... keep your angles ... focus on the puck ... and anticipate the movement of players and puck ... all that has to wear down on the hips and legs. Thanks for painting that picture

-------------------------------------------------------------

Steady~ That has been my fear for the past couple of years ... I've seen the Isles set themselves up for mediocrity. Every raging river (talented team) starts from a group of smaller steams (prospect talent) .... when you make your way upstream to the Isles talent pool .. the pools have runneth dry.

Even K.O. is considered a lower level high tier prospect. Washington & Atlanta & even Tampa have positioned themselves to become better in the next couple of years. The Isles and Toronto have the weakest talent pools in the east ... followed by Ottawa ... as far as up and coming talent.

claudio Giannoccari

With all due respects:

Everyone mourns in the way that is appropriate for them. There are no rules to mourning... unless I missed that class.

Steph Marburry misses two months of the season claiming he's mourning. Nobody has the guts to say... "Hey Steph... get back to work" because it would be politically incorrect to do so. Don't you think that his period of mourning was detrimental to the team? and a little rediculous i might add.

What if he only took 5 days... would that then be the appropriate time frame? How is it that YOU decided what the appropriate respectful mourning time frame is....?

I personally would not be able to take but a day or two off, if that, from my career if faced with the same situation.... so would I be accused of not mourning properly and paying respects?

I respect people and their decisions.... we can all agree that this was a well thought out process by DiPietro to play. He did not make a decision to play and NOT respect the family member who passed.

Don't confuse his playing with not properly respecting the passing of a family member.

Paul O'neill played in a World Series shorty after his father's passing and we all "loved" him for it because it showed his "warrior" side and ability to respect his father by "soldiering" on despite the loss. He said his father wouldn't have wanted it any other way.

Mourning is personal and should be left to the individual as to what is right and appropriate for them. That particular person (DiPietro) is more in tune with his decision making process than what you are giving him credit for.

DOC

DOC,

You continue to post some incredible work....

Nice.

19Isles,
Get yourself over to Nassau County on thursday...
I owe you a cold one.....or two.

DOC I agree completely, another good example is Brett Favre after his father (who was his idol) died. Favre played a Monday Night game that next night and threw for about 350 passing yards and 3 tds, IN THE FIRST HALF! Now Im not trying to compare that in anyway to Dipietro and his family's loss, but Doc said it perfectly when he explained nobody heals in the same way after the loss of a loved one...

GOOD MORNING ISLANDER COUNTRY!!!!!

Thanks for getting up so early and reading this blog.

We've got the Flagger's, er, Flyer's this morning and there are some desperate points on the line.

Desperation is the soul of life. We all experience it.
The teams that succeed are the ones that shield desperation.
They let the other guy show it.

Two points would be a REAL steal here today.

STEAL 'EM.

LET'S GO ISLANDERS!!!!!

In Strong Island !!! Nice to see mostly rain, rather than the 8 inches of snow I get pelted with every storm.

I will be at the game around 12:30 pm....Most likely going to Doolans for lunch.....Hope to see you guys there.....I will be there with a friend and his kid along with me an my my lil guy....Merrick shoot me an email and tell me where you will be !!

MARCH IS HERE....GET ERRRR DONE !!!!

**Sabres lost last night...Today a 4 pt game...Washington looked good last night, kid Greene is awesome.

Doc:

Does your handle indicate that your a doctor of psychology? Nice post!

Going to the game today with 2 Flyers fans, a Ranger fan, a Ranger/Islander fan (don't ask me how this happened), and an impartial who I am forcing to root for the Islanders.

We thought it would be fun to make signs. The Flyer fans would hold up "Go Flyers!" I would hold up "Go Islanders!" And the Ranger fan would hold up a sign saying "Will someone please win this in regulation!!"

Go Islanders!

Steady-

I'll be there with your jersey; I've got my three trolls this weekend, so we'll be roaming around the arena, but I've got your number and will stop by Doolans.

It's Core of Four WEEKEND.
Not today, not tomorrow........WEEKEND.

Two bits, four bits, six bits a dollar, ALL REAL ISLANDER FANS, GET YOUR ASSES OUTTA BED !!!

We want 4 points.....STARTING TODAY...

LOLOL!!!! Looks like the lil Rags Whore dumped 505 ... and is setting her eyes on me.

Must mean I toched a nerve ... good ... doing my job.
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Doc .... well said ... good piece of writing.
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505 .... I'm still trying to get someone to work for me on Thursday ... I have an unrealated biz meeting in the afternoon ... and of course the Rags crawl into NVMC.
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Steady ~ Enjoy the game.... your kid must look up to you like a God taking him to the game.
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Healy ~ Love that Ranger fan sign ... LOL!!! That will get some TV time I'm sure.
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Last night we had a game similar to the Isles / Atlanta game the other night .... Last night we were leading 4-1 shortly before the end of the 2nd period ... then we get a delayed penalty chance ... our goaltender leaves the net ... and for some reason .. our RD decides to go off on a change ... and the winger on our team blind passes back to that position ... into the emty net ... ughhhh ... comedy of errors.

They ended up tying us with 3 minutes left to play ... and then retribution ... the D man that left for the unadvised change takes a slapshot that is deflected in by our winger that made the blind pass faux pas with 12 seconds left in the game.

Tonight is a huge game for us just as the Flyers / Isles game is for the Isles ... we are playing the 2nd place team which is 2 points behind us. They are the Flyers too ... and we have a history of some spirited and chippy play with these guys ... So I need two victories against the Flyers today.
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Witt is a GO!!!! Thank the Hockey Gods!!!!! Just in a nick of time... TiVo'ing the game today ... will be in and out .... enjoy the game all.

Nielson is out today, gotta say I wish Ted would call up a forward, (is Walter hurt too?) instead of playing Aaron Johnson. The idea is to develop Tamby and Comeau, I dont see how playing a dman at forward is going to help this guys, guess theyll get about 5 minutes of ice time today. That being said, I have ripped Hilbert many times and wondered why he got so much ice time, well I think he's been one of our better players of late, he is really getting in on the forecheck and creating some space for Comrie and Bill G.

Lets sweep this weekend. LETS GO ISLANDERS!!!!!

"The truth"- how can the rags and devils both be in the top three???? And you question our hockey intelligence... Ha

Hey 19----the Cuervo Gold

"our RD decides to go off on a change ... and the winger on our team blind passes back to that position ... into the emty net ..."

So Joe Piscarcik is playing hockey these days?

"LOLOL!!!! Looks like the lil Rags Whore dumped 505 ... and is setting her eyes on me."

What can I say??
I didn't measure up.
Curse of the Irish

Mike,

Walter was hurt, but played last night and scored a goal for the Soundtigers. Trevor Smith also scored his 11th goal in last night's game. He's been on fire as of late.

I totally agree with you. I know Colliton was called up for the game, but I don't know if he'll be scratched. Kinda sad that Nolan would rather play a "D" man at center, than bring up a young kid to play.

I don't think that line should see 20 minutes a game or anything, but how can they grow if they see under 9 a game with a "D" man as their center?

Well, thus is the life of an Isles fan ;-)

Read a rumor on BD's blog that said he heard the Lighthouse deal was approved ...hope that's true ...

LOLOL!!!! The Truth!!! Is that a joke? .... putting two teams in the same division in the top 3? Whatta maroon!!! :: Bugs Bunny voice ::

the mass ... I saw her list of the standings too ... I did the old "Geico Caveman" commerical flabbergasted ... "What?!!?" When I saw that ... and then she finishes it off with questioning our intelligence. That was a Gilligan moment if I've ever seen one.... please keep posting troll ... the belly laughs are much appreciated.
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505 ~ curse of the Irish? I have Irish herritage too .. sprinkled with a bunch of other European bloodlines. Classic Red Blooded American Mutt here.
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505 ~ LOL!! The winger that scored into our own net's name is Joe.