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DP > Henrik
Topic Started: Nov 7 2007, 12:50 PM (511 Views)
Andy
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Enjoying the game.
http://www.newsday.com/sports/hockey/islan...,1251074.column

Newsday.com
DiPietro outduels Lundqvist

Mark Herrmann

November 7, 2007

It doesn't take perfect vision to see that hockey in New York revolves around the goaltenders. You could say hockey everywhere revolves around goalies, but it goes doubly in New York.

And that is not even counting New Jersey, where Martin Brodeur is in the latter stages of a Hall of Fame career. Just taking the parochial view, though, the discussion usually starts with the Rangers' Henrik Lundqvist, who lately has been talked about as the best goalie in the National Hockey League.

No argument there, except maybe last night from the other end of the rink and the other side of the East River. This game belonged to Rick DiPietro, the Islanders' goalie who did just fine without having perfect vision.

He made two intense, athletic and absolutely essential saves in the last minute that saved the Islanders' 3-2 win at Nassau Coliseum. He stopped Nigel Dawes and Chris Drury one right after another, which would be pretty good for anyone but really good for someone whose right eye wasn't quite right.

"It still feels a little different from the other one, but I continue to see better," DiPietro said. "It's tough to explain."

Much easier to explain is the way the Islanders and Rangers rely on their goalies, both of whom are homegrown with their current teams, both having come from the 2000 draft. DiPietro was the first goalie ever taken first overall, Lundqvist was a seventh-rounder who blossomed later. The whole thing sets up a nice rivalry within a rivalry that doesn't figure to fade any time soon.

Lundqvist is the cool, quiet cornerstone of the Rangers, who have developed a knack for playing good defense this season. Heck, sometimes it seems as if they have morphed into the Devils. Don't snicker. It works, what with the Rangers having allowed a total of two goals in their previous four games, all wins.

DiPietro is the fiery heart and soul of the Islanders. "When he practices hard, the team practices hard," coach Ted Nolan said. "When he plays a good game, we play a good game."

No wonder the Islanders get a little queasy when they see him doubled over on the ice and heading off to the hospital with a bloody eye, which happened Saturday after Penguins star Sidney Crosby accidentally high-sticked him. It turned out not to be too serious. DiPietro practiced Monday and knew that night he was going to play in the Rangers game.

"The doctor cleared me to play," he said, "and I did."

No big deal. Except the Islanders know better. They know that the franchise is being built around him. They know that management signed him to a 15-year contract. They know he put down roots on Long Island, something about as appealing to many big-name players as a stick in the eye.

"He's the backbone of our team," said Bill Guerin, who should know, considering he is the captain. "This is a guy who we rely on every night to be our best player. He's a guy who invested in this organization with his whole career. He's a kid who's into it. He's happy to be here, he wants to win here and he comes to the rink every day and works."

There have been times when DiPietro has made a critical mistake against the Rangers, times when he has not looked to be Lundqvist's equal. Last night was not one of those times. He came up big when the Islanders needed him most, especially in that Dawes-Drury flurry. "I don't know, they had some shots, our 'D' blocked some shots and it was in front of the net, which was huge," the winning goalie said.

It gets too easy sometimes to pin a win or tag a loss completely on the goalie. Lundqvist said he felt good and offered the measured explanation that the Rangers gave up the puck "in the wrong areas." Rangers coach Tom Renney was emphatic in saying Lundqvist "needed much more support than he got."

"This loss had zero to do with Henrik Lundqvist," Renney said.

But we all know how it works: When Lundqvist notched his four shutouts, no one said he got too much credit for solid team defense. So the Islanders' three-goal third-period burst goes down as a loss on Lundqvist's personal statistics.

That's the way it goes with goalies, especially in New York, where goalies are stars. It is just another reason that this rivalry sparkles, which is plain to see.


---

Now watch, as HK gets showered with praise for keeping the Rags in games where they can't score, and DP is continuously written off. :letssee:
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Webb20
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Godfather
I wasnt very happy with the slant on this article, especially coming from the guy who was our 'beat' reporter while Logan was gone.

DP :thumbsup:

Herrmann's take :thumbsdown:
I sold it all, retired and moved to Fabulous Las Vegas!
"They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety."-Ben Franklin
"Government exists to protect us from each other. Where government has gone beyond its limits is in deciding to protect us from ourselves."-Ronald Reagan
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SimonSays
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They forgot to say that Henrik is the first female goaltender in the nhl.
Beat me at the Lighthouse
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Tavarizard
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Born during the 1993 Stanley Cup. How heartbreaking is that?
SimonSays,Nov 7 2007
09:10 PM
They forgot to say that Henrik is the first female goaltender in the nhl.

:rofl: :rofl:
Thank you for that. :worthy:

But really, this article's a really nice read. Unbiased, informative, very well done.
DP = :cup:
:thumbsup:
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ronski631
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SimonSays,Nov 7 2007
08:10 PM
They forgot to say that Henrik is the first female goaltender in the nhl.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manon_Rh%C3%A9aume


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:punk:
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Snowy
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Henrik is an excellent goalie, he really is. But he is the most overrated goalie I think I have ever seen come into this league. The Rangers games on Monday and Tuesday nights are perfect examples:

Monday, Lundqvist shuts out the Flyers 2-0. He made 30 saves. Another shutout for the hottest goalie in the league. He gets all the credit.

Tuesday, Lundqvist loses to the Islanders 3-2. He makes 24 saves on 27 shots. Renney comes out and says that this loss cannot be blamed on him at all.

Sorry, can't have it both ways. All three goals were scored on some pretty awesome shots, but none of them were unstoppable. Tank's goal was the most difficult of the shots to stop, and I wouldn't blame him. But wrist shots coming from above the hashmarks are not unstoppable. If he didn't sit back in his net the way he does and came out and challenged Miro especially would have had nothing to shoot at.

DiPietro is the best player on our team and he is the heart and soul. I wouldn't trade him with any goalie in the NHL because he is not only a good goalie who is developing into a great goalie, but his puckhandling is superior and his fire and competitiveness are unmatched. But if he lets in a couple of sh!t goals we tell it like it is. But at the end of the day he is the franchise. We don't put on this Circus Act that when he wins its all him and when he loses it's the team's fault.
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LEDZEP
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SimonSays,Nov 7 2007
08:10 PM
They forgot to say that Henrik is the first female goaltender in the nhl.

:rotflmao: :rofl: :rotflmao: :rofl:
Sometimes I grow so tired, but I know I've got one thing I got to do... Posted Image

What puckhead says is Islander law
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"A leader, once convinced a particular course of action is the right one,
must have the determination to stick with it and be undaunted when the going gets rough."

Ronald Reagan
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king glorious
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Snowman39,Nov 8 2007
04:47 PM
Henrik is an excellent goalie, he really is. But he is the most overrated goalie I think I have ever seen come into this league. The Rangers games on Monday and Tuesday nights are perfect examples:

Monday, Lundqvist shuts out the Flyers 2-0. He made 30 saves. Another shutout for the hottest goalie in the league. He gets all the credit.

Tuesday, Lundqvist loses to the Islanders 3-2. He makes 24 saves on 27 shots. Renney comes out and says that this loss cannot be blamed on him at all.

Sorry, can't have it both ways. All three goals were scored on some pretty awesome shots, but none of them were unstoppable. Tank's goal was the most difficult of the shots to stop, and I wouldn't blame him. But wrist shots coming from above the hashmarks are not unstoppable. If he didn't sit back in his net the way he does and came out and challenged Miro especially would have had nothing to shoot at.

DiPietro is the best player on our team and he is the heart and soul. I wouldn't trade him with any goalie in the NHL because he is not only a good goalie who is developing into a great goalie, but his puckhandling is superior and his fire and competitiveness are unmatched. But if he lets in a couple of sh!t goals we tell it like it is. But at the end of the day he is the franchise. We don't put on this Circus Act that when he wins its all him and when he loses it's the team's fault.

if I had the best goalie in the league playing for me and I was still under .500 I would be a bit concerned (there are several great goalies in this league - it is hard to separate them, but dp is def. part of that conversation).... DP has played very well, but we have been winning as a team, I cant wait for him to get hot.
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Islander4cups
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Webb20,Nov 7 2007
01:26 PM
I wasnt very happy with the slant on this article, especially coming from the guy who was our 'beat' reporter while Logan was gone.

DP :thumbsup:

Herrmann's take :thumbsdown:

I found it hysterical last year that Lundqvist was a finalist for the Vezina when you consider on Jan 1 he had a GAA of 2.8 and a sv % at .895. Granted his defense was terrible, but I thought the Vezina was for THE WHOLE SEASON, not just the last 2/3 of the year.

If Brodeur wasn't so good last year, I'm sure the NY media would have stolen it for "the Court Jester".
I miss these :cup: :cup: :cup: :cup: and want more of them
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Snowy
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Islander4cups,Nov 8 2007
07:17 PM
Webb20,Nov 7 2007
01:26 PM
I wasnt very happy with the slant on this article, especially coming from the guy who was our 'beat' reporter while Logan was gone.

DP  :thumbsup:

Herrmann's take  :thumbsdown:

I found it hysterical last year that Lundqvist was a finalist for the Vezina when you consider on Jan 1 he had a GAA of 2.8 and a sv % at .895. Granted his defense was terrible, but I thought the Vezina was for THE WHOLE SEASON, not just the last 2/3 of the year.

If Brodeur wasn't so good last year, I'm sure the NY media would have stolen it for "the Court Jester".

Let's also mention that he was only a finalist for the Vezina because for the first time ever they allowed 4 Finalists (because of a tie between Mr Hanky and somebody else in the voting).
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OpieAnthony
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4th line
Islander4cups,Nov 8 2007
07:17 PM
Webb20,Nov 7 2007
01:26 PM
I wasnt very happy with the slant on this article, especially coming from the guy who was our 'beat' reporter while Logan was gone.

DP  :thumbsup:

Herrmann's take  :thumbsdown:

I found it hysterical last year that Lundqvist was a finalist for the Vezina when you consider on Jan 1 he had a GAA of 2.8 and a sv % at .895. Granted his defense was terrible, but I thought the Vezina was for THE WHOLE SEASON, not just the last 2/3 of the year.

If Brodeur wasn't so good last year, I'm sure the NY media would have stolen it for "the Court Jester".

As bad as he was at the beginning of the season, look at his season stats. In the end they were as good as anybody else's. He was great at the end of last year and carried the Rags back into the playoffs. But, he did it while facing the least amount of shots in the league because the Rags found the trap.

He has really benefitted from their style of play the way Brodeur did. Both great goalies that make the big stop when they have to, but they don't have to more that 2 or 3 times a game.
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Islander4cups
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In Garth I Trust
OpieAnthony,Nov 9 2007
09:33 AM
Islander4cups,Nov 8 2007
07:17 PM
Webb20,Nov 7 2007
01:26 PM
I wasnt very happy with the slant on this article, especially coming from the guy who was our 'beat' reporter while Logan was gone.

DP  :thumbsup:

Herrmann's take  :thumbsdown:

I found it hysterical last year that Lundqvist was a finalist for the Vezina when you consider on Jan 1 he had a GAA of 2.8 and a sv % at .895. Granted his defense was terrible, but I thought the Vezina was for THE WHOLE SEASON, not just the last 2/3 of the year.

If Brodeur wasn't so good last year, I'm sure the NY media would have stolen it for "the Court Jester".

As bad as he was at the beginning of the season, look at his season stats. In the end they were as good as anybody else's. He was great at the end of last year and carried the Rags back into the playoffs. But, he did it while facing the least amount of shots in the league because the Rags found the trap.

He has really benefitted from their style of play the way Brodeur did. Both great goalies that make the big stop when they have to, but they don't have to more that 2 or 3 times a game.

I'm not bashing Lundqvist. I thought from Feb-end of the season DiP and Lundy were easily the best goalies in the east. However, with as well as Lundqvist played, it doesn't cover up for the fact that he was BRUTAL the first 30 games of the season for the Rangers and playing poorly to Jan 1 of your team's games should effectively remove you from Vezina consideration in my mind.
I miss these :cup: :cup: :cup: :cup: and want more of them
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3POTI
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Bring back...PRIDE OF THE ISLAND
Hey! :ragssuck:

Today Is A Great Day To Be An Islander Fan!
Live For The Moment!

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Numbers65
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When DP is on he is ON! And he definately does more than stop pucks. I he could wear a letter, he would be the Captain! Since he can't be captain, we are FORTUATE to have GUERIN! :banana: :isles: :isles: :isles: :banana:
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blakenyash25
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Don't get me wrong I hate the Rangers, I despise them, but
Henrik Lundqvist is an amazing goalie, theres no denying that and I think its

DP = Henrik

Henrik is a better goaltender's goalie
DP is a better overall, he is the best Goalie in the league playing the puck and will probably produce 20-30 breakaways, 2 on 1, 3 on 2, etc. this year and probably handful of assists and you dont see that with any other goalie

Plus DP wasn't too great in the beginning but lately hes been great (except carolina) but its just going to be great to watch DP & Henrik for the next 5-7 years

and plus Henrik is gunna get like 5.5 - 7 million after this year and buckle the rangers salary cap wise. While DP will make 4.5 mil for the next 13 years, now the Rags will have basically have 28-30 million with 4 guys:
Gomez -- 8 mil
Drury -- 7.1 mil
Jagr -- 8.3 mil
Henrik -- probably 5-7 mil

More than half of their cap between 4 guys
:rotflmao: :rotflmao: :rotflmao: :rotflmao: :rotflmao: :rotflmao:
:rotflmao: :rotflmao: :rotflmao: :rotflmao: :rotflmao: :rotflmao:

and the only guys with contracts for next year are:
Hollweg
Orr
Betts
Callahan
Prucha
Staal
Jagr
Drury
Gomez

WITH RFA's:
Lundqvist
Gerardi
Tyutin
Hossa
Dawes
Moore

This is going to be Sather in the offseason
:comp:

Sorry I know I just went off on a huge rant, I just laugh every time I think about it
:ragssuck: :ragssuck:
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MrsDP
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We should sign lundqvist to back up DP :thumbsup:
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3POTI
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Bring back...PRIDE OF THE ISLAND
MrsDP,Nov 11 2007
12:44 AM
We should sign lundqvist to back up DP :thumbsup:

:punk:


Maybe he can be DP's shoe shine boy?
Today Is A Great Day To Be An Islander Fan!
Live For The Moment!

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