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Without DiPietro...
Topic Started: Dec 24 2008, 01:02 PM (1,017 Views)
Snowy
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The Dark Knight
Without Rick DiPietro we have been the worst team in the National Hockey League. If he comes back and our team becomes better, will there then be any question that he is an elite goalie in this league? And if he does come back and raise this team's level, will he then be blamed for the Islanders not having John Tavares or Victor Hedman???

Discuss...
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ronski631
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the Mac has been solid. It's really just our D i have serious doubts
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The Moose
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i CAN has a goal!
We're #1 in goals allowed without him.

That bears mentioning. :rotflmao:

Silly haters.
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tsharaf
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You've Just Been Served!
I really don't think goaltending has been the reason we are in this predicament. If someone would have told me that MacDonald would perform as he has, I would have been ecstatic. The defense and the high quality shots are out-of-hand - regardless of who the goalie is. The major question with Rick is not if he is an elite goalie, its more if he can stay on the ice.

If he prevents us from drafting in the 1st 3 slots, I would be PISSED. Bench him, make him the "eye-in-the-sky" or get the Tonya Harding folks to re-surface, but we absolutely need that top pick and hit a home-run with it.
The Boss - The Greatest Goal Scorer Ever
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Snowy
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tsharaf,Dec 24 2008
01:07 PM
If he prevents us from drafting in the 1st 3 slots, I would be PISSED. Bench him, make him the "eye-in-the-sky" or get the Tonya Harding folks to re-surface, but we absolutely need that top pick and hit a home-run with it.

Honestly that's how I'm starting to feel now also, and that's why I brought it up. Because what is the sense in bringing him back at this point? Let him sit out the whole season or at the very least limit his time to split duty with Joey. I know our vets want to win games but at the same time we cannot miss out on a cornerstone player. A top 5 pick isn't good enough, we need a top 2 pick.
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LEDZEP
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Snowman39,Dec 24 2008
02:02 PM
Without Rick DiPietro we have been the worst team in the National Hockey League.  If he comes back and our team becomes better, will there then be any question that he is an elite goalie in this league?  And if he does come back and raise this team's level, will he then be blamed for the Islanders not having John Tavares or Victor Hedman???

Discuss...

And if he comes back and gets hurt in 2 or 3 games
OR
The team has the same record
Does it really matter if he comes back :stoned:
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The Moose
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i CAN has a goal!
I'd like him back for Feb. or March to get ready for next season.

That's about the best case scenario, in my opinion.
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Bexlyspeed
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The Goals allowed is a TEAM statistic, Joey Mac has been as good as the team in front of him, no wait at times he has been much better than the team in front of him. The Rick has a lot of rust to shake off so i do not think we can make any comparisons or blame anybody for anything (Except snow for building this piece of crap team) this season.
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dragoneye
Kung Fu Hockey
I went to the game last night and I am usually of the opinion that we should tank and go for the top pick but the thing is, I want to be entertained and to see the Isles win every time I go to the game. I feel bad for those that go to many games and pay for seats.

Granted we are in the midst of the downward spiral that was expected. I had them pegged for last in the division and top 5 pick so I am not that dissappointed theoretically by their awful play. I must be an idiot but I still think they are going to win every game. Then they let up their seemingly standard 2 goals against and muster a crummy comeback that falls short. Anyhow... There have to be better ways to lose...
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Webb20
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Snowy, I said this in another thread, but how ready must he be to come back into OUR lineup where we can let up 40+ shots a game, where we let up more odd man rushes than any other. Coming off surgery do we want him in an acrobatic display of going post to post? I like the idea of him being ready for march and letting him play out the last month of the season, and any little signs of tweaking something and he rests until next season.

And it's got to be the top 2 not even 3rd. The reports are that Tavaras and Hedman are so distant from the rest of the pack it's important to land one of them.

Next year we'll have to draft Hall(#1 overall again) on the Spitfires and give Bailey his linemate.


And LED if he comes back for 2 games and gets injured(with regard to his surgeries), it's may be time to look for a new permanent long term solution for that spot. But I hope he's pain free, mobile and ready to lead.

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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tsharaf
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Webb20,Dec 24 2008
01:33 PM
And it's got to be the top 2 not even 3rd.  The reports are that Tavaras and Hedman are so distant from the rest of the pack it's important to land one of them.

Next year we'll have to draft Hall(#1 overall again) on the Spitfires and give Bailey his linemate.



I had heard that Matt Duschene is a franchise player as well. Slightly behind the other two, but still a franchise talent to build around. After him, there is a dropoff. Maybe I am wrong, but if we don't get the top 2, its not a terrible deal to get Duschene.
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Webb20
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From TSN, yesterday.


TSN SCOUTING POLL HAS TAVARES BACK ON TOP
BOB MCKENZIE

On the eve of their much anticipated showdown at the World Junior Championship, John Tavares has jumped out in front of Victor Hedman in the race for top spot in the 2009 NHL entry draft.

That is in somewhat stark contrast to the pre-season sentiment, when six of 10 NHL scouts polled by TSN in September said they would take the Swedish blueliner Hedman ahead of the Oshawa General sniper Tavares.

Now, the week prior to the WJC, eight of 10 scouts surveyed by TSN have Tavares ahead of Hedman.

"I'll admit it," one scout said, "I have flip-flopped. I had Hedman at No. 1 to start the season. Tavares has been exceptional this season. He's skating better, he's playing harder, he's been outstanding and that isn't to take anything away from Hedman. Hedman hasn't done anything to disappoint at all. Tavares has just stepped up. These two have separated themselves substantially from the rest of the field."

"Night and day" is how another scout compares Tavares' play from last spring's OHL playoffs to this season's efforts in the OHL and at Canada's national junior team's training camp.

"There's just a lot more intensity there," the scout added. "He's focused. He was dominant, absolutely dominant, in that (ADT Challenge) game against the Russians in St. Catharines."

Nevertheless, scouts are eager to see how each responds to the big stage at the WJC. TSN will survey the same 10 scouts after the tournament is over to see if their views have changed on the basis of WJC play.

"Both are very good prospects," another scout said. "I am sure it will be an interesting race all season long but in the end it won't surprise me if the No. 1 pick is dictated by positional preference. If the team drafting No. 1 needs a forward, it will be Tavares. But if the team drafting first needs a defenceman, it will be Hedman. It may be that basic."

The scout suggested, for example, that if the Tampa Bay Lightning – with Vinny Lecavalier, Marty St. Louis and Steven Stamkos, amongst others, up front but bereft of talent on the blueline – are picking first overall, Hedman may be the obvious choice no matter what Tavares and Hedman do the rest of this season.

What is undisputable at this point is that Tavares, with his play to this point in the season, has won over a lot of scouts.

TSN not only surveyed 10 NHL scouts on the Tavares-Hedman matchup, but also asked them for a current "if the draft were held today" ranking of draft-eligible prospects who will be playing in the WJC. Which means top prospects such as Spokane's Jared Cowen and Brampton's Matt Duchene, amongst others, were not considered or eligible for this exercise.

Ten points were awarded for a first-place vote, nine for a second-place vote and so on.

Tavares finished with 98 points, six more than Hedman's 92.

Swedish winger Magnus-Svensson Paajarvi was third with 74 points, followed by Team USA speedster Jordan Schroeder with 64 points and late Team Canada addition Evander Kane with 50 points.

Russian defenceman Dimitri Kulikov, who plays in Drummondville of the Quebec League, was sixth with 39 points. Swedish forward Jacob Josefsson was seventh with 32 points and Team Canada mighty-mite defenceman Ryan Ellis was eighth with 30.

Swedish blueliners David Rundblad and Tom Erixon (son of former NHLer Jan Erixon) rounded out the top 10 at ninth and 10th respectively with 23 and 21 points.

Finnish forward Joonas Nattinen just missed the cut, as did the other three prospects who received votes in the top 10: Swedish forward Marcus Johansson, Slovak forward Richard Panik, and Finnish blueliner Tommi Kivisto, who plays in Red Deer of the WHL.

There's no question scouts are eager to check out the draft eligible talent in this year's WJC.

The general rule of thumb is prospects can only help themselves in this event, which is to suggest it's not held against a prospect if he doesn't light it up against older, more experienced talent. But a strong performance in the WJC can vault a prospect up the rankings
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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Acards
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Patrick Division
As much as people get on DP he has kept us in games and at least makes them interesting.
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19!
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1st line
This team is so bad that DP coming back won't even help much, certainly not enough to avoid a bottom 2-3 pick. I said in the summer on another site NYI would be out of the playoff race by Christmas. (Even without the injuries) Sure enough. P Roy, Billy Smith, J Plante, Parent, Brodeur, Tretiak and Hasek all combined couldn't help this disaster.
John Tavares was 2 years old the last time NYI won a playoff series
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IslandersWin86
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All Star
Most awesome scenario ever?

We trade two forwards to a fringe playoff team, they tank and give us another top 10 pick.

Wish we had a Smyth to toss around.
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Tinman31
Right On Time.
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As much as people get on DP he has kept us in games and at least makes them interesting.


The last few years teams had a little more talent and less injuries. Let's see this season. Now it is a hard sample because we are in a 10 game losing streak, but still, MaC has been real good.
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EmptyNet
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shoot to score & play to win
DP should play good now, by the time we put a team in front of him his 15 years may very well be up.
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3POTI
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Bring back...PRIDE OF THE ISLAND
there is no reason for ricky to be playing this season..we are going nowhere. We know exactly what will happen if they play ricky..he'll be good...get frustrated with the performance infront of him, try to do too much..steal more games than we want him too...than he'll get a new injury, because he can't reinjury anything, its as good as new, remember...



this has no beings whether I like the guy or not. plain and simple...you simply cannot build around someone, if they are always getting hurt, forget the fact the team infront of him sucks...which I know they do...but we need stability in our key areas on the ice and off...goalie, defense, forward, coach, gm, owner, and fans...


DON'T PLAY RICKY...LET HIM PLAY IN BRIDGEPORT TO GET BACK IN SHAPE....I WANT THE DAMN #1 LOUSY PICK.

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

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Youngislesfan15
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ronski631,Dec 24 2008
01:06 PM
the Mac has been solid. It's really just our D i have serious doubts

I agree Mac's doing decent enough to win games but with no D we're stuck losing.
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Islander4cups
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In Garth I Trust
I think it is fairly obvious. No offense to Joey Mac because he played unbelieveable in NOvember and deserved 3rd star of the month, but in Dec his play has been AVERAGE and look at the result...a 10 game losing streak.

I'm not throwing that on MacDonald. I don't blame him. But he has been overplayed and is tired and its showing (and I was saying a month ago we can't start him every night but that hasn't stopped the Isles from doing just that). First sign a goalie is tired....can't control rebounds and in the last 3 weeks Joey has been below avg at best at controlling rebounds. Look at the winning goal v. Thrashers...shot right to his chest, he fails to control it and the rebound is banged home.

I do believe a healthy DP would win more games than Joey Mac, because as we've seen the last two years DP was able to carry this team for more than a month with roughly the same talent. However, with the way the guys are playing in front of Mac, I don't think DP could carry them to a playoff spot and I hope he doesn't.

I don't want more "win 1 playoff game, act like we accomplished something, and then tee it up at Bethpage Red" seasons anymore. I want one of those top two picks.

With that in mind, I'd play DP every other game when he comes back. He has to be brought along slowly and needs to be 100% when he comes back. And even when he's 100% still bring him slowly, let he and Joey split games the first three weeks to a month and see how DP holds up. Then consider increasing the workload...not before.

No need to push hard to miss the playoffs by 10 points rather than 25 because we are going to miss the playoffs no matter who is in net.
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