Friday, March 05, 2010

Three Goalie Problem On Long Island?

So Newsday comes out with a report that a few Islanders players were not happy they still have three goaltenders on that team. To quote:

Look at where we were at, we had a playoff spot. Then we went on a losing streak and now we're on the outside looking in.
Can someone please tell me how that quote has anything to do with having three goalies? So because there is an extra player on the bench or in the seats elsewhere, that's the reason for a losing streak? Cry me a river! Can someone in the organization please change that players diaper, give him a fresh bottle and put him back in the play pen.

Now this next quote has a little more merit:

You just can't have three goaltenders. It's not great for anyone.

That's usually true, most teams don't. However, to my knowledge, It was Roloson and DiPietro playing a span of fourteen games without Biron rotating.  So there were still only two goaltenders actually playing. Biron knew it was going to happen, but he was still getting paid and knew (at that time) he would probably be traded later. So let's really take a look at that fourteen game span shall we:

The first 7 games the Islanders went 5-2.  The following 7 games was the season killing losing streak. So what happened?  Both goalies started 7 games, DP giving up a total of 17 goals, Roloson gave up 22.  The offense scored a total of 24 goals the first 7 games, while giving up 17 goals as a team. However while on the seven game losing streak, the Islanders only scored NINE goals, while giving up 27!!!!

This is a TEAM problem. DP more than held his own and both goalies were stuck with a team that had a bad scoring slump and porous defense.  To think that there were players who thought that having three goalies on the same team in the same arena was a factor for a losing streak and ending any kind of playoff chances is absolutely gutless and clueless. When you have kids who are not even old enough to legally drink and over the hill players who cannot contribute offensively and defensively, it is a team problem and any of the goaltenders can only save a team so much so often.


Here is my problem with the three goalies. If you notice, DiPietro and Roloson both played the same amount of games. If Roloson has been called the MVP of the team this year, you do NOT play a goalie who has not played in over a year the same amount of games in that span as your team MVP. That is a management (Owner, GM, and Coach)  error. Period. Had Dipietro played maybe 3-4 games out of the 14, the Islanders would still lose as many games because the scoring is just not there, and the defense can't clear the crease or the puck.

Final thought on DP: For those who want management to buy out DP's contract. Don't bother. First and foremost, the seven games DP started, he only gave up 17 goals, do the math and it's a little over 2 goals a game. It was management (Owner, GM, and Coach) who allowed Dipietro to play those many games over their "MVP." He shouldn't have, but Dipietro did prove he can still play short term. What management should have done was treat him as a backup and then who knows, maybe a trade could have happened and the team could have moved on. I'll leave that to the conspiracy theorists.   For now fans and the team still only have two goalies, but if management wants to showcase DiPietro, there is no way of a buyout.

As for the whiners who complained to Newsday: SHUT UP AND PLAY YOUR OWN GAME. BE GRATEFUL YOU'RE STILL PLAYING BECAUSE WHEN THE TEAM DOES IMPROVE, YOU WON'T BE THERE!

No comments: