Just 10 months ago, Rick '15 Years!' DiPietro, the 'savior' goaltender of the New York Islanders franchise, had to undergo major hip surgery on his left side. This prompted me to comment, "Any time you sign a player to a long-term contract, a major injury is a big worry. When that player is your #1 goalie and you signed him to the most insane deal ever, you have to hope this hip problem doesn't become a constant thorn in Ricky's side. Hip problems doesn't always just go away, as any senior citizen will tell you."
I guess it is no coincidence that DiPietro's play regressed quite a lot this season, as he dropped from 91.9% to 90.2% in the save percentage department. Rick tweaked his hip at the All-Star break, and never seemed to be in the fine form that he showed in his breakout campaign. The Isles, in the meantime, lost any hope at making the playoffs as their #1 goaltender looked about as good as Dan Cloutier handling a Nick Lidstrom shot.
Two hip injuries, some nasty concussions ... and the Isles still have over a decade left on this guy's contract. While DiPietro was perfectly healthy when he signed that massive deal, it just goes to show that any player can break down like an American-made car once they actually go on a road trip or two.
We're near the quarter point of this fine NHL season, so let's have a peek at some statistical odds and ends, trends, and other useless information you can impress your co-workers with.
While no coach would have much of a reason to put Jamal Mayers on the power-play, it's quite amazing that Mayers has played 532 NHL games and never had a single goal with the man advantage (63 career goals in that time). Not one! Even Donald Brashear, a man with far less offensive skill, has four power-play goals in his 'distinguished' career.
Are the refs asleep on Long Island? The New York Islanders have both the least amount of power-play opportunities for (67) and against (69). Meanwhile, the Ducks have the second most power-plays with 107 and most against with 111. So much for that laid-back West Coast mentality.
When the Detroit Red Wings won a Stanley Cup with Chris Osgood as their #1 goaltender many moons ago, many opined (including myself) that Osgood was, perhaps, the worst #1 goalie of a Cup winner, ever. This season, the Wings are rolling, despite having not getting good goaltending. With Osgood filling in for Dominik Hasek, who is injured again, the Wings have the 5th worst save percentage with 89.3%, but still have a 14-5-1 record. Go figure.
"I'm very proud of my career and really enjoyed playing my final year on Long Island," the former netminder said in a release. "I'm very appreciative of (coach) Ted (Nolan) giving me this opportunity to be part of his coaching staff and work with all of the goaltenders in our system. I'm really looking forward to beginning my coaching career."
Dunham also played for the Devils, Predators, Rangers and Thrashers, compiling a 141-178-44 career record, 2.74 goals-against average and .908 save percentage. He played for the U.S. at three Olympics.
While Dunham has had a solid career, more was always expected of the tall netminder.
Once upon a time, Dunham was the backup to Martin Brodeur in New Jersey, and a bonafide top prospect. After putting up an impressive 91.3SV% in limited action with the Devils, the Nashville Predators decided to make him their #1 goalie via the expansion draft. Dunham, sick of playing mere minutes under Martin Brodeur, welcomed the opportunity with open arms.
Dunham, unfortunately, was rarely ever able to leverage his full potential to be a bonafide #1 star, having just two great seasons (2001 and 2003) where his SV% was over 92%. For the most part, Dunham was a average-at-best goaltender, and fought constancy issues and numerous groin injuries. Dunham never played more than 58 games in a season, and couldn't be counted on to 'be there' as a #1 goalie should.
Now? He's going to tutor the goalie he was backing up last year (Rick DiPietro), and give his ripped-up groin a good rest.
Trent Hunter and the Islanders recently went to arbitration, with the arbiter ruling half-way and giving Hunter a $1.55mil/1 season contract. This is a workable and fair number for both sides. Hunter is an industrious worker bee who hits almost everything that moves.
What has always puzzled me is just how Hunter has failed to build on a successful rookie season, whereby he merited some serious Calder Trophy consideration.
SEASON GP G A PTS 2003-04 77 25 26 51 2005-06 82 16 19 35 2006-07 77 20 15 35
During his rookie season, Hunter was a 1-man force of nature. He would put onto any line that was struggling, and give them a boost with his hard work, strength in the corners, and ability to do the dirty work. It looked like Hunter had a bright future ahead of him as a bonafide 2nd line powerhouse.
Although it's one year too late -- and what former NHL player is going to give up a fishing trip for this? -- the Florida Panthers will celebrate their Cinderella run to the 1996 Stanley Cup Finals this weekend. Panthers alumni like John Vanbiesbrouck, Ray Sheppard and Bill Lindsay will join the majority of the players (sans schedule-conflicted Rob Niedermayer and Robert Svehla) who led Florida to the Finals in only the third year of the franchise, before being swept away by the Colorado Avalanche. There's a golf tournament, player appearances and an exhibition game at BankAtlantic Center on Saturday that will give hockey fans something they've long dreamed about: another chance to witness the majestic skating of Terry Carkner on NHL ice.
In 1995-96, they finished third in their division (41-31-10, 92 points) and fourth in the Eastern Conference in the regular season, then beat in the Bruins 4 games to 1 in a seven-game series, the Flyers 4-2 and the Penguins 4-3 before losing to the Avalanche in four games in the finals.
Right winger Scott Mellanby killed a rat in the dressing room with his stick minutes before the home opener that season, then scored two goals that night, prompting Vanbiesbrouck to declare Mellanby's feat a "Rat Trick." Throwing plastic rats on the ice after goals soon became a phenomenon.
"We accomplished some pretty lofty things with a group of guys who were considered mediocre players at the time," Lindsay said.
"Mediocre players at the time?" Has history been that kind to Johan Garpenlov and Jody Hull? Florida Panthers fans have every right to celebrate this unexpected season of meteoric success, lest they fall deeper into the depressing reality that their franchise is now known more for losing Roberto Luongo and failing to make the playoffs in the Southeast Division than plastic rodents. But for the rest of us, this weekend begs the question:
Are the Florida Panthers the most mediocre Stanley Cup finalist of the last 25 years?
The New York Islanders had to count on minor-leaguer Wade Dubielewicz (a name that is hard for even us non-Polish Slavs to get right) to help save the day with four straight wins to make the playoffs. When Rick DiPietro suffered two concussions late this season, "Dubie" was there, when Mike Dunham was not.
Dubielewicz showed he could perform in confidence-inspiring fashion in the pressure of a playoff race to earn the backup job. In eight appearances for the Islanders, including three mop-up situations, Dubielewicz compiled a 4-1 record with a 2.06 goals-against average and a terrific .934 save percentage.
Switching to a backup role will be a big change for Dubielewicz, who played in the AHL All-Star game last season. Asked after the season if he could handle long periods of inactivity behind DiPietro, Dubielewicz said, "You have to be ready. I've always been very good at coming into games. It's going to be something new. If Ricky goes on these runs where he plays for six weeks straight, something you might see is me going to Bridgeport to play a couple of games to stay fresh.
Mike Dunham? Not only is he frequently injured, but he frequently sucks! In 19 games, Dunham had a woeful 3.74GAA, 4-10-3 record, and an 88.9 SV%!
Wade, 27, was never drafted, but has an impressive pre-NHL track record* and has been waiting for his chance to show his talents in the NHL.
*Dubielewicz won the Dudley "Red" Garrett Memorial Award as the top rookie in the AHL for 2004 and he was once an all-American goaltender for the University of Denver Pioneers.
As if Rick DiPietro didn't have enough problems trying to think straight after suffering two successive concussions, the prodigy with the 15-year contract is now recovering from major hip surgery.
Rick DiPietro had hip surgery this week, and the New York Islanders goalie is expected to be fully recovered in time for training camp in September.
DiPietro, sidelined by two concussions 12 days apart late in the regular season and the start of the playoffs, had arthroscopic surgery Monday in Vail, Colo., to repair a tear in his left hip.
Any time you sign a player to a long-term contract, a major injury is a big worry. When that player is your #1 goalie and you signed him to the most insane deal ever, you have to hope this hip problem doesn't become a constant thorn in Ricky's side. Hip problems doesn't always just go away, as any senior citizen will tell you.
DiPietro truly established himself as a premier net-minder this season, after struggling to find his groove after being rushed by the Islanders earlier in his career.
After putting up a pedestrian 90.0SV% in 2005-06, DiPietro improved that number drastically this season to a 91.9% figure, 6th best in the entire NHL. Consider that he was playing behind a rather poor defense, and Ricky has to be considered one of the more underrated (but not under-compensated) players in the league.
When the New York Islanders gave up prospects Ryan O'Marra and Robert Nilsson (plus a first-round pick in 2007) to get Ryan Smyth from the Edmonton Oilers, they pretty much wanted him for his ability to score in the playoffs ... and even just to get them there! It was a hefty price to pay, but the Islanders will willing to make such an expensive short-term investment.
Since Smyth provided everything pretty much everything asked of him, the Isles surely don't want him just to leave, now that they gave up so much to get him.
Reading between the lines, I wouldn't expect Smyth to give the Isles any special discount.
[Smyth] told the New York Daily News that he's "not leaning one way or the other" about what he described as a "once-in-a-lifetime opportunity" as an unrestricted free agent.
While Oilers expect Smyth to be so attached to Edmonton that he'll come crawling back, I don't expect Smyth (who was negotiating hard with the Oilers) to be any different than, say, Bobby Holik. He owes the Isles no loyalty, doesn't seem to be especially enamoured with the place (or Yashin), and was probably hurt by the trade from Edmonton that he just may want a fresh start.
If your NHL club wants Ryan Smyth, they better open up their wallets and get ready to pay big bucks. Heart and soul isn't cheap, you know.
If I had to hand out a rookie of the year award for Hockey blogging for the 2006-07 NHL season, one of the top contenders for the award would have to be The Forechecker. Bursting onto the scene as a regular presence in the preseason, The Forechecker combined hockey smarts, number crunching and a penchant for detail to produce consistently compelling prose.
In his latest post, parceling out a number of postseason awards that nobody really wants to win, he fearlessly names names and unearths stats that most NHL player agents would rather see remain buried:
CROSS-CHECKER OF THE YEAR: The nominees are...
Joni Pitkanen, Philadelphia Flyers (5) Brent Seabrook, Chicago Blackhawks (5) Sheldon Souray, Montreal Canadiens (7) Brendan Witt, New York Islanders (6)
And the winner is... Sheldon Souray! It's been a season of extremes for Souray - the most goals scored among NHL defensemen (26), the worst +/- rating (-28), and the third-most penalty minutes (135) to go along with this Cross-Checking award.
Ouch! Bet you're thinking twice about seeing your favorite team drop a couple of million a year to bring Souray to town now, eh? Don't worry, there's plenty more where that came from. As for The Forechecker, here's hoping he'll be cycling back into the zone next season to cause some more havoc.
Upsets ruled the brackets as Dallas (6) and Nashville (4) battled each other for control of the West while Ottawa (4) and Atlanta (3) dominated the East. Mike Modano led all scorers throughout the playoffs with 14 goals, including 6 game-winning goals, while Dany Heatley lit things up for Ottawa, scoring 11 goals, delivering 15 assists, and consistently acting like the best player on the ice throughout the playoffs.
The Stanley Cup Finals featured Ottawa and Dallas battling it out in a classic seven-game series that saw Heatley and Daniel Alfredsson take control of the puck for the Senators and Marty Turco make save after save for the Stars.
Bad news for all you Sabres fans: According to the IGN sim, Buffalo falls in the first round to the Islanders. Then again, if you're from the Island, that's about as good as it's going to get this year.
Just 10 months ago, Rick '15 Years!' DiPietro, the 'savior' goaltender of the New York Islanders franchise, had to undergo major hip surgery on his left side. This prompted me to comment, "Any time you sign a player to a long-term contract, a major injury is a big worry. When that player is your #1 goalie and you signed him to the most insane deal ever, you have to hope this hip problem doesn't become a constant thorn in Ricky's side. Hip problems doesn't always just go away, as any senior citizen will tell you."
We're near the quarter point of this fine NHL season, so let's have a peek at some statistical odds and ends, trends, and other useless information you can impress your co-workers with.
Mike Dunham will no longer be available to NHL teams looking for a warm body in goal 
Trent Hunter and the Islanders recently went to arbitration, with the arbiter ruling half-way and 
The New York Islanders had to count on minor-leaguer Wade Dubielewicz (a name that is hard for even us non-Polish Slavs to get right) to help save the day with four straight wins to make the playoffs. When Rick DiPietro suffered two concussions late this season, "Dubie" was there, when Mike Dunham was not.
As if Rick DiPietro didn't have enough problems trying to think straight after suffering two successive concussions, the prodigy with the 15-year contract is 
When the New York Islanders gave up prospects Ryan O'Marra and Robert Nilsson (plus a first-round pick in 2007) to get Ryan Smyth from the Edmonton Oilers, they pretty much wanted him for his ability to score in the playoffs ... and even just to get them there! It was a hefty price to pay, but the Islanders will willing to make such an expensive short-term investment. 
If I had to hand out a rookie of the year award for Hockey blogging for the 2006-07 NHL season, one of the top contenders for the award would have to be 
At least when it comes to a 
