They were playing for a second consecutive night after a gritty and emotional win in Ottawa 24 hours earlier. But that was no excuse for the Islanders to squander a two-goal lead or to settle for a 4-3 shootout loss on home ice Saturday against Buffalo.

"We talked after the second period about how good playoff teams find a way to win these games, when they're not at their best," defenseman Andrew MacDonald told Newsday. "We were kind of hanging on there for the second half of the game.

"At this stage of the game, you have to win these ones to have a shot in the long run."

The Isles weren't particularly sharp early on, but they led 3-1 after one period after capitalizing on a couple of turnovers in the Buffalo zone.

Posted under NHL

New York Islanders goalie Rick DiPietro will have surgery to repair a sports hernia, likely sidelining the oft-injured player for most of the rest of the season. The Islanders confirmed Friday night that DiPietro is scheduled to have surgery Tuesday. Newsday first reported the surgery, saying Islanders general manager Garth Snow said the best-case scenario for DiPietro's return was the...

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In what's becoming too regular of an occurrence, New York Islanders goaltender Rick DiPietro will likely miss the rest of the season due to an injury. According to Newsday's Arthur Staple, the 30-year old DiPietro, who's been on injured reserve … Continue reading ?

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Two more NHL coaches were axed this week, but New York Islanders coach Jack Capuano and general manager Garth Snow don't appear likely to follow Bruce Boudreau and Paul Maurice to the unemployment line. Team owner Charles Wang told Newsday on Monday that he still believes in...

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The New York Islanders and forward Blake Comeau avoided arbitration by agreeing on a one-year deal that will pay Comeau $2.5 million, Newsday reported Tuesday, citing multiple sources. Comeau, a 25-year-old winger, had a career-high 24 goals this past season.

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UNIONDALE, N.Y. - Suspended goalie Evgeni Nabokov said he will go to training camp with the New York Islanders, Newsday reported on its website on Monday night.

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Suspended goalie Evgeni Nabokov said he will go to training camp with the New York Islanders, Newsday reported on its website on Monday night. "Yes, I do plan on attending," Nabokov said Monday. "Now I will have full preparation for the season." Nabokov did not report to the Islanders in January after he was claimed off waivers from the Detroit Red Wings by New York, which...

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New York Islanders owner Charles Wang said he wants to keep the franchise in Nassau County, but said he can't stay without a new arena, according to NEWSDAY. Nassau residents will vote Aug. 1 on whether to approve a $400 million bond issue to finance a new Nassau Coliseum and...

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Newsday is reporting the New York Islanders have canceled their plans to spend part of training camp in China. The NHL team was supposed to visit owner Charles Wang's native country from Sept. 14-23. Wang has established several initiatives to promote the game in China. But the trip was canceled primarily due to a procedural disagreement with the players' association, according to a story...

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While it’s great the Islanders have the number one pick in the draft, it won’t mean a thing without a healthy Rick DiPietro and a competent backup behind him.

With both Joey MacDonald and Yann Danis UFA’s this offseason and a plethora of quality goaltenders available, the Islanders will have no excuses this summer and have an opportunity to get someone that will be able to get the job done just in case DP’s surgically-repaired hips don’t hold up…again.

I’ve mentioned a few of them over the past few weeks, guys like Antero Niittymaki and Craig Anderson, who could easily step in for 25-30 games and spell DP when he needs it.

Nothing against DP, but with the injuries he’s had over the past few seasons, playing in 65-70 games a season may not be the best thing for him. Lets just say hypothetically the Isles manage to squeak into the playoffs, what shape will he be in then?

That’s why addressing the backup situation is so important.

“To me, the most important thing is going to be Ricky,” Gordon told Newsday. “No matter who we draft, it’s going to come down to what we do in net. No matter how good you are, you’re going to break down. You can’t underestimate the value of the guy in net.

“You saw Ricky’s value the previous year when he played so well the first half of the season. When he got hurt, they went from being a playoff contender to struggling. You have to have a guy who is able to run with the ball. No matter who we draft, it gets overshadowed by who’s in net.”

If DP is indeed healthy and if the player the Islanders draft is able to make a significant contribution, the Islanders may be in decent shape, especially when you consider how well guys like Frans Nielsen, Kyle Okposo and Bruno Gervais were playing through the final leg of the season when they were playing spoiler.

The next few weeks should be interesting as the draft is one important piece to the puzzle and the upcoming free agent sweepstakes that will follow will be equally as important. Mark my words, if the Islanders don’t address this concern and sign both a goaltender with experience to play in the AHL and one to backup DP, they’ll be in the same situation they were this past season if he goes down.

Photo by Patrick Hickey Jr.

Posted under Offseason 2009