To blame DiPietro is completely unfair

New York Islander Fan Central | 3/12/2008 02:19:00 PM | |
It's kind of funny looking at the various internet sites and so many folks who only see stats and numbers and put a ton of blame on Rick DiPietro for poor goaltending and do not even bother looking at the games unless it's to complain for reasons that are frankly ridiclous.

Hard to blame the fans when all they see are lazy writers who only go to the numbers themselves and print stories based on them begging the question what games do they watch?

I thought I would go back to the all-star break and see where Rick DiPietro has been killing this team with his play and break down the goals because it's easy to do with Isles TV.

All some folks see is the goals against and the save percentage and assume he must be hurt or struggling. I'm not buying it because I watch each game and outside of one or two games I have not seen his play as the reason for the club losing in my game reports.

For me it's kind of like a player minus ten but has had one turnover so everyone claims his defense is killing the team.
I highlights all the goals I felt were poor goals where his play hurt the team.

Where else should I start but right after the all-star game against Ottawa:
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1/27/2008-Senators 5, Islanders 2:

Metzaros point shot off a big screen in front where it looked redirected.
Phillips shot coming in from inside faceoff circle.

Dean McAmmond left alone in front of DiPietro for several seconds point blank with defense watching.

Bergeron turnover Neil passes to wide open Fisher for open side goal.

Empty net goal off Guerin turnover.

Overall-I did not see any goals as a result of poor goaltending but horrible defense where the goalie was left out to try. Bergeron was horrible on two goals.
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2/2/2008-Montreal 4, New York 1:
DiPietro holds Islanders in entire first period with great play to keep the game scoreless. Red Fisher wrote after this game and praised DiPietro for holding his club in as long as he did.

Plekanec scores shorthanded to open second period from bad angle that I would say is not a good goal for a goaltender to allow but a brutal turnover to start the play.

Streit comes in off the point for an empty net goal on a great setup, no chance for goalie. Sutton and Gervais talking afterward after allowing play.

Kovalev shot off rush on a screen not a good goal to allow but not a poor goal.

Dandenault scores after several great saves by DiPietro where defense again was awful and Montreal just dominated.

Overall-Without DiPietro Isles would have lost this game about 8-1.
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2/5/2008-Anaheim 3, New York 0
Niedermayer powerplay goal from faceoff circle, not a great goal to allow.
Todd Marchant backhand screen from angle off post, not a good goal to allow.
Weight scores on a setup where DiPietro had little chance coming in.

Overall-Isles did not score a single goal, if folks want to write it should have been a 1-0 loss that's fine but tough to put this all on the goalie when you are shutout seems wrong.
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2/7/2008-Pittsburgh 4, New York 3
Ryan Whitney backdoor pp goal, no chance for DiPietro.
Malone deflects in point shot off faceoff, tough to put that on goalie.
Whitney pp goal backhand from dead center fifteen feet out.
Chris LeTang shot hits Witt and redirects to far post for game winner.

Overall-DiPietro played well, the defense reversed the puck around the net which led to LeTang getting the puck.
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2/9/2008-Minnesota 4, New York 3, ot
Foster point shot for goal, bad goal.

Rolston scores off James Shepperd play where he carried the puck and shot through a big screen. DiPietro played very well as Isles were scrambling in their end.
Rolston ties game off rebound off a two on one post shot.
Burns scores off two on one overtime rush where a forward got turned around.

Overall-One poor goal and without several great saves Isles do not get a point.
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2/12/2008-New York 4, Philadelphia 3
Briere scores off a big scramble on powerplay, DiPietro down made several saves.
Hartnell scores off play he's fed for a clear path to net.
Lupul shot from point deflected in off defense to make game 4-3 with minute left.

Overall-Hard to put any of these goals on the goaltender.
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2/14/2008-New York 5, Toronto 4
Stajan pass redirects off Tucker for a goal.
Sundin goal all alone off pp shot rebound behind goalie.
Stajan powerplay goal from close in.
Ponikarovsky scores off scramble in final seconds with goalie pulled.

Overall-DiPietro won the game with his goaltending in the five on three in the third period. Hard to blame him for a redirection goal but three goals were high quality chances.
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2/16/2008-New York 4, Atlanta 1
Todd White goal in final minute off point blank rebound. Only ten shots faced.

Overall-DiPietro was horrible here, send him to the AHL.
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2/18/2008-New York 3, San Jose 2
Goc allowed to come out from behind net and hit far side on DiPietro.
Joe Thornton scores from slot off a scramble.

Overall-DiPietro robbed Cheechoo late in the second, no fault on any goals in this game.
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2/20/2008-New York 3, Washington 2, ot
Semin breakaway with the defense falling asleep. DiPietro already robbed Kozlov all alone in front before that.

Laich powerplay redirection off a Mike Green point shot.

Overall-DiPietro was only fantastic to get the game to overtime before the Isles won it.
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2/21/2008-New York 1, Tampa Bay 0
Overall-I guess there is nothing to complain about here.
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It should be noted at this point the Islanders are playing every other day and still they have won five in a row with a lot of injuries piling up.
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2/23/2008-New Jersey 4, New York 2
Meyer pp turnover, Elias point shot through big screen hits far side.
Satan giveaway on point leads to Madden scoring a two on one shorthanded goal.
Johnson losses puck, Parise flies past him and scores on breakaway.
Point shot rebound goal by Gionta.

Overall-DiPietro was outstanding in this game and held the club in for two periods, Islanders did very little in third.
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2/26/2008-Pittsburgh 4, New York 2
Malkin scores after a few saves by DiPietro with a great shot from fifteen feet out.

Taffe finally scores pp goal after several great saves by DiPietro where he could not hold rebound. He robbed Malkin on the delayed penalty.

Staal goal on delayed penalty after DiPietro robbed Malkin in alone again.
James all alone on a powerplay break in pass where DiPietro had little chance.

Overall-Islanders took over fifty shots and Pittsburgh had most of the quality chances. Without DiPietro robbing Malkin several times it could have been 8-2.
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2/28/2008-New York 5, Atlanta 4
The day DiPietro plays after he suffers loss in his family.

Perrin shorthanded taken down, scores on penalty shot.
Ken Klee scores coming in from point on odd-man rush, given the shooter not a good goal but a very good shot. Kind of like Sutton's lone goal against New Jersey.

Zhitnik scores from circle after coming in from point off a centering pass behind net where DiPietro did not have far post. Great shot but hard to put that on the goalie.

Holik scores dead center on screened wrist shot about twenty feet out to tie game. I think that's one DiPietro should have stopped.

Overall-Under the circumstances he played pretty well and at best two goals you could put on him.
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3/1/2008: Philadelphia 4, New York 1
Witt knocks stick out of DiPietro's hand, Carter scores from point blank, impossible to put a goal like that on a goaltender.

DiPietro turnover led to Gervais penalty in defense zone and a Flyer pp goal where Coburn took a shot from an angle on a set play DiPietro had no chance on.

Knuble's shorthanded goal off Satan pp turnover at point where DiPietro robbed Carter in alone and the rebound found Knuble.

Empty net.

Overall-Did not see a single goal here that can be placed on the goaltender but his turnover led to a penalty by Gervais that led to a powerplay goal. Satan on the point sure did not help things.
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3/8/2008: Philadelphia 4, New York 1

Briere five on three shorthanded goal in an open net after hitting Park and deflecting. DiPietro penalty hurt the club and set up the goal.

DiPietro turnover behind the goal shorthanded, Carter goal. That's the goaltenders mistake and bad goal.

Hartnell scores off a Coburn tip in shot from point on powerplay after some saves by DiPietro.

Hartnell another power play redirection for goal in front.

Overall-DiPietro's decisions cost his team two goals, Isles defense gave up several powerplays and scored once. You can put it on the goalie if you want but take away the two goals and it's still a 2-1 loss.
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Last night:
DiPietro turnover led to opening goal by Ouellet, poor play by goalie.
LeCavalier five on three shot from angle was a questionable goal.


DiPietro came out and overplayed a Bolt forward after Martinek fell down, Halpern scored in open net on centering pass. DiPietro clearing puck to center was a turnover that set up rush so that goes on the goalie.

Tarnasky beats Comeau to a rebound where he has no business as a center from point blank.

Davison overpowered by LeCavalier as he came out of corner and stuffed puck in.

Keystone kops on the last three goals where DiPietro's defense was worse than he was all night, he had little chance on any of the three.

Overall-You can put the loss on DiPietro but he sure had a lot of help between the flu, injuries and poor play in front of him. He only saw about forty four shots so he must have made a few good saves too.
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Someone care to explain after breaking this down how Rick DiPietro has been horrible since the all-star break.

I guess it's easier than actually watching the games and goals scored when you can go to the stats which in this case do not tell the story at all.

Greg Logan's gone to the numbers as well and not doing a very good job if that's the basis for his coverage of the goaltender.