By Dave Diamond

Did Islander fans fall victim to counting the proverbial chicken before it hatched? Well, who could have blamed them the way the team steam-rolled through competition after the All-Star break, climbing to as high as seventh in the NHL Eastern Conference standings. As it turns out, it was the wrong chicken cliché that the Islanders have endured for the past three games. They put all their eggs in one basket, that of goaltender Rick DiPietro, and are thus paying the ultimate price.

“DP” became “diz-zy” after colliding head-first with Montreal’s Steve Begin last Tuesday in Canada. The timing of the incident could not have been worse. DiPietro had to be helped off the ice by trainers and teammates, the same game in which he made a career high 18th consecutive start. That abruptly gave the cue to Mike Dunham, who had been nestled quite snuggly on the bench since his last start Feb. 1.

The score at the time of DiPietro’s injury was typical of the Islanders second-half surge. They held a 1-0 lead early, played with poise and control, and just in case, had DiPietro to make his usual 30 or more saves. Since he left that game, the team has given up 18 goals in three games, all losses. And it is with that unfortunate fact that the Islanders learned a simple hockey lesson. The team goes as its goaltender goes.

Of course, where DiPietro went to eventually be slammed by Begin was not exactly your normal goaltender injury because the play happens so rarely. Begin was about to breakaway from the Islanders defenseman just inside the blue line, and DiPietro reacted quickly. He raced to the blue line and dived to clear the puck away, but instead caught Begins right leg and all of his speed right in his head, neck, and shoulder.

It is hard to find a weakness in the 25-year old former number one overall pick in 2000. This season he has 30 victories, a 2.59 goals-against average, five shutouts, all stellar numbers in a season where he was put under the microscope after signing an unprecedented 15-year contract last summer. To prove his worth to the Islanders’ playoff run, he made thirty or more saves in three of his previous five games before the injury. But any DiPietro supported will admit that the youngster has a foolish tendency to leave the crease to play the puck, and sometimes put his team in a vulnerable position. At the worst of times, we see he can leave himself just as vulnerable.

Is it easy to say he should not have made the reaction play and simply stayed in net? Of course, the first reaction for any spectator would be that his decision was a mistake, but hindsight is always 20-20 when the result is an injury. As difficult as it is to admit for Islander fans, DiPietro showcased the exact aggressiveness that has made him one of the elite goaltenders in the league. Still, one would think that he would be tentative in that situation. A potential playoff team’s number one goalie jumping in front of an oncoming player knowing full well that he could be injured and potentially ruin the season. You try thinking of that in a split second before the other team has an opportunity to score.

The Isles and their star have paid the ultimate price this past week, the most recent embarassment an 8-5 loss to the mediocre Florida Panthers. The Islanders have fallen out of the playoff bracket, though only one point behind the eighth seed after Monday night’s play. Even worse is the team that took their spot on the inside of the playoff race, the hated Rangers. But is the slump entirely associated with DiPietro’s injury?

Wes Goldstein, CBS Sportsline.com Staff Writer, put it best in describing the play of Mike Dunham.

“(Dunham) has managed to avoid most of the shots he has faced since taking over,” he wrote in a recent article.

That is exactly how it has seemed, and even Islanders’ head coach Ted Nolan has seen enough. Should DiPietro remain unable to play Tuesday night in Tampa Bay, third-stringer Wade Dubielewicz will start, not Dunham. The answer to the inquiry above is a resounding yes. The Isles would most likely still be going strong had DiPietro stayed healthy. Over the past few games there have been a number of issues besides goaltending. They have struggled to score goals and the defense has so many holes in it, it may as well be Swiss cheese. All of these consequences, however, derive from the fact that they have zero confidence in Dunham. If the goalie is incapable of making a key save, then the defense tightens up and makes mistakes. As a result, pressure is put on the offense to keep scoring, and they too will succumb to a slump.

Hockey is based on team chemistry, team balance, and all other things associated with the “team first” mentality. But for crying out loud, where for art thou Ricky?

The Islanders need DiPietro back to make a run at the eighth seed in the East.