By Brian Bohl

UNIONDALE, NY- Rick DiPietro owns more job security than the CEO of a blue-chip company. His 15-year contact solidified his status as a cornerstone player even as executives and owners around the NHL criticized the record length of the pact before the start of last season.

So far, DiPietro is holding up his end of the bargain. The former first overall draft pick was the Islanders lone representative at the All-Star game, but the goalie should be accustomed to facing challenges alone since his team continually fails to support him.

To be fair, the Islanders provide assistance in the form of blocking shots and back-checking. It’s the offense’s inability to put the puck in the net that continues to keep the club out of the Eastern Conference’s playoff picture.

A hockey team that can’t score, though, is like a car without an engine: useless. DiPietro’s efforts are being wasted due in large part to the three scoring lines combining for a paltry 2.36 goals per game average, marking the league’s lowest production level.

“We need to get this thing going whether we shake up the line combinations or shorten our shifts to get out of this funk we’re in,” coach Ted Nolan said.

Before the All-Star break, the Islanders moved up as high as the seventh spot before falling all the way to the 10th position thanks to a four-game losing streak. Factor in six consecutive home defeats, and an overhaul could be forthcoming.

Any fortifications may be internal since few big-time goal scorers might be available at the trade deadline. Now is the time to call up Jeff Tambellini from AHL Bridgeport. Tambellini is closing in a 30-goal season, leading the minor league, and the parent club can’t put the puck in the net. Sounds like a perfect match.

Nolan keeps trying to coax productive from his veteran wingers. Through 52 games, no one has even cracked the 20-goal plateau. Bill Guerin is the closest with 18, followed by Mike Sillinger and Mike Comrie with 14 apiece. That puts a major burden on DiPietro and a banged-up defensive corps to play flawlessly every time – a formula that will make a return postseason trip too arduous of a task.

“We can’t play in spurts,” said coach Ted Nolan after watching his team lose a fifth consecutive home game. “We can’t turn the puck over at the blue line. We don’t have enough fire power to make those types of mistakes.”

In baseball terms, DiPietro suffers from lack of run support. With a negative 25 goal differential on the season, it’s amazing the Islanders’ record is above the .500 mark (24-23-6). And yet the franchise is just four points out of the eighth and final postseason spot with a game in hand on the Rangers. To make up that ground, Sillinger said, it’s important to start racking up wins at the Nassau Coliseum.

“We have to get a little more desperate,” Sillinger said. “On the road, you get up from the game. You need to have that feeling at home. Right now, it’s not a good feeling. We’re finding ways to lose instead of finding ways to win.”

Added DiPietro: “We’ve been struggling at home. I think we play smarter on the road and keep playing less antsy. It’s something we have to incorporate into our game at home.”

Entering Tuesday night’s contest against the defending Stanley Cup champion Ducks, the Islanders are 3-6-1 in the past 10 contests. Defenseman Bryan Berard said even if the recent results have been disappointing, the outcome has hinged on minor miscues.

“I think we’ve been playing pretty well, we just need to stick to our system,” Berard said. “One little mistake put us behind the eight-ball.”

Those deficiencies need to be addressed soon. After all, there is little margin for error.