By Brian Bohl
UNIONDALE, N.Y.-Rick DiPietro became the unquestioned cornerstone piece of the Islanders future the second he signed a record 15-year contract before the start of the 2006-07 season. But for the third time in his first three seasons since that deal was struck, an unheralded backup has kept the Isles from completely bottoming out following another injury.
Two years ago, Wade Dubielewicz went from AHL netminder to folk hero after going 4-1 to end the regular season, putting the Islanders in the playoffs after DiPietro was sidelined with concussions. Mike Dunham, who started that campaign as the backup, went 2-0-1 when DiPietro was sidelined with a groin injury a week into his record pact.
The Islanders missed the playoffs last year, though Dubielewicz recorded a higher save percentage than the top guy on the depth chart.
Following offseason knee surgery, DiPietro missed the start of the current season and is out until likely January at the earliest after needing another surgery to repair a torn meniscus. Enter the Isles’ latest contingency plan, where Joey MacDonald is following Dubielewicz’s career trajectory.
General manager Garth Snow unceremoniously dumped Dubielewicz over the summer, opting instead to go with MacDonald. The 28-year-old had never played a full NHL season, entering training camp with 17 career games to his credit.
But MacDonald’s play has alleviated the pressure on the front office and erased questions about leaving the backup job to such an inexperienced player. In 15 games (14 starts) entering Thursday, the 5-10, 170-pound netminder has gone 7-6-2 with a 2.90 goals against average.
MacDonald, who served as AHL Bridgeport’s netminder, said he is becoming more comfortable in the role. His recent plays supports that claim. MacDonald has turned aside 98 of the last 102 shots he faced in helping the Islanders forge its first three-game winning streak of the season.
That stretch included a sweep of Ottawa in a home-and-home series, a club that historically dominated the Islanders. MacDonald’s recent hot play has come with defensemen Freddy Meyer and Brendan Witt injured and an offense missing Mike Comrie and Mike Sillinger due to hip injuries. Yet the Halifax, Nova Scotia native said regular playing time has been the biggest key towards achieving consistency
“This is huge,” said MacDonald after stopping all three Vancouver shootout attempts in a 2-1 victory over the Canucks Monday night at Nassau Coliseum. “You get your confidence up. You don’t have to wait a week or two weeks for a start or even a month – like some goalies in this league. Once you get rhythm going and you know you’re going to be in there the next night, it definitely helps.”
DiPietro’s guaranteed contract ensures he will continually be the unquestioned starter once he recovers. But the former No. 1 overall draft pick has yet to prove he can play 70-plus games a season and lead a playoff run.
MacDonald, like the other backups before him, has helped the Islanders avoid the embarrassing fate of watching a season unravel because of an injury to a single player. Snow and owner Charles Wang must live with the fact they chose an injury-prone goalie as the face of the franchise.
DiPietro isn’t going anywhere unless the team decides to buyout the final decade on his deal. That won’t happen, but in the meantime, MacDonald’s teammates said he is giving the club a chance to compete.
“We have a streak now, the first time this year,” said Frans Nielsen, whose backhanded goal marked the only scoring the shootout “Even when we weren’t winning, Joey has given us a chance every game.”