Flyers Edge Isles 4-3
The shootout goal wasn’t the prettiest of Daniel Briere’s career, but it was certainly an important one.
Briere scored the game winner (his second goal of the game) to lead the Philadelphia Flyers over the New York Islanders last night at Nassau Coliseum, keeping the Flyer’s playoff drive afloat and spoiling a fine effort by Islanders goalie Wade Dubielewicz, who made 51 saves. Philadelphia also got goals from Joffrey Lupul and Mike Richards. Richard Park, Blake Comeau and Frans Nielsen tallied for the Islanders.
The Comeau-Park- Kyle Okposo line continues to be the most impressive unit for New York recently. Coach Ted Nolan has shown a lot of faith in Park to mentor the two kids and his trust has paid off some nice dividends, particularly with Okposo. The rookie phenom recorded his 4th NHL point last night (an assist on Comeau’s goal) in only his 6th game as a pro. He is really turning out to be a special player.
Dubielewicz’s performances in goal have also been eye-opening as of late. He has shown a remarkable ability to move laterally across the crease to stop shots and made quite a few stunning saves during the game. He has proven in this short stretch since All Star goalie Rick Dipietro got injured that he is capable of backstopping the Islanders on a consistent basis. One has to wonder, though, what happens next season in the case of goalie Joey MacDonald, whom the Islanders have signed to a one way contract (meaning that he cannot be sent down to the minors without having to clear waivers on the way back up.) Dubielewicz, an unrestricted free agent as of July 1, clearly wasn’t factored into the Islanders plans when MacDonald was signed. However, he’s made a strong case for himself to not only be the backup, but to play more regularly in an attempt to keep Dipietro healthy.
Perhaps GM Garth Snow ought to consider moving MacDonald this summer to a team in desperate need of goaltending and sign The Man They Call Dubie to a contract extension. There’d be no better example to prove to the fans and the league that the Islanders are serious about giving themselves the best chance to win in the near future.
Author Bio
Frank has been a fan of the New York Islanders since seeing his first hockey game way back in 1977.
He reveled in the success of the Dynasty years and endured the time the team has spent in the basement of the league.
He also covers the Isles and New York Jets for www.sportstalkbuzz.com and writes a regular fantasy hockey column for www.rotoexperts.com.
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