On the Islanders Beat

BY KATIE STRANG

Islanders goaltender Rick DiPietro said he's had a slow summer while rehabbing his left knee, but one particular date has kept him motivated and focused -- the season opener against the Devils.

"I'm not so worried about being 100 percent for training camp, I'm more worried about being ready October 10," DiPietro said at an interview and autograph session in Manhattan Wednesday. "I'm really optimistic and hellbent on being there for the first game."

DiPietro, who had an arthroscopic procedure in June, also underwent season-ending surgery on his right hip (his left hip was operated on the previous year) in March. While some have worried about his durability, especially so early into his 15-year contract, DiPietro said it's "tough calling them injuries," and that they represent normal "wear and tear" more than anything.

DiPietro said his knee took top priority this summer, and that his hip wasn't his biggest concern. "It's the second one I've had done, and it's definitely bothered me," DiPietro said. "The All-Star Game was definitely the pinnacle of the injury, but the left one felt great last year after I had [the procedure] done, the right one feels fantastic now, and as bad as it was not making the playoffs, it was good to have that extra month to get that out of the way."

Known as a fierce competitor who can barely stand watching games from the bench, DiPietro said he hopes last season's injuries won't translate to less ice time or a more stringent monitoring of his workload.

"I've said it before, but I want to play every game," DiPietro said. "We'll see what they have in store, but all I can control is trying to play well and force their hand."

One person he'll have to convince is the Islanders' new coach, Scott Gordon.

"Everyone I've talked to who has played for him has absolutely loved him," DiPietro said. "He's young, he's energetic, he's determined to win at all costs, and he's really focused on figuring out what we need to do to be successful, get us an identity right off the bat, and continue to hold guys accountable."

From what DiPietro has read about Gordon's plans for the team, he's looking forward to the upcoming season.

"He wants to put in a fast, up-tempo style and a lot of pressure, and that's good," DiPietro said. "We're going to have a young team, a fast team, and that's going to be exciting."

Former CA Inc. chief Sanjay Kumar alleges his former mentor Charles Wang "personally directed" improper accounting at the company going back to 1987, and that several long-time board members "took steps to protect Wang and conceal the facts."

Read Newsday's full story here

All you loyal Islander blog readers should visit The Final Score blog and wish loyal blogger Jim Baumbach a speedy and relatively pain-free recovery from getting two wisdom teeth pulled. Feel better Jim!

Katie :)

There will be a story in tomorrow's paper about Scott Gordon's plans on improving the Isles' speed this season, but I just thought I'd share a couple other nuggets:

--This past week, Gordon has been busy with a lot of the logistical stuff like hammering away training camp plans and looking for places on Long Island (although his family will remain based in Atlanta), but he has had a chance to get acquainted with his new coaching staff. The primary objective from this point forward, Gordon said, is seeing how the other coaches analyze and break down the other teams in the league, rather than their own team. Gordon wants to see how they all game plan for opponents and gauge how their philosophies mesh with his own. This next week, Gordon said, will be spent getting to know the players. While he has met and spent some time already with Bill Guerin, Chris Campoli, and Frans Nielsen, he'll call and introduce himself to the others and briefly talk to them about last season, and presumably, the one ahead.

--When I asked him areas he would like to improve, Gordon said the goal differential was his biggest target. Obviously, the Islanders need to improve on both sides to whittle away at this problem, but Gordon said the Isles defensive system will be a bit different, one that relies on lots of support and not as many of one-on-one matchups. The other target, and this comes as no surprise, will be the power play. As Gordon said, a PP is designed to fail, but success comes from the ability to create opportunities. Gordon said the team is solid in net, has a good mix of forwards who have an element speed, and has "better than average" level of skill on defense, including a good mix of d-men that can get the puck to the forwards to aid the transition game. The key, Gordon said, will be to pinpoint the weak spot of an opponent's PK to attack off the rush. Gordon conceded many teams stack four guys back, making it difficult to carry in the puck, but that the decision when and where to attack, and whether to carry it in or dump it in, will be the PP unit's responsibility to evaluate what the opposition will give.

Also, The Islanders names Chris Dey President of Business operations. Dey, who used to be responsible for Sales, Marketing, and Event operations, will now oversee all business operations.

--Katie Strang

DO NOT ask Garth Snow. While Garth was initially demure about discussing Gordon's contract--he said the Isles organization's policy is to not divulge those details--Newsday's own Mark Herrmann pressed him further, which prompted a bit more of a bristly response from Garth.

"Mark, I've got a lot of respect for ya...but it's none of your damn business."

Seriously.

Mark was a good sport about it, but it made me wonder whether the organization is trying to avoid another potential Nolan situation in the future...remember, "So Ted, you are heading into the last year of your contract, and you still haven't been notified about the possibility of an extension..." Yeah. I'd be interested to hear what you all think in terms of how many years Gordon got. As Mark pointed out, multi-year can mean two, and it can also mean 15 (as we all know the organization has famously shelled out before).

All in all though, it was a nice day at the Coliseum...great turnout, although with media members, you never know if that has anything to do with the availability of free food:)

Here are just another couple tidbits about Gordon from the day that won't make it into tomorrow's story

-Just in general, he was a very nice guy who was gracious enough to stay more than two hours after the press conference (and I don't even think he ate lunch) to speak with reporters. Gotta appreciate that.

-He did seem to be pretty nervous, but NOT overwhelmed. Big difference. He said there's no real media coverage in Providence, so the contingent at the presser today was probably a bit different for him, but said he was more nervous about that than the actual coaching part...that he seems to be very confident about.

-He said he's a good communicator and someone that has ample experience dealing with kids, so yes, this does seem to be a logical fit. He basically said his whole job with Providence was dealing with a youth movement, so while it will inevitably be a bit different at the NHL level, he's dealt with it before.

-He seems pretty intent on incorporating speed into this team. He talked about his experience using "overspeed" and pushing players out of their comfort zone in practice to improve this area. He also said, after watching three taped games from Bridgeport last year, that the one thing that impressed him watching the kids, was that element of speed.

-I asked him if he had any time to review the team's struggling power play (of course that is awfully premature for him to have had strategic outlines already, I know). While he did not reveal specifics, his reaction to the question revealed he KNOWS it's a problem that desperately needs fixing, and fast.

--Katie

Two summers ago, the Islanders’ critics had a field day when owner Charles Wang first hired coach Ted Nolan, then hired general manager Neil Smith, then fired Smith after about six weeks on the job and replaced him with backup goaltender Garth Snow as GM. Wang’s plan was to run the Islanders by a committee that included former GM Mike Milbury.

The whole thing was panned as a circus of epic proportions until the Islanders surprised everyone in the NHL by making the playoffs thanks to some bold moves by Snow and a good coaching job by Nolan. When hostilities between Snow and Nolan flared last season, it provided another opportunity to knock the hockey-by-committee approach.

As much fun as that might have been for anyone with access to a computer keyboard, all the arguments about Wang’s outside-the-box approach have been rendered moot. The so-called committee quietly dissolved in the middle of last season as Snow assumed the leadership position for the franchise and formulated a long-term rebuilding plan. Snow then parted company with Nolan before finally naming his own man, Scott Gordon, as coach of the Islanders today.

In terms of organizational structure, the Islanders once again are NHL conformists, operating in the traditional way. Having learned first-hand about the difficulty of trying to build a championship contender through free agency, Snow now has a plan in place to develop young prospects, and in Gordon, he has a partner committed to the same approach.

Some might find fault with Snow for choosing a coach who is unproven at the NHL level when he had so many veteran coaches from which to choose. Without knowing much about Gordon beyond his resume as the AHL coach of the year last season in Providence, I was leaning toward former Toronto coach Paul Maurice because he succeeded in similar circumstances previously with Hartford/Carolina.

But Gordon fits the bill as a teacher and communicator who has spent the past eight seasons working with prospects at Providence, including the first three as an assistant. He also was a head coach for six seasons in the ECHL and the old IHL. Most importantly, Gordon is Snow’s guy. They hit it off in a way that convinced Snow they can be an effective team with the same objective.

Progress may be slow at first with a team that lacks scoring punch. Young players will have to produce in major roles, and veterans will have to show they still have enough left in the tank to lead effectively. But Snow is convinced the Isles have a goaltender in Rick DiPietro and a solid veteran defense that will allow them to compete beyond the low expectations for the coming season.

If it doesn’t work out two or three years from now, there won’t be any committee to spread the blame. The Islanders are Snow’s show now. He orchestrated this whole process from soup to nuts, possibly to the surprise of those who underestimated him when he ascended straight from the locker room to the GM’s post. From now on, the buck stops with Snow.

You heard it here first. Here's Greg Logan's story about the Islanders hiring of Scott Gordon to replace Ted Nolan. Logan's busy talking to GMs and players so he can write stories for tomorow's paper. In the meantime, what do you think of the move?