Goalie Biron looks forward to starting spot battle
Photo credit: AP | New York Islanders goalie Martin Biron looks past Calgary Flames' Theoren Fleury during the second period of an NHL preseason hockey game. (September 17, 2009)
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SASKATOON, Saskatchewan - It's not often that goaltender Martin Biron leaves the crease. But when he saw new teammate Kyle Okposo lying motionless on the ice after a spine-shivering, concussion-causing hit from Flames defenseman Dion Phaneuf on Thursday, Biron didn't hesitate to join the scrum that ensued at center ice.
"It doesn't matter if you know a guy 20 years or not, you do what you think is best," Biron said. "You feel that it's about backing one another up."
Biron, who showed his solidarity by skating alongside Okposo as he was carted off the ice on a stretcher, has been around his new Islanders teammates only a few weeks, but his outgoing personality already has endeared him to them. "He's a guy that any team he goes to, he gets into the mix quickly," coach Scott Gordon said. "He's a very personable guy, he's never at a loss for words, and he brings a lot of energy into the room."
Especially given the fact the team has been on the road for the duration of training camp, Biron - who started 53 games for Philadelphia last season - said the transition has been seamless and that he has quickly grown close to his new teammates.
"The ones I let score over the past couple of years have treated me a lot better than the other ones," Biron joked.
The Islanders, who were without an NHL-caliber starting goaltender last season, first signed Dwayne Roloson on July 1, then added Biron three weeks later to strengthen and deepen the position.
Biron says he entered free agency looking for stability through a long-term deal, but the Islanders' one-year offer was the best for him. "The market was hard, especially for goalies this year," Biron said. " reassessed my goals - long term and short - then the opportunity came to come in with the Isles."
He'll be battling for the starting spot with Roloson, and rehabbing goaltender Rick DiPietro when he returns. That's a challenge Biron said he welcomes.
"We both understand where our games are at, our roles and why were brought in here," Biron said. "[Roloson] has been through battles in Edmonton and Minnesota, so he's accustomed to it. I've battled for playing time in Buffalo and in Philadelphia, so I think that we both know what to expect, what we're supposed to do, and it'll be for the better."
