SHOOTOUT: Predators 2 – Islanders 1
Rick DiPietro may have signed the longest deal in NHL history this summer, but that doesn’t mean the Islanders are immune to a good, old-fashioned goalie controversy. It may not be a full-on hullabaloo, but Mike Dunham has certainly opened the floor for debate on whom the best goalie has been this early in the season.
After six games, the clear winner has been Dunham, who carries the edge mostly because DiPietro played for three games with the worst injury a goalie can get.
DiPietro, listed as day-to-day with a groin strain, missed a second straight game last night because of an injury that continues to hold the door open for Dunham, who is slowly winning over the Coliseum crowd.
There were only 9,431 in attendance (good thing they moved starting times back to 7:30 during the week) for last night’s 2-1 shootout loss against Nashville, but that didn’t stop Dunham.
“Mike Dunham’s played fantastic for us,” said Mike Sillinger, who potted his second goal in as many games.
Steve Sullivan and Paul Kariya beat Dunham to the glove and blocker side respectively in the shootout, but this one should have never gotten that far.
“We were lucky to get the point,” coach Ted Nolan said, disappointed with an 0-for-3 showing on the power play.
Dunham, who has received the bulk of work in the cage thus far, was solid again in his third consecutive start. The puck continued finding him in the crease, rebounds were few and far between, and Dunham made his share of show-stoppers with an early glove save on Scott Hartnell’s right-circle rocket earning him the first DUN-HAM chimes from Paul Cartier’s organ.
Dunham slammed the door on the surging visitors with a flurry of point-blank stops midway through the third to preserve a 1-1 tie, and he made a crucial save in overtime – on his back – against Paul Kariya from a hard angle.
Dunham faced 14 shots in the sloppy middle period and was finally beaten midway through the game by a knuckle-curve off Steve Sullivan’s stick that somehow squeezed under the bar on the goalie’s short side.
Late in regulation, he caught Kimmo Timonen’s blue-line slap in the facemask, and Dunham remained down for several moments before regaining his wits. But he got back up.
“We expect everyone to play well,” Nolan said. “He’s a proven goaltender in this league and he’s played as well as we hoped and thought he would.”