He's the keeper!

First off, I want to thank my buddy Bob for giving me the Hockey News with Ryan Smyth on the cover. I let my subscription lapse in December and in the words of the immortal hair metal band Cinderella, you don't what you got 'til it's gone. I always think I am being smart by saving some cash because you get so much news on the net all the time for free but that decision always ends up biting me on the backside. So, thanks Bob!

If you don't have a friend like Bob and are also wondering where Our Man Garth falls in the First Annual THN GM Ranking, let me spill the beans: they have him 16th. Wonder who is ahead of him? Wonder no more:

#1 Ken Holland, Detroit. Hard to argue.

#2 Lou Lamoriello, Devils. Probably was a coin flip between he and Holland.

#11 Kevin Lowe, Oilers. My guess is that lots of people are doing spit-takes at Albertan Tim Hortons seeing him ranked just outside the top ten.

#12 Paul Holmgren, Flyers. Yep, the guy Garth stole Randy Robitaille and Freddy Meyer from is ranked ahead of him. A head scratcher, for sure. The guy took on dead weight contracts for Mike York and Alex Zhitnik too. Wow. Whose drinking buddy is Holmgren, eh?

#14 Johnny Mucks, Ottawa. Funny, they brag about deals he made in Buffalo to justify his brilliance. Of course, this is the guy who poisoned the rep of Ted Nolan and tried to float the rumor that Miro Satan was a Nolan hater earlier this year on the Island--as pointed out by Greg Logan of Newsday. The Old Boy Network is apparently alive and well at the Hockey News too. Grrrr.


Today I feel like making a bit of a plea on the behalf of Rick DiPietro.

Look--we all know that Ricky is a hyper-competitive guy and he's proven himself to be one of the best goalies in the league but we really need to get the guy a night off. I know points are precious right now but can we take a look at the schedule and pick out a game or two for the guy to sit out? Saturday vs. Washington screams "Dunham" to me. Mike Dunham is a good goalie and has had some serious-ass flashes this year in Rick's stead. I know that the Islanders can't take any team lightly but with big showdowns with Ottawa and Montreal coming up next week (both on the road), a night off night be in order for The Franchise. DiPietro won't want the night off because he is a player and a gamer, but it may be in his best interests. He's the keeper, after all.

In other news, Alexei Yashin will be back tonight for round two against the Rangers. It's been five weeks and the team has played exceptionally well while the captain was sidelined with the knee issues. Chemistry is a delicate thing so it will be very interesting to see how Coach Nolan fits Alexei back into the team structure. Sure, we all heard that Ryan Smyth would be playing with Jason Blake and Yash when Yash was ready but the way those wingers have been playing with Robitaille, I don't know that they need to be split away from him. Best guess is that Yash will get some minutes with his old buddy Viktor Kozlov and Miro tonight. I don't think Yashin will be playing too too much because, again, you really need to ease him back into shape.

The Isles are still in seventh place in the east. They are only four points away from the Lightning and the sixth spot. Our boys are in Tampa on the 20th for what should be an important game--they are all important right now--as far as seeding goes. But let's not get ahead of ourselves. Tonight the Islanders host the Rangers in another four-pointer. Beating the Rangers is always as sweet as finding money in the street. Let's hope our boys can add to the Misery in Manhattan with a strong effort and solid win.