Fight Of His Life: New York Islanders’ Rick DiPietro Tries To Save His Career

May 19th, 2010 by BC ISLEMAN Leave a reply »
April 4, 1998 is one of those days that will live forever in Ranger-Islander lore. That was the day the Islanders won the game but lost the fight. The fight specifically between goaltenders Dan Cloutier and Tommy Salo.

Actually a fight involves two combatants. Salo just turned turtle and Cloutier used him as a punching bag. Before skating back and forth along the Islander bench calling everyone out. Pretty embarrassing actually.

Right then, combative Islander general manager Mike Milbury probably made up his mind that he wasn't going to keep no Swedish sissy on his roster. In any event, Salo was traded the following year and the Milbury Goalie Merry-Go-Round kicked into gear.

In 2000, Milbury traded another goalie by the name of Roberto Luongo to Florida along with Ollie Jokkinen for a couple of bottle caps and spare change. The door was opened for that move at the 2000 Draft when Mad Mike passed on a couple of forwards who never amounted to anything named Heatley and Gaborik in favor of one Rick DiPietro, Pride of Waltham, Mass.

DiPietro, DP to Islander fans, became the first goaltender ever drafted number one ove ...

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