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Stars-Islanders Preview

Oct 9, 2010 - 3:52 AM By MATT BECKER STATS Senior Writer

Dallas (0-0-0) at New York (0-0-0), 7:00 p.m. EDT

After spending a majority of the past two seasons injured, New York Islanders franchise goaltender Rick DiPietro is finally healthy.

Unfortunately, now the team needs to overcome significant injuries to two of its other key players.

DiPietro will make his first opening day start in three years Saturday night when the Islanders, without forward Kyle Okposo and top defenseman Mark Streit, begin the season at home against a Dallas Stars team looking to build on a surprising win in its first game.

New York ended last season 34-37-11 to finish nine points back of eighth-place Montreal for an Eastern Conference playoff spot. Although the Islanders finished last in the Atlantic Division for the third straight year, they gained 18 more points than the previous season.

It could be tough, however, for New York to make another such jump without two of its best players.

Okposo, second on the team with 52 points last season, will miss the first two or three months while recovering from right shoulder surgery. Streit led the Islanders with 38 assists and finished with 49 points - tied for eighth-best in the league by a defenseman - but will be out at least four months because of a torn left labrum and rotator cuff.

"It's obviously an obstacle for us, but the biggest thing is that we have to go forward and understand that we have some players who are capable of filling in those roles," New York coach Scott Gordon said. "It's not like last year. This certainly would have pretty much seemed like it ended our season."

The Islanders will likely lean a bit more on center John Tavares, who had 24 goals and a team-best 54 points as a rookie last year. New York was 10-4-5 in games when the 20-year-old had at least one goal, compared to going 24-33-6 when he failed to score.

The Islanders should also benefit from having a healthy DiPietro, who has played in only 13 NHL games in the past two seasons because of knee injuries.

"When you have a part of your career taken from you, you appreciate what you have even more," said DiPietro, who is entering the fifth year of his 15-year contract and making his first opening day start since 2007. "I was never someone who took things for granted, but now every practice, every game, every win means even more."

DiPietro was 2-5-0 with a shutout and a 2.60 goals-against average in eight games in 2009-10. Despite missing most of the season, DiPietro was in net for the Islanders lone meeting against Dallas, stopping 24 shots in a 4-3 loss Jan. 8.

He has started New York's last four games against the Stars, recording a 4.02 GAA in losing the last three since a 3-0 win in Dallas in 2006.

The Stars, expected to be in a rebuilding phase after finishing fifth in the Pacific Division in 2009-10, arrive in Long Island following Friday's 4-3 overtime win in New Jersey, their first season-opening victory since 2006.

Loui Eriksson scored two goals, including the winner 1:36 into overtime for Dallas, which trailed 2-0 just over 7 minutes into the game.

"It was great to see our guys keep going," said Kari Lehtonen, who made 27 saves.

Lehtonen, who has assumed the team's No. 1 goalie duties following the departure of Marty Turco, is 0-1-1 with a 5.81 GAA in his last three starts against New York.

Eriksson, Dallas' leader with 29 goals last season, has fared much better against the Islanders, recording three goals and an assist in his last two meetings.