Game On!

The Islanders can unequivocally boast that they have the best backup to a backup-goalie in the National Hockey League.

Ah, but the question, WHO is the back-up?

Better still, Heaven only knows who'll be the Numero Uno between the pipes when the Autumn leaves start to fall.

One thing is certain, one Islander goalie surely will fall because Garth Snow has produced yet another center-ring gem.

By signing Martin Biron to a one-year contract, the Isles' general manager has lined up number one goalies the way Paris Hilton lines up gossip items.

And believe The Maven, there'll be plenty of gossip over Rick (Remember Me) DiPietro, Dwayne (All The Way From Edmonton) Roloson and the aforementioned Biron between now and you-know-when.

For starters, having a triumverate of goalies ever-so-clearly suggests that the black cloud hovering over DiPietro's netminding future will not easily dissipate until he proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that he CAN endure a good season of puck-stopping.

It also inspires the question as to whether Snow and coach Scott Gordon have concluded that DP simply cannot be counted upon; no how!

If nothing else, Islanders fans once again have become participants in a Nassau, hockey version of "I Love A Mystery."

You can bet your bottom hockey biscuit that neither Roloson, DiPietro nor Biron are fans of a three-goalie system unless one of them is guaranteed to be point man on the power play.

Unless, he plans some sort of trade that not even Nostradamus — nor my trusty, dusty ouija board — can figure out, Snow must be taken at his words. To wit:

"Adding Marty gives us three bona-fide number one goalies. We learned about the importance of stability in our lineup from last season. 
Biron allows us to have another quality starter."

When you think about it, there are all kinds of possibilities:

• THE ULTIMATE ROTATION: Like baseball pitchers, Isles goalies will play every third game. Biron in Game One; Roloson in Game Two and DiPietro (if he's healthy) in Game Three.

• THE OLD RANGERS PLOY: When Frank Boucher coached the Rangers in the mid-Forties, he had two qualified number one goalies, Sugar Jim Henry and Chuck (Bonnie Prince Charlie) Rayner. Boucher's gimmick was to change goalies every other shift. Off would come Rayner — making sure to give Henry his goalie stick — and on would come Sugar Jim. (Oh, yeah, the gimmick lasted less than a month!)

• THE SECRET DEAL: Dare we suggest that there's a team willing to take DP — and his endless contract — off the Islanders' hands? (Answer: As likely as the Jones Beach sands turning to gold nuggets.) Or, perhaps, Roloson will be re-packaged for another NHL club. (Answer: See Jones Beach.)

• I LOVE A MYSTERY: Three will come to training camp and, by attrition — not to mention competence — one will be eliminated. As the wise, old Owl once said, "Who, Who, Who?"

Yet unless something stranger than fiction occurs, we'll just have to turn the Uniondale kaleidoscope and see what we will see.

Just for the heck of it, I corralled a studious Isles-watcher, one Zachary Weinstock, for his take.

This was not easy to do, mind you, because Sir Weinstock was so busy shaking his disbelieving head that he mistook me for an Advil salesman and quickly ordered a gross.

Nontheless, here's the wily Weinstock's take on the Three Goalie Hat Trick.

"This brings the Islanders very close to the Salary Cap floor and they are still inching there," Zach asserts. "Otherwise, I'm stunned, speechless."

Well, there's stunned-good and there's stunned-bad; plus Mister Inbetween.

There's also a lot of Summer left; plenty of time for Snow to wheel, deal, add some scoring and, perhaps, another defenseman.

But, as Harpo Marx once said to brother Groucho, "You never can have too many goalies!"

Then again, Harpo couldn't speak.

Maybe that's why Weinstock was speechless.

THE MAVEN'S TAKE: I'm with Harpo! Snow is no fool. He remembers the start of last season. Edmonton had three-goalie system. Roloson was the third man out. He ended up being THE MAN!

MORE:

• Islanders Arena Update
• One-on-One with John Tavares
  
• Exclusive Islanders Coverage