NY Islanders backup David Rittich finally beats former team; praises home fans

David Rittich had been waiting a long time for this one.

On Saturday night at UBS Arena, the New York Islanders' goaltender finally defeated his former team, the Calgary Flames, helping the Islanders secure a 3–2 victory. For Rittich, the win carried a little extra meaning after years of difficult results against the organization where he began his NHL career.

“About the time,” Rittich admitted with a smile afterward. “I knew my record against them since I left Calgary. It’s not great… well, it was terrible. So I’m glad I finally got a win against them.” He was 0-4-2 w/a 4.02 GAA and an .851 save percentage.

Rittich’s night wasn’t easy. The Islanders jumped out to a 3–0 lead, but Calgary surged late in the third period, scoring twice and forcing the Islanders netminder to lock things down over the final minutes. Rittich finished with 30 saves, many coming during the Flames’ late push.

Despite the pressure, the veteran goalie kept his approach simple.

“Not really much was going through my mind,” Rittich said. “Just be there for the boys. They’ve done a great job for me, so I just wanted to be there for them and do what I have to do to get us two points.”

Calgary made adjustments late, throwing different looks at the Islanders defense and trying to create traffic in front of the net. Rittich credited his teammates for helping limit dangerous opportunities.

“They made a lot of changes,” he said. “They’re still good players and they can make plays. But we did a really good job taking care of our zone.”

Beyond the personal milestone, the win came at a critical point in the season as the Islanders battle for playoff positioning.

“At this time of the year, it doesn’t matter who you play,” Rittich said. “You just want to win. Our division and the whole conference is tight, so every point matters.”

The victory also came in front of a loud UBS Arena crowd, something Rittich clearly appreciated.

"They're unbelievable. I don't really know if I've ever played in front of better fans than the ones we have here. So, we really appreciate them showing up and cheering for every single one of us."