Greg Logan reported today (along with everyone else who was in that room last night) that Rick DiPietro said "I'd rather not talk about it. It's a bit of a distraction. When we figure out what's going on, you guys will know."
There are a number of possible reasons why Rick DiPietro ended up on the bench after giving up two goals in the first period. It was just surprising to see considering Scott (I don't believe in pulling goalie's) Gordon's emphatic stance when he left Joey MacDonald out on the ice to be pummeled with pucks.
Could Rick have somehow injured himself within the first 20 minutes of the game so badly that he needed to be yanked from the net? Well, here's a very interesting observation from one of our NYIC board members who watched warm ups last night at the Coliseum.
"I'll tell you what happened. During warm-ups, Trent Hunter took a shot that hit Ricky in his jewels . He was on the ice for a minute or two, but he wasn't the same after that. He looked like crap the whole game. Even on the bench. "
Uh.... correct me if I'm wrong people... but don't they make 'equipment' for that? Certainly this could be a possibility and one that he would NOT want to share with the media. However, that doesn't take away from the fact that Rick made "a bone headed give-away in the early moments, trying to make a home-run pass up the middle." (Yes Greg, it certainly was bone headed.)
Perhaps if Rick would remember it's hockey and not baseball, these types of split second decisions won't go so off course.
Whatever IS actually keeping Rick from concentrating or being "distracted," I hope it clears up soon.
I mentioned this elsewhere, but it is getting increasingly difficult to watch an Islander game with the Big Angry Man. Mostly because the experience he brings to the arguments, no let's call them discussions, is hard to counter-point. It makes it very difficult for me to be positive and supportive.
Let's take Doug Weight's (unfortunate) "clean hit" on Brandon Sutter. First off, in the Islanders' Die Hard fan base the name Sutter is liken to Royalty. Weight basically creamed Prince William out there last night.
Billy Jaffe did his best to explain WHY Weight didn't end up on the bottom of a bench clearing pile, but the truth remains. Had that happened to Kyle Okposo by one of the Carolina veterans, more than the fan base would be calling for some one's head on a stick.
Brandon is a rookie, who made a rookie mistake, but the freight train that was Weight could have at least pulled up just a little with that shoulder hit. I know that it effected him, you could tell he really didn't expect to knock the kid unconscious. With that being said, I'm incredibly surprised that Gordon decided to give Weight the nod for the penalty shot. I would have gone with Bill Guerin who recently has had fire in those big brown eyes of his looking for the back of the net. Something tells me, he would have smoked it passed Ward and stood on the ice like a snorting bull looking to shoot again. (Um, bad ice my a$$.)
Dear Sean: Any possibility you can get a goal when I'm actually IN the damn building so I can personally congratulate you? Keep up the good work.
Dear Campoli-oli-oli-O: Nice to see you on the ice. Please stay healthy.
Dear Kyle: We need another highlight reel goal clip. Can you help us out with that?
Dear Blog Box Boys: Did ya miss me????? Sorry I didn't make the game, but I was home making Clams Oreganata, Oysters Rockefeller, Lobster caserole and steak.
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4 comments:
Dee,
Yes they certainly make equipment for that - but think about a hard rubber puck at a high rate of speed making a direct hit in the region. Instead of making mashed potatoes of the "boys" it spreads that force of the hit out equally around the whole area. It doesn't feel any better.
As for the hit on Sutter, it was a clean hit - AND it did affect Weight a bunch. His explanation was that he and Sutter were both focusing on the puck and that Sutter leaned into the hit and went right into Weight's shoulder.
Of all people on the ice, I wouldn't have picked either Weight or Guerin for the penalty shot honestly - but it had to be one of the 5 who were out.
Exciting game, better effort - but undesired result.
I was at the game, and my heart almost stopped beating when Brandon Sutter didn't get up from the ice. I was holding my breath the whole time. Everyone sitting around me kept saying it was a "clean hit", but I swear it looked like Weight used his elbows to hit the kid. I hope the Sutter kid doesn't suffer any long term affects from the hit.
As for the "franchise" aka DIPI, if he was hurt he shouldn't have started the game. His 2 giveaways really took the wind out of the rest of the team. I swear when McDonald came in for the 2nd period, it looked as though the team gained some confidence and started to play much better. It actually became a very intertaining game. Without the 2 first period Carolina goals, we might have actually won this game.
Do you at least have some leftovers for us for Monday's game? Looks pretty darn good from where I'm sitting. LOL!
How've you been Dee?
As soon as Bergy scored I said to Mikey, "Dee's gonna be pissed."
And yeah, Kyle needs to put the puck between his legs again and score to quiet down the murmuring...
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