DiPietro looks rusty in his return after 11 months
Photo credit: AP | Bridgeport Sound Tigers' Rick DiPietro deflects a shot on goal against the Springfield Falcons during an AHL hockey game. (December 5, 2009)
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Rick DiPietro
BRIDGEPORT, Conn. - Here's the positive from Rick DiPietro's first game in 11 months: He's on track to play again next week.
Results? Well, those don't really matter, fortunately. DiPietro looked plenty rusty in allowing three second-period goals on 13 shots to the Springfield Falcons during his two periods of work last night before a crowd of 1,200 at the Arena at Harbor Yard, a crowd that included Islanders owner Charles Wang, general manager Garth Snow and DiPietro's father, Rick Sr.
He made 10 saves in two periods and looked like a goaltender shaking off the cobwebs from a long time away from competitive play, since Jan. 2 in Phoenix.
"It was a big night for me," DiPietro said after Bridgeport's 7-3 win. "It's a chance to see how everything's progressing. We'll see how I feel [today], but so far, so good."
After a first period in which DiPietro faced only three shots and barely got any work in - he strayed out of his net a few times to play pucks - he did not get off on the right skate in the second period.
Falcons defenseman Johan Motin took an unscreened point shot that ticked off Sound Tigers defenseman Mark Wotton's stick and sailed through DiPietro's legs 1:52 into the second.
At 7:50, another Falcons point shot hit traffic in front and squirted out to DiPietro's left. He was sluggish in getting set and Springfield's Geoff Paukovich roofed a backhand for a second goal.
Finally, at 13:44 of the second, DiPietro was caught going side- to-side by a sharp pass behind the net that Bill Thomas jammed in on DiPietro's glove side. That goal tied it at 3 - Bridgeport led 3-0 after the first period - and prompted some of his teammates to give DiPietro a few taps on the pads in support.
"Would I have liked to have played better? Probably," DiPietro said. "But this is just the first step."
The Wang-Snow contingent, plus goaltending consultant Sudarshan Maharaj, wasn't looking for a shutout from their franchise goaltender, though. Just a way to shake off 11 months without a game and stay healthy enough to do it again, likely Saturday in Hartford against the Wolf Pack, the Rangers' farm team.
The three-shot first period left DiPietro with only his puck-handling to work on. "I got to play a couple pucks, loosen me up," he said.
Maharaj, who has worked closely with DiPietro during his rehab, said the game was the thing, not the saves and goals allowed.
"You can practice and practice all you want," Maharaj said, "but there are so many game situations that are difficult to replicate. There are a lot of things he's going to continue to progress on. But there were a lot of positives, absolutely."
After a full week of practice with the Sound Tigers and a full game next weekend, DiPietro is scheduled to play one more with Bridgeport on Dec. 15, then get called up to the Islanders.
For now, he's trying not to think that far ahead, just as he's tried to rein in his usual eagerness during these last 11 months.
"I was nervous. It's been a long time since I played in a meaningful game," he said. "There's still a lot of work to be done."
