Rick DiPietro #39 of the New York Islanders strips off...

Rick DiPietro #39 of the New York Islanders strips off his mask before mixing it up with Brent Johnson #1 of the Pittsburgh Penguins. (Feb. 2, 2011) Credit: Getty Images

Rick DiPietro's last-minute scuffle with Pittsburgh's Brent Johnson Wednesday night - a one-punch knockdown for Johnson - brought multiple penalties for both and a visit with team doctors for DiPietro, even as it stirred several giddy online recollections of the NHL's "greatest goalie fights."

The Islanders, after back-to-back road games, did not practice yesterday but reported "everything came back negative" regarding X-rays on DiPietro, who had an obviously swollen right cheek after the game. Among the numerous health issues that limited DiPietro to 13 games the previous two seasons were a pair of concussions suffered in 2007.

The brief fight, which came with 17 seconds remaining in Pittsburgh's 3-0 victory, led to game-misconduct, fighting and leaving-the-crease penalties for both goalies, and DiPietro was given an additional two minutes for interference. But according to a league spokesman, both were "assessed penalties under Rule 46.7 - no fines for that."

Johnson, as a result of being ejected from the game, lost his shutout. (Rules require a goalie to play an entire game for such a statistic to count.) He told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that the shutout "doesn't really matter" and was praised by teammate Matt Cooke, who said he was "really proud" of Johnson's action. DiPietro told reporters that Johnson has "long arms."

Hockey's peculiar love-hate relationship with fighting was further evidenced by the league's official website, which led with the headline, "Goalie Scrap: Rick DiPietro vs. Brent Johnson," and featured, as its lead video, "Goalies Gone Wild!"

The altercation lasted only seconds and began shortly after DiPietro shoved Cooke, who has the reputation of being an instigator, to the ice as he skated near DiPietro's crease. A scrum involving several players ensued in the corner before Johnson skated into the Islanders' defensive zone, where he was met by DiPietro. They grabbed at each other before Johnson flattened DiPietro with a single left hook.

"The goalie fight is one of those rare and special sightings, like Bigfoot or a Derek Boogaard goal," the National Post of Canada said. "Only an absolute pacifist doesn't like watching those comically overdressed combatants swing wildly at each other."

Several sites featured past goalie skirmishes. Three that were included on all of the lists: the Rangers-Islanders spat between Dan Cloutier and Tommy Salo in 1998, Colorado's Patrick Roy vs. Detroit's Chris Osgood, also in 1998, and Toronto's Felix Potvin vs. Philadelphia's Ron Hextall in 1996.

SUBSCRIBE

Unlimited Digital AccessOnly 25¢for 6 months

ACT NOWSALE ENDS SOON | CANCEL ANYTIME