Newsday: Greg Logan blogged this afternoon and reports Rick DiPietro will start against Florida.
He also writes Rick DiPietro needs to be reminded that he earned his All-Star selection by playing with greater self-discipline and control over the first half of the season and that as much as DiPietro can help his defense with his puck handling ability, he also can hurt when he starts running around too much and when opponents recognize it, they turn up the pressure around the net to force the chaos that often ensues. The frustration over the injuries are also mounting as Brendan Witt talks about shutting it down for the season.
DiPietro is only quoted on not starting the Ranger game, Bill Guerin comments on his goaltender handing the puck and feels restricting him could hurt his play and that his goaltender only does what he can to help make the club better.
Islanders will announce callups around 5pm which Mr Logan says will be updated in his blog.
AHL.com: Notes changes to the Bridgeport website and has Jeremy Colliton back on the Bridgeport roster with Matt Spiller, Tim Jackman and Steve Regier off the roster so expect them to be the players recalled.
Ted Nolan confirmed in pregame interview (sidebar) Hilbert and Fedotenko are out, Vasicek felt better today at practice and Witt is a game time decision. Gervais will not return until he is a hundred percentage after sustaining a concussion.
NYI Fan Central Comments:
It's disappointing a thirty year writer in Greg Logan is not following the games he actually covers very well to suggest DiPietro has not been the same goaltender in the second half and makes his discipline and composure an issue.
By the goals against the goaltender has not been the problem for this team and it seems Mr Logan will not let go of him not starting the Ranger game like the Newsday staff makes post Ranger hangover a major issue as it's asked to the players constantly to get response to create an issue.
Very poor work here by Mr Logan and makes me question does he watch Islander games when he's not on the beat or just rallying the masses against Rick DiPietro?
You would never know this club won six games in a row last month or this goaltender held in the lowest scoring club in the NHL this season that went fourteen games with two goals or less. Even after Saturday's game where his play did hurt them he wrote DiPietro looked solid in stopping repeated breakaways and odd-man rushes.
I just reviewed Rick DiPietro's second half, game by game, how come Greg Logan seems to write about four goals against in four of five games like he wants to make an issue here of the goaltenders discipline?
Of course Newsday would not even pay a writer to go cover the Islander goaltender named to and starting the All-Star game.