DiPietro Skates, But Not Ready To Return To Isles

April 10, 2007
Associated Press

UNIONDALE, N.Y. — Rick DiPietro skated before the rest of the New York Islanders practiced on Tuesday, but Wade Dubielewicz is expected to start in goal in the best-of-seven first-round playoff series against the Buffalo Sabres.

DiPietro hasn't played or even practiced with the team since the second of two concussions sustained 12 days apart sidelined him following a March 25 loss to the New York Rangers. The 25-year-old goalie, in the first season of a 15-year deal with the Islanders, hopes to have a neurological exam at the end of this week that could clear him to play in the postseason.

"I felt really good," DiPietro said. "As long as I don't have headaches. It's been a while since I got the nauseous feeling, so it seems like everything's going in the right direction. Obviously you have to go through the right channels and the right steps, and hopefully I'll be ready soon.

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I'm telling you. The Isles are toast. Dubielewicz is fine and all that but this the playoffs. And Buffalo is still reeling from the 1999 "skate-in-the-crease incident" with Brett Hull. I was going for the Stars that year. And I stayed up all night to watch that game.