Same Old Song And Dance

Remember when Garth Snow put all his eggs in one basket and signed Rick DiPietro to that lifetime contract? Remember when everyone was asking why Snow would do something like that when DiPietro had yet to really break into the upper echelon of NHL goaltenders? Doesn't it seem like eons ago that the contract was signed? Well, we're looking at another lost season for Rick DiPietro as it was announced that he would be having sports hernia surgery next Tuesday, most likely sidelining him for the rest of this season. If it wasn't for bad luck, DiPietro would have no luck at all. And here I am, writing about DiPietro's bad luck on Friday the 13th!

DiPietro was 3-2-3 in eight games this season with the Islanders, sporting a 3.73 GAA. The last time he suited up was for a December 3 game against the Dallas Stars when he suffered a groin injury. Honestly, DiPietro's list of injuries might be longer than the contract he signed in 2006-07.

In the last three seasons, DiPietro has played a total of 63 games. Hip, groin, and knee injuries combined with an infamous facial fracture have limited his time over the last three seasons to an average of a quarter of a season. According to Garth Snow, the earliest that DiPietro can return from this surgery will be April, but doctors haven't ruled out his ability to drive a cart at this point.

Then again, if I had any bump or bruise to speak of as a member of the Islanders, I might use it to prevent me from wearing horrendous clothing on the ice. Perhaps there's a method to DiPietro's madness after all.

I wish DiPietro a speedy recovery from his sports hernia surgery so that he can one day return to the ice full-time. I just hope that the golf outings from April until September won't cause any new injuries to occur.

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!