So congrats are in order to Rick DiPietro….as he gained his 100th win tonight against the New York Rangers (2-1). Yes he made only 18 saves….but one thing will stand out more than the Isles 11th win of the season and that is Rick Dipietro’s punch that connected on Sean Avery.
With a little less than four minutes to go in the second period…Sean Avery who was hitting everything that moved in the first period (he was credited with 7 hits on the night)….fell on an Islanders defenseman. That drew the ire of DiPietro who jumped on Avery and threw two punches…at least one of them connected.
DiPietro faced quite a bit of pressure in the first and third periods but especially in the first and that is when he lost his composure. Most Rangers and Ranger fans were surprised to only see a 2 minute penalty go up on the Islander goalie….fans wanted at least a double minor and made their displeasure known with a constant barrage of boos thru the end of the first period.
The physicality of the game is what most will remember while I’ll take away the memory of the little battle between Avery and DiPietro…a battle I am sure will continue throughout the season.
Now let’s take a look at some of Dipietro’s numbers. It took 215 starts for DiPietro to get his 100th win. Honestly, that isn’t all that bad considering some of the Islander teams he played on early in his career. More by the numbers….
| W-L-T | Save % | GAA | SO |
| 100-86-22 | .907 | 2.74 | 13 |
The numbers don’t look that impressive on the surface but his GAA has come down every year since the lockout. DiPietro has come into his own as a goalie and if he can keep his composure in check…who knows maybe he can take a shot later in his career at some loftier goals.
