Long Island Islanders (11-21-4, 30th) at Short Island Smurfs (22-13-3, 1st/Atl)
7 p.m. EST | Madison Square Garden | Versus (Vs.?) (Roar, conflict)
Rangers blogs: Scotty Hockey | Blueshirt Bulletin | Ranger Pundit
Ah, that's more like it: As Islanders Outsider noted in the comments on the preview, Rick DiPietro's groin strain will indeed keep him out of action tonight. Second-guessing onslaught begins in 3 ... 2 ... 1: You know, I wondered, in that Toronto game, why he was getting up awkwardly or at least gingerly after saves. Hopefully it really was rust-and-no-training-camp soreness rather than anything tender with his many surgically repaired parts.
Ah well: No DiPietro, no different than 95% of this season's games thus far. Yann Danis gets the emergency get-here-now backup call, of course.
Quasi-live blogging/note-taking of the game to follow. Do chime in if you're in the vicinity.