Dipietro makes big stride

It's sad when you all you have to look forward to is your injured goalie's rehab schedule. But that's the case for most Islanders fans early in the season. John Tavares is great to watch, but he's no Rick Dipietro - not yet, anyway.

For a short time, Dipietro was just taking shots on one end of the ice in a controlled environment from one teammate at a time. Yesterday, he took live shots with six skaters on the ice. He took breakaways, random shots from all over the ice and was flawless, according to Newsday reporter Mark Herrmann.

"It's your job as a professional athlete, when you're coming off an injury, to do as much as possible without setting yourself back; giving yourself the best opportunity to come back better than when you went down," Dipietro told Newsday. "I personally am not going to be satisfied if when I come back I'm not playing at the level I'm accustomed to be playing at."