B.D. Gallof

"Credentialed NHL Blogger for 11+ Years"

Suffolk County, LI, NY • United States • 47 Years Old • Male

bdgallof

Ricky DiPietro and the Pads of Doom!

Isles and Ricky lose to the Panthers in OT. But what becomes a bigger story is the pads the NHL confiscated from DP after the 1st period. DiPietro could face a 2 game suspension. But is it really such a big deal?




NHL Rule 11.8: a goalkeeper who plays with equipment that has not been inspected and approved by the League's Hockey Operations Department

Press Rule 11.8: ask about Ricky's pads to everyone, including the Zamboni driver


"As I told you, Mr. DiPietro, naughty children deserve to be punished."
- Anonymous


(cue the eerie spooky music)


Last night Ricky DiPietro returned to the lineup, his proper place as starting goalie. Dubie did nicely as a backup, pitching in as he always does, just needing a few games to warm up. However, Rick looked a touch off, and the game ended up marred by new pads that evidently were not inspected nor approved by the league.

Per Rick, he has assumed they were approved. Nolan deferred that GM Garth Snow would be handling it with the league. Which, of course, is a hilarious turn of events, since Garth was one of the most notorious in the mysterious increasing of pad sizes. But that was a prequel to our latest movie.

Per Darren Dreger, of TSN: the NHL requested that Rick change his pads. Not you would know it was simply a request according to the local NY press who harped on the pads over the game in the papers.

If this is true, as a request, it might not lead to a suspension or the max time. It might lead to a warning instead.

Well, thank god!!

What a huge case of overreaction.

All in all, it is a stupefying focus by the press, who seemed hellbent on creating drama and looking for something else besides a simple OT loss. Nobody seemed to use an ounce of logic as they seemed to want to wring a story out of it like it was a dry rag.

Despite words by those watching the game that the pads did look bigger than what he used previous, I don't think it was a purposeful push in that direction. However, this might be a different issue if they truly don't conform to league specs. Then if so, that would be a story. This is just malarkey.

Nolan and company were clearly not happy about the distraction, nor seem to want to be even opening themselves up for it. Nor, with Ricky's play this season, does he need any pad inflation. Which leads to the obvious . . .

A mistake was made. But make no mistake, it was one that should have been avoided by the Isles as well. But the melodrama seems a bit manufactured. Perhaps Pat Sajak, who came down from the Winter Classic on his way back to his season ticket home in Washington, had something to do with it?

(evil laugh and the spinning of a vowel can be heard)



- BD