UNIONDALE, N. MLB Jerseys China .Y. -- Oft-injured Rick DiPietro is out of the New York Islanders lineup again, this time after he was hurt in practice. DiPietro, who served as the backup to goalie Al Montoya in New Yorks first two regular-season games, was scratched Thursday night -- one day after he was struck in the mask by a shot fired by new teammate Brian Rolston. Montoya started again Thursday against the Tampa Bay Lightning, with Evgeni Nabokov as the backup for the first time since he joined the Islanders. DiPietro has a history of concussions in his injury-plagued career, and was being evaluated Thursday to see if he had another. The 30-year-old netminder, in the sixth season of a landmark 15-year contract with the Islanders, has played a total of 39 games in the past three seasons. Islanders coach Jack Capuano was hopeful that DiPietro hadnt sustained another concussion. "He said he felt pretty good," Capuano said. "I saw him when he had a concussion before and he looks much better now." DiPietro missed the majority of the 2008-09 and 2009-10 seasons because of a knee injury and has also had surgery on both hips since being chosen No. 1 overall by the Islanders in the 2000 draft. Last season, DiPietro was sidelined for several weeks because of broken bones in his face caused by a punch from Pittsburgh goalie Brent Johnson on Feb. 2. DiPietro was felled by a left hook above his right eye, and the broken bones and swelling in his knee kept him out of action until March 19. He played in five games after returning. DiPietro played in a total of 13 games in the two previous seasons because of his troublesome knee. He has never played more than 63 games in a season. Wholesale MLB Jerseys . The Whitecaps captain is being rested. DeMerit has started both of the Whitecaps games this season, as they have opened the campaign with a win and a draw. Cheap MLB Jerseys . Kershaw flashed his Cy Young form, Scott Van Slyke homered and the NL West champions opened the Major League Baseball season with a 3-1 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Saturday night at Sydney Cricket Ground.PITTSBURGH -- The Pittsburgh Penguins are still determined to finish as the NHLs best team -- despite a recent slump. The Penguins rebounded from a loss on Saturday and beat the leagues worst team on Monday night as goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury stopped 24 shots for his fourth shutout, a 3-0 win against the Buffalo Sabres. "When you play 82 every one isnt going to be perfect, but were trying to be the best, not just into late June, but every game," Penguins head coach Dan Bylsma said. Chris Kunitz scored his 26th goal and Deryk Engelland netted his fourth, equaling a career high. Tanner Glass scored his first goal in 26 games, a late empty-netter that sealed it for the Penguins, who won for the 15th time in 16 games at home. Sidney Crosby, who leads the NHL with 74 points, added two assists to extend his points streak in games against Buffalo to 16 games, matching his longest streak against any team. Fleury, who leads the NHL with 29 wins, registered his 27th career shutout, tied for second in the league. He helped preserve the win, denying Buffalos Brian Flynn two minutes into the third period before following it up with a right-pad stop on Matt Moulson on a partial breakaway a couple minutes later. "The first one was pretty close, and I was worried he might have cut across, so I tried to take his options away," said Fleury, who is one victory away from reaching the 30-win mark for the fifth-straight full NHL season. "Moulson, I was trying to be patient because I know he has good hands," he added. Fleury was better on the play, giving his team a sorely-needed lift after a slow start to the period. "We chipped some pucks out in the beginning of the third period, kind of sitting back, and they shoved it right back at us," Bylsma said. "Marc got stuck with those two glorious chances against. the two great saves he had to make." The Penguins are in command of the Eastern Conference, leading Boston and Tampa Bay by seven points in addition to a 15-point cushion on the New York Rangers in the Metropolitan Division entering Monday. But Pittsburgh has struggled recently with a lacklustre home effort last Monday against Florida -- 15th in the 16-team Eastern Conference -- and a 3-0 loss Saturday at Dallas. It wasnt perfect, but the Penguins were able to turn it around on Monday. "We still had timmes when we werent getting pucks deep, turning it over, and giving them chances to get back into the game," Kunitz said.dddddddddddd"Our goalie made a few great saves, a few that went through his body, couldve hit somebody and went in the other way." Goaltender Ryan Miller stopped 31 shots for last-place Buffalo, which has lost seven of nine. The Sabres, who scored at least three goals the previous six games, won for the first time five games on Saturday, scoring a 5-2 victory at Columbus and stopping the red-hot Blue Jackets franchise-record eight-game winning streak, but they couldnt sustain the momentum. "Were a team that we cant have glaring mistakes," Sabres coach Ted Nolan said. "Its very demoralizing. We woke up in the third period and made a push, but not good enough." The Penguins, after a scoreless opening period, scored at 14:16 of the second. Brian Gibbons, who missed five games with a lower-body injury, hit the post on a one-timer from Crosby. The red goal light behind the net momentarily turned on before Kunitz swept the rebound into a partially empty net. Engelland scored later in the period, forcing a turnover in the Sabres zone before lifting a pass from Glass over a sprawled Miller. That was good enough for the Penguins, who continue to try and perfect their stride despite leading the Eastern Conference. "We still need to get better as a team and grow," Kunitz said. "We have 30-some games before the playoffs to make sure were running on all cylinders, and make sure were the best team going into the playoffs." NOTES: Penguins F Evgeni Malkin played in his 500th NHL game, becoming the 15th player in team history to reach the milestone. ... The Penguins are 27-2-1, and a perfect 18-0 at home when scoring first. ... Pittsburgh has won 40 of its last 48 home games dating back to last season. ... Chuck Kobasew, who played on Pittsburghs top line the past four games, was a healthy scratch on Monday in addition to Andrew Ebbett and Robert Bortuzzo. Buffalo scratched Drew Stafford, John Scott, and Alexander Sulzer ... Buffalo plays the second half of a back-to-back Tuesday at home against Washington. ... Pittsburgh opens a two-game West Coast swing Thursday at Los Angeles ... The two teams meet for the third and final time this season next Wednesday at Buffalo. ' ' '
