LONG ISLAND — The Senators and Islanders have something in common besides residency near the bottom of the NHL standings: Injury-prone No. 1 goalies.
Of course, that’s also a big reason why both are cellar-dwellers, too.
While New York’s Rick DiPietro returned to the injured list for 4-6 weeks Friday with broken facial bones from his fight with Penguins goalie Brent Johnson, the Senators announced they have put Pascal Leclaire on long-term injured reserve.
Leclaire’s status is retroactive to the start of the current 18-game period he has missed with a lower-body injury.
“It simply means that, if necessary, we could go over the cap by the amount we pay him during the term he is on long-term,” said GM Bryan Murray. “Just in case we have call ups to look at.”
DiPietro, who is in the fifth year of a 15-year contract, has been besieged by injuries througout his career.
“You keep telling yourself that everything happens for a reason,” he said to New York reporters. “I am not sure what that reason is yet, but hopefully at some point it will come to the surface.
“It will make winning the Stanley Cup that much sweeter.”
