"It went from embarrassing to serious very quickly for Islanders goalie Rick DiPietro, who announced Friday he will miss 4-6 weeks because of numerous facial fractures resulting from a punch he took from Penguins goalie Brent Johnson during Wednesday's 3-0 loss in Pittsburgh.

On top of that, there's swelling again in DiPietro's surgically repaired left knee, which very much puts in jeopardy the rest of the beleaguered netminder's season.

"It's unfortunate and frustrating and every other emotion you can throw in there," DiPietro said at the Coliseum with a deep purple welt under his right eye. "You don't ever want a broken face to be the reason for extra rest, but you keep telling yourself everything happens for a reason. I'm not sure what that reason is yet, but I'm sure at some point it will come to the surface and make when we win the Stanley Cup that much sweeter."

The original X-rays taken on DiPietro's face in Pittsburgh came back negative, but upon returning to New York, the CT scan showed multiple fractures."