"Rick DiPietro is back on injured reserve, the swelling in his surgically repaired right knee still not allowing him to get on the ice after he last tested it Saturday morning.

That means for the next two games, Wednesday at home against the Lightning and Thursday in Newark against the Devils, Jack Capuano will choose between Dwayne Roloson and 27-year-old rookie Nathan Lawson, who got the surprise start in Saturday's 4-3 shootout loss to the Coyotes.

Roloson, who hasn't won in his last 12 starts (0-11-1) dating to Oct. 18, said he was no more upset about not starting Saturday than he would have been had DiPietro been healthy and gotten the call.

"You can't worry about things you can't control, and [who starts] is out of my control," Roloson said. "Someone else got the opportunity and it was his first game. I had to do whatever I could to help him and help the team."

That meant the 41-year-old Roloson talking to Lawson during TV timeouts and between periods, advising the rookie on opponents' tendencies."