Report: Islanders' Rick DiPietro, On IR, Suffers Lower-Body Injury

NEW YORK (WFAN) -- The hits keep coming for embattled Islanders goalie Rick DiPietro.

According to Newsday, DiPietro was "sent back to Long Island for medical evaluations" after suffering a lower-body injury Tuesday.

The Islanders placed DiPietro on injured reserve in mid-December with a groin injury. This season, the oft-injured 30-year-old entered year six of his massive 15-year, $67.5 million deal with New York.

The goalie has played in just eight games of the Islanders' 2011-12 campaign. DiPietro also missed three games in October with a concussion.

The first overall pick of the 2000 NHL draft, DiPietro has appeared in just 47 games over the past four seasons.

Last season, DiPietro missed games due to knee swelling and groin woes. He also sat out most of February and March last year after suffering facial fractures during a rare goalie fight against Penguins goaltender Brent Johnson. Johnson flattened DiPietro with a left-handed, one-punch takedown.

Defenseman Mike Mottau was also sent back to Long Island for evaluation on an upper-body injury, Newsday reported.

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