Rick’s return was far better than it could have been and no worse than expected. Al Trautwig opened MSG’s Hockey Night Live with a snide remark regarding Rick’s return that ended with "and Rick played the entire game and didn't get hurt." Considering what he has had to go through to come back from injury, as well as other adversity, the comment seemed in pretty bad taste.

At dinner, Big Angry Man told me Rick would give up three goals in the first six minutes. He was only right that Rick did give up three goals -- on 32 shots. On the other side of the ice, Scott Clemmensen gave up three goals on only 21 shots.

Two Panther goals in the second period were scored by Evgeni Dadonov who had also just returned from the IR after being out with a broken finger. Like DiPietro, he too was out for six weeks and looking to jump back into the action. With what I believe was a little help from the post, Stephen Weiss tied the game at three at 13:26 in the third.

While all three of the goals Rick gave up were over his shoulder or over his glove, he was impressive one-on-one stopping a penalty shot that was awarded to David Booth after being hooked by Andy MacDonald on a breakaway late in overtime.

I’m pretty sure many of us held our breath, but Rick kept his composure and the game continued to a shoot-out. The shoot out: something else that usually makes Islander fans hold their breath. But while Rick kept both Mike Santorelli and Sergei Samsonov from scoring in the shoot-out, both Frans Nielsen and PA Parenteau easily scored on Clemmensen to win the game.

At first, I thought perhaps Rick’s new mask was keeping him from seeing the puck well as it was at his feet in the crease early in the game and came dangerously close to being swatted in by the Panthers if not for some quick work by the Isles defense. But with the amount of metal in his face (which the MSG camera lights during the pre-game show seemed to highlight), this is the only mask that he is comfortable in. (Chris Osgood throw back.)

But while Rick’s return may have been the lead story of the night, the sub-stories are unusual and entertaining.

First, there is Michael Grabner’s 30th goal of the season, and a short-handed one at that. Sweet revenge against the team that put him on waivers, sweet victory for me that now won the bet with Mr. Slap Shot himself, Steve Carlson. (Don’t tell me I can’t guess goal counts.) The really strange thing was that I tweeted out that Grabner would score about three minutes before he did. Now, why can’t I do that for the Lotto numbers. Can someone tell me please? Although, according to Assistant Coach Scott Allen, he knew all along Grabner was a 30-goal scorer. Maybe HE can come up with the Lotto numbers!

PA Parenteau had tied the game at two with his 18th of the season, but there was an amazing goal by Michael Haley, his second of the season and the go-ahead goal for the Isles. Haley took a pass from an exhausted Grabner and skated around the Panthers’ defenders to beat Clemmensen. He was mobbed by his teammates after he slide into the boards.

There was a scary moment when Travis Hamonic crashed into the post of Rick’s net early in the first that sent him off the ice to the trainer’s room with what looked to be a shoulder problem. Luckily, he returned just a few minutes later, but still didn’t look that comfortable on the bench.

Of course, with the full moon there were fights, but they didn’t come from likely places. The first fight of the night came with only 4:47 left in the game when Blake Comeau (yes, I said BLAKE COMEAU) and Dmitry Kulikov slammed each other against the boards and both took exception to the other’s hit. Comeau held his own in his first NHL fighting major.

The second fight came two minutes later when Bruno Gervais and Ryan Carter tangled behind the net when one cross check turned into another which turned into bear-hugs and punches. Pretty brave considering Bruno’s busted cheekbone that probably hasn’t fully healed yet. Again, a full moon makes people do strange things.

According to Ms. Strang of Newsday, this was the third time in four games that the Islanders let a 3rd period lead get away from them. We’ll put that in the category of “sad; but true.”

However, there are positives in these last few Islander games of the season. First, they still cling to hope and play like they believe in each other. (Just look at the way they absolutely mobbed PA Parenteau and Rick DiPietro at the end of this game. Hopefully there will be a great photo of that mob scene on their website tomorrow.) Check down the bench during the shoot-out and see all of them with their rally helmets on from the youngest to the oldest lead by Zenon Konopka.

In what little I saw of the post game interview with Jack Capuano, he said he was not surprised at Rick’s play tonight and that his communication and puck handling was very good. He also said he was proud of his team’s effort tonight.

You know what? I think we all are.

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