Islanders defenseman Adam Pelech needs surgery after missing Game 6 loss to Lightning
Adam Pelech of the Islanders takes the ice prior to Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals against the Flyers during the 2020 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at Scotiabank Arena on Aug. 26 in Toronto. Credit: Getty Images/Elsa
Adam Pelech suffered his second season-ending injury of the season.
The top-pair defenseman missed the Islanders’ series-deciding 2-1 overtime loss to the Lightning on Thursday night at Rogers Place in Edmonton with a reported broken wrist.
"He got hurt real early last game," Islanders coach Barry Trotz said of Tuesday night’s 2-1 double overtime win in Game 5, in which Pelech logged a team-high 31:59. "He played on adrenaline and got through it. There was no way he could play [Game 6] and there’s going to be surgery involved."
Pelech injured his Achilles’ tendon on Jan. 2, but he was able to heal and be ready for the start of the postseason on Aug. 1 after the regular season was halted on March 12 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Rookie Noah Dobson, the 12th overall pick in 2018 who had a goal and six assists in 34 regular-season games as a rookie, made his postseason debut with 12:55 of ice time as Trotz stuck with dressing 11 forwards and seven defensemen for a second straight game.
"I think Noah stepped into a really difficult situation and really produced well," defenseman Devon Toews said.
Isles files
Once again, Jean-Gabriel Pageau was dominant in the faceoff circle while taking the majority of the Islanders’ draws, winning 22-of-35 (63%). As a team, the Islanders were 37-of-68 (54%) . . . The Lightning won Game 1, 8-2, and Game 4, 4-1. But, in the other four games, the Islanders trailed for only 8.8 seconds of play . . . Cal Clutterbuck was credited with 12 hits . . . Pageau and defenseman Andy Greene each had a game-high five blocked shots . . . Defenseman Nick Leddy had two shots, three hits and one blocked shot in 25:12, playing both on the power play and penalty kill. Said Trotz, "Other than our goaltender, Nick Leddy was our best player by a country mile."
Andrew Gross joined Newsday in 2018 to cover the Islanders. He began reporting on the NHL in 2003 and has previously covered the Rangers and Devils. Other assignments have included the Jets, St. John’s and MLB.
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