Casey Cizikas out for Islanders with lower-body injury
Casey Cizikas is the latest injured Islander.
The sparkplug fourth-line center is out week-to-week with a lower-body injury, the team announced prior to Thursday night’s 4-3 overtime win over the Maple Leafs at UBS Arena.
“He’s a big part of the group,” coach Lane Lambert said. “His motor is always running. Guys are going to have to replace him somehow. Certainly we have the ability to do that. It’s the next-man-up mentality.”
Cizikas, who has five goals and six assists in 39 games, blocked a hard shot from the point by defenseman Filip Hronek in the first period of the Islanders’ 5-2 loss to the visiting Canucks on Tuesday night. He left the ice unable to put weight on his left leg, though he did return for two, brief penalty-killing shifts early in the second period before exiting the game for good.
Tuesday marked defenseman Adam Pelech’s first game back after a 20-game absence for an upper-body injury. Thursday marked defenseman Scott Mayfield’s sixth game back after he missed eight games with an upper-body injury.
Defenseman Ryan Pulock (long-term injured reserve/lower body) and goalie Semyon Varlamov (injured reserve/lower body) remain sidelined.
Hometown memories
Mathew Barzal greeted a group of youth players, coaches and parents from the Burnaby (British Columbia) Winter Club after the Islanders’ morning skate. It’s essentially where Barzal, from Coquitlam, B.C., learned the sport.
“They’re in town for a tournament, the 11-, 12-year-olds,” Barzal said. “Just wanted to bring them down because, that rink, that organization, has a special spot in my heart. Pretty much my whole childhood was spent there.”
Isles files
Center Bo Horvat took a game-high seven shots…Per team statistician Eric Hornick, Kyle Palmieri’s power-play goal 40 seconds into the first period was the quickest for the team since 2001…Defenseman Samuel Bolduc and right wing Julien Gauthier were healthy scratches.
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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