Islanders' Casey Cizikas still out of lineup after shot to groin against Bruins
Casey Cizikas of the Islanders shoots the puck during the third period against the Golden Knights at NYCB Live's Nassau Coliseum on Dec. 5, 2019. Credit: Jim McIsaac
Casey Cizikas is still pretty sore, enough so that he missed his second straight game as the Islanders beat the Red Wings, 8-2, on Tuesday night at NYCB Live’s Nassau Coliseum.
But coach Barry Trotz is hoping the invaluable fourth-line center can return for Thursday night’s rematch with the rival Rangers at the Coliseum.
Rookie Otto Koivula, recalled from the Islanders’ AHL affiliate in Bridgeport on Monday, logged 13:39 as he took Cizikas’ spot for his seventh NHL game. Leo Komarov, who played the middle in Monday night’s 6-2 loss to the Rangers at Madison Square Garden, moved to right wing and scored the Islanders’ last goal.
Cizikas was hit in the groin by David Pastrnak’s power-play shot in overtime of the Islanders’ 3-2 loss to the Bruins on Saturday night at Barclays Center. The puck came off Pastrank’s stick, deflected off Cizikas’ stick and directly into his midsection.
“It’s a bad case of what it appeared to be but not to the point of where it’s long term,” Trotz said.
Koivula had last played for the Islanders in a 4-1 win at Detroit on Dec. 2, when he logged only 4:26.
“I want to show I’m better than last time,” said Koivula, 21, still looking for his first NHL point. “The last time, I played too conservative. I wasn’t myself. I was trying to avoid mistakes. I just have to be myself.”
Island Ice Podcast: Mike Bossy
Notes & quotes: The Islanders improved to 5-0-1 in the second game of back-to-back sets . . . The attendance was 12,542 . . . A season-high 13 Islanders had at least one point and Jordan Eberle, Mathew Barzal, Anthony Beauvillier, Anders Lee, Brock Nelson, Leo Komarov and defenseman Ryan Pulock had multiple-point efforts . . . Defenseman Sebastian Aho and Ross Johnston were the 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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