Islanders lose Nikolay Kulemin to upper-body injury

Nikolay Kulemin is the latest Islanders regular to miss time with an injury, this one an upper-body ailment suffered in the first period of Friday’s shootout win over the Penguins.

“We’re hoping it’s not going to be too long,” Doug Weight said prior to Saturday’s game. “He’s a big part of what we’re trying to do every night.”

Kulemin appears likely to miss Monday’s game against the Predators as well. The Islanders don’t play again until Thursday in Philadelphia, so that may be enough time to get Kulemin back.

Stephen Gionta took Kulemin’s spot on the left side with Casey Cizikas and Cal Clutterbuck on Saturday. Shane Prince also got into his first game since March 7, when he suffered a sprained ankle in Edmonton. Alan Quine was a healthy scratch to make room for Prince.

Dennis Seidenberg returned to the lineup after a two-game absence, replacing Thomas Hickey on defense.

Surprise absence for Bruins’ Rask

Tuukka Rask would have been the expected Bruins goaltender for Saturday’s game but he was sidelined by a lower-body injury that gave Anton Khudobin the start.

Rask has started 58 of the Bruins’ 75 games this season. Khudobin, who was banished to the AHL for a month earlier this season, was making his 12th start of the year, having won his previous four.

Milestone for Tavares

John Tavares’ first-period goal gave him 235 for his career, tying Bob Nystrom for eighth place in franchise history. Bob Bourne is seventh with 238 goals and also next up on the list ahead of Tavares in assists and points.

Bourne is ninth in team history with 304 assists to Tavares’ 301 and eighth with 542 points to Tavares’ 536.

Josh Bailey’s assist on Anders Lee’s goal Friday in Pittsburgh was Bailey’s 300th career assist, the 20th player to reach that mark with the Islanders.