Islanders defenseman Scott Mayfield returns to lineup against Capitals
Islanders defenseman Scott Mayfield skates with the puck against the New York Rangers during the second period of a preseason NHL hockey game at UBS Arena on Saturday, Sept. 30, 2023. Credit: Kathleen Malone-Van Dyke
WASHINGTON — There was no easing back into the lineup for Scott Mayfield after a seven-game absence, not with fellow defenseman Adam Pelech leaving midway through the first period of the Islanders’ 3-0 win over the Capitals on Thursday night at Capital One Arena.
Pelech went down the tunnel to the Islanders’ room appearing to clutch his side after his last shift ended at 8:34. The Islanders did not specify the injury and coach Lane Lambert offered no update after the game.
Mayfield logged 21:21 with three shots and three blocked shots and got the second assist on Brock Nelson's goal. Mayfield was hurt blocking a shot off his left ankle in the Islanders’ season-opening 3-2 win over the Sabres at UBS Arena on Oct. 14.
“It was good,” Mayfield said. “I don’t know if it was the ease-into-it going down to five defensemen.
“It was a process and I’m just happy to be back. Certain things happen and, NHL speed, you can’t predict what’s going to happen every second. It was nice just to get the first one done.”
The righthanded Mayfield’s return allowed the lefthanded Sebastian Aho to move back to his natural side after being paired with lefthanded rookie Samuel Bolduc, who was a healthy scratch.
Mayfield logged 3:21 on the Islanders 3-for-3 penalty kill, the second most behind defenseman Alexander Romanov’s 3:57.
“I liked his game,” Lambert said. “I thought he was solid defensively. A big, long stick, he can turn pucks over and I thought he was great on the penalty kill.”
Isles files
None of the Islanders wore a neck guard in the wake of the skate blade death of former NHLer Adam Johnson in England. But the Capitals’ T.J. Oshie did use the protection . . . Forwards Oliver Wahlstrom and Julien Gauthier were healthy scratches . . . Defenseman Ryan Pulock rejoined the second power-play unit with Wahlstrom out.
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.
