Islanders' Adam Pelech won't be back just yet
Adam Pelech during the New York Islanders training camp at their practice facility in East Meadow in September. Credit: Peter Frutkoff
Defenseman Adam Pelech is eligible to be activated off long-term injured reserve on Tuesday. That’s not happening, though. Coach Lane Lambert said there’s still no timetable for Pelech’s return.
“I think it’s going to take a little longer,” Lambert said before the Islanders lost to the Bruins in a shootout, 5-4, on Friday night at UBS Arena. “I don’t expect him to come off in that time frame.”
Pelech suffered what is believed to be a left wrist/arm injury early in the first period of a 5-3 win in Ottawa on Nov. 24.
Lambert also said defenseman Ryan Pulock (injured reserve, lower body), who missed his fourth game, has not resumed skating.
Defenseman Scott Mayfield (upper body), who missed his second game, was placed on IR retroactive to Monday.
No goals
The Bruins thought they tied it at 3-3 at 9:39 of the third period when Brad Marchand pushed the puck over the line, but that goal was waved off as Marchand played the puck with his hand. However, Anders Lee was whistled for tripping on the sequence, leading to James van Riemsdyk’s power-play goal at 10:48.
Islanders defenseman Alexander Romanov also had his potential second goal in the game waved off at 11:10 of the second period because Hudson Fasching interfered with Bruins goalie Linus Ullmark.
Turning point
Ullmark made back-to-back spectacular saves on Jean-Gabriel Pageau and Simon Holmstrom on a shorthanded rush with the Islanders leading 2-0. The Bruins went back up the ice and Morgan Geekie’s power-play goal at 14:45 of the second brought them within one.
Isles files
Mathew Barzal, with two assists, extended his point streak to five games . . . Goalie Sem-yon Varlamov is expected to start Saturday night against the Canadiens. He is 6-1-2 lifetime against them but has not won in Montreal since Oct. 15, 2011 . . . Forward Oliver Wahlstrom and defenseman Grant Hutton remained 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.
