Casey Cizikas and his high-speed motor geared up for return to fourth line

Casey Cizikas’ “lonely” time away from the ice came to an end Wednesday morning.

Cizikas had been out since Nov. 13 with a lower-body injury, but the Islanders center practiced on Wednesday after he was activated from injured reserve, and coach Barry Trotz said he will be “good to go” for Thursday’s game in Boston. The team sent Tanner Fritz back to Bridgeport in a corresponding roster move.

“It's lonely when you're by yourself all the time and you see the guys going off to practice together and playing in games,” Cizikas said. “It's fun being in that atmosphere, out there with the guys.”

The Islanders went 3-3-0 in his absence but were outscored by eight goals during this span; with Cizikas on the ice this season at even strength, the Islanders have outscored opponents by four.

Cizikas is known for his defensive prowess and faceoff skills (his 56.6-percent success rate leads the team’s regulars), but he has also produced on the offensive end this season. He has five goals and four assists in 16 games and is second on the team in points per 60 minutes of ice time (2.9).

“He brings a lot of the intangibles [and] he drives a lot of the things you do day in and day out,” Trotz said. “Everything from energy to practice, he’s a really good penalty killer, and he can play against anybody. His motor is running all the time and you need that on a team. It’s good to have him back.”

Cizikas will return to his integral role on the Islanders’ reliable fourth line, which suffered in his absence. The combination of Cizikas, Cal Clutterbuck and Matt Martin has logged about 57 minutes of ice time this season and has controlled possession, outshot opponents by seven and posted a +2 goal differential.

Lines with replacement centers Fritz and Stephen Gionta have been outshot by 16 and outscored by five in a combined 81 minutes of ice time.

“We want to get back in the groove we started the season in,” Cizikas said of his line, which also saw Martin’s return on Monday after he missed 10 games. “We all had the right mindset and that’s something we’ll try to carry over.”

Cizikas added that he was fortunate for the timing of his return, as it will allow him to play in Saturday's game against Columbus at Nassau Coliseum.

“That would have been a tough one to miss,” he said. “It’s going to be crazy. We’re all excited about it . . .It’s something we’ve all been looking forward to all year.”