Casey Cizikas out injured as hurting Islanders enter Christmas break
New York Islanders center Casey Cizikas gets up off the ice after an injury in the second period of an NHL hockey game against the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden on Thursday, Dec. 22, 2022. Credit: Kathleen Malone-Van Dyke
The NHL holiday break Saturday through Monday came at the right time for the hurting Islanders.
Fourth-line center Casey Cizikas missed Friday night’s 5-1 win over the Panthers at UBS Arena and was listed as day-to-day with an upper-body injury. He had exited Thursday night’s 5-3 loss to the Rangers at Madison Square Garden in the second period. Forwards Simon Holmstrom (lower body) and Brock Nelson (upper body) left Friday’s game in the second period.
Also on Friday, the Islanders added right wing Kyle Palmieri (upper body) and goalie Semyon Varlamov (lower body) to their injured reserve list, joining defenseman Adam Pelech (suspected head injury) and right wing Cal Clutterbuck (upper body).
Coach Lane Lambert would not go into detail on Cizikas other than to say he is not concerned about a long-term absence.
He added that there were no updates on Holmstrom or Nelson.
“They’re still being evaluated,” Lambert said.
In the Islanders’ first game after the break, they will host the Penguins on Tuesday night and the players on IR will be eligible to be activated.
First time
Defenseman Parker Wotherspoon logged 14:47 with two shots in his NHL debut as Lambert made Robin Salo a healthy scratch.
“Kudos to him, congratulations to him,” Lambert said of Wotherspoon. “I thought he was poised. I thought he was good with the puck. He was physical. He’s strong in battles. I thought he played a very good game.”
Salo made two defensive miscues that led to Rangers goals on Thursday and was benched.
Isles files
RW Anthony Beauvillier had his first two-goal game since May 1, 2021, and his first three-point game since March 10 . . . The Islanders wore their Reverse Retro Fisherman jerseys for the second time and will wear them four more times in January . . . The Islanders celebrated ‘90s night . . . LW Ross Johnston remained a healthy scratch.
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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