Michael Dal Colle, Leo Komarov get back into Islanders' lineup with Josh Bailey, Cal Clutterbuck injured
Michael Dal Colle #28 of the Islanders warms up before a game against the Buffalo Sabres at Nassau Coliseum on Sunday, Mar. 7, 2021. Credit: Jim McIsaac
With the Islanders playing on back-to-back nights, Barry Trotz wanted to alter his lineup anyway.
But injuries to Josh Bailey and Cal Clutterbuck forced the coach to do so while also limiting his options in Friday night’s 3-0 loss in Boston.
Michael Dal Colle, who missed nine games after suffering a lower-body injury, and Leo Komarov, a healthy scratch the previous two games, returned to the lineup after Thursday night’s passive 4-1 loss to the Bruins.
Dal Colle, playing a physical game with four hits, logged 9:46 on Brock Nelson’s left wing with Kyle Palmieri. Komarov logged 12:24 on Casey Cizikas’ right wing with Matt Martin.
Trotz was not sure whether Bailey or Clutterbuck will be available Sunday in Philadelphia, saying each is day-to- day.
"They came in on the bus and basically said, ‘I don’t think I can give you what you’re going to need tonight,’ " Trotz said.
Bailey exited at 8:06 of Thursday’s second period with an undisclosed issue. The injury snapped his consecutive games streak at 196. He had not been out of the lineup since March 31, 2018, leaving Mathew Barzal, Nelson and defenseman Ryan Pulock the only players in every Islanders’ game since Trotz took over as coach.
Clutterbuck missed about four minutes but returned Thursday after Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy shouldered him headfirst into the end boards at 7:57 of the third period.
With those two alternate captains sidelined, defenseman Nick Leddy and Cizikas were assigned A’s.
Isles files
Palmieri, of Smithtown, played in his 600th career game, logging 15:24 with two shots in his fifth game with the Islanders . . . The Islanders were shut out for the third time this season and first since Jan. 24 . . . Barzal missed nearly six minutes in the second period to repair a cut on his nose.
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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.
