Noah Dobson returns to Islanders after clearing COVID-19 protocols
Islanders defenseman Noah Dobson warms up before an NHL game against the Pittsburgh Penguins at Nassau Coliseum on Feb. 28. Credit: Kathleen Malone-Van Dyke
Noah Dobson returned to the Islanders’ lineup in Thursday night’s 8-4 win over the Capitals at Nassau Coliseum after COVID-19 protocols and his subsequent recovery kept the second-year defenseman sidelined for eight games. He logged 13:45 without a shot.
"I thought he was pretty solid," coach Barry Trotz said. "I liked his outlet passes. I liked his decisions under pressure. I thought he had a pretty good stick. He was playing really quite well when he was shut down."
Dobson’s return pushed Thomas Hickey out of the lineup after he played his first five games of the season.
Dobson is the only Islander to miss games because of COVID-19 protocols. Trotz had said he did not experience symptoms.
Unnecessary roughness
The teams had to be separated as the third period ended and Matt Martin and Capitals defenseman Zdeno Chara both received fighting majors.
In Trotz’s opinion, the Capitals’ Nic Dowd was responsible.
"The whole thing, to me, was very unnecessary," Trotz said. "Twenty-six chased around [Jean-Gabriel] Pageau the whole shift, cross-checked him about eight times. It’s an 8-4 game with 30-some seconds to go and he’s cross-checking him. Matt was on the ice and said, ‘Hey, quit it.’ And then Chara came on."
Isles files
Mathew Barzal was a plus-5 and linemates Jordan Eberle and Leo Komarov were plus-4 . . . Casey Cizikas’ seventh goal gave the Islanders a 5-2 lead at 3:03 of the second period . . . Former Islander Sean Bergenheim, who played for the club from 2003-10, was named the NHL Players’ Association European affairs representative . . . Goalie Cory Schneider, who played for Bridgeport on a conditioning assignment Wednesday, Sebastian Aho and Austin Czarnik were the healthy scratches . . . Michael Dal Colle (lower body) missed his third game.
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.
