Scott Mayfield joins teammates on ice during Islanders' morning skate
Scott Mayfield at the Islanders' practice facilty during training camp. Credit: Peter Frutkoff
Scott Mayfield moved gingerly around the ice during the Islanders’ morning skate as he joined his teammates for the first time in 10 days, then missed his seventh game with a lower-body injury.
Coach Lane Lambert offered no timetable for the defenseman’s eventual return before the Islanders’ 4-3 overtime loss to the Red Wings on Monday night at UBS Arena. But he does believe Mayfield is getting “closer.”
“It’s positive,” Lambert said. “We’ve been saying he’s day- to-day for a while, and he has been. To get him back in the mix a little bit and get him accustomed to uncontrolled situations is a good thing for him.”
Mayfield, who blocked a shot off his ankle in the Islanders’ season-opening 3-2 win over the visiting Sabres on Oct. 14, has been skating on his own.
He last worked with teammates during an optional morning skate on Oct. 20. That marked Mayfield’s first time back on the ice.
Tragic reminder
The Islanders held a moment of silence before the game for former NHLer Adam Johnson, who had his neck slashed by an errant skate blade during a game in England.
“It’s a reminder of the game we play and the dangers that are put ahead of us,” Lambert said.
Isles files
Right wing Cal Clutterbuck drew a 10-minute misconduct from the bench at 14:02 of the second period for apparently mouthing off. “There were a couple of situations that weren’t agreed upon and the referee took it in his hands,” Lambert said . . . Center Casey Cizikas played in his 753rd NHL game, moving him past Hall of Famer Mike Bossy for ninth place on the team’s all-time list. “[I had] no idea,” Cizikas said. “It’s nice. Been here my entire career and I love this place. Let’s keep that number going.”
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.
