Thomas Greiss starts opener in goal for Islanders at Barclays Center in Brooklyn
New York Islanders goalie Thomas Greiss (1) looks on during a break in the second period against the Washington Capitals at Barclays Center on Monday, Sept. 28, 2015. Credit: Steven Ryan
The Islanders will open Barclays Center Friday night with Thomas Greiss in goal, as expected. Jaroslav Halak is still recovering from an upper-body injury that knocked him out for two weeks during training camp, so the 29-year-old Greiss, signed as a free agent on July 1, will make his Islanders debut in the season opener.
"Jaro's not 100 percent right now, so it was an easy decision," coach Jack Capuano said. "Jaro's progressing well and we'll see how he is moving forward."
The Islanders grabbed goaltender J-F Berube off waivers from the Kings on Tuesday to provide a little more depth, but Berube has only skated twice with the team and has never played an NHL game -- although the coaches and staff were privately enthused by Berube's technique and attention to detail in his first couple skates here.
Greiss, who backed up Marc-Andre Fleury with the Penguins last season, has never made more than 25 appearances in a season during his five-year NHL career with the Sharks, Coyotes and Penguins.
Also as expected, defenseman Ryan Pulock and forward Steve Bernier are the healthy scratches Friday night. Eric Boulton also skated with the team Friday at Barclays Center, though he is still without a contract.
