The Islanders were without a pair of veterans as they continued their push for the playoffs against Columbus. The team announced (Twitter link) that defenseman Ryan Pulock and winger Anthony Duclair were out due to lower-body injuries. Both players took a regular shift on Saturday in Montreal while there was no word on how long either would miss.
Pulock has been a big part of the back end for the Islanders this season, logging just shy of 21 minutes per game while chipping in with 25 points and a team-high 124 blocked shots. Meanwhile, Duclair has bounced back a bit from a disastrous first season with the team to provide New York with some secondary scoring. He has 12 goals and 15 assists in 60 outings although he’s in a bit of a slump at the moment having not scored since January 21st.
Other injury news from around the NHL:
- Blackhawks defenseman Matt Grzelcyk sustained an injury in today’s game against Nashville and isn’t expected to accompany the team on their upcoming road trip, notes CHGO Sports’ Mario Tirabassi (Twitter link). The 32-year-old didn’t have a strong free agent market despite a 40-point showing in Pittsburgh last season, eventually inking a one-year, $1MM contract with Chicago. Grzelcyk has been a reliable veteran on a young team and has only missed one game so far this season. If he indeed misses the road trip, that will keep him out for the next four games.
- Flames winger Connor Zary is listed as day-to-day with an upper-body injury, relays Sportsnet 960’s Pat Steinberg (Twitter link). The 23-year-old was injured on a hit from Florida’s A.J. Greer, one that saw the Panther receive a three-game suspension. After collecting 27 points in 54 games last season, his numbers have dipped a bit this year as Zary has 11 goals and 13 assists in 67 appearances. Meanwhile, Steinberg adds that defenseman Yan Kuznetsov is nearing a return from his upper-body injury. The 24-year-old has missed a little more than a week with the issue. Kuznetsov cleared waivers in training camp but since he was recalled back in November, he has been a regular in Calgary’s lineup ever since then.