Islanders Tested Their Defensive Depth — And Landed On Isaiah George In The End
Whether George plays or not, Darche’s decision to recall him at this juncture of the season speaks volumes.
The New York Islanders are dealing with the injury bug at an inopportune time.
Top-pairing defenseman Ryan Pulock sustained a lower-body injury in the Islanders’ 7-3 loss to the Montreal Canadiens on Saturday. While the team didn’t make a recall for Sunday’s 1-0 shutout win over the Columbus Blue Jackets, general manager Mathieu Darche made a move ahead of Tuesday’s matchup against the Chicago Blackhawks, recalling left-shot defenseman Isaiah George.
George didn’t play, but he was on standby in case another defenseman went down during warmups.
While the Islanders escaped warmups unscathed, Tony DeAngelo sustained an injury while backchecking on the Blackhawks’ 1-1 tying goal in the first period. He did not return and was re-evaluated yesterday.
We’ll get an update following morning skate.
For now, George remains with the team.
If Pulock and DeAngelo are unable to go against the Dallas Stars, George could draw back into the lineup for just the third time this season — and make his first appearance since Jan. 26.
But whether George plays or not, Darche’s decision to recall him speaks volumes.