Friday’s lineup for the Islanders included Josh Bailey, who was a game-time decision with an upper-body injury. However, Cole Bardreau was asked to step in for the injured Cal Clutterbuck and Kyle Palmieri, putting him in a similar scenario.
The Islanders could have iced an NHL-regulars-only lineup in their 4-1 defeat to the Predators, but coach Lane Lambert wanted a right winger to replace Cal Clutterbuck on the fourth line and chose Bardreau over Ross Johnston, who was healthy scratched. Hudson Fasching, who had been brought up on Thursday, was also left off the roster.
At 13:01 of the first period, after an otherwise forgettable 6:37 of ice time, Bardreau committed the penalty that led to Nashville’s first goal by slashing. At 14:18, Filip Forsberg scored on the power play to give the Predators a 1-0 lead.
Lambert stated, “I think he provided some enthusiasm.” “No, I did not enjoy the punishment either. However, he is a fierce player. I believed he performed admirably.”
The 29-year-old Bardreau had only played 10 games in the NHL during the 2019-20 season, but he was responsible for an unforgettable experience. On November 5, 2019, Bardreau converted a penalty shot against Ottawa for his first NHL goal and the eventual game-winner. It helped maintain a 10-game winning streak at the time.
“My friends still tease me about it,” Bardeau remarked on Thursday. “It wasn’t the most beautiful photo, but I’ll take it. Therefore, I’m certain that some of the boys will tease me about it, but it’s something I’ll never forget, and I’m fortunate for it.”
When asked to characterize what he offers to the Isles, Bardreau described the role he played on Friday as a prototypical fourth-liner: He stated, “I’m not trying to do too much out there.” “Keep it basic and get it deep.”
Clutterbuck, who is regarded day-to-day with an upper-body injury, and Palmieri, who was placed on injured reserve retroactive to November 21 to clear a roster slot and may be activated at any moment, have uncertain dates.
It is promising for the Islanders that Bailey, who was scratched from Tuesday’s game against Philadelphia, was able to play against Nashville, skating for 13:00 and registering two shots on goal.
Against Nashville, Ilya Sorokin turned away 19 of 21 shots. Mathew Barzal had the most shots on goal for the Islanders with nine.
»Cole Bardreau fills a need in the struggling Islanders’ lineup«