Anthony Beauvillier missed the Islanders’ 3-0 loss to the Hurricanes on Saturday night after colliding with the boards hard against the Devils on Friday and leaving the game.
The Islanders skated on Saturday with Hudson Fasching replacing Anthony Beauvillier and joining Zach Parise and Jean-Gabriel Pageau on the third line.
Simon Holmstrom was shifted to the second line with Anders Lee and Brock Nelson, while Josh Bailey skated with Josh Bailey and Mathew Barzal on the first line.
Coach Lane Lambert stated before the game that Beauvillier’s status would be determined at kickoff, thus it is possible that he will be available for Tuesday’s encounter in Boston.
It is not inconceivable that Fasching may play his way into a lengthy stay in the lineup due to Beauvillier’s recent struggles (he has just five points in his last 18 games and has frequently failed to make an impact).
Anthony Beauvillier NHLI from the collection of Getty Images
On Saturday, however, the Islanders appeared to miss Beauvillier’s speed as they fell to the Hurricanes, who forechecked aggressively and made it difficult to cross the neutral zone.
“We just played slowly, but Beau definitely adds speed to our squad, and he possesses some quickness,” Lambert remarked. But we simply played slowly throughout.
According to Lambert, this had more to do with a mentality than the presence or absence of a certain player.
“We needed to move the puck faster, and because we did not, they were on top of us,” he explained. “As a result, they were attacking us in the opposite direction.”
Ilya Sorokin blocked 28 of 31 shots in his fourth consecutive loss. It is his longest losing run since the 11-game slump the Islanders endured between November 11 and December 4 of previous season.
The Islanders introduced their vintage jerseys, bringing back the despised Fisherman design from the 1990s. This wound appears to have healed for a fan base that heartily welcomed the logo both when it was introduced and when the Islanders donned it on the ice.
The team will decide over the next two days whether Adam Pelech or Kyle Palmieri will accompany them on the upcoming five-game road trip, which begins on Tuesday in Boston. Saturday’s game was missed by both players due to upper-body ailments.
Without Sebastian Aho and Jesper Fast, the Hurricanes skated with 11 forwards and seven defenders.
»Due to Anthony Beauvillier’s injury, the door may be opened for the Islanders’ Hudson Fasching«