Buffalo Sabres at New York Islanders [Game #18 thread]
The threads from the LaFontaine/Turgeon era photograph so well. | Photo by Bill Wippert/NHLI via Getty Images
The Islanders aim to recover from a disappointing weekend as the hobbled Sabres come to town.
Buffalo has two big pieces of lineup news: Jeff Skinner, who’s off to a terrible start to the season early in a massive contract, will be a healthy scratch for reportedly the first time in his career.
The other news was expected after the weekend, but that doesn’t take the sting off of it: Jake McCabe will be out for the season, and indeed has tears to his ACL, MCL and meniscus. Just brutal.
The Islanders, meanwhile, have something that seems to explain his recent removal in favor of Kieffer Bellows (who did not do what they’d hoped with the opportunity): Michael Dal Colle is on IR:
#Isles roster moves today:-- Oliver Wahlstrom, Austin Czarnik up from the taxi squad-- Leo Komarov down to the taxi squad-- Michael Dal Colle on IRLooks as though Czarnik in Komarov's spot, Sorokin backing up Varlamov and MDC on IR likely retro to last week.— Arthur Staple (@StapeAthletic) February 22, 2021
So that makes for a slight shakeup, as Austin Czarnik gets a look on that line for just his second game of the season:
#Isles in warmupsLee-Barzal-EberleBeauvillier-Nelson-BaileyCzarnik-Pageau-WahlstromMartin-Cizikas-ClutterbuckPelech-PulockLeddy-MayfieldGreene-DobsonVarlamov— Andrew Gross (@AGrossNewsday) February 22, 2021
#Sabres lines vs. #IslesOlfosson-Eichel-ReinhartHall-Staal-CozensRieder-Eakin-OkposoMittelstadt-Lazar-Sheahan----Dahlin-MillerIrwin-MontourDavidson-Jokiharju---Ullmark-Hutton---Scratch: Skinner, Thompson. Inj: McCabe, Borgen— Mike Harrington (@ByMHarrington) February 22, 2021
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