Tony DeAngelo will miss 1-2 weeks with a lower-body injury, the Islanders announced before their match Thursday against the Stars.
DeAngelo hurt himself while getting back to defend an odd-man rush against the Blackhawks on Tuesday, leaving the eventual 4-3 loss in the first period and not returning.
The Islanders did get a major reprieve to their back end Thursday when Ryan Pulock returned, having missed two games with a lower-body injury of his own.
“Felt like yesterday I made some improvements and then this morning I felt good,” Pulock said after the 2-1 win at UBS Arena in which he skated 20:53. “Just as long as I can help this team, obviously I’m going.”
Minus DeAngelo, the Islanders still operated with slightly jumbled pairs. Carson Soucy, a lefty, took DeAngelo’s usual spot to the right side of Adam Pelech while Scott Mayfield played his off side to the left of Adam Boqvist.
With DeAngelo missing a period that could extend through the second week of April, it’s still more than possible that the Islanders will need George — called up as the seventh defenseman Tuesday — at some point.
Boqvist, usually the seventh defenseman, is unlikely to stay in the lineup long if he begins to struggle, and was healthy-scratched for a long chunk of this season behind AHL call-ups while the Islanders searched for someone to replace the injured Alexander Romanov.
It was fitting that Romanov rejoined the Islanders in a full-team skate for the first time Thursday morning before their first game against Dallas since Mikko Rantanen injured Romanov’s shoulder with a brazenly illegal hit Nov. 18.
Romanov skated in a noncontact sweater in an encouraging sign in his recovery from surgery that was originally projected to keep him out 5-6 months. Roy said there are still no plans for him to return during the regular season, though the playoffs remain a possibility should the Islanders make it that far.
“I’m sure he’s excited,” Roy said. “First, it’s fun to see him there, see how hard he had to work to get back where he is today. It’s fun for the guys as well, for him and for us, seeing him back. I’m not saying he’s gonna play tonight, but I’m sure he feels good to be with the boys and enjoy the guys.”
Rantanen, notably, did not feature for the Stars, as he’s still dealing with an injury suffered during the Olympics. He is on the road with the Stars, who hope to have him back by the end of their trip.
