Flyers game postponed by Islanders’ COVID-19 outbreak
The NHL has postponed two more games for coronavirus-related reasons, making it five so far this season.
Upcoming New York Islanders games Sunday at the Rangers and Tuesday at the Flyers were postponed after additional members of the team went into the NHL’s COVID-19 protocol on Saturday.
General manager Lou Lamoriello said forward Casey Cizikas became the latest player to test positive. The Islanders would have had as many as eight players unavailable.
The league said the possibility of additional spread contributed to the Islanders’ games through at least Tuesday being called off for now. Cizikas joined captain Anders Lee, fellow forwards Ross Johnston and Kieffer Bellows and defensemen Zdeno Chara, Adam Pelech and Andy Greene in protocol, and winger Josh Bailey only recently resumed skating after being quarantined.
Lamoriello said as recently as Wednesday that none of the players who were positive for the virus had tested negative to clear the way to return. It would take three consecutive days of negative tests to reopen team training facilities and resume play. The entire Islanders team is vaccinated against COVID-19.
While Lamoriello said Saturday he had not asked the league office for postponements, the absences and a long-term injury to defenseman Ryan Pulock were making things very difficult for New York. The short-handed Islanders fell 1-0 to the Pittsburgh Penguins at home Friday night, their eighth consecutive loss.
“We’re kind of piecemealing it,” coach Barry Trotz said afterward. “The young guys who have come in, they’re doing what they can . ... They’re doing the job that they can.
There’s no one not trying right now.”
KRAKEN 4, PANTHERS 1 » Chris Driedger made 33 saves against his former team, helping Seattle defeat Florida to deny the Panthers what would have been a record-setting 12th consecutive home win to start the season.
Jordan Eberle scored twice in his 800th game, Ryan Donato and Jamie Oleksiak added goals and Joonas Donskoi had two assists for the Kraken, who were facing the Panthers for the first time.
RED WINGS 3, SABRES 2 » Lucas Raymond scored 25 seconds into overtime to give Detroit a win over Buffalo.
Dylan Larkin and Filip Hronek assisted on Raymond’s goal, which came shortly after Buffalo forced the extra session with a goal late in the third period.
OILERS 3, GOLDEN KNIGHTS 2 » Mikko Koskinen stopped 36 shots and earned his 11th victory in Edmonton’s win over Vegas.
CANADIENS 6, PENGUINS 3 » Montreal scored five third-period goals and ended a lengthy road drought with a win over Pittsburgh.
Josh Anderson scored two empty-netters in the third period and Tyler Toffoli added another. Christian Dvorak and Artturi Lehkonen also scored in the final 20 minutes for the Canadiens, who snapped a seven-game road slide and a two-game losing streak.
Mellanby resigns position with Habs
MONTREAL » Scott Mellanby has resigned as the assistant general manager of the Montreal Canadiens.
Mellanby joined the Canadiens as director of player personnel in 2012. He was promoted to assistant general manager under current GM Marc Bergevin in 2014.
Mellanby played 21 seasons in the NHL with the Flyers, Oilers, Florida Panthers, St. Louis Blues and Atlanta Thrashers.