Dal Colle stuck on bench

It wasn’t so much a decision of one player over another, but more situational.

That was the way Islanders coach Barry Trotz explained the reason Michael Dal Colle has remained out of the lineup for the past four games, the last two providing an opportunity when Casey Cizikas was forced to the sideline while dealing with a lower-body strain and overall weariness. Instead, Trotz went with veteran Tom Kuhnhackl, but it was mostly about filling a big void left by Cizikas.

“It’s more because of the [penalty kill],” Trotz said after Sunday’s 3-2 overtime win in Minnesota, when the team killed four of six penalties in a game that was terribly officiated. “I really like Michael, what he brings. He’s reliable on the walls, just like Tommy is. But Michael hasn’t killed penalties. Just because Casey is out, we’ve gone that way. [Sunday] that was a good decision because how many penalties we had to kill off. Tommy did a really good job.”

The team had Monday off, so it is unclear whether Cizikas will be available for Tuesday’s Coliseum match against the Bruins.

➤ Goalie Thomas Greiss was named the NHL’s first star of the week, having posted a 3-1-0 record with a .959 save percentage and a 1.25 goals-against average in four games. It would make sense that Robin

Lehner gets the start against the Bruins, having backed up Greiss for three straight. Trotz originally said the two goalies would split the road back-to-back, but Greiss started both games and all six since Lehner was bulldozed by the Senators’ Brady Tkachuk on March 5.

➤ Thomas Hickey found himself on the outside of the lineup looking in after returning from an injury, and now that might be the same case for Johnny Boychuk.

Despite Boychuk being available and taking warm-ups Sunday, Trotz decided to stick with the same six defensemen for the fourth straight game. That included Hickey, who got back in when Boychuk was hurt March 9.

“I just think the six [defensemen] that we have played really well,” Trotz said.