Romanov returns to ice for Game 3
Alexander Romanov is back in the fold for the Islanders.
Romanov returned to the lineup for the Islanders’ 5-1 Game 3 win against the Hurricanes on Friday, skating alongside Ryan Pulock in his first match since April 1 in Tampa. He was dealing with an upper-body injury but skated with the team for the first time on Friday morning and slotted back into the lineup immediately.
“I feel ready to go,” he said pregame, though he left the question of whether or not he’d play open until warmups.
Without him, the Islanders heavily rotated their defensive pairs in lieu of consistent partnerships, and they sorely missed Romanov’s physicality and steadiness on the back end. On Friday, the top six was intact, with Adam Pelech on the top pair with Noah Dobson as Sebastian Aho and Scott Mayfield filled out the defense corps.
Romanov skated for 15:25 and was the plus-3, the best of any Islander, with four credited hits.
“I liked him,” coach Lane Lambert said. “I thought he was pretty poised with the puck. Physical and he was strong down low in battles. That helps us with his strength.”
His return marked the first time the Islanders have been fully healthy (minus Oliver Wahlstrom, who is out for the season) since well before Bo Horvat was acquired at the end of January. Though they’ve rarely suffered a glut of injuries at the same time, Adam Pelech, Kyle Palmieri, Cal Clutterbuck, Mathew Barzal and Romanov have all been out at various points since Palmieri got hurt in Toronto on Nov. 21.
“That was my first wish when I was out,” Romanov said of rejoining the team. “Just, I’m so happy. So excited.”
The Islanders said Romanov traveled with the team for Raleigh in Games 1 and 2, however, the 23-yearold was not spotted at the arena. An Islanders spokesman cut off a question on Friday about where he watched the Games 1 and 2 and, though the team said he skated in Raleigh, he did not do so at PNC Arena and the organization refused to disclose the location.
“So nervous, so nervous,” Romanov said of watching the games. “Can’t even watch the game, but still want to see how my partners play. Tough time, but we should keep going.”
➤ The Islanders scored their final four goals in a span of 2:18 — the fastest four goals in a playoff game since the 1944 Canadiens.
➤ Clutterbuck, who went to the room after being somersaulted by Derek Stepan during the third period, said postgame that he was fine.
➤ Lambert said that had Romanov not played, Parker Wotherspoon would have drawn in for Samuel Bolduc. Wotherspoon last played on Jan. 21, ironically a home loss to Carolina.