The Islanders were without Alexander Romanov for the final 12:04 of an empty-net abetted 5-2 loss to the Rangers on Tuesday night after the defenseman left the game with an apparent injury.
Coach Pete DeBoer did not have an update on Romanov’s status, saying only that he was “still being evaluated.”
There wasn’t an obvious play that led to the injury.
Romanov’s injury history makes this concerning.
He played just 15 games last season due to a shoulder injury that required surgery, and missed nearly 20 games the season prior with nagging issues.
He’s struggled through the start of this season while trying to recover his game, and was in the midst of an up-and-down night — he finished minus-1 — when he left the game.
Logan Stanley, whom DeBoer called “one of our better defensemen tonight,” finished with 19:21 of ice time, picking up most of Romanov’s minutes in the third.
If Romanov misses time, the immediate question is whether the Islanders will look to call up Isaiah George, who entered camp as a likely third-pair defenseman before losing the job, or Kashawn Aitcheson, the top prospect who likely outplayed George in camp.
That decision would have to come by Thursday, when the Isles face the Blackhawks at home.
Simon Holmstrom temporarily left the game after a clearing attempt from Sean Durzi hit him in the face in the second period, causing a gusher of blood to erupt from his face.
“It might be a broken nose, but he came back and played, so he’s all right,” DeBoer said.
DeBoer, coaching his first Islanders-Rangers game, called the rivalry “awesome,” noting that he hadn’t experienced similar regional bouts while coaching in the Western Conference.
“There’s nothing like living in a town in New York or New Jersey where the town is split 50/50 on who’s cheering for what team,” DeBoer said. “Particularly if you could get into the playoffs, get that going. I haven’t seen anything like that since I coached in Jersey. We played the Rangers in the [2012] conference final.”
