It was a good news, bad news kind of day for the New York Islanders as they prepare to take on the Florida Panthers in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The bad news was pretty much expected as head coach Jack Capuano confirmed that No. 1 goalie Jaroslav Halak will miss the first round series as he rehabs a groin injury.
The good news, however, was especially welcome. Top defenseman Travis Hamonic, who missed the last six games of the season and was questionable for the start of the playoffs practiced fully with the team Tuesday. That could be a boost for a team that went 3-2-1 in his absence.
Hamonic has not yet been confirmed for Game 1, but that practice should be an indication he’s getting close. Game 1 is Thursday, so he’s got one more recovery day in him before he has to hit the ice.
Hamonic said he's "pushing to play" Game 1. Said it was very hard to sit and watch last year vs Wash.
— Peter Botte (@PeterBotte) April 12, 2016
The 25-year-old rearguard leads the team in average ice time with nearly 24 minutes per game. He could also end up being one of the players tasked with trying to shut down Florida’s No. 1 line that features Aleksander Barkov, Jonathan Huberdeau and Jaromir Jagr.
The Islanders still have other injuries to contend with, with Halak’s being a pretty significant one. It does sound like he is progressing in his rehab, though, as Halak even started taking shots again.
Halak is skating and taking shots, Capuano said, so maybe an outside shot if series goes distance. But sounds doubtful.
— Peter Botte (@PeterBotte) April 12, 2016
Among the other injuries, Anders Lee being sidelined for the foreseeable future and it is still unclear if and when Mikhail Grabovski will return. Additionally, third-string goalie Jean-Francois Berube was banged up at the end of the season, but he was practicing with the team Tuesday.
Thomas Greiss is the de facto No. 1 goalie for the first-round series. He performed admirably throughout the regular season for New York, posting a .925 save percentage and 23-11-4 record in 41 appearances. That said, he has 41 total minutes of previous experience in the Stanley Cup Playoffs and that was back in 2009-10.
This is a massive situation to put Greiss in even as a veteran player with 130 total NHL games under his belt. Another question is how Greiss will hold up with the grind of the playoffs after being a career backup. The 41 games he played in this season represents a 16-game jump from his previous career high.
That’s the biggest question mark for the Isles heading into the postseason. Potentially getting Hamonic back helps a lot, but Greiss is a bit of an unknown in this situation.
Game 1 is set for Thursday at 8 p.m. ET in Sunrise, Fla.
