New York Islanders fourth line center Casey Cizikas missed practice on Monday. He is day-to-day after a lower-body injury during the Islanders 2-1 win on Saturday against the Ottawa Senators. The nature and extent of the were not disclosed.
Casey Cizikas suffers lower-body injury
Coach Weight Confident Cizikas Will Return Soon
Coach Doug Weight said in a Newsday interview “He got hit in a spot that can [be aggravated], so it could be three, four days, a week, or he could be playing tomorrow.” The expectation from Weight is that he will be back on the fourth line soon continuing “It’s nothing too serious.” Cizikas was injured on a hard check into the boards during the second period of the 2-1 win. After the hit, he returned to the ice for a single shift before leaving the game for good.
Cizikas Anchors Fourth Line And Penalty Kill
Cizikas has been an anchor on the fourth line this season. He plays more minutes than any other fourth liner and is respected for the effort that he brings every shift. Weight has nothing but praise for Cizikas regarding his effort. He said the following in the same Newsday interview, ” It’s a big loss if he’s not in, but we’ll see what happens [Tuesday],” Weight said. “He brings everything every shift. He’s hard-working, plays the game very smart, tenacious, and he’s hard to play against . . . There are some challenging spots on the ice that he has to play and we count on him and certainly [we count on him on] the penalty kill, as well. [He’s] fearless in shot blocking and really good at executing his job.”
On the Islanders penalty kill, Cizikas is a stalwart presence. His minutes have add up to success for the Islanders on the penalty kill. Anthony Beauvillier practiced with the fourth line and will be playing in place of Cizikas.
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