The New York Islanders’ night against the Toronto Maple Leafs took an even tougher turn when two more forwards left with lower-body injuries, leaving the club to close out the game shorthanded.
According to a team announcement, Calum Ritchie and Matias Maccelli both exited before the finish. Ritchie barely got onto the ice at all.
On his first shift, Maple Leafs defenseman Nick Blankenburg hit him, and he did not return. With Mathew Barzal still recovering from injury, Ritchie had been centering the Islanders’ second line and had produced a goal and an assist in eight games.
Maccelli’s night ended after 5:39 of ice time. It has not been confirmed that the injury came from the sequence, but he appeared to suffer a leg injury after getting tangled up with defenseman Darren Raddysh. Maccelli was on New York’s top line for the game.
Elsewhere in the Eastern Conference, the Ottawa Senators are aiming for Wednesday as the return date for defenseman Jake Sanderson, according to Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Citizen. Sanderson has been out since Ottawa’s season opener. The timing matters all the more because the Senators are set to host the Florida Panthers on Wednesday, with Brady Tkachuk in the building.
The Philadelphia Flyers are still searching for their first win, and they’re doing it without winger Owen Tippett. Jordan Hall of NBCS reported before tonight’s game that Tippett was a game-time decision because of an upper-body injury, but he ended up out of the lineup. He has one goal and one assist in nine games this season.
The Maple Leafs also made another roster move, assigning defenseman Cade Webber to a conditioning loan, according to the AHL transactions log. Toronto had already done the same with forward Dakota Joshua yesterday. Webber started the season on long-term injured reserve after offseason elbow surgery, and last season he recorded three assists in 33 games for the AHL’s Toronto Marlies.
In Other News...
Senators Loss Suddenly Feels Secondary To A Growing Blue Line Concern
The Senators had more than enough reason to lament a 3-1 loss in Philadelphia, where the Flyers snapped a nine-game winless skid, but the result quickly became secondary once Thomas Chabot headed to the dressing room before the third period. Ottawas captain left with an upper-body injury, leaving the team to finish the night without one of its most important blue-line anchors while Linus Ullmarks six-game winning streak came to an end despite another strong outing.
Travis Green confirmed the injury afterward and pointed to the way the game unfolded as part of Ottawas frustration, but the bigger concern for the Senators may be what Chabots absence means in the short term. This group has already had to lean on a rotating cast on defense, and losing a top-four fixture like Chabot only adds another layer of uncertainty to a season where the blue line has rarely been settled. [Read more 🡒]
Senators Blue Line Could Finally Get A Huge Boost
Ottawas blue line has been waiting for a lift since Jake Sanderson left the season opener early with a lower-body injury, and it sounds like help is finally close. The Senators' top defensive piece has missed several contests, but head coach Travis Green said Sanderson has now been cleared for contact, putting him on track to rejoin the lineup after the early setback.
The timing matters for a team that wants its best pair back together and more stability in front of its goaltenders. Ottawa has had to manage without one of its most important defenders, but the next test against the Florida Panthers could bring a much-needed boost if Sanderson is able to slot right back in. [Read more 🡒]
Senators Face An Early Test As Lineup Questions Keep Building
The Senators are heading into their matchup with Philadelphia carrying more than just the usual early-season questions. Ottawa has had to manage injuries while trying to steady its form, and with the Flyers stuck in a nine-game skid, this feels like the kind of game that can say plenty about where both clubs are right now. Goaltending and a few key contributors will shape the night, but the bigger picture in Ottawa is still about getting the lineup settled and finding the right rhythm.
Jake Sandersons status is one of the details worth watching, especially with the young blue line still in flux. Travis Green is still working through his combinations, and that includes whether Sanderson can drop back in beside Jordan Spence once he is cleared to play. For a team trying to build traction early, those are the sort of decisions that can affect not only one game but the way Ottawa looks over the next stretch. [Read more 🡒]