The name Jaroslav Halak hasn’t been mentioned a lot around the Islanders lately, but it will be now.
The possible call-up of the veteran goalie, exiled in AHL Bridgeport since clearing waivers on New Year’s Eve, was set to be at least a topic of discussion for the team’s front office as they licked their wounds — largely goaltender-inflicted — from the 8-4 loss to the Hurricanes on Monday night at Barclays Center.
Jean-Francois Berube got the start, but lasted just 28:02, getting replaced by regular starter Thomas Greiss after allowing four goals on 13 shots. Even since Halak was sent down, Berube hasn’t been able to find much of a groove, allowing 20 goals over the past 188 shots he faced going back to Jan. 14, good for a .893 save percentage.
With Halak playing well in Bridgeport, Berube was asked if he expected to see him back up some time soon.
“Kind of a stupid question, I don’t know,” Berube said. “I’m here, I hope I did enough to be here. I worked hard to be in this position. At the same time, I’ve been working hard and trying to find my game.
“It really stings right now because I know I’m a lot better than this. It’s a really tough situation, but I’m not going to give up. I know people believe in me, just have to find a way.”
Interim head coach Doug Weight was asked if he was thinking about bringing Halak back, but he was unsure immediately after the game.
“We’ll get on the plane and talk, and I don’t know that anything is going to happen,” Weight said. “I have no idea.”
The Islanders’ mercurial 21-year-old rookie winger Josh Ho-Sang played in his seventh career game, his first at Barclays Center, and had a goal and an assist over 15:23 of ice time. Ho-Sang was the team’s first-round pick (28th overall) in the 2014 draft and made his ballyhooed NHL debut on March 2, then scored his first career goal on March 7 in Edmonton.
“I’m having lots of fun,” Ho-Sang said Monday morning. “People keep asking me, ‘What’s the best part of the NHL?’ And I say, this is the most fun I’ve had in my life. When you get the puck in open space and you skate up the ice, like that’s crazy, you know? It blows my mind.”
Forwards Casey Cizikas and Alan Quine remained out with upper-body injuries, but both took part in Monday’s morning skate. Cizikas has been out since he was hurt Feb. 21 in Detroit, and Quine has been out since he was hurt Feb. 25 in Columbus.
“I think both are close,” Weight said. “I would love to have two or three fresh bodies in [Tuesday] night, but the same time, you can’t risk losing them for a longer period of time.”
Defenseman Johnny Boychuk missed his fifth straight game with a lower-body injury suffered March 3 in Chicago. The injury is taking longer than anticipated to heal, which Weight called “disappointing.”
“I’ve been told that once he starts to get better, it’s going to jump quickly,” Weight said.
Adam Pelech returned to the lineup and replaced Scott Mayfield on defense.