The Islanders inched closer to full strength Tuesday, just in time to kick off the stretch run.
Casey Cizikas returned to the lineup for the first time since suffering an apparent hand injury Jan. 13 and missing six games.
“I’m pretty excited,” Cizikas said before the Islanders fell 4-1 to the Panthers at Barclays Center. “Watching games isn’t easy, watching your team out there isn’t easy. To get back in the lineup to battle with these guys is going to be pretty important.”
Cizikas played 12:56 while slotting in at left wing on the Islanders’ third line with Brock Nelson and Alan Quine.
“He was a little rusty at first and playing a little different position, but he got better as the game went on,” coach Doug Weight said.
After anchoring the fourth line at center through his first 40 games of the year, Cizikas moved to the wing, a position he hadn’t played since his rookie year in 2011-12. Weight said it was a “precautionary” measure to help him ease back into action.
“He’s got a big engine and he brings a lot of energy,” Weight said. “He’s a heck of a hockey player. He’s been a part of the core for a long time, so great to get him back.”
Cizikas had recorded five goals and six assists before being sidelined, but his biggest impact was his defensive reliability, particularly on the penalty kill. The Islanders’ power-play unit entered Tuesday ranked 30th in the league at 73.5 percent.
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“[He’s] obviously one of our top killers, if not the top,” Nelson said. “High energy, heart-and-soul guy. It’s good to have a guy like that, you can feed off that energy.”
Nearly a year after he was fired as head coach of the Islanders, Jack Capuano made his first trip back to Barclays Center on Tuesday night as an associate coach for the Panthers.
Capuano, who received a video tribute during the first TV timeout and gave a thumbs up to a generally positive reaction from the crowd, went 227-192-64 with the Islanders before he was fired last Jan. 17 and replaced by Weight.
The part-time move won’t happen until next season, but the Islanders are already looking forward to returning to the Coliseum for 60 games over the next three years until their new arena at Belmont Park is ready.
“It’s good to get the start of some finality moving forward,” Weight said.
Islanders legend John Tonelli dropped the ceremonial first puck.