Grabner to miss 1st game due to injury; Wallace, Poulin to dress

Isles have announced that Michael Grabner will miss tonight's game due to injury.

It's the first time that Grabner has missed a game due to an injury as an Islander.  He was a healthy scratch for four games early last season and then missed the last two games in March due to the birth of his son, Aidan.

Looks like both Micheal Haley and Tim Wallace will be in the lineup tonight.

It will be Wallace's 25th NHL game, and first with the Islanders.  He played 16 games in 2008-09, 1 in 2009-10 and 7 in 2010-11, all with the Penguins.  He has recorded two NHL points, both assists.

Wallace has scored regularly at the AHL level, tallying 27 and 20 goals for Wilkes-Barre Scranton the past two years.  Wallace was leading the Sound Tigers in points (20) and was tied for the team lead in assists (11).  Only David Ullstrom, who scored 12 goals in Bridgeport's first 17 games prior to his recall, has scored more goals.

Kevin Poulin will back up Al Montoya tonight.  It will be the first time that Poulin has dressed for an NHL game since he suffered a freak injury, dislocating a knee in warmups last February 8th.

If Poulin gets into a game, he would become the 5th Islander goaltender to appear in a game this season.  The club record of 6 was set last year, in part because Poulin's injury thrust Mikko Koskinen into a game and forced the Islanders to trade a 6th round draft pick to Phoenix for another goaltender:  Al Montoya.

 

Forever1940 is the nom de plume of Eric Hornick, statistician on Islander home telecasts since 1982. Visit my blog: NYISkinny.com and follow me on Twitter @ehornick