Cal Clutterbuck returned to the Islanders’ lineup on Saturday, playing for the first time since Jan. 19, when he suffered an upper-body injury in a game at Buffalo.
Instead of reuniting the Identity Line of Clutterbuck, Casey Cizikas and Matt Martin, coach Lane Lambert kept Cizikas and Martin with Hudson Fasching as the third line, with Clutterbuck on the fourth to start the game, though he mixed and matched his lines throughout the Islanders’ 5-1 loss to the Capitals at UBS Arena.
“It’s good [to be back],” Clutterbuck said after skating 12:36 with four hits. “Obviously very happy and proud of the guys for this last stretch since I went down again. Gave me the opportunity to come back in here and help them out for this push.”
Clutterbuck said he was able to skate on his own while rehabbing, though without sticks or pucks.
“Obviously simulating the intensity of a game is another step, but that comes quickly,” he said. “I felt better first [period] to second, second to third. Those things just find a way to come back. Luckily I’ve been able to maintain enough to be able to jump back in.”
Clutterbuck has suffered an injury-riddled season, missing multiple stretches of time. Saturday was just his 35th game so far. He missed the end of last season as well, playing just 59 games and getting surgery on his shoulder.
It’s not clear what specific injuries he has dealt with this season, but they come as a price of the heavy-hitting game Clutterbuck continues to play at age 35.
“I think everyone’s obviously excited to be getting guys like that back and [Jean-Gabriel Pageau] as well, hopefully soon,” Martin said ahead of the game. “Obviously key pieces of our team that we need. Everyone’s done a good job of filling that void, our centers and guys throughout the lineup playing in different situations. But that’ll give us a boost having those guys back and doing what they do best.”
Josh Bailey centered Pierre Engvall and Clutterbuck on the fourth line to start Saturday as Otto Koivula was out with a lower-body injury. Lambert said Koivula was day-to-day.
“Josh is, he’s been killing penalties, he’s played in different roles when we’ve needed to shake things up,” Lambert said. “He’s a guy who is able to do that, he’s able to move up and down the lineup. I have a lot of faith and a lot of trust in him.”
Simon Holmstrom played to the right of Bo Horvat on the first line, where Engvall had started the last few games.
Pageau is expected to travel to California with the team and continues to be designated day-to-day.
Lambert had no timeline on Mathew Barzal’s return.
Semyon Varlamov started for the first time since Feb. 26 in Winnipeg, stopping 22 of 27 shots.