Islanders Defenseman Alexander Romanov Exits Game with Injury

The New York Islanders lost defenseman Alexander Romanov for the final 12:04 of their 5-2 defeat against the New York Rangers on Tuesday night due to an apparent injury. Coach Pete DeBoer stated that Romanov was 'still being evaluated' but did not provide further details on his status. There was no clear play that led to the injury. Romanov has a history of injuries, having played only 15 games last season due to a shoulder injury that required surgery and missing nearly 20 games the previous season with ongoing issues. He had a challenging start to this season and was a minus-1 when he left the game. Logan Stanley, who DeBoer noted was 'one of our better defensemen tonight,' took on most of Romanov's ice time in the third period, finishing with 19:21 of play. If Romanov is sidelined, the Islanders may consider calling up Isaiah George or Kashawn Aitcheson, with a decision needed by Thursday before their game against the Chicago Blackhawks. Additionally, Simon Holmstrom briefly left the game after being hit in the face by a clearing attempt from Sean Durzi, resulting in significant bleeding. DeBoer indicated it might be a broken nose, but Holmstrom returned to play. DeBoer, in his first Islanders-Rangers game, described the rivalry as 'awesome' and noted the unique atmosphere in the region where fans are divided between the two teams.