DETROIT – Exclamation point. Actually, another two points.
The Islanders concluded a revelatory 6-1-0 road trip with a 5-0 win over the Red Wings on Thursday night at Little Caesars Arena, their first game since losing defenseman Alexander Romanov to what is expected to be a significant absence because of an upper-body injury.
It’s only the second time in team history that the Islanders have won six games on a road trip. They also had a 6-1-0 trek in 2015-16, according to team statistician Eric Hornick.
Romanov was in the arena’s press box with his right arm in a sling. He was injured late in Tuesday’s 3-2 win in Dallas after Mikko Rantanen drove him into the end wall, drawing a five-minute major for boarding and a game misconduct but earning no supplementary discipline from the NHL.
The newly-formed fourth line of rookie Cal Ritchie between rookie Max Shabanov and Casey Cizikas set the tone Thursday with their forecheck, combining for nine points. Shabanov scored twice and added two assists, Ritchie had a goal for the second straight game and Cizikas had three assists for the Islanders (12-7-2).
It was more than enough for a sharp Ilya Sorokin (29 saves), who earned his second shutout of the season – and second of this trip – and 24th of his career while denying Lucas Raymond’s second-period breakaway and one from Nate Danielson early in the third period. It leaves Sorokin one shy of tying Chico Resch’s team record for shutouts.
The Atlantic Division-leading Red Wings (12-8-1) have now been outscored 12-2 in two games with the Islanders.
Ritchie, who had his first goal for the Islanders in Tuesday’s 3-2 win over the Stars, opened the scoring from the left circle at 6:46 of the first period off Shabanov’s feed on the rush. Shabanov, with a fluttering shot under the right arm of John Gibson (22 saves) made it 2-0 at 14:54 of the first period.
The fourth line’s forecheck also set up the third goal, as Mathew Barzal hopped over the boards to pounce on a turnover at 3:19 of the second period. Bo Horvat’s right-circle one-timer pushed it to 4-0 at 5:04 of the second period. Shabanov’s backhander at the crease made it 5-0 at 6:52 of the third period.
Notes & quotes: Laurel Hollow’s Marshall Warren was recalled from AHL Bridgeport with Romanov on injured reserve for his second stint with the Islanders. He had two assists from Oct. 25-28 but was a healthy scratch against the Red Wings. “Always being consistent, that’s the biggest thing,” Warren told Newsday of the lessons from his first two NHL games. “You always have to be on your top level.”…No. 1 overall pick Matthew Schaefer confirmed he’s been added to Team Canada’s International Olympic Committee list of at least 90 players under consideration for February’s Winter Games in Italy, which includes a drug testing protocol. “It’s pretty cool,” Schaefer told Newsday. “You don’t really think about it, though. I’m still just focused on my game and our team here. It’s just extra noise.”…Defenseman Adam Boqvist, in the lineup with Romanov injured, notched his 100th career point with the secondary assist on Ritchie’s goal…Forward Simon Holmstrom returned to the lineup after missing one game because of illness…Forwards Max Tsyplakov and Kyle MacLean joined Warren as healthy scratches.
Andrew Gross joined Newsday in 2018 to cover the Islanders. He began reporting on the NHL in 2003 and has previously covered the Rangers and Devils. Other assignments have included the Jets, St. John’s and MLB.