The New York Islanders got some measure of justice on Sunday when the NHL announced the suspension of Dallas Stars forward Mikko Rantanen.
Rantanen, as Islanders’ fans know, was the liable party for Alexander Romanov’s frightening headfirst dive into the boards last Tuesday night. As much as the league wanted to pin the blame on Scott Mayfield, it was evident that Mayfield did not push Rantanen into Romanov.
Be that as it may, Rantanen was up to his antics again on Saturday night. The Stars lost 3-2 to the Calgary Flames in the shootout, a game in which Rantanen got the heave-ho late in the second period for his hit on Matt Coronato.
Here’s a look at the incident, as shown on the Gino Hard X account:
Immediately, following the hit, Flames veteran Jonathan Huberdeau initiated retaliatory fisticuffs for yet another cheap shot.
Well, Rantanen got another game misconduct and an automatic ejection from the ice. That situation triggered an automatic suspension on given the two ejections this season.
Here’s what the league announced:
The suspension is naught more than a slap on the wrist. Coronato was fortunate to skate away from the incident. The Islanders Alexander Romanov, however, was not. While the suspension is, in some ways, a measure of justice, it does not take away from the fact that Rantanen’s hit on Romanov was a dirty one.
The Stars forward proved it on Saturday night. But, for reasons not worth getting into here, the NHL seems unwilling to throw the book at Mikko Rantanen. But this much is true: What goes around, comes around.
Islanders Blue Line Must Pick up Slack in Romanov’s Absence
As devastating as Romanov’s injury is, there isn’t much the Islanders can do but pick up the slack in his absence. The Isles have proven to be a resilient bunch. After a tough 2-1 loss to the St. Louis Blues on Saturday night, the Isles came back with a fantastic 1-0 effort on Sunday night against a much better Seattle Kraken side.
David Rittich got his first shoutout of the season, as the entire Islanders’ crew played its second straight solid defensive effort. So, there’s reason for optimism despite the crushing loss of Romanov.
Most importantly, the Islanders continue to make headway in the standings. The Islanders are now in second place in the Metro Division, one point ahead of the New Jersey Devils and two behind the Carolina Hurricanes.
That showing paints a promising picture for Isles’ fans. Hopefully, the entire blueline corps can rally and offset Romanov’s absence as much as possible. The club has shown it can do that thus far. There’s plenty of hockey left to play. So, there’s still time for the team to dig in and get back into the playoff race.
Isles Could Look into Blue Line Help this Season
Given Romanov’s absence for likely the remainder of the regular season, the Islanders could look into some blue line help. While getting a top-pairing defenseman may be out of the question. But the Islanders could be looking into a solid defensive blueliner instead.
There aren’t many options out there. But a solid middle-pairing option could become available sooner rather than later. Teams like the Toronto Maple Leafs, Vancouver Canucks, and Nashville Predators sinking in the standings. So, there could be some pieces available for the Islanders to look into.
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