NEW YORK -- Mathew Barzal and Adam Pelech will each be out 4-6 weeks for the New York Islanders.
Barzal, a forward, went back to Long Island to meet with doctors after he sustained an upper-body injury during a 2-0 loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets on Wednesday. He did not play in a 4-3 win against the Buffalo Sabres on Friday.
Pelech, a defenseman, sustained an upper-body injury when he was hit in the face with a puck in the loss to the Sabres.
"It's definitely not ideal, but again, we can't control that, right?" center Bo Horvat said. "So it's up to us in here to get the job done for them. Hopefully, they have a speedy recovery and come back strong, and we put ourselves in a good position for when they do come back. So that's our main goal here, is to try to win as many games as possible. Other guys are going to step up."
The Islanders (4-6-2) have lost four of five following a 5-2 defeat at the New York Rangers on Sunday.
Barzal has five points (two goals, three assists) in 10 games but does not have a point at 5-on-5. He has led or tied for the team lead in points in six of the past seven seasons.
"It's definitely tough losing him," forward Casey Cizikas said. "But it's next man up. We need everybody pulling together. We need everybody stepping up. And that's the biggest thing now. We have big shoes to fill, and it's a good test for us as a group and how we're going to respond to it."
Pelech, who has four assists in 11 games and is averaging 20:01 of ice time per game, was limited to 58 games last season and has played a full season once his 10-season NHL career, when he played all 56 games during the shortened 2020-21 season.
"I mean, it [stinks losing Pelech]," defenseman Scott Mayfield said. "Obviously, that's part of our game. We play a physical, sometimes vicious game and that stuff happens. We have a lot of depth in this organization, and guys can step up. We were able to do that last night (against the Sabres), pull out the win, but it'll be a challenge."
In addition to losing Barzal and Pelech, the Islanders are also without forward Anthony Duclair, who is on long-term injured reserve because of a lower-body injury he sustained Oct. 19. He had three points (two goals, one assist) in five games and is expected to need 4-6 weeks to recover.
Defenseman Mike Reilly, who was helped off the ice against the Sabres following a hit by Jordan Greenway, is day to day, and defenseman Alexander Romanov did not play Sunday and is dealing with an upper-body injury. He played 23:52 against Buffalo. The Islanders recalled defenseman Grant Hutton from Bridgeport of the American Hockey League.
"It really [stinks] losing guys. I mean, don't get me wrong here, but at the same time, this is the reality of today," Islanders coach Patrick Roy said. "It's part of the game now, and we need to find ways to win games.
"I do trust this room. This is a strong room. This is a room with guys that care. It's a room that has a lot of leadership, and I believe that."
One of the forwards who will get a big opportunity with Barzal out long term is Oliver Wahlstrom, who reentered the lineup Friday after being scratched the previous three games. He played 10:18 against Buffalo, fought Sabres forward Jason Zucker, and had one shot on goal. He does not have a point in eight games this season.
"I thought he was really good on the power play," Roy said. "He moved that puck well and made good decisions. I loved his intensity. I love the grit that he put in the game. And I was very happy with his game."
Wahlstrom remained on the fourth line with Kyle MacLean and Hudson Fasching at practice Saturday. Cizikas remained at center with Pierre Engvall and Simon Holmstrom, and Anders Lee and Jean-Gabriel Pageau stayed on Horvat's line.
Lee has three goals in 12 games and got his first two assists of the season against Buffalo; Pageau has four points (two goals, two assists) in 12 games. He scored against the Sabres.
General manager Lou Lamoriello has confidence the Islanders can overcome the loss of two of their three top forwards and a top defenseman.
"I think what you have to do is look at the way they played. I think the character within the group just came forward," Lamoriello said. "I thought the coaching staff certainly, Patrick, did a great job of keeping everybody composed throughout the whole process with the type of hit that took place [against Reilly] at that given time, and just stuck with the game. That's what we have to do.
"Injuries are part of the game. We all know about it. There's nothing we can do about it, and you can't let it affect you. You just have to stay focused."
