Update: Jean-Gabriel Pageau Out Of Islanders Lineup For Game 1 Versus Hurricanes

Jean-Gabriel Pageau was labeled a game-time decision for the New York Islanders ahead of Game 1 of their first round playoff series against the Carolina Hurricanes on Saturday. But when the Islanders took the ice for warmups at PNC Arena, Pageau was not among his teammates and was not in the lineup when the puck dropped.

Officially, Pageau’s status with a lower-body injury remains day-to-day. But after he was unable to even participate in warmups, his status is now in serious doubt for the rest of the series.

Pageau exited the Islanders’ regular season finale on Wednesday at 9:18 of the first period and did not return after being knocked to the ice by Pittsburgh Penguins forward Reilly Smith.

Without Pageau in the lineup on Saturday, the Islanders elevated Kyle MacLean to the third line and placed Simon Holmstrom on the fourth line next to Matt Martin and Cal Clutterbuck.

The Islanders were always going to need to be at full strength to compete with the Hurricanes in this series, but not having Pageau is an especially large blow.

A full 200-foot player and an adept penalty killer, Pageau’s grit would be a helpful asset against a Carolina team known for dominating possession in the attacking zone and firing pucks on net at will.

During the regular season, Pageau accounted for 11 goals and 22 assists. He was one of just four players to play in all 82 regular season games for the Islanders this year.

During the regular season, the Islanders had a record of 2-1-1 against the Hurricanes, losing their last matchup back on March 19 by a final of 4-1 at UBS Arena.

This is the second year in a row the Islanders and Hurricanes have met in the first round of the playoffs. Last year’s series ended with the Hurricanes winning in six games.

The Islanders and Hurricanes are currently tied 1-1 during the second intermission. Evgeni Kuznetsov gave Carolina an early lead on the power play before MacLean evened the score for the Islanders with his first career playoff goal.

This story will be updated

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