Isiah George's magic carpet journey through his first month as an NHLer finally reached a rocky point on Tuesday.
Although he turned it over twice in his first few shifts and appeared to struggle against the physicality of the Kings' heavy forecheck, George logged just 7 minutes, 36 seconds of ice time and spent the final 32 minutes, 22 seconds of the game with the Islanders. I watched from the bench as the Z's lost by 3. 1 to Los Angeles.
All young players in the NHL have games like this, but it says a lot about George that it took him 18 games in the big leagues before he noticeably struggled.
“Hey, this kid has been outstanding for us since he's been here,” coach Patrick Roy said, adding that he plans to convey that very message to George on Wednesday. “These things happen. In his rookie year, he had some days and nights. I think you call it a career. He's going to learn a lot from that game and now he's bounced back. I want you to.”
George, 20, is trying to make a case for remaining in the lineup when Adam Pelech (jaw) returns to action, which would mean either George or Dennis Cholowski would be dropped in the standings. , the timing is less than ideal for George's personal outlook. AHL Bridgeport.
Pelech recently rejoined the team for practice wearing a non-contact jersey, so a return isn't imminent, but it could be sooner rather than later.
George is on waivers and will need to prove he is essential to remain on the roster, as his development could theoretically be accelerated by playing top-pair in Bridgeport. Probably.
So a lot could hinge on how he reacts to his first really bad night in the big leagues.
“That's what it is,” Noah Dobson said. “He played some great hockey for us. I'm sure he'll reset and bounce back for the next game. It's a team game so we all help each other out. He can do a better job. I don't think anyone is that worried about him.”
Anthony Duclair (groin question) joined Pelech in skating with the team Tuesday morning wearing an orange non-contact jersey. Roy did not provide a timeline for when the two are expected to play again.
Semyon Varlamov (lower body, daily) has not yet started skating on his own, Roy said.
Scott Mayfield missed Tuesday's game due to illness, and the absentee Dennis Cholowski and Grant Hutton formed the third pair.
