After making a sprawling save on Dallas Stars forward Jamie Benn midway through the first period on Monday night, Islanders goaltender Evgeni Nabokov had to leave the game with some sort of lower body injury.
Evgeni Nabokov injury: Islanders goalie leaves game in first period
Evgeni Nabokov is injured again. The Islanders goalie had to leave the game on Monday with some soft of lower body injury.
Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports
It was clear immediately that Nabokov was not right after the save.
At that point, the Islanders were already trailing, 1-0.
Nabokov was replaced by backup goaltender Kevin Poulin, who then gave up a goal to Erik Cole on the first shot he faced.
In 23 games this season, the 38-year-old Nabokov has a 9-8-5 record to go with a .905 save percentage. Goaltending was already a problem area for the Islanders this season and another injury to Nabokov, even with as much as he's struggled at times this season, wouldn't exactly do much to fix that problem. Poulin and Anders Nilsson performed even worse than Nabokov during his previous absence, when he missed a month due to a groin injury.
Fortunately for the Islanders on this night the offense, led by a five-point night (three goals, two assist) from John Tavares, was able to step up in what turned out to be a 7-3 win.
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