Ryan Pulock Recalled to New York Islanders

The New York Islanders announced the recall of defenseman Ryan Pulock from AHL Bridgeport on an emergency basis.

There is already room on the 23-man roster thanks to Shane Prince being on injured reserve, but those conditions would seem to indicate an injury or malady among the existing group of six NHL defenseman. No word in the official announcement, though, but Newsday’s Arthur Staple says expect news of an injury Thursday.

Regardless, it could be converted to something longer at any time, and it has certainly sounded like coach Jack Capuano would much prefer to have more than six defensemen with the team.

Capuano has also voiced a desire for the defensemen to be more engaged in the offense, something that is Pulock’s calling card, though at times the coaching staff has found him too reluctant to do that at the NHL level thus far.

Assuming he gets in a game — the Isles next play Friday at home against the Arizona Coyotes — you’d expect him to jump in indeed.

What does this mean for the Bridgeport Sound Tigers, who are loaded in defensemen? Let Michael Fornabaio of the Connecticut Post take it away, on the Post’s Soundin’ Off blog:

For the Sound Tigers, it means (at least) one of those four who sat out the first two games will likely get a chance this weekend.

For me, it means rewriting, because I was putting a Pulock story together for tomorrow. Heck, it was mostly about vowel length, anyway.

It’s pull-ock. We think.

Update: Thanks to call-up, we get Fornabaio’s Thursday story on Wednesday. Pulock’s mandate from the coaches has been to unleash that big shot more often than he had been and generally assert his auth-or-i-tah more on the ice. Let’s see if he’s been paying attention.

As for that assertiveness, “it’s just not being hesitant,” Pulock said, “playing my game, and not thinking too much, just going out and playing. Offensively, it’s getting more shots.”

Pulock put two shots on goal in two games this weekend, both Sunday on the power play, his trademark bullet of a shot. Thompson would still like to see him get it off quicker.

“I want to see five or six shots a game,” Thompson said. Pulock averaged a little over 2.1 in his first two AHL seasons.

And for the record, yes, it is “pull-lock.”