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Release the Bracken: Prince to IR, Kearns recalled from Bridgeport

No, he hasn’t been released. It’s a “Clash of the Titans” thing. Oh, never mind...

Philadelphia Flyers v New York Islanders
I’m comin’ in hot.
Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images

The Islanders left last night’s 3-1 win over Detroit with some injury concerns regarding Casey Cizikas and Cal Clutterbuck, a.k.a. two thirds of their fourth line. The team is off today, so we won’t know their statuses for Thursday night’s game in Montreal for a while longer.

What we do know is that the team has recalled forward Bracken Kearns from Bridgeport and put Shane Prince on IR retroactive to about 10 days ago, when he left the Islanders’ 5-1 win over Colorado in the third period following a scrum.

Kearns is 35 and has been around the block more than once (mostly with San Jose). He’s the Sound Tigers’ leader in both goals (18) and points (40) and hasn’t missed a game this season.

That “All-situations” tag is important because with the potential for two bottom sixers/penalty killers being out as well as Prince (who kinda gets slotted in everywhere), the Islanders are looking more for security rather than raw scoring potential.

In other words (because he’s better at this than I am):

Sadly, it just isn’t Ho-Sang’s time. Yet.

With or without Kearns, losing three regulars for any length of time would be a bad way to go about what’s now an eight-game road trip. Clutterbuck’s problems might be related to the issues that have been nagging him for a while now and Cizikas left last night’s game suddenly after a slash to his hands.

Maybe they’re both back in the line-up on Thursday and either Kearns or Stephen Gionta plays. Or maybe not.

The Islanders do have four days in between Saturday’s game in Columbus and next Thursday’s game in Dallas, which is one day after the trade deadline. So Kearns’ stay might be a temporary one.