WASHINGTON — The Islanders started Thursday’s game thrilled to have a healthy defense corps for the first time since opening night.
By the first intermission, they were right back to being a man down.
The good news: Scott Mayfield was back in the lineup after missing seven straight games with a presumed leg injury.
The bad news: Adam Pelech went off in the first period holding his side and did not return to the 3-0 win over Washington.
Coach Lane Lambert did not have an update on his status postgame.
So instead of missing a righty defenseman, the Islanders are now missing a lefty defenseman — and the one who just so happens to play on their top pair at that.
If Pelech isn’t healthy in time for Saturday’s game at home against Carolina, that most likely means Samuel Bolduc will be back in the lineup after the Quebecois was made a healthy scratch Thursday.
“Obviously, hopefully [Pelech’s] OK,” Noah Dobson told The Post. “It’s never great when you don’t return to a game. That’s obviously not ideal.”
When Pelech missed time last season, the Islanders suffered through a nadir, going 7-9-5 in his absence.
The silver lining is that at least Mayfield is back, so the Islanders don’t need to deal with two injuries at once.
“Don’t know if it was the ‘ease into it’ — going down to five D — that I expected,” Mayfield said. “But I feel good.”
Mayfield ended up skating 21:21, tying for a team high with three shots on net and playing 3:21 on the penalty kill in his return.
“I’m just happy to be back,” he said. “Certain things happen. NHL speed, you can’t predict what’s gonna happen every second. It was nice just to get the first [game].”
Hudson Fasching drew back into the lineup on Thursday in place of Oliver Wahlstrom, skating on the third line with Jean-Gabriel Pageau and Simon Holmstrom, notching an assist on Holmstrom’s first-period goal.
“I thought he was good and I thought that line was excellent,” Lambert said. “Thought it was a great play he made to Holmstrom on his goal.”
Lambert, who was on staff in Washington for four seasons, said it was “a little different” facing the Caps without Nicklas Backstrom.
The 35-year-old centerman announced he was stepping away from the Capitals on Wednesday, part of the fallout from hip resurfacing surgery in June 2022.
“Not a better human being,” Lambert said. “You can’t find a guy who hones his craft and is more professional than him.”
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