Isles Road Blog: Lights Out in Chicago

Considering that 650 days passed between Ross Johnston's first and second NHL games, Saturday night's game in Chicago almost felt like a second debut.
His stomach was jumping a bit during the raucous national anthem - a staple of Blackhawks games at the Madhouse - but he settled in once the game started.

"It was pretty cool. The build up to the game probably makes it more nerve-wracking than anything. Getting texts from friends and family, people from all over wishing you congratulations and good luck," Johnston said. "It was nice to get back up, get back into things and hopefully keep things going here now."
It was just as memorable as his first game - back on April, 10, 2016 - as Johnston picked up his first-career NHL assist on a Brock Nelson goal and dropped the gloves for his first NHL fight against Ryan Hartman.

"Anytime you can contribute on the scoresheet is pretty special and obviously a fight is one thing, but those things happen during games and I guess both are firsts and are equally as special to me," Johnston said.
The fact that his parents were also able to be in the crowd in Chicago, unlike the Islanders-Flyers game on April 10, 2016 at Barclays Center, also made the second game special. There's no direct flight from Charlottetown, PEI to Chicago, so there's a connection through Montreal, but Johnston was happy to share the moment with his folks and soak it all in on the ice.
"It's an honor each time you play in each NHL game," Johnston said.

THE LIGHTS GO OUT IN CHICAGO:

The lights went out on the New York Islanders on Saturday night. Just as the Isles first power-play unit was about to enter the zone, the lights went out at United Center.
It was just for a couple seconds, but still, it was a first for many of them.

BOYCHUK, CIZIKAS SKATE IN ARIZONA:

Fresh off a 7-3 win over the Chicago Blackhawks and a late landing in Arizona, the New York Islanders held an optional practice at Gila River Arena.
Johnny Boychuk and Casey Cizikas were two of the Islanders on the ice as they continue to work their way back from respective injuries. Both practiced with the team on Friday and took morning skate on Saturday. Boychuk has been out since Dec. 27 with a lower-body injury, while Cizikas has been out since Jan. 13 with an upper-body injury.