It wasn’t so much a decision of one player over another, but more situational.
That was the way Islanders coach Barry Trotz explained the reason Michael Dal Colle has remained out of the lineup for the past four games, the last two providing an opportunity when Casey Cizikas was forced to the sideline while dealing with a lower-body strain and overall weariness. Instead, Trotz went with veteran Tom Kuhnhackl, but it was mostly about filling a big void left by Cizikas.
“It’s more because of the [penalty kill],” Trotz said after Sunday’s 3-2 overtime win in Minnesota, when the team killed four of six penalties in a game that was terribly officiated.