UNIONDALE, N.Y. — Lubomir Visnovsky, a quietly intense defenseman, played a vital role in the Islanders’ overtime victory on Sunday over the Washington Capitals.
His afternoon seemed to be cut short when he was leveled by forward Troy Brouwer with an unpenalized high hit eight minutes into the second period. Visnovsky briefly remained face down on the Nassau Coliseum ice before heading to the locker room, where he went through concussion protocols. When Visnovsky, with a history of head injuries, was deemed fit to play, he returned with a flourish — taking a shot four minutes later that Kyle Okposo deflected past goaltender Braden Holtby to snap a scoreless tie.