Islanders' Jonathan Drouin knew his cross-check looked bad

Jonathan Drouin knew right away he might be at risk of receiving supplemental discipline from the NHL.

The top-six wing served a one-game suspension Saturday night, missing the Islanders’ home-opening 4-2 loss to the Capitals at UBS Arena as punishment for cross-checking the Penguins’ Connor Dewar in the face.

“I was standing by the net waiting for a rebound and he gave me a cross-check,” Drouin said of the incident late in the third period of Thursday night’s 4-3 loss in Pittsburgh. “I gave him a little jab. He gave me another one. I didn’t really try to cross-check the way it looks bad. I didn’t try to get him in the face. My stick rises up. As soon as I got him, I was like, ‘Oh, not a good look. Not a good spot to hit someone.’ Unfortunate that I got him there.”

Drouin, signed to a two-year, $8 million deal, earned a five-minute major for cross-checking and a game misconduct with 14.2 seconds left after scoring his first goal as an Islander in the first period.

Without Drouin, coach Patrick Roy elevated Anthony Duclair to Bo Horvat’s line with Emil Heineman and inserted Marc Gatcomb onto Casey Cizikas’ fourth line.

Shaky start

Goalie Ilya Sorokin has allowed four goals in each of the first two games, though he was better with his rebound control against the Capitals than he was against the Penguins. “Tonight we gave too many chances,” Roy said. “We’ve got to do a better job in front of our net taking away those chances. But he made some great saves to keep us in the game.”

Eye on Ritchie

Rookie center Cal Ritchie (upper body) rejoined his teammates for the morning skate, though there’s no timetable for his game availability.

By Andrew Gross

andrew.gross@newsday.comAGrossNewsday

Andrew Gross joined Newsday in 2018 to cover the Islanders. He began reporting on the NHL in 2003 and has previously covered the Rangers and Devils. Other assignments have included the Jets, St. John’s and MLB.