The tree fell in the woods, but there was no videotape to capture it. So Islanders first-round pick Ryan Strome likely will escape being suspended before he even plays his first official NHL game.
Strome was ejected for boarding Devils’ forward Stephen Gionta with 3:14 left in New Jersey’s 1-0 exhibition triumph in Newark last night. Though supplementary discipline was considered, video evidence was said to be inconclusive.
Strome (taken fifth overall in June, one slot behind Devils pick Adam Larsson) voiced remorse, insisting illegal hits are not his style.
“I’m not a dirty player,” said the 18-year-old center who wears Garry Howatt’s old No. 8. “The guy kind of turned and I was going by. I definitely didn’t want to hurt him. If he’s hurt, I feel bad.”
Devils coach Pete DeBoer said Gionta is “OK. I talked to him in the training room.”
With boarding a second topic behind head hits on the NHL’s crackdown list, Strome feared he might be hearing from NHL VP Brendan Shanahan, who has been handing out suspensions like candy at Halloween.
“I would expect so,” Strome said. “That’s the way it is. They’re laying down the law.”
DeBoer said the league should back Shanahan in his crackdown.
“I was behind the bench in Florida when David Booth got hit,” DeBoer said. “It’s a scary moment that transcends the game.
“It’s a player’s life. Anything that protects the players, I’m willing to live with. We should be open-minded and prepared to accept some of the good and bad calls that come with that.”
DeBoer saw his preseason losing streak snapped at three with Johan Hedberg’s shutout. David Clarkson’s first-period power-play goal gave the Devils eight regulation-time goals in their five preseason games (2-3).
The Islanders, whose lone exhibition triumph was a 6-2 pasting of the Devils and Hedberg last Saturday at Nassau Coliseum, fell to 1-3.
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The Islanders yesterday signed defenseman Steve Staios, in camp on a tryout, to a one-year, $800,000 contract. The 38-year-old was a Blues’ first-rounder in 1991 and has played 936 NHL games with the Bruins, Canucks, Thrashers, Oilers and Flames. … Islanders forward Nino Neiderreiter will be examined today to determine extent of a groin injury that knocked him out of last night’s game. … In exhibition finales for the Islanders and Devils, the Cup champion Bruins visit Nassau and the Flyers are at Newark tonight. … Devils defenseman Matt Taormina remains idle with an upper body injury, which likely will put him in Albany to start season. … The Islanders were without John Tavares and Kyle Okposo, and the Devils were without Zach Parise, Patrik Elias, Ilya Kovalchuk, Adam Larsson, Henrik Tallinder, Anton Volchenkov, Bryce Salvador and Jacob Josefson, among others.