The New York Islanders lost the first game of their season to the Pittsburgh Penguins 4-3 on Thursday. Matthew Schaefer was the highlight, picking up his first assist in his first game. Late in the game, a penalty was called on New York that could impact their home opener on Saturday. Islanders forward Jonathan Drouin is facing a suspension after cross-checking Penguins forward Connor Dewar.

“NY Islanders’ Jonathan Drouin has been suspended for one game for cross-checking Pittsburgh’s Connor Dewar,” NHL Player Safety posted on X, formerly Twitter.

Penguins goalie Tristan Jarry covered the puck with 15 seconds left in the game, all but securing a Pittsburgh win. A scrum broke out around Jarry that included Drouin and Dewar. It ended with the veteran cross-checking the youngster around the head, which resulted in a game misconduct.

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Drouin was one of the Islanders' biggest free-agent pickups in the summer after a tenure with the Colorado Avalanche. He scored the first goal of the year for New York, capitalizing on Schaefer's assist, but ended the game with a costly penalty. Drouin will now miss the team's home opener on Saturday against the Washington Capitals.

The Islanders are coming off an offseason of transition with Mathieu Darche as the new man at the helm in the front office. Drouin was brought in to plug a hole on the wing in the top-six, which he did nicely in his first game. Without him, either Marc Gatcomb or Kyle McLean could plug in. They were the healthy scratches in Game 1.

While the Islanders don't have high expectations coming into the season, Drouin is key to any success they will have. Not having him in the early stages of the year could be detrimental to his connection with his linemates. However, it is just one game and the veteran should be back up to speed shortly.