Islanders may get Valtteri Filppula back for first playoff series

Barry Trotz didn’t want to put a timetable on it, but there is a distinct possibility that Valtteri Filppula could be ready at some point during the first round of the playoffs.

The third-line center was on the ice Monday morning, joining the extras for a quick skate with no contact before the team lost to the Maple Leafs, 2-1, at the Coliseum.

Filppula has been out since he suffered what is presumably a left-shoulder injury March 19, with Monday being the seventh consecutive game he missed. The original time frame for the injury was four weeks, which would bring him back April 16.

The Islanders first-round playoff series will start either April 10 or the following day, meaning Filppula’s return should be right around Game 3 or 4. The question is whether the 35-year-old can get up to speed and go right into the lineup, but Trotz has already seen his team weather the injury quite well.

“Next guy up. We haven’t complained about it,” Trotz said. “When you make a big deal out of something that’s not normal, then it becomes a big deal. We haven’t done that.”

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The Islanders’ struggling power play was hardly any better but did manage to score on one of its four opportunities, just the third goal on the man-advantage over the past 46 tries (6.5 percent) and 19 games.

“Where do I start?” Trotz asked. “I think it’s just getting the right mentality.”

Trotz cited the inability to win faceoffs and enter the zone cleanly as reasons they struggled against Toronto’s aggressive penalty kill. The goal came when Brock Nelson was able to make a great no-look pass to Jordan Eberle for a shot into a gaping net with 5:05 remaining in regulation.

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The Islanders could still finish anywhere from atop the Metropolitan Division to the second wild card, and Trotz said he would consider resting players at some point, but not until the seed was set.

“I’d consider it, if everybody is healthy,” he said. “Based on who they are, how many minutes [they play], are they totally healthy or are they nicked up a little bit. Those are things that you consider. And where we are. Right now, we want to play.”

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Trotz flipped left-wings Anthony Beauvillier and Matt Martin in the second period, putting Beauvillier with Casey Cizikas and Cal Clutterbuck, while Martin went with Leo Komarov and Tom Kuhnhackl.

The bench shortened in the third, with Kuhnhackl not getting on for the final 9:08 of regulation, and Martin sitting the final 10:25.