The self-correction, from Jean-Gabriel Pageau on Thursday morning, was as revealing as anything else. 

“We’ve been through a lot of adversity throughout the years,” the Islanders’ center said. “Sorry, throughout the year, so far.” 

That would be correct. And as if the Islanders needed yet another thing to go wrong for them this late in a lost season, they got more bad news on Thursday. Cal Clutterbuck, who signed a two-year extension on Monday, will miss the rest of the season with a shoulder injury that requires surgery. Scott Mayfield, one of two players on the team not to miss a game this season, will be out four to six weeks with a lower-body injury, presumably sustained from blocking a shot late in Tuesday’s 3-0 win over the Senators. 

According to head coach Barry Trotz, the Islanders don’t plan to call anyone up from AHL Bridgeport to take those spots. Trotz also said that Clutterbuck should be ready for training camp and demurred when asked if Mayfield could return for the tail end of the season. 

The Islanders began Thursday 17 points back of the last playoff spot in the East, well out of the race, and losing two of their most reliable pieces and penalty-killers to top off a season marred from the beginning with a inordinately long road trip, COVID-19 outbreak and scheduling inconsistencies feels a little bit like the knockout punch. 

“We’re kinda used to that feeling, guys going down whether it was injuries or COVID,” Pageau said. “It’s never fun. They’re key players for us. They’re both players that bring physical aspects to our game, which is in our game plan every night.” 

The lineup ramifications, at least for now, seem to be that Sebastian Aho will be an everyday starter in the top six, with Kieffer Bellows and Ross Johnston splitting time on the fourth line. If the Islanders eventually choose to call up a defenseman, they have a few options in Bridgeport, with Robin Salo being the biggest potential name. 

Right now, though, the spot looks like Aho’s to lose. The 26-year-old had nine points in 25 games going into Thursday, but frequent defensive lapses — such as a turnover deep in his own zone that led to the Flyers scoring on Sunday — have hindered his ability to stay in the lineup. 

The situation amounts to an intriguing chance for Bellows, who will have a chance to help drive offense on a heavy, checking fourth line when he gets in. With 13 points in 32 games thus far, the 23-year-old will be looking for a chance to stick in the lineup. 

“He’s gonna have to bring the energy, some of that energy,” Islanders coach Barry Trotz said. “If you think about that line, you got [Matt Martin] and Casey [Cizikas], Marty’s physical, Casey sorta drives that line cause he’s got an edge. And you need that abrasiveness and a little bit of that goal scoring or skill element.” 

The penalty kill, one of few parts that have gone according to plan for the Islanders this season, will be severely affected as well. Clutterbuck and Mayfield both eat up minutes at four-on-five, with their physical games fitting perfectly on the first unit. 

Trotz said that Noah Dobson — who played penalty-kill minutes at junior levels — will likely take Mayfield’s spot. Clutterbuck’s could be more of a rotating cast, with Brock Nelson, Anthony Beauvillier, Josh Bailey and Kyle Palmieri all potential options. 

Trotz tried to keep an upbeat look about the situation, calling it a chance to develop other players and saying he wants to keep a next-man-up mentality intact. But it’s hard to dance around the basic facts of the situation. 

It has been a brutal season for the Islanders. And it looks like it’s going to have a brutal end.