How Cal Ritchie is working through his Islanders rookie wall

VANCOUVER, British Columbia — On Day 12 of this road trip, most of the Islanders are understandably keen to get back home. Not Cal Ritchie.

He’s been staying at a hotel on Long Island anyway, he explained, so it’s no different out here. Plus, he’s having a blast. There’s your timely reminder that Ritchie, who will celebrate his 21st birthday Wednesday when the Islanders finish up the trip in Seattle, is still so young, even if he is an elder statesman compared to fellow rookie Matthew Schaefer.

That is a necessary reminder to have a conversation about Ritchie right now. He has hit the rookie wall a bit lately, not so much in terms of production — actually, he had assists in two straight games before the Islanders faced the Canucks on Monday night — but in some of the details of his game.

Ritchie was boxed out at the front of the net by Adam Klapka leading to a Calgary goal Saturday. He’s struggled a bit with battles and defensive zone positioning. His line has been hemmed in for long chunks of time on this trip (though, in fairness, so has every Islanders line except perhaps the fourth). And his faceoff numbers haven’t been good all year.