The New York Islanders left Thursday night with a 4-1 win over the Chicago Blackhawks, and when the locker room handouts came around, Anthony Duclair and Logan Stanley were the ones getting recognized.
Duclair took home the player of the game oar after a night that included his first goal of the season. The finish came in the second period, with Stanley setting him up for the score. Duclair received the oar from Ilya Sorokin.
That result fit the way Islanders head coach Pete DeBoer saw Duclair’s night. “I thought he was great in the first two games,” DeBoer said of Duclair's performance.
“I thought he took a step back in the Ranger game, and I talked to him this morning and said, 'You know, I need you to get back to what you were doing' because he was becoming a real important part of our group, and he responded tonight. He did a great job and I'm glad he got rewarded because it's a little while coming.
He could have had a couple of the first couple games.”
Stanley’s recognition came in the form of the hardest worker helmet after he put together a two-point night alongside his new defense partner, 19-year-old Matthew Schaefer.
“I’m going to try and be simple for him and let him do his thing and create and make plays,” Stanley said on being paired with the 19-year-old defenseman. “If he knows I'm back there covering for him, he has free rein to do what he wants with the puck, and obviously he's high end, and try and be simple and predictable for him.”
Stanley logged 23:51 of ice time, the fourth-highest total of his career, and picked up assists on Duclair’s second-period goal and Bo Horvat’s second goal of the game in the third. He now has four points this season, all of them coming on home ice.
The 6-foot-7 defenseman also stepped in for Horvat after Horvat took a hard hit late in the game.
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The spread also tells its own story, because not every Islander landed in the same neighborhood, and one placement is already the sort of thing fans will argue about. Matthew Schaefers rapid rise stands out, while Ilya Sorokins spot underscores how highly ESPN still views him in the crease, and Bo Horvat and Mathew Barzal round out a group that gives the Islanders multiple legitimate reference points. The bigger conversation, though, may end up being which player is getting the most benefit of the doubt and whether that says more about performance, projection, or both. [Read more 🡒]
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For a team that has had to manage its goaltending depth carefully, getting Varlamov back on the ice is a meaningful development. Head coach Peter DeBoer praised the comeback and pointed to the stability Varlamov can provide as a backup option, which is exactly the kind of support the Islanders need over the long haul. The next step is seeing how he holds up after finally making it back, and that remains the part everyone around the team will be watching closely. [Read more 🡒]
Islanders Suddenly Face A Blue Line Shakeup Before Chicago
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Scott Mayfield is slated to step into Romanovs spot, with Tony DeAngelo expected to skate alongside him as coach Peter DeBoers morning skate lineup took shape. For a team trying to steady itself in a hurry, the immediate concern is not just replacing one defenseman, but finding the right fit in the pairs before the puck drops in Chicago. [Read more 🡒]