Good Morning, Islanders Country.
Maybe Barry Trotz was speaking about a morale booster.
Anthony Beauvillier, the Identity Line, and Seymon Varlamov all provided the shot-in-the-arm the Islanders needed in a 3-1 victory over a truly undermanned Boston Bruins team at UBS Arena on Thursday Night.
Coming up, Trotz talks about dealing with Covid and how Beau can raise his game. Plus, hockey experts share their honest opinions and the story behind a UBS Arena worker’s ‘electric’ performance. But first, a recap of one of the more complete efforts of the season.
Let’s dive in.
🏒 IN SHORT: The New York Islanders defeated the Boston Bruins 3-1 at UBS Arena behind 40 saves from Semyon Varlamov who earned his first win of the season. Cal Clutterbuck scored twice for the Islanders (8-12-5), who have now won consecutive home games and three of five overall since an 11 game winless streak. The Bruins (14-10-2) played with 17 skaters after seven players entered NHL COVID-19 protocol over the past three days. Mike Reilly scored with 54 seconds left for Boston to break the shutout and Linus Ullmark made 25 saves in the loss.
🔑 KEY MOMENT(s):
🔷 The 4th line found their identity on the game’s first goal. Matt Martin and Casey Cizikas provided puck support behind the net and won the battle leading to Clutterbuck beating Ullmark in the “Toy Department” for a 1-0 lead.
🔶 Early in the second and on the power-play, Beauvillier registered his first point in 15 games and the first goal since October 30th in Nashville to put the Isles up 2-0. Robin Salo earned his first career point on the goal and Josh Bailey tallied assist No. 358, one behind Clark Gillies for fourth in team history.
🔷 Varlamov stopped all 21 shots the Bruins took in the second period and none were bigger than this save on David Pastrnak’s drive to the net with four and half minutes to go in the period.
🔶 Clutterbuck sealed the victory with an empty-net goal at 17:43 of the third to extend the lead to 3-0. Thursday was his 7th career multi-goal game (5th as an Islanders) in his 899th NHL game.
3 REACTIONS
❶ FIRST WIN: "It feels great," Varlamov said. "It's been a long time when I won my last game, so a first win for me, feels amazing, finally. I had a tough stretch, but it's over, so I'm happy for the team and we get two points today and I'm happy with myself."
❷ WAKE-UP CALL: "I've been grinding to find my game lately, but the last few games have been good, definitely a wake-up call and seeing the positive of it," Beauvillier said. "Just go out there and play and try to win battles and win games."
❸ REWARDED: "The Identity Line was playing to their identity," Trotz said. "They were physical, they got rewarded, Clutterbuck had two goals tonight and could have had a third if he just had an inch or two left or right of the post."
⏭ NEXT UP:
📊 STANDINGS:
📰 NEWS: Austin Czarnik was back in the lineup after being recalled from Bridgeport (AHL) and Kieffer Bellows was a healthy scratch. The move allowed Zach Parise to move back on the wing and play with Czarnik and Kyle Palmieri. Palmieri left the game in the second period and is day-to-day with a lower-body injury.
👨⚕️ FOLLOWING PROTOCOL: The organization walked back a statement from Barry Trotz that suggested the entire team had received their booster shot. With Covid-19 cases rising across the NHL, Trotz noted that while it was disappointing to see the return of restrictions, the organization has done everything possible to combat the virus. “It is our new reality right now, we’ll adjust,” said Trotz. “It’s required by our team and the National Hockey League.”
⬆ ANOTHER LEVEL: Two games ago, Anthony Beauvillier was a healthy scratch and if it wasn’t for Mathew Barzal being in Covid-19 protocol, it’s debatable whether Beau would have been back in the lineup so soon. Beauvillier responded with a more ‘noticeable’ game on Tuesday and then ended his pointless streak on Thursday with the goal. “Sometimes you need those hard lessons along the way to understand it, Barry Trotz said before the game. “I’m a Beau fan. I think he has another level for us. He needs to have another level for us. So do some of our other veterans. I’m not just pointing the finger at him.”
Trotz added that he views Beauvillier as a veteran player, having been with the team even longer than he has been. As a result, he expects more from him when the rest of the team is struggling. “He’s a core player for us now,” said Trotz. “When there’s a number of people out — it’s not only him — you have to find that next level to your game… not just blend in. That’s why I’m trying to get him to the next level. There’s more to Anthony that probably Anthony doesn’t even know about.”
🗣 TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK: For his first Islanders story in The Athletic, new beat writer Kevin Kurz decided the best way to get up-to-speed on the Isles was to speak to NHL experts and get their honest, unfiltered opinion on the team.
Here is a sampling of some of the quotes:
“Ninety percent of (the poor start) is starting on the road and all the other things that have happened to them,” said TNT analyst Keith Jones, who still believes that the Islanders are “a very good hockey team.”
“We feel their D is way too slow for today’s game and if they don’t get elite goaltending they will get exposed,” one current NHL coach said. “When they give up goals and struggle to score five-on-five, and if the (power play) struggles, they can’t win.”
“Just over the last couple years, you think about how deep their defense was,” ESPN’s Brian Boucher said. “They had Toews and they had Nick Leddy, and I think when you subtracted those two guys from their D core, it’s thinned out their defense. It’s not quite the same as it was a couple years back. And then you backfill with a guy like Chara, who brings a lot of intangibles and leadership and all that, but it’s not Chara from 10 years ago.”
👍🏻 BUTCH IS BACK: The “Toy Department” re-opened just in time for Christmas as Butch Goring was back on MSG Networks’ Islanders coverage and back in the booth next to Brendan Burke after recovering from shoulder surgery.
📚 SOUND SMART: After Mike Reilly scored to spoil the shutout in the final minute, Clutterbuck had a chance for another empty-netter and his first career hat-trick but hit the right post. Per Eric Hornick in The Skinny, only nineteen players in NHL history have scored two empty-net goals in a game; the Isles have played 3,813 games without a player scoring two empty-netters (either for or against).
🔗 State of the Islanders: Experts weigh in on what’s gone wrong, the Identity Line, Mathew Barzal, Ilya Sorokin and more by Kevin Kurz, The Athletic “Ninety percent of (the poor start) is starting on the road and all the other things that have happened to them,” said TNT analyst Keith Jones, who still believes that the Islanders are “a very good hockey team.”
🔗 Islanders mailbag: Tanking, goalie splits, and Josh Bailey by Joe Pantorno, many “Do you think it’s wise to tank and regroup next season? Ideally, they could nab a top prospect and get themselves another shot at the cup by shedding the fat of the roster.
I don’t think the word “tank” exists in the vocabulary of either Barry Trotz or Lou Lamoriello. You’re going to see this team emit hope of playoff contention well into January before the tune (possibly) changes.”
🎧 Talkin' Isles: Mariusz Czerkawski with Cory Wright and Greg Picker The former Islander talks about his Polish roots and time with the Islanders.
And we leave you with this …. the story of how electrician Kyle Viverito went from working on UBS Arena to singing ‘New York, New York’ during an intermission.
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