Matt Martin has spent a lot of this season as a de facto observe participant for the Islanders, getting right into a handful of video games and in any other case contributing by setting an instance and dealing exhausting in practices.
That was the deal when the Islanders elevated Martin off a PTO in November.
He knew it; the Islanders knew it.
There aren’t any exhausting emotions about it.
Outdoors of stating the plain when requested, that, sure, he wish to play, Martin has stored his head down regardless of sitting since Jan. 16.
The veteran was lastly rewarded Friday, getting again into the lineup for a 3-1 win over the Wild with the Islanders down Anthony Duclair, who’s taking a private absence from the crew after coach Patrick Roy ripped into his play following Tuesday’s loss to the Lightning.
“I think the challenge is the pace, the timing of making plays. Same challenge you have any other time you’re out for a duration,” Martin informed The Publish pregame. “For me, you just got to keep it simple. Make wall plays, get pucks in, get pucks out, try and build some confidence and some timing from there. Try not to force anything really early. Just get your feet under you, get your timing back and go from there.”
Martin staying within the lineup is probably going contingent on Duclair’s standing, but it surely seems attainable the Islanders received’t see Duclair once more this season.
So these final eight video games may very well be a swan music of kinds for the 35-year-old Martin, who has but to handle his future.
“I was happy for him,” Roy stated after the sport, by which Martin performed 7:49 on the fourth line with Kyle MacLean and Marc Gatcomb. “Seeing someone working so hard in the practice, yeah he probably felt rusty a bit at times, at the beginning. I thought he did a really nice job and we rolled the four lines.”
Scott Mayfield got here again into the lineup after being a wholesome scratch for six straight video games, changing Adam Boqvist on the third pair.
“I thought he was really good,” Roy stated after Mayfield skated 14:51. “Moving his feet, he was making good decisions with the puck.”
Roy stated the Islanders are usually not contemplating calling up a ahead from AHL Bridgeport regardless of having simply 12 obtainable to play on the roster with Duclair taking a private absence.
