A yr in the past, it was a Nov. 24 match in Ottawa that immutably modified the season for the Islanders, when Adam Pelech and Sebastian Aho each acquired damage, trimming the Isles all the way down to 4 defenseman for an eventual win over the Senators.
That triggered a transfer to herald Mike Reilly off waivers, and when Ryan Pulock joined the injured listing a pair weeks later, Lou Lamoriello didn’t waste time in buying and selling for Robert Bortuzzo from the Blues.
The sequence of occasions over the past week, with Noah Dobson getting damage, the Islanders bringing in Tony DeAngelo, then Pulock becoming a member of Dobson on the injured listing just for Lamoriello to commerce for an additional Blues defenseman — Scott Perunovich — feels awfully related.
And in his first recreation for the Islanders on Tuesday evening, Perunovich confirmed how he can assist coach Patrick Roy’s crew, displaying some offensive talent and notching a secondary help in a 5-2 win over the Avalanche.
“He played a really good game for us and that’s what I wanted him to do,” Roy stated of Perunovich, who skated 17:42 on the evening, largely with Adam Pelech. “I said [to him] this morning, ‘Stop being nervous. Just go out there and play and enjoy the game.’ It’s his first with the Islanders, [he] deserves to have fun.”
Perunovich, sporting a brand new haircut, stated afterward that although the previous 36 hours had been loads to soak up, he felt good about how the evening had gone.
“I think it was a slow start for me, but my teammates were helping me the entire game with systems and questions,” he stated. “My partner took real good care of me tonight, too. So it’s kind of a learning adjustment, but I’m feeling good. Every day just keep getting better.”
It’s protected to say that Perunovich, the 2020 Hobey Baker Award winner and a former second-round decide, by no means fairly reached his full potential with the Blues, the place he was unable to change into a lineup common regardless of a strong offensive talent set.
Earlier within the day, Perunovich described himself as stunned to be traded, however added that he “knew something was probably coming.”
“It was tough,” stated the 26-year-old, who performed 24 video games with St. Louis this yr.
“That’s a great team over there with a lot of friends. Definitely sad saying goodbye, but you have to do what’s best for you and this is it.”
After lacking the final 4 video games — three attributable to suspension and one as a wholesome scratch — Max Tsyplakov rejoined the lineup, coming in on the fourth line with Pierre Engvall drawing out.
