The Islanders will take what positives they will get proper now, with their season on the cusp of ending after a messy, 7-6 loss in additional time to the Predators on Tuesday.
Simon Holmstrom, who reached 20 objectives in a season for the primary time with a career-best four-point night time on Tuesday, can be someplace close to the highest of that listing.
“I thought he was our best player tonight,” Jean-Gabriel Pageau mentioned following the sport. “He was skating well. Protecting the puck well, winning his battles, and he was competing the whole game. I was happy for him to see a couple go in. He’s working extremely hard.”
On an evening when the Islanders regarded checked out for the length, Holmstrom stood out as an exception.
He was a risk on the frenzy and off the cycle, assisted Maxim Tsyplakov from behind the web and Scott Mayfield shorthanded.
As has been the case all season, his chemistry with Pageau was evident, as he simply completed a backhand feed from No. 44 to attain within the second interval.
“I will say the Pageau line was really good,” coach Patrick Roy mentioned. “To me, that’s the positive of the game. That line gave us a chance to be in that game. And despite the fact we didn’t have our best night, I thought those guys played really well.”
Increasingly more as this season has progressed, the 23-year-old Swede appears to be like like a key a part of the Islanders’ future.
His recreation has developed far past the defense-first type that marked his first two seasons within the league, when the Islanders had been often imploring Holmstrom to shoot extra whereas lauding his two-way recreation.
He’s been a fixture within the high six since late February and hasn’t missed a beat, notably because the Brock Nelson commerce, which enabled Holmstrom to pair again up with Pageau as his heart.
There’s sufficient questions round what the Islanders will do that summer time that it’s not clear whether or not Holmstrom will stick in that function subsequent season.
If he’s again on the third line, nevertheless, it might be a luxurious for the Islanders.
Although the regulation-wins tiebreaker would nonetheless technically be in play, the Islanders may be de facto eradicated with a loss to the Rangers on Thursday at UBS Area.
The Rangers have overwhelmed the Islanders all 3 times the 2 groups have performed this season, by a mixed rating of 14-3.
