In the postseason, a team’s best players produce in the biggest moments. However, it’s over the course of a seven-game series that role players make the biggest impact.
Although Mathew Barzal was the unequivocal hero for the New York Islanders during their Game 4 double overtime victory against the Carolina Hurricanes, the third line of Jean-Gabriel Pageau, Anders Lee and Pierre Engvall that has kept the Islanders in the series that seemed to be all but over before Barzal’s game-winning goal on Saturday.
“All series, they’ve been great,” Barzal said during a media availability on Sunday. “I feel like they’ve probably been our most consistent line the entire series with Pierre and Lee on the wings, being big down low, holding onto the puck and making plays. Last night, they gave us lots of energy on the bench, with them holding the puck down low, playing the cycle game and whatnot. They’ve been awesome in every game.”
Whether it be statistically or just visually, the trio has stood out for the Islanders. With a combined eight points, they are the only Islanders line to register at least a point in every game thus far.
According to MoneyPuck.com, their xGoal percentage of 75% ranks 11th among all forward lines in this year’s playoffs and third among those that have played a minimum of 25 minutes together. But while the offense the unit has contributed has been important, their contributions on defense have been vital, allowing Islanders head coach Patrick Roy to dictate matchups in tight situations against the Hurricanes.
“It’s exactly what Carolina has with [Jordan Stall, Jordan Martinook and Seth Jarvis]: a line that can play in any situation,” Roy said. “Having a faceoff in your own zone in key moments at the end of periods when the other team wants to create a bit of a buzz, slowing them down and winning those draws, that is huge. It’s helped us a lot to get to the end of shifts.”
In Game 4, Pageau’s effort at the dot, where he won 19 of 23 faceoffs, was only overshadowed by his goal at 1:44 of the third period, which at the time gave the Islanders a 2-1 lead. Lee had an assist on the goal, giving him a point in each game in the series thus far to lead the Islanders.
“He’s a competitor,” Pageau said of Lee following Game 4. “He’s leading us, not only in the locker room, but I think just on the ice with his work ethic. That’s contagious. You see how much it means to him. Every battle, every [puck along the wall], he is trying to win, and he’s giving 110%. I’m lucky to play with him. It’s very contagious, and I think we all see it from the bench. When you see a player working that hard, you just want to do the same. In the playoffs, I think that urgency that he has, it’s been huge.”
“I don’t know if we could call them the third line the way they’ve been playing,” said Patrick Roy. “They’ve been scoring goals. They’re playing really well offensively and defensively. They’ve been very reliable, so I’m very, very happy with them.”
