When Noah Dobson was added to the NHL’s COVID List back on March 14, questions loomed on who would be his replacement. While Sebastian Aho got the first opportunity, as he slotted in for three games alongside Andy Greene, his defense proved to be a work in progress, despite his offensive touch. On Saturday night, veteran Thomas Hickey got his chance, as he played in his first NHL game since the 2019 NHL playoffs.
He was nothing short of spectacular in his first game back, as he slotted in alongside Scott Mayfield on the third defensive pairing. The 32-year old veteran picked up two assists in his 16:34 minutes of work and did not stand out on defense, which meant he did the right things. Hickey was never an in-the-spotlight kind of player. He went out there and did his job, and it was vintage Hickey on Saturday night.
Come Monday, Hickey was back in the lineup and deserving so. The goal now was to see Hickey put together another strong performance.
In the 2-1 shootout victory in Philadelphia, Hickey made it clear that he could be relied upon in critical moments. He recorded a block, two hits, and a shot on goal in 18:39 minutes of work. Given his strong play in regulation, he even got the opportunity to play in overtime.
What has made Hickey successful in his first two games is his quick thinking in all zones. Last night against the Flyers, the puck was rarely on Hickey’s stick for longer than a few seconds. He fed his linemates tape-to-tape in the offensive zone, and if he did not see a passing option, he threw the puck behind the net. In his own zone, if there was no clean pass to escape, he used the boards.
He kept it simple.
For a player that stands at 6’0, 160 pounds, the Calgary native did not seem fazed by any of the opposition’s forwards. Hickey did a tremendous job at fighting for pucks, and even when he failed to garner inside position along the boards, he used his strength and stick to keep the puck pinned until help arrived.
And when he had the opportunity to get the puck out, he got it to his partner Mayfield or another Islander forward waiting close by.
Hickey’s one shot in this game came just inside four minutes to go in the middle frame. He took a slapshot inside the blue line, as Flyers’ netminder Brian Elliott just got the stick on it. It was an intelligent and accurate shot, one that had a strong chance of going in. The eight-year veteran defenseman has shown a strong awareness when on the ice over these last two games, as if there was no shooting lane, he did not try to force anything. If the lane became unavailable, he quickly altered his gameplan.
Other defensemen may take that not-so-smart shot instead, especially those who have not played very long in the NHL. That could lead to an odd-man rush in the other direction, and as the defenseman that took the shot, the likelihood of getting back is rather slim.
With the score knotted up at one in the third period, Hickey came up huge in the defensive zone as he picked up his only block of the night. With 11:26 to go in the game, the Flyers found themselves on an odd-man rush. Hickey did not panic as he took away the shooting lane in the slot and made an excellent play to step up on Erik Gustaffson.
That brings me to my final key point, which was Hickey’s positioning in his own zone. He never lost his man, which had been an issue for the Islanders this season. He protected the house, the front of the net, and used his positioning to force the Flyers to alter their plans. Hickey was in lockdown mode.
During overtime, Hickey was rewarded with two shifts (1:03). He probably would have remained on the bench if it was your usual overtime scenario, but the Islanders started overtime on the kill. After surviving the remaining 12 seconds on the Nick Leddy penalty, we saw four on four action until the game ended. Hickey made a pivotal play on his second shift of overtime, as a soft clearing attempt by the Flyers was batted out of mid-air by no. 34, which allowed the Islanders to stay on the attack. It did not translate directly into Anthony Beauvillier’s game-winner, but anytime a team gives up the puck in overtime could be the last time they get it back.
That is now two solid showings for Hickey to kick off his season. If he can continue his strong performance throughout the Boston Bruins game tonight, he may force head coach Barry Trotz’s hand to stay in the lineup once Dobson returns.
