ELMONT, N.Y. — The puck simply laid there for Jean-Gabriel Pageau.
Trailing 2-1 late in the second period, Kyle Palmieri tied up Robert Thomas in the face-off circle and kicked it to his left, where Anders Lee sent it back to the point for defenseman Sebastian Aho, who toed the blue line and sent a shot toward Joel Hofer’s goal.
The puck hit Palmieri, who had parked his way toward the front of the St. Louis Blues’ net, and redirected conveniently into the path of Pageau as he made his way to the left post. One sweep of his stick and the game was tied.
Pageau curled up the left boards and with an emphatic overhand fist pump, seemed to let out the majority of feelings — perhaps even unease — that had been bubbling up in recent days.
“It was a big goal for us,” Pageau said. “Everything else that’s going on around there or in the media, it’s out of my control. I try to help the team the best I can.”
His eighth goal of the year was amongst his biggest yet in 2023-24. It tied the game and sent the Islanders buzzing toward a fourth consecutive victory to help further bolster their playoff push.
Entering Thursday’s game against the San Jose Sharks, they were just four points out of a playoff spot behind the Philadelphia Flyers with two games in hand.
Pageau’s standing with the organization had fallen under some question, though, with the NHL’s trade deadline approaching on Friday at 3 p.m. ET. His name has often been brought up in speculation and rumor mills alike as a prime trade candidate if the Islanders ever decided to dismantle a portion of their foundation. The 31-year-old is due $5 million annually through the 2025-26 season, which would open up some cap space for a cash-strapped Lou Lamoriello.
“I’m sure my name is up there,” Pageau told amNewYork on Monday. “It’s there every year. I try not to focus on that right now. I’m proud to be an Islander and we’re trying to win games here, so that’s our focus right…
Read the full article here
Leave a Reply