Photo: Kevin Kane/KK Images
ELMONT, N.Y. — Three wins in a row and a dominating performance against one of the top teams in hockey makes for a confident hockey team.
Written off by many just two weeks ago, the Islanders are firmly back in the Eastern Conference playoff picture after a dominating 5-1 victory over the Boston Bruins on Saturday night at UBS Arena extended the team’s winning streak to three games.
This is by far the best they have looked under head coach Patrick Roy with the result against Boston arguably New York’s marquee performance of the season.
“I just feel like we have something good going on,” Roy said. “The guys look sharp, they feel good. They look alive out there.”
It has been roughly six weeks since Roy took over for Lane Lambert behind the Islanders’ bench where his new, aggressive philosophy ran into some roadblocks seeping into the collective mind that is the locker room. The Islanders lost eight of Roy’s first 12 games before seemingly figuring it out.
Roy’s decision to shuffle the lines has paid massive dividends to spark this run. The top-heavy line of Mathew Barzal, Bo Horvat, and Brock Nelson brings a relentless attacking force. Kyle Palmieri reeled off a first-period hat trick on the second unit alongside Anders Lee and Jean-Gabriel Pageau on Saturday night. Pierre Engvall and Simon Holmstrom have been dubbed the “Swedish Connection,” by Roy and have clicked instantaneously.
“We want them to play free. We want them to enjoy themselves and play their game and right now, we are having a lot of confidence,” Roy said. “There’s one thing I’ve learned: we don’t take anything for granted. But I like the chemistry that all those lines have. The four lines are playing well, the defense is playing well, the goalie makes a good save at the right time…
“Sometimes, you want a great start when a coach comes in and put a band-aid on it but it’s not how that works. It’s to play the right…
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