Altered lines draw raves from Islanders coach Patrick Roy
Islanders center Brock Nelson sets before a faceoff against the Lightning in the third period of an NHL game at UBS Arena on Feb. 8. Credit: Kathleen Malone-Van Dyke
DALLAS — The attention was on the top-heavy top line of Bo Horvat centering natural centers Brock Nelson and Mathew Barzal.
But coach Patrick Roy liked all four of his revamped lines in the Islanders’ 3-2 overtime win over the Stars on Monday night at American Airlines Center.
“I thought every line brought something,” Roy said.
Horvat had a game-high seven shots and Barzal nearly scored on a breakaway on the line’s first shift.
“A little different,” said Nelson, who last played wing regularly in college. “You find yourself in some different spots, but just tried to read off Bo and Barzy.”
Kyle MacLean, centering the fourth line, scored the Islanders’ second goal. Pierre Engvall had four shots on a new third line with Casey Cizikas and Simon Holmstrom.
“It’s only the first game,” Roy said of the new top line. “But [Nelson] brings a lot of speed. Sometimes it takes a couple of games. What I loved is how fast the [Jean-Gabriel] Pageau line clicked and how fast the Cizikas line clicked and the MacLean line was really good.”
Pageau skated with Anders Lee, who nearly knocked in a backhander in the second period, and Kyle Palmieri.
Isles files
Defenseman Adam Pelech missed the final four minutes of regulation after being bloodied by a puck hitting the side of his head. He returned to the bench for overtime . . . The Islanders also beat the Stars, 3-2, in overtime on Jan. 21 at UBS Arena in Roy’s first game as Islanders coach . . . Forward Hudson Fasching (lower body), sent to AHL Bridgeport on Friday for a conditioning assignment, is eligible to be activated off long-term injured reserve on Tuesday. Roy did not indicate whether Fasching will meet the team in Detroit for Thursday night’s game. Fasching has a goal in two games with Bridgeport.
Andrew Gross joined Newsday in 2018 to cover the Islanders. He began reporting on the NHL in 2003 and has previously covered the Rangers and Devils. Other assignments have included the Jets, St. John’s and MLB.
