Islanders' physical game becomes even more than that

The Islanders pride themselves on being a physical team. Usually, however, that physicality is manifested in the body-checking department, not necessarily the fighting department.

Identity line wingers Cal Clutterbuck and Matt Martin were in the top 10 in the league in hits in the regular season, according to quanthockey.com, with Clutterbuck ranking sixth with 191 and Martin eighth with 181.

That physical style has continued in the playoffs. Entering Game 4 of their second-round playoff series Saturday at Nassau Coliseum against the Boston Bruins, Clutterbuck, Martin and Leo Komarov were second, third and fourth in playoff hits with 50, 46 and 45 in nine games.

In Game 4, a 4-1 Islanders victory that tied the best-of-seven series at 2-2, the three totaled 10 hits (Clutterbuck and Martin four each, Komarov two).

Before the game, Islanders coach Barry Trotz explained that there is a tangible value to teams that play a physical game.

"[Physical play] wears you out,’’ Trotz said. "It wears you mentally, and some guys are mentally stronger than others. Some guys have a bigger backbone, as I would say, when it comes to those situations. And that's why I think, in the playoffs, it gets ramped up a little bit. It just does.’’

The Islanders were physical again Saturday night, but this time the physicality included some over-the-edge chippiness and a couple of fights. Islanders defenseman Scott Mayfield exchanged punches with Bruins forward Taylor Hall in the first period, and a few minutes later, Martin dropped the gloves with Bruins defenseman Jarred Tinordi.

It was Hall's second NHL fight and his first since 2011. Mayfield, who along with partner Nick Leddy has matched up a lot against the Hall line, chalked up the fight to trying to be physical with the speedy Hall and playoff hockey being "emotional.’’

"He’s not known for [fighting], that’s for sure,’’ Mayfield said. "That’s part of the game, and it was a good little fight there, and we move on.’’

Mayfield was asked if he thought the fights might have helped to get the Islanders going in the game, which was tight throughout, before the Isles opened it up at the end with a couple of empty-net goals.

"I think that can get us going a little bit,’’ he said. "I also think when a guy like Hall steps up like that, I think it gets them going a little bit. And I know Tinordi got inserted in the lineup there [replacing the injured Brandon Carlo], so he stepped up. So it can go both ways. But the crowd was loud. I think everyone heard that. So that helps us.’’

Trotz said he didn’t think the Islanders got a lift from the fights, and the coach seemed to want to make sure everyone knew his team didn’t start the fights in order to get some kind of bounce from them.

"No, I just think they're happenstance,’’ Trotz said. "I think Hall sort of initiated the first one, and I'd have to look at the second one again, but Tinordi came off the blue line to engage with Martin. So as much as you want to put that on us, I think [the Bruins] were looking for a little momentum there, and they didn't get any.’’

By Colin Stephenson

colin.stephenson@newsday.comColinSNewsday

Colin Stephenson covers the Rangers for Newsday. He has spent more than two decades covering the NHL and just about every sports team in the New York metropolitan area.