Islander goalie Robin Lehner has some points to make
Robin Lehner #40 of the Islanders defends the net during the second period against the Carolina Hurricanes during Game One of round two in the NHL playoffs at Barclays Center on Friday, April 26, 2019 in Brooklyn. Credit: Jim McIsaac
Goalie Robin Lehner clarified — corrected, really — the basis of some of the questions shot his way after the Islanders’ practice on Saturday at Barclays Center.
He is expected to start on Sunday afternoon as the Islanders look to even their second-round series against the Hurricanes in Game 2 in Brooklyn after a 1-0 overtime loss on Friday night.
That dropped Lehner’s career record against the Hurricanes to 0-5 in his first start against them as an Islander. But he said the quality of the teams he played behind in Buffalo and Ottawa must be considered.
“If you go through the record between me and teams this year compared to what I had against other teams, the other teams might not have been really good,” Lehner said. “(The Hurricanes) are a new team over there so I don’t think it has any significance.”
He also disputed the notion that he and Thomas Greiss split time this season while sharing the Jennings Trophy for allowing the fewest goals. Lehner was 25-13-5 with a 2.13 goals-against average and a .930 save percentage and has started all five playoff games while Greiss went 23-14-2 with a 2.28 GAA and a .927 save percentage.
“It’s lazy work to take out the game sheet and it’s even in games,” Lehner said. “But there never was splitting. With an exception of one stretch, if I was going good, I was playing and if I lost a game or something, Greiss went in and he was hot.”
Back in
Defenseman Thomas Hickey logged 18:16 with one blocked shot while paired with Nick Leddy in Game 1, his first game action since April 4. He was a healthy scratch in seven of the last eight regular-season games but regained his lineup spot with Johnny Boychuk (lower body) out for three to four weeks.
“It’s a long layoff for me so to get back in sync and match that intensity, it’s tough," Hickey said. “I shook that stuff out. As a player, you know your body and it took a little time as I expected it would.”
No worries
Defenseman Scott Mayfield and right wing Leo Komarov were given maintenance days but Trotz said both would be available for Sunday’s Game 2.
“I don’t have any doubts that those two will be in,” Trotz said.
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.
