Islanders glad they stayed together at trade deadline and maintained chemistry
The Islanders' Kyle Palmieri, center, celebrates with Anders Lee, left, and Noah Dobson after scoring a goal against the. Blues during the second period of an NHL game Tuesday at UBS Arena. Credit: AP/Frank Franklin II
ANAHEIM, Calif. — Standing pat at the NHL trade deadline felt like another victory to the Islanders, who have been racking them up of late.
The players are perfectly content to continue their playoff push with the exact group that has won a season-high five straight heading into Sunday night’s game against the struggling Ducks at Honda Center. The fact that president and general manager Lou Lamoriello did not swing a deal before Friday’s deadline was interpreted as a vote of confidence.
“I think so,” right wing Kyle Palmieri said Saturday after the Islanders practiced at the Ducks’ arena. “We’re playing some good hockey right now. We want to keep this going. We’re confident in each other in this room and it’s always good to see that confidence is there from him as well.
“Some deadlines, depending on where you’re at, could be stressful. We’re excited to just be focused on the group that’s in here and what we’re trying to accomplish.”
The Islanders (28-20-14) opened this four-game road trip with a 7-2 win in San Jose on Thursday night as they chase the Flyers for third place in the Metropolitan Division and the Red Wings and Lightning for a wild-card spot.
The winning streak coincides with coach Patrick Roy revamping his top two defense pairings and all four of his lines, including inserting AHL call-up Kyle MacLean as the fourth-line center.
Goalie Semyon Varlamov on Sunday will make his first start since Feb. 22 after Ilya Sorokin — who will get the nod on Monday night in Los Angeles — was in the net the previous six games.
“My focus has been on seeing this team playing better and better every game, and I’m very pleased with where we are as a group playing that way,” Roy said. “My focus was never on are we going to make a trade or not. Everybody knows Lou. If there’s something there that makes us a better team, I’m sure he would have done it. At the same time, the players put him in a tough spot because they’re playing so well.
“You don’t want to break that chemistry right now. Chemistry is a very important thing.”
“We’re confident in this group,” Anders Lee said. “When we’re playing our best hockey, we can go with anybody.”
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.
