Islanders' Noah Dobson and Adam Pelech defend their 'vicious' hits vs. Rangers
Adam Pelech and Semyon Varlamov of the New York Islanders defend the net during the second period against Vincent Trocheck of the New York Rangers at UBS Arena on Tuesday. Credit: Jim McIsaac
Islanders defensemen Adam Pelech and Noah Dobson on Thursday denied there was anything “vicious” about their hits, as Peter Laviolette had so vehemently insisted two days earlier.
That’s how the Rangers coach characterized Pelech’s seemingly accidental neutral-zone collision with Mika Zibanejad — adding it was “intentional” —and Dobson’s hit from behind on Vincent Trocheck in the Islanders’ 4-2 win on Tuesday night at UBS Arena.
The New York rivals play again on Saturday afternoon at Madison Square Garden.
“I’ll just say it was completely unintentional,” Pelech said before the Islanders 3-2 overtime win over the Canadiens on Thursday night at UBS Arena. “And I hope Mika is OK. I think if the camera showed me at all after the collision, you could tell that I felt sick about it because he didn’t look good going down and getting up off the ice.”
Asked about Laviolette’s comment, Pelech said, “Yeah, I was surprised.”
“I don’t care too much about what other team’s coaches are saying,” Dobson said before exiting Thursday’s match with an upper-body injury. “Their coaches are going to protect their players, our coaches are going to protect our players. I haven’t given any thought to it.”
Dobson said it was a “hockey play” with the Islanders trying to protect a one-goal lead and the Rangers skating six-on-five.
“We’re trying to battle, we’re trying to win a game,” Dobson said. “I try and go for the puck and he falls. I’m glad he was able to get up. It’s not like my intent is to try and make a vicious play on him into the boards and hurt him.”
The Pelech-Zibanejad collision came midway through Tuesday’s third period.
“They had the puck,” Pelech said. “I stopped in the neutral zone to see what was going on. I was looking up ice the whole time and we collided.”
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.
