Islanders’ Jordan Eberle thinks he’s found his game again
Islanders center Jordan Eberle skates with the puck against the Flyers in the third period at Barclays Center onNov. 22, 2017. Credit: Kathleen Malone-Van Dyke
His new team’s season has not been to Jordan Eberle’s satisfaction.
But there have been some positives for the former Oiler in his first season with the Islanders.
“I just really wanted to find my game, find my confidence again,” Eberle said. “I know what I can be. Last year was a tough year as far as the way I was playing. I just wanted to come back here and start enjoying playing hockey and having fun again. I think, for the most part, I have. We’re not in the playoffs and that’s been frustrating.”
Saturday was Jordan Eberle mini-bobblehead night at Barclays Center as the Islanders faced the Blackhawks. Eberle reached the 25-goal milestone for the fourth time in his eight NHL seasons in Tuesday’s 4-1 win over the Penguins and had three assists in Thursday’s 7-6 loss to the Lightning.
Eberle had 20 goals and 31 assists in 82 games for the Oilers last season, then was swapped for Ryan Strome on June 22.
“It kind of gave me an extra jump, a little bit of fire,” Eberle said. “You kind of want to prove the team wrong that traded you.”
Evaluating Gibson
Islanders coach Doug Weight opted not to start 25-year-old Finnish goalie Christopher Gibson after he surrendered six goals on 24 shots to the Lightning in 33:12.
“Just pull him back,” Weight said. “He’s not going to play eight games.”
The Islanders have seven regular-season games remaining after Saturday. Evaluating Gibson, an impending unrestricted free agent who lost most of last season to a knee injury and has played in just 10 NHL games, is one of the Islanders’ remaining priorities.
Gibson has an 18-11-1 record with a 2.31 goals-against average and a .909 save percentage for Bridgeport (AHL) this season.
“It’s a stronger, faster game,” Weight said of the NHL. “Just how he deals with that.”
The lineup
Defenseman Brandon Davidson replaced veteran Dennis Seidenberg after missing the last three games with soreness . . . Ross Johnston came in for Chris Wagner on the fourth line.
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.
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