Bo Horvat's new linemates: Zach Parise and Hudson Fasching
Bo Horvat of the New York Islanders at UBS Arena. Credit: Jim McIsaac
Lane Lambert knows for all the planning and mental gymnastics involved in trying to figure out the right line combinations to spark the Islanders’ offense, his coach’s work “may only last five minutes,” once the puck his dropped.
The latest iterations for Monday night’s game against the playoff-bound Devils at UBS Arena included separating Anders Lee and top-line center Bo Horvat for the first time in 16 games and placing Zach Parise and Hudson Fasching on Horvat’s wings.
Horvat, acquired from the Canucks on Jan. 30, entered Monday without a goal in 11 games and with only two assists in that span. Lee, who started on Jean-Gabriel Pageau’s line along with Simon Holmstrom — back in the lineup after his healthy scratch for Saturday’s 2-0 loss to the visiting Sabres — went without a point in six of his last seven games.
“I think it’s going to be a good change,” Horvat said. “Leesy and I had success early and things kind of dwindled away.
“I know I have to be better and start pulling my weight around here for sure . . . I think I definitely have another level to my game where I can be a lot better.”
The Islanders entered Monday’s game with a tenuous hold on the Eastern Conference’s first wild-card spot. The loss to the Sabres, less than 24 hours after a 5-4 overtime road defeat to the conference-worst Blue Jackets, marked the fifth time this season the Islanders had been shut out.
“We’re looking for production from all four lines,” Lambert said. “Prior to the last game, we had some good production and scored quite a few goals on the trip [12 goals in a 2-1-0 California swing]). At the end of the day, we’re trying to get everyone going.
“We’re just looking for a spark and a combination. [Parise and Fasching] have been having some success and we’ll see what happens.”
Parise, the oldest Islander to reach 20 goals at age 38, and Fasching, a 27-year-old journeyman who has finally earned a full-time NHL role, have been the team’s best wings of late along with Kyle Palmieri.
Parise had a four-game goal streak snapped against the Sabres and Fasching had four goals and four assists in his previous nine games.
“They both work really hard,” Horvat said. “They make plays. They get in on the forecheck and they’ve been playing really well as of late.”
Lambert kept his other two lines intact, with Brock Nelson in between Palmieri and Pierre Engvall and Casey Cizikas centering Cal Clutterbuck and Matt Martin.
Garnering just one point in the back-to-back against the Blue Jackets and Sabres was definitely a missed opportunity.
But not cause for panic.
“It was disappointing for sure but there’s nothing you can do about it,” Clutterbuck said. “The only thing that can make it more disappointing is to let it linger. We had opportunities but we didn’t take advantage. We’ve got [seven] more cracks at it.”
The Devils, meanwhile, clinched their first playoff berth since 2018 with a 5-3 win over the Senators on Saturday.
“They’ve had a great year,” said Palmieri, who played for the Devils from 2015-21. “There’s been a lot of changeover since I was there. But the talent those young guys had, you knew it was going to take some time to cement themselves as everyday superstars, or whatever you call it. But I saw the way those guys worked and the talent they had. It’s not a surprise. You knew they had what it took, it was just a matter of time and trusting that process.”
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.
