How Islanders Lee & Pageau Found Chemistry
Could we see Anders Lee on Jean-Gabriel Pageau's wing to start the season?
EAST MEADOW, NY -- When it comes to the New York Islanders lineup for their opening night game against the Buffalo Sabres on Oct. 14, the faces should be familiar.
But what could be different is the placement of certain players, specifically Anders Lee.
The Islanders captain was productive last year, scoring 28 goals with 22 assists, playing in all 82 games. The playoffs were a much different story, as the 33-year-old struggled to finish off chances and keep pace with, to no fault of his own, pretty fast linemates in Bo Horvat and Mathew Barzal.
Now with a new season upon us, it might make more sense for Lee to play a middle-six role, which we have seen in the past once he was moved to Brock Nelson's wing in Barry Trotz's last year on the island.
Although just six days into training camp, where lines are anything but a sure thing, second-year head coach Lane Lambert has had Lee stapled next to Jean-Gabriel Pageau.
That stayed the same in the Islanders' 4-2 loss to the New York Rangers on Tuesday night, as well as in the scrimmage on Wednesday.
"I have had them together, and I liked the responsibility of both guys," Lambert said Tuesday night. "So, we'll see as we go forward here, where that goes. But they're a couple of good veteran players that play the game the right way."
Following Wednesday's scrimmage, Lambert said, "It looks to me like they're developing some chemistry there."
The two, alongside prospect Matthew Maggio, seem to understand each other's game, building chemistry rather quickly.
"He's an easy player to read," Pageau told The Hockey News. "We all know how hard he works, off the ice and on the ice. "So it's easy to know where he's going to be. If you're in trouble on the walls, he's down there, around the net all the time.
"You can put it at the net, put it behind the net, and he's so big. He competes so hard, winning those 1-on-1 battles. He's always there for you. If you're in the battle, he's coming in. And I think that's the strength of his game. Obviously, he's super strong. He plays with his head up. He's really good at making plays. I thought today we had good chemistry."
Now, many called for Lee to be placed on Pageau's wing the entire summer, citing that Lee's lack of speed made him "unusable" on the top line.
It's certainly not true, but given how fast his linemates were, Lee could be more beneficial lower in the lineup.
READ MORE: Debunking Anders Lee Disinformation
But, being on Pageau's line is not just Lee playing on "Line 3". Pageau's line has been the shutdown line, usually being tasked with going against the top players the opponents have to offer.
So, whoever plays with Pageau has to be defensively savvy, and while it would be a newer role for Lee, defensive play from the vet is a non-issue.
"To defend, you need to compete hard, and he's [Lee] probably the guy that competes the hardest on the team, and that's why he's wearing the 'C,'" Pageau said. "He's willing to sacrifice his body. He's big. He's always in the right spot, in the shooting lane...He's hard to get through.
"A lot of the offensive chances now come with defensemen joining the rush. Or in the zone, they're trying to beat you after a pass, and he never gets beat in those situations," Pageau said.
"And I think if you stay above the opponent and give them shots from the outside, I like our odds with our goalies."
Lee's credits hard work for why that line has been able to work so well.
"We're just working hard. We're out there hunting the puck," Lee said. "I mean, obviously, Pageau is such a solid player up and down the ice and working with each other, like little plays and stuff like that [...] he's really easy to play with."
Pageau is a defensive specialist, which makes Lee's transition to his wing easier.
"All of our centerman are really like that," Lee said regarding their responsible play style. "So it's not any different, but Pageau is extremely good at it."
As for how Lee views his own defensive play and how it changes with Pageau: "I played in this league a long time, and I take care of my zone. I mean, I do the best I can in that area. And I don't think just because you're on what line you're on, you play defense any differently. So you don't take it lightly because you're in line. So you play it as hard as you can, no matter where you're at, and doesn't matter."
Although the narrative right now is that Pageau and Lee will be a duo going forward, the Islanders captain was honest about his thoughts on assessing lines this early in camp.
"Things change every week, all the time. So this early camp stuff is great. It's fun to play with new guys. It's fun to play with Matt [Maggio]. It's fun to get out there with Pageau and get a repertoire together.
"Whether we start the year together or I see him in a month, we have this base, you know what I mean?
And that's the key takeaway from the conversation with Lee.
He's played alongside Horvat. He's played alongside Nelson. Now, getting experience alongside Pageau allows for Lambert to have this duo as an option, whether that be Game 1 of the season or Game 82, and that's critical given the nature of an NHL season.