Breaking Down Ryan Pulock's Strong Performance In Return To Lineup

The New York Islanders got back on track on Thursday night in California, knocking off the Los Angeles Kings 5-2.

The win snapped an elongated four-game losing streak (0-2-2) which saw the Islanders lose ground in the early-season standings.

The big story from the game has to be the strong returns of both Matias Maccelli and Ryan Pulock.

Maccelli posted one assist, a primary apple on Matthew Schaefer's power play goal, while playing 13:46 in his return.

That Maccelli didn't seem to have missed a beat is a big story in and of itself, but it is not the main takeaway.

The return of Ryan Pulock is the big one. He came in and balanced out the Islanders' defense, most specifically alleviating the ice time crunch on the team's penalty kill.

What's more, Pulock and Pelech both finished +4 for only the second time in either of their careers, with the prior instances in their careers both coming before COVID-19.

Pulock played 19:22 while adding two assists for his first multipoint effort since January 6 against the New Jersey Devils in a 9-0 win last season.

Schaefer still played a touch over 27 minutes, yes. That is still an area of concern, but last night it was a non-factor.

The Islanders moved to an 8-4-2 with Pulock in the lineup, further showing just how vital he is to the team's success at large.

New York's next game comes Saturday night against the Anaheim Ducks in California, the final game of this three-game cross-country road trip to California.