After not playing in the New York Islanders' 4-2 preseason win over the New Jersey Devils on Sunday, there are reasons to believe that the new top line will be in action on Tuesday night against the New York Rangers.
After not playing in the New York Islanders' 4-2 preseason win over the New Jersey Devils on Sunday, there are reasons to believe that the new top line will be in action on Tuesday night against the New York Rangers.
EAST MEADOW, NY -- After not playing in the New York Islanders' 4-2 preseason win over the New Jersey Devils on Sunday, there are reasons to believe that the new top line will be in action on Tuesday night against the New York Rangers.
The Islanders' newest trio, Anthony Duclair, Bo Horvat, and Mathew Barzal, has looked exceptional in training camp.
All three can skate. All three can shoot. And all three have the hockey IQ necessary for this line to be a force every shift.
But outside of rushes at practice, we have yet to see what they can do in an actual game, whether the result counts in the standings.
"We're excited," Mathew Barzal told The Hockey News about getting into a game with his two linemates. "I mean, we're as excited as we can be for a preseason game.
"We'll try to get some chemistry going.'
Although that line's performance will be a storyline, getting into a preseason game is about shaking off rust.
"More important, we're just going to try to play within our structure and get our legs and lungs feeling good," Barzal added.
We know what Barzal and Horvat bring. And we know from training camp skates and game footage that Duclair can absolutely fly.
But is there something Duclair does really well that goes under the radar?
"His skill and speed are his two big assets, but he's also a pretty thick guy," Barzal said. "So, he's good at protecting the puck."
For someone who is 5'11, weighing 197 pounds, Duclair plays a much bigger game and wields a rather long stick, which allows him to do some magical things with the puck.
Like with Maxim Tsyplakov in his first taste of NHL action this past Sunday, Islanders head coach Patrick Roy isn't going into Tuesday's game expecting the world from his new top line.
'They've had a good training camp so far, so I'm curious to see them," Roy said. "I don't try to make huge expectations of the first game, but I'm excited to see how they're going to fit together.
"And I think they might need a couple of games to feel comfortable together, but I'm excited about seeing them play together, absolutely."
Whether we see that line at Madison Square Garden, Wells Fargo Center on Thursday, or UBS Arena on Friday, they'll get enough shifts under their belt to be ready for the season-opener on Oct. 10 against the Utah Hockey Club at home.