Here's why Simon Holmstrom has been moved to the second line, with Patrick Roy and the young forward sharing their thoughts after Monday's practice.
Here's why Simon Holmstrom has been moved to the second line, with Patrick Roy and the young forward sharing their thoughts after Monday's practice.
EAST MEADOW, NY -- The New York Islanders have won four straight games, hitting the practice ice on Monday morning, sitting third in the Metropolitan Division after favorable results.
However, that didn't stop head coach Patrick Roy from altering his lines, making one change as he decided to elevate Simon Holmstrom to the left of Brock Nelson while moving Pierre Engvall to Jean-Gabriel Pageau's right:
Holmstrom was a player who found himself in Roy's dog house, for lack of a better word, after the battle level wasn't where it needed to be a few weeks ago.
The second-year NHL forward sat and watched three games before returning to the lineup against the Chicago Blackhawks this past Tuesday.
Since returning to the lineup, Holmstrom has raised his battle level and has come through in some big moments for New York.
In their 2-1 win over the Chicago Blackhawks, it was Holmstrom who buried the go-ahead tally in the third period off a strong read in front of goal:
His block late in the third period against the Predators played a vital role in the win.
"Since we healthy scratch him, he's been playing good hockey," Roy said following Monday's practice. "Sometimes you feel like you have to try different things. I love the way he was handling the puck, the way he was moving the puck and the plays that he made.
"So, I thought it'd be good to create a bit of a spark on that line. I mean, with Nelson and Palmieri, he's got speed like Pierre (Engvall), and I just thought that it would be great to try different things. I love trying things. So, that was one of the reasons, but it was a huge block he made at the end. I mean, that was probably one of the key moments in that game."
While Engvall was a transitioner for that line, Roy is more focused on Nelson doing that and seeing Holmstrom get to the net.
"I think the one that carries the puck most of the time is Nelson. Brock is the one, and then from there, we want Pierre or Simon to drive the net and then create space for them. I don't know if you remember the goal where Bo drove the net, and then Brock made the pass across to Palmieri against Winnipeg. That's exactly what we feel like Simon or Pierre could do for these two guys."
Following practice, The Hockey News spoke with Holmstrom to get his thoughts on his performance lately and his elevation to the second line.
"It's been a couple of good games," Holmstrom told THN.
"It's taken a little while to get into the rhythm again, but it's getting better and better, and you just got to keep building."
Holmstrom doesn't want to change too much in his game, knowing that he's being given this chance because of what he's been doing.
"Just stay playing the same game, don't change a whole lot," Holmstrom said. "I'm just trying to find their game and how they play because I think those two are the only games I haven't played with this season. Maybe, I played with Palmieri one game. I don't think I played with Nelson. So I just gotta find out how they move out there and what their tendencies are."
THN asked Holmstrom if there was any thought to carrying the puck a bit more, given what Engvall was doing for Nelson and Palmieri.
"That's definitely one part of my game that I feel like I haven't really shown off a lot, but I've done it in Bridgeport," Holmstrom said. "It's what I used to do the most. I just got to get back to that again. There's a lot of confidence that comes with it."
In only his second season as an NHL regular, Holmstrom's had a lot to learn about what it takes to battle game in and game out over the course of a full season.
The benching seemed to have served a valuable lesson, and we've seen the battle level and effort be exactly where they need to be. One shift could possibly be the deciding factor in this team's making the playoffs or falling short.
"It's been good. Just going out there and leaving everything out there, every game and every shift. You got to do that every game on every shift so it's something that I got to stay with and keep going."
Holmstrom has a goal on seven shots, with two hits and two blocks over his last three games, averaging 13:37 minutes per.