How Fasching Quickly Found His Game, Flashing Back To Last Spring

It's taken Hudson Fasching a bit to find the game that earned him a two-year extension. But over the last two games, Fasching has played the way the New York Islanders need him to.

Hudson Fasching was the New York Islanders success story in 2022-23. 

A potential lifelong NHLer, Fasching got a chance with the Islanders at the NHL level in early December due to a few injuries. 

His work ethic was that of his teammate and sometimes linemate Zach Parise. He played like a member of the identity line in their prime. 

Not only was Fasching sound defensively, but he also had the smarts to know when to jump in on the offense, and that he did in key moments, scoring 10 goals with nine assists in 49 games. 

His season ended with a two-year extension worth $775,000 annually. 

"I'm very excited with how this last year had gone and everything, but for the most part, I really just tried to focus on continuing to get better and continuing to improve and continuing to prove that I can play in this league," Fasching told The Hockey News at the start of training camp. 

"It [enjoying the accomplishment of the extension] was a short-lived thing, and I'm definitely more focused on continuing to get better."

Fasching looked a little off to begin the regular season after missing the final three games of the preseason with an injury after an under-the-radar strong start to training camp. 

The energy and grit were absent too often through the first three games of the season, leading to a lack of effectiveness in the defensive zone and very little in terms of offensive creativity. 

"He's just been okay. I think, for me, there's more there, and I look forward to seeing it," Islanders head coach Lane Lambert said ahead of scratching Fasching up in Buffalo.

Back on Oct. 25, The Hockey News spoke to Fasching about what he had to do to find his game again. 

"Sometimes it starts early, and you're trying to create opportunities. You want to do things to help the team, and you want to try to stay in the lineup, obviously," Fasching said. "So, it's trying to find a balance of forcing plays and trying to still create plays, you know?

Over the last two games for New York, Fasching has looked more like the spark-plug player that earned him his two-year contract.

After sitting the first two games of the road trip, Faching was back in against the Seattle Kraken Thursday night, a 4-3 shootout loss.

Immediately, Fasching got in on the forecheck and brought speed and intensity to a line that could certainly use it, as he was filling in for a banged-up Matt Martin on the fourth line.

With Martin still unavailable for Saturday's showdown against the Calgary Flames, Fasching got another chance to prove his worst amidst a seven-game slide and was effective. 

Despite doing all the little things he has to do to stay in the lineup, he showed off his offensive abilities, hopping on a loose puck in the high slot before beating Flames netminder Jacob Markstrom blocker side after a sneaky pull-back.

Fasching played a team-low 11:13 in the win, with a goal on one shot and a block. 

“He’s got some speed there. He’s a headsy hockey player who sees the play well, protects the puck down low, and scored a huge goal for us tonight," Lambert said postgame. 

Two games of strong play may be enough to keep Fasching in the lineup for their next game on Wednesday against the Flyers, depending on Martin's health. 

But if Fasching is able to show that he's found his game from last season, it won't matter who is healthy. 

In 10 games this season, Fasching has a goal on nine shots, averaging 11:43 minutes per game with seven blocks and four hits.

Maybe we see Fasching earn more minutes by playing on the penalty kill, given their struggles. The 28-year-old has played on the shorthanded units at every stop of his career. 

When Fasching got recalled last season and made his mark, he became not just an everyday player but a player Lambert relied upon in key moments, and there's no question he played a vital role in the Islanders' ability to make the postseason. 

It's been a tough stretch for New York, who is behind the eight-ball once again early on, with a 6-6-5 record through 17 games. 

Although it takes more than one player to turn the tide, Fasching could prove to be a difference-maker yet again if he keeps this up.