New York Islanders captain Anders Lee didn't get off to the best of starts this past regular season, but he's been a catalyst for his team in their first-round series against the Carolina Hurricanes.
EAST MEADOW, NY -- They say it's not how you start but how you finish.
New York Islanders captain Anders Lee didn't get off to the best of starts this past regular season, but he's been a catalyst for his team in their first-round series against the Carolina Hurricanes.
"Anders has been playing really, really well," Islanders head coach Patrick Roy said. "He has that presence. What I love is when he goes down low and protects the puck offensively. That gives us puck possession. I love how he brings the puck to the net. Defensively, he's he's doing a really nice job with a great stick and great body position.
"It's the way you want to see your captain playing. It's inspiring to see a guy like that. And he wants to win. I mean, we had a few conversations one-on-one, and I could tell that he was on a mission.
Lee is the only player on either side to earn a point in each game of the series, sitting with a goal and three assists.
It was his goal in Game 2, before the utter collapse, that got the Islanders out to a 3-0 lead in the second period on a strong effort in front of goal:
With the Islanders' backs against the wall in Game 4, Lee jumped on a loose puck early in the third period off an offensive-zone face-off on the power play, getting the puck to Noah Dobson before Jean-Gabriel Pageau cleaned up a rebound:
After earning the secondary assist on Jean-Gabriel Pageau's go-ahead tally at 1:08 of the second period, Lee earned his fourth point of the series (one goal, three assists) and is the only player on either side to have a point in each game.
But, outside of the points, Lee is grinding out there every shift.
Whether it's winning a board battle down low, fighting at his own blue line to get the puck out, or finishing his checks, he's been doing what he has to do to help the team win.
"He's a competitor. He's leading us, not only in the locker room, but I think just on the ice with his work ethic," linemate Pageau said after Game 4. "That's contagious. You see how much it means to him. Every battle, he is trying to win them, and he's giving his 110%. I'm lucky to play with him.
"It's very contagious, and I think we all see it from the bench. When you see a player working that hard, you just want to do the same. And in the playoffs, that urgency that he has, it's been huge for us."
He's also getting shots on goal, with his 13 tied with Mathew Barzal for third-most on the team.
In Game 4, Lee was tied with Kyle Palmieri and Mathew Barzal, creating five scoring chances to lead the team.
When on the ice, the Islanders owned a 64.44 Corsi For %, the highest on the team, with 12 shots and 11 scoring chances, the second-most on the team in both categories.
"He's all over the puck battling, and that makes it really easy to play with him," linemate Pierre Engvall told The Hockey News. "He's working really hard to make plays and score goals. "He's been our best player.
"He's the leader of the team. So seeing him work that hard and really want it, it really makes the other guys work so hard."
Lee had just one goal through the first 15 games of the regular season, three in the opening 20, and it didn't help that the Islanders were struggling to play solid hockey.
That led to many questioning his leadership and whether he was still deserving to wear the "C" on his Islanders sweater.
Lee overcame the early season struggles, finishing with 20 goals, reaching that mark for the eighth time over his 12-year career, adding 17 assists.
Nothing from the regular season matters when the calendar turns to the postseason.
It's about what players do on their "next" shift, and Lee has been the driving force for this team during their opening-round playoff series against the Carolina Hurricanes.