Leading up to the New York Islanders season opener, all the outside noise was about how Simon Holmstrom couldn't possibly be effective on a line with Bo Horvat and Mathew Barzal. But that's why they call it outside noise.

Leading up to the New York Islanders season opener, all the outside noise was about how Simon Holmstrom couldn't possibly be effective on a line with Bo Horvat and Mathew Barzal.

But that's why they call it outside noise.

Although Holmstrom didn't get the first look alongside the Islanders' dynamic duo when training camp opened up, he won the job as camp progressed. 

No, Holmstrom isn't the finisher that the Islanders' top line would want, given Barzal's playmaking and Horvat's finishing. 

Let's be honest. That elite finisher that would make that line a true first line isn't on the roster and likely isn't in the prospect pipeline. 

A good portion of people were calling for 23-year-old Oliver Wahlstrom to be given the chance with those two, as he has elite finishing potential, even though we haven't seen it consistently yet. 

Wahlstrom played 25 games with Barzal last season, and the two struggled to find chemistry. With how shifty Barzal is, Wahlstrom had trouble finding open space in the offensive zone and finishing off the chances Barzal created.

Regardless of where you stand on Wahlstrom, it was evident in preseason that he's not ready for NHL action as he continues to work his way back from the ACL injury that ended his 2022-23 season. 

The arguments for Julien Gauthier were just: A big, strong, fast forward who certainly can keep pace with anyone in the league. 

One could argue that Gauthier did everything he could to win a starting job.

But when Barzal switched to left wing, and Holmstrom made that neutral zone pass to Horvat in the Islanders' third preseason game against the New York Rangers, everything about the makeup of the Islanders' top line changed.

There was newfound potential. 

One play shouldn't dictate a decision, but that play, along with what Holmstrom was doing before that, is why he became the likely choice. 

Holmstrom may not have had success with hitting the net. But the 22-year-old understood what he needed to do when on the ice with No. 14 and No. 13.

In the Islanders' 3-2 win over the Buffalo Sabres Saturday, Holmstrom went stat-less, outside of a giveaway and a takeaway, logging 15:07 minutes. 

He kept things simple and made life easy for Barzal and Horvat.

What stood out about Holmstrom was his play in the neutral zone, hitting his linemates accurately and, more importantly, in stride. After making plays, he had a keen understanding of where he should go on the ice, whether that was to find open ice to become a pass option or find open ice in an effort to fill lanes and attract the opposition. 

All the stats people were up in arms, though, as a top-line winger is expected to generate shots and, as a line, find twine. 

But those people aren't looking at the right stats. 

In 13:46 minutes as a line, the Islanders outshot their opponents 11-4 when that threesome was on the ice, with 12 scoring chances, four of which were high-danger chances, per NaturalStatrick.com. 

When Holmstrom was on the ice, the Islanders had a Corsi For of 75 percent, which led the team. 

Corsi is determined by taking the number of shot attempts at even strength and dividing it by the number of shot attempts by the opponent (H/t The Sporting News)

While his Corsi For of 21 was tied with Barzal for the team lead and just one point higher than Horvat, Holmstrom's Corsi Against backed up the eye test. 

They say the best defense is offense, and that couldn't have been more true Saturday night for Holmstrom and his line, as the Swedish forward was on the ice for just seven Buffalo shots. 

Was it because Holmstrom was breaking up Buffalo plays in the Islanders zone? 

Nope. 

It was because when Holmstrom had a chance to get the puck out of the zone, he did, limiting Buffalo's looks on Ilya Sorokin. When Holmstrom had the puck in the neutral zone, he didn't make mistakes, positionally or with the puck on his stick, with his decisions leading to more offensive zone time for his team.

"I think we supported each other very well," Holmstrom said after the game. "We always tried to have two guys close to each other and find each other, so we just got a score.

"I mean, we just got to score."

Their line had an Expected Goals For of 0.61. 

The best scoring chance for that line is why Holmstrom was ridiculed on social media Sunday. 

In the second period, Holmstrom found himself in the slot with the puck on his stick and a prime shooting lane, with Barzal to his right.

Instead of shooting, Holmstrom elected to pass the puck to Barzal, who quickly tried to go back through the low slot to Horvat. The play didn't work, and a prime chance went by the boards, pun intended:

Does Holmstrom have faith in his shot? Why would he make that pass? 

It's simple. 

At that moment, Holmstrom saw a wide-open Barzal, and as a young player earning a chance on that top line, he went with his gut.

"It's pretty close, fifty-fifty," Holmstrom said on his decision to shoot or pass there. "I mean, he's making that pass [to Horvat] nine out of 10 times, and if he does make that pass, it's a wide-open net."

Holmstrom's not wrong. 

The problem for Holmstrom, which he needs to realize as he progresses and gets games under his belt, is that the opposition isn't worried about him. 

They have their hands full with Horvat and Barzal, and he needs to trust his shot, which he said he does when an opportunity presents itself. 

"I trust my shot as well, and I trust my instincts," Holmstrom said. "Barzal's an unbelievable player, but I gotta make the right choice as well."

Holmstrom added that he had to go back and watch, and when he did, he likely realized that he should be taking that shot there.

Actions speak louder than words, and until Holmstrom shows he trusts his shot, which has been a weakness in terms of accuracy since he joined the Islanders organization in 2019, that will be what's associated with the second-year NHLer. 

It was one play in a game where Holmstrom made many terrific plays, and his performance was certainly something to hold his head high about. 

"I thought he was hunting pucks down and creating some turnovers," Lambert said. "And I thought he made some good passes. I thought he made some good plays.

"I'd like him to shoot a little bit more, but certainly, I thought he was complimentary to those guys for sure."

That's what ultimately matters for the Lambert and the Islanders. 

Holmstrom complimented his line better than most anticipated. 

Alongside Horvat and Barzal, the young buk will get another crack to show how good they can be when the puck drops against the Arizona Coyotes on Tuesday night at UBS Arena.