trim_14028474-D033-4FF6-B654-3A09671C9AFC EAST MEADOW, NY -- On Saturday night, the New York Islanders [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/new-york-islanders/] ran seven defensemen against the Buffalo Sabres. Up 2-0 in the third period, head coach Patrick Roy and defense coach Tommy Albelin decided to reduce the defense to four to secure the win. Noah Dobson was not one of the four, sitting for the final 6:41, which turned into a 3-0 victory. "In that game, we just felt like the guys in front of him were playing better hockey, that's all," Roy said. "There's nothing behind this. I mean, in that game, I felt...Tommy thought that the guys were playing better than he was." When asked if a late-game Dobson benching was a one-off or something we could see moving forward, Roy chuckled. "I hope it's just a one-game thing. We need Dobby," Roy said. "We had that conversation with him. We want him to skate with the puck. We want him to..like the goal that we give up, the tying goal against Washington, we'd love to see him skating with that puck instead of moving the puck. He's got so much talent, and I think he should feel free on the ice and be able to skate with that puck more and make those plays. "But in that game, it was just because everybody was playing so well. We had seven defensemen. Everybody was playing a strong game. And so I guess Tommy felt comfortable to go with those guys." Image [https://thehockeynews.com/.image/c_fit,h_600,w_600/MjExMTM5MTA5NDMzOTEwODMx/usatsi_24874601.jpg] Unfortunatley for Dobson, he's become a common thread between the Islanders and blowing leads. That's not to say a goal against is strictly on No. 8, especially since he's playing the most minutes but he's played a part in the breakdowns. In that game against Washington, he made a soft pass out of the zone, which ultimately ended up in the back of the net rather than skating the puck up, as Roy mentioned. It's the little things that have crushed this team this season, especially in the third period where they've been outscored 38-21. Through 25 games, the Islanders have blown a third-period lead nine times, going 2-4-3. In those nine games, they've allowed 15 goals against in the third period. While the entire defense and forward group contributed to the failures on the ice, Noah Dobson was on the ice for nine of the 15 goals against: It's been a struggle for Dobson on both sides of the puck this season. In 25 games, the offensive defenseman has just one goal, an empty-netter, with nine assists for 10 points after a 70-point (10 goals, 60 assists) 2023-24 season. It got to the point where Roy and power-play coach Johnny MacLean elected to take Dobson off the top unit, making him the one-time option on the second unit, given his struggles at the point. Defense has always been his weakest area, but if he could play responsibly enough, that would be enough for this Islanders team. Unfortunately, Roy and Albelin's decision on Saturday shows that they saw Grant Hutton as a more trustworthy option than Dobson. That speaks volumes to where Dobson's defensive game is at. Image [https://thehockeynews.com/.image/c_fit,h_600,w_600/MjExMTM5MTA5NDMzOTEwNzcy/usatsi_24884724.jpg] Dobson is a pending restricted free agent looking for a long-term extension. After what he accomplished last season, the rumored number was eight years at 8 million annually, but it's hard to say he's earned that so far. There are 57 games left for Dobson to turn things around, and as Roy said, the team needs Dobby if they want to make the playoffs.
