Weight lift: Isles win two straight with new coach
When do the Islanders start discussing a new contract for Doug Weight?
Two games, four points and, for at least one night, a fixed power play.
The interim coach couldn’t ask for a better start, back-to-back victories over the Stars and Kings at Barclays Center. Two nights after a shutout, the Isles knocked off Los Angeles, 4-2, the difference being a pair of Anders Lee power-play goals.
Yes, goals a man up, after the Isles had whiffed on 21 consecutive chances, the power play helping them continue this mini-streak, now four wins in five games and three victories in a row.
“There’s just a different feel,” left wing Jason Chimera said. “Coming off of that road trip [when we went 2-1-0], there’s a different feel, different swagger.”
Lee scored the winner at 9:31 of the third period, deflecting home a Nick Leddy point shot for his 17th, a tally that swung the momentum after the Isles had blown a twogoal lead. Making just his third start of the season, Jean-Francois Berube made 34 saves to beat his former team. Captain John Tavares added an empty-netter on the power play, his eighth goal in the last five games, and Chimera notched his fourth in five games as well.
Most importantly, the Islanders (19-17-8, 46 points) showed resolve, playing their best hockey over the final 15 minutes, after a poor start to the final period cost them a two-goal lead, out-shooting the Kings (2220-4, 48 points) 18-9 over the final period. Too often this season, blown leads have led to defeats. This time, the reverse happened, Chimera drawing a penalty on a breakaway and Lee capitalizing on it.
“I’m beyond enthused,” Weight said. “There’s a million reasons for everything, but [there was] no hesitation on the bench. A lot of guys were talking, and we started to take the game over.”
Weight was pleased particularly with the power play, which had last scored eight games ago, on Jan. 6, and entered the game 29th in the league. Following the morning skate, Weight challenged his players. He was going to give them continuity, using the same units after so much mixing and matching had been done, but they had to show improvement. They did Saturday, Lee twice winning a battle in front of the net — the kind of plays Weight has asked to see from his players.
“We were a little bit [ticked] off the way things were going, getting opportunities but not finishing,” Lee said.
Aside from the shaky start to third period, Berube was strong in net. The Kings were mostly kept to the perimeter, and when they did get good chances, Berube was there, keeping rebounds to a minimum.
“It was an easy game to get motivated for,” said Berube, who was drafted by the Kings in 2009 and spent six seasons in Los Angeles before being claimed off waivers by the Islanders in October 2015. “There’s a lot of guys that are good buddies on the other team, and it’s always motivating to play against your friends. ”
The final result was another victory, the second straight with Weight running the show, and a newfound confidence within the team . They were even tossing the “P” world — playoffs — around in the locker room, as the Isles have now crept to within five points of a postseason birth, despite still residing in the Eastern Conference cellar.
“We’re entering relevance,” Weight said. “It’s a good feeling in that room. They’re starting to believe.”
Doug Weight isn’t going to ride Thomas Greiss into the ground. Two days after his shutout of the Stars at Barclays Center, the Islanders interim coach went with Jean-Francois Berube Saturday night against the Kings.
His reasoning was simple. The Isles need both sharp the rest of the way to get hot.
“We got [38] games [left], but we have a lot in hand. What’s that mean? We’ll be catching up to a lot of teams,” Weight said on Saturday before the team’s 4-2 win over the Kings in Brooklyn. “We’re going to be playing a lot of hockey. We’ll need [Berube] in net [playing] stellar. We’ll need him plenty down the stretch. He’s a big piece of this team.”
Weight will go back to Greiss on Sunday against the Flyers at Barclays Center. After that, it’s about production.
“Play dictates [it],” Weight said.
Berube made a case for more playing time, making 34 saves in a win against his former team, his first win of the season.
“He was outstanding,” Weight said.
Defenseman
Johnny Boychuk and left wing Andrew Ladd both took part in Saturday’s morning skate, but remained out with upper-body injuries. Right wing Cal Clutterbuck (lower body injury) was also out. Ladd has now missed the last three games, while the other two weren’t available in the win over the Stars on Thursday, and have missed two games apiece.
Weight made it seem unlikely Ladd will be available Sunday against the Flyers, but is hopeful Clutterbuck and Boychuk will be back.
“Real good chance you’ll see Cal Clutterbuck. Pretty good chance you’ll see Johnny Boychuk,” Weight said. “Nothing’s for sure. I’ll find out in the morning.” Veteran left wing
Jason Chimera, 37, produced one of his best games as an Islander, scoring once and setting up An
ders Lee’s go-ahead goal, by drawing a holding penalty on Derek Forbort of the Kings on a breakaway attempt. Chimera has now scored four times in five games, and is third on the Isles with nine goals.
“He’s a great skater at his age still, he was effective all night tonight,” Weight said. “He pushed the pace.”