Martin Leaving His Mark on Playoff Run

Matt Martin knows the type of game he needs to have to create success.

When the 6'3, 220-lbs. winger is at his best, he provides an unabating presence with his tenacious forecheck and merciless hits along the boards. He'll never hesitate to stand up for a teammate and is a vital third of the hard-hitting, tight-checking 'Identity Line,' who Head Coach Barry Trotz perceived as the Isles' best line in a heartbreaking 2-1 loss in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Final on Wednesday night against the Tampa Bay Lightning.
While Trotz pulled positives out of the Islanders process on Wednesday, the effort from Martin in particular stood out.
"Matty is making good decisions all over the ice and playing his game," Trotz said. "He's playing an honest game. He knows who he is. He's going to be a physical player, he's going to stand up for teammates, he's going to go to the hard areas, he's going to keep it simple, he's going to have a good forechecking game and he's committed defensively. You get an honest game from him."

Martin's currently leads the NHL with 88 hits this postseason, including an inspired 12-hit outing in Game 6 vs Philadelphia, which is tied for a single-game high. But Martin set the tone a different way in Game 2, as he opened the scoring 84 seconds into the game and potted his fifth goal of the postseason. Martin's tally tied the five goals he scored in 55 regular season games this year - where he led the Isles with his team-high 242 hits.
"He probably had five goals in the regular season, and he's done that in the playoffs," Trotz said. "The playoffs demand you sometimes to keep your game to your identity. Sometimes you have to get out of what you do in the regular season and play a little more of the blue-collar type of game because there's no time and space. Everybody has to understand what their strengths are, but also everyone has to understand how the game has to be played in that moment. Sometimes you have time and space, and you can make those plays, sometimes you don't. You just have to get it to the next level and get support from your teammates. It's all in that moment what your decision is."
After leaving his mark on the scoresheet, Martin left a physical impression on the game like he usually does. In the early minutes of the second period, with the score tied 1-1 and the game becoming increasingly chippy, Lightning defenseman Luke Schenn challenged Martin. Martin obliged, and the heavyweight tilt ensued. Later in that same middle frame, Martin took no exception to Patrick Maroon either mixing it up with the big Bolts forward.
It was an exhaustive effort, as the 31-year-old also threw a team-high of seven hits to go along with his goal and fight in 10:35 of ice time. But it was the very effort Martin has consistently implemented en route to the Isles first Eastern Conference Final appearance since 1993, and the precise day's work that has fostered his success of scoring a goal in each of the Isles four series.

Each of his timely goals have resulted from flanking down ice with a wide lane along the left boards before curling his path to the high slot. There in the gritty net front, Martin has capitalized on either a fraction of rare time and space or battling off bodies for the opportune puck, utilizing his size to his advantage.
While Martin's five playoff goals - smashing his career-best - may come to a surprise to some, his recent contributions are no shock to his teammates, especially his linemates. Just ask Cal Clutterbuck, whose had a front row seat to Martin's game night-in and night-out for five of the last seven years and can attest to the total all-in effort Martin dependably executes.
"I don't think he gets enough credit for the way he plays the game," Clutterbuck said. "He's more talented than people think. He's getting to the interior, he's getting to the front of the net, you look at where he's scoring his goals. He's a large body that's difficult to move, he's getting there. He's a large body that's difficult to move. Good on him for helping us out."