Pageau Line Paces Islanders vs. Bruins

It was no surprise that the second match of the season on Saturday night between the New York Islanders and Boston Bruins was a defensive stalemate and one that came down to a margin of inches and exertion of hustle. While the 4-2 score showcased more offensive efforts from each side compared to their first meeting on Jan. 18 that ended in a stingy 1-0 Islander win - and Boston's sole regulation loss up until Saturday - it was still a gritty tug of war.
And the Islanders line of Leo Komarov, Jean-Gabriel Pageau and Oliver Wahlstrom were in the thick of it.

As a line, the trio pushed the pace, making an impact with each shift and received the trust from Head Coach Barry Trotz to match up against Boston's top-scoring Perfection Line of Brad Marchand, Patrice Bergeron and David Pastrnak. The Islanders three, powered the team with four points between the group, including a shorthanded goal.

"We got contributions through the lineup for the most part," Trotz said. "Real solid, good on them and we needed that. I thought we played an Islander-style playoff game against the Bruins. To me, it was a game where there was no space. The Boston Bruins are a team that gives you no space. We're the best when we give other teams no space. It was a man's game. The guys that showed up got results because they were willing to fight for those inches and the one-on-one battles."
Trotz has a good pulse on his players and rolls with whichever lines are most putting forth the most effective efforts. Aside from Anders Lee, Jean-Gabriel Pageau logged the most ice time among forwards with his 17:14 TOI. The 28-year-old center also fired off a game-high of seven shots on goal and five hits.
PHOTOS: New York Islanders 4, Boston Bruins 2
"You get ice time based on the confidence I have for how you're playing," Trotz said. "I thought [Komarov, Pageau, Wahlstrom] were playing really well, they got us going. I stuck with it. I felt really good about it in terms of what they were doing and how they were competing."
Less than three minutes after Boston's Marchand had opened up scoring in the first period - following a lengthy zone possession and a fatigued Islander group that was caught for an extended shift - Pageau brought the Islanders right back in the game as he and Komarov crowded the net front to sweep-in centering pass from Ryan Pulock and even the score 1-1.

Heading into the first intermission, the Islanders took a 2-1 lead courtesy of a clapper from distance from Jordan Eberle. And despite Bergeron tying the score 2-2 for Boston in the second period, which Trotz postgame noted might have been 'their best period of the year,' it was the Komarov, Pageau, Wahlstrom line that revved up the Islanders' smothering play with each shift that carried over into the third period.
"Every line that got out there really worked hard," Pageau said. "I thought my linemates tonight played a good game, they made it easy for me. It started with Leo, he was really positive on the bench and it translated to his game."
As the Islanders capitalized with a clutch power-play and game-winning goal from Mathew Barzal 5:30 into the third period, Pageau and Komarov, in particular, would be rewarded for the continuous momentum they were generating.
The Islanders found themselves needing a huge stop from their penalty kill, after Eberle went to the box for high sticking at 13:37, and Boston was subsequently afforded a momentous opportunity to try and tie the game.
Instead, the Islanders made the Bruins pay.

Pageau forced the initial turnover at the blueline as he intercepted a play to Marchand. With the loose puck, Komarov read the play instantly, grabbed the free puck and shielded off two Bruins players. The winger entered Boston's zone before slinging the puck to his linemate and fellow penalty killer. Pageau beat Boston's Tuuka Rask blocker side for his second goal of the game and third goal in the last two games. Komarov finished the game with two assists.
"Leo brings a lot of the intangibles," Trotz said. "Media, analytics, even fans, they don't see what he brings to the group. He brings people into the fight. If not, he usually gets someone off their game from the opposition. Tonight, I thought he was physical, he did a good job on the penalty kill, defensively he was really strong, and he was in the battle. He got rewarded with a couple of assists tonight. That line was really good."