Pageau’s Line Helps Propel Isles 3-2 2OT Win

When Jean-Gabriel Pageau netted a third period goal to take a 2-1 lead over the Carolina Hurricanes in Game 4 at UBS Arena, his signature celebration ignited the home crowd even more. 

“Did I look pumped?” Pageau jokingly said in his postgame press conference. 

On the man advantage, Pageau was in the right place at the right time, depositing a Noah Dobson rebound from the left circle that beat Frederik Andersen stick-side. While Pageau finished the play, he credited the hard work of his teammates to create that chance. 

"It was fun to score that goal, but it doesn't go in if [Pierre] Engvall doesn't win this battle in the face off, [Anders] Lee jumping in to win the battle and Dobson puts the puck on net,” Pageau said. “I technically just had to put it in.” 

The tally marked Pageau’s 12th career playoff goal and third on the power play. With 84 playoff games on his resume, Pageau’s experience in big games is valuable for the Islanders. He recorded four shots on goal, two hits in 22:14 TOI in a double overtime game that forced a Game 5 against the Canes. 

"He's just so solid," Lee said. "He's a 200-foot player, he's strong in the dot and he was strong overall this evening. Pounding that one home in a big moment to give us the lead in the third, that was huge."

Not only has Pageau came up big offensively, but he also had an exceptional night in the dot, winning 19 of 23 (83%) draws in Game 4. He’s been consistent in the dot all season – leading the team in faceoffs (55.4%) in the regular season – and the center brought his best in the face-off circle in Game 4, which contributed to the edge the Isles had (67.6%) over the Canes. 

Head Coach Patrick Roy was impressed with Pageau’s solid night against a Hurricanes team that ranked sixth in the league (53.2%) in the regular season and took the edge in faceoffs in Games 1 and 2. 

Notably, Pageau won eight of nine head-to-head battles in the circle with Jordan Staal, who ranked fifth in the NHL among centers who took 800 or more faceoffs during the season. 

“He played well against one of the best faceoff teams in the league, he did a real nice job,” Roy said. “Pageau is an important part of our team. He’s playing a 200-foot game.”

Pageau’s strong track record in the circle made an impact on the penalty kill, where he logged 2:38 shorthanded. 

“Even on the penalty killing, you send the puck down the ice and save maybe 20-25 seconds,” Roy said. “I think that’s huge.” 

Pageau’s complete performance earned him the third star of the game where the Islanders took a 3-2 2OT win to stave off elimination. The French-Canadian center remains laser-focused on the details that matter in the playoff games. 

“It's always it's always fun to contribute offensively but it's not always scoring goals or getting points,” Pageau said. “It's about winning my battles and my face offs, being strong on the puck, but definitely scoring that goal is fun."