Pelech and Pulock Progressing as Partners

Ryan Pulock showed his range of capabilities during the Islanders last three games.
Defensively, Pulock hit the deck to disrupt a Steven Stamkos-Tyler Johnson two-on-one in OT in Friday's 1-0 shootout loss to Tampa Bay and tracked back in the first period to break up another chance for Tampa Bay's leading goal scorer Brayden Point in the slot. On Tuesday, he was in good position early to absorb a Brad Marchand sharp on a backdoor play.
Offensively, Pulock had a rare breakaway attempt against the Lightning on Friday, but showed his offensive chops in a three-assist third period against LA on Saturday, especially on his heads-up, hard, snap pass to Mat Barzal to tie the score.

It was the type of three-game set that highlighted the steps Pulock has taken as the Islanders have given him more responsibility.
"Even before the break I was starting to feel better and just more confident in what I'm doing out there both offensively and defensively," Pulock said. "Throughout the whole year I've felt pretty good with my defensive game, there's times where I'd like to make a few more plays offensively and this last weekend I was able to do that and hopefully I can continue to build off that and move forward."

Pulock leads the Islanders in TOI/GP this season, averaging 22:23, the only Islander above the 22-minute mark. He leads Islanders defensemen with 22 points (3G, 19A) and the Isles are 16-7-4 when Pulock logs the most minutes.
"He's playing very efficient and when he gets a chance to cut the cycle off he's a strong man and he's moving his feet and cutting it off instead of reaching and using his arms, he's getting into the guy quick," Trotz said.
"Same with Adam [Pelech]," the coach added. "They have a firmness to their game. They are able to break up plays and help exit the zone. And they're joining the rush at the right time. If it's not there, they are not forcing it."
Trotz turned the spotlight to Pelech, Pulock's partner since Thomas Hickey suffered an upper-body injury on Dec. 17. Pelech has offered some defensive ying to Pulock's offensive yang and Pelech noticeably upped the physicality in his game since returning from a healthy scratch against the Rangers on Jan. 12.
"Especially the last 10 games or so, things are starting to go a bit better," said Pelech, who has 11 points (3G, 8A) this season. "I've been a little more physical, a little more firm and Ryan and I have just been playing good solid hockey."

Trotz said he's seen a more consistent, more intense player in Pelech since Jan. 12.
"He's gotten much better at just [his] consistency in terms of those moments when it's his moment to take a guy off the puck or to kill a play or to defend really hard," Trotz said on Jan. 21. "When he sat out he came out, we had a good talk and I think he's doing everything he can to do what we ask and lately he has."
"We just want you to play to your ceiling and we know there's a little more to that ceiling in Pelly's game," Trotz added.
As a pair, Trotz lauded the firmness and efficiency in Pulock and Pelech's play as a pair. The coach's philosophy is to pair a puck transporter with a hard defensive presence. It's why Devon Toews and Scott Mayfield mesh well and why Nick Leddy and Johnny Boychuk continue to play together in their fifth season as Islanders.

In Pulock and Pelech, he sees two guys able to alternate roles and read off each other. That intuitiveness has come from playing together in the past and both adopting Trotz's system that prizes structure and has vaulted the Isles to become the league's stingiest team.
The two defensemen, who started the season as a pair before being split up, said they're feeling more comfortable with each other's tendencies and Trotz's system as a whole as the season wears on.
"We've done a good job lately of playing hard and limiting plays and not really allowing much cycle time in our own zone," Pulock said. "It takes a little bit to time. We did play a little bit at the start of the year and then it takes some time just to get used to little tendencies of each other and get a good feel for each other. Over the last month, we've really grown into that."