Dobson moving on from OT mistake for Islanders in Stadium Series

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- Noah Dobson may have had three assists for the New York Islanders in a 6-5 overtime loss to the New York Rangers in the 2024 Navy Federal Credit Union NHL Stadium Series at MetLife Stadium on Sunday, but it was the final play he made that unfortunately stood out.

Dobson was skating backward with the puck in his own zone following a face-off win by Bo Horvat to begin overtime. However, his saucer pass for Mathew Barzal was then knocked down by Artemi Panarin, who waited out goalie Ilya Sorokin before scoring the winner with a shot that was partially blocked by a sliding Dobson 10 seconds into the extra period.

"I mean, it's pretty self-explanatory," Dobson said. "He knocks the puck out of midair, takes a shot, and it goes in."

Panarin's goal came after Chris Kreider (15:52) and Mika Zibanejad (18:31) each scored a power-play goal late in the third period with goalie Igor Shesterkin on the bench to tie the game.

"I don't try to make any judgment on the call on the ice," Islanders coach Patrick Roy said. "Obviously, I would prefer [our defensemen] not to try a saucer in the middle of the ice. Instead, I would prefer to see our defensemen skating. That's what we did pretty much all day long, and we had some success."

Dobson was one of those players who had some success early on, becoming the first defenseman to have three assists in an outdoor game in NHL history.

“I'm not too focused on [getting assists]. I’m just trying to do what I can each night to try and help us get wins,” Dobson said. “Obviously, it's super important this time of year.”

If the Islanders (22-18-14) are going to work their way back into a Stanley Cup Playoff spot -- they are four points behind the Detroit Red Wings for the second wild card from the Eastern Conference – they will need Dobson to play a large role.

The 24-year-old has an NHL career-high 58 points (seven goals, 51 assists) and a plus-20 rating in 54 games this season, including 23 points (one goal, 22 assists) in 18 games since Jan. 1, the most among NHL defensemen.

“Dobson’s a great player,” Islanders captain Anders Lee said. “He's growing, he's playing great, and he's going to continue to take those steps necessary for him to continue to lead our defensive core and continue to improve his game as he grows himself into this league. He’s done a wonderful job of that.”

Roy agreed.

“I’m very pleased with him,” he said. “I mean, he’s got a lot of talent, a lot of skills, and he's been very receptive. (He's) working to be a complete player offensively and defensively.”

As a result, nobody on the Islanders is worried about how Dobson will bounce back from Sunday.

“The way that his game has grown, the confidence that he has in himself out there, it’s noticeable,” Islanders forward Casey Cizikas said. “He's our force back there. He leads the charge, and the way he's grown, not just on the ice but off the ice, he's becoming a leader in this dressing room, and you can see it on the ice. He's playing exceptional hockey, and he’s found his game.”