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3 Takeaways From the New York Islanders Preseason Win Over the Flyers

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New York Islanders at Wells Fargo Center

The New York Islanders continued their strong start to the preseason and defeated the Philadelphia Flyers 3-2 in overtime Tuesday night. Adam Pelech and Noah Dobson scored in regulation and Anthony Beauvillier scored the winning goal in overtime. Cory Schneider and Kenneth Appleby split the netminding duties in the win.

The Islanders staff wanted to look at some of the players who did not participate in the first preseason game on Sunday night with players like Beauvillier, Oliver Wahlstrom, Kyle Palmieri, and other NHL talent on the game roster. A few youngsters were able to stay in the lineup after strong play in the first game as well, like Robin Salo and Autu Raty.

Here are three takeaways from the win:

Dobson Shines on Offense

Noah Dobson collected three points in the win as he picked up two goals and an assist in a team-leading 22:08 minutes played. The second-year NHLer netted the second goal of the game, a one-timer on the powerplay that beat Flyers’ netminder Carter high blocker-side.

Despite quarterbacking the Islanders’ top power-play unit in 2020-21, Dobson showed the ability to play a different position. He showcased that he could bring the heat from that spot with accuracy too.

While that will be important in turning around the New York Islanders power play, it’s not a bad sign for his 5-on-5 play either.

“Obviously it is always nice to contribute,” said Dobson when asked about his performance. “Our forwards did a really good job just getting pucks in deep. We were able to cycle and get some looks in the O-zone.”

Dobson made some pretty plays in the game, including his give-and-go play with Anthony Beauvillier for the game-winner 22 seconds into overtime. Dobson filled the lane correctly and made a clever pass, quickly to Beauvillier for the win.

Schneider Shakes off Some Rust, Appleby Strong

The main storyline in goal tonight was that veteran Cory Schneider was getting the start. Schneider did not play a minute during last season and is still looking to get back to the level he was at a few years ago before a knee injury.

Schneider stopped 10 of 11 shots during his 30:20 of playing time before being swapped with Kenneth Appley. It was not the prettiest of games for Schneider, but it was definitely a good sign to see him back in there. There were definitely moments where rust was on display, but overall a solid showing.

The lone goal Schneider allowed in the contest came through a screen off the stick of Flyers forward Egor Zamula.

“I thought he looked fine,” Islanders coach Barry Trotz said.  “He hasn’t played a lot in the last little while, so you could tell more on his, maybe a little more on his rebound control and some of the handles. That’s just reps.”

The second goaltender of the night, Kenneth Appleby, impressed in his 29:45 minutes. He stopped 15 of 16 shots he faced, allowing just one goal. On the goal, Flyers forward Maksim Sushko got a fortunate bounce to beat Appleby late in the third period to tie the game at two a-piece.

Appleby showcased strong positioning in the win, as he seemed square to every shot that came his way. He was able to track the majority of the pucks into his chest, with very few, if any, rebound opportunities. While Appleby won’t have a role up with the New York Islanders, he should serve as the backup in Bridgeport.

Veterans Find the Scoresheet Yet Again

After seeing four veterans light the lamp in Sunday’s 4-0 over the Rangers, the Islanders’ mainstays did it again. Adam Pelech got the scoring going with a strong wrist-shot over the blocker of Carter Hart. Dobson scored the game’s second goal on the power play, with Anthony Beauvillier getting the game-winner.

Beauvillier, all night long, was using his legs in the offensive zone, playing rather hard, leading by example for the youngsters watching from the bench. Pelech played his usual lockdown defense, while also adding to the offense while Dobson, alongside Pelech, did the same. Dobson will be told to bring that offensive approach on a nightly basis, whether he is slotted alongside Zdeno Chara or Andy Green this upcoming season with the New York Islanders.

“The veterans have done a really good job of working detail,” Trotz said. “I thought we practiced really well and I think there is a lot of pride with our young guys. They follow what our veterans do.”

Two young guys that had strong showings were defenseman Robin Salo and Aatu Raty. Salo, in 18:11 collected two hits and five blocks. He did take a penalty for the second straight game, but that was masked by his strong play with and without the puck. Raty may not have impacted the stat sheet two much, with just two hits to his name, but he continued to impress with the puck.

Aatu Raty Making his Mark with Isles as Return to Finland Looms

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