New York Islanders
Pelech Talks with NYIHN: His Return, the PK & Dobson’s Injury

The New York Islanders have had a frustratingly inconsistent season. Currently 15th in the Eastern Conference and seven points outside of a playoff spot, it’s more than fair to say this season has not gone to plan for New York.
Though they’ve improved as of late with a record of 5-2-0 in their last seven, it’s hardly been enough. One thing that’s stuck throughout the recent run of form is how well Ryan Pulock and Adam Pelech have played. They’re both penalty killers, and the kill has only allowed one power-play goal over the last 11 tries against it.
Behind the improvement is Pelech finally feeling fully healthy and Pulock continuing to have a strong season quietly.
At practice yesterday, Head Coach Patrick Roy discussed what the veteran pairing has done for the team this season so far: “Well, I mean, it’s fun to watch them play right now. Pelly and Pully are playing really good hockey. They feed from each other, and they play really well together. They’ve been partnered for a long time here, so it’s nice to see them (succeed) and the way they’ve been playing. They bring so much confidence to the team.”
Adam Pelech spoke exclusively with NYI Hockey Now about what’s brought back some success for the duo and how Noah Dobson’s injury brings them even more responsibility than before:
Pelech Exclusive Interview:
Lightly Edited for Clarity
Q– You guys (Pelech and Pulock) talked in the beginning about wanting to get your swagger back, and obviously, you go down injured for a bit, but you guys got right back into the groove a bit, and analytically, you guys are doing quite well. What’s gone into that for you guys?
A– Yeah, I think Ryan’s been playing great all year. Like you mentioned, I missed some time. I think we got into a bit of a groove, you know, maybe like five or six games into the season, and then I would go down with the injury and miss a few, whatever, six weeks, and it kind of took me a little bit to get the rust off. Once I did, I started feeling back to myself. Ryan was playing great already, so I just think that we kind of picked up where we left off, and it’s always a big job playing against other teams’ top lines and all that. It’s really important that we’re at our best, and I think lately we’ve been doing a good job.
Q- The penalty kill’s been much improved in recent weeks. What do you think changed to make it work?
A- Obviously, the penalty kill has been good lately, but overall, over the past couple of years, we’ve struggled. A lot of work has gone into it, a lot of meetings, a lot of reps in practice. It’s been a team effort between us guys and the penalty kill and the coaching staff to kind of come up with a good plan for us that works, and lately, things have been going really well, so we just got to continue to build because that’s such an important part of our game.
Dobson’s Injury:
Q- What does losing Noah Dobson mean to you guys?
A- Yeah, he’s a huge part of our team. He will definitely be missed for however much time he misses, but, it gives guys an opportunity to step up. Cholo (Dennis Cholowski) and Georgie (Isaiah George) have been great all year for us, kind of in and out of the lineup, so more opportunity for them. When someone like Dobber goes down, it kind of takes all six guys stepping up a little bit to try to fill his shoes.
Q- For you and Ryan specifically, does it add more of a challenge to step up and do more?
A- Yeah, I mean, I’m sure our minutes will go up a little bit, but I think we have to be careful not to really try to push the pace too much. We’re not going to replace Dobber and what he does offensively, so I just think we have a six-hour game, and like I said, it takes all six guys to step up a little bit.