DALLAS — The Islanders’ new-look top line of Brock Nelson, Bo Horvat and Mathew Barzal did not get on the scoreboard in a 3-2 win over the Stars on Monday night.
But head coach Patrick Roy nonetheless liked what he saw from the trio that played an eye-opening 16:31 together at five-on-five before Horvat netted the game-winner on a feed from Barzal at the 2:54 mark of overtime.
More than that, he liked what his other three new-look forward lines brought — enough that it sounds like they’ll stay intact for the time being.
“I thought they had a lot of speed and I think more and more they’re gonna play together, the more they’re gonna feel each other,” Roy said of the top line. “Sometimes, it takes a couple games. But what I love is how fast the [Jean-Gabriel] Pageau line clicked. And how fast the line of [Casey] Cizikas clicked. And the [Kyle] MacLean line was really good. That’s why I say the four lines were really good tonight for us.”
MacLean was in fact the only forward to get on the scoreboard at five-on-five, with defenseman Ryan Pulock scoring the other goal for the Islanders before overtime. But all eyes were on the top line, which put together three centers who are the Islanders’ top three scorers in a move designed to generate offense.
On the night, the trio accounted for nine shots and five scoring chances, albeit with an expected goals margin below 50 percent, per Natural Stat Trick.
“A little different,” said Nelson, who was out of position at left wing. “Tried not to think. Find yourself in different spots. A little bit different look. Just try to read off Bo and Barzy, probably more so Bo just cause we’re a little interchangeable on the left side.
“I thought we had a couple transition looks. Definitely would’ve liked to have a couple more pucks in the [offensive] zone sustained to generate some offense. It felt all right.”
Roy was unsure whether Hudson Fasching would join the team in Detroit for Thursday’s game after playing with AHL Bridgeport on a conditioning assignment Sunday night.
Fasching scored an empty-net goal in the 5-3 win over Springfield as Samuel Bolduc — also on a conditioning assignment — netted the game-winner.