On Saturday, rookies Maxim Shabanov and Isaiah George drew into the New York Islanders lineup against the Carolina Hurricanes.
Despite a 4-3 loss, the Islanders’ fourth straight loss at the worst time, the two played pretty well for guys who had to wait a bit to get into game action.
Maxim Shabanov, who had only played two games since the Olympic break, last playing on March 13, skated alongside Brayden Schenn and Calum Ritchie.
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He recorded a goal, his first since Dec. 28 and fifth of the season, on a gorgeous individual effort from Ritchie to give the Islanders a 2-1 lead at the 2:15 mark of the second period:
Shabanov ended his night with a goal on one shot with two attempts in 13:35.
For George, it was his third game of the season and first since being recalled on March 24.
He looked confident and aggressive in all three zones. He didn’t lose many board battles and showed off his mobility and hockey IQ.
Early in the first period, off the rush, his wrister led to a rebound try for Ondrej Palat, who hit the post.
He recorded that one shot on goal, with a block and a takeaway in 10:21.
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Now, both these guys were out on the ice for a goal against, Carolina’s 2-2 tying goal at 11:15 of the second. After an Islanders turnover, Shabanov got caught floating in the high slot, with Blake getting behind him.
George tried to save the day but couldn’t get there in time:
Overall, it was a solid and important performance for both guys, as they looked to showcase to head coach Patrick Roy and general manager Mathieu Darche that they can be effective players for this organization going forward.
“I thought Shabanov played really well,” Islanders head coach Patrick Roy said. “He scored a nice goal and went to the net. I thought that line played well. I thought they had some, a few good looks, and no, I was pretty happy with the way he played. George was good, too. I mean, he made a really nice play on that scoring chance in the first period when the puck went through the legs of their goal. He hit the back post on Palat’s rebound. But I thought he played well. I mean, it’s not easy coming into a situation like this, but I thought that he did a really nice job.”
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The Islanders, who somehow remain in the third seed in the Metropolitan Division, are now off until Thursday, before they kick off four games in six nights to conclude the regular season.
We’ll see whether the injured Tony DeAngelo (lower body) can return by then, which would certainly impact George.
