Roy is curious to see how Shabanov plays after an “outstanding” performance on that line on Friday. Shabanov finished the night with a career-high 22:19 TOI after hadn’t yet reached the 15-minute threshold in any of his prior 12 NHL games. The beginning of his NHL career has had its tribulations, as an upper-body injury kept him sidelined for 12 games from Oct. 21 – Nov. 16. He sported a three-point game in a 5-0 win over Detroit on Nov. 20 in his third game since returning from injury.
The Isles knew of the skills Shabanov came in with – but now they’re seeing him trusted more responsibility in tight games.
“His skill, his vision out there, the way he makes plays stands out,” Heineman said. “He creates a lot of scoring chances with his passes and he can do stuff on his own that amazes a lot of people.”
Shabanov played an important role in helping the Isles pick up a point against Philly. Shabanov jumped in on the power play, as the Russian winger used his body in the slot on the power play to help deflect Matthew Schaefer’s shot, before Anders Lee tipped it home to tie the game at three, which snapped a 0-for-29 drought.