– Gatcomb got the Islanders on the board at 5:28 to make it 2-1 with a shot that trickled through Tarasov’s pads and across the goal line.
Gatcomb’s goal came right on cue as Head Coach Patrick Roy was hoping he and his linemates would get rewarded for their recent play.
“I feel sorry for them because they haven’t been rewarded with goals, and they deserve some,” Roy said ahead of Saturday’s game.
One wasn’t enough, so Cizikas gave his line their second of the afternoon to make it 5-2. The Cizikas line bookended the Islanders’ tide-turning second period.
“We were joking the last couple days, like we’re right there … with couple crazy saves on [MacLean], so it’s good to get rewarded,” Gatcomb said. “At the end of the day, we’re trying to do anything we can to contribute. [That] might not always be on the score sheet [or] the prettiest, but it’s good when games like today [where] we can contribute.”
Schenn made it clear that their efforts, when without hitting the scoresheet, have been noticed by everyone in the Islanders’ locker room.
“It’s not just [today],” Schenn said. “Everyone looks at today, but they’ve had chances. They play the same way every single night, and that’s the right way.”