Just a day after the Islanders presented the Iron Man mask to Ondrej Palat, it was handed to a new player, Carson Soucy.
This 48-hour cap was a nice gesture for a defenseman who made history as the first player to be traded between the Rangers and Islanders since Jiri Niemi back in 2010.
Soucy transitioned from a struggling team to one that’s firmly in the playoff race. He even managed to beat his former team twice, scoring a goal against them at Madison Square Garden. Plus, I didn’t need to scramble for new accommodation, which was a relief.
“There’s something special about playing against a local rival. Winning the last two games feels great,” Soucy remarked after the Islanders completed their season series sweep over the Rangers with a 2-1 victory. “Losing to them earlier really stung.”
Interestingly, when Soucy joined the Islanders, he didn’t know many players on the roster—only a couple of athletic trainers from his time in Vancouver and Minnesota. But by the time Thursday rolled around, his new teammates spoke about him as though they had been playing together all season.
“Soucy brought a fresh energy to the team. It’s exciting having someone come in from the Rangers, and he’s just a great guy both on and off the ice,” said Matthew Schaefer. “Seeing him score is kind of justice after being traded.”
The Iron Man mask, while mostly a fun social media prop, has actually played a solid role in helping new players feel integrated into the team.
“It’s been a great experience,” Soucy said. “We want to keep this momentum going, and the welcome we’ve received has been fantastic. Meeting a bunch of new teammates at once is unique, but they’ve really made us feel at home.”
With Casey Cizikas sidelined due to illness, Max Shabanov made his return to the rink. Kyle MacLean filled in as the fourth-line center, with Shabanov taking the left wing position.
Unfortunately, Cizikas’ streak of 161 consecutive games played came to an end, making Anders Lee their new iron man with 136 games in a row.
Cal Richie is currently listed as day-to-day due to a lower-body injury.
Meanwhile, Ilya Sorokin found the net just a day after David Rittich scored back-to-back goals, ultimately finishing the match with 20 saves.
