NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Noah Dobson's All-Star selection saga could be even worse than it was Thursday when summed up in just one game.
Skating on top pairing with Alexander Romanov, Dobson led the Islanders with a time on the ice of 26 minutes, 01 seconds.
He made one mistake, but a ferocious turnover in his own zone in the second period led to an Auston Matthews goal — and then a 4-3 overtime win over the Maple Leafs. He made up for it with four assists.
This made Dobson the fourth Islanders defenseman in history with a four-assist game, the first four-point game of his career, and moved him into third place league-wide among defensemen with 36 assists.
“We just tried to get on the power play and put the puck in the net. We saw some lanes and the guys took advantage of them well,” Dobson said. “I even got an assist on one of their goals. Obviously a bad play on my part. I liked the reaction, a couple shifts. [and] Please take them back. It's a big win. ”
Neither Dobson nor any other Islander will join Mathew Barzal in Toronto during the first weekend of February, according to the NHL's initial announcement of the All-Star voting toppers on Tuesday. There were no Islanders among the top 15 skaters or top eight goaltenders, although that could change by the time Saturday's final tallies are released. It's a bad sign considering only the top eight skaters and four goaltenders will be available.
When you look at the numbers, there's not much of an argument that Dobson shouldn't be an All-Star midway through the season and on the Norris Trophy ballot.
“surely [he should], why not?'' coach Lane Lambert said. “He's played well all year. He's put up numbers.”
Dobson has played more minutes than any other defenseman in the league, leading the league in primary assists (21) and trailing only Quinn Hughes and Cale Makar in total points (42). The Islanders, who have a -11 point differential on the season, outscored opponents 45-28 at 5-on-5 (or 61.64 percent) with Dobson on the ice.
It couldn't be more dramatic, and an indicator of how valuable Dobson has been this season for a team that has suffered injury after injury at the blue line. There's a reason Bo Horvat took the opportunity to serve as Dobson's campaign manager without asking Thursday night.
“He's been great. He's been making plays outside, not just offensively, but he's been really solid defensively this year,” Horvat said. “And that, in my opinion, is one of the big reasons why he should be in the All-Star Game. I hope everyone goes out and votes for him so he can get there.” Masu.”
The reality of playing for a team with less national attention means the Islanders will be at a disadvantage when it comes to fan-voted awards. The Islanders haven't been a particularly great team this season, but their star players have performed. Horvat and Brock Nelson have their own All-Star candidates, but it's unlikely that will happen.
But they fall into a category that is at least debatable. It's hard to say the same about Dobson.
Thursday proved that.
“It shows his determination and experience is coming through,” Lambert said. “When you make a mistake, you have to bounce back. Everybody makes mistakes, and especially when you have that much puck and play that much, you're never going to be perfect, that's for sure.
“I wasn't surprised at all that he came back and showed such determination. That's good for him.”
