Kyle McClain was drenched in sweat, his shirt sticking to his arms, and he couldn’t be happier.
“You always score when you’re not doing well,” Cal Clutterbuck said before Monday night’s game.
At least Clutterbuck has, including the last time the Islanders played at Prudential Center.
The night before the November loss, Clutterbuck slept for 15 hours before going out and scoring a goal.
There’s no word on how long McClain slept, but he left practice early Sunday morning complaining of flu-like symptoms.
Islanders coach Patrick Roy said before the game that he expected McClain to play, but he wasn’t sure until warmups.
“Yesterday I felt it more, today I felt it a little bit more,” McClain, 24, told the Post after scoring the goal that helped the Islanders beat the Devils 4-1 and clinch a playoff berth. Told. “I think I felt good enough to play today. I woke up feeling good enough. I was monitoring myself all day, and I was fine. Yesterday was tough, if it was yesterday’s game. Maybe, but I felt good today.”
It’s also good for the islanders. McLean’s emergence as a fourth-line center solved a series of problems in Roy’s lineup, allowing Casey Cizikas to play on the first line, where he had been effective since his introduction.
MacLean’s speed and energy were the perfect complement to the abrasive play of Clutterbuck and Matt Martin and helped change the trend this season.
“He has confidence in me,” Roy said.
Kyle scored the game-ending goal against a team that MacLean’s father, John, starred in, finishing off a pass from Anders Lee with 6:17 left in the game to make it 4-1. It was just that. number 3.
McClain will make his playoff debut this weekend against the Hurricanes and hopes to feel better.
“There were ups and downs throughout the year,” he said, no doubt recalling Lane Lambert being fired the day after his NHL debut in Chicago. “It was a battle. It’s important to clinch and secure a spot in the playoffs. It means a lot. Of course it would be great to get it done before Game 82. We’re in the playoffs now. I want to make a fuss about it.”
Noah Dobson (upper body) did not make the trip to New Jersey, and Roy cited the one-time road trip as the reason.
The defenseman is still day-to-day.
