Simon Holmstrom's first stint on the Islanders' top line was a failure.
However, in the tri-two, Holmstrom scored two goals in not one game, but two games in a row. The feat was something he had never accomplished in his NHL career before Friday.
The Islanders were forced into this situation after Jean-Gabriel Pageau left the game Friday with a lower-body injury.
But you certainly can't mess with a formula that seems to be working right now, especially after Saturday's 3-0 win over Buffalo and giving the Islanders a chance to snap out of a two-week slump. .
“He's doing it,” said Anders Lee, who plays with Holmstrom and Bo Horvat. “I think the other big thing about signing him for us is that he's a very smart player. He fits in perfectly and knows exactly what we're trying to do there. He wins a lot of battles in the offensive zone and the D-zone, but he has a great stick that keeps the puck alive on the forecheck.”
More than that, Holmstrom's scoring instincts, which have said much more than meets the eye for most of his short career, have revealed themselves.
On Friday, he hit a wrist shot that beat Logan Thompson clean and set up Dennis Cholowski's point shot.
On Saturday, he finished off a Lee feed on a 2-on-1 rush, then went 5-on-6 to get the puck and score into an empty net. It's the kind of play the Islanders always struggle with in critical moments of games.
Holmstrom had 12 points, nearly half of his 25 points from last season in less than a third of the games.
And he still contributes with the same smart defense the Islanders loved in his first two seasons.
“He's playing with confidence,” coach Patrick Roy said. “He had a strong night, so I was happy to see him score an empty netter. That line has the puck. They're great offensively, their forecheck is great, they play well defensively. I think that line played a solid game and that's what we needed.”
Pierre Engvall was a healthy scratch as the Islanders played with 11 forwards and seven defensemen for the first time this season, but Roy said he wanted to send a message to Engvall after playing too much on the outside Friday.
Pageau has missed two games in a row and is currently suffering from a lower-body injury.
Matt Martin's seven hits were his most since February 8, a win over Tampa last season.
