RALEIGH, N.C. — Coincidence or not, the dividing line for Noah Dobson's season now appears to be set for his final game against the Sabers in November.
That was when Patrick Roy played defense for the final 6 minutes, 47 seconds of a 3-0 win over the Sabers, and Dobson finished with 17 minutes, 53 seconds, his lowest TOI since April 2023. .
This year, he started the year with 10 points (1 goal, 9 assists) in 24 games, with some mistakes late in the game leading to goals conceded, but even if the head coach didn't explicitly say so, Roy It looked like a message. So at that time.
In the eight games since then, Dobson has eight points (three goals, five assists) and is starting to look a lot like the player who dominated the first half of last season, when the Islanders needed him.
“I think every game you see something different,” Dobson told the Post before the Islanders’ 4-0 loss to Carolina on Tuesday. “I think these days I just try to go out there and play free, not overthinking anything, just using my instincts, getting on the ice as much as possible, but also being hard defensively. We are also responsible for things that are difficult to do and to protect them well.
“And when you do that, I think the offense comes from making solid plays on your end, breaking up the puck cleanly, getting up on the ice and getting opportunities from there.”
It was obvious to everyone that Dobson was more aggressive offensively and was mindful of Roy's desire for him to skate with the puck.
There were also subtle changes in how Dobson operates and how the Islanders use him, with fewer faceoffs in the offensive zone and slightly less ice time. Roy said this may be helping Dobson save energy.
Dobson said during training camp that he wanted to shoot the puck more, but earlier this year his shots were getting blocked more often.
That hasn't happened much lately, and on Sunday in Chicago, he had eight shots on net, a season-high.
“At times we were too wide ourselves or not in a good position to be in the middle of the ice to create a better angle or puck on the net,” Dobson said. “That's something I noticed right away early on. So, that's something I've been trying to make a conscious effort to do. I was able to get the puck through, so I made sure to give the players in front of me a chance. Please try.”
Anthony Duclair continued to skate with the team, but did not return from a suspected groin injury Tuesday night.
Roy said Duclair was medically cleared and now it was up to him to feel 100 percent ready to quit.
Bo Horvat returned to action after missing Sunday's game with a lower-body injury.
