EDMONTON, Alberta — Two and a half weeks in the middle of an 82-game season can often feel like a lifetime, and in less than 10 games the story has already shifted in one direction and then another. There is.
A great example of that is if you rewind there, Simon Holmstrom was going up to the plate and asking if he could spell Anthony Duclair on the top line, and that's the biggest question surrounding the Islanders. It was.
It hasn't been that long, but the Islanders are down four more regulars, including another top liner, Matt Barzal, and Holmstrom has been back in the bottom six over the past five games.
And after going scoreless in four games on the top line, the Swede piled up five points in those five games and suddenly showed a confidence and aggressiveness that was clearly lacking when he lined up with Barzal and Bo Horvat. He showed his full potential and played.
Coincidence?
“I don't know,” coach Patrick Roy said Saturday night, when Holmstrom contributed a goal and an assist in the Islanders' 4-3 overtime loss to the Devils. “But I liked that because I noticed he was getting more and more confident on the outside. And he scored a really nice goal in that game, but obviously he was a great player for us. He’s playing good hockey. … I have a lot of confidence in him.”
Holmstrom, 23, has put together flashes like this before, most notably his five shorthanded goals last season before the new year.
But the Islanders needed their bottom six to improve their scoring after Barzal and Duclair went down, and Holmstrom was the catalyst.
In the four games he played on the top line, Holmstrom totaled three shots on goal.
In the five games since then, he has taken a total of nine shots. This isn't the best number in the world, but it's still a huge difference.
This has already proven to be important for the Islanders. It was Holmstrom's power-play goal that started the rally in a penalty shootout win against the Penguins on Tuesday night, and it was Holmstrom who kept his team in the game with a first-period goal early Saturday morning. Jacob Markstrom's smooth finish.
“Homer's goal, probably the only forecheck in the first period,” Kyle Palmieri said.
In addition to this, he assisted on Dennis Cholowski's goal in the third period, but it wasn't enough for the Islanders to earn two points and then gave the Devils a 3-1 lead before losing in overtime. I gave it away.
But Holmstrom was a big part of the reason the Islanders earned the point on a night when they trailed for much of the night.
“He played well,” said Casey Cizikas, who recently placed Holmstrom at center in a trio that also included Pierre Envall. “He was strong with the puck. He made some really great plays and looked really good. You can see his confidence grow every time he plays here.”
In fact, while the advanced numbers on the third line aren't overwhelming, this trio has proven adept at both defense and puck-up ice transportation.
You can't blame the Islanders for wanting a few more chances, but Holmstrom has driven many of the chances when they've presented themselves.
The current front line is working well, and the Islanders have scored five of six points in their last three games heading into a marathon five-game series against the Oilers starting Tuesday night, so don't mix things up. There would be little temptation to bring Holmstrom back. Rank in the top 6.
That could all be a good thing.
Coincidentally or not, he gave the Islanders even more shine further down the lineup. And why ruin a good thing?
