ISLANDERS WIN BIG AFTER LOCKING UP KEY BLUELINER
Hours after the Islanders inked Nick Leddy to a long-term extension, they defeated the Arizona Coyotes 5-1 and rookie Kael Mouillerat tallied his first NHL goal.
The Islanders exploded in the third period tallying four of their five goals in the final frame. It was extra sweet for Kael Mouillerat who was playing in his third NHL game.
“It’s obviously a pretty unbelievable feeling,” the 27-year-old rookie said after tallying his first NHL goal. “You play so long and at my age to get your first crack at the NHL. There are times in the minors you think it is never going to happen and then when it does its pretty incredible.”
However, the win and Mouillerat’s milestone were not the biggest news of the day. Nick Leddy signed a seven-year extension with an average annual value of 5.5 million per season.
“We have something special in this locker room and I’m excited to be a part of it for seven more years,” Leddy said in a press release. “From the start of my time here, the Islanders have been a first-class organization. I’m honored by their commitment to me and look forward to challenging for the Stanley Cup for years to come.”
Since the Islanders acquired both Nick Leddy and Johnny Boychuk, the two have been in separable on the ice.
“As soon as we got traded together, we started playing together,” Boychuk said after scoring a goal and a posting +2 rating. “Now we are starting to know everything about each other on the ice… He is a great player and will be for a long time. Its nice to seem him get rewarded.”
Lost in all the madness was Chad Johnson getting the start and giving the Islanders a big boost. He has now given up two or less goals in his previous four starts and is playing like the backup goaltender the team envisioned when they signed him.
“It was a tough game in the first two periods,” Johnson said. “Back and forth momentum swings all over the place. Obviously the third period we just took over and wore them down.”
The Islanders will continue to focus on being a team to beat in the Eastern Conference and should divert some attention to locking up the rest of their top defensive pair.
By: Scott Charles
WLIE 540 AM SPORTSTALKNY Staff Writer
Islanders Insight Senior Editor
Follow us on Twitter @sportstalkny and @Scottmcharles
Tune in each week on 540 am in NY NJ CT and streaming on www.sportstalknyradio.com at 7pm Sundays for the live broadcast. Please take a moment to like our fan page WLIE 540 AM SPORTSTALKNY, check out the show's YOUTUBE Page "SPORTSTALKNY" and the facebook fan page https://www.facebook.com/SPORTSTALKNY
