Adam Pelech had stood out in the crowd for the Islanders, scoring the first goal and assisting in preventing one with a big block during penalty-killing duty.
So after Thursday night’s 2-1 win over Montreal at the Coliseum, Barry Trotz met the press and was asked about Pelech. The coach just started raving about the 24-year-old defenseman, calling his work in the game “outstanding.”
“He has continued to play firm in the defensive zone, and he’s jumping up at the right times,” Trotz said. “He’s playing with confidence.
“Yeah, he’s a lot different player than at the start of the year, and that’s fantastic for us and fantastic for him because he’s finding that next level of player that a player can be.