Matt Martin was not one of the official “three stars” of the Islanders’ 4-3 overtime victory over the Avalanche on Saturday at Barclays Center.
He did not record a goal or an assist. He did not have so much as a shot on goal.
Of the 16 boxes across from his name on the statistics sheet, 14 were blank. His only credits were six hits – his specialty, which led both teams – and a single blocked shot.
But that one block was the biggest play of the afternoon, and a tidy illustration of the Islanders’ unlikely rise to the top of the Metropolitan Division.