NHL-ийн шинэ улирлын нээлтийн тоглолтод Энтони Дюклер өөрийн хурд болон ур чадварыг харуулж, багийнхаа довтолгооны шугамыг хүчирхэгжүүлэх боломжтойг нотлов.
Нью-Йорк Айлендерс улирлын нээлтийн тоглолтод Торонто Мэйпл Лифст хожигдсон ч багийн дөрөвдүгээр эгнээний тоглолт олны анхаарлыг татлаа. Энэхүү эгнээнд багтсан Энтони Дюклер өөрийн хурдтай тоглолтоороо ялгарч, улмаар хоёрдугаар эгнээ рүү дэвшин тоглох эрхээ олж авсан юм.
Дасгалжуулагч Пит ДеБур түүний идэвхтэй тоглолтыг өндрөөр үнэлж, багийн шилдэг тоглогчдод туслах чадвартай хэмээн онцолсон байна. Дюклер өмнөх улирлуудад бэртэл гэмтлийн улмаас тогтворгүй байсан ч энэ удаагийн гараагаараа өөрийн боломжоо бүрэн ашиглах эрмэлзэлтэй байгаагаа харууллаа.
Багийн статистикч Эрик Хорникийн мэдээлснээр, Мэттью Шефер энэ тоглолтод 27:45 минут талбайд гарсан нь 1997-98 оны улирлаас хойш NHL-ийн нээлтийн тоглолтод оролцсон өсвөр насны тоглогчдын хамгийн өндөр үзүүлэлт болжээ. Нью-Йорк Айлендерс дараагийн тоглолтоо бямба гарагт Нью-Жерси Девилсийн эсрэг талбайдаа хийхээр бэлтгэж байна.
Дэлгэрэнгүйг эх сурвалжаас харах
↓Эх сурвалжийг нээх ↓
The Islanders fourth line looked like its oddest fit on paper, but for much of Wednesday’s season-opening loss to the Maple Leafs, it was their most effective trio.
Much of that was down to Anthony Duclair.
In Duclair’s first couple of seasons as an Islander, the nights when he looked like the player they thought they were signing in 2024 have been few and far between, with a torn groin ruining his 2024-25 season before an up-and-mostly-down 2025-26 in which he spent nearly as much time as a healthy scratch as he did in the top six.
The question going into camp this year wasn’t whether Duclair would find his 25-goal form so much as whether he would be in the lineup.
Maybe that was the wrong question.
At least on opening night, Duclair played with a speed that’s been missing from his game since the groin injury. He drove plays, created chances and earned a promotion from the fourth line to the second.
“He had good legs tonight,” coach Pete DeBoer said. “So I wanted to reward him. I thought he was working and he was moving. He had some juice there that I thought he could help some of the top guys with his legs.”
It’s just one game, and there have been false starts here before. How DeBoer configures his lines for Saturday’s home opener against the Devils won’t matter as much as whether Duclair can come out and do it again, and again, and again.
But under a new coach, with a clean slate and no expectations attached to him, maybe the situation can play to Duclair’s advantage. The Islanders need offense to come from somewhere, and it wasn’t all that long ago they signed Duclair for just that reason, with visions of him completing a top line with Mat Barzal and Bo Horvat.
No one’s reviving that idea yet — and with Barzal both injured and slated to play center upon his return, Duclair’s not the only reason why — but two years later, the Islanders have continued to struggle dealing with the lineup problem they signed him to solve.
At least on opening night, Duclair looked capable of doing so. Better late than never.
Per team statistician Eric Hornick, Matthew Schaefer’s 27:45 of ice time Wednesday was the most by a teenager in an opener since the stat became official in 1997-98.
The Islanders did not practice Thursday, with two days between games before Saturday’s home opener against the Devils.
