Boston Bruins: 3 New York Islanders to watch in Round 2
By Sam Minton
The Boston Bruins now know who they will be playing in the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Next up on the docket is a series with the New York Islanders.
New York defeated the Penguins in six games. While they have Tristan Jarry to thank, the Islanders have been playing some good hockey.
In the regular season Boston was 3-3-2 against the Islanders. At times they struggled to deal with the Islanders methodical play, but late in the season the Bruins played much better.
But there is no doubt that New York has some talented players. If they are allowed to perform well, Boston could be headed home.
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So here are the three New York Islanders that Boston Bruins fans will want to pay attention to.
3 New York Islanders for Boston Bruins fans to watch in Round 2 – No.3: Jean-Gabriel Pageau
Bruins fans are rather familiar with Jean-Gabriel Pageau. He spent the first part of his career with the Ottawa Senators. Now with New York, he is continuing to cause some problems.
In 2021, Pageau had 14 goals and 14 assists. Those numbers are rather impressive but he did even better against the Bruins. In eight games against Boston, Pageau scored five goals and three assists.
Frankly, Pageau lit up the Bruins. If Boston wants to win, they need to lock him down. If they don’t the Bruins could have some problems. Boston will need to get the puck out of their own zone much faster. New York can’t accrue zone time like the B’s allowed Washington to.
So Bruins fans (and more importantly the players) will need to keep an eye on Pageau. If he has a good series it will likely be the same for the Islanders.