As the New York Islanders’ postseason continues for at least four more games with a series win over the Pittsburgh Penguins, one crucial factor for the Islanders fueling their success has been the second line of Brock Nelson, Anthony Beauvillier, and Josh Bailey.

All Islanders’ lines have contributed throughout the series, with most lines putting up many points in spurts. However, one line has stood out remarkably from the rest during the first round and has recorded stellar numbers. With all eyes on Mat Barzal, Jordan Eberle, and Leo Komarov, the line of Brock Nelson, Anthony Beauvillier, and Josh Bailey have slid under the radar.

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Last postseason, which included the Islanders’ run to the Eastern Conference Finals, the second line was a mainstay on the scoresheet. In four games against the Florida Panthers, they combined for 12 points. In five games against the Washington Capitals, they combined for 14 points. In seven games against the Philadelphia Flyers, they combined for 18 points, and in six games against the Tampa Bay Lightning, the line combined for eight points. As you can see, in the one playoff series where the Islanders did not advance, the second line had a tougher time getting on the scoresheet.

This postseason the Islanders’ second line started off strong, combining for 19 points. Each forward has an identical team-leading three goals, and Beauvillier carries the pack with seven assists. It is sometimes hard to find consistency during the playoffs. What happened once before is never guaranteed to happen again. It is quite special that the success of this line has translated over from last postseason to this postseason.

The second line had a strong series against the Penguins; however, now they need to find success against the Boston Bruins for the Islanders to continue their early playoff success. They cannot let their performance sink as they did with the Tampa Bay Lightning last year.

Another line finding success against the Penguins was the Jean-Gabriel Pageau, Kyle Palmieri, and Oliver Wahlstrom line. The three players individually, because they sometimes were not all on the ice simultaneously, combined for 11 points. However, at the end of Game 5, the Islanders lost Oliver Wahlstrom due to injury. Wahlstrom is reported to be day-to-day, but it is unknown when he will be making his way back into the lineup. If he is not in the lineup for Game 1 against the Bruins, the expectation is that Travis Zajac, who was on that line in Game 6 against the Penguins, will be in the lineup again tonight.

The Islanders’ second line needs to play with the same energy they played with during the Penguins in the Boston Bruins series if they want to have a shot at advancing in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Ethan Halle

Ethan is an Economics Major at the University of Florida looking to pursue a double major in Sports Management with a minor in political science.