Going into the summer, Ondrej Palat and Anthony Duclair felt like representations of what the Islanders did not need: underproducing wingers who had struggled to justify their presence in the lineup, with their cap charges only exacerbating the problem.
asserted
charges → go → problem
Though the season is still at such an early stage that small-sample caveats can apply to every sentence, it’s not a mere pleasant surprise that both players have produced thus far.
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players → apply → sentence
It’s a necessary condition if the Islanders — still without Mathew Barzal, by the way — are going to find the necessary forward depth to compete for a playoff spot.
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Islanders → ’ → spot
It’s one that both players are doing their part to fulfill.
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players → ’ → part
“I don’t think I play on another level [as opposed to last season].
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I → think → season
I work really hard, even when I got here,” Palat told The Post before the Islanders faced Tampa Bay on Saturday night at UBS Arena.
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Islanders → work → Arena
“I just think I’m playing a little bit differently.
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I → think → ?
I was working during the summer.
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I → work → summer
Point-wise, still, I want to be better, but we’ve created a lot of chances.”
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we → want → chances
Palat, 35, said he made changes to his offseason routine to compensate for age but preferred to keep the specifics private.
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he → say → specifics
So far, they’ve worked.
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they → work → ?
He’s played with noticeably more energy, and the Islanders’ fourth line has been noticeably more up ice.
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line → play → ice
“They’ve been maybe our most consistent line,” DeBoer said of the trio that currently includes Matias Maccelli and Casey Cizikas in addition to Palat.
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that → say → Palat
“It’s exactly what I talked about at the beginning of the year.
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I → ’ → year
The goal isn’t to get out there and survive your shift.
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goal → get → shift
It’s to tilt the ice, chip in some goals and help us win games.
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us → ’ → games
I think they’ve taken that message and kind of run with it.
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they → think → it
That’s noticeably different from the sort of fourth line the Islanders spent years with, and which they’ve failed to replicate since Cal Clutterbuck and Matt Martin aged out.
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Clutterbuck → ’ → which
During camp, it seemed like an odd fit, but the fruits of it are starting to pay off.
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fruits → seem → it
DeBoer’s trust is evident in the way he’s distributing minutes.
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he → distribute → minutes
Duclair, who seems to have gotten off on the right foot with DeBoer, is a big piece of the equation as well.
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who → seem → equation
It was highly notable that he responded well after DeBoer spoke to Duclair asking for a higher level after what he felt was a lackluster performance against the Rangers on Tuesday, scoring his first goal of the season two nights later against the Blackhawks.
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he → respond → Blackhawks
“You look at his career; he’s had some outstanding seasons where he’s put it all together,” DeBoer said.
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DeBoer → look → it
“I’m not asking him to do anything he hasn’t done before.”
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he → ask → anything
True, but Duclair didn’t come close to the 25-goal, 40-plus point player the Islanders expected in either of his first two seasons here, to the point that expectations have dropped in turn — for everyone except DeBoer, that is.
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that → come → DeBoer
DeBoer may not fully realize the subtext underpinning the situation, but his predecessor’s struggles to motivate Duclair — and subsequent public alienation — played a role in his issues here.
uncertain
struggles → realize → issues
Now, Duclair, who also made a point earlier this week of saying he feels fully healthy, can play without that weight on his shoulders.
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he → make → shoulders
He’s a very experienced coach,” Duclair said of DeBoer.
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Duclair → ’ → DeBoer
“He’s had a lot of success over the years, so anything he says, you want to take that and apply it right away.
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you → have → it
We’ve all bought into his system here the last couple games.
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We → buy → system
It’s just a question of keep building and keep learning.”
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It → ’ → ?
The Aporia
