Robin Lehner has effusive all season about his respect for the Islanders and their up-and-coming group, which he helped result in the playoffs final season.
But for the primary of two days this season, Lehner was anti-Isles on Friday, making a hefty 38 saves in a rousing 5-2 house win.
The outspoken goaltender began in opposition to the Isles for the primary time since his free agent negotiations broke down final summer time and led to a shocking transfer to Chicago.
“I don’t want to let some of these guys score on me,” he mentioned after morning skate. “I’ve been pretty good against former teams, so hopefully I’ll keep that going today.”
He was proper about that: He entered the day 8-1-Three with a .947 save share in conferences in opposition to former groups (taking part in the Senators with the Sabres, and taking part in the Sabres with the Isles).
And he continued that streak Friday, permitting just one early aim to Ross Johnston earlier than discovering his A-game, stymieing a number of harmful Islanders energy performs.
Lehner’s efficiency in New York final season elevated his popularity from a journeyman with stable numbers to an elite-class goalie. He was a Vezina Trophy finalist with a .930 save share.
“The guys, the organization, the coaches made it a really easy year for me,” he mentioned. “But it’s been exciting starting a new year here.”
If something, Lehner’s stellar first half-season with the Hawks has solely additional cemented that elite standing. And after a little bit of regression in latest begins, Friday’s win solely reaffirmed that.
Caggiula making sluggish progress
Seven weeks since his concussion and three weeks since he initially anticipated to return on the Boston-New Jersey highway journey, Drake Caggiula took a step ahead Friday.
He participated in line rushes and battle drills throughout the Hawks’ comparatively intense morning skate-full observe hybrid, meant to make up for the three-day vacation break.
“The practices I’ve been doing have mostly been by myself,” Caggiula mentioned. “So it’s nice to do that 3-on-3 drill at the end, get some guys pushing on you, leaning on you, testing you out and just being visually aware of what’s going on around you.”
Caggiula had made solely 15 appearances this season previous to the damage and now discover himself in a bizarre limbo place.
“I feel like I’m almost preparing for training camp again, skating by myself and trying to keep in shape and working out,” he mentioned. “It’s a weird situation because it’s midseason, but trying to do whatever I can to stay in the best shape I can.”
The 25-year-old wing is experiencing solely remoted lingering signs now, popping up for an hour or much less as soon as each three or 4 days. But since this isn’t one among his first concussions, he’s in no rush again.
“I don’t expect it to be too much longer, but at the same time, I’m not setting a date, because I’ve been disappointed before trying to do that,” he mentioned.
Gilbert scores first
Dennis Gilbert wrote one other chapter in his storybook season — one of many few reliably pleasing storylines on this Hawks season general — together with his first profession NHL aim Friday.
Gilbert, who had registered solely 9 photographs on aim in his first 15 video games, made a surprisingly deft maneuver in site visitors and trickled a backhander by means of Islanders goalie Thomas Greiss to open the Hawks’ scoring.