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Grabner hoping his Sochi scoring success translates back to the NHL

Ice Hockey - Winter Olympics Day 9 - Austria v Norway

during the Men’s Ice Hockey Preliminary Round Group B game on day nine of the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics at Bolshoy Ice Dome on February 16, 2014 in Sochi, Russia.

Bruce Bennett

Michael Grabner has had no problem filling the net for Austria’s Olympic hockey team. However, the same can’t be said about the season he’s having back in the National Hockey League with the New York Islanders.

Grabner scored twice for Austria on Sunday, as that nation recorded a 3-1 victory over Norway for its first win of the competition in Sochi. That will go nicely with his hat trick in the Austria’s tournament-opening loss to Finland last week. Five goals totaled through three preliminary games. Not bad at all. Perspective: Austria, as a team, has only scored seven goals.

But back in the NHL, scoring has proven to be difficult this season for Grabner. The speedy 26-year-old forward has only nine goals and 20 points in 56 games this season with the Islanders. A 34-goal scorer in 2010-11, Grabner has seen his goal totals drop significantly every season since then.

Perhaps what he’s doing for Austria in Sochi can help propel him to better production with New York.

“I should have probably 20, but I didn’t score as many goals over there as I want yet,” Grabner said, as per the Associated Press. “It’s nice to get some here, and maybe get the confidence when I go back.”

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