The New York Islanders have one of the more dynamic offenses in the NHL this season. Many will point to the fact that they have super rookie Mathew Barzal and franchise center John Tavares as the reason for their offensive success, but they’ve also received solid contributions from guys like Josh Bailey, Jordan Eberle and Anders Lee.
Through 45 games, Lee has found the back of the net an impressive 25 times, which puts him on pace to score 46 goals. If he hits that number, that would be a career-high for him (his current high is 34).
Pro Hockey Talk was able to catch up with Lee prior to Monday’s game against the Montreal Canadiens (you can watch the highlights of that game by clicking the video at the top of the page).
Enjoy!
Q. Doug Weight was saying that one of the reason’s that you’re producing so much is that you’ve been given a lot of opportunity. Is that what’s been the key for you or did you also add something else to your game?
“You have to earn the opportunity and then when you get it, you have to keep it. You’ve got to hold on to that. I think it’s a combination of both. Just putting in the time and effort to strive to be better every night and in the offseasons to get better. At the same time, when you do have those opportunities and you’re at the front of the net, earning your keep, then you’re going to have more chances to score for sure. It’s definitely a combination, I totally agree.”
Q. Did you do anything different in your offseason training?
“The last few years I’ve done a lot of studying of my game, like in regards to video and stuff during the offseason. That’s just honing in on little areas that you can develop in and making plays and holding on to the puck. I think that’s helped my game a lot. I’ve been working with a skating coach and a skills coach in the summer. I think that’s really given me a lot of confidence. And then I see it in the regular season. You can kind of pick apart what you’ve worked on and you can find those areas that you can continue to challenge yourself and become better in.”
Q. I know playing with John Tavares must be fun, but what’s the most challenging part of playing with him?
“I think we all, as a line, expect a lot from our position as the top line. Johnny is obviously a top player in the league and the space that he creates and the plays that he makes are awesome and ridiculous. I think for us, we just expect a lot from each other, so overcoming tough games here and there and just sticking with it and accepting the challenge that we’re going to have top matchups every night. But we want to be the guys on the line that the team turns to.”
Q. You guys have heard all the rumblings about Tavares and how he can become a free agent this summer, but what does he mean to this franchise?
“Johnny has the best character and work ethic. He’s the leader of this team and he’s been the head of this franchise since as long as he’s been here. He’s not just a great hockey player, he’s a great person, and guys care about him and he cares about us. So, he means a tremendous amount. He’s taken his time and thankfully it hasn’t been a distraction at all. I think both sides have handled it well. For us, as a team, it hasn’t been an issue at all. We just hope it goes the right way for us.”
Q. You guys haven’t felt the added attention surrounding his contract and all that?
“Not yet, no. We’ll see how that turns. But no, not at all. I think both sides see both sides of each other. They kind of see where he stands and where they stand. A lot of things need to happen-or I don’t know if they need to happen- but things like the arena situation and stuff like that I’m sure are in his head. I haven’t really pried him on it at all, it’s his thing to deal with. We support him either way. He’s been our captain since I’ve been here.”
Q. So you haven’t picked up a few more tabs along the way (laughs)?
“Maybe I should start (laughs). After the next few months, I think he should be picking up the tabs.”
Q. What did it mean for you guys to get the wheels in motion when it comes to a new arena?
“It’s awesome for the organization, I think it’s great for the fans. Barclays has been our home, but obviously it’s not the ideal situation. Right now it is our home and we take pride in it. Yea, travel on game day is a little bit different, but we’re used to it by now there’s no more of that excuse or anything like that. But the Belmont Arena is going to be incredible for the organization. It’s going to be our true home and something that’s going to be built especially for us, and for the fans and the experience of having a hockey game. I think that’s when home ice advantage will really start to kick in and pick up where it left off in the Coliseum days.”
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Joey Alfieri is a writer for Pro Hockey Talk on NBC Sports. Drop him a line at phtblog@nbcsports.com or follow him on Twitter @joeyalfieri.
