PHILADELPHIA — Isaiah George, simply 32 video games into his NHL profession, want to discover some extra consistency at this degree.
By no means thoughts the outdated cliché that it takes a defenseman 100-plus video games to adapt to the very best degree of the game.
George, who snapped up a spot on the Islanders blue line after a November call-up, will not be grading himself on a curve.
“I feel I simply haven’t been too constant proper now,” George instructed The Put up on Thursday morning. “Good video games and a pair off video games. Simply discovering that consistency can be large. Simply go from there.”
That was earlier than George suffered a second straight off night time, sitting the ultimate 33:02 of the Islanders’ 3-0 win over the Flyers after struggling his manner by means of 5 shifts.
On condition that George had related struggles two nights prior towards Colorado, getting hemmed into the offensive zone all through the second interval earlier than sitting a lot of the third, it could not be an excessive amount of of a shock to see Dennis Cholowski within the lineup Saturday in Tampa.
After wanting unflappable upon his call-up earlier this season, this represents a pace bump for George. It’s to be anticipated of any younger participant, however how he responds can be important.
“I all the time watch [the tape], all the time see, ’trigger if you’re out on the ice, typically not every part’s the way it appears,” George mentioned. “Generally you assume one thing was there and it wasn’t or vice versa.”
George’s perspective, although, continues to impress.
“He’s superb when he strikes that puck fast,” coach Patrick Roy mentioned earlier than the sport. “When he begins to play east-west and even bringing it again south, it’s just a little more durable. However he’s 20 years outdated. Are you kidding me? To me, it’s an exceptional expertise for him. He couldn’t ask for any higher.
“I really like the truth that even when he’s making errors, he’s able to coming again and taking part in more durable the following one and that reveals character to me. And that’s what you need to know. What number of guys are going on the market and making a mistake and being afraid simply being on the ice they’ll make one other one? I like him quite a bit. He hasn’t been good. No one is. He’s bouncing again.”
In an indication that neither Marcus Hogberg (higher physique) nor Semyon Varlamov (decrease physique) is anticipated again within the close to time period, Roy mentioned the expectation is for the group’s fourth-string goalie, Jakub Skarek, to play sooner or later.
“When? We don’t know. However he’ll play,” Roy mentioned. “As of proper now, Ilya [Sorokin]’s taking part in rather well.”
The Islanders despatched Hudson Fasching (higher physique) to AHL Bridgeport on a conditioning task.