Breaking Down Ryan Pulock's Strong Performance In Return To Lineup

The New York Islanders got back on track on Thursday night in California, knocking off the Los Angeles Kings 5-2.

The win snapped an elongated four-game losing streak (0-2-2) which saw the Islanders lose ground in the early-season standings.

The big story from the game has to be the strong returns of both Matias Maccelli and Ryan Pulock.

Maccelli posted one assist, a primary apple on Matthew Schaefer's power play goal, while playing 13:46 in his return.

That Maccelli didn't seem to have missed a beat is a big story in and of itself, but it is not the main takeaway.

The return of Ryan Pulock is the big one. He came in and balanced out the Islanders' defense, most specifically alleviating the ice…