Newsday · Dec 17, 2018
New perception of Islanders? Strong defensively
DENVER – Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon’s pre-game comment praising the Islanders’ defense seemed to come straight from the standard playbook of talking up the opponent and doing anything to keep from providing bulletin board material.
Still, given the state of the Islanders’ defense last season, MacKinnon’s scouting report does hint at how differently they’re perceived around the rest of the NHL this season.
“They’re one of the better defensive teams in the league,” MacKinnon said.