Max Shabanov, in what was a notable understatement, called it “a little unusual” to go five weeks without playing in a game.
Granted, that layoff was due to the Olympic break, but the nine straight injuries Shabanov endured before returning to the lineup in Tuesday’s win over the Blues was a clear sign that the Russian needs to do more to be in the Islanders’ lineup following the additions of Ondrej Palat and Brayden Schenn.
He gets a chance to show he deserves more playing time now, with a second consecutive game in the fourth row in Friday’s 3-2 loss to the Kings after coach Patrick Roy appeared happy with his performance in St.
“Keep working,” said Shabanov, with goaltending coach Sergejs Naumovs acting as an interpreter Friday morning, speaking to reporters for the first time in nearly four months. “Stay positive. Try to get the best out of yourself on the ice. Just be patient.”
Roy was happy enough with Shabanov’s performance on Friday that he moved up to the second line at the end of the game where, he said, he was looking for more talent in the top six.
Shabanov’s name was prominent in trade rumors leading up to last week’s deadline, as it appeared he did not have a clear place in the Islanders’ plans.
It’s unclear if the move is even close to coming to fruition, but both Shabanov and the Islanders need to take the rest of the season and see if there’s a long-term fit in New York.
If not, Shabanov will likely be locked out this summer, when he becomes a restricted free agent.
“I try to stay away, not study anything,” Shabanov said about the rumors. “Just to stay focused on training. I can come back at any time from the lineup and be helpful to the team. So it’s not my job to follow the news. I can’t do anything, I can’t control anything. Control what I can’t control.”
In 42 games this year, Shabanov proved to be a capable player and put up a solid 16 points. But the physical conditioning in the NHL — which is expected to be a process given the 5-foot-9, 167-pound Shabanov — proved to be really tough.
“Everything is different in the KHL,” Shabanov said. “Technically, smartly, game-wise. It’s all very new.”
Friday was the Islanders’ 13th straight sellout, their longest streak since opening UBS Arena with 19 in a row.
Matthew Schaefer set a career-high in time on the ice, finishing in 29:24.
Although this is a short stretch, with a three-game road trip to Canada following Saturday’s game against the Flames, 12 of the Islanders’ last 18 games are at UBS.
