Logan Stanley Bringing Needed Physicality to NY Islanders

The New York Islanders faced a stiff test in their latest game against the Tampa Bay Lightning, who have consistently been one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference.

Notorious for being a physical team that isn’t afraid to play through and even after the whistle, the Islanders didn’t look very comfortable early in the contest against the Lightning. Tampa Bay had a 2-0 lead at the end of the first period, taking control early.

New York was able to cut the deficit in half when Tony DeAngelo scored after head coach Peter DeBoer shook up his lines, placing Ondrej Palat on the third line in place of Simon Holmstrom, who was shifted to the fourth. That got the team going, along with defenseman Logan Stanley, who has brought an edge to the team on the ice.

At the end of the first period, he was seen talking to players on the Lightning bench. Later in the second period, he dropped the gloves, fighting with Scott Sabourin to further help light a fire under his teammates.

Islanders benefitting from physical play of Logan Stanley

“I didn’t love a couple of our lines early and I had given some of those lines some runway hoping that it works but it was time for a change,” DeBoer said, via Tyler Millen of NHL.com. “I would also add that I think the Stanley scrap got us involved in the game too. I think it was the line changes were a piece, but I think Stan kind of dragged us into the fight there.”

Signed after training camp, right before the regular season began, a lot of people questioned the addition of Stanley. Bringing someone in after the rigors of camp who hadn’t played with the team was certainly an eyebrow-raising move, but he has proven to be impactful in the early going.

Through five games, he has produced four assists and a plus/minus of +3. He has 17 penalty minutes, showing he isn’t afraid to bring some physicality to the ice, something the team certainly needs more of.

“It starts with Stans [Stanley] obviously dropping the mitts just riding for our team, answering the bell, getting us going,” Matthew Schaefer added. “I think that is where it started. Tony [DeAngelo] gets one, and then obviously (a) good screen in front on mine, and it just found its way in. It's fun when we're when we're you know going and we're moving like that. We had a couple shifts there where we were hemming them in their zone, and we just kept going to work and it's fun.”

Stanley helped change the tide for his squad when he fought Sabourin. His teammates took note, playing a more physical brand of hockey themselves from that point on.

Their forecheck woke up, with Bo Horvat, Brayden Schenn and Victor Eklund recording four hits apiece. The Islanders held a 30-18 edge in hits, matching the physicality of Lightning, with Stanley setting the tone.

Now on a line with Schaefer, Stanley is making a two-way impact for the team on the ice.