Noah Dobson finally returning to form for Islanders
RALEIGH, N.C. — Coincidence or not, the line of demarcation in Noah Dobson’s season right now looks like it came in the final game of November against the Sabres.
That was when Patrick Roy sat the defenseman for the final 6:47 of a 3-0 win over the Sabres, as Dobson finished with 17:53 of ice, his lowest TOI since April 2023.
After starting the year with 10 points (one goal, nine assists) in 24 games and a handful of late-game mistakes leading to goals against, it looked like a message being sent from Roy, even if the head coach didn’t explicitly say so at the time.
In the eight games since then, Dobson has eight points — three goals and five assists — and has looked a whole lot more like the player who dominated the first half of last season when the Islanders needed him.
“I think from game to game, there’s different things you see,” Dobson told The Post before the Islanders lost 4-0 to Carolina on Tuesday. “I think lately I’ve just tried going out there, playing free. Not overthinking anything, just using my instincts, getting up the ice where I can, but also being hard defensively. Putting the onus on being hard to play against as well and defending well.
“And I think when I do that, the offense comes from playing solid in your own end. Breaking pucks out clean, getting up the ice and getting opportunities from that.”
It’s been obvious to anyone watching that Dobson has upped his offensive aggression and taken to heart that Roy wants him to skate with the puck.
There are also subtle changes both in how he is operating and in how the Islanders are using him, with fewer offensive zone faceoffs and slightly less ice time — which Roy said might be helping Dobson conserve energy.
Dobson talked during training camp about wanting to shoot the puck more, but early in the year, his shots were getting blocked more often.
That has not been the case as much lately, and Sunday in Chicago marked his season high with eight shots on net.
“I was getting myself, at times, too wide or not in a good position where I’m in the middle of the ice to have better angles or pucks on net,” Dobson said. “It’s something I noticed early on right away. So it’s something I’ve tried to put a cognizant effort on. Been able to get pucks through, just try and give our guys a chance in front.”
Anthony Duclair continued to skate with the team but did not return from a suspected groin injury Tuesday night.
Roy said Duclair has been medically cleared and it’s now about whether he feels 100 percent to go.
Bo Horvat was back in the lineup after missing Sunday’s game with a lower-body injury.