Hockey Dobson stepping up with absence of Pelech by Chris Passarelli January 15, 2020 Noah Dobson scored the first goal of his NHL career on Tuesday night against the Detroit Red Wings. It was not a pretty goal by any means, but it may be the spark the young defenseman needed. Dobson will probably be telling his grandkids one day that it was a ripper from the blue line, but take a look for yourself and you’ll see that it was as ugly as it gets. Dobson’s goal was just another step in what has been a great start to his NHL career. It’s hard to believe but #8 in the blue and orange just turned 20 years old. He’s still a year away from being able to have his first legal beer (in the United States). Even though he’s so young, he’s had to be relied upon on a pair with Johnny Boychuk due to the unfortunate injury of Adam Pelech. Pelech was playing a game of two-touch (a popular warm-up soccer game done pregame) when he tore his Achilles Tendon. He’s out for the rest of the season and barring any other major injuries is by far the biggest loss the Islanders will endure this season. Pelech does not get enough credit for being one of the best defensemen in the NHL. He and Ryan Pulock shut down both Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin in last year’s sweep of the Penguins in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. He eats minutes every night and is the stalwart of a very talented Islanders’ back end. Nick Leddy has stepped up admirably and is playing his best hockey alongside Pulock, although the two have had to adjust to each others offensive style. Unlike Leddy, Pelech has always been more of a defensive-minded player and let Pulock do his thing in the offensive zone. With the loss of Pelech came the emergence of Dobson. After being scratched for games at a time, Dobson is being relied upon in a much heavier role. Previously averaging around 12 minutes a night, Dobson played 20 minutes against the Rangers on Monday and 18 in the blowout win against Detroit. If the Islanders are to make a run in the playoffs, Dobson will need to contribute those kind of minutes to make up for the loss of Pelech. It’s a tall task, but the young stud is up for the challenge. You can see the potential oozing through each time he touches the puck. Hopefully Islanders fans will see more of that in the coming months. Post Views: 863 The following two tabs change content below.BioLatest Posts Chris Passarelli Football Editor - Hockey Editor - New York Islanders Lead Writer - New York Lizards Lead Writer - UConn Football Lead Writer Latest posts by Chris Passarelli (see all) NFL Network to Premiere ‘The Top 100 Players of 2020’ on July 26 - July 22, 2020 The ‘Toilet Bowl’ may be coming to Western New York - July 16, 2020 Bigger is Better; SoFi Stadium Completes Largest Videoboard in Sports - July 1, 2020 Smoltz, Vrabel and Brown talk American Century Championship and Everything in Between - June 30, 2020 Related TopicsAdam PelechNew York IslandersNoah DobsonRyan Pulock Click to comment You must be logged in to post a comment Login Leave a Reply Cancel replyYou must be logged in to post a comment. Newsletter Subscription Can't Miss Posts! Women in Sports: NHL Network Host, Jackie Redmond by Nicholas Durst | posted on March 4, 2019 Women in Sports Interview Series: It’s a sure bet with Philadelphia native, Erin Kate Dolan (VIDEO) by Denise Gonzalez | posted on March 17, 2020 No Shame in Their Game – Female Mixed Martial Artists Use Onlyfans to Make Money by Brandon Berrios | posted on December 4, 2020 XFL Co-Owner Dany Garcia Talks Business, Serving Others at espnW Women + Sports Summit by Candace Cordelia | posted on October 23, 2020 From Paramus High School to CBS Sports, Spero Dedes is making waves in sports broadcasting by Sunil Sunder Raj | posted on October 27, 2020 More in Hockey Tim Peel is Discharged After Caught on Hot Mic Tim Peel was Discharged from the NHL After He was Caught on the Hot... NHL, Amazon Web Services Partner to Develop New Stats, Data, and Insights The National Hockey League (NHL) is partnering with Amazon Web Services (AWS) in an... You Know I’m Right, Episode 81: ESPN’s Arda Ocal (Audio/Video) On the 81st episode of You Know I’m Right, Nick Durst and Joe Calabrese are joined by... You Know I’m Right, Episode 80: MSG Network’s Bill Pidto (Audio/Video) On the 80th episode of You Know I’m Right, Nick Durst and Joe Calabrese are joined by... Islanders romp Red Wings in 8-2 win Getting Frosty? Morgan Frost Selected as Phantoms All-Star Representative