Max Tsyplakov thrives in new league as Islanders battle injuries

He’s a player the Islanders will have to step up during this still-undefined period without two of their stalwart offensive producers, and he came in Friday night to do just that.

“Welcome to the NHL” by Max Tsyplakov has acquired much more weight.

The 26-year-old Russian has impressed since training camp with his professional play and cheerful personality. His adjustment to the NHL generally looked smooth through the first 10 games of the season.

However, with Mat Barzal and Anthony Duclair in the lineup, Tsyplakov could afford the odd evening of looking like he was still learning.

Its production may have been more of a luxury than a necessity, at least in theory, although rarely in practice.

Not anymore.

The Islanders were already without Duclair until at least Nov. 14 after he suffered a lower-body injury. They will now be without Barzal for the next 4-6 weeks after he was placed on LTIR on Saturday with an upper-body injury and missed Friday night’s game against the Sabres.

Tsyplakov, however, came out against the Sabers and had his best game in the NHL, scoring a beautiful goal, seamlessly assisting Kyle Palmieri’s power-play goal and hitting eight shots in 15:01.

Both points came in a second period when the Islanders could have easily gone down after losing Adam Pelech and Mike Reilly, the latter after appearing to hit his head and taking several minutes to get up after a bogey shot from Jordan Greenway.

Tsyplakov was ready, the talent that made him a 30-goal scorer in the KHL was obvious.

“He had a great game again,” coach Patrick Roy said. “The more he plays, the more reliable he is. I feel like I like his ability with the puck. I like the move he made to achieve this goal. It was a great move on his part. I think this line has played solidly on both offense and defense.”

Thanks in large part to his line play, which has been the Islanders’ best this season, Tsyplakov’s on-ice numbers have been stellar—his 61.46 expected goals percentage at five-on-five is the best among the Islanders on the roster. every night.

The chemistry between Nelson and Palmieri came quickly, with Nelson repeatedly stating how impressed he was with Tsyplakov’s ability to communicate despite the fact that he was still learning English.

There was also a beautiful move that Tsyplakov made, cutting into the net around Connor Clifton, who was left in the dust after Tsyplakov’s second-period goal that broke the 1-1 tie.

“When you feel confident, the goals are even better,” Bo Horvat said. “He’s a great hockey player. That’s why he gets better and better. We’re definitely lucky to have him. He will continue to get better.”