New York Islanders Top 5 Highlights Matt Martin Lays the Body, Twice

1. Martin Tells Buchnevich to Join Svechnikov

It’s typically always going to be a physical affair between the New York Islanders and the New York Rangers. It’s why Barry Trotz dressed both Matt Martin and Ross Johnston against the blue shirts for both games this week.

(Though I still maintain that one would have been enough and that Michael Dal Colle should have been able to get a taste of the rivalry.)

While the second meeting between the two was quite tame, the first meeting on Thursday was anything but. A fight nearly broke out between Ross Johnston and Cody McLeod in the opening minute. It would have if not for a little gamesmanship from McLeod to con Johnston into an unnecessary penalty.

We already know that Matt Martin likes to collect hits like he’s collecting Pokémon, he’s gotta’ get ’em all. (That was a will always be a good joke). But in hockey everyone is fair game to be hit, even Matt Martin. Although Rangers Pavel Buchnevich is probably rethinking that now.

Just about halfway through the second period Buchnevich lined up Matt Martin for a hit near the red line. It was going to be explosive. Except Buchnevich forgot one very important detail. Matt Martin is one heck of a strong individual. So rather than Martin going down it was Buchnevich.

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The best part of the entire sequence is how Martin stands over Buchnevich. As if to say: “check yourself before you wreck yourself, son.” I’m sure Matt Martin had a better line than that though.