New York Islanders: Martin – Cizikas – Clutterbuck Compared To Long Island

The New York Islanders fourth line is known as the “identity line” and Barry Trotz compares it to the heart and soul of Long Island.

When thinking of the New York Islanders fourth line, some words like gritty, effective, hard-working, and physical come to mind. That’s how the Isles head coach, Barry Trotz sees it anyway.

For a majority of the offseason, the Isles didn’t really have a clear cut third-line center, and the thought by many was to bump Casey Cizikas up a line. He was coming off a 20 goal season surely he could handle the responsibility as a third-line center.

The Islanders declined that option by signing Derrick Brassard. The Martin – Cizikas – Clutterbuck line will stick together for the second year in a row after re-acquiring Matt Martin. Trotz seems extremely happy with that decision.

Firstly, Trotz speaks very highly of that line. There’s no doubt that he knows how hard that line can be to play against. Even as they get older, they are still an effective unit that can change the momentum by a single shift.

I like that he compares it to Long Island. Parts of LI can certainly be very gritty and hard-working like what Barry Trotz says. They’re very much the take your lunch pail to work blue-collar unit which is the embodiment of Islander fans.

It just goes to show how much Barry Trotz gets it. He’s not a native Long Islander, but he is someone who understands Long Island culture after just one year as the Isles HC.

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