Islanders: Three Takeaways from 4-3 Overtime Win at Boston

3. Anthony Beauvillier is Contributing Again

Anthony Beauvillier is an enigma to me. By that I mean it’s often difficult to say which version of Beau you’ll get on any given night. He has these streaks of brilliance that make me believe he could be a consistent 45-point player at the NHL level. But if there’s anything enigmatic about Beau, it’s his consistency or lack thereof.

Just like he goes on those hot streaks, he also disappears for long stretches that are worthy of taking out an ad on the back of a milk carton. When he’s cold, I find myself thinking Beau may just turn out to be a top-nine winger who’s good for 15-20 goals a season. That’s nothing to sneeze at, either. I had the same opinion of Brock Nelson early in his career.

When he’s hot, I think Beau can for sure be a top-six NHL’er.

I’m not sure which version of Beauvillier I’m sold on exactly, but what is plain to see is right now he’s in the midst of one of those hot streaks. Tito has goals in three consecutive games, with the latter two being overtime winners. He’s the second Islander in history with overtime winners in consecutive games, according to Islanders statistician Eric Hornick.

What I like more though is how Beauvillier is meshing well with his new linemates. As I said earlier, that third line out-chanced and out-attempted their Bruins opposition on Thursday. They were one of the most-consistently positive lines in the game for the Islanders, and Beauvillier played a role in that from a puck-carrying and puck-retrieving perspective.

I’m interested to see if Beauvillier can find some semblance of stability with Wahlstrom and Pageau. Like I said, when Beau’s on I like his chances to top out as a top-six winger, when he’s not on, I find he looks more like a top-nine, or middle-six. Right now, even though he’s playing top-nine minutes, he’s turning in top-six performances, and I hope that continues because he is one of my favorite Islanders.