As the veteran Islanders wing Cal Clutterbuck put it: “As cliché as it sounds, you always hear it always starts at the top. “Whether that’s having short hair and clean facial hair throughout the regular season or details on the ice like changing hard, coming hard to the bench, practicing hard. The season before Lamoriello arrived, the Islanders were the worst defensive team in the league. The Islanders are not without offensive stars, but their strength is in coming at their opponents in waves and grinding down more talented teams. “This group believes in the group, the strength of the group.”

Source: New York Times June 13, 2021 12:33 UTC