Islanders need Noah Dobson to keep stepping up now more than ever after critical goal

PITTSBURGH — This was a big-time play by a big-time player in a big-time moment, what Noah Dobson did in the third period Sunday night. The Islanders had just tied the Panthers at 2-2 when Dobson, right from the faceoff, took the puck off Sam Reinhart and skated from just below the red line all the way to the crease, around Seth Jones, for the eventual game-winning goal. “It was off a faceoff on their winger, got a good poke on it,” Dobson said.“Saw their D-man was kinda flat-footed a little bit.

Just try to have that attack mindset, take it to the net.Was able to finish it.

Obviously a big goal.Happy to contribute to a big win.” It was a moment straight out of last season, when Dobson scored 70 points on what looked like an ascent into stardom.

That’s hit a speed bump or three this season, with Dobson struggling to find the same rhythm and confidence in his game, and getting hurt in January to boot.He’s producing nearly a full point less per 60, struggling to make the same impact every night.The underlying numbers are fine — his 54.82 expected goals rate at five-on-five is actually much better than a year ago, thanks mostly to improved defense — but anyone watching the Islanders nightly can tell you that the confidence, the assertiveness with which Dobson played with the puck on his stick a year ago, has not been the same. Beyond the immediate ramifications of Sunday’s win in the playoff race, that is why Dobson’s seventh goal of the season might be his most important. “I know he can do that more often,” coach Patrick Roy said.

“And I’m not trying to be negative here, because he’s got so much talent and skills.So when he makes a move like this, that’s what we want to see from him: Challenging the defenseman. “In the first period [on a similar play], instead of going around the forward on the neutral-zone regroup, he tried to dump it in.

I was happy to see him go around [the defenseman] this time and burn that D and bri...