Maxim Shabanov Breaks Out: Proves Why He Was a Sought-After Signee With Highlight-Reel Showing For Islanders
Thursday night, the New York Islanders systemically disassembled the Detroit Red Wings, blowing them out 5-0 inside Detroit’s own building.
The win capped off a near-flawless 6-1-0 road trip. The star of the show was an Islanders’ rookie, but it wasn’t Matthew Schaefer.
Maxim Shabanov stole the show, posting two goals and one assist in the victory. All three were different plays, using different skills, all of which show just how versatile and talent the Russian forward is.
First in the first period, Shabanov sets up Calum Ritchie:
The play by Shabanov is simple yet effective. In a slightly longer cut, Shabanov picks up a loose puck from an Adam Boqvist hit right above the blue line. Shabanov turns on the jets and circles through the open neutral ice as Detroit tries to change.
Multiple defenders follow Shabanov, leaving Ritchie completely unmarked on the left wing. Shabanov, already sensing it, sent a leading pass to the streaking Ritchie as he hit the zone, setting up a perfect goal to give the Islanders a 1-0 lead.
Later in the first, Shabanov shows how quick of a release he has for his second of the year and first of the game:
It’s a standard face-off play, a quick tie-up from Ritchie and a bump pass from Casey Cizikas, allowing Shabanov to step into the puck, step back and fire a quick shot through a crowd. John Gibson didn’t get a clean look and whiffed as Shabanov doubled the Islanders’ lead.
Still, he wasn’t finished:
Shabanov and Cizikas were credited with the assists.
Even outnumbered 4-2 to begin, they don’t allow any clean passes for Detroit. That relentless forecheck caused the puck to eventually land on Mathew Barzal’s stick alone in the slot, and Barzal buried it. 3-0 New York, with Shabanov’s name written all over the game.
Then, in the third period, came the goal that’s leading the highlight reel and could end up as one of the goals of the season for the Islanders.
It’s one of the prettiest goals you’ll ever see. Shabanov bears down on his speed and carves through the Detroit defenders at full speed in unbelievable fashion, then flicks a backhander right past Gibson.
Those defenders from Detroit are no slouches. It’s Moritz Seider and Simon Edvinsson, Detroit’s top pair. Still, Shabanov gives them the ol’ right-there-Fred, dangling the puck as if it’d be an easy poke check, something Seider bites hard on, opening the gap between the two for him to slide right through like a hot knife through butter.
The entire game became the Shabanov breakout game, one showcasing how lethal the Russian can be. With the tools in his box, he can be a top-six forward that puts up 30 goals and 30 assists annually, the talent he has is unquestionable.
The biggest knock remains health and size, with him already missing 12 games this season and taking another big hit from Marco Kasper last night in the win.
Still, his talent is undeniable. It’s quite easy to envision a top six that includes Ritchie with Shabanov on his wing.
