"The entire fourth line contributed on both sides of the puck. Gatcomb made quite an impact in Thursday night's matchup, tallying an assist on Kyle MacLean's first goal of the season. The entire fourth line got on the scoresheet that night, with longtime Isles fourth line center Casey Cizikas picking up the empty net goal at the end of the game. This is not much of a surprise to me, the entire line played a fantastic game, and the hockey gods rewarded them for it."
"Seriously though, the entire line dominated on the forecheck, and were winning mostly every puck battle they got into. The "eye test" certainly did them a lot of good during this game. It gave me the same exact feeling I used to have seeing the "Best Fourth Line in Hockey" out there, which of course consisted of Cizikas with Matt Martin and Cal Clutterbuck on his wings."
"The chemistry that Gatcomb, MacLean and Cizikas have developed truly feels like a real fourth line. The role being simple, go into the dirty areas and generate opportunities. It is a huge plus for a team to get production from their fourth line. On Saturday night's game against the Tampa Bay Lightning, the line was a positive impact once again."
With Jonathan Drouin unavailable, head coach Patrick Roy inserted Marc Gatcomb into the lineup for his second game of the season. Gatcomb recorded an assist on Kyle MacLean's first goal, and Casey Cizikas added an empty-netter as the entire fourth line contributed offensively and defensively. The line dominated the forecheck and won most puck battles, displaying strong chemistry reminiscent of the earlier Cizikas-Martin-Clutterbuck trio. Gatcomb, MacLean and Cizikas fulfilled a simple role of attacking dirty areas and generating chances. Gatcomb previously performed well in the same role last season, and he appears a stronger option than recent third-wing alternatives despite a small sample size.
Read at Eyes On Isles
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