WASHINGTON — Ryan Pulock knows Adam Pelech’s game as well as anyone walking the planet, having partnered with the defenseman for much of both players’ careers, dating back to their days in AHL Bridgeport.
So when Pulock takes note of a performance, it is no passing compliment.
And Pulock took note on Monday.
“I told him after the game or [the next] morning, he was like a snake out there,” Pulock said. “He was all over the place, breaking up plays, there’s guys trying to go one-on-one with him, they basically got nowhere.”
Pelech’s 25:02 time on ice in a 5-1 win against the Devils, which coach Lane Lambert called one of the best games he’d ever seen from him, put something of an exclamation point on a fact that’s been evident since Pelech returned to the lineup over two months ago.
He just might be the most important player on this team.
The Islanders went 7-9-5 after Pelech went down with a concussion in early December, including a January nadir in which their playoff hopes nearly faded into oblivion.
Since his return, they’re 16-8-4 following Wednesday’s 2-1 shootout win against the Capitals, having weathered an injury to Mathew Barzal and coming close to locking down a spot in the postseason.
“He’s obviously just a really good player for us on the back end, that’s really important,” Noah Dobson told The Post. “And then obviously when he comes back, it adds another piece to our back end, that’s really important. So it’s not that surprising. He’s a significant piece.”
That has always been the line around Pelech. But the last few months have been a case of show don’t tell.
“Seems like he’s always solid and in a good position and with a good stick,” Brock Nelson told The Post. “He’s always breaking plays up. Something that the average person might not recognize, but if you hone in and kinda iso-cam, you’d probably appreciate his game a little bit more. Especially defensively, he’s always in the way, in lanes, good sticks, breaking up potential dangerous plays.”
Pelech had just 19 points this season going into Wednesday’s game against the Capitals, five goals and 14 assists. He’s never been considered a Norris Trophy contender and last year was his only time being selected for the All-Star team.
The best ways to understand his impact are to watch him on every shift and to watch the Islanders without him. The difference is subtle but stark — an unstated element of calm settles over the Islanders when he’s in the game.
Some of that shows up in the numbers. Pelech leads the Islanders in plus-minus and has a 51.6 expected goals percentage at five-on-five, per Natural Stat Trick. Since being paired with Scott Mayfield, the two have formed the most effective duo on the Isles’ back end despite usually matching up with the opposing top line.
Much of what Pelech does, though, is intangible and irreplaceable.
“What he brings every night in different areas of the game, defensively and on the PK and whatnot, is hard to replace,” Pulock said. “When you get a player back like that, it’s good for the morale of the team. It just translates on the ice, just good leadership and a solid rock back there.”
Who knows where the Isles would be if Pelech’s injury had kept him out longer. They’re glad they don’t have to find out.
“Teams have top players for a reason and teams miss top players for a reason,” Lambert said. “He’s a huge piece of our team. When he’s in, we’re a better team.”