Kyle McClain, who played in 32 NHL games, suited up for Saturday's first career playoff game against Carolina. It was a big moment, especially in a hostile PNC Arena, but he rose to the occasion and scored in his postseason debut for the New York Islanders.
“It's cool and I'm really excited,” McLean said of his playoff debut. “Cool building, lots of adrenaline. I'm really glad I got the first one.”
McClain became the first Islander to score in his playoff debut since Ryan Strome in 2015 and the 15th in franchise history. Along the way, McLean also became the first player to come out of the Junior Hurricanes' youth program (he lived in North Carolina when his father, John McLean, coached the Hurricanes). He scored against Carolina.
“It's kind of funny how that all works out,” MacLean said. “I watched a lot of games when he was coaching the Hurricanes.”
Not only did McClain earn the opportunity to play in the first leg, but the 24-year-old forward also earned head coach Patrick Roy's trust to take on more responsibility in key moments. When J.G. Pageau was left out of the lineup for the first race, Roy had no hesitation in moving MacLean to the same line as Anders Lee and Pierre Engvall.
“I feel like he's getting more and more confident out there and playing really good hockey,” Patrick Roy said. “He played with Anders and Pierre. I also thought he had a solid game.”
