Islanders goalie Thomas Greiss was recognized by the NHL today, getting named the Second Star of the Week after posting back-to-back shutouts and generally being great over the last few games.
Greiss stopped 32 shots on Monday as a depleted and recently defeated Islanders team rolled into Boston and walked out with a 4-0 win, the franchise’s first ever shutout against the Bruins on the road. In his next game, the first after Jack Capuano was fired and replaced by interim coach Doug Weight, Greiss made 23 saves against the Dallas Stars for his second straight shutout.
On Sunday, Greiss’s streak was broken late in the second period against the Flyers, but he was just as good as he had been earlier in the week. The Islanders would go on to lose the game 3-2 in overtime on a Claude Giroux deflection, and Greiss was the only reason Philadelphia didn’t win the game 10-2. He was outstanding again, making 44 saves, some of the spectacular variety.
Hold up! ✋
— NHL (@NHL) January 23, 2017
The door has been shut. pic.twitter.com/CRZSNvUXUv
Penguins forward Conor Sheary was named the First Star of the Week and Washington’s T.J. Oshie was named the Third Star, which is kind of par for the course for the Metro Division this season (even if the Islanders have kinda been mostly on the sidelines).
Greiss’s recent play (2-0-1, .971 save percentage) has helped the Islanders gain seven points in their last four games and put them a liiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiitle bit closer to the playoff line than they were a week or so ago. He’s absolutely done his part, especially since Jaroslav Halak was waived and sent to Bridgeport.
In two seasons with the Islanders, Greiss has a 35-18-7 record, a .926 save percentage and three shutouts. He also backstopped the team to their first playoff win in 23 years, helping beat the Florida Panthers last spring.
Let me just check on his contract situa... oh. It seems he’s an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season.
The Islanders might want to attend to that.