Cizikas Clicks with the ‘Swedish Connection’

Casey Cizikas has been the motor of the ‘Identity Line’ with Matt Martin and Cal Clutterbuck over a decade, but when Head Coach Patrick Roy revamped his lines two weeks ago, the coach wanted to bring the center’s skills - as well as his veteran presence - to a line with Pierre Engvall and Simon Holmstrom.

"He's a good vet, it's a very huge help," Roy said of Cizikas. "He's fast, he's intense, is very reliable defensively, and makes those two guys play free. They could try things offensively and be creative. That's what I love."

Roy placed the energetic center on a line with Engvall and Holmstrom – a duo that he dubbed the ‘Swedish connection’ and a move that is paying dividends for the Isles. Cizikas, who has always done the dirty work in his nearly 800-game career, has allowed Engvall and Holmstrom to showcase their speed and skill and unleash new aspects of their game.

Engvall always used his natural speed to beat opponents to the puck and get ahead on the play, but over the span of his last seven games he raised his offensive production. The Swedish winger scored twice and recorded two assists since the line changes.

“The way that Engvall skates and protects the puck bodes well for the way we want to play as a line,” Cizikas said. “He’s a big body that can really create offense out there.”

Engvall pointed out how the line clicked right off the bat, especially with a center as reliable as Cizikas, who finds ways to get to the dirty areas and win puck battles. 

"It's really easy playing with him," Engvall said of Cizikas. "He always wins battles and gives you the puck, and we're creating a lot of scoring changes that way."

For a young player like Holmstrom, playing with different linemates is helpful for his development. He played a good chunk of the season with Jean-Gabriel Pageau as his center, but made the transition in adjusting to Cizikas’ style of game and developing chemistry. 

Cizikas has factored in on all three of Holmstrom’s assists in the past seven games, but the play that sticks out was Holmstrom’s Cizikas-type forecheck against the Anaheim Ducks, where he fished out the puck out along the wall and fed Cizikas for the game’s first goal.

"They're two different players but both of them have helped me," Holmstrom said. "But they're both very responsible in the d-zone. Casey has been very good for me so far and we've adjusted well."

Cizikas has been able to get out of his comfort zone, after playing with the same linemates for over a decade. 

 “When you play with the same guys, you know each other extremely well,” Cizikas said. “It’s the way Marty and Clutter were for so long, sometimes you can get stagnant in that way. But when you play with new guys, it forces you to see the game differently. It forces you out of your comfort zone a little bit and pushes you more.” 

The fresh line combination has been contributing to the Isles’ success in winning six of their last seven games. In 75:18 TOI together at five-on-five (per Natural Stat Trick) the trio has been on the ice for four goals and only two against, plus 12 high-danger chances for, compared to only nine against. Roy appreciates the line’s speed and is pleased with the way the three have developed chemistry over a short span of time. 

"Sometimes when you make an adjustment like this you wonder how long it's going to take for them to click, but these guys are clicking right off the bat,” Roy said.