Engvall Settling In with Islanders

It took Pierre Engvall about a week a find his footing with the New York Islanders. This past week, he found his groove.
Engvall is riding a four-game point streak with five points (3G, 2A) in that span. Those three goals have come with different linemates in each game, lending some credence to the Swede's reputation as being a versatile piece in the lineup.

"The first games to you kind of get like a feel for it," Engvall said. "A lot of new things. New city, a new team and everything, so I think it took a couple of games, but feel really good now."
Engvall was especially effective in Wednesday's 6-3 win over Anaheim, scoring a goal and adding the primary helper on Kyle Palmieri's first period tally. The trio of Engvall, Palmieri and Brock Nelson finished the game with eight points combined.
"He's moving his feet, he's a tough guy to take the puck off of and when you see him and the speed he carries through the neutral zone, he's doing everything," Palmieri said. "Hopefully he just continues to get better every game and our line continues give our team a positive impact."

To help the transition from Toronto, where Engvall spent the first five-plus seasons of his North American career, Engvall has a pair of familiar faces in fellow Swedes Sebastian Aho and Simon Holmstrom.
Aho and Engvall played together on Sweden's U-17 team at the 2013 U-17 World Hockey Challenge. Sweden won gold in the tournament with Aho racking up four assists and Engvall producing two goals and an assist, as well as the leadup to the 2015 World Juniors.
"He's a great guy and a lot of fun," Aho said of Engvall. "Obviously you've seen on the ice, he can score goals, he can make plays, and he's a really good skater."
Aho said that while Engvall stands a hulking 6'5, he's a more reserved teammate.
"He's not one of the louder ones," Aho said. "He's pretty quiet, but he's got a good sense of humor, and just overall a really good guy."
The 26-year-old Engvall even crossed paths with the 21-year-old Holmstrom when the two were both with HV71 in 2017-18. Don't be fooled by Holmstrom's one game with the team, he practiced with the team for several months as a 15-year-old, soaking up experience from his older teammates, including Engvall. Even when Holmstrom played for HV71's junior club, they shared facilities.
"When you play for the same organization, of course I knew who he was," Holmstrom said. "We share the same facilities, but they had a different locker room… but I practiced with them for three or four months."

The Islanders week-long trip to California provided some good time for Engvall to integrate and bond with his new team. The Islanders had a pair of practices - a luxury both on the road and late in the season - in LA and San Jose. Aho, Engvall and Holmstrom have gravitated towards each other as fellow Swedes, something the Islanders haven't had a lot of in recent years.
"It's always nice to get another Swede, we haven't been spoiled with fellow countrymen in the last couple of years," Aho said. "It's nice to add another one to join us for dinners and everything. Whatever he needs or if he's got questions, I'm just trying to be there and help him as well as I can."
It'll be up to Aho and Holmstrom to point Engvall in the direction of the Swedish restaurants in New York. Holmstrom is a fan of Aquavit, since he can get traditional Swedish Christmas food around the holidays.
That said Engvall's focus will be continuing to produce on the ice now that he's feeling a little more settled. Aho, whose known him the longest of any Islander, can see him settling in said it'll be a boost for the Isles down the stretch.
"Usually it takes a couple of games to get into it with the new team, but he's starting to show us the skill set," Aho said. "He is and is going to be a big part of this last push to get into the playoffs and I'm happy we got him here."