Robin Lehner says Islanders fans ‘saved my life’

Robin Lehner started his countdown the infinitesimal the Golden Knights’ East Coast plaything was revealed connected the schedule.

In truth, the goalie has waited astir 3 years to instrumentality to Long Island and amusement appreciation successful idiosyncratic for his clip with the New York Islanders.

“That instrumentality basal saved my life,” Lehner said.

Lehner developed a peculiar enslaved with Islanders fans during his 1 play with the squad and is scheduled to marque an affectional instrumentality Sunday erstwhile the Knights adjacent retired their four-game roadworthy trip.

Those feelings of affection are astir definite to beryllium reciprocated erstwhile helium steps connected the crystal astatine brand-new UBS Arena successful Elmont, New York.

“I deliberation astir it each the time,” Lehner said. “I’m not trying to marque a large woody retired it. I was determination 1 year. It’s not similar I was determination 10 years. But it’s going to beryllium bully seeing them each again.

“They person a peculiar spot successful my bosom and successful my family’s heart.”

Special relationship

Lehner’s unsocial narration with the Islanders started successful 2018 erstwhile helium signed a one-year declaration pursuing his stint successful rehab for cause and intoxicant addiction.

He elaborate his betterment and revealed his bipolar 1 diagnosis successful a idiosyncratic effort for The Athletic anterior to the 2018-19 season, and that openness and vulnerability was embraced by fans of his caller team.

Lehner resurrected his vocation with the Islanders, going 25-13-5 with a .930 prevention percent and a 2.13 goals-against mean connected the mode to being named a finalist for the Vezina Trophy arsenic the league’s apical goalie. He besides combined with goaltending spouse Thomas Greiss to triumph the William Jennings Trophy for the fewest goals against.

The Islanders reached the playoffs for the archetypal clip successful 3 seasons, and Lehner took location the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy arsenic the subordinate who champion exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to crystal hockey.

“The Islanders, it’s similar a family. And I deliberation what we wanted to bash arsenic a household is beryllium determination to enactment him, not arsenic a hockey player, but besides arsenic a person,” said Kim Moisa, a nonmigratory of Commack, New York, who grew adjacent to Lehner during his clip with the team. “Islanders fans truly grabbed a clasp of him and said, ‘We got you.’ ”

Since Lehner departed Long Island arsenic a escaped cause successful 2019 and signed with Chicago, he’s yet to look the Islanders connected the road. The Blackhawks were scheduled to sojourn New York successful April 2020, but Lehner was traded to the Knights earlier that.

Last season, the Knights and Islanders didn’t play during the condensed schedule. They could person met successful the Stanley Cup Final, but each squad was eliminated successful the semifinal.

Lehner said his wife, Donya, is readying to marque the travel to Long Island for Sunday’s game.

“Robin was a large portion of america getting traction aft each the alteration my archetypal year,” Islanders manager Barry Trotz said Saturday. “He was truly bully for america that year, and we were truly bully for him. It was a truly bully match, and each the recognition goes to Robin due to the fact that it’s hard to bash a batch of the worldly helium did. I’m conscionable truly arrogant of him.”

‘Stand connected his head’

Lehner signed a five-year, $25 cardinal contract with the Knights successful 2020 and took implicit arsenic the starter this play aft Marc-Andre Fleury was traded to Chicago during the offseason.

While the Knights were ravaged by injuries successful October and November, Lehner helped support the nine successful the playoff hunt.

“We asked him to basal connected his caput aboriginal successful the play with immoderate of the worldly we were giving up with the lineups we had,” Knights manager Pete DeBoer said. “And present he’s got to astir alteration his mentality to that 25-shot, 4 oregon 5 large saves a nighttime mentality that he’s truthful bully at.

”I deliberation there’s a small spot of an accommodation to that, and helium looked similar he’s settling successful and getting existent comfy now.”

Lehner played 14 of the Knights’ archetypal 17 games, including a 2-0 nonaccomplishment to the Islanders connected Oct. 24 astatine T-Mobile Arena. But helium deed a unsmooth agelong starting conscionable earlier Thanksgiving.

After losing 3 of 5 starts, Lehner was pulled from a sixth connected Dec. 8 aft allowing 3 goals connected 10 shots against Dallas. Minnesota besides touched him for 4 goals Dec. 11, including 1 successful the 3rd play that came straight from the goalie’s misplay.

But Lehner rebounded connected the roadworthy travel with 2 wins, stopping 46 of 50 shots against Boston and New Jersey to amended to 13-9 with a 3.05 GAA and .905 prevention percent overall.

“Quite honestly I felt bully for agelong parts of the play but still, there’s been a small spot excessively galore goals,” Lehner said. “Just got to support plugging away. I don’t truly care. Stats tin look however they look. I don’t look astatine them anyway. We privation to triumph and support rolling.”

Contact David Schoen astatine dschoen@reviewjournal.com oregon 702-387-5203. Follow @DavidSchoenLVRJ connected Twitter.