Blackhawks' Lehner has nothing but praise for former team
Although Robin Lehner played just one season for the Islanders, it's definitely one he will never forget.
Not only did he help coach Barry Trotz's squad make a memorable run to the playoffs last April, but it was also a year of redemption after Lehner admitted to having serious drinking and drug problems in an article published in The Athletic in September 2018.
Lehner's issues stemmed in part from the fact that he was "diagnosed as bipolar and ADHD with PTSD and trauma."
"I'm proud of Robin and the way he's stood up for the mental health issues and continues to do that," Trotz said before the Blackhawks defeated the Isles 5-2 at the United Center on Friday. "It gives him strength, it gives him a purpose and gives him focus on the things that he has to do on a day-to-day basis.
"I've had many talks with him and every day is a little bit of a struggle. You have to keep reminding yourself of all the great things that you can do and will do in the future."
Lehner's certainly done great since joining the Hawks - as evidenced by his .925 save percentage - and he was named the game's No. 1 star after a 38-save performance Friday.
"They meant a lot to me, so obviously it was nice (to get the win)," said Lehner, who improved to 10-6-4. "It was a little bit different than the other times I've played against former teams. They're a great group of guys."
The Hawks (16-17-6) erased a 1-0 deficit and took a 3-1 lead on first-period goals by Dennis Gilbert, Dominik Kubalik and Alex DeBrincat. Jonathan Toews and Matthew Highmore then made it 4-1 and 5-1 early in the third period.
Lehner was a Vezina Trophy finalist with the Islanders last season thanks to a .930 save percentage and 2.13 goals-against average.
He then led New York to a four-game sweep of Pittsburgh in the first round by allowing just 6 goals in four games. The storybook season came to an end in the next round as the Hurricanes swept the Islanders despite Lehner yielding a mere 6 goals in Games 1-3.
Lehner was an unrestricted free agent last off-season and received what he thought was a lowball offer from the Islanders. He tried to make it work after thinking things over, but New York said it was too late and ended up inking Semyon Varlamov to a four-year, $20 million deal.
"Selfishly, we all wanted him back," said Isles forward Anders Lee. "But it's great to see how well he's done here and how well he's made an impact ... in the community. I can see how accepted he is."
Although Lehner is more than happy in Chicago, there's still plenty of love and affection that flows both directions between him and his former teammates. One look at Lehner's Twitter page is all it takes to see that.
"Merry Christmas everyone," Lehner wrote. "Best Christmas gift is gonna be 2 points against Islanders on Friday."
He then told Johnny Boychuk, Scott Mayfield and Lee: "Don't eat too much boys."
Said Lee: "We learned a lot from him. Saw how he was after he'd gone through a lot of things and how he'd risen out of that and how he performed on the ice. It was an all-around great year to be his teammate and be his friend."
And those feelings are clearly mutual.
Told of Trotz's pregame comments afterward, Lehner said: "That's the relationship he has with every player, not just me. That whole (organization) - from the GM to all the coaches - are really just good people.
"Humans come first in that organization and that's why they get all the guys to work so hard for them. He's a quality person and he treated me really well."
Slap shots:
If Brandon Saad's three-week timeline to recover from an ankle injury proves accurate, it means the forward should return at some point during a three-game road trip to Ottawa, Montreal and Toronto in mid-January. ... Drake Caggiula (concussion) continues to skate but is still not ready to return to game action. ... Adam Boqvist, who injured his shoulder against New Jersey on Monday, did not play Friday.