Clutterbuck skates with controlled abandon, pinballing against opposing skaters and causing general havoc. His line’s rollicking play set the tone in playoff games last season.

“I played against Cal and he’s tough to play against,” said Frans Nielsen, who was a rookie with the Islanders when Tavares and Clutterbuck were scoring in bunches for Oshawa. “He’s got a good shot, he skates hard and he hits harder than anyone in this league.”

Clutterbuck prefers to accentuate the contribution of teammates when discussing his play.

“The time of the game doesn’t really dawn on you in the moment, it’s just kind of happening,” said Clutterbuck, a native of Welland, Ontario, who was selected by the Wild in the third round of the 2006 draft. “When you get chances on a regular basis, you feel better. Credit for that goes to Marty and Casey, to the trust I have with them.”

Islanders Coach Jack Capuano lauded Clutterbuck after his overtime goal lifted the Islanders to a 4-3 win in Raleigh last Saturday, a crucial win for a team missing its starting goaltender, Jaroslav Halak, to a lower-body injury. Clutterbuck had also scored to tie the game at 3-3 early in the third period.

“Clutter came up big; he’s a leader for us,” Capuano said. “He shoots the puck well, was in the right spot, and we got a bounce that we deserved.”

Cizikas emphasized that Clutterbuck’s fiery approach helped inspire the team behind the scenes. It is a facet that Clutterbuck, a 28-year-old right wing, may not always show publicly.

“He’s the one talking to us before games, telling us how we have to step up and be successful,” said Cizikas, a fourth-round pick by the Islanders in 2009. “This year he’s coming up with those big goals. That just goes to show how hard he’s working and what he means to this team.”