Yashin recently told NHL.com/ru he was in the stands at Barclays Center for almost all of the Islanders' home games during the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Alexei Yashin still roots for the New York Islanders, the team with which he spent his final five NHL seasons.

The Islanders defeated the Florida Panthers in six games in the first round; it was their first series victory since 1993. They lost to the Tampa Bay Lightning in five games in the second round.

"I'm glad the Islanders advanced to the second round," Yashin said. "They haven't done it for a long time, so the fans were really happy. The team played really well in the series against the Florida Panthers. Especially John Tavares, who was an absolute leader."

Tavares had five goals and nine points in the first round, including two goals in the series-clinching Game 6 victory. But it wasn't just the captain who Yashin was impressed with.

"Tavares was great, but also I really liked the way the fourth line with [Casey] Cizikas, [Matt] Martin and [Cal] Clutterbuck played," Yashin said. "They not only used a forecheck, but were able to contribute points."

Yashin scored 290 points (119 goals, 171 assists) in 346 games with the Islanders from 2001-07. He played the first seven seasons of his NHL career with the Ottawa Senators.

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