New York Islanders Practice Media Availabilities | 10/10/25

New York Islanders Practice Media Availabilities | 10/10/25

season opener last night. Just, you know, what are your takeaways from the first game of the season? Yeah. Um I I thought we played with uh good pace. Obviously, we didn’t get the the result we wanted. Um but I thought we played fast fast on the transition. You saw, you know, a lot of time the D joining the rush. Um this is a new game and I I thought we uh we played good as a unit of five, you know, to to to join that rush and defend well. Uh obviously there’s always key moment uh or or little little plays you wanted to do better. Um but we I thought we we improved a lot and uh as the game was going on and uh I I like how we how we played. I think a lot of fans noticed the pace of the game last night just but you know on the other side of that what do you see as maybe room for improvement heading into Saturday against Washington? Yeah, obviously Washington’s got a you know great great power play so you want to stay disciplined. Um there’s some little details in our Dzone, you know, that that that we want to touch base on. Uh you know, be more aggressive. That’s that’s some some certain situation and uh that’s going to be key against a you know, good good team that’s good down low in in the Ozone. You want to defend well and be quick on them. So, um those will be key for us. You know, Shabanov scores his first goal last night and pretty skill play to one time at kind of a little bit behind him there. Just what did you see from him on that play in his first regular season game overall? Yeah, I’m not surprised um with his skills. Uh I think we’ve all had the chance to see his highlights and um how how good he is, you know, with the puck, but uh what I was impressed is without the puck just making the read, his hockey IQ. um you know it’s hard sometime when I think you come overseas it’s the game is a little different and uh in the Dzone he was making read of you know Homer and myself and I know we saw a shift with Barsy too and he he’s really good at reading off uh the other players so he’s got an extremely good hockey IQ and made some good defensive play um we know how good he can be offensive you know he gives me you know like a breakaway nice sauce pass and um he’s got a great shot also So, it’s uh I thought you played he played awesome. So, what do you make of just Homem’s play on that goal? Yeah, I mean, Homer, you know, I’ve I’ve praised him a lot and I don’t think that’s going to stop. He’s uh he’s a great teammate and fun player to play with. Um you give him the puck and you feel like uh the way he’s reached and the way he’s protecting the puck, he’s always making something happen or he’s getting a good shot on on net. He’s creating something when he touches it. So, uh, he’s he’s definitely a key player, you know, on this team moving forward. Um, he needs to keep going this way. He’s a big part. What changed for the PK last night? I’m over for two to start, but you guys closed it out pretty strong. Yeah, I I think, you know, we we want to build a little bit that swagger. um couple, you know, it’s it’s always little details and and and uh getting to basic, but we have an extremely good good plan and um you know, everyone’s buying in and uh you know, we’re we’re tracking the right way and I’m not uh I’m not worried uh there’s going to be a good swagger in this group that we’re going to, you know, be be better. Cory mentioned about playing fast. How much more fun is it to play that that transition fast-paced game? Yeah, I I wouldn’t say, you know, it’s it’s more fun or or not, but um I I think that’s the way we want to play. So that’s that’s the fun part. If we decide to play a certain way and everyone’s doing it, then that’s fun. So I I thought we had fun doing that, playing with, you know, fun pace, fast transition. We were not just, you know, sitting back or we were not, you know, um on the pucks that were coming out of our zone. We were just not taking our time to attack back. We really I thought moved it quick to attack right away and I thought that create us that gave us some good opportunity also. You know what’s exciting for you guys about playing in a home opener like tomorrow night? Yeah, it’s it’s great. Uh you know I think that the fans will get to see um you know a team that’s playing together that’s playing fast with a good pace that are playing for one another and uh and to have to have that we we want to give the fan you know a good show and and play for them also. What were your takeaways from last night’s uh season opener? Yeah, I thought it was good. Um I mean obviously would like to got the win. Um you know there’s some positives coming out of the game, but um at the end of the day, you know, our main focus is to get wins under our belt and I mean it starts uh here tomorrow night. Can you maybe just talk a little about the pace cuz I think the fans noticed a pretty quick game last night, pretty fast pace. JG said he felt you guys were playing with tempo. Just what are your thoughts on, you know, the pace you guys were playing with in that first game? Yeah, I I liked our transition game for sure. I like the pace we were playing at. Um, you know, I thought we transitioned very well. Uh, our D were jumping up in the play and and being a part of the rush and keeping plays alive. So, um, we need to continue that. I mean, um, you know, special teams again was the difference. Um, you know, last game for us and obviously clean up some stuff on the PK and get our power play. I thought our power play looked good. It was just a matter of it going in for us, but um, yeah, we put it all together. We’re going to be a tough team to beat. kind of leads into just touched on a bit, but you know, are those maybe the two improvements you’re looking at going into Saturday night’s game or do you think there’s maybe other areas that can be improved as well? I think we can stay aggressive. I think we sat back a little bit uh in the third when we kind of think we could have had a little bit more, especially when it was tied. I think we could have, you know, we got, you know, kind of hemmed him a couple times and, you know, they kind of took it to us on the rush. But I mean overall, yeah, I mean, if we clean up our our penalty kill and be confident and um, you know, have some swagger out there, I think it’s going to benefit us for sure in the long run. Matthew Schaefer makes a pretty nice pass to Jonathan Direan last night. Just what were your impressions of Schaefer out there in his first regular season game? Schaeer was great. Um, you know, looked super comfortable, you know, doing doing what he does best and that’s using his feet and and his vision and uh made a heck of a play to Drew there. um you know to to bury that and um know happy for him to get his first point under his belt in his first game. You know, it’s an easy league for some guys. Um no, but he makes it look easy out there all the time and know we’re lucky to have him. He’s going to continue to keep getting better. I guess, you know, thinking back to when you first broke into the league, are you just impressed with the kind of composure that he has at such a young age? Yeah. No, he does. He has a lot of composure, a lot of uh poise with the puck, and you know, I think his the confidence in himself to know he can go out there and make those type of plays. It’s It’s good to have him as a young guy in the league, right? So, um he’s just like I said, he’s just going to continue to keep getting better and um it’s going to be fun to watch him grow. Home opener tomorrow night. Just, you know, as a team, what gets you guys excited about the first home game of the season? Uh I think just being in front of our fans. Um you know, it’s uh it’s going to be hopefully be loud in there and, you know, give them something to cheer about. So, um we want to play well. Obviously, we want to get a win under our belt and no better way to start than tomorrow night. When you went to see your dad and brother, what was that moment like after the game? Yeah, it was awesome. Obviously, you know, seeing, you know, my family and also friends and, you know, people that, you know, came out to support me that I haven’t seen in a bit. So, um, definitely feels like home and, you know, people that you, uh, you know, get surrounded with after the game that you’ve known forever. So, yeah, it’s been, it was awesome. It was awesome seeing them. Uh, you know, obviously just laughing. My dad and brother were were pretty happy for sure. So, um, no, it was great to see them. Did you feel like you had maybe a a welcome to the NHL moment last night or you pinch yourself? Um, I don’t know. Like obviously I think you know when you when you step on the ace for your rookie lap and they’re booing you, I think that’s kind of like a welcome to the welcome to the NHL for sure. Um, but no, I mean I thought it’s pretty funny. I mean I love that when you know they’re booing you gets you fired up a bit. So um you go out and then you just hear booze. So it’s awesome. But uh I love it. I mean, obviously the it’s fun playing against, you know, opposing uh, you know, teams fans and, you know, you hear them, they’re trying to get in your grill, but it just fires you up even more. Well, I I don’t think there’s going to be any booze tomorrow night at the home opener. Just what do you anticipate that atmosphere is going to be like? Yeah, it’s going to be awesome. Obviously, you know, the guys say, I mean, it’s always home opener is always the best cuz the fans always come out to support. Um, you know, it’s your first game at home. So, um, you know, you want to go out there, work hard, and you want to get the the win for the fans and especially for your team. I mean, I uh you know, we have a great group of guys in here and I’m you know, really looking forward to tomorrow. I think uh Horvat picked up the puck for for the first assist. Where’s that puck going? Yeah, I actually gave it to my dad uh after after the game. I gave him, you know, the little souvenir uh you know, him and my brother. So, they’ll bring it back home. And so, you’re going to give your brother the first gold puff? Yeah, we’ll see. I mean, honestly, I think it’s just, you know, a sharable item that him and my dad both uh both have. We’ll kind of just put it up at home. But, uh yeah, it’s pretty cool. You were miked up. What was it like? Were you thinking about it at all that you were miked up at all? No, I actually didn’t even think about it. I’m I’m pretty dialed in now. Like I don’t think about that stuff. I mean, I uh I don’t know. Like I I feel like sometimes I talk more than others. Sometimes I may not. You know, you never know. Depends um on the on the night for sure. But yeah, I mean I uh I saw one of the videos last night of me miked up, getting my first point, and it was Yeah. I mean, I didn’t remember that I was miked up, but it was uh until after the game I remember I had the mic on. So hopefully I didn’t say anything too bad. When you saw the schedule for the first time, did you you see Pittsburgh, Washington, and the first three days you’re like, “Oh, here’s a pretty good test right out of the shoot.” Yeah. Um I mean, you mean you don’t really pay attention and then when the game comes and you’re like, “Oh, like obviously, you know, there’s some great guys on the other team. I mean, Crosby, Ovuchkin, so yeah, it’s pretty cool, but then when you’re out there on the ice, you’re kind of just playing the game.” Um, everyone’s, you know, out there playing the game. There’s no one, you know, better than anyone else really. So, um, you know, you just go out there, play your game. You don’t really worry about who’s coming down on me. Obviously, you got to know who’s coming down on you if they’re, you know, faster or, you know, they’re very smart at what they do to, you know, be on your toes a little more. But, I mean, you’re kind of just out there playing the game. I know you’re always trying to get better. You know, if you were looking at your game last night, what is a couple areas that you want to improve upon for? Yeah, just I think end plays quicker in the Dzone. I think that’s a big one. You know, maybe getting shots through. Um, you know, using my feet more on the blue line. I think that’s a big thing that will come over time with uh confidence, but you know, things like that, getting shots through, pucks to the net. Um, I mean, things like that. I think those are all things that, you know, I can work on. Did you feel like you I’m sure there were butterflies at the start last night. Did you feel like you belonged as the game went on? You didn’t feel out of place? Yeah, like obviously as the game goes on, you get more comfortable for sure. Um, yeah, you you get the first couple shifts out of the way and then you’re just playing hockey. So, um, it’s funny. Everyone I talk to, they’re like, “Oh yeah, my first game I you got to enjoy it.” So, you know, all the boys were, you know, making sure like I enjoy the game obviously as well too. don’t be too nervous or anything, which honestly, like I said, I mean, at the start, you get the first shift out of the way and then it’s just a regular hockey game. So, it was good. I know you were at the draft. Did you go back and look at the reaction that was at UBS that night when your name was called? Yeah, I actually saw it the night after like the the draft or whatever and it was pretty cool. I mean, it was sweet. I didn’t know that was going on. And then, you know, all the confetti and all the people and all the fans. So, it was pretty cool. After watching back yesterday, just what did you think of the way you guys did transition, but also defending their transition? Yeah. Um, like I said, after the game, I mean, I thought we did a lot of good things and there’s also things that we feel like we could improve. We talked about it this morning. Uh, the coaching staff and the players, and we um we feel like on our diesel coverage, we could add a little more bump, slowing them down, going to the net. Uh we thought on our breakout we need to continue to be more predictable. A few times we throw uh rim on the weak side instead of keep it on the strong side but there’s moment what where you got to go on the weak side but I mean overall that’s that was uh what we talk about. Um we love Ozfore having the D shrinking the zone. um protecting, you know, have a forward always there for us, for them, sorry, and having our F3 high. We love the way we connect on, we were connected in the Ozone, the gap that they had, and then supporting the rush. So, there was a lot of positive, but like I said, I mean, um, we we we’re not satisfied. We we want more, and that’s what I love about this group. These guys understand that hey we we we want to be our very best and if we want to be our very best we have to be able to reflect on things we did the night before not only when we lose game but also when we win games we need to understand why we win why we lose and I think that makes us a better hockey team. Is there any disappointment that Jonathan Drone puts himself in a position you know to maybe be out of the lineup here for a game or two? Yeah, you’re asking the the question to the wrong person. I mean, hockey is an emotional game and sometimes those things happen. So, I mean, some diff weird ones sometimes and it’s part of it. So, no. To answer your question is no. Have you game planned at all if he can’t play who would come in? We’re not going to go into Yeah. Let’s wait to see what’s the league. Yeah. What is I I understand winds are are the cure all, but to establish a home ice advantage that you can use throughout the course of the season. Where where does that start? Tomorrow. Well, no, I know, but I mean, you know, how do you how do you build that? I think it’s like you just said, tomorrow. Go there and and play one good game. And I think it’s it’s about shift by shift and period by period. I mean, it it sounds very cliche, but that’s what it is in reality. And and I think the fact that we’re we’re start to know what brings success to us, I think that’s a step in the right direction. Patrick, what do you think of the two tests that Matthew Schaefer is facing right out of the shoot here? Sid last night, Obie tomorrow. Is that going to be something that he can really learn from moving forward? I’m sure he’s It was a very emotional one for him in Pittsburgh. Um, not just because he was playing against Cindy Crosby because I mean it was close to where he plays junior uh days. So um there was a lot of people around and I thought he handled it very well. So I think he will do the exact same thing to

Hear from Bo Horvat, Jean-Gabriel Pageau, Matthew Schaefer, and Head Coach Patrick Roy after today’s practice.