Pregame Availability | NYI vs EDM (10/16/25)

Pregame Availability | NYI vs EDM (10/16/25)

kind of building off the good things you’ve done in the past three games as a team and the urgency to get the two points tonight. Yeah, I mean, uh, we don’t want to overthink it. Um, get off to a good start like we did the other night. Uh, and, uh, just go from there. Just what do you see in Edmonton? A big test ahead of you tonight for the fourth game of the season. Yeah. Uh, very good team. Um, obviously deep runs the last couple years. uh couple very dynamic guys and um yeah, it’s a good test for us and uh good good one to uh go up against and and try and get our first win of the season. How do you assess special teams? Of course, the power play getting six opportunities in your last outing. A lot of good puck movement, but what has to change in terms of getting that finish you need to convert? Yeah, I mean I I think we could do a little better job uh myself included getting a little traffic in front of the net and making it tougher on their goalie and um but we’re generating good looks. We just uh got to find a way to to get one in there. When I ask you about Matthew Schaefer, of course, leading the team with 26 minutes. Um what’s impressed you most about his composure and willingness to carry that workload just as an 18-year-old? Yeah, I mean, he’s he’s playing a a very mature game. Uh I think he’s doing the things he has to do defensively to to get pucks back and obviously just letting his his skill and his speed uh his ability to move the puck up ice and even when he doesn’t have it to to get up and join the rush. Um it’s been great and hopefully he continues to to make an impact like that every night. It’s a huge challenge tonight. What do you see in the Oilers? Yeah, they have uh you know a world-class talent uh especially up front. So I think when we’re playing against those guys, it’s uh it takes all five guys on the ice plus the goalie to uh kind of work together to limit their chances. So everybody’s got a job to do. It’s a big challenge. Uh but you know, yeah, talked about the good things you guys are doing as a team, more possession, but still things to work on. How do you balance building off those good things while still getting that urgency to get the two points tonight? Yeah, I you know, I think even though there have been some good things, um everyone knows, you know, what spot we’re in, uh everyone feels like it’s desperation mode. There’s a ton of urgency already. So, um there’s a lot of pressure on us to get that first win out of the way. And uh like you said, we’ve been doing some good things and uh we got to try to continue to build on those things. And what are those improvements that the team is kind of looking for to get that first win? Um I I really think it’s just um a few breakdowns that have caused like some great a chances for the other team. So I think uh just uh I don’t know bearing down, not making those mental mistakes and really uh doing a good job to help out our goalies. Ask you about Matthew Schaefer, of course, leading the team 26 minutes tonight. Um as an 18-year-old, what’s impressed you most about his composure and willingness to take on that workload? Yeah, he’s been incredibly impressive. Um, you know, obviously the first three games he’s been great, but uh, from day one in camp and even when I skated with him in the summer, you could tell he was a special player. So, as great as he’s been, you know, I almost expected it after seeing, uh, the way he plays and the type of person he is, but, uh, you know, still wildly impressive. Uh, we’re lucky to have him and, uh, yeah, just, uh, excited to see him continue to grow as a player and a person. And with David Riddick getting his first start tonight, what’s it been like to get to know him as a person and a player in the these past few weeks? Yeah, Rudy’s been great. Um, you know, he’s he’s a great guy, good teammate. Uh, another guy we’re lucky to have. Um, you know, happy he’s getting his first start tonight. Hopefully we can help him out. You, uh, you stay on the ice with the extras. Just where was your message to Ilia today? Um, when I met with him, um, before the season, I said, I want him to feel my trust. I thought today was the moment. Um, I want him to know that I trust him. Um, I’ll be there for him. Um, and I’ll uh I’ll support him. You know, we’re using the word compassion. That’s an example. You want to be there for your players and Ilia deserved that. Ilia is one of the best goalie in in the league and he needs to have fun being on the ice and he needs to feel good about himself. How important was it for you to kind of to to choose today to convey that, you know, when he hasn’t probably had the the best three games that that he would have wanted. Well, shame on me. should have done it before, you know, but I was I always felt, hey, let the goalie do their things. And I think I have things I could share with him. I’m not going to help him on the technique side of the game, but I think I could help him on the mental side of the game because I mean, my career was not just a Cinderella story. I had like good games, but I also had some bad ones. So, I feel like sometimes being able to share that with your your goalies uh is something that hopefully that could go a long way. Are there examples of things that that you could share that you know you’ve talked with them about on the mental side? I will never uh talk about, but I could I could share my stories when things didn’t go well. when when when a goalie is in maybe a little rut or does it tend to come down more to confidence or the actual techniques, you know, maybe a little, you know, getting a little out outside your technique? I think it’s it’s confidence. Most of it is confidence. We we I didn’t do any technique with him and and but it’s more confidence. It’s feel big in the net, you know, like Dennis always said to me, you’re big like a a bus in front of your net. Some sometimes just wording like this, I mean, goes a long way. So, it it it brings confidence and it’s all I care. I want knows that that he’s not alone and we’re there with him and we support him and and we trust and we know how good he is. And for Riddick making his season debut with the Islanders tonight, what’s your message to him? I have no message for for David. He knows what he has to do. He’s a great pro. Um he uh he knows that um he’s uh he’s got to have to come at some tough situation during the season and he’s ready for that. So um watching him in the practices, uh he’s he competes, he works hard. I feel like he’s ready for tonight’s game. How would you how would you describe David’s personality? goalie. Well, there there’s a lot that goes along with that, right? Goalie. Goalie. No, it’s it’s I like because he’s he’s got energy. He talks with the players. He chirp. I mean, that’s the joy we’re talking about. Mhm. That’s the joy. He’s got so much joy in him. I mean, it’s exactly the the meaning of the word. You’ve been on new teams before. What do you think is the hardest thing for a goalie joining a new team to get used to? Is it communication with defenseman? Like, what’s the most challenging? Yeah, maybe the communication. Maybe it is. I mean, but um yeah, if you’ve been in a place for a while, when I was traded, let’s say from Montreal to Colorado, that was tough because it was total different system, you know, like Colorado was Montreal was a trap team with not, you know, not that many scoring chance. I think in five games in Colorado, I see more breakaway than I see my 10 years in Montreal. So I mean it’s it’s it it was very different. So but again it’s any goalie will get used to that. When when you talk about communication um you you’ve liked the defensive structure as a whole, right? There have been some breakdowns leading to oddman rushes in the first three games. Yeah. Is that more on ice recognition or is it more communication amongst the players that are allowing opponents to kind of slip behind? I don’t know if I’m going to answer your question the way you want me to answer it. But I mean there there’s moment that it’s it’s just the individual has nothing to do with the structure. Sometimes it’s just you think you could make a play, it’s cut, the other team makes a great play. Uh sometimes it’s you f on the shot, you know. Uh different things happening. But um no, I I like I mean would I like us to be three and 0? Yeah. Uh, but we’re 0 and3, but we don’t panic. We know we know what we have to do tonight and we want to give our GM his first win of the season. That’s that’s what we have in mind for tonight’s game. What stuck out to you uh about Max Shavanov’s first uh first few games here? Um, I just feel like every game he seems to be more comfortable on the ice, more confident. Um, he’s he’s moving that puck very well. The moves that he made, let’s say, against Washington, I mean, I feel like that line with Anders and and Pager, I thought they had a strong game. And I think he’s I’m very surprised to see how well he’s playing well. He’s playing defensively as well. So that’s a pleasant surprise.

The New York Islanders hit the ice at Northwell Health Ice Center ahead tonight’s game vs the Edmonton Oilers. Hear from Kyle Palmieri, Adam Pelech, and Head Coach Patrick Roy as they share thoughts ahead of tonight’s matchup.