New York Islanders Practice Media Availabilities | 10/22/25

New York Islanders Practice Media Availabilities | 10/22/25

past two games. How do you feel like you played and how the team played in those two games? Uh yeah, I don’t think I played at my very best. Uh you know, it’s uh felt a little rusty uh to be honest with you and I think team overall we haven’t played at our very best as well. Uh but we found a way to win win games and that’s what it matters the most. Uh but yeah, I think we have a we know everyone in here we have a more to give and better hockey. Believe you played your offside and also playing with Tony D’Angelo. How does your game kind of complement his game in that pair? Yeah, I think uh you know, we both like to move the puck up the ice and uh and you know, stay out stay out of Done as much as possible. Uh play play with the puck and uh and you know, I think we’re two pretty smart players uh uh out there that uh can can help each other out. Uh we’re not the biggest guys, but uh you know, I think we have good sticks and uh we’re just going to keep going with that. You mentioned how the team could have played better. Of course, you know, Tuesday being kind of similar to Saturday in that it was, you know, high volume, high danger chance, both sides. What are some of those things the team can clean up going forward? I think just uh getting out of our Dzone and, you know, Dzone coverage. Uh, you know, I feel like we’re giving up too many good chances uh that obviously our goalies have helped out us a lot uh the last few games and you know I think uh just small details with that you know making making a clean play or just ship it out and uh you know work from there but I think our offensive game has been pretty good but you know I think just small details that can be better. There has been, you know, stark improvement as the games wore on, but what’s been the key to those solid lockdown third periods? I think just uh like last game where Homer put his body on the line, you know, we want to do everything to to we can to win in here and uh you know, obviously in the third period, we’ve been able to to get away with a win and you know, that’s what I said. That’s all that matters. But, you know, obviously, uh, you know, we just got to keep keep getting those two points. The sentiment from the room is that you guys felt that you could have played better, but still pulled off the win for the two points. How would you assess last night’s performance? Exactly like that. Um, yeah, some some nights you don’t um necessarily you don’t have it, but you’re not playing your best or playing a little better than us. And um sometimes it’s the opposite. You’re playing well and you lose the game. So, um yeah, got to got to get two points at the end of the night. That’s what we wanted to do and we did it. and uh just got to build off that a little bit and play better next game. And for the the power play to convert twice, is that something that you guys have been working on and are finally seeing results? Yeah. No, it’s nice. Um any any any game special teams are doing well if it’s PK or power play, uh you’re going to have a good chance to win and you’re going to have the advantage in that that standpoint, but um yeah, yesterday was a good timing because our five on five game wasn’t our best. And what are those, you know, improvements or tweaks you guys could make to your game at five on five? Yeah, just um I don’t think we’re ready to but not not saying we’re not ready to play, but um they were more ready than us. They more they’re a little more desperate in the first 10 minutes. They kind of dictated the whole game. Um but yeah, um you know, five on five, we got to be better puck decisions, putting it deep when it’s time to put it deep and and get our forche going and make it hard on them to to come the other way. I was talking to Anthony Duclair yesterday. He said you guys used to play rock paper scissors to see who gets to play rightwing. Um what are some of your early memories with Duclair when you guys were nine 10 years old? Yeah. um a lot a lot of a lot of times at the rink. Um yeah, me and have known each other for for quite a bit quite a bit of time and um yeah, we just like to hang out each other. We spent our summers together when we were younger and um kind of always kind of, you know, nagging each other a little bit and we grew older, a little more mature now, but um it’s still there. You both had your numbers retired by the Lions over the summer. Just what was that like to kind of have a reunion and and to celebrate that with him and to now be teammates? Yeah, it was super cool. Um that was a cool night for for obviously me and Anthony, but our parents, too. um you know they put a lot of work in for for me and Anthony to have hockey careers and be where we are today and um kind of reunite you know kind of the families together as well. I mean Anthony was was really cool to see and um it was a special night for everyone I think. Do you remember when you were like young 910 like talking to him about like the dreams to play the NHL? Yeah. No, definitely we had dreams to play you know college hockey together, junior hockey. Um yeah it’s cool. Uh sometimes you kind of forget as the years goes on. He goes somewhere, I go somewhere else, and you kind of put that aside. But uh to be seeing him every day, it’s kind of it’s kind of special and it’s cool. Um and I’m sure it’s really cool for our families and our dads to kind of watch the games and see that we’re playing on the same team in the NHL. Is it nice to both play the right wing? Yeah. Yeah, it’s nice. Right now we’re not playing together, so we don’t have the rock paper scissor or that kind of a conflict a little bit, but yeah. Um Yeah. In the past, obviously, just what what can he bring to the role? Yeah, we work start work in Moscow with Sergey and uh uh he lead coach and uh um I hope uh he help us. How old were you when you started working with Sergey? Uh it was my last two season in Moscow. So it’s uh year 20 23 24. Do you work on the ice here? Does he give instructions in English or or Russian? What he worked on? English. English. He’s English better than Russian. Just what worked in your game last night. Second. What worked in your game last night? What worked in my Yeah. How’d you feel last night playing? I feel good. Um was a lot of work yesterday, but guys helped me make a a lot of block shots, so it’s a good good game for us. Do you expect the messaging or or what Sergey works on with you to be that much different from what Pierro worked on with you? It’s not very much different. It’s uh maybe just little different details like small details and uh so it’s structure structure system. It’s uh I think same when you work with a goalie coach. Are you do you want more of the X’s and O’s, you know, the technical that type of stuff or is it more the mental, you know, trying to, you know, work with you that way. I think it should be balance and you have time when you need more work and time when he should just do what you do. Yeah. and all about balance and uh try try this balance find balance. On the the mental side of things, how is Patrick Wah helped you along? He he talk of me and he give me some advice uh technical and mental. So I really appreciate for that and um it’s it’s very helpful and um people like him give a good advice. just reaction or any input you had into the the goalie coach. Yeah, it’s a tough one. Um very tough one. Um Pierro was a very uh good goalie coach. Did a really good job for this organization for a long period of time. But I guess sometimes you got to go with what you think is the right thing to do. Um, and we talk about it, Messi and I, and uh, we both agree that that was in the best interest of the team. Um, you know, I I’ve been working with Fran for for years and having Sergey in the area, Ilia, I’ve been working with him for years. So, I think it’s just it was just a matter of time that we felt that was the right decision to make. just did did how much did I play through his first handful of starts kind of bleed into the decision? I think you know the answer. Ilia is a quiet person. I mean I wants what’s best for the team and and we all want best what for the team and sometimes they’re they’re tough calls and and this one was a really tough one. Are you expecting to have Shabanov tomorrow? Uh we’ll we’ll see. Yeah, we’ll see. He he he didn’t skate today, so we’ll see how he feels today tomorrow morning. What’s the the thinking amongst the defenseman? It looked like you were rotating. You had Boquist with Schaefer a little bit and then D’Angelo was working with Gatcom. So, what are you expecting for tomorrow? One thing for sure, Gatkcom won’t play defense. But no, I think we we today was just try not trying different things, but rest, you know, not having like too many reps and stuff like this. That’s what Gcom was on the ice. But the plan is to play Tony uh with uh Boi and and together. Um are Ryan Pulock was saying that he feels like there’s been a little bit of hesitation in the Dzone of people maybe not knowing when to be aggressive. Have you seen the same thing? Yes, we talk about it. You know, just I think yesterday we want to cut down on chance in the pocket. I mean, the guys knows we’re giving a lot of chance, but the reason why we’re giving a lot of chances is because we have turnovers. There’s no there’s no perfect recipe when you turn over pucks. I mean, it’s it’s it’s hard. You It has nothing to do with the structure or anything. It’s so I I think it’s I think it’s got to take a little bit time for our guys to to see the the moment where we need to I mean if you ask me the question I want to get out of our zone on under control all the time but unfortunately it’s not the reality. Sometimes you’re going to have to get those puck flip it out or use the glass like I said after the game. So, I think that’s where we we’re juggling with right now. And I I am confident that at some point we’ll be fine on this and and and faster than we think. Is there some degree I guess within that? I I know there have been some kind of tweaks to the system or are guys still getting used to that at all? You mean on the breakouts? Breakouts, Dzone coverage. Done coverage. I mean, yesterday, I think on our deal on coverage, we gave maybe three chances and two of them came from the line change. So, the guy came from the bench and then we didn’t see the guy coming in the pocket. But other than this, they were all turnovers. So, I mean, if we fix our turnovers, I’m confident that we’re going to fix a lot of pocket chances. I mean, hey, I we know we need to be better and in our diesel coverage. I mean, everybody on our team knows, but at the same time, we won three games in a row. So, we got to we we got to enjoy oursel and be positive and and come tomorrow knowing that there’s things that needs to be a little bit better, things that we need to work at. I prefer that term that term like that, but that’s all. Is the plan to go with Riddic tomorrow still? Yes. Yes. Riddick will play and then Ilia will be back against Philly. last night felt like an example of how special teams can help win games when maybe the team isn’t playing their best. Does it feel like all the work you’ve putting into special teams has been paying off a little bit? The answer is yes. Um and yesterday was a good example. I mean, if we go back to last year, that might be a game that we would lost because our power play or PK would not have would have gave up goal or not scoring goals. So, so we realize that they are important part of the game and and I think if you as a player, they all agree that our special team did a really good job last night. Is the plan for Bows to stay quarterbacking in power play, too? No, we’re going to start with with Tony uh on that second unit tomorrow, but we’ll see how it goes, though. as a coach, what kind of comfort level does a a versatile guy like Jean Gabriel Pacio give you where you can, you know, put him into different spots and and know he always seems to play a consistent game? Well, I mean, any you could ask any coach about that question and they’re all going to say they love it. I mean having a guy like this that that winning big face off of games like we did yesterday. I mean put him there and then bring him to the bench and and send the extra forward next. But I mean having a guy that play well PK but more importantly a guy don’t accept the role that you’re given to him that’s even more important and more fun for any coaches. And I mean with JJ I know he’s played up and down the lineup but that’s not even a a question. He’s like you said, he just knows his role. That’s exactly what I just said 100%. He accept his role as well, you know, like um if you ask him what he really wants, he wants what’s best for the

Hear from Adam Boqvist, Jonathan Drouin, Ilya Sorokin, and Head Coach Patrick Roy after today’s practice.