New York Islanders Pregame Availability | 11/07/25

New York Islanders Pregame Availability | 11/07/25

So, what’s the mentality heading into tonight’s contest against the Wild? Oh, we got to keep playing the same way we have been. It’s been pretty good lately. Obviously, we kind of messed up, you know, losing a point last game. We thought we should have won that game, but uh just keep building out the way we’ve been going. Keep doing the same thing. Obviously, they played last night, so it’ be nice to get an early attack on them. What is the approach when you face a team that has played the night before? Yeah, I mean in my experience, I can’t speak for everybody, but I feel like your your first period’s kind of the best you have on a backto-back start to wear it down a little bit as a second, third come on after, you know, you have a little bit of that burst to get going. Coming off a loss is a little bit different, a little more desperation early on to get in the game, but uh for the team staying home, it’s important in my opinion to jump on them early as early as you can. So, we’ll see what happens. I think it’s it’s important for us to mention your team’s been playing well lately. What are some of those things that have been the positives in the past three games in the point streak? Yeah, I we’re probably just more connected as a unit of five. I think offensively we’ve been pretty good all year. We’re generating a lot of chances. Uh special teams improving big time. Uh penalty kills been really good of late. I mean, last game was a little, you know, they had some chances on us, but that’s what good players do. They’re going to get chances, but uh special teams improving and I think five and five just more connected overall. You guys have got pretty good goalending the past few games. What’s been working, especially with Riddic jumping into this new team and how reliable he’s been between the pipes? Great. I mean, we always, you know, Roi’s always great. Ry’s been great for us so far. I mean, I think this is game five for him tonight, maybe. Uh, he’s just been really good. It’s important when them guys come in to give us a chance to win every night and he’s done that and then some. He’s actually probably won us a game or two that he’s played. So, he’s been great. It’s nice to when you have to have confident in both guys and we are right now. So, whoever’s in the net, we’re happy to have. What’s the mentality heading into tonight against Minnesota? Yeah, it’s a big game. Uh, you know, um, we know they played last night, but we don’t want to put too much focus on that. We want to focus on um on what we have we have to do. Uh you know in the last 10 games I think we’re six two and two. We’re playing some good hockey and uh we want to do that uh again tonight and uh make sure we play a full 60 minute. Uh that’s the key for us. What has been the key to the success as of late to get that point going? Yeah, I I I think we’re on the you know same page. Uh we’re playing as a unit of five which means like we’re breaking up the the puck. We’re five low in the zone. and we’re supporting well each other uh through the neutral zone and in the ozone. I think there’s a lot of talk, a lot of movement and uh uh that’s that’s part of our our game plan every night and we’ve been executing it pretty good. Tonight’s your final game before a pretty long road trip. What’s the mentality to get, you know, take advantage of of home ice? Yeah. No, exactly. We want to finish strong uh at home in front of our fans before we had on the road. Uh road trips are are always hard when you’re not in front of your own fan. Um, so finish finish hard, finish strong, play a full 60 and uh get the W. Ask you about Caleb Merchie. What have you seen from him in his first three games with the team? Yeah. Um, obviously um played it, you know, one game last year against him and seeing during the camp how good he was. Uh, but I was very impressed with his composure uh with the puck. Uh, he’s such a good smart hockey player. His hockey IQ is extremely good. Um, he’s asking so many question. you can see how much he wants to be here and he wants to help the team to win and I believe uh that he has his spot you know uh on his team to to help us to win to get to the next level and um I was impressed you know with the with his skill with the puck and without the puck just how he reacts sometime it’s it’s the hardest part when you come in uh it’s different speed different game speed but he’s addressed so well and uh he fits right in and we see him working really hard in faceoffs at the end of practice uh he mentioned you as one of the guys that he looks up to in terms of being in the the circle how you kind of know what the opponent’s going to do before the puck drops. Just what’s the key to a good face off and what have you seen from his progression in in the circle? Yeah. No, I I’m very impressed. Um, you know, it’s uh sometime you you don’t have to look at the results uh right away. I think uh just the way he comes in and he’s asking question. and we have an extremely uh experienced group with you know with Bo with Casey with Kyle guys that have taken a lot of draws and um the way he’s asking question and he’s he’s so smart you know he’s he’s passionate about hockey and he wants to be better and you you can see some improvement already after practice when we work on it and uh I can see him being a really good center uh in the dot and center is his natural position but he has been used on the wing before you know last year in Colorado even though he’s been mainly playing at center here have you ever played played wing in your career and what’s the key to that versatility? Yeah, it it’s definitely it’s definitely a different uh position. Um I I I don’t think there’s much difference really when you come back in your zone. Usually uh it’s the first guy back that that goes and plays as a center. So it’s it’s usually um more in the face up dot that that you’re taking draws. Um I think that’s the big difference really. Uh other than that, you’re most likely you’re playing down low with your demands and um but I think I I think he could play anywhere really. He’s such a smart hockey player that I I could see him play anywhere. And how do you develop that, you know, defensive responsibility that the center position requires? Yeah, I I think it comes naturally uh really and you you take pride in it. Uh you know, it’s always fun to score goals, but it’s fun also, you know, to to stop one. And uh you always tell when you’re young scoring goals as good as you know stopping one. So I think you take pride and um the competitiveness that you don’t want to be on the ice when the other team score. I think it’s all comes naturally heading into tonight’s contest against the Wild. Well, it’s uh they’re all important games for us. I mean the standing is so close. I mean you’re looking at the difference between the first position and and where we are. I mean I think it’s four points. So every game matters. So, I mean, it’s going to be um a good test for us. Make sure we’re ready when the puck drop. Did you Did you see something with Ilia you wanted to make a point about or No, he he asked me. Yeah. He asked me about uh how I was playing shootout. Unfortunately, I didn’t have much of shootout in my career, but I I told him I said I remember when we were in Agono. I mean, that was the the one that I was in and I was extremely nervous because um obviously we was going for the medal, but um got scored on the first one and I said it was probably one of the most nerve-wracking moment of of my career and and and I just explained him what was I was trying to do and and force guys to de me instead of shooting and uh but at the end of the day, I mean, I um really appreciate that he came to me. I mean, I feel like it’s a great step. Um, any I know Shabbano still skating on his own. Any progressing progressing now ready to play? Any idea when he might join the rest of the team? Well, we talked this morning, Mir and I, about it and we’d like him to come on the trip, but we can’t guarantee he’s going to play a game on that trip. So, so we’ll see how it shape up in the next day or so. Do you think he would be be ready to play a game on that trip or I can’t tell you that Dr. W does not have No, I I I just at this moment I I meant I would love to. I I meant what like when you say he might not play, would that be because of health or because of just lineup? Oh, no. No. Injury wise injury wise. Injury wise. What have you seen from Ryan Pulak this year? He’s a great leader for our team, first of all. And then secondly, I mean, uh, Pelle and him has been playing so well together for years now. And, um, I just feel like, uh, he calmed down things. He makes, I think, our team better. He makes players more, um, safe out there, like more secure about because of his play. And I’m sure for for our goenders, it’s nice to have a guy like him. I mean, um, he’s got so much good offensive skills and he could defend as well. So, I think he’s enjoying himself right now. I mean, looking at him, I feel like he’s he’s having joy and and and he’s playing the way um I think he wants to play with these back to backs when determining which goalies are going to start. What, you know, what’s your thought process with with that? Uh I thought we talk about it uh with Sergey and and see who should be first and second. Um um I guess it’s going to depend on some games like on the road trip when we’re going to be in um we’re going to play backto back game Vegas and Utah. So Ilia will probably play Vegas and David’s going to play the second game. So we’ll see how it goes. I mean we’re we’re we’re yeah we sometimes you look at stats and you say hey you know like last year he had a great game in Vegas. Why not playing him? I mean that that certainly play a role in in the decision, but I mean overall I mean it’s what’s best for the team. What sticks out to you about the way that the way that JG Pio sort of studies face offs and the way he works in that aspect of the game? Well, it’s not just faceoff. He puts so much pride in his game. I mean, um, we’re talking about a guy last year was playing power play now and because with the depth that we have and and he accept the role and and he puts so much pride in what he’s doing. So the penalty killing is something he wants to do really well and then we’ve got some success this year because actually because the way he’s been playing and face off is the same thing. I mean, um, I think he understands how important face off are, especially on the killing. If you win the draw, you’re truly deep, then it takes maybe 15, 20, could be even 30 sec second out of the their their power play. So, um, but what I love about him is the details that he put into the game and then how hard I mean, he wants to do well. What have you seen from the way that Caleum Richie is practicing as he’s still learning? Well, you know, we had some video session with him and and I love his passion. I love the fact that they student of the game. They want to learn the game. They want to understand the game. Uh they they’re not just satisfied to be here. They want more. And for any coaches, I mean, not including me, but all the coaches on our team.

Hear from Jean-Gabriel Pageau, Tony DeAngelo, and Patrick Roy ahead of tonight’s game vs Minnesota.