New York Islanders Practice Availability | (11/25/25)

two really strong defensive games over the weekend. How would you assess the back-to-back set? Um, yeah, I thought we uh still did a pretty good job against St. Louis. Um, but obviously good to bounce back from that. Uh, I mean, we could have could have easily scored uh couple more, but um, their goalie did a good job. So, uh, but still good to bounce back and and get those two points. Uh, obviously was a real tight game and uh, but yeah, strong uh, effort throughout the weekend. And of course there’s no replacing a guy like JJ Pio, but what can you guys do as a forward group in his absence? Yeah, I mean he’s a really really having a really big impact on our team. He’s really smart out there and and pretty much can use him all over the ice. So he’s a he’s a really big part of our our team. Uh but obviously we have to trying to fill in and uh do our job to to help our team in any other way. So, uh, and he’s having a really big year with Holmes on, uh, on the PK, so uh, we have to keep that up. Patrick mentioned how he’s been giving you some PK minutes. What’s been your experience like so far short-handed? Uh, yeah, it’s, uh, I’m trying to been watching a lot clips lately, uh, and trying to, like I said, help the team in any way I can. So, uh, it’s it’s a big part like we gain a lot of momentum from that, too. Um, and yeah, I was excited to try that out. I think we did a pretty good job, too. So, it’s a good feeling. Have you played PK before or is it totally new for you? No, it’s not totally new. Uh, but, uh, not like regularly lately. So, uh, it was a it’s a good feeling. Get out there. Besides obviously being down a man, what’s the difference in your defensive game when you’re playing five on five in the Dzone versus being on the PK? It’s more uh, you pack it in a little bit. you you uh pretty much uh it’s it’s it’s a real different game where you actually you talk a lot more uh you talk usually, but I would say it’s more more uh you’re real thorough with with not losing a guy or anything like that. Um so it’s it’s it’s fun cuz you it’s real packed mentality when you’re out there uh as a fourman group uh and you’re down a guy. So it’s uh it’s a little bit different mentality, but it’s fun. Of course, two pretty strong defensive games over the weekend. How would you assess the back-to-back set? You know, I think getting Sunday changed the mood of the weekend. You know, it was a tough one on Saturday. It was tight game and kind of came up short. Um, but to rebound and play a solid one on Sunday. Um, obviously it was a light scoring affair, but I think just our our game uh in total was a strong one and and just found a way to win. I mean, Bowen Balms going out there in the shootout ready making some saves. um when we needed it and ended up getting the extra point. It was it was a big two. The team overall this season has been higher scoring, higher scoring affairs, but to play a tight game like that, no score, you know, pass regulation. What’s the Is there a difference in mentality versus games where you score like three, four goals? No, I think we have the same mentality, but you’re going to find yourselves in in tight games and those scoring affairs um throughout the year. Uh kind of found one each day, Saturday and Sunday. Um, and that’s how a lot of the hockey is down the stretch. It starts to tighten up pretty good and less penalties are called and um, you know, games are tighter and there’s team making pushes and whatnot. So, it’s it’s we got to get used to those games and it’s good to be adjusted and feel comfortable in them and um, I think we we we do feel good in those spots. And two tough losses and in PJO and Ramanov being out, you know, missing some time. How can the team step up in their absence? Oh, we all got to pull the pull the rope on this one. um you know, Romy on the back end and and Pedager up front. Those are those are some key losses and uh you know, we we we could feel it on on the bench, but I think the guys stood up and and filled the their roles as best they could and but two versatile guys. Um main stays for Romy on the back. You know, his presence, physicality, and uh you know, Pager, you know, his utility is some of the best in the league. So we we we miss those guys right now, but um we just got to find a way. I want to ask you about Cal Richie. Of course, he found his offensive side of the game, scoring his first, you know, three points there. But how has he been settling into the group recently? Yeah, you can see his game just kind of starting to grow a little bit and he’s more comfortable and start making some plays and, you know, sometimes you just need you need to get one. You need to get a bounce. Uh and he’s he’s played hard enough and well enough to earn earn a bounce and play some good hockey. And uh once you start feeling like that, things tend to roll and I think we’re seeing that from him. And his chemistry with Shabbanov in particular has been really, you know, budding as of late. But with Shabbanov with him breaking out offensively, how is he, you know, what kind of steps has he taken in a few weeks? Well, I think he’s he wants the puck. He’s he he wants that puck on his stick and wants to make something happen with every touch. So, um and he’s doing that. I think, you know, he’s got extremely high skill and when he gets some space for himself and um is able to to use that skill, good things happen. Pretty long road trip and busy stretch, but to have yesterday off and today for a good practice day, how luxurious is that? Yeah, it was it was kind of uh different today in a way that that we haven’t practiced, but we had one last practice was what in Vegas or something like this. So, but you know what the key was working on things we we think we have to do well tomorrow against the Bruins and and and um I thought we accomplished that. Are you planning on having Sikas for tomorrow? Um yes. And then with that power play, I know percentage- wise it’s dead last, but it’s looked dangerous. What more besides putting the puck in the neck do you feel like you guys have to do in terms of movement to to score offensively? You mean? Yeah. on the power play. What I love about our power play right now is our entries. We doing a really good job getting the puck in. What I also like about our power play is the possession time. We possess that puck. Now, we have good looks. We have, example, the game against Detroit, I thought we had a lot of shots, uh, quality chances. Now, it’s just a matter of of bear down on those chances because we’re doing a lot of really good things. You talked about trying out Emil Heinman on the PK, but what is it about his defensive game that made him a good candidate for that? Well, the way he’s playing five on five brings a lot of confidence to us as a coaching staff and trust and um so we said why not give him, you know, we we we felt like we had to try different uh players. Um, if something happened, I mean, if let’s say if Pomsy in the box or B’s in the box or Pierers’s in the box, now Pier is hurt. So, we need to have different guys and we thought that’d be a good fit for him and actually, you know what, he’s been doing a really nice job. To follow up on that, how much confidence do you have if Kellum Richie had to hop in the PA? I know he played a lot of it in juniors. Is there confidence there with him? Yes, absolutely. Well, he’s a 200 feet guy, so I have zero problem for him to to go in a penalty killing. And then um I really when we play five on five, I’m not nervous if he plays against top lines or so. I mean, could he play PK? Absolutely. Matt Barzal was was saying that he he feels like his game is kind of at a high and has a quality to it that, you know, maybe it hasn’t always had. Just I’m very happy with his Yes, absolutely. I’m very happy last game. I mean, he got what, six shots on net. I mean, he bring he brought the puck to the net. I mean, he uh generate a lot of offense. I mean, I am very happy with him. Absolutely happy with his game. That’s a challenge for Matthew as teams now start to see him a second time around. We talk about Schaefer. Yeah. Um I don’t know. I don’t think it’s going to matter between you and I. I mean, it’s um the way he’s playing. I mean, he’s um he’s playing well offensively, he’s playing well defensively. When he makes mistake, his teammates are there for him. Um his confidence is high. Um I feel like um I don’t know. I I don’t I don’t see any adjustment on his part. I mean, maybe other things will make some adjustment, but I feel comfortable that that um he’s just going to continue to roll the way he is right now. Do you think the fact that this team is winning has helped his development where he hasn’t had to press or feel like he’s got to do something a little bit extra? Well, there’s two things. First of all, the quality of the players he plays with. That helps. I mean, um and and then B, yes, winning helps as well. Um right now, I mean, the team is playing with a lot of confidence and and and I feel like it’s good for everyone. With Rick, he’s got a huge personality. Just what does that do for a room and just for coaching staff when you have a guy like that who’s so competitive but jokes around keeps things light? Yeah. No, it’s a great addition for our team because first of all he’s been playing really well. But what I love about him is he understand his role and he’s playing it perfectly. He stays there with the guys at the end of practice, take some extra shots. Uh talking with the guys, he’s uh during his games he communicate very well. I think that helps our our team as well. Is uh is is PJO able to skate on his own just because it’s an upper body? Okay. No, he hasn’t skate on his own. Is this the best you’ve seen Bo Horvat play since you’ve gotten here? I thought he played really well last year. So, and and the way he’s playing right now, I would almost have to say yes. I mean, um Bo has been like, um pretty steady since the start of the season. I mean, every night I know I could count on him. He’s playing that 200 feet game. Um, I thought that was it was um it was pretty good what he did on that shootout, you know, like um coming in. I mean, we talk about bold all year. That was a bold moment for me. I mean, show some swagger and and coming in and and put that one in and kept, you know, kept us into the shootout and and Ponzi came in right after to win the the one for us. But sometimes people don’t realize, but there was a lot of pressure on him and I thought that he showed great poise at that moment. To follow up on that, when you have a a veteran, a leader like that, how does that influence the rest of the group and maybe set the tone? I hope it does have a great influence. I mean, I would love to when I was playing and I see the Sackic or the Forsber or the Borg doing things like this certainly motivated me and and and I’m sure it has the same influence on the

Hear from Anders Lee, Emil Heineman, and Head Coach Patrick Roy after today’s practice.

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