New York Islanders Postgame Availability | NYI vs TBL (12/02/25)

New York Islanders Postgame Availability | NYI vs TBL (12/02/25)

after, you know, I know how well you guys, you know, believed in your game to to finally get the the two points here. What What kind of relief was that? Yeah. No, I think um we were due for one of those. I mean, you know, we’re playing against a good team over there. A lot of, you know, a lot of offense uh on that side. And I mean, yeah, we stuck to our game plan. We didn’t um vacate from the plan and finally got rewarded for um you know, the way we’ve been playing. Obviously, only scoring two. You got to defend well and and your goalenders got play great and he did tonight. How how does it feel for you? This is two goals, two games. Is it I know you regain your chances, but when they start going and do you start gain that feeling? No, I mean I think you know, you just get that feeling where you, you know, you feel like you can score. Um, you know, every game and, um, I think, you know, I’d be, like you said, a lot more worried if I wasn’t getting my chances. And finally, um, last couple games have been going in. Maybe take us through the end of that game. You guys packing the house pretty pretty good there to close it out. Yeah, I mean, big saves, big blocks by by our guys. Um, you know, Homer and uh, Hiner were were big there. Um, they’re stressing me out not putting that in the in the empty nets, but um, but other than that, no, I thought we uh, we defended well. You know, we protected our house um, you know, really well and um, again, it was a good overall effort. What kind of energy did you guys get from that, Zikas, and Mlan line tonight? Yeah, they they they played really well. I mean, they were hitting guys, they were creating chances. They were getting their opportunities and defending well and blocking shots. They did it all tonight and they were a big reason for our win. To piggy back off the PK, how much momentum they give you to defend the six on five situation. Yeah, big time. They um you know, our PK was great tonight. They um they have a you know, a really good power play. A lot of guys that that can move the puck around there and um I thought we did a great job of of taking away their options and um you know, Elia was great when he had to be. What do you mean of that chap just that pass? Yeah, it was great. I mean, he uh you know, it’s just such a heads up play by him sucking everybody, you know, over to his side and and dishing it back to me. I had all the time in the world. So, I wasn’t expecting it back. Um, you know, luckily I was still facing that way. Um, and not, you know, looking up in the stands or something, but I mean, yeah, it was a great heads up play by him. What do you say about the some of the guys blocking shots? And it’s every game they’ll block shots and uh they they’re doing great. Absolutely. How big was this win to bounce back and and just, you know, the quality of the opponent and snap their sevename winning streak? Second, you snapped their sevename winning streak and how big was this win tonight? Um I I mean they think about our losing streak and for us it’s I said it’s good feeling winning emotion in this building for our fans and for us there’s there’s nights where um we absolutely need that and we got that tonight and that was just that’s the difference maker sometimes. you know, you get guys up and down the lineup contributing and it’s not always just on the score sheet, but tonight it was and that was the difference of our night. And um you know, said this earlier, but I thought Stroen played great. Thought our defense and our penalty kill and uh guys when we needed to were blocking some big shots. Both said you guys were maybe kind of due for one like this tonight. Just how big was this kind of win? It was. We we were kind of due for one of these games where, you know, maybe wasn’t our best of the night or best of the last little bit, but we come out with two points and kind of end this little, you know, drought that we’ve been on and now we can kind of take a a breath of fresh air, get back to work tomorrow and and uh build on this. How fun was that tonight to to come together as a team and get the two points? Yeah, it was awesome. Obviously, that’s that’s the only thing that’s been missing from our games. I feel like we’ve been playing really good hockey. Just haven’t been finding a way to win the last few and uh it was good to get get that win tonight. Take me through that pass. young man and just what you saw. Yeah, I was just trying to crash and net him. That’s something I’m trying to work on. Go to the net harder. Um and then Dclair made a good play on the zone exit actually and then we got in the zone, poked it down to me and then uh I was able to find him there. So, it was a good finish by him and uh it was a big goal. Did you um like the way your line worked tonight and finally got rewarded? Yeah, for sure. I think we’re kind of getting to a point where we’re starting to build chemistry, starting to understand where each other are on the ice and our tendencies and stuff like that. So, uh, it’s been a really good fit so far and I love playing with those two. Nothing happens without your stellar play from your goalie tonight. Yeah, for sure. He was unreal all night and, um, yeah, it’s tough. We couldn’t get him the shut out, but at least we got the win, so it was huge. How big was it for you to see your team finally get rewarded for it? How big was it for you to see your team get rewarded for its hard work tonight? Um, you know what? It was um it’s funny how hockey is because I thought we played really really well the first um five games of that home stand and came up with 131 and uh one win and yeah 131 and tonight was probably the game that we played you know not I didn’t say I don’t think we play bad but we didn’t play as well as the other games and we come up with the wins. So sometimes it’s that’s what it matters and and and um I thought that our guys did a a great job overall. I mean we we play well defensively, we cover and obviously they had a lot of chances and Ilia was really good at it. What does that say? I mean obviously the quality of the opponent, but the fact that Elilia bounced back from the other day and and uh gave you Was I nervous? No, not one bit. Um he’s been working really hard with with Sergey and I I was very I would look at him this morning he looked really sharp in the morning skate sometimes. I mean with a good indication and I thought he was ready for tonight’s game and uh he was outstanding. He made like uh obviously a lot of great save and but I love the commitment that our guys made to block shots. Simon had a few blocks at the end and they were they were key moment in the game. What what are you seeing from that third line? You you’re starting him at the start of the game, right? And and Richie is clearly looking for his shot more and also developing chemistry there. Just what are you seeing with them that that’s allowing him to play like this? Well, first of all, there’s a matchup first and then secondly, a lot of trust in these guys. I mean, the way they’ve been playing, Richie is playing better and better every game, I think, because he he’s learning the league and he gets more comfortable and and gets some confidence and but I think Anthony and and Simon are also playing very well. So, I mean, that line is giving us like really good hockey and was the same thing for the Casey’s line. I mean, I played them against Paul line and I I thought they were really good. They have a lot of energy. I I thought tonight it was a team effort. I mean, we we didn’t play our best game, but we found a way to win the game. And I think that’s what I love about our group. The the defenses, we’ve talked about it, the how solid the defense is playing, but when you you got a Cucharov and a Hegel going that well, what does it take to kind of like stifle them like you did? Yeah. And especially when a guy played over 26 minutes. I mean, he’s on he was on the ice a lot. So they they were trying to make a push towards the end and I I’m I was very proud and pleased the way our guys defended. I mean um we’ve been talking a lot about Pulley and Py and again they were outstanding tonight. They played a strong game. Um Richie was saying like when when he first got here he was a little scared to make mistakes and that’s kind of been been going away. He’s he’s less worried about that now. How important a step is that in his development and how much of that is like have you you know encouraged him at all to you know maybe take more risks and and things like that. Well, we’ve been doing a lot of, you know, video session with him and I think he sees those things and and um I think that is very uh important and it’s helped him a lot in a way that I think it’s he sees what we expecting and I think when he knows what we expect it’s clear and I think it helps his game and I I hope that that’s been helpful to him. What what’s that balance with a young player or with any young player of knowing that they kind of that you need to take the reinss off of them or they need to play without without reins on them but also you know not want that’s not my style anyway. I let I let people play. I mean, I I don’t hold them back and I mean, uh, when they make a mistake, I can’t wait to put them back on the ice and and and give them a chance to I don’t know if that’s the correct wording, but redeem themsel and and and find a way to to show me that they’re ready to go. So, so I I that’s the last thing. If I understand your question correctly, that’s what I’m I’m looking for. Is that something you picked up as a junior coach or something you always had? Probably. Well, I think I always been like this, you know. Um, as a player and as a as a coach, I I do believe in that. You’ve been relying heavily on your top six for production. How important is it to get some secondary scoring? Huge. Huge. I mean, like you like we said, I mean, um, that was a big goal by Anthony and and and obviously I mean, we needed that goal. I mean, we end up needing that goal, but I mean, that was it was an important one. And but like I said, sometimes it’s not stats or or goals or assists, but the way that that Casey’s line played really helped the team tonight. And they they were sharp. They were skating. They were intense. They were on the puck. Um I was very very happy. I mean, obviously the first goal was a great goal by B, but what a pass by Shabby on this one. And then then Bo was capable of picking up his own rebound. But we had some good good looks as well and and their goalie played really well. I thought both goenders were really good. You talk about the seeas line a lot. Just what did he see specifically from Cyclov? He seemed like he was really on his game tonight. It was one of his good game. I feel like he’s he was he was heavy on puck and and um I like when he he used his body like he did at the in the third period and when he had that chance. I mean uh their goalie made a great save on that one. But that’s the hockey we want to see him play. I mean, um, he was I thought he was like turnover free and that’s what we’re looking as well. You think he simplified his game a lot? Yeah, exactly. Shabanov, you mentioned a second ago, it seems like he’s one of the guys that you’ve been leaning on now that Pelary’s been out. What have you seen from him the last couple of games moving forward? I feel like it’s a great opportunity for him and I think I feel like he’s taking advantage of it and and I’m very happy the way he’s he’s he’s playing. He’s very shifty, makes great great plays. Um, I just think that it’s a good mix with with Bo and and and Emil. Uh, Emil’s more physical, goes to the net and Bo is a bit of a mix of the 200 feet kind of player and and and play well in, you know, offensively and defensively, but I think that B’s a good shooter and Emil as well. So, I think they’re a great fit for for each other. Just what’ you make of the way that Adam Pel finished that game? I think he played the final three minutes there. Yeah, there’s a lot of guys played the last three minutes. you know, big block by Simon, big block by Pelle and Pulley. And no, I thought these guys have been um the backbone of our team. I mean, they’re playing so well and gave us our our team a chance to win every night and and and make it tough on on playing a lot against top lines and they’ve been solid.

Hear from Patrick Roy, Bo Horvat, Calum Ritchie, Ilya Sorokin and Anders Lee following tonight’s win.