New York Islanders Pregame Availability | NYI vs BOS

New York Islanders Pregame Availability | NYI vs BOS

against the Bruins. Yeah, I mean, we’re obviously excited. Um, you know, it’s another big uh big match for us, big test for us and um you know, after a tough backto-back, we need to be ready to go tonight. Noticed that today’s skate was a bit more focused on the power play. It’s been looking really uh you know, threatening, but just hasn’t found those chances. But what what more needs to be done on the man advantage to find those results? Yeah, I mean, we talked about it. I think we’re doing a lot of good things. It’s just a matter of it going in. Um, you know, myself and I think everybody on the units, um, just have to work on bearing down on our our opportunities. Uh, we’re getting a lot of looks, so we just got to start scoring. PK’s been super solid facing a big test against the Bruins, fourth ranked power play. Um, what’s been working so well short-handed in the past few weeks? Yeah, I mean I think uh a lot of it, you know, I think it’s just we’re going over the the boards with the mindset that we’re going to get the kill and um obviously confidence is a big thing, but everybody’s doing whatever they can to to get the job done and um you know, that’s from the goalending all the way out. Um you know, everybody’s buying into what we’re trying to do and so far it’s been good. We just got to keep it going. And finally, what kind of atmosphere are you expecting at UBS Arena tonight? Yeah, I mean hopefully it’s uh it’s as loud as it’s uh been the last couple uh games. Um, obviously, you know, it’s a a big matchup uh against a good hockey team. So, hopefully the building’s uh it’s rocking again tonight. Test tonight against an opponent that you’re still looking for the first win of the season against. Just what’s the mindset heading into tonight’s contest? Yeah, they’re a good team. Um, they make you earn kind of everything on the ice. Um, you know, they’re have a good neutral zone where they they make you dump the pucks and for check and um good goalending. So, uh it’s a good test for us and um we’ve been playing well as well. So, uh we got to keep that going. Again, it’s a very good team and defensively. Noticed that today’s focus was a, you know, a lot on the power play. Of course, it’s been looking really dangerous, but hasn’t found those results. What more needs to be done to find those results on the man advantage? Score a goal. Um, we’re doing everything right. We’re shooting. We’re moving moving it quick. We’re getting looks. Um, just about bearing down and getting that that first goal. Kind of get the floodgates open a little bit. Um, but yeah, I think we we look at their stuff. We look at what we’re doing well and we just got to keep going. It’s been quite a busy stretch, especially in the month of November, but how nice was it to have yesterday for practice and today for morning skate and just to kind of take those two days to reset and refocus. It’s been nice. It’s been a game every other day um back to back, all that stuff. So, it’s been nice kind of have a just a practice day where you’re now playing the next day and um get some rest there and enjoy some time with your family or whatever you want to do. Um but yeah, um you got to take advantage of those days are important. Um should be ready for tonight. Ask you about Cal Richie. How have you seen him adjust not only to the team but also um to you guys in the locker room off the ice? Yeah, he seems more comfortable. Um we kind of joke with him a lot. We try to get those guys kind of going. Um I remember being a young guy. You’re shy. You’re kind of hanging around in one of those stalls and no one’s really talking to you, but he’s been been pretty loud and uh pretty vocal with Shave, too. So Sha helps helps him a lot with that. Um but yeah, no, those kids have been great so far. Of course, this offensive game has been really developing and showing in the past week, but also what development have you seen from his game overall defensively in the past few weeks? Even faceoffs, I think it’s he’s taken a step. It’s better now. Uh he works a lot on it in practice. Um in junior, it’s less important because you have the puck all the time or you find a way to get the puck. So, in the NHL, when you start losing a lot of faceoffs, you’re forchecking, you’re not having the puck. They don’t really give it away. So, um yeah, he’s been working on his overall game. Um he’s a student of the game, which you you love as a veteran to see. um he asked question, he wants to get better and it’s it’s nice to see. Speaking of faceoffs, I’ve noticed you’ve taken a few. Is that something new for you? I know it’s kind of only situationally, but kind of what’s your mindset taking face off? I play center uh in the NHL and junior, so I’m used to it. Um sometimes, you know, Barney’s not having a good night or um where a lot of the faceoffs are on the left side on my back and I’ll take some. Um but yeah, no, I like I like taking face offs. I know what I’m doing a little bit. Um, obviously a lot of lot of help from Per and Bo if I have any questions. What have you learned from from Benois in that in that process, too? What’s that? What have you learned from Benwis? Yeah, he’s good, too. Um, it’s just talking about stuff where they’re what they’re going to do. Uh, faceoffs is weird. Sometimes you do the right thing and the puck doesn’t really bounce on your side or the ref drops in on his side. So, you can’t really control all those face offs, but um just being ready for it and know what they’re going to do so you can counter. And finally, just what kind of atmosphere are you expecting tonight at UBS Arena? Yeah, good. Um especially with uh you know kind of what happened last game against Boston. There’s a little atmosphere there, a little little tension I guess you want to call it. Um so I’m sure the fans will be rocking. It’s been good so far. You had two cracks at the Bruins before. What did you take out of those two games and what are you expecting here? I thought we played really well in Boston. I mean we um um you know sometimes I mean uh the game is fair, sometimes it’s not. And I thought that we uh we had a really good game over there. We should have won the game, but the one year I thought both teams played really well. It was all was a hard fought game and I thought it could have gone either way and um they won in the shootout if I remember. So, I mean, it’s um it’s going to be a good test for us around what is this game 24 or so. Just how do you like the evolution of your team so far? And you know, where what’s the next step for you guys? No, I like where we are. I mean, I love the the way we’ve been playing um on that road trip even. And I mean it was everybody understand that it was a tough game coming back the first game back against the Blues, but I thought overall we we we did a good game and play really well against Seattle the the following night. Uh, so I feel like it was it was important for us to find a way to win that game and and winning in shootout and and having seen Bo scoring that tying goal give it kept kept the shootout alive and and see um David making that save and Pumsy win. I think that brings a lot of confidence to the group and confidence I think it’s this is where I’m going. And confidence is a very important thing and and and and right now it seems like we’re playing with a lot of confidence and even in the la last two practice seems like the guys are you know having joy coming to the rank and then and and feel confident about themsel. I’m wondering when you kind of knew or said to yourself that not not only that Schaefer obviously is is very talented but that he could contribute in the way that that he is contributing right away. boy, you cannot know that early on, especially the fact that he played like 17 games in the in the past season. But, um, I guess it’s just, you know, day by day. I mean, you see him going and you see him grow and and you see him playing the way he’s playing. And um like I said many many times, I mean what amazes me is is how good he is uh offensively, yes, but how well he’s been playing defensively and and that’s that’s he deser I don’t want to take any credit away from our guys because I think he’s been uh playing with great play partners. I mean Maisy been doing a good job, Paul is doing a good job. I mean, whoever was with him, I mean, gives him that freedom to go into the offense and support the attack and but he has that quality and that speed to come back and and do a good job. Was that something that you needed to see in regular season games to kind of fully believe in or did you Yeah, you saw it during camp. I just wanted him to be him. That’s all it was. It was the same thing when McKinnon came to Colorado as a first overall. I mean, you want him to be him and and we’re certainly going to support him. You mentioned McKinnon. Just how have you seen him develop into the player you had when you first had him to now in the superstar that he is? How have you seen them develop? They both they both have that that quality. I mean, players that are um capable of of um bringing their game to another level day after day and and and maintain that level. I mean, that’s that’s what it’s impressive and um sometimes you want to protect them, but they force you to do things like this. So, good for them. How you’ve seen Schaefer’s game develop specifically on special teams? Well, at first the plan was to use him pretty much only on the second power play. So, he forces us to to play on that first power play. And then um with the um sometimes with penalties and and stuff like this, I mean start to put him on penalty killing and he’s been doing really well. So I mean right now I mean I think last game he played what 26 27 minutes because he deserve it because he could handle it, you know. So good for him. As a as a coach, I would have to imagine when you hear there’s a switch in GMs, it’s probably a little unsettling until you meet the new GM, right? How how quickly do you feel like you developed a rapport with Matthew and first date? Really? Why? Why? Well, we just had an honest conversation. I mean, we talk about, you know, what we thought went well, what we thought went wrong. And um and after that, I mean, I thought that that the first conversation we had, we it clicked and I think, you know, those things, you know, if if it’s it’s going to be a good fit for both of us, and I thought it was. And um all I can say is I’m very impressed with him. Um, you learn a lot from under Jun Brisb and um, he’s been doing a phenomenal job. You know, he knows his stuff. I mean, he he knows what to do and he’s not afraid to to press on that button and and make trades and and show it with the Doppson trade and um, I think he’s he was ready for that job and I think he will do a phenomenal job for the Islanders. when you got hired, this is kind of the hockey you envisioned that you talked about playing the fast, being responsible defensively as a coach. What does it feel? What’s the feeling like when you finally see your team play that way and get the results? Um, yeah, obviously I mean this this is what we were playing when I was coaching in Colorado or in junior and um, you know, I love to see our team, you know, the jumping into the rush and and and and be active and I think the guys are doing a really nice job. I mean, they deserve credit for it. I I you know, I’m just bring ideas basically and and the guys are been playing some really good hockey. I don’t like to go back in the past, but I will say this, I love where we are right now, and I pref I prefer focus on today and and and and what’s in front of what’s the next step for us instead of looking from behind.

Hear from Bo Horvat, Jonathan Drouin, and Patrick Roy ahead of tonight’s game vs Boston.