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

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

I I know you guys thrive on playing time, right? What What’s the cumulative effect when it’s, you know, five guys or four or five guys receiving the bulk of the time going over and, you know, and the minutes go up? And I’m not just talking about, you know, period to period, but, you know, week to week. Um, I don’t know. Um, obviously I think as a player you want to play more and I know speaking for myself, you know, the more I play the better I feel. Um, which, you know, I think everyone’s a little bit different on, you know, how they have gotten here. Um, but no, I I think, you know, I think some guys are better at playing more than others. Some guys are are better at when they play less or whatever it might be. I mean, I just think um you know, within a game uh different things come up the way, you know, playing time goes and you know, but I think all of us back here, everyone who’s in the lineup every night in the backhand anyway, it’s like you can play anyone at any time. Is it strange to play the same opponent three times in the next seven games? No, not really. I mean, you know, you go into playoff series, you see him seven straight times. So, um I think there’s just, you know, familiarity from both sides. So, you know, sometimes you have to make little adjustments here and there. Um you know, you’re going to make adjustments defensively. Um they change. You know, there’s always adjustments being made, but I think, uh for sometimes it makes it maybe a little easier because you just, you know, have a better sense of what teams are trying to do. Wondering whether you’ve whether you’ve noticed anything different about your game this year compared to last or whether you’ve kind of seen any improvements year-over-year? Um, I don’t know. I think, you know, there, you know, I’ve had moments, um, the last few years where I’ve been, you know, pretty good. There’s been moments where I haven’t been as good. Um, you know, I think right now I I like the way way I’m playing right now. I feel like uh moving well. Um defending pretty well. Um no, I just I mean you’re going to go through ups and downs throughout the season. Um right now I I feel good about my game. Um just trying to keep that keep that going here. Yeah. I mean just looking at kind of the some of the advanced numbers that are publicly available. I mean there’s, you know, been a pretty big jump for you, you know, compared to last year. like is that something is that something that you kind of see just sort of eye testwise or feeling you know when you’re on the ice like it’s like it’s been bad? Yeah, I mean I don’t really look at any of those numbers. Um for myself I think it’s just uh you know the way I feel the way I feel I’m contributing. Um you know sometimes it’s not always on the score sheet but I think there’s other little plays or other things you know I feel I’m doing right now pretty well. I think, you know, just playing with confidence, um, is a big thing. I think, uh, you know, sometimes you can tell yourself, um, you know, to be confident or that you believe in yourself, but, you know, sometimes it takes actually being in there and making a few plays and really kind of building that. And I think, um, you know, right now I just just feeling good. I think, you know, confident, moving well, and just trying to play, help the team different ways. you know, some nights it might be um getting involved more offensively. Some nights it might be more focusing on, you know, being a shut down guy. It’s just, you know, different nights, you know, there’s there’s different roles kind of and I just feel like trying to do everything I can to help this team win. I I I see comments on social media, right? the overwhelming sense that your game has been really really solid, you know, from like the first week of the season. How are you feeling? Um, I feel good. Um, I feel good, but I still feel like there are lots of ways where I can improve. Um, that’s kind of just the nature of the business though, right? You have to continue to get better or you’re going to fall behind. That’s really kind of the way I look at it. So, uh, yeah, by no by no means am I like fully satisfied or anything with how I’ve been playing. Um, still trying to get better every day. How how much tougher does that get to achieve as the seasons go by? Right. You you don’t have a 22y old Yeah. No, for for sure. Um, I I think about it sometimes. I bet if I were to look at a game from like 10 years ago or so, I’d it would look a lot different, right? The game would look a lot different. And myself, I’m sure it would look a lot different. So, um, you don’t really notice it as much dayto-day, but I mean the your teammates pushing you every day in practice, the competition getting better every year. I think that uh it just forces you to improve and that’s kind of what uh what everyone has to do over the course of their career. To ask you about the kind of anomaly with shots out shooting teams in the last five games that haven’t seen results. Is there a key to kind of sticking with it and and trusting the process or or just what’s the mindset to turn that around? Yeah, I think it’s mainly stick with it, trust the process. I think uh you know the cliches like more traffic around their net, uh stuff like that. Don’t let the goalie see all you know, don’t let the goalie see it or whatever, but uh I think it’s stick with it and eventually we’ll start to uh score a few more goals going forward. What’s been the key to playing so well defensively as a team and and really limiting those shots from opponents? Yeah, I think it’s something we’ve worked hard on ever since, you know, Patty’s come here. Uh, we’ve, uh, worked hard on our Dzone. We’ve made some adjustments. We keep changing to find what works. And I think right now we’re in a pretty good place and everyone’s confident with what we’re doing. Everyone’s working hard and, uh, we’re getting great goalending as always. Matthew Dar said that in terms of changing the systems this season, it took a few weeks to settle into the PK, but what’s what kind of clicks or I know it takes some time, but what’s been clicking in the past few weeks on the penalty kill? Yeah. Uh the PK is something that I think take you you have to get reps in, right? So um we’re doing a really good job right now. Although we’ve given up one in the past couple games. I think overall in the season we’re doing a really good job. As far as what’s working well, I just think it’s um kind of building that chemistry, right? It’s uh getting the reps in, everyone knowing their responsibilities, and uh the most important thing is good goalending, which we’ve had. What do you think of Cal Richie’s game kind of settling in and kind of playing in all situations, especially his defensive game? Yeah, he’s been great. Um, he’s improved every game he’s been up here. He’s obviously a very talented player. Um, so he’s playing some great hockey right now and yeah, we’re we’re lucky to have him. And just finally, when you you have the same opponent three times in seven games, is there a different approach to every game or or just how strange might that be? Uh, honestly, I don’t think I think we’re only thinking about tonight and uh yeah, that’s that’s it. Uh like I said, I am progressing every day and I feel better every day. So, let’s keep going this way and you know, I’ll be back sooner than later. When did you start skating again? Uh 3, four, four days ago. So yeah, a lot of sweats for small skates, but uh it’s good to be back on the ice and uh and uh you know, work work on little stuff that sometime you don’t have to and and make sure you know if everything feel fine uh to when I come back, I’ll be sure I’m I’m 100%. You know, Dar had said kind of two, three weeks back by Christmas at the latest. Is that your you know, kind of assessment of it, too? Yeah, I I I I just go uh you know, I’ve always had the um you know, tendencies to to come back usually uh quick after injuries and you know, I want to make sure, you know, I do it right and I come back um when I when I know, you know, I’ll be ready to to to help the team to, you know, and and be at my 100%. Um I’m I’m doing everything I can every day to to come back as quick as I can. I don’t really have a a timeline. Uh, obviously, you know, I would love to play every game. Uh, I hate, you know, seeing the guys on the ice and I want to be there with them. So, I’m pushing hard every day to, you know, to to my reab to come back as quick as I can. Kio take those positive steps to back the team. How encouraging is that? It is. Um, we’ll know more uh, of course during the week, but it was nice to see him on the ice obviously with the orange jersey, but I guess he’s getting closer and closer. Matthew had said kind of the the hope was for him to be back by Christmas. Does it feel like maybe he could be back a little sooner than that? Who’s that? Matt D had said Oh yeah, about Yeah. Yeah. about Peasio that he he was saying he like back by Christmas roughly. Does it feel like maybe a little more optimistic of a timeline now or too early to say? We’ll see. We’ll see. We’ll see how it goes. I mean uh next few days. What do you think of um Travis Mitchell’s first few NHL games? I thought he played really well. I mean, the first game I’m I’m sure he was very nervous, but I thought the last game he was more calm and uh made some great plays and and was physical. And I think it brings that that element to the team that that uh that’s welcome. Is it situational, you know, whether you have Mitchell or Adam Boquiston because they’re sort of different kind of players, you know, how are you picking one compared to the other? I feel sometimes it’s easier if you’re a lefty play on left than the right play on the left. You know, I thought we thought that was the the the the knock on this one, but I feel like, you know, sometimes you got to try things and and and um maybe more size than anything else. I mean, playing against, let’s say, the the Flyers or the last game we played at home, you know, teams that are maybe more physical and stuff. So, I think that might help. If if D’Angelo is able to play tonight, is the plan to put Bowus back in or keep Mitchell in? We’ll see. We’ll see how uh how he feels right now. I mean, he was sick this morning. So, there’s a good chance he probably won’t play tonight, but we’ll see at the warm-up. If he feels better in the afternoon, he feels okay to do the warm-up, then we’ll make the that decision at the game time. When five of your defenseman or four of defensemen are getting, you know, increased time on ice, right? because you know the six guy is getting I don’t know 10 12 minutes a game the other guys are 20 and above. What’s the cumulative effect the total effect you see on their play? You know does it over the course of a month does it wear them down or do you see them get into a better rhythm? I hope not. I hope not. I feel like when you get on the groove I mean you’re feeling comfortable out there and that’s what you want to see from our guys. I mean um they’ve been they’ve been playing really well. been in their zone and and and uh there’s no reason for us to worry about the heist time right now. I mean, I don’t know if you it’s not like a pitcher in baseball, I guess. I mean, you’re not calculating the number of pitch or the ice time for guys. I mean, you wake up in the next morning say, “Oh my god, he played 22 minutes or 23 minutes.” And and it depends what kind of minutes I mean, you’re playing. when you I just felt like in the last what four or five games we spent a lot of time in the ozone. We’re not a lot in our zone. So I guess those minute are not as tough that if you play in your zone and you got to push guys around and you’re competing in front of the net. So if you’re getting the puck out fast and you you’re you’re limiting the offense uh in your zone, um I’m sure those minutes are a lot easier than if you’re always in your zone. That’s what I’m trying to say. basically. Have you seen a a year-over-year difference in in Ryan Koulak’s game um this year compared to last? I just feel this year he seems to be uh very confident with the puck plays. Um more I would say maybe more free in the way that he’s jumping in the rush. I mean um and I feel like I think that that brings a lot of positive to his game and I I think that helps him. sort of same question again about P too, I guess. I mean, it seems like they’ve both been outstanding. I mean, come on. Every game they’re I know, you know, we we know what we get from them and uh they’re solid in our zone. They’re they’re moving the puck up. They make good decisions with the puck. I mean, they come to play uh down and and have been like solid solid guys for us. I know obviously you guys have been possessing the puck a lot. I know the hit stack could be misleading, but do you think you guys need to be a little more physical at certain times during games or you think you guys are good where you’re at? Um, it depends what you mean by physical. I mean, physical and I think I think we’re all agreed that you want to every game winning your battles and you want to make sure that you you find a way to to um win the battle to go to the net, create some offense or defense, get the So, second quick is a big deal for us. The way we’re our structure is built.

Hear from Adam Pelech, Ryan Pulock, J.G. Pageau, and Head Coach Patrick Roy ahead of tonight’s game vs Tampa Bay.