New York Islanders head coach Patrick Roy didn’t hide the fact that Friday’s 4–3 shootout loss to the Flyers left him with mixed emotions. The Islanders rallied from a 3–0 deficit with a remarkable second-period burst, controlled long stretches of play, and generated multiple chances to win in overtime. But as Roy emphasized repeatedly, the game swung on two costly turnovers—and on a night when they played well enough to earn two points, they walked away with only one.
“I thought we played a really good game from start to finish, except for those two turnovers,” Roy said. “If we don’t turn those pucks over, that’s probably a very solid performance.”
Roy praised the response, particularly the power-play goal that snapped the team’s extended drought. “It was nice to score on the power play. It was nice to score three goals. We had our chances, especially in overtime. Bo had the game for us, and I thought Heineman’s shot was in. Their goalie just made the saves.”
One of the game’s most emotional moments came early in the second period, when Kyle Palmieri, injured on the play, still managed to steal a puck to set up the Islanders’ first goal. Roy called it “a great play that showed the quality of the player and the person,” though he acknowledged Palmieri’s injury “doesn’t look very good.”
Roy had high praise for Max Shabanov, calling him “outstanding” and saying his energy lifted the team. “He’s very shifty, he moves well, and playing him with Bo and Heineman gave that line real spark.” Despite falling behind 3–0, Roy never considered pulling David Rittich. “We only gave them three shots in the first period. David wasn’t responsible for those goals. I know his character—he was going to bounce back.”
In the end, Roy’s theme was simple: the Islanders played well enough to win and could have earned two points. “Other than those turnovers, I felt like we played a very good game,” he said. “We just need to bear down on the chances we’re getting.”