Here's an inside look into the mind of Patrick Roy, courtesy of Islanders' forward Casey Cizikas.
Here's an inside look into the mind of Patrick Roy, courtesy of Islanders' forward Casey Cizikas.
EAST MEADOW, NY -- When New York Islanders forward Casey Cizikas returned to the lineup after a 10-game absence, things were vastly different on Long Island.
Lane Lambert was no longer the head coach, and their style and structure had evolved to fit the wants of new bench boss Patrick Roy.
Practices were different. The games were different. The mindset was different.
"It doesn't matter how you feel. It doesn't matter if you're tired," Cizikas told The Hockey News. "It's a matter of working through that and building. We're just building something here. We're gonna be a group that works extremely hard. When you're not feeling your best that day, or something's not going your way, you can always rely on your effort and bringing that every single night.
"I think that's what he's trying to build here, a group that's relentless, a group that doesn't stop and continues to push even when your backs against the wall. You continue to push, and I think that's something that we're going to try and achieve."
The Islanders are 3-3-2 since Roy came aboard, and the hockey they've played on the ice, outside the last two losses, has been more disciplined and more structured.
They've looked more like the Barry Trotz team in that regard, and it was always a head-scratcher as to how the Islanders got away from their identity after his departure.
Regardless of what happened and why, Roy is doing everything he can to get this group back to playing the detail-oriented game they once were elite at.
That's why Roy's spent so much time blowing down practices to get his players doing things the way he wants.
"The way this business works, you get a new voice. You get someone in here with different views in the game, and the only way that they're gonna make those sticks is by harping on it, making sure that you do it right consistently over and over again," Cizikas said. "And if that's blowing it down and making you do it again, then you're not going to do it wrong the second time. You're gonna figure it out and the way that he expects every guy to be in the right spots.
"He expects that if you do those things, and you continually do them over and over again, that's going to translate into a game, and when that translates into the game, and everyone does what he's trying to get across to us as a group, [then we have success."
Roy's mindset is about breaking the team down and building them back up.
"Our group has been together for a long time. And between Trotz and Lane [Lambert], those guys have stuck together forever," Cizikas said. "So we were being told and doing kind of the same things between those two guys. Those are things that we were doing for numerous years, and [it's tough] to break those habits.
"He's harping on us. We're watching video, we're going through meetings, and it's finally getting there, and I think guys are understanding what he's trying to accomplish."
The Islanders could have the same line run the same drill 30 times, and Roy won't move on unless it's done exactly how he wants. It's immediate accountability that eliminates the growth of bad habits.
"It's making sure guys are aware of how to put themselves in the best positions possible," Cizikas said. "Whether it's coming back into the zone a certain way or how to put yourself in the best position to succeed. Either way, it's going to translate to offense or defense. If you're in the right spot, and there's a turnover, you can attack offensively, and you're in the right spot. If you're in the right spot defensively, and it goes the other way, then you're in the spot where you're not going to get caught.
"You're not gonna get beat back into your own zone. He harps on those little details involved, which can make practice look like it's being blown down all the time and guys are screwing up. But he's just making sure that things are done properly because, in a game, those are the key things that might have been missed.
Roy is very big on doing 1-on-1 video work, and it's something Cizikas appreciates.
"You can't really show 40-50 clips in a meeting," Cizikas said. "So, you have that 1-on-1. 'This is what I think you need to be, or this is what I would like to see you do'. You listen because you know what that's intended for, like solely for you. Those are things that you learn from."
As mentioned, Cizikas had to watch a handful of practices and games from above before getting to experience Roy at ice level.
"It was definitely a tough start for me coming back, with how much has changed and everything," Cizikas said. "But, these guys [Matt Martin and Cal Clutterbuck] have been excellent with me, talking me through certain things and making sure I know what I'm doing."
Cizikas scored in his first game back in their 6-2 beatdown of the Tampa Bay Lighting:
Even from watching above, Cizikas could tell the group was getting better before he got on the ice with them.
"I could see it when I wasn't playing. When I was trying to get back, you could see the jump," Cizikas said. "You could see where guys are competing and being more aware of the way he wants to play. That's that's what made me hungry to get back. I see the guys battling. I see you guys working, and I wanted to be a part of that.
"When you get to be a part of it, and you get to build something here like like we're trying to do, there's only one way to do it, and that's hard."
Cizikas and the Islanders battle the New York Rangers at MetLife Stadium Sunday night at 3 PM, hoping to end a two-game skid and start making strides toward a playoff spot.