New York Islanders head coach Patrick Roy appreciates how hard is team is working on their structure but is looking for more in certain areas.
New York Islanders head coach Patrick Roy appreciates how hard is team is working on their structure but is looking for more in certain areas.
EAST MEADOW, NY -- The New York Islanders didn't have their best skate forward in their 5-2 loss to the Calgary Flames on Saturday.
During Monday's practice, head coach Patrick Roy called his players over after a forechecking drill.
He wasn't pleased.
Especially coming off a loss where the compete wasn't great, Roy needed to see more and made that clear.
Following practice, The Hockey News asked Mathew Barzal about what transpired.
"We have no room for any kind of laziness. One of them was on me. I wasn't in the right position. So it doesn't matter who it is. It's just a matter of working hard and doing what's best for the team, and making our teammates better. That was the key.
"If we're not forechecking hard in practice, how are our defensemen supposed to get better at taking a forecheck in the game? So, he's creating extreme habits, and that's just gonna make us a good hockey team. It's just the habits that we haven't practiced and our work ethic."
After talking with Barzal, his head coach spoke more about what he needed to see.
"This morning, we talked a bit about our fundamentals," Roy said. "I mean, all our numbers are getting better and better in all the areas. I mean, defensively and offensively. But we still play .500 hockey in some ways, and now it's our fundamentals and how are we gonna compete, how are we got to put our stick on the ice. The compete is probably the thing that I want us to be better at. [I want us to be better] along the walls. I want us to be better in our one-on-ones, especially offensively. There's ways for us to get to those loose pucks, to the net front and stuff like this. Structure-wise, we don't have to be perfect, but where we need to be perfect is our compete."
"I thought that was a difference against Calgary. Against Calgary, we dominated them. I think if we played this game 10 times, we would probably win nine of them. But they were better in that game in the compete level. They were better than us in the stick area. So if we improve those -- without being perfect in our structure --I think we're going to win those hockey games. And it's a bit of what I said to them this morning because, in my days in Montreal or Colorado, we were not always perfect. We didn't always have the super jump that we wanted to have. But our fundamentals were very good. So that's what we need to work on."
When asked what he thought about the effort level at practice, Roy said that's never been an issue.
"It was good. The effort has never been a question," Roy said. "I mean, it's how we use our energy. Like, I said that to them. My job is to push them. I love every one of them, and I want to work with every one of them. But my job is to push our guys in practice, making sure that we maintain because, unfortunately, I was not the guy that was in the best shape when I was playing, but I was working hard in practice because that was the moment that would put me in shape and prepare me for my game.
"So I always believed that you play like your practice. So that's exactly what I want our guys to do and that's what I've been doing."
The Islanders battle the Seattle Kraken Tuesday night at UBS Arena before hitting the great outdoors for their Stadium Series matchup Sunday at MetLife Stadium.