Stefen Rosner on Morning Cuppa Hockey Talking Islanders EAST MEADOW, NY -- The New York Islanders [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/new-york-islanders/latest-news/new-york-islanders-patrick-roy-power-play-bo-horvat-mathew-barzal-brock-nelson-kyle-palmieri-noah-dobson] never had to worry about who was manning the fourth line on a nightly basis. Matt Martin, Casey Cizikas, and Cal Clutterbuck were the guys for around a decade, but Clutterbuck is gone; Martin won't be an everyday player, and it's been an issue trying to fill those roles. "You guys probably had the best fourth line in the NHL for years, with Clutterbuck, Martin, and Cizikas," Roy said. "That's exactly what we're looking for. Guys that are gonna go against the top line and do the job or change the momentum. You’re down by a goal, they're gonna give you that energy, that buzz. I mean, we don't expect them to score every night, but we want them to be game-changers at times. Five players, including Martin, Julien Gauthier, Oliver Wahlstrom, Liam Foudy, Pierre Engvall have been given chances on the fourth line, but none have truly won a full-time role...yet. "I won't lie," Roy said. "Spot number 11 and 12, we don't feel comfortable yet with the guys, and we're going to try until we find the guys that we are comfortable with." "I won't lie," Roy said. "Spot number 11 and 12, we don't feel comfortable yet with the guys, and we're going to try until we find the guys that we are comfortable with." Martin and Engvall played on Saturday, but there will be changes when the Islanders host the Ducks on Tuesday night at 7 PM ET. "We're going to give Pierre another shot with Fasching and see how it goes," Roy said. "Marty will probably play in Columbus if we decide so, but there's a good chance, so we're going to continue to try things until we're 100% happy. "Because the main goal for this organization is to win hockey games, and that's what we're going to do from now, every night.” The Islanders desperately need someone to step up and win the role. Eight games. Six different players. Four different line combinations. Roy isn't looking for anything special. However, reliability is a key part of the job description. "Trust. I want them to go on the ice and play, let's say, after a power play, knowing that they're gonna do the job," Roy said. Roy made it clear early on in training camp that if they are going to win consistently, it will have to be because they have four lines doing their job. Through eight games, the Islanders have alternated wins and losses, the opposite of a consistent start, which has them at 3-3-2.
