Anders Lee Jam Kancer EAST MEADOW, NY -- For the first time at training camp, the New York Islanders [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/new-york-islanders/features/new-york-islanders-prospects-arnaud-durandeau-isaiah-george] held a scrimmage. Here were the teams: Team Blue would come away victorious by a score of 5-4 in overtime. Mathew Barzal [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/new-york-islanders/features/mathew-barzal-new-york-islanders-postseason-horvat-wahlstrom] and Julien Gauthier [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/new-york-islanders/features/julien-gauthier-new-york-islanders-jean-gabriel-pageau-lane-lambert-2] each scored two goals for their respective team, with Team Blue getting goals from Hudson Fasching [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/new-york-islanders/features/hudson-fasching-new-york-islanders-2022-23-zach-parise-extension] and William Dufour [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/new-york-islanders/features/william-dufour-new-york-islanders-prospect-rookie-camp-training-camp], as well. At the end of each period, there was a shootout competition, and the winning side was given a goal. Arnaud Durandeau [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/new-york-islanders/features/new-york-islanders-arnaud-durandeau-prospect-training-camp-nhl] showed off the hands in the first shootout drill, while Isaiah George scored an absolute beauty going post, bar, post, and in. Here's Durandeau's shootout marker: Gauthier's second goal of the day served as the overtime winner. After a quick Dufour pass up the ice, Gauthier beat goaltender Ken Appleby off the post and in: Following the scrimmage, Lambert explained its importance. "It gives you a real good indication, when you've got a full game going on, how well guys are grasping concepts," Lambert said. "And then, you look at individual things, individual tendencies. "Some guy might look really good in drills and practice and maybe not so good in a game situation. So these are the types of things that you look for and figure out." Lambert liked a lot of what he saw but knows there are certain areas that need to be cleaned up as camp progresses. "We've got work to do. I fully expected that after day one. It's the first time we've had a little bit of scrimmage, but it's the first time they've been on the ice in a game-type situation," Lambert said. "So, we knew that there would be some, I guess, growing pains or whatever, and it's only the fourth day on the ice. "So I just think we need to play faster. We need to move the puck faster for sure." READ MORE: Keeping it Real Through First 3 Days of Islanders Training Camp [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/new-york-islanders/features/new-york-islanders-prospects-arnaud-durandeau-isaiah-george] Oliver Wahlstrom, who missed the entirety of the second half of last season with a knee injury, played his first game-like situation in like 10 months. He felt pretty good. Image [https://thehockeynews.com/.image/c_fit,h_600,w_600/MjAxMDUyMjk5MjgyMzU5OTcw/img_0815.jpg] "First five-on-five game in 10 months, so it felt good. Lungs are coming back," Wahlstrom said. "Good first scrimmage back." As for what Lambert saw from Wahlstrom: "I thought he did some good things. It was just his first game-type situation in a long, long time. So, I think it was really good, and it's the same thing with every player. That game is critical to get them up to speed and playing in that type of situation. And, Wally, he's probably the most beneficial one from that simply because he has played for so long." Two prospects, Isaiah George [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/new-york-islanders/features/new-york-islanders-isaiah-george-prospects-elc-juniors-rookie-camp] and Matthew Maggio [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/new-york-islanders/features/matthew-maggio-new-york-islanders-prospect-rookie-camp], got into their first game-like situations in their second training camp. Here's what Lambert saw from them. "I thought Isaiah skated well," Lambert said. "I thought he moved the puck pretty well. And again, it's a game situation where strength and stuff like that [is on display], you get a real good view of that." Image [https://thehockeynews.com/.image/c_fit,h_600,w_600/MjAxMDUyMzI3MTk5NjQ3Mzk0/img_0833.jpg] As for what Lambert saw from Maggio: "Maggio just goes to the net. He wants the puck. He's around the puck, and he certainly hasn't changed in that aspect. Had a couple of really good chances." Lambert, despite liking Durandeau's speed, was a bit critical of his performance. "He's got quickness, and he's got speed. He pushes the pace, keeps the pace. When he has an ability to make plays, I, I do think that [he makes them]," Lambert said. "That position [alongside Bo Horvat and Mathew Barzal], is going to be something where we can't try and force plays, and I thought, at times, we maybe tried that a little bit too much today." On Tuesday, the Islanders will play their first preseason game with a nightcap against the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden. While the lines and groups you saw above have been pretty consistent throughout camp, Lambert said there would be some changes. "There's going to be some changes made to the game groups for sure," Lambert said. "Of course, there's some similarity to it, but it's certainly not something that we're just gonna go with, 'this group's playing against this team, and this group's playing that team'...it's not like that." When we know the groups, you will, too. NOTES: Gauthier and Pierre Engvall are flying alongside one another. Anders Lee has been stapled to Jean-Gabriel Pageau's wing the entire camp. Barzal is as shifty as ever, showing strong chemistry with Bo Horvat. Defenseman Alexander Romanov [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/new-york-islanders/news/new-york-islanders-alexander-romanov-training-camp] (day-to-day) did not take part in the scrimmage, and Kyle Palmieri [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/new-york-islanders/features/kyle-palmieri-new-york-islanders-2023-24-milestones] (maintenance) missed his fourth straight day. Lambert doesn't think that Romanov will miss a regular season game as the organization is being pretty cautious with the young defenseman who had off-season shoulder surgery.
