On a special Sunday afternoon episode of Hockey Night in New York, Sean and Stefen took the show on the road to Blue Line Deli where Ethan Sears joined them to talk all about the major move heard 'round the Island and what it means for the Islanders going forward.
Good Morning, Islanders Country.
That’s regular-season playoff hockey.
You were tempering expectations as the game versus the Dallas Stars went on, but in the end, Patrick Roy’s debut as Isles’ coach delivered the perfect script with a resilient come-from-behind O.T. win against one of the league’s better teams. It was a huge win for the room as they looked to build momentum and create belief in themselves and what their new coach is preaching.
"Everybody wanted to get that win, not only for ourselves, but for our coach and really it was phenomenal tonight. We couldn't have done it without him and it just felt really good to do it at home." - Bo Horvat
The way the Islanders played is not the recipe for success that will get them into the playoffs. There were still too many shots (43), too many odd-man rushes (8), and too many high-danger chances allowed (16). They did some things better as the game went on, but importantly, they showed the character, resolve, and togetherness that Roy spoke about over the last 24 hours.
During the game, Roy’s voice echoed throughout UBS Arena as he paced back and forth and shouted out instructions, just as he had done defending his blue crease in goal throughout his Hall-of-Fame career.
After the game, Roy gave you everything you had been missing. He gave long, detailed, and eloquent answers about what needs to change to stop turning the puck over and allowing high-danger shots. He praised the performance of Ilya Sorokin but knows relying on your goaltender is a losing strategy.
Roy believes he’s figured out a few things since his time with the Colorado Avalanche. He installed a system with the Quebec Remparts that emphasizes possession and aggressiveness and says he doesn’t hope but knows it will translate to the NHL.
It’s an exciting time to be an Islanders fan, something that felt impossible to fathom a few days ago. Whether that excitement leads to enough success to make this season special is anyone’s guess, but it’s fun to think it’s possible again. In the post-game, Roy said that coaching makes him feel alive, and it’s him as Isles’ head coach that makes the fanbase and team feel the same.
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