Islanders coach Patrick Roy: five-on-five struggles persist a week into camp after 4-2 preseason loss to Devils
Roy says focus remains on forechecking, neutral-zone structure and five-on-five readiness as camp continues amid heavy emphasis on special teams and lineup testing.
Patrick Roy acknowledged that the Islanders’ five-on-five struggles have not disappeared a little more than a week into training camp, after a 4-2 preseason loss to the New Jersey Devils on Friday at UBS Arena. He said the team has prioritized special teams—power play and penalty killing—early in camp, with only limited five-on-five work so far. “We put a lot of focus on special units: the power play, the penalty killing, and we did a little bit of five-on-five, maybe a day so far,” Roy said. “So the main focus, I would say, for the first four days is we’re knowing [where] the players [fit]. Working on our power play and penalty killing, obviously we didn’t have any power plays tonight. So this is where we are and we’re gonna continue to work on our five-on-five. … And work on our forecheck, make sure we got solid structure. We want to be better on our neutral zone regroup, be a little more predictable. More predictable on our breakouts. These are things that are gonna take a bit of time.”
The Islanders’ performance in five-on-five play has drawn continued scrutiny, with the team often looking disjointed at even strength, rarely generating a sustained forecheck and frequently giving up space in front of their net. Roy noted that first-week work has centered on forechecking and neutral-zone structure, with less emphasis on five-on-five systems as the team tries to determine where players fit. He added that the goal remains to be better at breaking out and keeping teams from hemming them in, a process that will take time even as the regular season approaches. “Not focusing on win or loss right now, but more focusing on being ready for the first [regular-season] game,” Roy said. “Was today a good step? No.”
Sorokin played all 60 minutes in his preseason start, stopping 23 of 26 shots as he prepares for a larger role in goal this season. Roy said Sorokin will get another full game before the opener, the second time through camp that the team has leaned on the Russian goalie as a veteran presence while the rest of the roster continues to take shape. On the injury front, Bear left Friday’s game at 13:13 of the third period and did not return, though Roy did not provide an update on his status afterward. Anders Lee skated Friday in a red non-contact sweater, with no formal update on his status beyond that precaution.
On the roster front, the Islanders made a series of cuts to their camp roster after the Devils game. Alex Jefferies, Joey Larson, Matt Maggio, Calle Odelius, Cam Thiesing and Henrik Tikkanen were assigned to AHL Bridgeport, while Liam Foudy, Julien Gauthier, Cole McWard and Travis Mitchell were placed on waivers.
As camp continues, Roy stressed that the focus remains on evaluating players for the regular season rather than chasing preseason wins. The Islanders intend to refine their five-on-five identity, improve their forecheck, and sharpen their structure in hopes of turning early camp work into sustainable on-ice results when games count.