Islanders Preseason Gameday News: Starting to ramp up
Max took a bit of a beating on Friday but did enough to earn a second-line look. | Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images
These games don’t count, but they matter (sorta). Coach Patrick Roy said that he doesn’t want to tinker much anymore, at least not with anyone who he doesn’t think could make the roster. He wants the New York Islanders’ last two preseason games to be closer to what we see on opening night in a week and a half. He wants them to be like tune-ups for the regular season, at least in some respects.
As evidence of their timeline, the Islanders made their first round of cuts on Saturday, made official yesterday. Based on Saturday’s practice, here is what the lines appear to be:
#Isles lines: Duclair-Horvat-BarzalTsyplakov-Nelson-PalmieriLee-Pageau-HolmstromMacLean-Cizikas-GauthierE: Engvall, Martin, WahlstromRomanov-DobsonPelech-PulockReilly-MayfieldCholowski-HuttonHogbergSkarek— Stefen Rosner (@stefen_rosner) September 29, 2024
You’ll notice Maxim Tsyplakov on the second line and Pierre Engvall in the extra group. That’s good for Max and bad for Pierre. Roy and the staff have rightly been impressed with what Tsyplakov has shown in these games and camp—he’s a puck hound.
On the other hand, you typically don’t want a winger with six years left on his contract at $3 million per to be in the figurative press box. But the coaches have evidently liked better what they’ve seen from Simon Holmstrom and Julien Gauthier(?) than Engvall. I’m sure they’d say it comes down to roles, and Holmstrom and Gauthier are right-wingers while Engvall is a left-winger. But it’s still not a good look to be beat out by Gauthier, although we’ll see how long that experiment lasts. Gauthier looks to be drawing in tonight over Engvall.
The Islanders host the Philadelphia Flyers in their penultimate preseason contest at 7:00 p.m. ET.
Islanders News
With the first round of cuts, the Islanders were down to one practice group. [Isles DTD]
Whichever of the cuts played made the most of their last hurrah, thumping 5-1 the almost-completely-NHL team that the New Jersey Devils dressed. [3 Takeaways]
Tsyplakov has earned the right to play in the top six. [THN] Especially since he appears to have the skill for it and a nose for the net. [Newsday]
Arthur Staple checked whose stock was rising and falling after a week of training camp. I’d say the above blurb is included there. [The Athletic]
Matt Martin is still on a PTO, and if I had to guess, he probably will remain on a PTO through December. [Newsday]
The Oakland Athletics have left Oakland—all three of the city’s franchises moved away in the last five years. We’re very fortunate the Islanders never moved, and whenever a team moves, I’m reminded of it. [THN] And this hits closer to home because so often a relocated team wasn’t ever all that good, but the A’s, like the Isles, have a storied history.
Elsewhere
Patrik Laine took an ugly knee-on-knee Saturday night from an ECHL plug playing for the Toronto Maple Leafs and left the arena in a hinge brace, the kind they use for ACL tears. That would be devastating for Laine and the Montreal Canadiens. [Sportsnet]
Arber Xhekaj attacked the plug and got a fine for it. [Sportsnet]
Drew Doughty does need surgery on his ankle after all, so he’s “month-to-month.” Preseason injuries man, they suck. [TSN]
...
Want the trending hockey news in your inbox daily?.
Just add your email, and we'll start sending you the most important hockey news of the day.
