Mat Barzal put on a show for the All-Star game this past weekend, but now it’s time for the Isles to go full steam ahead on their push towards the playoffs under new Head Coach Patrick Roy! Arthur Staple of The Athletic joined Sean and Stefen to cover it all!
3:45 – Arthur Staple of The Athletic joins the show!
4:00 – Staple discusses his initial takeaway from the Patrick Roy hire, and how the Islanders have looked in his first four games in charge. He highlights effort as the most noticeable change, considering it would be difficult to see major changes in structure and playing style so early on. Staple points out that Lane Lambert was not known as a very motivational coach, a stark contrast to Roy, so it will be an adjustment for guys to get their best play going for Roy.
9:00 – Stefen asks Staple if there will be more of an urgency to upgrade the roster prior to the trade deadline. Staple believes that they don’t have a lot of flexibility to make a major trade, but also that their current roster should be good enough to make the playoffs. He says that if they held half of their blown leads, they would be sitting comfortably in a playoff spot.
“Lou operates in his own way, and I think he saw Roy eager to get back in [behind a NHL bench]. Seeing what he did with his team in the Quebec League, he saw a guy that was eager for a second chance, and a team that needed a change… Lou marches to his own drum.”
-Arthur Staple on the wild card that was the Patrick Roy hire
16:00 – Staple discusses the injury timeline for Ryan Pulock, Adam Pelech and Casey Cizikas.
17:45 – Stefen asks Staple about Igor Shesterkin’s struggles this year, and asks how they relate to the struggles of his fellow countryman, Ilya Sorokin. Staple points out that Shesterkin faces significantly less shots than Sorokin, as the Rangers team defense is much better than the Islanders. Sorokin’s struggles can be boiled down to him simply being worn out.
30:00 – Stefen talks about his coverage of the 2024 All Star Weekend. Mat Barzal put on a great show at the Skills Competition, losing to Connor McDavid in the end. Barzal was on Team Matthews for the 3v3 tournament, making friends with Justin Bieber and winning the whole tournament. Barzal loves the spotlight, and represented the Islanders organization very well.
37:00 – The boys talk about the recent roster moves that Lou Lamoriello has made under the radar. They sent Julien Gauthier down to Bridgeport, and he cleared waivers (to many’s surprise). Holmstrom was sent down as a paper transaction, and he was then called back up with Kyle MacLean. All of this cap gymnastics is done due to the Islanders LTIR rollercoaster.
42:30 – What’s on Tap!
The Islanders play the Maple Leafs in Toronto on Monday night, host the Lightning on Thursday night, and host the Flames on Saturday.
52:00 – Hero of the Week!
Stefen’s pick: Mat Barzal
Sean’s pick: Mat Barzal
Jake’s Take!: Three trade targets for the Islanders: Jakob Chychrun, Frank Vatrano, Anthony Duclair
1:02:00 – Questions Brewin’
Catch Hockey Night in New York with hosts Sean Cuthbert and Stefen Rosner live from Floored Media in Rockville Centre Sunday nights at 8PM ET throughout the season.