The Islanders got off to a slow start. Sean & Stefen took a look at what went wrong and what’s to come with Jonny Lazarus of Daily Faceoff
2:23 — Experience Points! presented by Main Street Board Game Café
Lots of highs and lows for the New York Islanders’ start of the season.
3:44 – Sean and Stefen discuss the early struggles of the defense and the penalty kill.
6:30 – Stefen elaborates on the Islanders’ defeat at the hands of the Dallas Stars. While a loss is a loss, it should be noted that Dallas is a clear favorite for the Stanley Cup and they illustrated it by hemming in the Islanders and taking away space on the ice, making it difficult for playmakers such as Barzal to work their magic.
Stefen Rosner on the Islanders Defense Early in the Season
7:44 – Some positive takeaways, Anthony Duclair gets his first goal as an Islander against the Utah Hockey Club in game one andas well as JG Pageau continues to show his worth on the penalty kill as he notches another short-handed goal.
10:10 – Should the team split up the D-Pairings? If Dobson continues to struggle, should he be paired with Adam Pelech and drop Alexander Romanov down to play with Ryan Pulock? Stefen doesn’t believe that would be necessary as Dobson and Romanov compliment each other while Pulock and Pelech have reportedly said they want to get their “swagger back.”
11:40 – More positive takeaways: Scott Mayfield, after missing 41 games, is looking better than ever and will look to continue his defensive play from where he left off in 2022-2023.
12:30 – Stefen provides some wise words to the Islanders Faithful by stating “If anyone thought that the Islanders were just going to snap a finger and become an elite shutdown team….under Roy…people have to realize, all of us, that they have to learn from their mistakes.” Essentially, Stefen is illustrating to the audience that this is the team’s first full year under Patrick Roy and that he can’t magically fix every single issue plaguing this team with the snap of a finger.
13:17 – Stefen deducts 10 XP from Bo Horvat, who struggled against the Dallas Stars on Saturday night, and gives Semyon Varlamov 25 XP for carrying the opening workload of the goalie tandem.
13:56 – Sean deducts 73.6 XP Noah Dobson as he needs to mop up his defensive play.
16:45 – On The Line: Jonny Lazarus, Daily Faceoff
Jonny Lazarus joined the show and discussed his own playing days, the state of Long Island Hockey, and where the Islanders might end up in the standings this season.
21:38 – Stefen asks Jonny about his experiences with Kyle MacLean and his family. Jonny explains that what makes Kyle MacLean so special is that he was undrafted which makes him a more hardened and experienced player at heart.
25:20 – Jonny Lazarus is asked by Sean what fans should expect from a full year of Patrick Roy. Stefen additionally asks what it must be like to play under a fiery and passionate coach such as Patrick Roy. Lazarus states “But for me, like listen, the player I was like you know I consider myself to be a mentally strong person. As a player, I was so mentally weak, like if I made a mistake that’s all I was thinking about. My next shift, my next three shifts, I was not one of those guys that would put it behind me and playing for a guy like Roy, some younger guys might not be able to handle that like it’s just how the game works especially if you’re a fringe roster guy because you know you’re one mistake away from coming out of the lineup.” (27:45). Jonny is essentially saying that Patrick Roy’s intensity is not built for weak-minded players and that younger players that are still developing may find it difficult to keep up with his regime.
“People have to realize, all of us, that they have to learn from their mistakes.”
-Stefen Rosner on the Islanders taking time to improve the defensive side of their game
29:50 – The guys discuss how Roy’s vision for the roster has led to recent changes as players like Samuel Bolduc are sent back to Bridgeport as they are deemed as unprepared while players like Julien Gauthier and Oliver Wahlstrom may get a second chance due to their ability to adapt as a result of their multi-tooled style of play.
34:42 – The guys discuss Rangers star goalie Igor Shesterkin’s next contract. After being asked by Stefen what Jonny would pay Igor Shesterkin if he was Chris Drury, Jonny Lazarus commented: “I keep saying 11.7 is my number because it makes him happy to be the highest-paid player on the team which he deserves to be whether you agree or not, he is their most important player.”(35:16).
37:00 – John Tavares lost his captaincy to Auston Matthews over the summer and it was discussed if Islanders fans would be open to a return to the team for the former captain. Both Sean and Stefen agreed that a hypothetical return would be interesting to say the least.
46:50 – What’s on Tap? presented by Centre Station Bar & Grill
The guys discuss the Islanders’ upcoming schedule starting with the Colorado Avalanche.
46:55 – Patrick Roy could be expecting a warm or cold welcome from the Avs faithful, Netminder Alexander Georgiev is the biggest question mark on that roster. And will their lack of overall depth be their downfall?
49:18 – Next up is St Louis. Can their young stars can step up to carry their offense? Jordan Binnington’s fiery personality is still a liability, and is their defense too old to keep up with younger NHL rosters?
51:13 – Finally, Saturday night’s matchup against the Montreal Canadiens. Will Cole Caufield continue his goal-scoring magic? Will the absence of Patrick Laine be felt? And is Sam Montembleaut a sneaky Vezina candidate?
54:45 – Hero of the Week
Stefen’s Pick: Oliver Wahlstrom
54:57 – Stefen lists Oliver Wahlstrom as his hero of the week due to his ability to adapt to playing on the bottom-six.
Sean’s Pick: Anthony Duclair
57:37 – Sean picked Anthony Duclair for his current fusion with the top-line and power play as well as his great start to the season (1 goal and 1 assist).
Jonny’s Pick: Pierre Engvall
58:33 – Jonny picked Pierre Engvall with a little tongue-in-cheek after he was waived by the team and gotten off to a great start in Bridgeport.
59:30 – The Snake Den
Jake Radonis phoned in to discuss the Islanders’ struggle out of the gate and the need for the team to get back on track this week.
1:01:39 – He praised Utah HC’s Clayton Keller and Dylan Guenther for their stellar performances as the Utah Hockey Club beat both New York teams this past week.
Jake calls into the show ..from 5 feet away on the couch..
1:04:00 – Questions Brewin’
The guys answer all your questions from this past week!
1:05:00 – Is it a crazy take to say that I’m happier with how they played against Dallas than against Utah? Their structure seemed so much better in Dallas but they just couldn’t finish.
1:06:22 – What are your honest thoughts of CBJ this season?
1:08:17 – How many games before the third line is shot into the sun?
1:10:04 – Is Wahlstrom safe for now because his expectations are just of a 4th liner?
1:11:23 – Thoughts on the Giant Lighthouse?
1:12:22 – When is Sorokin going to show up and save this dismal season?
1:14:04 – Is anyone surprised by the first two results? Anyone? Bueller? A blown 3rd period lead then can’t finish just like last season because it’s the same team as last season except for Duclair and Maxim who the book is out on. Very disappointing.
1:16:20 – When does Brocktober start?
1:17:12 – I am hearing rumors of Dobson not signing with the Islanders. Is this garbage or is it true?
1:17:38 – Are guys pressing to get off to a good start and making mistakes in the wake of that?
1:18:39 – I’m very worried about Dobson’s defensive game. Are we going to give a big contract to a guy that looks more like a Keith Yandle than an Adam Fox?
1:21:58 – When is the next viewing Party?
Catch the latest episode of HNiNY featuring Jonny Lazarus of Daily Faceoff
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Hockey Night in New York has returned to cover the New York Islanders all season long! Join hosts Sean Cuthbert and Stefen Rosner live from Floored Media in Rockville Centre Sundays at 8PM ET at your favorite streaming platforms! (available at YouTube, Twitch, Twitter, and Facebook)