Islanders coach Patrick Roy's first training camp with team focused on stamina

NEWARK — Patrick Roy has structured his first training camp as Islanders coach with an emphasis on testing the players’ stamina. For instance, instead of ending long practices with endurance skating drills, as is the norm, he puts them two-thirds of the way through before continuing with skill drills.

Each day, Roy repeats the goal is to get off to a fast start this season.

Opening their six-game preseason schedule with a 4-2 win over the Devils at Prudential Center on Sunday night — thanks in part to a highlight-reel assist from Russian import Maxim Tsyplakov — was the next step toward that objective for the Islanders.

“It was nice to have those practices,” Roy said of the first three days of camp. “Now it’s nice also to see where we are. I know we’ve been working hard on our fundamentals. But now I’ll be curious to see, five-on-five, how we’re going to bring those things in.”

“We’re still learning everything, whether it’s with Patty or each other,” defenseman Scott Mayfield said. “But at the same time, it’s important to hit the ground running when the season starts.”

The Islanders struggled to a 5-6-5 start last season under Lane Lambert. Roy took over Jan. 20 and the Islanders needed an 8-0-1 finish to clinch a playoff spot before being eliminated by the Hurricanes in five games in the first round.

“You want to feel good about your game,” Kyle Palmieri said. “Training camp, as long as it feels day to day, it actually goes really fast and then, all of a sudden, it’s the regular season.”

The Islanders’ lineup for the preseason opener, including 12 who played for the team last season, obviously was far from what it will be for the regular-season opener against Utah on Oct. 10 at UBS Arena.

Tsyplakov, fourth in the KHL last season with 31 goals, was one of the most intriguing players on the ice Sunday.

The 6-3, 210-pound wing set up Julien Gauthier’s tying goal at 17:05 of the second period with a no-look feed to the right post after faking a shot. He also drew a second-period holding penalty on Devils defenseman Colton White after being on the ice for Nico Hischier’s first-period power-play goal. Roy blamed himself because Tsyplakov has yet to practice the penalty kill.

“I like what I saw in those scrimmages,” Roy said after Tsyplakov participated in Friday’s and Saturday’s intrasquad scrimmages. “I’m curious to see him bringing this into a game. He was handling the puck very well and making great decisions.”

Kyle MacLean centered Tsyplakov and Gauthier.

Notes & quotes: Marcus Hogberg, who spent the last three seasons in Sweden after playing 42 games for the Senators from 2018-21, stopped 15 of 17 shots in 30:38 before Jakub Skarek, a third-round pick in 2018 who has yet to play in the NHL, stopped all eight shots he faced in relief .  .  . Anders Lee, Camden Thiesing and Simon Holmstrom, with an empty-netter, had the Isles’ other goals. Oliver Wahlstrom, MacLean and defenseman Adam Pelech also had assists.

By Andrew Gross

andrew.gross@newsday.comAGrossNewsday

Andrew Gross joined Newsday in 2018 to cover the Islanders. He began reporting on the NHL in 2003 and has previously covered the Rangers and Devils. Other assignments have included the Jets, St. John’s and MLB.