Preseason gives Islanders coach Patrick Roy time to balance his forward lines
Islanders coach Patrick Roy speaks after practice at the Northwell Health Ice Center in East Meadow on Friday. Credit: Barry Sloan
The Islanders’ second preseason match offered an extremely promising first in-game look at their expected top line of free agent signee Anthony Duclair joining center Bo Horvat and Mathew Barzal. Duclair set up both of Barzal’s goals and Horvat scored unassisted.
But Tuesday night’s 6-4 loss to the Rangers — who scored six times in the third period, including twice skating six-on-five — at Madison Square Garden also presented additional insight into how coach Patrick Roy plans to balance his four lines once the regular season starts.
“There’s going to be some nights where (\[the top line] is going to be the difference maker and the other night will be another line,” Roy said. “It could be the line with [Kyle] MacLean and [Casey Cizikas] and whoever they’re going to play with.”
Cizikas and MacLean, who both centered the fourth line at different points last season, were not together on Monday night but, as Roy indicated, should be against Utah on Oct. 10 at UBS Arena.
Cizikas, who finished last season on Horvat and Barzal’s left wing before Duclair signed a four-year, $14 million deal, skated with longtime linemate Matt Martin, in training camp on a professional tryout offer, and Hudson Fasching. MacLean was in between prospect Eetu Liukas and Pierre Engvall.
Roy used Simon Holmstrom on second-line center Brock Nelson’s left wing along with Kyle Palmieri in the Islanders’ 4-2 win over the host Devils on Sunday night. That line could make it to the season opener intact while third-line center Jean-Gabriel Pageau is likely to open the season with captain Anders Lee remaining on his left wing. Right wing is still TBD with Russian import Maxim Tsyplakov likely to find a spot somewhere among the top 12.
Even if Martin earns a contract, the Islanders’ fourth line will be vastly different this season with Cal Clutterbuck, who remains an unrestricted free agent, not returning. Fasching could complete this season’s trio.
“It’s definitely weird not having him here at camp,” said Cizikas, who assisted along with Fasching on defenseman Grant Hutton’s goal at 4:21 of the second period.
Cizikas said his biggest takeaway from his time on the top line was just how Horvat and Barzal see the ice and having to anticipate the puck coming his way even when he didn’t think he was open.
That’s the chemistry Horvat and Barzal are building with the speedy Duclair.
“He brings a lot of skill and possession and speed,” said Barzal, who took a give-and-go pass back from Duclair off the rush for the Islanders’ first goal at 3:41 of the second period, then scored off another rush at 15:48 of the period. “I feel comfortable giving the puck to him.”
“For us, it’s a lot of communication at the beginning,” said Horvat, who finished his own rush on a delayed penalty to make it 4-1 at 7:24 of the third period. “Talking through where we’re going to be.”
Notes & quotes: Semyon Varlamov stopped all 10 shots he faced in 29:51. Henrik Tikkanen, a seventh-round pick in 2020, stopped eight of 13 shots in relief.
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.
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