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.

The Islanders opening their six-game preseason schedule against the Devils on Sunday night at Prudential Center was the next step toward that objective.

“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. “So you’re still learning out there. But, at the same time, it’s important to hit the ground running when the season starts. These just build us up for it.”

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

“You want to feel good about your game,” Kyle Palmieri said. “You’re going to get whatever it is, four, five preseason games and then you drop the puck for the real thing. 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, was far from what it will be for the regular-season opener against Utah on Oct. 10 at UBS Arena.

One of the most intriguing players on the ice Sunday for the Islanders was Russian import Maxim Tsyplakov, who has looked strong in his first NHL camp after finishing fourth in the KHL last season with 31 goals. At 6-3, 210 pounds, he’s a big-bodied wing who goes strong to the net and has shown a deft touch with his passing.

It’s more likely Tsyplakov will start the season among the bottom-six forwards but, as he adjusts to the smaller North American rink, he could become an asset on Brock Nelson’s second line with Palmieri.

He skated on Kyle MacLean's line with Julien Gauthier on Sunday.

“I like what I saw in those scrimmages,” said Roy after Tsyplakov participated in both Friday 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.”

Notes & quotes: Marcus Hogberg, who spent the last three seasons in Sweden after playing 42 games for the Senators from 2018-21, started in goal. Jakub Skarek, a third-round pick in 2018 who has yet to play in the NHL, backed up Hogberg.

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.