Islanders' Patrick Roy still searching for right bottom-six combinations

Patrick Roy heard the rumors, the innuendo, the speculation about the status of his relationship with Lou Lamoriello following the executive’s recent player personnel decisions.

So the Hall of Famer decided that after practice Monday morning at Northwell Health Ice Center was both the right time and right place to unequivocally put to rest any and all misconceptions that have been taken as gospel by certain corners of the fanbase.

“It’s funny when people make it sound like Lou and I aren’t on the same page,” Roy said. “Fully false. We are talking every day about the lineup. Lou has the final say upstairs and I have the final say behind the bench. And at the end of the day, all we both care [about] is to win hockey games.

“Right now, I mean, I won’t lie: The [forward spots] 11 and 12, we don’t feel comfortable yet with the guys and we’re going to try until we find the guys we are comfortable with.”

Roy’s impromptu "State of the Relationship Address" came during a broader discussion about Pierre Engvall, whom the Islanders recalled from AHL Bridgeport prior to Saturday’s 6-3 loss to the defending Stanley Cup champion Panthers at UBS Arena.

Following an uneven training camp, Engvall was placed on waivers prior to the start of the season, and after he cleared was assigned to Bridgeport. In making the announcement, Lamoriello said Engvall was “not a bottom-six player.”

When he met with reporters at UBS Arena on Saturday afternoon, Lamoriello said, “Absolutely,” when he was asked if the demotion to Bridgeport was meant as a wake-up call for the winger, who is in the second year of a seven-year, $21 million contract.

In six games with Bridgeport, Engvall scored one goal.

“It was tough,” Engvall said, when asked what his reaction was to being sent to Bridgeport. “I’m just happy to be back and just going to do my best.”

Roy dressed Engvall for the game against the Panthers, placing him on the fourth line with Kyle MacLean and Matt Martin, who Lamoriello signed to a one-year deal Saturday before the game. Engvall received 10:11 of ice time in the loss, and afterward Roy was less-than-effusive in his analysis of the 28-year-old’s performance.

“We know what he did for this team in the past two years,” Roy said. “I guess Lou thought it was a good moment for him to be back and play.”

During Monday’s practice, Engvall skated on the fourth line with MacLean and Hudson Fasching. Martin and Oliver Wahlstrom served as a fourth defense pair. Roy said the line of Engvall, MacLean, and Fasching will dress for Tuesday night’s home game against Anaheim, while Martin will play Wednesday night in Columbus.

Roy laid out his non-negotiables when asked what he and Lamoriello need from the left and right wingers on the fourth line?

“[The Islanders] had probably the best fourth line in the NHL for years with [Cal Clutterbuck, Martin and Casey Cizikas],” Roy said. “That’s exactly what we’re looking for. Guys that you know are going to go against the top line and do the job. That’s changing the momentum.

“We don’t expect them to score every night but we want them to be [game-changers] at times.”