New York Islanders’ Mike Reilly, left, and Bo Horvat, right, challenge Seattle Kraken’s Jordan Eberle during the first period of an NHL hockey game, Tuesday, Feb. 13, 2024, in Elmont, N.Y. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
EAST MEADOW, N.Y. — A five-day break before the 2024 Stadium Series at MetLife Stadium allowed Islanders Patrick Roy to ramp up the intensity that much more during practice on Wednesday morning.
His side had lost the night before 2-1 in a shootout to the Seattle Kraken in which they turned the puck over 23 times, spent nearly seven minutes defending their zone, and lacked the verve that’s necessary for a team that needs to claw its way back into the playoff picture.
“Today was about fundamentals,” Roy said. “We’ve been talking a lot about the structure and how we’re going to play, but there’s one part in our game that has to improve and that’s the compete level. Today was a good day for that.”
Hits were not held back, puck battles were meticulously worked on, and skating was extra intensive — including suicide drills to end the day, leaving most Islanders in an exhausted state.
“Today wasn’t a punishment,” defenseman Ryan Pulock told amNewYork. “It was a day where we were going to go out and work and make each other better and instill this work ethic in the group so when the next game comes, we’re doing it.
“This is about getting back to our identity of hard work, outworking teams, outcompeting teams, outbattling teams. That starts in practice.”
For more than half a decade, the Islanders always had that concept to hang their proverbial hats on. The roster wasn’t always the most talented, but they outworked teams with a defensive structure that yielded two straight Stanley Cup semifinal appearances in 2020 and 2021.
A lot of that roster still remains on the 2023-24 edition, but the consistency to string together wins has eluded them.
“One way to get consistency is to constantly do it,” Pulock…
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