Islanders Aim for Strong Start in Roy's First Full Season

The New York Islanders are entering their first full season under head coach Patrick Roy after finishing third in the Metropolitan Division last season with a record of 39-27-16. They were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs by the Carolina Hurricanes. The Islanders are focusing on a strong start to the season, which begins on October 10 against Utah. Key departures include forward Cal Clutterbuck and defenseman Sebastian Aho, while they have added players like Anthony Duclair and Maxim Tsyplakov to enhance their offensive capabilities. The team is looking to build on a strong finish from the previous season, where they had multiple players scoring over 30 goals, including Brock Nelson and Bo Horvat. However, they struggled with special teams, finishing last in penalty-killing and 19th on the power play. New assistant coach Tommy Albelin has been brought in to improve these areas, aiming to return to a more aggressive penalty-killing structure that was successful in the past. The Islanders have also faced challenges in overtime games, with a high number of losses in such situations. Goaltender Ilya Sorokin is recovering from offseason back surgery, which raises concerns about his performance as he comes off a difficult season statistically. The team is hopeful that the addition of speedy players will bolster their scoring and improve their overall performance this season. As the Islanders prepare for the upcoming season, they are aiming for their first Stanley Cup title since winning four consecutive championships from 1980 to 1983, with a familiar lineup and a renewed focus on offensive play.