Islanders’ Roy rips into Duclair after loss: “He was God awful”

The New York Islanders couldn’t find much energy amid their efforts to stay in contention for the Stanley Cup Playoffs, losing 4-1 to the Tampa Bay Lightning on Tuesday night. 

Yet, Anthony Duclair was among those who struggled the most, losing pucks while stick handling and only playing 12:15 before earning an admonishing comment from head coach Patrick Roy.

“He was God awful. He had a bad game, and that’s why I didn’t play him a lot and he’s lucky to be in the lineup. Sorry if I lose it on him, but that’s how I feel,” Roy said post-game. “He’s not skating, he’s not competing, he’s not moving his feet. He’s not playing up to what we expect from him.”

The loss continued a struggling spell for the Islanders, losing their sixth straight game.

Duclair has just seven goals and 11 points in 43 games this season, averaging 15:06 of ice time per night in a year that has seen the Islanders post a 32-32-10 record. 

His playing time has also been cut dramatically over the last three games. He skated 11:05 against the Lightning on Saturday and 10:10 against the Carolina Hurricanes on Sunday, all below his season average.

After the loss, the Islanders sit on 74 points from 74 games, five points back of the final wildcard playoff spot, currently held by the Montreal Canadiens on 79 points. 

Roy, who also had his moments with Duclair when they crossed paths from 2011-2013 with the QMJHL’s Québec Remparts, spoke to reporters for just over two minutes in a frustrated post-game press conference. 

However, despite their differences, Duclair had a lot of success under Roy in Québec, scoring 116 points in 118 games over the two seasons. Reuniting was one of the factors that led him to the Islanders as a free agent. 

“[Roy] is a big reason for me coming to the Island. I played for him, and I know what to expect,” Duclair said after signing as a free agent ahead of the 2024-25 season. “I’m extremely, extremely excited to be joining the Islanders and I’m very excited to be coached by him again. It’s a great fit.”

The Islanders will look to snap their six game losing streak when they face the Minnesota Wild on April 4, starting their final eight games which include two matchups against the Washington Capitals amid Alexander Ovechkin’s chase to break Wayne Gretzky’s NHL goalscoring record.