As strong as Maxim Tsyplakov was in his rookie year, taking penalties was a constant problem.
And after Tsyplakov converted his second penalty in the second period of the Islanders' 6-3 win over the Penguins at UBS Arena on Saturday, coach Patrick Roy's patience ran thin.
The Russian was relegated to the fourth line for the remainder of the game and replaced by Casey Zikas, but Roy blamed subsequent penalties and Tsyplakov's high turnover rate.
“It's a combination of both,” Roy said. “We're here to win a hockey game. It's not a charity event. It was about winning a hockey game, but he didn't play well. So, that's it.”
After being promoted to coach Bo Horvat's line and Cizikas scoring two goals, the immediate question becomes whether the Islanders will start Sunday's game in Pittsburgh the same way they ended Saturday. .
“Playing with them and seeing the way they look at the ice, the way they create chances, I'm just trying to play my game and get on the ice as quickly as possible,” Cizikas said. “Try to create turnovers or be active on the forecheck. That's something I really tried to focus on even as I moved up with them.”
That immediate question aside, there's a larger question of how Tsyplakov will respond to his head coach's public call.
“Sippy's game was OK,” Roy said. “We had two unnecessary penalties, we had two turnovers, and Casey was so jumpy that we thought it was a good time for him to step up and play with Bo. [Simon] Holmström. ”
Roy said before the game that the Islanders' tentative plan is to give goaltender Marcus Hogberg his first start in the second end of back-to-back Sundays at Pittsburgh.
“It’s my job to be ready when they need me,” Hogberg said. “I felt good in practice and while I was playing.”
Matthew Barzal's first-period assist marked his first 5-on-5 point of the season.
Semyon Varlamov (lower body) has not yet started skating on his own, Roy said.
With the Rangers' loss to the Lightning, Saturday marked the first time since Dec. 11, 2022 that the Islanders had more points than the Blueshirts late in the season.
