Patrick Roy didn't do much to hide his frustration with Maxim Tseplakov on Tuesday night.
Just 37 seconds after the islanders tied the game together in one in the second season, deep within Tsyplakov's own zone led straight to Philip Danaw's goal.
“Sippy had a terrible turnover, actually when we scored two on the same play and we got 1-1 games,” Roy said. “He needs to be better than that.”
Tsyplakov has been a healthy scratch twice since late January, but in various circumstances, his home match against Edmonton on Friday will be like a third of the occasion.
Now, only Roy may not be hurting healthy luxury as a lesson for everyone.
After Brock Nelson's trade, the islanders carry just 13 forwards to the list.
Their only extra, Matt Martin, has played just four games since December 15th and has struggled to make an impact when they reach this season, with a 5-5 1 point and an expected goal percentage of 31.99 Abyssmal.
Faced with the option of playing Martin in Anaheim when Kyle McLean got sick on Sunday, Roy chose to play defensive man Adam Bokvist as the centre in the fourth line instead.
Two nights later, in Los Angeles, McLean could go, but otherwise he had planned to go with 11 forwards and seven defenders.
Therefore, the coaching staff doesn't seem to see Martin much more than last resort.
If the islanders (now carrying nine defenders) only had different bodies and called forward when they returned to New York, that would certainly not be surprising.
Liam Hoody played several games on the island this year, but he didn't really make much of an impression.
Adam Beckman has a bit of NHL experience on his resume, winning a contract with Dennis Chorowsky at the trade deadline. Alex Jeffries, a Merrimack University product, is worth a look.
But realistically, none of these are great options.
Bridgeport is not full of NHL-enabled prospects and has already been eliminated from the AHL playoff contest and has struggled all season.
Going to 11 and 7 looks like a more attractive option than that, but the injury suffered by Bokbisvist on Tuesday night may complicate that.
If Mathew Barzal returns from an injury to his left patella, it will alleviate the problem.
But the absolute best-case scenario out there seems to be Balzar coming back at the end of the regular season tail if the islanders are still fighting.
So it's not just Tsyplakov that looks safe in the lineup. They're players like Pierre Enval and Hudson Fassing who have been in and out all season.
After Ingball struggled with line 4 of San Jose and Anaheim, Roy said he wanted to move him to the third line in Los Angeles and give him a spark.
“I hope Pierre plays [inside] Just drive the net a little more, take the pack to the net more, and get two more involved in it more physically,” Roy said. “Hopefully, I'll give him the opportunity to play with Casey [Cizikas] And Shippy gives him that spark and gives him what he needs to start. ”
Translation: Engvall can't sit right now, so maybe you'll try something.
This is the reality of the islanders after Nelson.
On paper, at least they're still fighting for the playoff spot, but they're tied behind their backs with one hand. And if the front gets injured, that's going to be a problem.
Lou Lamoriello has already said that Callum Richie, a highly hyped outlook that the islanders have gained as the centre of their return to Nelson, will not play this season or even the AHL.
Richie was able to push the spot at next year's training camp, but for the time being, he will not be a savior.
For now, the islanders are sticking to what they have.
