""I thought we played with good pace," Pageau said Friday. "We played fast on the transition - you saw a lot of times the D joining the rush, and I thought we played well as a unit of five... to join that rush and defend well.""
""Washington's got a great power play, so you want to stay disciplined," he said. "There's some little details in our D-zone... be more aggressive in certain situations. That's going to be key against a good team that's strong down low.""
""I'm not surprised with [Shabanov's] skills... what impressed me was without the puck, just making the read, his hockey IQ," Pageau said. "And Homer - I've praised him a lot. The way he protects the puck, he's always making something happen.""
""We want to build a little bit of that swagger," Pageau said. "We have an extremely good plan and everyone's buying in.""
The Islanders opened the season with a 4-3 loss but displayed an intentional shift toward faster transition play and stronger five-man connection. Defensemen joined offensive rushes while forwards emphasized puck protection and reads without the puck. The team saw improvement as the game progressed but noted small plays needing refinement. Penalty-killing began slowly before finishing strong, with coaches and players buying into the plan. The club plans to emphasize discipline against Washington's power play and increased aggression in the defensive zone, while aiming to deliver an energetic, fast-paced product for fans at UBS Arena.
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