Maxim Tsyplakov chose the New York Islanders believing he would earn a real chance to play alongside Palmieri and Nelson and scored in his NHL debut. He found the North American game more direct and initially robotic compared with Russian hockey, requiring tactical adjustment. Life off the ice demanded cultural changes, including food preferences and shopping for Russian groceries in Brighton Beach. Lou Lamoriello enforced strict discipline that led to fines for a suspension and locker-room missteps. Teammates and coaches influenced his decisions on fights, locker-room behavior, and responses to intense coaching like Patrick Roy's.
"They told me they saw me with Palmieri and Nelson," he explained. "At first I didn't believe it, but then I was really playing on that line.
"It's more direct, everything forward. At first it felt robotic compared to Russia," he admitted.
Really bad result on this hit, and I might be in the minority but I didn't see Tsyplakov actually make head contact. Thought Poehling's head whipped back from the shoulder-to-shoulder contact. Tsyplakov is a brick shithouse but not a dirty player. pic.twitter.com/bkUGEd2yWp- Jonny Lazarus (@JLazzy23) January 17, 2025
"American food is so greasy," Tsyplakov laughed. "In Moscow, you get small portions; in New York, they bring a bucket of salad."
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