Islanders’ Patrick Roy drops ‘hard to watch’ truth bomb after win vs Blackhawks

The New York Islanders closed out 2025 by adding two points to the standings, but head coach Patrick Roy made it clear that the result did not match the quality of the performance. Despite escaping the Chicago Blackhawks with a 3-2 shootout win on Tuesday night, Roy did not sugarcoat what he saw from his team.

Roy acknowledged the uneven effort in his postgame assessment, explaining that the issues were apparent early and worsened as the game went on.

“Even in the first period, I thought we were not playing our best … and in the second, it was hard to watch. It wasn’t our best game, no doubt about it…it’s a long year, and you have to find ways to win those games, the ugly ones,” Roy said, via Stefan Rosner of NHL.com.

The contrast between the Islanders’ strong position in the standings and their sloppy execution on Tuesday underscored Roy’s message. This was a game they might have lost earlier in the season, but experience and resilience allowed them to survive.

The Islanders entered the United Center having won two of their previous three games and sitting near the top of the Metropolitan Division, a far cry from the uncertainty that surrounded the franchise earlier in the year. However, that momentum did not translate cleanly onto the ice against a rebuilding Blackhawks squad.

After jumping out to a 2-0 lead, New York allowed Chicago to claw back into the game, including a late second-period goal that tied things up with just 1.7 seconds remaining during a four-minute power play.

The Islanders also benefited from some fortune, as the Blackhawks hit the post four times and missed a wide-open net in the closing seconds of regulation.

While the coach focused on the flaws, the Islanders still found a way to secure the win. Bo Horvat was central to that outcome, scoring once in regulation and then delivering the lone shootout goal.

Goaltender David Rittich sealed the victory by stopping all three Chicago attempts in the shootout, continuing New York’s recent success in skills competition.

As the Islanders turn the page to 2026 and are set to face the Utah Mammoth, Roy’s blunt evaluation serves as both a warning and a reminder. Wins like this can keep a team climbing the standings, but cleaner, more consistent performances will be necessary if New York expects its promising season to translate into long-term success.

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