Max Tsyplakov didn’t take it personally.
He knows he made a mistake by turning the puck over deep in his own zone Tuesday night, leading directly to a goal against. And, more than that, he’s not thrilled with his game lately in general.
So hearing coach Patrick Roy say after the loss to the Kings that he needs to be better didn’t upset the Russian.
“It was my mistake for the second goal,” Tsyplakov said Friday before the Islanders lost 2-1 in overtime to Edmonton. “I need to be better on the puck and probably more safe. Don’t give everything. Just be better on the puck.”
Roy said the message was communicated in private to Tsyplakov before he brought it up, unprompted, in his news conference after the loss.
“I always want to make sure that I have that conversation with our players that they know,” Roy said. “I don’t want them to read in the paper what I have to say. I’d rather the opposite. But Sippy’s a great hockey player. He’s a great person. But at the same time, my job is to make our guys accountable. I want to be positive, but I also want to be true.”
Tsyplakov, 26 years old but in his first NHL season after making the jump from Russia this summer, might be hitting something of a rookie wall right now.
After being a staple on the second line through mid-December, his role became less consistent and his scoring has dropped off a cliff.
He’s one of the Islanders’ more physical players, and is third in hits behind Casey Cizikas and Jean-Gabriel Pageau, but after Friday, had gone 26 matches without scoring.
There was also a mid-January suspension for three games after a check to the head of Ryan Poehling, and a couple of healthy scratches. Not to mention a snafu with his agent in Russia going on a show and getting ahead of himself on contract talks.
“I have a long period without scoring, maybe a little bit tired about this,” Tsyplakov said. “I want to help our team score. But more because I try — I try going to the net, try to stay at the net, try to be better on the puck. Sometimes you have games when you just can’t do what you want. Just want to be better.
“I understand it’s my first season. Start is probably good, but I felt a little bit long without scoring. This is a game. Just a game.”
Adam Boqvist was out Friday with an upper-body injury sustained Tuesday against the Kings, with Scott Mayfield coming back into the lineup.
Adam Pelech said he thinks his foot is OK after blocking a shot in overtime, but would get it checked out.
Anthony Duclair returned to the game after looking to be in serious pain after taking a shot off his ankle during the third period.
