Preview/Lines #62: Duclair Knows All About Roy’s Intensity

Anthony Duclair knows exactly what the San Jose Sharks are going up against on Thursday night.

Duclair played for newly-hired New York Islanders coach Patrick Roy in juniors for the Quebec Remparts, and if there is one thing he has picked up in his experience there, it’s that a Roy-coached team is going to play hard.

“He’s a very intense guy,” Duclair told SJHN back when Roy was hired by the Islanders back in January. “He loves the game and he has a lot of passion.”

Roy has been notorious for getting loud and pushing his players hard, which has resulted in his teams being pretty hard to play against. Some clips of Roy’s umm volume have gone viral.

“It’s the same old Pat,” Duclair said, laughing. “I don’t think he’s going to change for anyone.

“But that’s what makes him so successful. Probably when he played, too, he was obviously a passionate guy and he just really cares about the game. He is a guy who is in the Hall of Fame, has made a bunch of money, and he doesn’t have to come back, but he wants to do it.”

Duclair remembers Roy opting to use his own voice over a whistle in practices — that’s how loud he was.

It’s a practice he still adopts in New York, too.

“He whistles himself,” Duclair said. “It’s pretty unique, probably the only coach I think I’ve had that has done that.

”It’s pretty loud, too. Probably louder than the actual whistle. It’s awesome.”

Duclair had a lot of success under Roy in Quebec, scoring 116 points in 118 games in two seasons under Roy from 2011-13.

Following Roy’s departure to the NHL to coach the Colorado Avalanche, Duclair scored 99 points in 2013-14.

”I was grateful to have that experience, especially at a young age,” Duclair said “It definitely helped to have a mentor like that coming into junior for sure.”

SAN JOSE SHARKS (15-39-7)

Kaapo Kahkonen is expected to draw the start, and Thomas Bordeleau should play.

Bordeleau Gets Another NHL Shot At Wing: ‘My game has taken a step’

We should see full lines at 10:30 AM morning skate.

NEW YORK ISLANDERS (27-20-14)

This is how the Islanders lined up on Tuesday, a win against St. Louis:

#Isles in warmups:

Nelson-Horvat-Barzal
Lee-Pageau-Palmieri
Engvall-Cizikas-Holmstrom
Martin-MacLean-Clutterbuck

Pelech-Dobson
Romanov-Pulock
Reilly-Aho

Sorokin
Varlamov

— Andrew Fantucchio (@A_Fantucchio) March 6, 2024

Islanders Playoff Hopes Alive And Well; Beat Blues To Push Winning Streak To Four

WHERE TO WATCH

Puck drop between the San Jose Sharks and New York Islanders is 7:30 PM at SAP Center. Watch it live on NBC Sports California. Listen to it on the Sharks Audio Network.