Roy singles out 'god-awful' Duclair in costly Islanders loss
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New York Islanders head coach Patrick Roy didn't hide his displeasure with his team's effort in their 4-1 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning on Tuesday night, and singled out forward Anthony Duclair after the game.
“He was god-awful,” Roy said in his post-game availability at UBS Arena. “He had a bad game. That’s why I didn’t play him a lot.
"He is lucky to be in the lineup. Sorry if I lose it on him right now, but that’s just how I feel.
Duclair was a minus-1 and had just 12:15 of ice time in the loss - the Islanders’ sixth straight as they sit five points out of the second Eastern Conference wild-card spot.
“He’s not skating, he’s not competing, he’s not moving his feet,” Roy added. “He’s not playing up to what we expect from him...I think it’s an effort thing.”
Duclair, 29, has seven goals and 11 points with a minus-15 in 44 games with the Islanders this season. He signed a four-year, $14 million contract with the Islanders as an unrestricted free agent last July.
In 607 NHL games with the Islanders, Tampa Bay Lightning, San Jose Sharks, Florida Panthers, Ottawa Senators, Columbus Blue Jackets, Chicago Blackhawks, Arizona Coyotes and New York Rangers, he had 153 goals and 314 points.