New York Islanders coach Patrick Roy did not mince words when it came to his thoughts on forward Anthony Duclair after the team’s 4-1 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning.
“He was god-awful. He was god-awful. He had a bad game. That’s why I didn’t play him a lot. And he’s lucky to be in the lineup. Sorry if I lose it on him right now, but that’s how I feel,” Roy said.
Roy followed up by saying that he’s concerned with the effort that Duclair has provided lately when he’s on the ice.
“He’s not skating, he’s not competing, he’s not moving his feet. He’s not playing up to what we expect from him,” Roy added.
In total, Duclair was on the ice for 12:15 in Tuesday’s game and finished with a -1 rating. Duclair ended up logging just four total shifts in the third period and it marked the third consecutive game in which Duclair played 12:15 or fewer. In his first season with New York, Duclair has averaged 15:03 of total ice time.
In 44 games this season, Duclair has tallied just seven goals and four assists, while producing a -15 rating. Duclair has recorded just three goals over the past two months, including just one in his last 12 contests. The 29-year old signed a four-year, $14 million contract with the Islanders in free agency this past summer, which includes a full no-trade clause.
Duclair did miss two months earlier this season due to a leg injury.
The Islanders are fighting for their playoff lives as they’re currently five points behind the Montreal Canadiens for the final Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference. They have lost six consecutive games with four of those defeats coming in regulation.
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