Roy cooking up NY Islanders fourth line changes but not searching for special sauce

Patrick Roy does not see a chemistry puzzle on his fourth line — he sees options. The New York Islanders’ coach continued his early-season shuffling Monday, skating Max Tsyplakov with Casey Cizikas and Simon Holmstrom after scratching Tsyplakov for the club’s two straight wins.

“There’s no secret sauce,” Roy said. “We have a lot of good players and we’re going to rotate some guys. Some guys are going to be in and out of the lineup.”

Roy stressed that the decision was not a demotion for the winger who exited the lineup. “MacLean has been playing really well,” Roy said, but that wasn't enough to get him into the lineup Tuesday against San Jose. As for Tsyplakov, Roy said he wants him to force the staff’s hand. “He’s back in the lineup, and it’s up to him to make us keep him in.”

Holmstrom, who broke through offensively last season, has started this year without points but not without trust. “He’s been playing good hockey,” Roy said. “Offensively, defensively, he’s doing a lot of good things. That’s the beauty of depth — we have to make hard decisions.”

Cizikas remains the one constant on the unit, passing Brock Nelson for fourth on the club’s all-time games list over the weekend. His role as the defensive anchor and first over the boards on kills makes him the stabilizer as Roy evaluates the wings around him.

The fourth line has long been an identity piece for the Islanders across multiple regimes. This version, Roy made clear, is not fixed to reputation or nostalgia. In October, he is not hunting for a formula — he is testing inventory. “We feel that’s the best lineup for us right now,” he said. “And guys have to make us stay with it.”