Sunday was fun day as the Islanders practiced at UBS Arena. Actually, coach Patrick Roy wants every trip to the rink to be a joyous occasion, and he stressed that importance to his players on the ice.

It sounds simple, but the NHL season is a grind, so reminders can’t hurt as the regular-season opener in Pittsburgh on Oct. 9 draws closer. The Islanders will play their penultimate preseason game on Monday night against the visiting Rangers after a sloppy 4-2 loss to the Devils on Friday night at UBS.

The bigger picture from Roy is turning that joy into good communication and trust between teammates. It was all interwoven into the first single-group practice since training camp opened on Sept. 18. The focus was defensive work and coming back into their zone with the intent of transitioning

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