It’s now been a few days since the Islanders’ season ended. Normally, this wouldn’t be big news in Quebec… but considering that Patrick Roy is the club’s coach, that changes things.
Let’s say that it attracts the Quebec spotlight a little more than usual.
Despite everything, the fact remains that the Islanders were no match for the (much more powerful) Hurricanes. The strike force in Carolina is greater than that of Long Island, and despite all the good will of the coachthat won’t have been enough.
In Roy’s defense, he arrived mid-season so he may not have been able to set up his system the way he would have liked.
But next year it will be different, when he will have the entire season to establish his vision. And it will start at camp, where the players are expecting a training camp that will be difficult, as Bo Horvat said at a press briefing.
Obviously, Horvat knows that it won’t be easy for him and for his teammates… but he is also aware that it won’t be a bad thing. He knows that the guys will experience adversity at camp, and according to him, it will help them come out stronger.
It might help them not to crash at the end of the match, too. It’s been a problem for the Islanders this season, and it was also the case in Game 2 of the series against the Hurricanes.
Let us remember, however, that in his end of season assessment, Roy was quite positive about his club’s performance. He enjoyed seeing his guys fight to get into the playoffs, and https://twitter.com/RussoHockey/status/1785499173569409281.
But obviously, a defeat in the first round is not satisfactory for a team (and a coach) for whom the goal is to win the Stanley Cup.
We’ll see what Roy has in store for his guys in the fall to prepare them properly.
A lot of
– His name will be talked about this summer.
– We can think that Marc Bergevin will not replace him this summer.
– Read about the Coyotes.
– For once the Athletics have something good in recent years, we are already thinking about trading it.
– A spectacular victory.
