The hiring of Patrick Roy had an impact on the Islanders’ 23-24 finish to the season.
The New York club was good enough to punch their ticket to the playoffs and even though they were eliminated in the first round, that was an achievement in itself.
Especially in light of the fact that on paper, the Isles really don’t have the biggest club in the National League.
But what works for the Islanders is the system.
The players are able to follow the coach’s strategies because they are all on the same page.
And that’s partly thanks to Patrick Roy. He’s the one who has to prepare his guys and he does it the right way.
Even Tony DeAngelo, who faced him in the last series, says he is impressed by the Quebec head coach:
DeAngelo played for the Carolina Hurricanes last campaign.
It was precisely the Hurricanes who eliminated Patrick Roy and the Islanders (in five games), but the defenseman maintains that the players were so well prepared on the other side that all the matches could have been decided another way.
And this, even if in DeAngelo’s eyes, the Hurricanes had a better club than the Islanders.
It’s a great mark of respect for Roy.
And it proves that the head coach of the Islanders has the confidence of his players, because they followed the coach’s plan to the letter.
It also demonstrates in a way that Patrick Roy’s reputation is well established… Even if he spent the majority of his coaching career in junior.
We knew he deserved the chance to return behind the bench of a National League team, and DeAngelo’s comments point in that direction too.
In burst
– It’s clear.
– It was really a great goal.
– Any surprises?
– Effectively…
Canada
