New York Islanders coach Patrick Roy took one of his usual risks on Tuesday by pulling his goalie late in the game, shorthanded, during a faceoff in the defensive zone . His impetuosity, however, backfired, as a few seconds later, John Tavares completed the 3-1 victory for the Toronto Maple Leafs.
It was a fifth loss in seven games for the Islanders.
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“If they win the faceoff, we don’t touch the puck, it’s over,” explained Roy after the match. If we win the faceoff, we can send it deep, and we can play five-on-five in their zone. There were 30-40 seconds left to play, it was the best way to create offense.”
Roy nevertheless felt that his men offered a good performance in a match abroad, although they were guilty of a certain lack of opportunism.
This is particularly evident in terms of shots on goal, as the Islanders sent 30 pucks towards Leafs goaltender Joseph Woll, compared to only 24 shots for their rivals.
Jean-Gabriel Pageau was the only scorer for the Islanders.
David Kampf and Steven Lorentz also scored in the victory.
Roy explains himself after the Islanders’ defeat –
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