Roy Report - October 21

Welcome to the Roy Report!  Every Wednesday, Patrick Roy peels back the curtain on the team during an in-depth radio interview.  Even if you missed it, BSN Denver has your back, providing both a recap and an analysis to keep you up to speed. 

Goalies

Today’s talk started off about how you’d expect – with the words “goaltender controversy”.  Roy was quick to shoot down that idea, confirming that Varlamov is still the starter.  He’s still very happy with the situation (and the original trade for Berra for that matter), plus it’s going to push Varlamov to get his game back to what the club expects from him.

Speaking as a former goalie, Roy knows that the starting job can’t be taken for granted.  He had to work hard at the end of his career since he knew Aebischer wanted the spot.  He also knows how hard it is on goalies to be pulled during a bad game (like he had to do to Varlamov during the Boston contest), but he’s also been at the receiving end of the coach leaving him in and experienced the damage that can do.  As a coach, he realizes that a goaltender change sometimes provides a needed spark for both the goalie and the team, and he hopes that Varlamov can build off that spark for tonight’s game.

[There is no doubt that Varlamov’s game hasn’t been up to par lately.  He’s tied with Sergei Bobrovsky for the worst GAA in the league with 5.07, and owns the second worst Sv% at .841.  These are subpar numbers even for a backup, let alone someone who’s going to be expected by the team to start 60+ games this year. 

However, it is early in the year, and like with most things in hockey, cold snaps come and go.  Roy doesn’t seem too concerned with the situation.  If we’re still talking about it in a month, that’s a different story, but Varlamov’s job is still safe for now.

Berra’s play can’t be discounted though.  He’s come in when the team really needed him and performed admirably.  After last year, that’s a minor miracle. With any luck, he can keep this confidence with him throughout the year since the Avs still iffy defense needs a rock solid presence in net every night. 

Roy mentioned that solid play from a backup can push a starter to up his game, but the influence of Calvin Pickard can’t be forgotten here either.  If Berra doesn’t preform, he has someone nipping at his heels, ready to steal his job as well.  One has to wonder how much influence that’s had on his performance so far.]

Effort & Shots

On the subject of spark, Roy called out the team for the lack thereof after the Boston game.  He feels that as a coach, it’s his responsibility to call the club out on their poor effort.  Home games are important for the club, not only due to the division, but also because the Pepsi Center isn’t selling out every night.  He really wants to bring the fans back, so a full sixty-minute effort, win or lose, is something he’ll continue to stress.  Focus and effort are the one thing the club actually has control over, so working on maintaining it consistently game after game (and even in practice) is critical.

He also brought up shot totals.  The Avs are currently 24^th in shots against at 32.6 and 29^th in shots for with 24.2.  Roy really would like to see the club cut down the number of shots against, even against teams that take many lower percentage perimeter shots, and raise the number of shots his team is putting on the net.  Simplicity is important.

[STOP THE INTERNET – PATRICK ROY JUST BASICALLY SAID HE WANTS BETTER CORSI.  This team famously pushed back against “advanced stats” initially, but this bit of logic sounds suspiciously like what Corsi tells us:  events for are good and events against are bad.  The Avs’ 5-on-5 Corsi is hilariously awful right now at 36.8% according to War on Ice, so even if the Avs remain a team focused on taking “quality shots”, they have A LOT of room to improve right now.]

Duchene

Play of the Week was Duchene’s goal.  Roy feels that he too needs to simplify his game and get more shots on net.  However, even when Duchene’s not putting points on the board, his defensive game and effort is still bringing something to the table.  Eventually, things are going to start falling for that line.

Night after night, you need your best players to be your best players, and we’re all aware of that. There’s some moments in the season where the top players might have a little tougher time, but it’s important for them to go back to what they’re doing well, and it’s playing well defensively.  And I think good things will eventually happen.   – Patrick Roy

Special Teams

After the break, the topic turned to the power play, currently sitting 2^nd in the league at 33%. Roy is understandably pleased, especially with the movement, shots, and cohesiveness as a unit of five.  The PP goals are coming at critical times of the games, and he feels that with the Avs are capitalizing so often, it’s keeping the other team more honest about taking liberties with the team.  The PK is 4^th in the league at 84.2%, and it’s something the players take pride in.  Now, it’s just a matter of getting more shots and giving up fewer ones 5-on-5.

[While I’ve loved how well the power play is working right now, especially in comparison to last year’s frustrating experience, I highly doubt it’s going to last.  Even so, with the talent available on this team, a league-average power play isn’t asking too much.  Even if everything else stayed the same, an average PP would have resulted in six additional goals last season, which could have added another few points in the standings.  5-on-5 play is definitely far more important, but a functioning power play would be lovely. 

Honestly, the PK has me more worried.  While the top forward PKers of Soderberg, Mitchell, Comeau, and MacKinnon(?!) is a step up from last year’s Cliche fest, the reliance on the goalies is still troubling.  Just like 5-on-5, limiting shots against while shorthanded needs to continue improving.]

Playing Past Prime

Since this is Denver, Roy was asked about Peyton Manning’s decline and if he noticed a similar trend in his own playing career.  Roy defended Manning, but he also said that the expectations for older athletes are the same as the expectations on 26-year-olds.  That’s why he retired, because he was incapable of playing at the same level people were expecting.

[Roy is fairly famous for this.  In his final season, he pitched a .920 sv%, so it wasn’t like his game took a nosedive when he hit 37.  I think he was harder on himself than the fans or media would have been.  It’s a good thing he’s mellowed since his retirement – I’m not sure how well the current group of Avs would have done under the “Winning and Nothing Else” version of Roy.  He’s still competitive, but there is a clear divide between Player Roy and Coach Roy. It also doesn’t sound like he regrets his decision at all.]

Barrie’s Suspension

Fan question one centered around Barrie’s suspension.  The coach believes it was too much, especially because Barrie was a first time offender.  He also believes that after watching the clip, Barrie’s skate was on the ice and the initial point of contact was the shoulder.  He also doesn’t think it was interference at all since Despres had the puck less than two seconds before the hit.

I think the NHL [Department of] Safety want to make sure there are no head shots, but like they said to me, there was no headshot there.  I feel it was a little severe of a suspension.   – Patrick Roy

[The reason I like this interviews is that Roy doesn’t always toe the line.  If he called out the Department of Player safety in a post-game like this, there’s a chance he’d get another fine.  But on the other hand, what was he going to say?  “Yes, I’m very happy that my best offensive defenseman who has never had more than 26 PIMs in a season and no suspensions is sitting for three games”?  Roy traditionally uses these interviews to stand up for his players, so his response here doesn’t surprise me.

It’s the beginning of the season, and the DoPS is probably trying to set the tone.  Barrie’s hit was one of the first on the bad side, so he got the book thrown at him.  It’s unfortunate, but it happens.  Despres was injured, which probably played into it too.  All the Avs can do is move on and try to minimize the damage of losing Barrie from the depth chart.]

Rantanen’s Progress

Another fan wanted to know what Roy thought about Mikko Rantanen’s progress and if he’ll stay with the team.  Right now, it’s too early to tell.  The rookie is -5 and pointless, but they’re trying to give him as much experience as they can.  They’ve also been putting him on the line with Duchene and Iginla.  Roy knows that he’s still learning the game and that it’s a big adjustment for an 18-yer-old, especially coming here from Europe.  He’s adapting well, and the team’s curious how he’ll develop.

[If you missed our mail bag where we discussed this yesterday, take a look here.]

Consistency 

The final question went back to the question of intensity and consistency.  Some nights, the team looks great, others, they look defeated before the contest even begins.  Roy feels the question was strongly worded, but he does agree that the team needs more consistency, maturity, and patience.  Forcing the play leads to turnovers, which only complicates the situation.  The club needs to focus on simplying their game, putting pucks on the net, forcing their goalie to work.

[I have a feeling shots on net and effort are going to be the themes for the season.  I also liked his comments on maturity.  Lack of hockey maturity is one of the biggest reasons the team flamed out in the playoffs in 2014, but the bi-polar nature of this current team is bad even for Avs’ standards.  It’s still early and the club is adjusting to a large number of new players, but as we found out last year, October games are very important.  Staying even keel and escaping this month with at least a .500 record is critical to even remotely staying in the playoff race.]