The Roy Report: Details, Leadership, Breakdowns, and Development

Welcome to the Roy Report! Every Wednesday, Avalanche head coach Patrick Roy peels back the curtain on the team during an in-depth radio interview on FM 104.3 The Fan. Even if you missed it, BSN Denver has your back, providing both a recap and analysis to keep you up to speed. 

Shots at Net

The first topic of the day was the team’s response in the 3rd period last night.  Even after watching a 3-1 lead evaporate, they remained positive and didn’t panic.  Roy was the most proud of the number of pucks they put towards the net during that time and over the full game.  They had 40 shots and 6 goals, plus a number of ugly plays that had a happy ending.  It was also the first time in quite a while that the top two lines both clicked concurrently.

Roy explained that games like last night were the best teaching tool for how the team needs to play.  Throwing everything on net leads to goals.  While the netminders of today are very good and tough to beat, it’s the tracking of teams that’s the biggest hurdle to overcome.  Better defense in all zones leads to fewer odd-man rushes and fewer second-wave shots, so the Avs need to make the most of their chances.  Unfortunately, fancy plays lead to turnovers, which means the other team starts  generating more offense because of the failings of the Avs.  Simplicity and getting shots on net leads to more goals for, and last night was a great example.

[This sounds familiar.  It also sounds exactly like Corsi. Hopefully this message remains consistent throughout the year.  The Avs’ forward lineup is rather strong this season, so if they can just work on generating shots, getting even garbage on net and hoping for the best, it should get this team back on track sooner than later.]

Matt Duchene & Watching Tape

Matt Duchene‘s first goal last night was the play of the week.  Before the game last night, the Avs’ video coach put together some clips of Duchene’s scores from his very successful season two years ago.  One thing that came out of it was his constant presence around the net.  Roy really wanted to drive home that tipping in pucks is okay and that not every goal needs to be highlight-reel worthy.  As long as Duchene stays around the net, rebounds will find him and success will follow.

Even when Roy was a player, he appreciated watching tape of some of his best games when he was in a slump.  Sometimes it was just small details he noticed that he was doing differently, but changing those details made a world of difference.  For Duchene, that difference was his willingness to battle for netfront presence, and it paid off last night.

[Duchene has always been a player that wears his heart on his sleeve.  If things aren’t going well for him, his confidence plummets and things REALLY start going poorly.  Finding a way to break him out of that and giving him something to concentrate on was a good bit of coaching.  After last night, it seems to be paying off.  Uniting him with a player like Gabriel Landeskog probably helped as well.]

Jarome Iginla & Leadership

Jarome Iginla is just not slowing down.  Yes, he’s good at taking care of himself on and off the ice, but his shooting ability, confidence, and positioning in the offensive zone is something that is innate.  He also generously passed on doing the first star interview so second star Duchene could get recognition for his very solid night.  There is no doubt that he’s a great leader, but he does it in his own way, which is typically bringing a positive attitude to the locker room.  This is very different than Cody McLeod‘s very blunt and calling-out style.  Roy seems happy with the mix and believes that it’s a good group.  It allows the team to deal with things internally instead of it needing to be said on the radio or to media.

[I’d suggest taking a look at Elliott Friedman’s 30 Thoughts #13 this week. Roy is very good about not calling his team out in public unless he feels they absolutely need it.  Public shaming is effective, but positive encouragement from one of the best leaders of our age or an angry ginger getting in your face and calling you out is probably moreso.]

Optimism & Breakdowns

Roy agrees with a recent Francois Beauchemin comment that it feels like a six or seven game winning streak is just around the corner.  He likes what the team has been doing most nights, but they just haven’t been able to pull it all together to get a win.  It’s a hard sell to the media and fans that the team is okay when the results aren’t there, but the club has been learning a lot about breakdowns.  Their recent lack of goals has amplified their other miscues, which has forced them to learn how to play tighter games defensively.

“The breakdowns are killers for you—the bad pinch at the wrong time, the bad line change, a giveaway in your own end, a turnover at the blueline, a play coming from behind the net to the front of the net where the puck goes across and out of the zone where it gives them an odd man rush, forgetting about a forward that comes from behind… all those little details [can hurt you] at the end of the night. It’s hard to be perfect on all of them, but they put a lot of pressure on the team if you don’t score the goals to not make those mistakes.”  –Patrick Roy

[Honestly, I’m not too worried about the Avs’ offense.  Once they figure out that shooting equals goals, especially with this group, they’ll be fine.  But mistakes made defensively and even in the neutral zone just absolutely destroy this team.  It’s the single biggest area holding them back from being at pace with the rest of the Central Division.  Even if the club doesn’t make the playoffs this year—and after that October, chances are unfortunately very high that they won’t—if they can find a way to clean up those areas of the game, it’s only going to get them that much closer in the future.]

November & Road Trips

The team’s upcoming schedule involves seven games in eleven nights, most of which are on the road.  The team needs to rest and watch more videos to reinforce some key points on their games, and focus is very important over this long road trip.  Roy believes that the team’s recent efforts away from home have been okay, but if the special teams are good on the road, the momentum can swing their way.  It’s going to be a major emphasis over this next stretch of games.

[The Avs’ special teams have had a slightly rough go recently. Cleaning up those areas would certainly help, but keeping their 5-on-5 play as straightforward and to the net as it was last night will have more of an affect in my opinion.  However, a few power play goals here and there would certainly help remove some of the pressure on the breakdowns that Roy just mentioned. Either way, the team needs to find a way to string together a few Ws through this next stretch of games, both for their sake and the fans’.]

Nikita Zadorov‘s Playing Time

Roy said at the beginning of the year that the team is going to use all of their defensemen.  Zadorov is only 20.  As a result, the team feels that it’s the best thing for his development to watch some games from the pressbox.  It’s not easy, but the view from above helps him learn details, positioning with and without the puck, and how to play the game the right way.  Roy believes that the blueliner is going to be force for the team in the years to come, and the only way the Avs were going to get a top four defenseman from the O’Reilly trade was if they targeted a younger player.  He’s very happy with Zadorov, but he wants to be patient with his development.

[Roy was also asked about Mikhail Grigorenko in the original question, but he didn’t address Grigorenko’s time.  While it’s very clear to see that Zadorov helps the team on the ice more than less-talented players like Guenin and Stuart, I do appreciate that the team is taking their time with his development and trying to do what they feel is best for him in the long run.  Just as long as he doesn’t spend many games banished to the press box, a bit of perspective might not be awful for him.]

Goaltending

Semyon Varlamov‘s play has been very up and down this year, but Roy believes it’s just a matter of confidence.  He’s been working with goaltender coach Francois Allaire a lot recently, and it’s starting to turn around.  It’s tough mentally for any goalie when their numbers aren’t good, but it reaches a point where they put it behind them and start focusing on just winning games.  It’s hard to do when people keep asking about it, but it has to eventually be pushed aside.

Roy also talked about how little he tries to deal with the goalies.  He likes to be in the meetings, but it’s very clear that it’s Allaire’s show when it comes to the mental and technical aspects of the position.  All Roy tries to add is his experiences, especially when it comes to making sure his goalies know it wasn’t always easy for him.  He had rough patches and he struggled, but he bounced back and pushed through it.  He feels that advice is how he can best help his netminders.

[I’m curious how much affect the new block-happy defensive system the Avs are running these days is having on Varlamov. He’s used to facing buckets of shots, but many of them were clean and unscreened by his own players.  Now, they’re all trying to jump in front of them, which can’t be easy when trying to get a read on the angle of the shot.  There have certainly been quite a few goals he’s let in this year that he needs to stop in the future, and it’s also hard to argue his confidence is where it should be.  However, I think there’s a system at play that is also affecting his numbers.]

Coaching as a Superstar

Wayne Gretzky was evidently in town a few weeks ago, and the radio guys asked about the challenges of coaching after being an NHL star.  Gretzky replied that he always knew he was ready for the game because he put in the work off the ice, but not every player does that. Roy doesn’t think it’s the biggest challenge, but it’s the one he likes the most.  When things are tougher, he just wants to work harder to find solutions.

“I’ve always thought that’s the responsibility of the coach: helping the players to preform regardless what, and that’s what I’m trying to do.” -Patrick Roy

He learned this the hard way through his work with younger players at the Junior level, especially on the long bus trips in the QMJHL.  It’s hard work, and he feels it probably scares away a lot of ex-players.  But Roy loves the challenge, and he loves being back in Denver. He really wants to bring the fans back, and he’s excited about putting in the work to get the team there.

[Roy keeps reiterating his desire to bring back the fans to the point where it’s become a weekly refrain. Both he and the team still have a lot of learning and experience to gain before they can get the results that will bring that about, but I don’t doubt his commitment.  While Roy’s on-ice strategies are a bit hit and miss, his off-ice ones are pitch perfect almost all the time.  If anyone can get a team pulling in the same direction, it’s Patrick Roy, but the effectiveness of the direction he’s asking them to pull remains to be seen.]

The interview ended with a lighthearted take on Patrick Roy’s hair.  Give it a listen: