The Implications of Islanders’ Patrick Roy Yanking Ilya Sorokin

After going down 2-0 in the first-round series against the Carolina Hurricanes, Islanders’ head coach Patrick Roy decided it was time to use his team’s de facto number-one goaltender, the one he had called his “Ferrari” hours before, Ilya Sorokin. It seemed like a sound plan, but after the Formula 1 severely backfired, Roy had to get the “Cadillac,” backup goaltender Semyon Varlamov, back in the crease. Now, in the aftermath of a 3-2 defeat in which Sorokin allowed all three goals, what are the implications?

Patrick Roy on Pulling Sorokin

In his postgame press conference, Roy refused to hang the loss on Sorokin. Asked what he saw from Sorokin during the game, he explained:

“I’m going to say this: we win, and we lose as a team. So, I’m not going to go there. What I am going to say is sometimes make changes as a coach because we feel we just want to change the momentum of the game. I’ll leave it to that.”

Then, he was asked what he could do to keep this from hurting Sorokin’s confidence in the bigger picture and Roy didn’t mince words:

“You’re not going to like my answer but I’m focusing more on the team than I am focusing on our goalie. I mean we have a goalie coach that does a very good job, and I’d rather focus on getting ready for the next game, and we play at 2 p.m. on Saturday, that’s where my focus has to be and wants to be.”

Even if Roy sidestepped the issue — for now at leas — Sorokin did appear somewhat stunned by what had gone on. He stayed in the corridor on his own after being pulled and was nowhere to be found when it was time to face the media after the defeat.

Sorokin Isn’t the First and Won’t Be the Last to Be Pulled

Goaltenders are a special breed of individuals; you must be quite strong mentally to enjoy being the last line of defense and be able to handle the pressure that comes with it. Does that mean a goaltender cannot be shaken by events that took place in the crease? Of course not. But before getting to be a National Hockey League netminder, these athletes have been through many ups, downs, and false starts. When you become a professional athlete, you have got to be just that: professional. You learn what can be learned from a bad experience, you turn the page, and start writing the next one.