Goalie Roy Gets Solid Support

Some athletes have found success by pumping iron. Patrick Roy has done it by talking to iron.

It all started one night in Hartford in 1986 when the Montreal Canadiens goaltender cast a steely gaze at the goal posts during the national anthem.

Something about the posts looked different to Roy. They were smaller, maybe, skinnier. Anyway, ever since, Roy has looked at National Hockey League goal posts as conversation pieces.

It might start with a pregame pep talk:

Roy: OK. Be ready. Watch for Babych’s slap shot.

Goal post: (Silence).

Later, after a shot has rung the goal post’s bell:

Roy: Nice save.

Goal post: (Silence).

The first time Roy actually spoke to a goal post was in Boston, right after his Hartford experience. The Canadiens went on to gain a tie after Ray Bourque’s slap shot clanked off the post behind Roy. The tie broke a six-game losing streak, and a superstition was born.

“Goalies are always alone in the game,” Roy said. “He needs superstitious things.”

The Canadiens won the Stanley Cup after the pipeline of communication was opened, and Roy won the Conn Smythe Trophy as most valuable player in the playoffs. This year, if goal posts could have anything to say about it, Roy will win the Vezina Trophy as the league’s best goaltender.

Roy is a big reason the Canadiens won the Adams Division this season and are leading the Hartford Whalers in the opening round of the playoffs.

Roy, 23, led the league this season with a 2.47 goals-against average, and he was in net for the first two games of the playoff series in Montreal. His home record this season is 27-0-4.

Roy’s style created some skepticism about his ability his first couple years in Montreal. Whalers center Ray Ferraro has described him as “Jell-O without the mold,” and TV analyst Gerry Cheevers has said Roy is “no oil painting.”

But he gets the job done. In Game 2 Thursday night with the Whalers carrying the attack, Roy flagged down a blast by Dave Babych.

Then, in a three-save sequence with the score 1-0 Montreal, Roy was brilliant, especially in flailing out an arm to knock down a backhand rebound bid by Babych.

“Roy definitely made some big saves at the times in the game when a goal would have looked pretty good to us,” Whalers Coach Larry Pleau said.

Roy attributes his fine year to his teammates, experience and better concentration and maturity.

“This year I was more consistent than my first few years,” Roy said. “If I compared season by season this was by far my best season. My concentration was at a good level all year. I cut maybe a bad goal a game.

“Three, four years in the NHL you’re going to mature a little bit. I think I stopped thinking too much. Now when I lose a game, I know I did my best and I can take the positives.”

Montreal Coach Pat Burns has used Roy almost exclusively at home and gone with Brian Hayward more on the road. The 218 goals allowed by the Canadiens this season was the lowest in the NHL in more than a decade.

“Both our goalies have been more consistent this season,” Canadiens defenseman Craig Ludwig said. “As a team we’ve been more consistent. Games we’ve had problems, the goalies have seemed to pull us through, and vice versa.

“Pat has been super. He’s made big saves all year, key saves. That’s what you need in the playoffs. What’s going to win it is goaltending and making the big saves.”

Roy dismisses the theory that it is easier playing goal for the Canadiens because of their defense.

“The best statistic is save percentage,” Roy said. “It doesn’t matter which team you play for, you have to stop the puck.”

Roy led the NHL with a .908 save percentage this season.

The only competition Roy will get for the Vezina is Mike Vernon of Calgary, who had a 37-6-5 record, a 2.65 goals-against-average and an .897 save percentage.

“I like my chances,” Roy said, “but I’m not thinking about it. Right now, what’s important is to help my teammates and go as far as we can in the playoffs.”