The Shrinking Nets of Goalie Patrick Roy

After rookie goalie Patrick Roy earned the Conn Smythe Trophy as the most valuable player of Montreal’s 1986 Stanley Cup triumph, he absorbed a lesson that has helped him become the number one man at his profession.

“My second year, after winning the Conn Smythe and the Stanley Cup, I was not in shape,” he said. “This year I have benefited from the experience of that year. I won the Vezina and a lot of other awards last year, but I just put them aside and started out fresh this time. And I’m happy the way things have gone.”

Roy ought to be happy. Playing behind a relatively inexperienced defense, he has posted a league-leading 30 victories and .911 save percentage, along with a 2.56 goals-against average that ranks second by a hair to Washington’s Mike Liut.

“This has been Pat’s best year,” said Canadiens Coach Pat Burns. “He’s played awfully strong. We’ve had injuries on defense and we’ve often had to go with five defensemen, some without much experience. Pat knows he has to make big saves if mistakes are made, and he has done that.”

“Every game we expect Pat to make the big save, the medium save, the little save,” said winger Ryan Walter. “And he expects to do it, and does it. He has to be the premier goalie in the league.”

At age 20, Roy broke in with considerable flair in 1985-86. He quickly became the Canadiens’ number one goaltender, won 23 regular season games and was absolutely brilliant in the playoffs, posting a 15-5, 1.92 record.

Despite his 2.93 and 2.90 goals-against averages the next two seasons, contributing to Jennings Trophy status with Brian Hayward as Montreal allowed the fewest goals in the NHL, Roy toiled in the shadows of Ron Hextall and Grant Fuhr.

Roy emerged from those shadows last season when he posted a 33-5-6, 2.47 record and went unbeaten in 34 games on home ice. He completed a hat trick of goaltending awards -- third straight Jennings, Vezina as best goalie in a vote of general managers and Trico, for highest save percentage (.908).

There was no follow-up Stanley Cup ring, but that hardly was Roy’s fault. He won 13 of 19 starts and his 2.09 goals-against average was lower than that of victorious Calgary’s Mike Vernon.

Still, even Roy admits he probably is performing better this season--without three key defensemen. With Rick Green retired, Larry Robinson in Los Angeles and Chris Chelios missing 24 games because of knee problems, the Canadiens could have collapsed.

Certainly Hayward has struggled, slipping from last season’s 20 victories and 2.90 goals-against mark to a mediocre 10-12-5, 3.47. But Roy has been sensational, a principal reason Montreal ranks fourth overall despite so many problems.

“Last year we had lots of experience on defense and not a lot of injuries,” Roy said. “This year has been a nice challenge. I reported in shape at training camp and I wanted to have a good season.

“In the beginning, we made mistakes because there wasn’t much experience, but we’ve been playing real good defense lately even without Chelios. I’ve concentrated every game and I think it probably is my best season, better than last year.

“I’m playing with a great bunch of guys and I want to help them finish high in the standings, then go for the Stanley Cup. It’s not a question of individual trophies. They’re nice and I’ll be proud of them at the end of my career, but I’m not thinking about them now.”

Roy remains as charismatic as he was during the 1986 playoffs, when all of North America became enthralled with his routine of talking to the goal posts.

Before each game, he skates halfway to the blueline, turns and stares at the net for a few seconds before returning to the crease.

“I’m imagining the net shrinking,” Roy said. “I think every goalie needs a superstition. The goal posts are always with me. They talk back to me and when they say ‘Bing,’ I know they’re with me. Of course, sometimes they have a bad night too.”

Too often these nights, the posts become dislodged during intense play around the goal. But Roy says he has never tried to give his friends an intentional shove off their moorings.

“I never did that,” he said. “I try to concentrate so much on the puck, I’d start to lose concentration if I think about that too.”

Roy, like most goaltenders, is concerned about players crashing into the goalie and turning the crease into a battleground.

“It’s tough for the referee to call that, but the NHL has to do something before somebody gets hurt,” he said. “Guys come down really fast, because they know the posts come off pretty easy. I don’t know the answer, but I hope they find one.”

It figures to be easier than finding a way to put the puck past Roy.