From Monday to that day a year ago, when Patrick Roy came to Long Island, general manager Lou Lamoriello seemed to have pulled a rabbit out of a hat that might help revive a stagnant franchise. I was in the mood.
Roy, bombastic and emotional and one of the best of all time as a player, was suddenly hired out of nowhere to replace Lane Lambert and his regime, which faltered as soon as he took over.
The change in energy within the Islanders' building was so sudden that within a week of Roy's hiring, Matthew Barzal announced that the team was “building a blueprint that will allow us to become champions.” He spoke memorablely.
On Day 366 with Roy, with the Islanders playing two games under .500 in the NHL and sitting in 15th place in the Eastern Conference, Barzal was asked about those comments again.
“Obviously this year's standings are not indicative of the culture that Patty brought here,” Barzal said. “Hopefully we can get a few wins in the next few games. The actual culture that Patty brings here is different than the one I've been a part of. He's a very honest person and has strong beliefs in everything he does. ”
Cognitive dissonance between the Islanders' record (currently far worse than the 19-15-11 record that led to Lambert's firing) and the head coaching position is what Roy is feeling as he approaches his first anniversary. That's the point.
It's not just the players standing behind their coaches in public. That means, at least for the time being, there is no question of Roy's job security. All of this is aimed at Lamoriello, who is currently struggling under his third head coach in four seasons.
Roy's honeymoon lasted longer than most, at least in that sense. Helping the Islanders reach the playoffs last season, and the dramatic difference in numbers, especially on defense, after the coaching change certainly contributes to that perception.
But even now, there is more talk about the positive culture Roy brought than about the Islanders' poor record.
“I think we were able to work towards something,” Kyle Palmieri said Monday night before the Isles played the Blue Jackets. “Obviously, last year's run to make the playoffs, it's funny how one year can make such a big difference. A year later, we have to fight to get back in the playoff picture. I'm in a similar position.”
But this time, the Islanders' odds are much higher and they're playing even worse. Injuries are certainly a part of it, but there were a lot of injuries leading up to Lambert's firing.
One of the most interesting questions facing the team is what the future holds for Roy, who had a say in personnel matters during his time as Avalanche manager but has publicly deferred to Lamoriello on such matters with the Islanders.
There's no reason to believe anything will change if Lamoriello remains at the helm. But if ownership makes a move in the front office after this season, Roy could end up with anything, depending on who ends up being his boss.
As of now, the jury is still out on Roy being hired as an NHL coach. His tenure with the Islanders has so far followed a similar pattern to his time at Colorado. The first season was good, but the second year was a slump.
However, the players still enjoy playing under him. And there's no doubt that Roy still loves doing this job.
“I'm grateful for the opportunity and I've enjoyed every minute since I've been here,” Roy said. “It's a great experience. I'm happy to be a part of this organization. It shows how hard we work to make people proud and make our fans enjoy their team. It's great to be a part of that. I’m happy.”
