Patrick Roy Works with Ilya Sorokin
On Friday morning, Patrick Roy was back in action, this time at the behest of Ilya Sorokin. It seems Sorokin reached out, asking how he was doing and expressing interest in refining his shootout skills. Roy shared that they practiced together before the Islanders faced the Wild, a match that ended in a 5-2 loss, with David Rittich tending goal.
Sorokin has faced challenges in shootouts this season, losing both he’s participated in, including one recently against Boston. In that game, an opposing player noted that Sorokin might react predictably to initial moves.
Despite rarely working with goaltenders, Roy made an exception for Sorokin earlier this season, which, interestingly enough, coincided with the firing of goaltending coach Piero Greco. However, the current goaltending coach, Sergei Naumovs, has a long-standing relationship with Sorokin, having trained him at CSKA Moscow.
Roy’s credentials are impressive—he’s a Hall of Famer—but he might not be the go-to for shootout advice. After all, he was never involved in such scenarios during his playing career, as the shootout wasn’t introduced until after he retired.
The only shootout experience he has was in the 1998 Olympic semi-finals, where he faced Czech player Robert Reichel and a stellar Dominik Hasek. Roy admits he was “very nervous,” recalling the pressure of competing for a medal.
He mentioned, “I just explained to him what I’m trying to do, which is not shoot, but let the players beat me inside. I’m really grateful that he came to me. It feels like a great step.” It seems that understanding and communication are crucial as Sorokin aims to improve.
As for Max Shabanov, he might be ready to join the Islanders on an upcoming seven-game road trip, starting with a match against the Rangers. However, there’s uncertainty about his readiness to play.
Roy commented, “We’ll see what happens in the next day or so.” While the forward lineup seems mostly decided for now, where Shabanov will fit in remains ambiguous, something the team will navigate when the time comes.
