LOOK: Yes, Avs coach Patrick Roy pulled his goalie with 10 minutes left
Colorado Avalanche coach Patrick Roy was at it again on Sunday night, pulling his goalie for an extra attacker with more than 10 minutes to play in the game.
By
Adam Gretz
•
1 min read
When an NHL coach decides to pull their goalie in an effort to tie a game is a pretty big decision, and most tend to wait until the absolute last minute so they don't give their opponent an extra insurance goal and put the game out of reach.
Colorado Avalanche coach Patrick Roy has never been like most coaches.
Since taking over behind the team's bench during the 2013-14 season he has been one of the most aggressive coaches in the league when it comes to going for the extra attacker, and has regularly done it with several minutes remaining in one goal games.
When his team is losing by multiple goals, he puts everything on the table and goes all in.
Take Sunday night in Chicago for example.
With his team trailing, 6-2, and about to go on a power play thanks to an interference penalty on Blackhawks forward Dennis Rasmussen, Roy decided to pull goalie Calvin Pickard with 10:06 remaining in the game to give his team a 6-on-4 power play.
No, it didn't result in a goal, and yes, the Avalanche still ended up losing the game 6-3, but you can't fault Roy for trying something here. At that point the game is probably already lost, and the worst thing that happens is you lose 7-2 instead of some other equally lopsided score. So why not take a shot and see if you can strike for a quick goal and maybe get back into the game and give yourself a fighting chance?
As aggressive as 10 minutes is, it's still not the earliest that Roy has gone with the extra attacker. On two different occasions last year he pulled his goalie with more than 12 minutes to play in the third period.
If nothing else, it makes Avalanche games where they are losing a little more interesting.
