(Laval) Joshua Roy experienced great happiness by scoring the first goal of his career in the National Hockey League, Wednesday evening in New Jersey. His teammates at the start of the season with the Laval Rocket also felt this happiness, as did head coach Jean-François Houle.
“Super happy for him! », exclaimed Houle after his players’ training session Thursday at Place Bell.
“I thought he played a good match yesterday (Wednesday). He had five shots on goal, and you could see he was a little more alert. He had a little more ice time, because he deserved it,” added Houle.
Roy was playing only his third game in the National League, and the first two had pitted him against some of the biggest stars on the Bettman circuit.
Saturday, at the Bell Center, the visitors were the Edmonton Oilers of Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. Two days later, it was the turn of Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar, of the Colorado Avalanche, to appear in the Habs’ stronghold.
“I saw his first match and I thought he wasn’t really himself. He was a little shy. At the Bell Centre, the first game was intimidating, especially since it was against Edmonton,” noted defenseman Tobie Bisson.
“To see that he scored a goal yesterday, I was really happy for him. I just wrote to him. I told him: “Keep shooterI like it when you shoots”. Like I tell him all the time here before games, between periods, during games, “shoot there puckYou are a shooter” »
Roy had the merit of scoring a great goal, but according to Bisson, it is perhaps a little secondary, because this first goal above all allows a young player to be freed from a heavy weight on his shoulders.
This is an opinion shared by Jared Davidson.
“It was a nice goal, but it didn’t matter. Scoring a goal in the NHL is pretty big and pretty cool,” Davidson summed up.
According to Houle, there is no doubt that nervousness overwhelmed Roy during his NHL debut.
“He doesn’t want to make mistakes, he wants to make sure he stays on the right side defensively, which is normal for a young player. The distractions you can have in Montreal, too, for a young person, it’s not easy. I think yesterday he demonstrated that he is capable of playing at that level. »
Normal ups and downs
The Canadian recalled Roy on Friday evening, immediately after the Rocket’s game against the Manitoba Moose in Laval.
Although cleared of the score sheet, Roy had given a good performance during this match, but he had been even better two days earlier by collecting two goals and an assist against the Utica Comets.
During this game, Roy gave the impression that he had regained the touch and confidence that had propelled him to a harvest of 12 points in his first six games in the American League.
This hot start was followed by offensive droughts, including one of seven games without amassing a single point, from mid-November until December 6.
Two days later, he fired five shots at the opposing net, including one that hit the target, en route to a tally of 12 points in as many games.
“We are super happy for him. He worked hard here with us, and it’s just good for him what’s happening,” noted Brandon Gignac.
“Being young, of course there are ups and downs, and that’s how he’s going to learn. This is the professional level, and we don’t always have perfect matches. While he was getting a few fewer points, he learned to play better defensively to help him reach the next level. But it was sure that it was going to come back. He has so much talent,” added Gignac.