Roy critical of Avalanche core's leadership after ripping Duchene
Patrick Roy hates missing the playoffs.
The Colorado Avalanche head coach will be watching the postseason along with the rest of us this spring, and it doesn't sit well with him. After watching Matt Duchene whoop it up for reaching the 30-goal mark in a blowout loss in a must-win game, Roy let the 25-year-old have it.
"Are you kidding me?" Roy asked after the game. "What is that?"
The Avalanche were down 4-0 at the time.
Roy continued after the game, calling out his top players, according to the Denver Post's Mike Chambers.
"Our core hasn't proved that they have the leadership to bring this team to another level," Roy said, though Chambers points out Roy wasn't including captain Gabriel Landeskog in the discussion. "Eventually, we have to admit, (right)? We need more from these guys. These guys need to prove to us that they're capable of carrying this team."
Duchene and Nathan MacKinnon, 20, are the club's leading scorers, with 57 and 52 points, respectively. Landeskog is third with 51, while Carl Soderberg reached the 50-point mark for the first time in his career.
Tyson Barrie is one of the more underrated defensemen in the league, while Francois Beauchemin and Jarome Iginla provide veteran presence. In goal, it has been an up-and-down season for Semyon Varlamov.
The Avalanche can still get into the playoffs by winning their final three games and watching the Minnesota Wild drop their final two in regulation. It's possible, but Roy knows the reality of the situation - the Avalanche simply haven't gotten the job done. Again.
"We need to change the mindset," Roy said. "I think we have a losing mindset right now. I think we have to find ways to believe more in ourselves.
"It's not good enough. At this point of the year, you're supposed to win five out of six, not lose five out of six. It's just not good enough. I don't have the answers right now, but I know one thing: It's not good enough and it's embarrassing what happened out there (Sunday)."