#33 Patrick Roy
Scouting Report
The Physical Game
Roy is so cruel. He tempts shooters with a gaping hole between his pads, then when he has the guy suckered, snaps the pads closed at the last secondto deny the goal. There is no one in the NHL better at this technique. Roy is tallbut not broad, yet he uses his body well. He plays his angle, stays at the top of his crease and squareshis body the the shooter. He is able to absorb the shot and deaden it, so there are few juicy rebounds left on his doorsteps. A butterfly goalie, he goes down much sooner than he did earlier in his career. The book on Roy is to try to beat him high. Usually there isn´t much net there and it´s a small spot for a shooter to hit. He will get into slumps when he allows wide-angle shots taken from the blueline to the top of the circle, but those lapses are seldom prolonged. Roy comes back to the rest of the pack in his puckhandling, where he is merely average. As for his skateing, he seldoms moves out of his net. When he gest in trouble, he will move back and forth on his knees rather than try to regain his feet. His glovehand isn´t great, either. It´s good, but he prefers to use his body. If he is under a strong forecheck, Roy isn´t shy about freezing the puck for a draw, especially since he plays with excellent face-off men in Colorado.

The Mental Game
If you have to win one game, this is the goalie you want in the net. As Roy proved in the 1996 playoffs, he still has the goods when a championsship is on the line. Things worked out so well for Roy after the trade that, looking back, his outburst at Montreal president Ronald Corey - which precipitated Roy´s quick trade - looks orchestrated.

The Intangibles
Given the supporting cast of young studs in front of him, Roy might be able to play effectively until he´s 40. Even though Joe Sakic was a worthy Smythe Trophy recipient, don´t believe for a minute that the Avalanche would have won the Cup with Jocelyn Thibault or Stephane Fisét in the net. Roy was the difference.