Patrick Roy drops a ‘hard to watch’ truth bomb after win

The New York Islanders closed in 2025 adding two points to the tablebut head coach Patrick Roy made it clear that the result did not match the quality of the performance. Despite escaping the Chicago Blackhawks with a 3-2 shootout win on Tuesday night, Roy didn’t sugarcoat what he saw from his team.

Roy admitted an uneven effort in his postgame evaluationexplaining that the problems were evident early on and worsened as the game wore on.

“Even in the first period, I thought we weren’t playing our best … and the second period was hard to watch. It wasn’t our best game, no question … it’s a long year and you have to find ways to win those games, the ugly ones,” Roy said, via Stefan Rosner of NHL.com.

The contrast between the Islanders’ strong position in the standings and their sloppy performance on Tuesday underscored Roy’s message. This was a game they may have lost earlier in the season, but experience and resilience saw them survive.

The Islanders entered the United Center having won two of their previous three games and sitting near the top of the Metropolitan Division, a far cry from the uncertainty that surrounded the franchise earlier this year. However, that momentum didn’t clearly translate onto the ice against a rebuilt Blackhawks team.

After jumping out to a 2-0 lead, New York allowed Chicago to claw its way back into the game, including a late second-period goal that tied things with just 1.7 seconds left on the four-minute power play.

The Islanders also benefited from fortune, as the Blackhawks hit the post four times and missed a wide open net in the final seconds of the game.

While the coach focused on the shortcomings, the Islanders still found a way to secure the victory. Bo Horvath was instrumental in that outcome, scoring once in regulation and then scoring the lone goal in the shootout.

Goalkeeper David Rittich sealed the victory with a stoppage all three of Chicago’s attempts in the shootout, continuing New York’s recent success in the skills competition.

As the Islanders turn the page to 2026 and prepare to face the Utah Mammoth, Roy’s blunt assessment serves as both a warning and a reminder. Wins like these can keep the team climbing the standings, but cleaner and more consistent performances will be necessary if New York expects its promising season to be turn into long-term success.