NY Islanders head coach Patrick Roy delivers blunt opinion on advanced analytics

New York Islanders v Detroit Red Wings | Dave Reginek/GettyImagesNew York Islanders head coach Patrick Roy has never tried to sell himself as an analytics-driven coach. If anything, he’s often portrayed as the opposite — an instinct-first competitor who trusts his eyes, his bench, and his feel for the game.

But after Tuesday’s 4-2 loss to Calgary, Roy showed that while he may not worship advanced metrics, he understands them well enough to challenge their shortcomings.

The moment in question came when Roy opted for an aggressive decision in the third period, pulling his goalie with over 8 minutes left and the team trailing by three goals. Asked whether that move was driven by analytics or…