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Avalanche coach Patrick Roy critical of Ovechkin, Malkin for Olympic performance

Patrick Roy

Colorado Avalanche coach Patrick Roy watches play from the bench in the first period of an NHL hockey game against the Dallas Stars, Friday, Nov. 1, 2013, in Dallas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

AP

Patrick Roy doesn’t seem afraid to say what’s on his mind.

According to The Denver Post, Roy, the Colorado Avalanche first-year head coach, ripped Russian forwards Alex Ovechkin and Evgeni Malkin in a recent radio interview. Of course, Russia was shocked in a quarter-final loss to Finland, which meant the host team failed to advance to play in one of the two medal games.

Semyon Varlamov, Colorado’s goalie as well as Russia’s, was pulled after allowing three goals on 15 shots in that disastrous loss to the eventual bronze medalists. Roy believes that experience will make Varlamov an even better puck stopper in his career.

However, Roy also had some constructive criticism for Ovechkin, held without a goal following Russia’s first game of the tournament, and Malkin, who had one goal and three points in five games.

“They certainly deserve to take some heat, because they were the leaders of that team. That was their responsibility, to bring the team to another level. The day that you take responsibility, you already became a better player, a better leader,” said Roy, as per quotes in The Denver Post.

“For a guy like Ovechkin, it should be a great learning process for him. You can be as good as you want, but if you don’t win a Stanley Cup, if you don’t win a gold medal, it’s a bit like a golfer who is the best player without winning a Major. It’s like a monkey on your shoulder that you want to get rid of it, and I think Ovechkin is going in that direction.”

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