Andrew Gross: Islanders' Patrick Roy understands what Bo Horvat, Ondrej Palat are feeling

Patrick Roy knows Bo Horvat’s Olympic pain. The Islanders coach experienced it firsthand in 1998.

That empathy and understanding toward the top-line center and fellow Olympian Ondrej Palat should be to the Islanders’ benefit when the season resumes on Thursday in Montreal following the three-week Olympic break.

“I was in that position in Nagano where we lost,” Roy said after Tuesday’s lengthy practice at Northwell Health Ice Center in East Meadow. “It does hurt.”

Horvat’s Team Canada lost, 2-1, in overtime to Team USA in Sunday’s gold-medal game in Milan and the utter devastation on those players’ faces stood out as much as their opponent’s flag-wearing, on-ice celebration. Roy said Horvat, who returned to Long Island on Tuesday, would definitely be in the lineup against the Canadiens though it was unclear whether he would rejoin practice on Wednesday.

Palat also knows the pain.

Horvat’s linemate with the Islanders scored a go-ahead goal for Team Czechia against Team Canada in the third period of their quarterfinal match only to have Team Canada rally for a 4-3 overtime win. So when Palat was offered congratulations for his Olympic participation after returning to Islanders practice on Tuesday, he ever so subtly squinched his face as if there was a foul odor in the team’s dressing room.

“To be part of the Winter Olympics is something I dream of so I’m lucky enough to be part of it for a second time,” said Palat, who has played only six games for the Islanders after being acquired from the Devils on Jan. 27. “The big thing was I was traded before the Olympics so I got used to the guys. Now it feels like I’m coming to a familiar team and it makes me feel normal.

“It was a crazy game,” Palat added of the loss to Team Canada. “I was super excited when we scored the third goal. Too bad we didn’t hold on to the lead for longer and we could have won that game. That would have been epic. Yeah, too bad.”

Defeat is a heavy burden on the international stage.

“That’s nice to have the guys coming back,” Roy said. “I texted with [Palat] a couple of days ago. You know, when you go in with such a high, you want to take the time to cool off a little bit. I thought it was important for him to spend some time with his family. We talked about it before the Olympics but it’s the mental side of the game you also want to take care of, not just the physical side of the game. Make sure you’re rested mentally and that’s what we’re going to have to do with Bo and him.”

Roy was in net for Team Canada in 1998 when it lost to the Czech Republic in the semifinals and to Finland in the bronze-medal game, both defeats by one goal. His Avalanche — who won the Stanley Cup with Roy in goal in 1996 and again in 2001 — were one of that season’s strong Cup favorites and they finished first in the Pacific Division with 95 points.

But the Avalanche went just 10-13-1 to finish the regular season after the Olympic break, then lost a seven-game, first-round series to the Oilers, and Roy has described repeatedly how hard it was for him to mentally readjust to NHL play after his Olympic pain.

So Roy’s antennae will be hypersensitive to any signs from Horvat or Palat of an Olympic hangover. It will be crucial to monitor and, if necessary, correct, since they comprise two-thirds of the top line, and two-fifths of a power-play unit with the Islanders holding third-place in the Metropolitan Division in a tight playoff race with 24 games remaining.

For now, though, with Palat returning to practice and Horvat’s return imminent plus general manager Mathieu Darche making a minor-league deal on Tuesday swapping Julien Gauthier to the Blues for fellow journeyman forward Matt Luff just two days after the Olympic break roster freeze ended, there’s a definite optimism about getting back to business.

“Yeah, totally,” Adam Pelech said after the fifth practice since this past Tuesday. “The first few days we were gone for so long, it was just kind of reacclimating yourself here. Now it really feels like the season is back up and running.”

For it to run smoothly, Horvat and Palat will need to shake off their Olympic pain.

Roy’s empathy and understanding will come in handy.

By Andrew Gross

andrew.gross@newsday.comAGrossNewsday

Andrew Gross joined Newsday in 2018 to cover the Islanders. He began reporting on the NHL in 2003 and has previously covered the Rangers and Devils. Other assignments have included the Jets, St. John’s and MLB.