Tonight the Canadian faces the Ottawa Senators and we can expect Martin St-Louis' squad to look to quickly get back to winning ways after Saturday's poor performance against the Bruins, not to mention the loss to those same Senators Last Thursday .
As intense as the game against Ottawa will be due to the rivalry between the two teams, hockey fans in Quebec are already looking forward to Thursday when Patrick Roy will be back at the Bell Centre.
The last time the new Islanders head coach appeared in Montreal for a work game was on November 14, 2015, when the Avalanche defeated the Canadiens 6-1, with Nathan MacKinnon scoring three points, including two goals. Additionally, Brendan Gallagher is the only Canadiens player who played in that game and is still with the Habs.
PATRICK ROY IS PRESUMED
You don't need to be told that Patrick Roy is looking forward to Thursday's game. In an interview on Sunday, he mentioned that unfortunately he still has two big games left before he goes to Montreal tomorrow.
But he didn't hide the fact that when he looked at the Islanders' schedule, he quickly realized that his first week wouldn't be ordinary.
“I've looked at the calendar and I'm looking forward to traveling to Montreal. I didn't have a good ending with the Canadian [comme joueur] But I had a great stay with the organization. The love that people show me every time I go to Montreal, I can't deny that, and feeling that support and feeling that people continue to encourage and support me, that makes me really grateful. »
A DUEAL OF THE TRAINERS
Human nature being what it is, many people will view Thursday's clash as a fight between Martin St-Louis and Patrick Roy. It is obvious that both coaches want to win this duel, but in reality Patrick Roy will not be in front of the net and Martin St-Louis will not be able to try to thwart him.
The two men will of course try to put together the best game plan possible, but it will be up to the players to implement it.
Still, watching two great players with passion for their sport compete against each other will undoubtedly be unforgettable.
IN UNDERSTANDING MODE
To many media members in the United States, Patrick Roy is a former goalkeeper turned head coach, nothing more. They quickly understood that Patrick Roy was much more than that in the eyes of Quebecers as the two sports networks in Quebec sent journalists to the first game of the winner of four Stanley Cups, as well as three journalists from three other media outlets.
There was a lack of understanding even among the people who were supposed to look after the islanders. What does Patrick Roy represent in Quebec? Most Quebec players on the Islanders used the term “royalty” to explain what Patrick really represented.
LAMORIELLO'S CHILDREN'S TEAM
Many people have rightly pointed out that Islanders president of hockey operations and general manager Lou Lamoriello has a fondness for former Canadiens players or coaches. The list is long, from Larry Robinson to Jacques Lemaire, Jacques Laperrière, Pat Burns, Claude Julien and now Patrick Roy.
I learned that Lamoriello had two favorite teams as a child: the Canadiens in the NHL and the Celtics in the NBA. Two legendary organizations with a total of 41 championships. 24 for the Canadiens and 17 for the Celtics.