After Patrick Roy made his debut behind the bench for the New York Islanders in a 3-2 win against the Dallas Stars on Sunday evening, there are several interesting encounters on the calendar until the end of the regular season.
Thursday, January 25th
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Top of the list: Roy and the Islanders will face Martin St-Louis and the Canadiens at the Bell Center on Thursday. No doubt the former CH goalkeeper, whose number 33 was retired by the Montreal organization in 2008, will receive warm applause. Until then, the Islanders host the Vegas Golden Knights on Tuesday, while the Habs also await a visit from the Ottawa Senators. But let's be honest: it's the game on Thursday that almost everyone is expecting this week.
Sunday, February 18th
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The Islanders must face their New York rival, the Rangers, four times before the end of the season. Roy's first game against the Rangers as head coach of the Islanders will be Sunday, February 18 at MetLife Stadium as part of the NHL Stadium Series. The day before, the New Jersey Devils hosted the Philadelphia Flyers at the same venue.
Sunday March 17th
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Madison Square Garden, home of the Rangers, remains a legendary location. Roy and the Islanders meet there on Sunday, March 17th in an all-New York duel. This could be a good opportunity for the Islanders to convince a few followers in the New York area to switch clans. Quite a challenge considering the Rangers are one of the best clubs in the NHL this season.
Thursday, April 11th
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Another meeting between Roy and the Canadian! This time the Islanders will meet on Thursday, April 11th at the UBS Arena. This part could be even more important if the New York team struggles to qualify for the playoffs. In the Eastern Association, the battle for the two spots reserved for drafted teams is likely to be heated. On April 12, 2023, the Islanders defeated the Canadians 4 to 2, thereby confirming their qualification.
Wednesday April 17th
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What if the Islanders' fate had to be decided in their final game of the season against the Pittsburgh Penguins? Sidney Crosby and the Penguins are among the many clubs competing with the Islanders in the standings. It's likely that both the Islanders and Penguins will be out of the playoff race before this matchup, but it could also be the most important game of the season for these teams.