It’s going to be hard to win games when the increasingly shorthanded Colorado Avalanche play well at the start of this season. It is impossible when the Avs play the way they did Monday night. Two losses to open the 2024-25 campaign could mostly be explained away by a pair of rough goaltending performances.

New York Islanders coach Patrick Roy stepped onto the ice at Ball Arena and briefly glanced toward the rafters. Yep, his familiar No. 33 was still up there with all the other banners representing retired Colorado Avalanche numbers.

After Roy spent his first 12 NHL season with the Canadiens before forcing a trade, he went 262-140-65 with a 2.27 goals-against average and .918 save percentage with the Avalanche, leading them to the two Cups and four additional appearances in the Western Conference finals.