The New York Islanders did more than beat the NHL’s top team on Thursday night - they surprised the Colorado Avalanche by executing a tactical, disciplined game plan that Patrick Roy and his staff had been drilling into the team for days. According to Roy, who won his 200th NHL game as a head coach, the key to upsetting Colorado was simple in theory, difficult in practice: own the neutral zone, deny their speed, and break the puck out with confidence.
Roy said the plan was emphasized in meetings both in the morning and again pregame.