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Englewood, Colo. • Patrick Roy's fiery personality was on full display in the opening game when the Colorado coach got into a heated exchange with Anaheim, banging his hands again and again on the glass partition until it tilted.
That eruption set a tone for the season: The Avalanche weren't going to be pushovers.
Not with the combustible Hall of Fame goaltender taking over behind the bench.
Roy guided this franchise — the one he led to two Stanley Cup titles as a player — back into the playoffs by tying a team record with 52 wins. They play Minnesota in a first-round series that begins Thursday.
"Patrick is the ultimate winner. He doesn't accept anything less than winning," backup goaltender Jean-Sebastien Giguere said. "He did that as a player and he's doing that as a coach.
"He does that when he plays golf, he does that when he plays cards, he does everything to win. And that has really translated to our team. He changed the whole mentality in this room, and it shows every time we go out on the ice. We play to win, so it's fun to see that."
As for that volatile temper, the players insist they rarely see it inside the locker room — not after a bad period or a tough loss. This is their team, Roy said from the day he was brought on board, and he was there more for support than to scold.
He was partnering with them, not ruling them with an iron fist.
The breathing room allowed the youthful Avalanche to make some mistakes and learn from them.
"They need to have someone who they can come up to and talk," said Roy, who's the fifth coach in NHL history to win 50 or more games in his first season. "It's their system." —
Wednesday's games
O Montreal at Tampa Bay,5 p.m., CNBC
• Columbus at Pittsburgh, 5:30 p.m., NBCSN
• Dallas at Anaheim,8 p.m., NBCSN —
NHL Draft order
Draft positions of the 16 playoff-qualifying clubs, picks 14-29, will be determined by the results of the Stanley Cup Playoffs:
June 27-28
First Round
1. Florida Panthers
2. Buffalo Sabres
3. Edmonton Oilers
4. Calgary Flames
5. New York Islanders
6. Vancouver Canucks
7. Carolina Hurricanes
8. Toronto Maple Leafs
9. Winnipeg Jets
10. Anaheim Ducks (from Ottawa)
11. Nashville Predators
12. Phoenix Coyotes
13. Washington Capitals
30. New Jersey Devils NHL Playoffs
FIRST ROUND
Note • Best of 7; x-if necessary
EASTERN CONFERENCE
Detroit vs. Boston
Friday: Detroit at Boston, 5:30 p.m.
Sunday: Detroit at Boston, 1 p.m.
April 22: Boston at Detroit, 5:30 p.m.
April 24: Boston at Detroit, 6 p.m.
x-April 26: Detroit at Boston, 1 p.m.
x-April 28: Boston at Detroit, TBD
x-April 30: Detroit at Boston, TBD
Montreal vs Tampa Bay
Wednesday: Montreal at Tampa Bay, 5 p.m.
Friday: Montreal at Tampa Bay, 5 p.m.
Sunday: Tampa Bay at Montreal, 5 p.m.
April 22: Tampa Bay at Montreal, 5 p.m.
x-April 24: Montreal at Tampa Bay, 5 p.m.
x-April 27: Tampa Bay at Montreal, TBD
x-April 29: Montreal at Tampa Bay, TBD
Columbus vs. Pittsburgh
Wednesday: Columbus at Pittsburgh, 5:30 p.m.
Saturday: Columbus at Pittsburgh, 5 p.m.
April 21: Pittsburgh at Columbus, 5 p.m.
April 23: Pittsburgh at Columbus, 5 p.m.
x-April 26: Columbus at Pittsburgh, TBD
x-April 28: Pittsburgh at Columbus, TBD
x-April 30: Columbus at Pittsburgh, TBD
Philadelphia at N.Y. Rngrs
Thursday: Philadelphia at N.Y. Rngrs, 5 p.m.
Sunday: Philadelphia at N.Y. Rngrs, 10 a.m.
April 22: N.Y. Rngrs at Philadelphia, 6 p.m.
April 25: N.Y. Rngrs at Philadelphia, 5 p.m.
x-April 27: Philadelphia at N.Y. Rngrs, 10 a.m.
x-April 29: N.Y. Rngrs at Philadelphia, TBD
x-April 30: Philadelphia at N.Y. Rngrs, TBD
WESTERN CONFERENCE
Minnesota vs. Colorado
Thursday: Minn. at Colorado, 7:30 p.m.
Saturday: Minn. at Colorado, 7:30 p.m.
April 21: Colorado at Minnesota, 5 p.m.
April 24: Colorado at Minnesota, 7:30 p.m.
x-April 26: Minnesota at Colorado, TBD
x-April 28: Colorado at Minnesota, TBD
x-April 30: Minnesota at Colorado, TBD
Chicago vs. St. Louis
Thursday: Chicago at St. Louis, 6 p.m.
Saturday: Chicago at St. Louis, 1 p.m.
April 21: St. Louis at Chicago, 6:30 p.m.
April 23: St. Louis at Chicago, 7:30 p.m.
x-April 25: Chicago at St. Louis, 6 p.m.
x-April 27: St. Louis at Chicago, 1 p.m.
x-April 29: Chicago at St. Louis, TBD
Dallas vs. Anaheim
Wednesday: Dallas at Anaheim, 8 p.m.
Friday: Dallas at Anaheim, 8 p.m.
April 21: Anaheim at Dallas, 7:30 p.m.
April 23: Anaheim at Dallas, 6 p.m.
x-April 25: Dallas at Anaheim, 8:30 p.m.
x-April 27: Anaheim at Dallas, TBD
x-April 29: Dallas at Anaheim, TBD
Los Angeles vs. San Jose
Thursday: L.A. at San Jose, 8:30 p.m.
Sunday: Los Angeles at San Jose, 8 p.m.
April 22: San Jose at Los Angeles, 8 p.m.
April 24: San Jose at Los Angeles, 8:30 p.m.
x-April 26: Los Angeles at San Jose, TBD
x-April 28: San Jose at Los Angeles, TBD
x-April 30: Los Angeles at San Jose, TBD