Welcome to Next Impulse’s ‘NHL Center Ice Watch’ where we highlight certain NHL games that should have your curiosity for a variety of reasons. These won’t be the obvious games that NBC salivates over or a game featuring boring storylines like the Bruins. These are games we’ve sought out for real hockey fans. You can find our first post here. And hey look at this! you can find the second volume here!

Patrick Roy’s return to the NHL has c0mpletely dominated the water-cooler chatter in EVERY office. Seriously, with the government shutdown ended it is pretty much all people are talking about now.

Not only is Roy a certifiable maniac, he also doubles as one of the best goalies to have ever played.

After spending the past eight years leading the Quebec Remparts, Saint Patrick was hired by former teammate Joe Sakic to lose his mind behind the Avalanche bench.

All Roy has done so far this year is lead the Avs to a perfect start, winning their first six games and giving up no more than a goal per game (which is f——g insane when you consider how badly the Avalanche sucked last year).

He also incited a mini-riot on the Internet when he tried to smush Bruce Boudreau with the partition (a great hockey word by the way) in between the two benches.

Tonight Roy’s flawless Avs will take on the Detroit Red Wings in a derby match.

Back in the ’90s when rivalries were still legal this was one of the best and Roy was a big reason for the bad blood.

 

If there was ever a chance for the two former rivals to heat things back up, this is it. The Avalanche have embodied their coach’s persona so far this season, doing the bullying instead of receiving the torment.

And in a fun little twist, the Avs will then head to Buffalo to take on the Sabres. While this doesn’t seem like a fun match-up on paper, if you dig a little deeper you’ll see why it is worth taking in.

The Sabres employ a few goons that will sure draw the attention of Roy’s band of brothers. Patrick Kaleta’s circus act is suspended, but Steve Ott and John Scott will still be around to bring the stupid.

Roy will counter that with his clown Patrick Bordeleau.

Both of these games should bring the entertainment. Roy’s Avalanche will be ready to try to reignite their unfortunately extinct rivalry with the Wings and then they travel to beautiful Buffalo to take on the Sabres’ goon squad.

Partitions beware.