ELMONT, N.Y. -- Patrick Roy was talking about the need for consistency, believing in what he calls the "even-keeled rule" after the New York Islanders' 3-2 loss to the Vegas Golden Knights in his second game as their coach at UBS Arena on Tuesday.
"You win, you lose, at midnight you refocus for the next game," Roy said about 90 minutes before midnight.
The next game is against the Montreal Canadiens at Bell Centre on Thursday (7 p.m. ET; RDS, TSN2, MSGSN).
It's more than a game for Roy. It's a homecoming and he will be the star attraction.
"They should roll the red carpet out for him," Islanders center Jean-Gabriel Pageau said. "He deserves it. He's earned it. He's famous there not only because he's a winner, but I think he's a great competitor and gamer, and I know Quebecers love that personality."
Roy is an unquestioned icon in Montreal, arguably the most popular living former Canadiens player.
"He must be one of the most recognizable people in Quebec," Golden Knights forward Jonathan Marchessault said. "When you think about all the famous people, he has to be the most famous guy in Quebec, in the province."
In 10 years from 1985-95, Roy helped the Canadiens win the Stanley Cup twice, in 1986 and 1993, and reach the Stanley Cup Final three times, including 1989, when they lost to the Calgary Flames.
He won 289 games in the Canadiens' blue, white and red, second in team history behind Jacques Plante's 314 at the time he was traded to the Colorado Avalanche on Dec. 6, 1995. Carey Price passed them both and is Montreal's all-time leader in wins with 361.
Roy is second in Canadiens history with 70 playoff wins, 10 behind Ken Dryden.
The Canadiens retired his No. 33 at Bell Centre during an emotional ceremony on Nov. 22, 2008, when Roy stunned fans by greeting them as he walked the concourse as they were buying their concessions before making his way into the bowl to a raucous ovation. He walked down a center aisle and greeted late Canadiens icon Jean Beliveau at the bottom before delivering a speech in which he told fans, "Tonight, I am coming home."
The Islanders get to go home with him Thursday.
"I think we'll get quite a few cheers from the crowd there by having him," Islanders center Brock Nelson said. "He's a team guy so I'm sure he'll try to pawn it off, but it'll be a big night for him."
It's been more than eight years since Roy returned to Montreal as a visitor.
He did so three times as Avalanche coach from 2013-16, the third coming Nov. 14, 2015, when Colorado defeated the Canadiens 6-1.
That remains Roy's only win as an NHL coach in Montreal.
Colorado was 3-3-0 against the Canadiens under Roy.
Roy played his last game in Montreal on Nov. 6, 2001, making 30 saves for the Avalanche in a 1-1 tie.
"It's always special going there," Roy said. "They retired my jersey. I had 10 good years there, three Stanley Cup finals, two Stanley Cups. Yeah, it is special going there. The fans always have been great to me. It's a great hockey town. It's like on Long Island, great fans, great hockey town. It's cool to be part of that."
But like he did with the Avalanche, Roy's singular goal in returning to Montreal is to get a win against his former team.
After two games with New York, he seems to like his chances.
The Islanders lost against Vegas, but Roy felt they were better than they were in a 3-2 overtime win against the Dallas Stars on Sunday, his debut, when they allowed 43 shots on goal, 17 off their own turnovers, he said that night.
They outshot the Golden Knights 42-27 and had chances to tie the game with three power plays in the third period and Grade A looks around the net in the final 1:45 when goalie Ilya Sorokin was off the ice for the extra attacker.
"Now what I want is some consistency," Roy said.
That's when he mentioned the even-keeled rule, the need to refocus for the next game once midnight hits.
Midnight has come and gone. The next game is in front of the Islanders. It's in Montreal.
"It should be amazing," Pageau said. "I think we'll just try to enjoy the moment with him."
