Think it will be necessary to fortify the glass partition that separates the team benches Friday at the Pepsi Center when the Avalanche and Anaheim Ducks play for the first time since opening night?
Avalanche coach Patrick Roy shoved the partition and nearly toppled it before Ducks players shoved it back as he exchanged words with Ducks coach Bruce Boudreau as the game ended .
Roy was angry because, moments before Ducks rookie Jakob Silfverberg scored with seven seconds left to spoil goalie Semyon Varlamov's shutout bid in a 6-1 win, Anaheim defenseman Ben Lovejoy knocked down rookie Nathan MacKinnon with what Roy said was a knee-on-knee hit. No penalty was called.
Roy was asked about the incident on Thursday.
"I think it set a tone for what we wanted as a team," he told reporters. "First of all, Varly set the tone by being so good in that game, he kept us in. They had a few good chances and then we scored six goals and it was a 6-0 game. The power play was moving the puck unbelievable, the PK was really sharp. Five-on-five after Varly made those saves we started playing better, started believing in ourselves.
"When that thing happened, it was an opportunity for myself as well to show that I was with them. It's nice to say in front of you guys I'm a partner with the players, but if you never show it, how could they believe you? Fortunately for me, I had an opportunity to show them I'm with them.
"It cost me 10 grand, but that's OK. It was a good investment in some ways."
Boudreau was asked about the incident after the Ducks practiced in Denver on Thursday:
He told the Los Angeles Times: "It's so far gone, long ago, I have no idea. This is the first I've thought of it. My whole focus is on what our team is. Whatever Patrick did or has done, it's got his team playing fabulous."
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The Avalanche, 2-1-0 in the first three games of a four-game homestand, moved into second place in the Central Division by one point (91-90) on Wednesday with its 3-2 win against Chicago and is four points behind first-place St. Louis. The Blues have played one fewer game than the Avalanche and will play it Thursday night against Edmonton, the Western Conference's last-place team.
The Ducks are coming off a 7-2 loss to Calgary and have lost four games in a row. They lead the Pacific Division with 93 points, but second-place San Jose can catch them Thursday night with a win against Columbus.
"Right now I just hope we finish first and we won't have to play the Blackhawks in the first round or the Blues," Roy said. "The way the players have been playing, I'm so proud of them. They play with heart, they're passionate every time, they're ready for every game. They deserve a lot of credit for what we've been doing. Why not?
"Obviously our objective has changed a bit. If I say to you on March 13 the Avalanche would be ahead of Chicago, you would probably say to me, 'Maybe you should go see a psychologist or something like this. You might need help.' It is what it is.
"One thing I can say to you, you finish in the top eight in our conference, you're going to have full hands, a pretty hard series without a doubt."
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Roy said he'd be "very surprised" if center Paul Stastny returns from his back injury Friday. Stastny was hurt on his first shift in last Saturday's 2-1 loss to the Blues.
"The way the team is playing, there's no need to rush him," Roy said. "I think it gives him the chance to come back 100 percent. We just want to make sure that his back is perfect when he comes back. We need to be smart. The way everyone is playing, it allows us to take our time. If we don't feel the pressure to push on him, I think it's the perfect situation."