from Mark Kiszla of the Denver Post,

How many times does Patrick Roy have to pound the message through the thick skulls of the Avalanche?

Denver likes hockey, but not nearly as much as this city loves a winner.

At the outset of a crucial homestand that will determine if Colorado has more than a prayer of making the NHL playoffs, Roy gathered the Avs prior to their game against the New York Islanders.

Colorado fans "are coming here to see you win a hockey game," Roy told his players. "They want a good show. But, at the same time, they want to see you win."

Then the Avalanche went out and beat the Islanders 2-1, winning on an ugly goal late in the third period by defenseman Francois Beauchemin, who bounced the score off New York's Mikhail Grabovski.

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