ELMONT, N.Y. – Patrick Roy’s message to his team prior to its highly-anticipated matchup against the NHL-best Colorado Avalanche on Thursday night was a simple one. “If there’s anyone that could surprise them, it’s us.” Surprise indeed. In a game circled on many calendars well before the start of the season thanks to the return of beloved former forward Brock Nelson for the first time since last year’s trade, the New York Islanders stunned the Avs and ended their 17-game point streak, handing them just their second regulation loss of the season in a 6-3 victory at UBS Arena. The Islanders struck early and often against the league’s top team, scoring the first four goals of the game before Colorado finally answered back, albeit too little, too late. Adam Pelech’s goal at the 7:59 mark of the second period gave his team a 4-0 lead and ultimately turned out to be the game winner, sealing a confidence-boosting victory for a team that already has it in spades. “They’re one of the best teams in the league and they have the record to prove it,” Pelech said. “Huge to get that win tonight. I think we’ve been playing some good hockey, so it’s nice to get a result.” Ihe Isles sit on the outside looking in at the Eastern Conference playoff picture, in a tie with the Philadelphia Flyers and New Jersey Devils for the two wild card spots with 33 points, but for now at least, the team that would be eliminated based on points percentage. With Ilya Sorokin on a hot streak of late, and Mathew Barzal having turned back the clock a bit to resemble the perennial All-Star of a few years ago — he scored a highlight-reel goal on an extraordinary individual effort to make it a 5-2 game late in the second period – and key pieces like Bo Horvat and rookie defenseman Matthew Schaefer contributing, the Islanders could do some serious damage if they end up getting in. For now, however, they’ll take the confidence that comes with knocking off the league’s top team in regulation when almost nobody else has been able to. Not that they needed it, of course. “We’re confident regardless,” Barzal said. “We feel like when we played Colorado (on the road), we should have won. Tonight, I feel like we clamped down. So, us as a group, we know who we’re playing, and that always makes a difference…Colorado, we don’t show up, it could be ugly.” ...read more read less