Detroit – Kurt Sauer’s days in the wilderness may be over.
The Avalanche defenseman was scratched more than a padded post in a roomful of cats for most of the season, but he played 21 minutes, 26 seconds Sunday in Colorado’s 4-3 overtime victory over Detroit.
Sauer credits his turnaround in play to finally knowing what his role is with the team.
“I was just told if I do what they want, I can play a lot more,” Sauer said. “I’m trying to get back to the way I was in Anaheim, and the way I should be playing all the time.”
Avs coaches told Sauer to quit trying to be a puck-handler or be where the puck is all the time, and focus on being more physical and nastier to play against.
“They don’t need me to be moving the puck,” said Sauer, who was a plus-1 on Sunday with three shots on goal. “I was a little off on (what) they wanted from me. I was worried about certain things that just don’t matter anymore.”
Holland impressed
Although the Red Wings have had a better season than the Avs, Detroit general manager Ken Holland believes the Avalanche’s future is bright.
“I really believe Colorado’s young players are ready to take the next step to take that team over and make it one of the elite teams in the West,” Holland told NHL.com.
Footnotes
Avs winger Wojtek Wolski broke a six-game pointless drought with a second-period assist. … Wings goalie Dominik Hasek, out with stiffness in a thigh, said he would play this week. … The Avs blocked 14 shots, compared to five for Detroit. The Wings won 61 percent of the faceoffs (36-of-59). … Scott Parker played his second straight game with the Avs. During one stoppage in play, Parker jawed at Detroit’s Kirk Maltby from the bench. “That was some of the old stuff,” Parker said. … A win over Boston on Tuesday would give Colorado its first four-game winning streak of the season.
