They were the Avalanche’s two biggest defensemen, and two of the team’s nicest people. Kurt Sauer and Ossi Vaananen still are big, but no longer are they nice guys.
Not on a sheet of ice when they are wearing skates, anyway, which suits coach Joel Quenneville just fine. He and Avalanche fans have taken notice of the marked changes in the duo’s on-ice demeanor.
Sauer and Vaananen now play as if they have pebbles lodged in their boots. They once seemed to need an invitation to hit an opposing player. Now they just do it. And if opponents don’t like it – too bad.
“It’s kind of like the light bulb went off over my head,” said Sauer, who is 6-feet-4 and 220 pounds. “I’m a big guy, I need to use my size to my advantage. It’s hard to explain, really, why it’s only now happening. I’m just not worrying anymore about other things on the ice.”
Vaananen has been something of an enigma with the Avs since coming from the Phoenix Coyotes in a trade three years ago. At nearly 6-5, with a strong skating stride, Vaananen somehow got away from being physical, until recently. Like Sauer, Vaananen admits he tried to become somebody he wasn’t as a player, to his detriment.
“There have been times when I focused on the wrong things, and who I am as a hockey player,” Vaananen said. “I need to know what my strengths are and I need to play with them. My thing is not to worry too much, just go out, play hard and have fun.”
The NHL’s new rules, instituted last season, made things confusing for defensemen such as Sauer and Vaananen. There was an in-between period where they didn’t know how far they could take things physically, without worry of being sent to the penalty box. Now, even if it results in a penalty, their attitude is to be the biggest pains they can be.
“The key factor for me when it comes to playing is not be something I’m not,” Vaananen said. “No matter what type of position you are, it’s all about confidence. And once your confidence is up there, good things usually happen. I think I’ve always had confidence, but it can vary. Right now, I’m playing more and I’m playing better, and I like it a lot.”
Quenneville said Vaananen is playing “his best hockey of the season” and has rewarded Sauer’s play with increased ice time. Sauer played another 23-plus minutes in Wednesday’s victory over Calgary, while Vaananen played nearly 19 minutes.
Both players are in the last year of their contracts, and Sauer admits the fear of not getting another one could be a factor in his turnaround.
“Fear is a good motivator,” he said. “But I’m not totally sure why things have (changed). I know I feel better on the ice now. I’m skating better, feeling strong. It’s the way I have to play. It was frustrating a lot at times, not playing, but right now I’m just going out there with the attitude of being physical and keeping the play in front of me.”
Said Vaananen: “I’m not really worried about contracts and stuff. I just want to be able to say I played up to my ability as high as I could go. Now, I feel like I’m saying that.”
Adrian Dater can be reached at 303-954-1360 or adater@denverpost.com.
