Now it gets tougher.
After its first 2-0 start since the 2001-02 season, the surprising Avalanche plays its next seven games on the road in a 14-day span, beginning with a Thursday night meeting with the Predators at Nashville.
It’s not correct to call it a seven-game trip, because the Avalanche will play six on the road, then return to Denver for a couple of days before leaving again for an Oct. 21 game at Minnesota.
Colorado coach Joe Sacco gave his team Sunday off in the wake of season-opening victories over the San Jose Sharks on Thursday and the Vancouver Canucks on Saturday.
“We’ll have three good days of practice where we can work on some areas we feel need to be addressed as a team,” Sacco said. “I think we’re going on the road in a good situa-tion, with two wins under our belt against two good hockey teams.
“You always want to be 2-0, rather than 0-2. Guys feel better about themselves in the room. They’re starting to believe in what we’re doing here and, most important, they believe in each other. It’s going to be a tough road trip, but our young guys are providing us with a lot of energy right now. I think our veteran players are doing what they’re supposed to be doing — they’re leading by example.
“I like the mix, I like the energy, and I like the feel of the room.”
Beyond the goaltending of Craig Anderson, signed as a free agent from the Florida Panthers in the offseason, a highlight has been the work of the top line, with Paul Stastny centering Milan Hejduk and Wojtek Wolski.
“We controlling the puck and we’re making plays,” said Stastny, who has a goal and three assists. “We’re trying to get open, and we’ve been successful in doing it. We’re just talking to each other, trying to find each other.”
Anderson has made 73 saves in the first two games, so it’s not as if the opponent-goal total of only two has become because he hasn’t faced much pressure.
“He’s been good all training camp, he’s confident and has been seeing the puck great,” Stastny said of Anderson. “You just try to clear the front of the net and let him make the first save because he’s going to control the rebound, whether he covers it up or throws it into the corner. That gives the forwards and the defensemen a lot more trust and a lot more confidence.”
Footnote.
The seven consecutive road games don’t appear to be entirely due to a heavy schedule at the Pepsi Center. According to the Pepsi Center website, the next event in the building is the Get Motivated Business Seminar on Oct. 13. The other events booked are the Joyce Meyer Ministries (Oct. 15, 16, 17), Star Wars in Concert (two performances on Oct. 18), and a Nuggets exhibition game (Oct. 20 vs. the Minnesota Timberwolves). The Avs play their next home game against Carolina on Oct. 23.
Terry Frei: 303-954-1895 or tfrei@denverpost.com
