ENGLEWOOD, Colo.—Rookie Matt Duchene doesn’t rattle easily on the ice.
Take him to a horror film, though, and the 18-year-old Colorado Avalanche forward is quivering in his seat.
On the Avalanche’s recent road swing, Duchene and his teammates went to see “Paranormal Activity,” a low-budget fright flick. Duchene hid behind his popcorn box the entire movie.
“It looked so real,” Duchene explained. “It’s scary.”
These days, a horror film is about all that’s knocking Duchene and the Avalanche off their game. Colorado sits in first place in the Western Conference with a 6-1-2 mark, the team’s second-best start through nine games since relocating to the Mile High City from Quebec in 1995.
All this coming from a youthful Avalanche team that was supposed to be in rebuilding mode this season.
That notion just may be in jeopardy.
“It’s a little step on the ladder,” goalie Craig Anderson said. “Our confidence has got to keep growing … Right now, we’re playing good and getting results.”
Anderson is leading the charge, starting every game this season and posting a 2.06 goals-against average. He also has a shutout this season, turning back 35 shots against Vancouver earlier this month.
“If you’ve got a goalie that can perform like that, it adds so much to your confidence level,” said Duchene, who was taken with the third overall pick last June. “You play differently in front of them. You don’t play as much on your heels, you play on your toes because you know he’s going to have that big two or three saves a game.”
Anderson has definitely done his part. But that’s why he signed with Colorado, hoping to earn more playing time after years of serving as a backup.
“Just doing my job, worrying about one thing—stopping the puck,” Anderson said. “I’m not worried about what kind of mistakes are made or if a guy falls down or if there’s a turnover. Bottom line: I’ve got to stop the puck.”
In that area, Anderson has been quite proficient. He’s among the league leaders in save percentage (.934).
“Every day I’ve got to prove I’m worthy of playing as much as I am,” said Anderson, who will get the night off Friday against Carolina as Peter Budaj spells him. “As soon as you get the wrong mindset, that’s when you get burned.”
When the season began, the Avalanche looked to have drawn the short end of the schedule, stuck with a seven-game road trip so early in the season.
But that may have been a blessing. With a rookie coach in Joe Sacco and a youthful squad, the time out on the road provided plenty of bonding opportunities. The Avalanche went to dinners together, did some shopping in cities like Chicago and just enjoyed hanging out.
“This was great timing,” captain Adam Foote said of road trip. “It was important.”
When asked how much time he spent with youngsters like Duchene and Ryan O’Reilly, Foote just grinned.
“Only when I wanted to play Xbox,” the 38-year-old said. “I talk to them a lot. They’re actually very mature guys.”
Foote even invited Duchene to move in with his family, an offer Duchene quickly accepted. He’s now living in the basement.
“Footer is a great leader. He’s a guy I can definitely learn a lot from,” Duchene said. “I’m trying to be as much of a sponge as I can be.”
Another veteran, Darcy Tucker, has made the same offer to O’Reilly.
That way, the rookies don’t have to live in an apartment and dine on fast food the entire season. They’re around family.
Given the fast start, Duchene and O’Reilly are hoping to stick around.
The Avalanche could still send both rookies back to their major junior teams up until the 10th game, which is Friday.
After that, the move would be highly unlikely.
They’ve both made very compelling cases to stay. The rookies have combined for two goals and nine assists this season.
“I had a pretty good idea Duchene would stay up,” Foote said. “The first time I saw O’Reilly play, I thought he had a great opportunity, too. He just does things that can’t be taught, his poise on the ice, his decision-making … We all know Duchene and what he can do. He’s just getting started, getting revved up. The two players definitely deserve to be here.”
NOTES: The Avalanche recalled F Chris Stewart from Lake Erie of the AHL two days after reassigning him there. … Colorado F Cody McLeod is out indefinitely after taking a stick in the eye area during a game at Minnesota on Wednesday.
