NEW YORK — Patrick Roy is not ready to lose his temper with his Avalanche team. But, he will make some lineup changes for Thursday’s game against the New York Rangers.
Daniel Briere will return to the lineup for Colorado, likely replacing rookie Dennis Everberg, as the Avs hope to quickly atone for Tuesday’s disastrous performance against the New York Islanders.
“It was a bad game. Obviously, we got outworked by the Islanders,” Roy said. “We got surprised by their speed and intensity level, and you have to hand it to them. But I want to be patient with our guys. It’s a process. I know it’s frustrating for everyone who would like to see the team winning, and right now it isn’t happening. But we have to find a way out of that slump, and I don’t think it’s by bashing our players or screaming at our players that we’re going to get out of it. This is a good group, a group that wants to win.”
With a 4-8-5 record, though, the results have been lacking. Roy harped on one thing at Wednesday’s practice at Sky Arena at Chelsea Piers: “I want us to be better at driving that net,” Roy said. “I want us to make sure we do a better job screening the front of that net. Right now, the goals are not coming easy, so you have to go back to basics. The basics are driving the net, funneling pucks on net.”
Roy will change his lines for the game with the Rangers.
Alex Tanguay will play right wing on a line with Matt Duchene and Ryan O’Reilly. John Mitchell will center a line with Gabe Landeskog and Jarome Iginla. Nathan MacKinnon will center a line with Briere at right wing and Jamie McGinn on the left.
Semyon Varlamov will start in goal for the Avs.
