The first step for the Avalanche to get back on a scoring run, according to coach Patrick Roy, is to get boring.
— the team ranks third-to-last in the Western Conference for goals scored — as Colorado hosts the Philadelphia Flyers on New Year’s Eve at Pepsi Center.
And for Roy, the key for the Avs will be to add some dump-and-chase to their skill.
“I’m not crazy about putting pucks behind their ‘D’ and getting the forecheck going. But some nights, their ‘D’ does a good job closing the gap on us and there’s no room,” Roy said.
“We have no choice but to put pucks behind their ‘D’ and try to generate offense a different way.”
Roy said that teams have scouted the Avs’ talented top lines and figured out that the best way to counter their skill is to crowd them.
“Right now, teams are watching us and they want to have a better gap on us. And this is where we’re not as sharp,” Roy said. “We’re the type of team that loves to create something. And right now, that plays against us. Because we create turnovers and spend so much time in our own end.”
But Roy will gladly sacrifice aesthetics for goals, he said.
“I’m a coach who loves to see my teams going with offense and going in the rush — not putting pucks behind their D. But unfortunately right now, we’re playing teams doing a good job (against that),” Roy said.
“It’s a little bit boring at times. But if you’re doing it a few times, and you get those pucks, you force them to back up and you create more offense out of it.”
The Avs on Tuesday to discuss their scoring issues.
“The talent on this team is certainly not the problem,” veteran forward Daniel Briere said. “When things go bad, sometimes you start squeezing the stick too tight. But we need to be scoring more.”
Redmond sits. The Avs will scratch defenseman Zach Redmond from the lineup Wednesday against the Flyers, Roy said
Nick Holden will move back to the blue line. The defenseman played as a fill-in forward Monday in a 3-0 loss at St. Louis.
The Avs on Tuesday called up forward Borna Rendulic to fill out their fourth line. And Rendulic will play Thursday on a line with Marc-Andre Cliche and Cody McLeod, Roy said.
Briere faces former team in contract year. Briere (six goals, two assists), now in his 18th NHL season, will play against one of his former teams.
Briere spent six seasons with the Flyers, then one in Montreal before he was traded from the Canadiens to Colorado in June for P.A. Parenteau. He’s in the second year of a two-year, $8 million contract that ends after this season.
“I’m trying not to think about it,” Briere said of his contract year. “We’ll deal with it when the time comes. Right now, I’m just enjoying the year.”
The Avs acquired Briere in part for his playoff experience — he’s played in eight of the past nine postseasons, including five with the Flyers — but Colorado is currently in 12th place in the 14-team West.
On Thursday, Briere said he’ll play in part for pride against his former team.
“There are bragging rights on the line,” he said. “They’re never easy games.”
Nick Groke: ngroke@denverpost.com or twitter.com/nickgroke
