Matt Duchene and Patrick Roy at an Avalanche practice (Kathryn Scott Osler, Denver Post)
Here’s my Monday post-practice , taking a look at the Avalanche goaltending plans for the near future. In other words, it’s Varlalmov every night for the short term, until next week’s long road trip, but then what?
The Tuesday morning print and online story is on Nick Holden.
Mike Chambers is covering the game for the Post at Chicago Tuesday.
Leftovers from Monday’s practice: I was interested to hear Patrick Roy talk about how last season was a good karma year, and so far this has been a bad karma year. I know he’s discussed that before, and it also should be obvious, but to me the issue is whether that kind of thing is shakable, or whether it’s just the way it’s going to be.
“You always hope,” Roy said. “Look around, it’s not an easy thing to do. I think you need to think short-term in a way that you take it one game at a time. That’s the approach we’re trying to have and trying to be even keel.”
Roy kept citing that approach — a cliche, but a sound approach — last season during success, and it worked. The Avs were eerily consistent with those 26-11-4 records at home and away, and in the first and second halves. But the little things (and big things) kept going right for the most part. Now the goal has to be use that approach to improve from what has been a period of modest success to something that looks more like last season.
To prove, in other words, that karma — at least bad karma — doesn’t have to be a season-long phenomenon.
I just went through covering one of those good karma years with Colorado State football and when I suggested that the Rams were fortunate to be 10-1, and explained that it was a compliment because you make your own breaks and overachieve, and that there is a big difference between being fortunate and lucky, some were offended. But I think we saw that last season with the Avalanche.
All debates and questions about organizational decisions aside, sometimes it just comes down to that. To an extent, and note I said to an extent, sometimes it’s your year and sometimes it isn’t.
“Last year, we had all the bounces, and this year, it’s totally different,” said Roy, who cited some fluky bounces in the Sunday loss to Columbus. “We didn’t see goals like this all last year and this year, it’s totally different. At the same time, we just need to continue what we’re doing well.”
Also, Matt Duchene talked about how he has gone 10 games without a goal — or since he scored against Winnipeg on Dec. 11.
“A lot of crossbars, a lot of posts,” he said. “But know what, I’m not too worried about it. I went 24 games with one last year, and still had a good season. I’ve learned by now that this game is full of peaks and valleys. It’s how you deal with the valleys that’s important. You just try and get better, you try and stay positive. Your confidence can go on you a little bit, but I can honestly say that around the net, my confidence hasn’t gone for me. When I’m getting chances, I’m taking good shots. Last night, it was crossbar, and this much lower and it’s in. It’s a game of inches and in that case, even less. Half a centimeter changes us talking about this or not today.”
Duchene said of Roy’s recent challenge to his young stars to step up: “It’s part of the responsibility. It’s what we want. At the end of the day, that’s a good responsibility to have and it’s what you grow up wanting.”
Terry Frei: tfrei@denverpost.com or twitter.com/TFrei
