Here is from Thursday’s 5-4 loss to Minnesota at the Pepsi Center. Check back for a full-quote story.
So … why didn’t Patrick Roy call his timeout during Minnesota’s four-goal rally within 5:07 of the third period. His explanation — based on the new coach’s challenge rule — makes sense:
Avs defenseman Tyson Barrie: “Embarrassing. To play 40 great minutes of great hockey like we did and then leave Varly hung out to dry like that, we’re embarrassed in here. We’re pissed off. We’re not going to go back to last year and play like we did at the beginning of the year. It’s not good enough.”
Avs forward John Mitchell: “We just have to be mentally stronger than that. You know they’re going to come out and throw the kitchen sink at us in the third period, and they might get one. But at that point you have to be composed and do the things we did in the first two periods — smart plays, moving our feet, chipping pucks in, just those little things. We got away from that and it came back and bite us in the (tail).”
