Through the first month of the season, it seemed as if the Colorado Avalanche could never do enough to come out on top. When they played good defense, they couldn’t score. When they scored, they couldn’t play good defense. And through the whole time, Patrick Roy kept saying the same thing: “Don’t panic.”
Roy felt the Avs were just an inch away from clicking, and so far through the start of November, it looks like the cogs are finally beginning to turn.
So for now, when the Avs fall to the Maple Leafs 5-1 on a Tuesday night, let’s all take a page out of Roy’s playbook and stay calm. The Colorado Avalanche can’t start to panic now.
Here’s what Roy had to say on the Fan Morning Show Wednesday morning about where the team is and where they need to go:
On whether he would have been happy with a 3-1 start to their seven-game road trip
“Yes, absolutely. We’d be very happy … It was a good moment for us. I thought we managed our game well. We were playing with swagger, confidence around the net. It made a big difference in those three games.”
On the rough start to the Maple Leafs:
“It was an off night, obviously. They scored short-handed on the first one. I thought we had a decent start, and we just turned the puck over on the power play, and, boom, they got the first one. And you know it’s going to be a rough night when that happens.”
On the collapse of their penalty kill
“It’s unfortunate because since the start of the year, I think we gave up only 14 shorthanded goals. It seems to me like when it goes in, it goes in. I watched the game against the Panthers, we gave up three for three. And then last night four for five. Half of our goals have been scored against us in two games. If you take out those two games, our penalty killing is at the top of the league.”
On Semyon Valamov’s health:
“Right now, we’re trying to make sure he feels strong on the ice. Obviously, the groin has been a problem the past two years. We’ve almost been hostage from him the last two years with that injury. It’s a tough one for him; it’s a tough one for the team.We just need to make sure he gets his groin solid, and from there we’ll see. Maybe this is something we need to reevaluate after the season.
On how important their goaltending is
“I honestly think that, yes, we need our goaltenders to be the best player on our team. I mean, this is how we made the playoff two years ago. Every night our goaltenders have been the best player on our team, we’ve won our games. And I think that goes for every team.”
