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Tuesday, March 9, 1999
Ozolinsh own worst critic
WASHINGTON (CP) -- Sandis Ozolinsh joked about being a lucky charm for the Colorado Avalanche when his return from a long contract dispute helped spur the team on to a franchise-record 12-game winning streak.But Ozolinsh's luck seems to have run out in recent weeks. He had seven assists in eight games entering Tuesday's game against the Capitals, and was minus-6 in that time, making more than his share of defensive gaffes.
Ozolinsh will be the first to tell you he hasn't been at his best.
"Sometimes I don't even want to be on the ice," Ozolinsh told the Rocky Mountain News. "I'm self-conscious and I just don't want to mess up.
"When I make a mistake, I don't want to go back to the bench. It's like, 'Man, it always happens to me.' And it does. It's been a real big struggle for me. It seems like every time the other team gets a goal, I'm on the ice."
Ozolinsh missed all of training camp and the Avalanche's first 38 games while he was an unsigned Group 2 free agent, but he doesn't think that is a factor in his current slump.
"No, I don't think so," he said. "I feel good mentally. But we've had breakdowns, and I've really struggled in defensive zone coverage. I'm running around a little bit too much. In my mind, it's like, 'I've got him . . . oh, man, I should have had him."'
