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Friday, November 6, 1998
Roy on the rebound?
The end result is the same, though - devastation.
The Colorado Avalanche are buried in the standings after a slow start this NHL season, but digging his way out - or so we're led to believe - is goaltender Patrick Roy.
Roy, who has the worst goals-against average in the NHL among starting neminders (3.73), made 25 saves against the Toronto Maple Leafs Wednesday, but the struggling Avs still lost 3-0.
That pretty much sums up Colorado's year to date.
"That was by far Patrick's best game of the season, so far," said Avalanche head coach Bob Hartley afterwards. "That leads us to believe he is out of his slump and that is what the good news is."
Roy could hardly be blamed for any of the three goals. Steve Thomas and Steve Sullivan both took advantage of huge defensive miscues and Mats Sundin picked one out of the air for the third.
"Sullivan made a pretty good shot and Thomas made an unbelievable shot," said Roy, who hasn't been having much fun so far with a brutal 1-6-1 record and lowly .866 save percentage. His 3.73 GAA is more than a goal a game worse than his 13-year career average.
"Hey listen, when you have expectations like everyone has for our team, then you should not have fun," he recently told the Denver Post. "You should not laugh.
"It's fun when you win. That's the way it is. That's the only way I learned it was in Montreal, anyway."
But before Oiler fans get overconfident and too wrapped up in Roy's misery, don't forget his only win was the 6-4 decision over Edmonton back on Oct. 24.
After that, though, he was beaten 3-2 by the expansion Nashville Predators. The Avs then went to backup Craig Billington in Carolina and he pulled off a win before Roy and teammates faltered again Wednesday in Toronto.
Which Roy will Oilers fans see tonight if he gets the start, as expected?
That's the question.
"We've been up and down about six games, but I liked the way I played in the third period against Nashville," Roy said. "We have to stop looking five games ahead and start taking them one at a time."
OZ AT ODDS: Unsigned defenceman Sandis Ozolinsh, a key to the Colorado power play, and agent Paul Theofanous - who also represents Oilers rearguard Boris Mironov - are getting nowhere with Avalanche GM Pierre Lacroix.
"I really believe, from the way (our last meeting) went, that they don't care about him," said Theofanous, who turned down a three-year, $9.9-million offer.
Obviously they're having a tough time winning without him.