Avs say they’re putting Duchene issue behind
The Colorado Avalanche have turned the page on Matt Duchene.
Now they’re ready to take the next step.
It’s going to be different seeing their former teammate wearing an Ottawa Senators uniform Friday at the Ericsson Globe, when the teams square off in the opener of their NHL Global Series. But the focus is on trying to get a victory as this back-to-back set gets underway.
“For the most part, we’ve done a good job of staying focused,” Avs captain Gabriel Landeskog said Thursday. “It’s something that has been the elephant in the room for some time now. We’ve talked about moving forward and just winning some games.”
Landeskog has a lot of respect for Duchene and what he did during his time with the Avalanche.
“I came (here) in 2011 and he had already been in the league two years at that point,” Landeskog said.
“I think we both kind of grew together, learned things together and figured things out together. He’s a very dynamic player, skilled player and a really good guy.
“His skill is always something that you watched in practice and you’d see the things he was doing and he’d laugh at me and I’d try to do some of the things he was doing and it wouldn’t always be a success. His creativity and his willingness to learn things every day ... he’s never afraid to try things in games and practice.
“A lot of times he’ll have some success. You’ve seen some of things. Hopefully, he’ll have some success in Ottawa. I just hope it’s not this weekend.”
Of course, Landeskog is also going to get a chance to play against his old friend Fredrik Claesson, who was paired with Senators captain Erik Karlsson during practice Thursday. Claesson and Landeskog grew up together and know each other well.
“I’m pretty stoked,” Landeskog said. “I know he went out in the media (Tuesday) and started saying he was going to hit me if he sees open ice, but it could the other way around if I dump it in his corner and I see him.
“It’s going to be a blast. There’s going to be some friends up in the stands. I don’t know who they’re going to be cheering for, but it’ll be fun.”