Injuries at forward are hittingAvs hard
The rash of injuries to Avalanche depth at forward seemingly has become contagious.
Despite all of the injuries to third- and fourth-line centers and wings, Avalanche coach Patrick Roy has maintained his sense of humor.
When co-assistant general manager Craig Billington told Roy he was going to watch the Lake Erie team play, Roy said he didn’t need to.
“I said you just have to watch us tomorrow night,” said Roy, who has already used seven AmericanHockey League regulars this season, including five forwards. “But I’m very proud of our team. Our guys haven’t looked for excuses.”
TheAvs havewon five of their past seven games, and they were tied late in the third period in the two games they lost during that stretch.
Third-line center John Mitchell has rejoined the injury list after reinjuring his leg Saturday. Fourth-liner Marc-Andre Cliche will miss up to two weeks because of an oblique ailment, also suffered in the Avs’ 5-2 victory over visiting Dallas.
JamieMcGinn (back), Dennis Everberg (shoulder), Ben Street (hand), Jesse Winchester (head) and Patrick Bordeleau (back) remain out and won’t playMonday againstMontreal.
McGinn might face seasonending surgery, Roy said. McGinn, who also can contribute on the first two lines, missed training camp and the preseason with the same back issue.
“He’s been evaluated every day by our team doctors,” Roy said, “and there’s going to be a decision that’s going to have to be made: Does he require a surgery or not?”
TheAvs recalled forwardsColin Smith and Mike Sgarbossa from Lake Erie on Sunday; they probably will play with fellow Monsters regular Tomas Vincour against Montreal. Smith and Sgarbossa have 12 points apiece in 18 games for Lake Erie.
The Avs’ third line probably will featureMax Talbot, Daniel Briere and CodyMcLeod.
The top six forwards are healthy: center Matt Duchene with Ryan O’Reilly and Alex Tanguay, and Nathan MacKinnon between Gabe Landeskog and Jarome Iginla.
Defenseman Brad Stuart (hamstring) also is out as the Avalanche continues on with just six defensemen.
“We’re not the only team this happens to. It just seems they all happen at once,” said defenseman Nate Guenin. “You get a guy who is playing well and Roy said. “It would have been tough for a rookieGMin amarket likeMontreal to go with a rookie coach. Actually, I think theymade the right decision. Michel went through it once, and I think he was very well prepared for the second time. He’s been doing a super job.”
Still, I couldn’t help but think of that news conference in Denver inMay 2013, when Roy sat next to a rookie (de facto) general manager, Joe Sakic, and told us: “I was surprised that no one asked me a question about experience and stuff like that, and to be honest with you, I checked one very interesting stat: 100 percent of the coaches who are coaching now
7 p.m. Monday, ALT; 950 AM then he’ll come down with an injury, and then he’s out and it takes time for him to get back into the groove.
“You feel for the player, but also the team. Then you can look at the otherway, whereas it gives guys an opportunity they wouldn’t necessarily have. But there’s no feeling sorry for ourselves.” in the NHL were rookies at one time in their careers.”
Roy, with a Jack Adams Award as the NHL’s coach of the year added to his résumé, is past that now too. After that amazing 112-point season in his first year, the Avalanche’s slow start has been a test of his poise and his patience. So far, although also as a titled hockey executive he has been part of some apparent organizational misjudgments, he is proving to be adaptive to trying circum
stances.