Avs might have goalies edge to start
Darcy Kuemper’s hockey card collection as a kid in Saskatoon, Canada, included plenty of his favorite player, Hall of Famer Patrick Roy.
The goalie of the No. 1-seeded Colorado Avalanche wanted to make saves like Roy, step up big like Roy and collect something else Roy-like — titles.
Kuemper’s gets his shot as the Avalanche try to hoist the Stanley Cup for the first time since Roy backstopped the team to a championship in 2000-01. Game 1 of the firstround series against Nashville is tonight in Denver.
The series features two of the best defensemen in the league — Colorado’s Cale Makar and Nashville’s Roman Josi — and plenty of scoring, but boils down to what it usually does: goaltending.
The Predators will be without Juuse Saros and his 38 wins this season for the opening two games due to a left leg injury. It will either be David Rittich or Connor Ingram in net for Game 1.
The Avalanche have Kuemper, who is coming off a season in which he appeared in a career-high 57 games and won a career-best 37, which was fifthmost in club history.
“Playoffs are so fun,” said Kuemper, who turns 32 on Thursday, just in time for Game 2. “You’ve just got to kind of shut off the outside noise and just cherish the moment. Playoff hockey obviously is what you grew up dreaming of.”
Just like he grew up yearning to be the next version of Roy. Kuemper has settled in with Roy’s former team since being acquired from Arizona last summer.
“He’s been a rock for us back there,” defenseman Devon Toews said. “We just love that he makes saves.”
“Great teammate, work ethic, competitor,” said Avalanche coach Jared Bednar, whose team has been eliminated in the second round of the playoffs in each of the past three seasons, including last year against Vegas after leading 2-0 in the series. “Quiet guy. Just wants to go about his business and help your team win.”
On the other end of the ice, the Predators have a quandary in net with Saros sidelined. It could be Rittich, who picked up a shootout win over Colorado last week, or Connor Ingram, who has made three career NHL appearances.