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Roy explains Parenteau benching |
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Rick Sadowski
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PA Parenteau will be a healthy scratch for the second consecutive game Thursday when the Avalanche faces Minnesota at the Pepsi Center, but coach Patrick Roy said after the morning skate that he isn't unhappy with the 30-year-old forward.
Parenteau has nine goals and 16 assists in 41 games after collecting 18 goals and 25 assists in 48 games last season, his first after signing a four-year, $16 million contract as a free agent. He had one assist in three games after missing 10 games with a sprained knee and was scratched Monday when the Avalanche won 4-3 in Dallas.
"I like PA, he’s a great guy,” Roy said. “Unfortunately in this business when you get hurt, sometimes it gives opportunity for others to show -- and, actually, that’s what I ask, to take advantage of this opportunity when a player was hurt — and I like the lineup that I have right now."
Roy said the top two lines are playing too well for him to make a change there. He pointed out that third-line forwards John Mitchell and Max Talbot are "playing really well" and also kill penalties, which Parenteau doesn't do.
"When you come to make decisions, it's nothing personal," Roy said. "I know that PA's going to help us in the near future. It happens to every player to go through a situation like this. It’s the beauty of having everyone being healthy right now and makes my job tougher because everybody is playing well, and that’s why we are where we are. Seventy-one points — it’s a very good season so far for us.”
Roy said Parenteau is handling the situation "outstanding," and said he told him the following story about his own disappointment in his second season with Montreal:
"My first NHL year we won the Stanley Cup and the following year we played Boston in the first round and we won four straight," Roy said. "We played four games in five nights in the first round and we played the Quebec Nordiques in the second round and we lost the first game. Jean Perron was the head coach and he decided to go with Brian Hayward for game No. 2. I went to meet him and I said, 'We won the Stanley Cup the year before, I won the Conn Smythe. I said, this is my first loss and I would like to have a second chance.' He said, 'Last year I had no choice and this year I have a choice and I'm going with Hayward.'
"At the end of this I was not battling and working hard and when he put me back in what do you think happened? I was (bad)."
Roy lost the only other game he played that postseason, but the Canadiens outlasted the Nordiques in seven games before losing a six-game series to Philadelphia in the conference finals.
"I said to PA, 'Keep working hard. You're going to play,' " Roy said. "I like PA. I see him every day and I talk to him. It's not easy for me as a coach to do a decision like this because he's a good hockey player. But sometimes we need different type of players in different roles and right now the guys that play on the top two lines are playing so well. I try to be fair to the guys and that's what I try to do as a coach. I think it would send the wrong message right now."
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Avalanche right wing Alex Tanguay will play his first home game since Nov. 2, when he sustained knee and hip injuries in a game against Montreal. He has a goal and an assist in two games after missing 36 games with his injuries.
"I'm just happy to be back and I hope we keeping playing the same way that we have," he said. "For me, whether I play on the road or at home, I'm just happy to get back. It'll be nice to play in front of the home crowd. It's always exciting to play at home."
This is an important game for both teams. The Avalanche is third in the Central Division with a 33-14-5 record and 71 points in 52 games. Fourth-place Minnesota has a 29-20-6 record with 64 points in 55 games. Both teams have gone 9-3-1 in January.
The Wild is without goalie Josh Harding, forward Mikko Koivu and defenseman Jared Spurgeon but has gone 4-1-1 in the past six games while getting strong goaltending from rookie Darcy Kuemper, who will make his ninth consecutive start. He has a 6-3-1 record with one shutout, a 2.26 goals-against average and .924 save percentage since getting called up from Iowa in the AHL. Zach Parise is back after missing 14 games with a foot injury. He had a goal and two assists Tuesday in the Wild's 4-2 win in Anaheim.
Semyon Varlamov will start for the Avalanche, which has won three of four games against the Wild this season. Varlamov is 2-0-1 against Minnesota this year with a 1.58 goals-against average and .945 save percentage.
Here's the Avalanche lineup:
FORWARDS
Ryan O'Reilly -- Matt Duchene -- Jamie McGinn
Gabriel Landeskog -- Paul Stastny -- Alex Tanguay
Max Talbot -- Nathan MacKinnon -- John Mitchell
Cody McLeod -- Marc-Andre Cliche -- Patrick Bordeleau
DEFENSE
Jan Hejda -- Erik Johnson
Andre Benoit -- Nate Guenin
Nick Holden -- Tyson Barrie
GOALIES
Semyon Varlamov
Jean-Sebastien Giguere
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