Roy getting better all the time

Steve Carp

Friday, Sept. 19, 1997 | 9 a.m.

He is arguably the best at his position over the last decade and he shows no signs of slowing down.

So if people think Patrick Roy's best days are behind him, guess again. The Colorado Avalanche goaltender is coming off his best season ever and has added motivation fueling his preparation for the upcoming 1997-98 season.

"You need some objectives," said Roy, who turns 32 next month and has 349 wins in 15 NHL seasons. "I want to pass Terry Sawchuck's record for most wins (447) and I want to be at my best every time I play.

"And of course, I want to win another (Stanley) Cup."

The Avalanche, which is in town to meet the Los Angeles Kings Saturday in an NHL preseason game at the MGM Grand Garden, was unable to hold off the Detroit Red Wings last spring and came up short in defense of its 1995-96 Stanley Cup title.

But it wasn't due to Roy. The 15-year NHL veteran posted a league-high 38 wins, including seven shutouts (equalling his personal high) with a 2.32 goals-against average, his lowest ever.

"I felt great all year," Roy said. "But the big thing was I had fun."

Roy has a theory why the Avalanche was unable to repeat.

"Last year, we had to deal with a lot of things," he said. "First, there was the World Cup and we had a lot of players who were playing in it. So when we got to training camp, we didn't have as good a camp as we should have.

"We also had guys with contract problems and that's always a distraction. Then we had some key injuries. I think when you put it all together, it took a lot of gas out of us come playoff time.

"Plus, you have to give Detroit a lot of credit. Detroit was a very hungry hockey team when they played us. They played very smart and they worked hard. They certainly deserve everything they got."

Instead of moping over a lost opportunity to repeat, Roy wants to use last season as added motivation.

"For myself, I look at what happened to us last year as a positive. You always want to learn from your mistakes and I think we will. I think you'll see a more focused, more determined Colorado Avalanche this year."

It certainly doesn't hurt having captain Joe Sakic back in Denver. The big center was courted by the New York Rangers during the summer and he signed a $17 million offer sheet to play in Madison Square Garden.

But Avalanche president and general manager Pierre Lacroix matched the Rangers' offer and Sakic remained in Colorado.

"I wasn't surprised at all," Roy said when he learned that his teammate was staying put. "If they didn't match, it would've meant they were going in a different direction.

"Plus, they're going to build a new arena and you need a successful team if you're going to fill all those seats."

Indeed, that was the Avalanche's logic in keeping Sakic. And as any hockey fan knows, a team must be strong up the middle to be considered championship material. With Roy coming off his best season ever and Sakic remaining in the fold to center Colorado's top line, the Avs are indeed one of the favorites to regain the Stanley Cup.

And Roy is making sure he is ready.

"I've worked hard this summer to stay in shape," he said. "But more importantly, I try to stay in shape mentally. It's a long season so I want to be fresh and relaxed."

Living in the Rockies, Roy can relax. The media scrutiny is nothing close to what he dealt with playing in Montreal, where people live and die daily with the fortunes of the Canadiens.

"Coming to Denver, it's a different approach," he said of a media spotlight which doesn't shine upon him as often or as brightly. "In Montreal, the media concentrate on one thing. Here in Denver, you have five pro teams plus the college teams. There's so much more to talk and write about.

"The people in Denver love to win. And they love to have a good show. If you play well and don't win, they appreciate the effort. In Montreal, the bottom line is winning. There's much more pressure."