by ldh2013 » Sun Jun 12, 2016 8:50 am
ENGLEWOOD, Colo. . - Sometimes, the shadow of Patrick Roy follows Semyon Varlamov around the ice. Breathing hard to catch up, too. At the conclusion of practice on Wednesday, the Colorado Avalanche coach tried to pull alongside his goaltender as he went through a cool-down session. Roy just wanted to track him down to tell Varlamov how pleased he was with the way hes been performing. After all, Varlamovs play in net has looked as efficient and effortless as, well, the Hall of Famer whos now coaching him. Off to a 7-1 start and among the league leaders in goals-against (1.76), Varlamov is thriving in the presence of Roy. "I think Varly, today, when I said how proud I was the way hes bounced back, he had a big smile," Roy said. "He was happy. I think as a player thats what you want to hear from your coach." Not just any coach, but Roy — one of the best to ever play the position. No pressure living up to his expectations. Thats the thing: Roy has been as much of a confidant as coach, which Varlamov appreciates. "This has been awesome," said the 25-year-old Varlamov after Wednesdays practice. "He can see something in a game, during a game, just some things I have to do better, what I did wrong, or something like that. Thats helped me a lot. I just have a lot of confidence." A year ago, Varlamov couldnt say that. He was struggling in goal - allowing three goals a game - and hardly looking anything like the type of franchise goalie the Avalanche thought they were acquiring when they sent a first-round pick to Washington in 2011. This season has been a big turnaround. That has to do with the arrival of Roy and a staff that included goalie coach Francois Allaire, who once mentored Roy. This summer, Allaire, Varlamov and backup Jean-Sebastien Giguere, who has two shutouts this season, spent a few weeks in Montreal honing their technique. More specifically, Allaire tweaked some minute things with Varlamovs form. Asked what precisely they worked on, Varlamov smiled and said, "I dont want to talk about that." Top secret? "Yep," he said. "But were still working on this different style a lot. Im still learning how to play that way, how coach wants me to play." Unlike past years, Varlamov isnt being asked to come up with the big save time after time, or to be the backbone of the defence. In Roys system, the defencemen are more aggressive on the offensive end and way more accountable for helping out Varlamov. "Hes not hanging out to dry like in the past with some of our old systems," defenceman Erik Johnson explained. "Its pretty cool to see Varly transition into an elite NHL goalie." Then again, forward Matt Duchene knew this day would arrive. Hes been touting the talent of Varlamov for years, but no one would listen because Colorado was so buried in the standings. "Ive been a huge fan of him since he came here," said Duchene, whos among the NHL leaders in goals with nine. "I love shooting on him at practice, because its always a challenge. "I think Varly feels more comfortable than ever right now. He knows hes not alone in this and that people are backing him up every night." This helps with Varlamovs confidence as well: He no longer feels so isolated. When he first arrived in the U.S., the Russian star spoke only broken English. By hanging out with the players in the locker room, hes steadily picked up the language to the point where he can hold a casual conversation with anyone. "Life is so much easier when you can speak with people," Varlamov said. "The boys did a good job of teaching me." Another challenge soon awaits Varlamov, one that hes trying not to think about but its getting more and more difficult: The 2014 Sochi Games in his home country. Hes hoping to be in goal for the Olympics. "Of course, thats a dream for every player growing up, to play for our national team," he said. "Its always so much fun to play for a national team. Its always something special, especially for me because Russian fans, Russian people, they pull for us. Its going to be very cool if I go and play there. "But I dont think right now about Sochi. I think only about how were playing here, with Colorado." . Huff left the team in New York over the weekend after struggling at the plate and in the field. The Giants originally said he had a family emergency. Manager Bruce Bochy said on Wednesday that Huff is getting treatment for anxiety. .com) - Steven Fletcher scored on either side of the intermission on Monday as Sunderland took a 3-1 victory over 10-man Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park. .1 million, one-year contract. A 29-year-old right-hander, Boggs helped St. Louis win the 2011 World Series title and was 4-1 with a 2.PARIS - Michael Schumacher is showing "small, encouraging signs" that he may awake from his coma, his agent said Wednesday, more than two months after a ski crash left the Formula One champion with severe head injuries. Updates since Schumachers accident have offered few details and limited optimism for the man who once drove the worlds fastest cars and motorcycles but was critically injured on a familiar ski slope during a family outing. Wednesdays statement was little different, describing "an extremely intimate and fragile situation" for his family. "It is very hard to comprehend for all of us that Michael, who had overcome a lot of precarious situations in the past, has been hurt so terribly in such a banal situation," Sabine Kehm, a family representative, wrote in a statement. "We are and remain confident that Michael will pull through and will wake up. There sometimes are small, encouraging signs, but we also know that this is the time to be very patient." Small signs that physicians are watching for could include fluttering eyelids, or efforts to breathe without a ventilator. "This doesnt change ones opinion of Schumachers situation in general. Its still very difficult to predict wwhat his long-term recovery will be like and if he does wake up and comes off the ventilator," said Dr. . Tipu Aziz, professor of neurosurgery at Oxford University. "In all likelihood he will be severely disabled," said Aziz, who has not been involved in treating Schumacher. Schumacher, known affectionately as Schumi, was hospitalized with severe head injuries after the Dec. 29 ski accident, which split his helmet as he crashed into rocks on the slope at the Meribel ski station in the French Alps. Doctors put him into a coma to rest his brain and decrease swelling, and they operated to remove blood clots, but some were too deeply embedded. Neurologists not involved in his treatment say full recovery appears increasingly unlikely, given the comas duration and the extent of his injuries. "Every brain injury is different and no two routes to recovery will be the same," said Luke Griggs, a spokesman for Headway, a British brain injury charity. "It is fair to suggest that any patient waking from a three month-long coma will face the prospect of a long and challenging road to recovery, with the eventual outcome uncertain." AP medical writer Maria Cheng contributed from London. ' ' '
