Coach Doesn’t Fret Giguere’s Wild Play

Nothing makes Mighty Duck Coach Mike Babcock antsy these days like questions about the double-edged sword his goalie, Jean-Sebastien Giguere, has been this season.

At times, Giguere has been amazing, weathering shot barrages and breakaways.

Yet, there have been lapses, like Friday when Vancouver’s Todd Bertuzzi came from behind the net and banked a shot off Giguere’s shoulder to tie the score with five minutes left.

“What are you guys doin’?” Babcock said when asked about Giguere’s performance this season.

“He’s the glue. He hasn’t played like we expected ... “

Babcock paused to watch a fight during the Philadelphia-Washington game, then continued, “Every night it’s a one-goal game, if there’s one bad goal and that’s the goal that cost you the game, is that what you mean?”

Giguere was pelted by the Kings Wednesday and stopped three breakaways. Yet Giguere said he should have stopped the game-winner by Adam Deadmarsh, which zipped by his glove hand. Against Vancouver, he twice stopped Markus Naslund on prime chances in the third period. Then Bertuzzi slipped one in.

“I figure there are a lot of tricky goals that have gone in, goals that you don’t see very often,” Giguere said. “I just have to cut those goals off.”

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TODAY

vs. Colorado, 1 p.m.

Channel 9

Site -- Arrowhead Pond.

Radio -- KPLS (830).

Records -- Ducks 1-3-1-0, Avalanche 2-1-1-0.

Record vs. Avalanche (2001-02) -- 0-3-1-0.

Update -- The Ducks have given up a goal in the first two minutes in their last two games. “We’re going to play the first two minutes in the dressing room before we get on the ice,” Babcock said. The Avalanche defeated the Sharks, 3-1, Saturday afternoon in San Jose.