Giguere Waits for Next Chance

One game in two weeks, although odd for a No. 1 goalie, has not exactly turned Jean-Sebastien Giguere into a man of leisure.

Long breaks in the schedule and three consecutive starts for Martin Gerber have combined to create the sizable gaps. Since getting pulled Dec. 5 at Atlanta, Giguere has played once, in Sunday’s 3-2 loss to Edmonton.

“Not playing does not mean not working,” Giguere said after practice Thursday. “It gives you time to work on your game. Obviously, things are not going my way right now, so it gives me a chance to work harder in practice, better in practice and try to [get] my game back.

“In the last month or so I’ve had maybe two bad games. But before those, I was on a roll.”

Giguere has been looking for quality over quantity in practice.

“Sometimes you work hard, but you don’t work well,” he said. “So sometimes you have to make sure you work well too. I’ve been focusing a little bit more, making sure I’m just doing the right things.”

He has played in 20 of 31 games and is 4-13-2 with a goals-against average of 2.91 and save percentage of .904. At the 31-game point of last season, Giguere was 12-10-4 with a goals-against average of 2.22 and .918 save percentage.

*

Coach Mike Babcock said he would decide today whether forward Dan Bylsma, returning from off-season knee surgery, would play tonight against the Colorado Avalanche. Injured defensemen Keith Carney and Sandis Ozolinsh also are ready to come back and will play tonight, Babcock said.

Forward Rob Niedermayer, who had a setback last week, is going slow this time and said his injured groin was feeling better. But he hasn’t put a date on his return.

*

And now, for an update on the Avalanche Fund.

Former Duck Paul Kariya of the Avalanche got it started before the first meeting between the Ducks and Avalanche, on Nov. 18 in Colorado, offering a reported $3,000 to the player scoring the game-winner.

It turned out to be another former Duck, Teemu Selanne, who had the winning goal, in overtime.

Understandably, the move did not go down well here. Angered Duck fans started their own fund, to go to the selected charity of the player scoring the winning goal against Colorado tonight. Should the game end in a tie or a Duck loss, the money will kick over to the next home game against the Avalanche.

The total, according to the Web site, www.allducks.com, had hit $1,360 as of 3 p.m. Thursday.

*

TONIGHT

vs. Colorado, 7:30

Fox Sports Net 2

Site -- Arrowhead Pond.

Radio -- XPRS (1090).

Records -- Ducks 10-12-4-5, Avalanche 16-8-5-1.

Record vs. Avalanche -- 0-0-0-1.

Update -- Colorado’s eight-game unbeaten streak (4-0-4) ended Wednesday night with a 3-2 loss to Minnesota. Though center Peter Forsberg was scheduled to accompany the Avalanche on this trip to Southern California, he won’t play but will continue rehabilitation of his groin and abdominal injuries. Forsberg has not played since Nov. 9. Kariya is out because of a sprained wrist.

Tickets -- Sold out.