Giguere Starts to Regain Form of Last Season

St. Louis’ Pavol Demitra fired a wicked shot with 24.5 seconds left Sunday. Duck goaltender Jean-Sebastien Giguere stopped it and held the puck.

No rebound. No tying goal in what was a 4-3 Duck victory. And certainly no more questions about whether Giguere could generate the buzz he created during the playoffs last spring.

Giguere has given up 11 goals in the last five games, three of which were in overtime, for an impressive 2.13 goals-against average.

That is a dramatic reduction from the three goals a game he was giving up in October, when he had a woeful .893 save percentage. Yet, that sort of start was hardly unfamiliar turf. Giguere had an .890 save percentage while winning only one of his first eight starts last season.

Giguere, who has won his last three starts, isn’t buying the slow-start theory.

“I know my preparation is good in the summer,” he said. “I try to come to camp in good shape. I skate, I do a couple weeks working with [goaltender consultant] Francois Allaire. I was aware of last year’s slow start and I came into this year looking for a good start. Maybe I was pressing too hard.”

Still, with the bad start behind him, Giguere wouldn’t promise a repeat of last season, when each month his goals-against average got lower. He capped the season by winning the Conn Smythe Trophy as the most valuable player in the playoffs.

“Last year, he had the tough start; last year was his first time as an NHL starter,” Coach Mike Babcock said. “This year, other firsts for him. Is that typical? Six or seven years from now, I won’t be sitting here, but some guy will [be the coach] and he might know the answer to that. We don’t know what’s typical at this point for Jiggy. We just know he’s a real good goaltender.”

*

Former Duck center Adam Oates, 41, signed a prorated $2-million, one-year contract with Edmonton. Oates had nine goals and 45 points last season, despite sitting out 15 games because of a broken hand.

*

TONIGHT

at Colorado, 5, PST,

Fox Sports Net2, ESPN2

Site -- Pepsi Center.

Radio -- XPRS (1090).

Records -- Ducks 7-7-1-3; Avalanche 10-5-1-1.

Record vs. Avalanche -- (2002-03) 3-0-0-1.

Update -- Paul Kariya will sit out this Duck reunion and is out indefinitely because of a sprained wrist. Peter Forsberg is out because of a strained groin or a strained stomach muscle -- the story varies. Duck defenseman Kurt Sauer (sprained ankle) will not play tonight.