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Avs goalie coach wants to help Varlamov start fresh

Semyon Varlamov

Colorado Avalanche goalie Semyon Varlamov (1), of Russia, heads back onto the ice to face the Los Angeles Kings after a break in the action during the first period of a preseason NHL hockey game in Denver, Wednesday, Sept. 28, 2011. (AP Photo/Barry Gutierrez)

AP

Colorado Avalanche goaltender Semyon Varlamov has plenty of potential, but he hasn’t lived up to expectations in his first two seasons with the Colorado Avalanche. The good news is that he’s only 25 years old, so he can still rebound and have a long and successful career.

Enter Francois Allaire, the Avalanche’s newly hired goaltending coach who played a big role in the development of Patrick Roy and Jean-Sebastien Giguere and if Varlamov doubts that, he can listen to their testimonials.

“My career was going nowhere,” Giguere said, according to the Denver Post. “I immediately felt more confident. I revived my career with him.”

“I was very lucky that I met him. I have no doubt in my mind that he was a huge help in my career,” Roy said.

Of course, Roy is now the Avalanche’s head coach and the man who reached out to Allaire shortly after he got the gig. Giguere is in the twilight of his career and has been a solid backup for Colorado. Between the three of them, Varlamov has a wealth of knowledge to lean on, but it’s Allaire that’s expected to lead the charge to give Varlamov the “fresh start” he desires.

“I want him to be comfortable. That’s the main thing,” Allaire said. “After that, I want him to understand I’m not coming from a different planet. It’s the same stuff. We don’t want him to change everything. I’ve met with him a few times already.

“One of my trademarks is I try to make sure guys are feeling good and keep it simple, create good routine, make sure the guy is happy coming to the rink. Then after that, look at the tape and then find their best strength and build around it. I’m not there yet with Varly, but I expect that to come.”