Wednesday, December 17, 2003

Fortunately for Lacroix, Aebischer is doing what he can to make the GM's decision a little easier.

Playing in 23 of the club's first 29 games, Aebischer hasn't wilted under the pressure of being a No. 1 goalie or disappeared into the huge shadow cast by the retired Patrick Roy, whose No. 33 hangs in the Pepsi Center rafters. Rather, Aebischer has thrived on his new responsibilities, going 14-4-4 with a 2.08 goals-against average and an impressive .927 save percentage. In his past six starts, Aebischer has allowed just seven goals.

"It's a big change this year," said Aebischer, who was selected by the Avs with the 161st overall pick in the 1997 draft. "But so far, I'm having fun and I'm pretty happy with everything."

The easy-going Aebischer goes about his business much as he did last season, when he played just 22 games as Roy's caddy. There is, however, one difference in his preparation.

"I don't stay on the ice as long during practice," he said. "When you play a lot of games, you don't need to do that. I want to stay fresh and keep my mind clear. Being a starter is definitely tougher on your mind."

Showing that he's no fool, Aebischer said he kept a close eye on Roy during his three years as an understudy.

"I tried to watch the way he reacted and played on the ice and how he handled himself off the ice," Aebischer said. "I think he taught me never to take the games for granted. He was always prepared and so competitive."

Slowly, Aebischer's own competitive nature is winning over his teammates.

"Abby's answered a lot of questions for a lot of the guys," said Colorado captain Joe Sakic. "He's been great for us all year. We can see that he's stepped up to another level."

He was on that level against the Northwest-rival Canucks in Vancouver on Dec. 11. In the closest the Avalanche have come to a playoff-type game this season, Aebischer stopped 37 of 38 shots in a 1-1 tie, including 19 of 20 shots in the third and all five shots in overtime. His performance received rave reviews from his opponents as well as teammates.

"He was the difference, coming across and making some big saves in the third period," said Canucks captain Markus Naslund.

"Abby got us the point, no doubt," added Avs defenseman Rob Blake.

Interestingly, Aebischer does have a history -- albeit at a lower level -- of rising to the occasion. At the 1998 World Junior Championships, Aebischer led the underdog Swiss team to a bronze medal.

"He was great during that tournament," said former Flames GM Craig Button, who was working as an amateur scout for the Stars at the time. "Those are important games and he stepped up and performed at a very high level."

"That was a great memory," Aebischer said. "Nobody expected us to win anything. We really played over our heads."

But with high-priced players like Sakic, Blake, Peter Forsberg, Paul Kariya and Teemu Selanne sprinkled throughout the roster, the expectations are extremely high with the Avalanche. And, with a possible work stoppage in the future, the window of opportunity could be closing. Thus, Lacroix's dilemma: should he trust Aebischer or should he seek out a deal for a veteran like Sean Burke, Olaf Kolzig or Curtis Joseph?

At this point, Lacroix isn't saying a word. With his club doing well despite injuries to Forsberg and Kariya, Lacroix is not going to make a rush to judgment.

"With Aebischer playing so well, he might try to get an experienced backup instead of dealing for one of the big names," said one NHL scout.

In the meantime, Aebischer is trying to make the most of his opportunity.

"I think the guys here know me and believe I can do the job," Aebischer said. "I just have to keep taking it game by game. Really, that's the best way for me to do my job."