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Roy after Avs victory: ‘It was an important win for us’

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James OBrien

After being humiliated by the Edmonton Oilers 8-2 last night - a game in which Semyon Varlamov absorbed all of those goals - Patrick Roy and the Colorado Avalanche badly wanted a victory. They got it, as Jean-Sebastien Giguere guided them to a 3-2 win against the Calgary Flames on Friday.

“It was an important win for us,” Roy said.

Roy invited references to his infamous final game with the Montreal Canadiens by leaving Varlamov in for that full Thursday onslaught, yet keeping Giguere fresh paid off. The 36-year-old stopped 26 out of 28 shots to improve his 2013-14 record to 7-0-0. He also tied Ken Dryden for 44th all-time in goalie wins with 258.

Colorado vaults back into the mix as one of the West’s leading teams, although that group is bursting at anywhere between five and seven, depending upon how you view the Los Angeles Kings and Minnesota Wild. While Colorado trails top team Chicago by five standings points, Colorado has played four fewer games than Chicago. Like St. Louis, they could close that gap with strong play next week (and so on).

Either way, winning on Friday must be a relief for Roy, as his Avalanche avoided losing back-to-back games against the two worst teams in the West.

Follow James O’Brien @cyclelikesedins