[AP photo]
Roy needed four wins going into Wednesday's opener to set a career record for regular-season wins. After a tie, he still needs four wins.

Ah, the life of a superstar goalie.

Kickin' back, relaxin' and, if you follow the Patrick Roy diet, sometimes eating two Big Macs a day.

The Avalanche goaltender admitted to a leisurely summer after leading Colorado to the seventh game of the Western Conference finals. So leisurely, in fact, he saw his weight balloon to almost 200 pounds, well above the 190 at which he usually plays.

Roy said he consulted his wife's cousin, who is studying diet and training, and they fashioned a suitable regime. Nothing drastic, but a little lighter on the burgers and fries. He also got back on the exercise bike.

The result: Roy said he lost 13 pounds and now has a buff 185 on his 6-foot-2 frame.

"If I still want to compete with the best in the business, I have things to do," Roy said. "I knew I had to be quicker. I have to work harder off the ice and maintain myself better to compete. I know technically I am solid, and if I could bring that into conditioning a little higher, it will balance everything else.

"I feel very good. I like the way I move."

But there is more to Roy's motivation than the maintenance of a 35-year-old body.

The Avalanche is the early Stanley Cup favorite. Some are still wondering how the team failed to get past the Stars in the Western finals.

Roy also is just three victories behind Terry Sawchuck's regular-season record of 447. Establishing a new mark will go nicely with the records for most career playoff wins (121) and 30-win seasons (10) he already holds.

"When I played my first game, all I wanted was to survive in the league as long as I could," the 16-year vet said. "When I got traded to Colorado (from Montreal) and hit the 300-win mark, I realized that it could be possible to reach that record, and it would be a nice objective to keep playing hard and bring some consistency in my play."

You can't get much more consistent than Roy, who shut out the old Winnipeg Jets in his first and only game for the Canadiens in 1985. He has three Stanley Cup rings, two with Montreal and one with the Avalanche. In 1986, he became the youngest player, at age 20, to win the Conn Smythe Trophy.

The two-time Vezina Trophy winner is 444-264-103 in the regular season with a 2.63 goals-against average and 48 shutouts. He is 121-73 in the playoffs with a 2.36 goals-against and 15 shutouts.

Want a shock? The Lightning is one of four teams against which Roy has a losing record, 6-9-1.

That hasn't diminished him in the eyes of Tampa Bay goaltender Dan Cloutier, who grew up outside Montreal as a worshiper.

"I grew up watching him. It was the only time we could stay up and watch television," Cloutier said. "Every time he's out there he wants to win. He prepares himself so well and he's so relaxed."

Roy has a few superstitions, like never skating on the blue or red lines. He writes the names of his children -- Jonathan, Frederick and Jana -- on his stick before each game. And he keeps the pucks from his shutouts in his locker until the season is over.

Cloutier said the real key is technique.

"He's always square to the shooter," Cloutier said. "He's never really out of the play. And his ability to read the play is unbelievable."

Case in point: Avalanche-Lightning last season. Colorado led 2-1 in the third period, but Tampa Bay sharpshooter Fredrik Modin had the puck alone in front of the Avalanche net.

Modin tried to go top shelf, but Roy rose and made a shoulder save.

"He's a big goalie so it's tough to see the net behind him to find a spot to get a shot," Modin said. "He moves good, too."

"When I started my career, the one thing that was very important for me is consistency," Roy said. "I had a chance to be on a winner in my first year. When that season ended and we won the Cup, I said, "Hey, I'd like to be consistent throughout my career.'

"This is something I always wanted to do, find some objective that will help me remain competitive."

With Roy now a lean, mean, puck-stopping machine, he said he feels he could play another 10 seasons.

"That's because I feel so good and I'm injury-free," he said. "I am moving very well and I'm having a lot of fun."

Roy said he has not thought about retiring and will make that decision one season at a time. Considering his competitive juices, don't be surprised if he sticks around at least another three seasons.

Assuming he plays 63 games per regular season, which is what he averaged his last four in Colorado, it will take him that long to reach 1,000 games, something no goaltender has done.

The record is 971, also by Sawchuck.

"I think for any athlete, you need objectives," said Roy, who has played in 841 regular-season games. "Players like Sawchuck and (Glenn) Hall or those great goaltenders in the past have made it interesting for goaltenders. It gives us some goals to reach."

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