Adam Foote's Called Shot

In Elliot Freedman's latest 30 Thoughts column, this story made #27:

Adam Foote was booed every time he touched the puck Saturday night in Columbus. Down 2-1 after two, he told his teammates, “It’s going to be that much sweeter when we win this game.” Colorado rallied to win it.

Nothing like calling the win. Maybe it's time to get over it, CB fans?

Avalanche 4 - Blackhawks 3; Game Highlights

If there's one thing we should know by now about this Avalanche squad, it's that a 2-goal deficit means the game is just getting started. With five minutes left on the clock and a 2-0 deficit, a lot of fans must have been thinking "If we can get just one goal, this game will be ours." I know I did.

Look up in the sky...

Who better to reward our faith than another gap-toothed favorite, Ryan O'Reilly. In what was thought to be Matt Duchene's year, Ryan O'Reilly has shown what this team has been missing for some time - a true 3rd-line center.

O'Reilly nabbed two goals tonight and as always, was solid from start to finish in both zones. When I watched O'Reilly during Team Canada's orientation camp scrimmages, you had the feeling that this kid was destined to be an excellent 3rd-line center. That it has happened so soon is gravy on top of what has been a sweet boat ride through the first fifth of the season.

Avast thar

Twice I've predicted David Jones to have a 30-goal season. Once, I was wrong. But this time, it's looking good. Jones' shorthanded goal in the 2nd period was the exact goal I expect him to score. That he did it by making Dustin Byfuglien look pedestrian on the point is all the better. If he can stay healthy, he's going to hit it.

Miscellany

I love Duncan Keith and can't wait to see him play for Team Canada in Vancouver. There's no way they can't put this guy on the squad.

What the hell was Andrew Ladd doing all alone in front of the Avs net on that third goal? Taking advantage of the Avs losing assignments again, that's what.

Cody Mcleod came back and laid out 6 hits. I think it's clear what the Highlander brings to this squad, eh?

Brett Clark with 12 blocked shots? I'm still not a fan of his defensive positioning but the man has brass balls.

Kyle Quincey broke the 30 minute barrier tonight. Beast! Adam Foote played 26 minutes. That's too much for him at his current speed. The Liles injury put them in a tough spot but Foote shouldn't be playing more than Scott Hannan.

Next game

The Edmonton Oilers are in town tomorrow night at 8:00pm ET. I think the Avs 6-0 winning streak at home will continue on.

Related Links

Advertising ABCs
MHH Recap
NHL.com Event Summary

Denver Sports Radio Interview

My 10-minutes of radio fame is up! In case you missed it you can listen to the replay below. I'm big on data storage and don't like anything to vanish into the tubes, never to be seen again.

I'll have a follow-up post later tonight or tomorrow to finish off a few thoughts I had. The 10 minutes went by quick and I had more to say but wanted to make sure we covered all the topics they wanted to discuss.

Did anyone catch my two slip-ups? First was calling Budaj "boody" but there was another one in there that I kind of adjusted mid-sentence so it wasn't a total screw up. Just a partial one.

Blogger doesn't do audio uploads but it does do video (?!?!?) so I had to convert it before uploading. Enjoy staring at the Avs logos while listening to my babble on!

Avalanche Brass Make Right Choice Naming Foote Captain

A couple days ago, I posted this. Geo then tried to asplode my head in the comments and I responded by saying I thought that Paul Stastny would be named the captain.

That wasn't because I wanted Stastny to be the captain. It was simply because so many other NHL teams have recently put the C on players who have barely hit puberty, let alone figured out how to captain an NHL team.

The Avalanche decided to go a new/old route and named aging vet, Adam Foote, captain of the 2009/10 Colorado Avalanche. And it's 100% the correct choice.

We all know Foote can lead. We've seen it in the glory days many times and to stand out as a leader on stacked squads is quite a feat. If you were to go into battle, can you honestly tell me you wouldn't want Foote beside you?

We've seen little of what Stastny can do as far as leadership in his short time in the league and have no idea if a better leader will emerge in the near future.

There's no point putting the weight of a rebuilding team on a young players shoulders. Let a vet handle the load, ultimately passing off a lighter one to an older and wiser young star.

And naming a captain before training camp started? Aces all around.

It's a good start to the season from Avalanche brass. Let's hope they keep it up.

Paul Stastny Injury a Real Bummer

I was sitting around relaxing on a Saturday when two new Avalanche videos popped up in Google Reader.

First, I checked out Ian Laperriere's video which was as enlightening as it gets with hockey players these days.

"Well, what else is there to say about Stastny's injury?", you declare.

Don't worry, the ace reporter grilling Adam Foote has the answer.

It's a bummer.

After Foote declared that you never want to lose anybody, least of all Stastny, the intrepid investigator asked the following intellectual gem:

It's kind of a bummer. How do you keep from not getting bummed. I don't know, if it was me I guess I'd be a little bit bummed.

Move over Larry King, there's a new ace interviewer on the beat!

And apparently he smokes a lot of weed.

Avalanche vs Blackhawks Game Preview

It has been a bitch of a week. I'm paying a mortgage + rent (long story), still can't get a decent sleep at night, had a ridiculous end to the work week, Joe Sakic nearly severed his fingers plus I still don't have my damn TV. Cable box but no TV. How messed up is that?

But do you know what could save it all? If the Avalanche could crush the Joel Quenneville-led Chicago Blackhawks tonight.

I don't want them to squeak out a win. I want them to annihilate the bastards. 6-0, 7-1, 8-3. Anything less than a 5-goal cushion just won't do it for me.

I want to see pain on the face of their players. I want to see rage in Quenneville's eyes. I want their fans to feel this loss for years to come. I want Wolski to undress Khabibulin the way Toews did Theodore.

I want a hug.

Lines
Marek Svatos is day-to-day with a back injury and will sit out this game. The Avs have called up Phillippe Dupuis from Lake Erie to fill the vacant roster spot.

With Darcy Tucker not at 100% yet, Dupuis could find himself in the lineup tonight which should be interesting. It's always fun to see someone play their first NHL game even if that player comes with no hype.

On defense, Adam Foote is back in the lineup and Daniel Tjarnqvist finds himself back in the press box. It's unfortunate as Tjarnqvist put in a decent relief effort while Foote was out.

Foote skated with John-Michael Liles during practice which would bump Ruslan Salei back over to a line with Jordan Leopold who was previously paired with Tjarnqvist. Man, that was a confusing sentence, wasn't it?

I'll re-word:
Foote-Liles
Clark-Hannan
Salei-Leopold

Goaltending
Quenneville is clinging to his "lose the right to play in goal" motto with an iron grip as he is starting Nikolai Khabibulin tonight.

Who cares if Cristobal Huet has won 3 of his last 4 starts. So what that he shut out Ottawa on Wednesday? Big deal that he seems to play better with more starts. What difference does it make that his confidence seems to be rising?

It's all about the competition. And healthy competition at that. right? They have to be scared to lose. They have to be afraid to make a mistake. They have to know that if they screw up, they're benched.

Because nothing inspires confidence and trust like making people scared to make a mistake.

For the Avs, Tony Granato will likely continue to ride Peter Budaj. I thought Budaj was going to tire out a bit but he appears to be going strong.

I just hope Granato and Budaj will be honest enough with each other to know when he does need a rest.

Game time
Puck drop is at 9:00 ET, 7:00 MT at the Pepsi Center.

Related Links

Avs unafraid of Sakic's absence

Tjarnqvist: Back on the pine

Avalanche report: Foote ready to return

Leading resurgent Chicago, Quenneville at peace with himself (Was he at war before? Because that could explain a lot)

Zeiler Suspended Three Games for hit on Foote

TSN is reporting that Los Angeles Kings forward John Zeiler has been suspended for three games for his hit on Adam Foote.

I'm not sure when the league is going to start trying to actually deter this kind of play because three games frankly doesn't seem like much.

I wasn't in outrage when the hit happened due to the plethora of similar plays that happened lately causing a bit of indifference. I can't think of the darn psychological term for it but I know there is one. Psych 101 is almost a decade behind me so can someone help me out?

Anyways, the hit was dirty, dangerous and could have been debilitating. And it wasn't a hit that had to happen. Yes, Foote saw him coming and kept his back turned the whole time. That's the key point. He never once showed Zeiler anything but his numbers.

Remember kids, when you see the numbers, you let up. Even if your coach gives you shit over it.

Which would you prefer? Your dick of a coach to get a bit pissed at you or to paralyze someone for the rest of their life?

Related Links
Kings' Zeiler only gets three games for Foote hit

Avalanche @ Ducks, Game 20 Preview

We're at approximately the quarter-way point of the season and the Avalanche sit just below .500 with a 9-10-0 record. That's good enough for 18 points, 13th in the Western Conference, 5th in the Northwest division and 10 points back of the division leading Vancouver Canucks. I won't even mention how far back they are of the Conference - and League - leading San Jose Sharks.

Identity schmidentity
So what's going on? Terry Frei thinks - as Tapeleg noted before the season began - that it's an identity crisis:

The word "identity" is overused and often misused in sports. But in this case, I think it applies. This still looks like a team trying to figure out how it wants to and can play, and still trying to forge a collective personality.

I don't think anyone can argue with that statement. When the defense tightens up, so does the offense. When the offense goes full-bore, the defense tails off. When the goaltending is there, the goals aren't. When the goaltending takes a night off, the lamp stays lit at both ends.

What will it take to get all three factions running at top speed? Coaching, that's what.

In that same article, Tony Granato conceded that attention to defensive detail "shouldn't take that much away from our offense."

Amen. Just because you tighten up on D doesn't mean you start hanging five guys back in the neutral zone. It means the players back to backcheck harder when the rush is broken up.

It also means the coach has to let the players know what their responsibilities are. I still get the feeling Granato hasn't done that well enough.

Injury updates
In some good news, the injuries that Adam Foote and Wojtek Wolski sustained in the Kings matchup on Saturday don't appear too serious. At least not as serious as they could have been.

Foote will miss the game tonight while he continues to be evaluated to determine the extent of any neck, back and/or head issues but he sounds fairly optimistic. Daniel Tjarnqvist will get his first taste of action this season in place of Foote.

Wolski's status will be decided after the morning skate. Adrian Dater reported that Wolski was walking and talking just fine after the Kings game. He rode a stationary bike yesterday which is usually a good sign for someone with a possible concussion.

And in the biggest news, Joe Sakic should be in the lineup for tonight's game.

It's time for a line change
Here's where things get a bit odd. Now, I'll give it to Granato that shaking up the lines seems necessary the way the offense is going. I don't feel the line combinations are the root of the problem but nonetheless, they will be changing.

The first change is that Paul Stastny was centering a line with Ryan Smyth and Marek Svatos. If Paul Stastny can come out of his funk and start making some plays, this line could work well. Smyth can create havoc in the crease while Svatos can pounce on rebounds. Of course, that relies on Stastny and the defense getting the puck to the front of the net.

Next, T.J. Hensick was centering a line with Brian Willsie and Darcy Tucker. The chemistry with Tucker and Hensick was undeniable as Hensick seems to find ways to get the puck to the net and Tucker has no problem charging in. But wouldn't it be nice if Hensick was setting up someone who has scored 30+ goals before? Just a thought.

And finally, Joe Sakic was centering a line with Milan Hejduk. Their partner? It will be either David Jones or Cody McCormick. Hmm. Cody McCormick on a line with Joe Sakic? Well, if anything McCormick will play the hardest he's ever played if he gets a chance to go with the big boys.

But if he does, that leaves a fourth line of Ian Laperriere, Cody Mcleod and either David Jones or Tyler Arnason. Jones is a much better fit for that line which would mean Arny would watch from the press box.

But is putting Arny in the press box worth having McCormick on a line with Sakic?

McCormick might put in the game of his career playing with Sakic but don't kid yourself, he's not a full-time first liner.

Scouting
To be honest with you, I haven't followed the Ducks much this season. They got off to an awful start but have turned it around and are looking like a solid club again.

J.S. Giguere's stats (3.13 GAA, .904 save %) are somewhat underwhelming but I'm not sure if that's due to his play or the team's play.

Losing Francois Beauchemin won't help but when you've got Chris Pronger and Scott Niedermyer as your top two, you can't complain too much.

The key to beating the Ducks seems to be to contain their big three: Ryan Getzlaf, Cory Perry, and Teemu Selanne. Doesn't it sound easy?

I'm not sure if they all play on the same line but they are 1-2-3 in scoring on the team and, looking at the stats, the Ducks don't have much forward scoring depth behind them.

Starting Goaltenders
Peter Budaj is in for the Avalanche and will likely square off against Giguere. (goaliepost.com)

Game time
The puck drops at 10:00 PM ET which is just friggin ridiculous. It's only two games in and I'm already sick of West coast games. No offense, jib.

Playoff Gameday: Avalanche @ Red Wings

UPDATE: Peter Forsberg is out. Ouch. I don't even have to expand on how much that hurts.

I'll just a do a quick link roundup for now. I haven't even read through everything let alone set aside time to write anything!

Avalanche Links
Denver Post Avalanche-Red Wings Matchup
Jose Theodore through the years
Good in goal, great goaltending runs (psst, Roy was a rookie in '86)
Goal standard for Avs goalie
Uphill battle for Avs
5 questions with Adam Foote
RMN Avalanche Report
Avalanche goalie adamant he shouldn't be likened to Patrick Roy

Red Wings Links
Wings-Colorado rivalry is back
Blood feud is getting a renewal
On the Wings Blog Series Preview
Oh, there will be blood (and maybe a hug from a lovable kitten?)

Avalanche Come Back to Stymie Oilers

(AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

I'm glad I have a healthy heart. If I was a weaker man I may have found myself in the emergency room with shortness of breath and a tingling sensation down my left arm.

After jumping out to a 2-0 lead, the Avalanche then gave up 3 straight goals and had many fans nervously wringing their hands. Andrew Brunette continued his under-the-radar work as he took a Forsberg pass and displayed some fancy hands as he beat Roloson on a deke right in the crease. You won't see many players with the hands and patience to pull that off.

Unfortunately the Avalanche went into the third period down 4-3 after Sam Gagner restored the Oilers lead. Things were looking grim but I really had a feeling about this one. With mere seconds left I started to think I was crazy and that this team wasn't going to get it down. And in steps Joe Sakic. The man - who is totally useless by the way - tied the game with just 5 seconds left prompting me to wake up the neighbourhood I'm sure.

After OT decided nothing, the Avalanche took it to Roloson in the shootout and came away with a big 2 points on the night. The Avalanche maintain their hold on the #7 seed in the West and have now reached the 90 point barrier. The Canucks got thumped again tonight and Nashville moved into the #8 seed but the Avalanche still hold a 4-point cushion from #8.

Shootout
I don't like shootouts deciding extra points in a game but they sure are exciting. Especially when the team you're cheering for scores on all 3 of their attempts. Dwayne Roloson was taken to town by Wojtek Wolski, Joe Sakic and Milan Hejduk in the shootout. Sakic and Wolski both went backhand-roof and Hejduk went low blocker to steal the extra point.

Ray Ferraro, color commentator for the Oilers, called all three Avalanche goals and I'm guessing MacTavish might ask him for advice next time the Oil find themselves in a shootout.

Another goaltending anti-duel
That's actually not fair to Roloson who played a pretty decent game. Jose Theodore, on the other hand, spent most of the night as he did the last game against Vancouver; kicking out rebounds and hoping the defense would clear them.

I'm not sure where Theodore's head is at lately but he's been less than stellar in the last two games. Essentially the Avalanche got 4 points despite some soft play from Theodore. With the playoffs looming on the horizon, Theodore needs to bring his head back into the game fast. I mean, what was he doing hugging the post on the Gagner goal? That was just weird.

In consolation - you know, aside from the 2 points - Theodore should get a Highlight of the Night nod for his sprawling glove save in the first period.

Forsberg Injured?
Peter Forsberg, who put up another great showing with 3 assists, was not on the bench during the Overtime period leading to speculation that he has again aggravated his foot or groin. He played over 22 minutes tonight so it's not unlikely.

You know what I can say with 100% certainty is aggravated? *points to self* This guy. Let's recap Forsberg's schedule since his return:

Mar 4, 6, 8 - plays around 20 minutes per game
Mar 9, 11, 13, 15 - sits out with sore groin
Mar 17 - plays 20 minutes
Mar 20, 22 - sits out with sore groin/foot
Mar 24, 26 - plays 15 minutes per game
Mar 28 - plays 22 minutes
Mar 30 - sits out with a scurvy (ok, I'm just guessing)

Does the coaching staff not see the damn pattern here?

Adam Foote Returns
Adam Foote was back in the lineup tonight and boy did he look...slow. The Oilers are a high-flying team and players such as Gagner, Cogliano and Glencross viewed him as nothing more than a pylon.

He did start getting meaner as the game wore on, presumably because he was sick of the breeze as Oilers flew past him. As long as he can strike some fear into the opposition, he can make up for a lack of Foote speed. Heh, get it. Foote speed.

Notes
- Forsberg went off for a spear on Staios after Staios got away with cranking Forsberg in the mouth earlier in the play
- Liles had a terrible shift which led to Gagner's go-ahead goal in the 2nd as he bobbled the puck twice
- Sakic was snakebitten by bouncing pucks until his tying goal (which was on edge when he chipped it in)
- Ruslan Salei coughed up the puck late but Theodore bailed him out with a nice save on Nilsson

Game Highlights


Related Links
NHL.com Event Summary
ColoradoAvalanche.com Recap

Out and In and Out and In...the Merry-Go-Round Continues

Peter Forsberg and Paul Stastny are back on the ice, but Forsberg is questionable to play tomorrow, while Adam Foote is back in Denver to evaluate his hip. It's odd that a player who has a sore groin/hip would get inserted into the lineup, play 20 minutes and then sit out the next set of games due to another sore groin/hip. It's inconceivable! Hell, it's enough to drive fans crazy.

Too bad the Avs have such an overabundance of capable players or I might have headed to Denver with this sign.

And what is actually injured with Forsberg? He tells reporters the foot/ankle are fine, it's just a sore groin. Then Sakic says "His ankle's sore..." Who to believe?

Forsberg to Skate with Sakic

A recent TSN article indicates that coach Q has approached Joe Sakic and Peter Forsberg about skating on a line together once Forsberg returns. As TSN notes, I'm sure that was a tough sell! Those two are as familiar with each other as I am with my 5 year old computer and I'm sure the nostalgia factor alone will put them together for a couple games. Hopefully they get enough time to adjust to each other before being broken up for not producing.

It also notes something rather odd. Adam Foote is on record as saying his trade was a shock to him. He thought he was being called to Doug McLean's office to sign his name to a new contract only to be told that he was traded.

The odd part is that Adam Foote has a no trade clause and was widely speculated to have told McLean directly that he would only accept a trade if it was to Colorado. So why did this catch Foote off guard?

I'm sure being traded is always a bit of a shock but it's hard to see in this case. Most of the back and forth was surely with Foote's agent and McLean but it still had to be Foote himself who gave the final ok.

I suppose the wording of the TSN article might be a bit misleading in that Foote was called to McLean's office to ask for the ok on the trade, rather than being told the trade was done.

Maybe I'm just being a stickler for wording.

Avalanche Rally Late; Beat Canucks in Shootout

(Jeff Vinnick/Getty Images)

Phew! I'm going to be at an event most of the day tomorrow and it's late now but I had to get something up. Even if it's just to say "Wooo!!!!"

Ok, I'll say a bit more. After the Canucks went up by one late in the third on a reviewed goal that barely crossed the line, the Avalanche then tied the game at 2 with just 15 seconds left in the third period. Ruslan Salei displayed superb composure keeping the puck in the zone then fired it at the net where Joe Sakic banged home the rebound.

OT solved nothing and it was off to a shootout where both Joe Sakic and Marek Svatos, not the Avalanche's best SO performers, beat Roberto Luongo and Jose Theodore went 2-2 to bring home a huge W.

And given that Nashville got clobbered 8-4 by Buffalo, that means the Avalanche are back in a playoff spot as they now hold down the 8th seed in the Western conference. Who'd a thunk it?

So in conclusion, Adam Foote = warrior, Jose Theodore = superb, Scott Parker = scary, Darwin Head = millionaire and Joe Sakic = Joe Sakic (ie. god)

Avalanche Top Flames in OT

(AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Jeff McIntosh)

Well that was a bit too close for comfort. I was just cracking the knuckles and getting ready to write another downbeat post about an Avalanche loss. But then the team turned it into a 3-2 win!

Sure, it was an OT win, meaning they only gain one point on the Flames, but it's a huge two points which the Avalanche sorely needed.

Scoring
After scoring the first goal, a Ryan Smyth backhander, the Avalanche then gave up the next two goals to head into the third period down 2-1. The team didn't look to be fighting hard enough for the equalizer in the third but that didn't stop Milan Hejduk from firing the tying goal past a screened Miikka Kiprusoff.

In overtime the Avalanche were looking good behind Joe Sakic's superb skating. Then John-Michael Liles started a rush into the zone but was tripped up by Jarome Iginla leading to an Avalanche powerplay. After continually trying for a one-timer off to Kiprusoff's right-side, it finally paid off. Hejduk's shot was deflected to Ryan Smyth who fed a behind-the-back pass to Paul Stastny. Stastny had a wide open net and finally made good on putting it home after missing a chance earlier this game as well as a chance to tie the game against Edmonton on Sunday.

Foote's Return
Adam Foote made his triumphant return to the Colorado Avalanche after an afternoon of travel on a private jet to make it to Calgary. He was on the bench with about 6 minutes left in the first period and ended the night with 18:30 in ice-time. It was his first game in so I'm not going to analyze it too hard yet but he looked very solid back there and his leadership was evident very quickly.

Odd man out?
As soon as Foote arrived at the bench, Cumiskey hardly ever left it. It's looking fairly apparent that Cumiskey is going to the odd man out once Ruslan Salei joins the team. It probably didn't help that Cumiskey backed into Theodore rather than pressuring Nolan on the go-ahead powerplay goal.

Who wants the puck?
I still want the Avalanche players to want the puck more. Don't get me wrong, they were forechecking and backchecking quite well tonight but on loose pucks they just don't seem to have that intensity and desire to get the pucks that the Flames, and other opponents, seem to have.

In any sport I've done coaching in, which is really just volleyball and hockey, the first thing I emphasize is that you need to want that puck/ball. At the end of the day, hockey is a game of puck possession. If you don't have that puck, you aren't going to win games.

Announcers
Oh, Roger Millions and John Garret. You make me want to watch the hockey game in complete silence rather than subjecting myself to your biased ramblings. If I had to hear one more dose of Millions claiming interference or hooking or tripping on completely innocent plays, I might have fired up my car, drove out to Calgary and dropped him. Fortunately for him the battery in my car is dead.

The best things they had to say about the Avalanche was in regards to Jose Theodore and John-Michael Liles, who both played solid games. Other than that, you'd think the Avalanche were the cheapest team in the league with the myriad of uncalled penalties for hooking and, most notably, interference. Hey, just because a player skates in front of another doesn't make it interference.

Oh, and the best line from him, aside from thinking Q is doing a great job? "The Avalanche player interferes with Craig Conroy, knocking him off the puck." Umm...explain to me how it's interference if Conroy was in possession of the puck? You know what, since I can't drive out there, I'll mail you a copy of the NHL rulebook.

Dion Phaneuf
And how about our resident lovechild, Dion Phaneuf? Can anyone look more constipated than he does at all times? The permascowl is really growing old and certainly doesn't intimidate anyone anymore, if it ever did. But his continued cheap shots are what really set him apart from most other douches in the league.

Ben Guite knocked Phaneuf over in his own zone in the second period and you just knew something was going to come of that. Nobody knocks over precious Dion. Nobody! And his revenge? Why it was a cheap shot boarding hit, of course. Guite was directly facing the boards, Phaneuf took a run from across the ice and plastered him from behind. Then when Sauer took exception, Phaneuf immediately came up swinging even as another Flames player tried to intercept Sauer.

There are two things I abhore in hockey. Hits from behind and Dion Phaneuf. You put those two items together and my anger knows no bounds.

Boy, I hate to seem like I'm spending the entire recap ranting but I just can't help it. Playing the Flames really seems to get my goat and most of it boils down to Phaneuf. Well, that and how every fan in attendance still wears red to the games. The Cup run is two years past guys, live in the now!

Standings
With a Wild (73 pts) loss tonight, the Avalanche (70 pts) are now 5 points back of the division leading Flames (75 pts) and are 2 points back of a playoff spot. The Wild have one game in hand on the Avalanche and the Canucks, who the Avalanche face tomorrow night, have two games in hand. The game against Vancouver tomorrow is made all the more crucial by that factor.

Lines
Smyth-Stastny-Hejduk
Wolski-Sakic-Brunette
McLeod-Guite-Laperriere
Parker-Arnason-Svatos

Hannan-Foote/Sauer
Leopold-Liles
Cumiskey

The RPM line was together at all times and clicking very well scoring all 3 goals. With Parker in the lineup, Q was forced to mix the other lines throughout the game. Wolski eventually found himself back with Arnason and Svatos while Sakic found some time with Guite and Laperriere later in the game. Parker played all of 1:48 tonight.

The defence changed up a bit once Foote arrived. Cumiskey didn't see the ice much after that and Sauer and Foote seemed to alternate with Hannan who hardly left the ice tonight (28:58 in total)

Notes
- Sakic stood up for Liles after Godard drilled him (cleanly) in the 1st
- he was also flying around the ice as the game wore on and making room to fire off that wrist shot
- Parker than squared off with Godard to let him know that wasn't cool
- Phaneuf goaded McLeod in the 1st but then backed off once McLeod dropped the gloves
- Liles took a Phaneuf shot in the knee but was back out after a couple shifts
- Hejduk finally found the back of the net for the first time in the last 8 games
- the Avalanche were finishing more checks than the last few games
- Jaymison Masterbuilt donates $75 to the MS Society for each check the Flames dish out
- Liles did not dive


Related Links
NHL.com Event Summary
Denver Post Recap
Rocky Mountain News Recap
ColoradoAvalanche.com Recap

Deadline Done; Avs Make Two Trades

The deadline is past, the deals are done and it's time to reminisce on what happened. The Avalanche finished the day with two tough defencemen coming over in Ruslan Salei and Adam Foote. To gain these two players, they gave up some draft picks and one player, Karlis Skrastins, who was falling more and more out of favor with coach and fans alike.

Colorado receives:
Ruslan Salei
Adam Foote

Colorado gives up:
Karlis Skrastins
3rd round pick
1st round pick in 08 or 09
conditional pick

The defence just got a lot tougher with that additions of Foote and Salei. Those two may not be spring chickens anymore but they still bring a huge infusion of physicality to a soft squad and that's definitely something the team has been missing. Unfortunately, it will cost the team a first round pick in the draft this summer or next, a 3rd round pick in this years draft and a conditional pick based on Foote re-signing.

The big question to answer is: Will Adam Foote be worth that first-round pick? We'll only be able to truly tell in hindsight but it will be tough not having a 1st round pick in this years deep draft. Of course you can view that on the flip side and say that since this draft is so talented, the 2nd round picks are damn near like late first round picks in most years.

I'm certainly not happy giving up picks, especially first rounders, for aging veterans but I'm happy that our defense won't be so damn weak. I want to seem some bodies crunched against the glass when they break down the wing, not given a little stiff arm shove they just bounce right off of. I want people to fear breaking to the front of the net. I want opposing players to know they need to have their head up at all times or they'll pay for it.

And with the toughening up of the defense, it's now or nothing time for coach Q. As DD writes, he's got 19 games left and no excuses. The "eSSeS" are back, Foote and Salei solidify the D, a weak link has been removed from the chain and Peter Forsberg might help out as well. There is now no reason that this team can't make up those 4 points and at the very least, go down fighting in the playoffs.

When you can form your top line from names like Smyth, Sakic, Stastny, Hejduk, Forsberg and Svatos with enough left over for a second line rivaling many teams first line, you are as far away from problems as you can be. But will Q make anything of this or will the organization eventually cough up some draft picks while missing the playoffs for the second year in a row?

I'm cautiously optimistic.

It's a bit late on this post but I'm going to start adding more polls to the site. The first one is basic but just wait for the one after the game tonight. It'll be tough to make a choice!



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Done Deal: Foote Returning

(dearlordstanley.blogspot.com)

After heavy rumours in the last 30 minutes, Francois Giguere has hopped in the Delorean and re-acquired Adam Foote.

I mis-heard the conditions (hey come on, I'm trying to do some actual work at the office!) The deal is for a first-round pick in 08 or 09. If the Avalanche make the playoffs, the pick is in 08 and they don't, the pick is in 09. The other conditional pick is based on Foote re-signing in the offseason.

A guaranteed first round pick for Foote? Ouch. I change my mind a bit. I'm not as pleased with this deal as I was initially, especially if the pick ends up being for this year's draft.

Again, I'll pimp out Jay Onrait's blog with this comment:

Adam Foote has indeed been traded to the Colorado Avalanche as confirmed by TSN's Darren Dreger. This really is unbelievable! They really should talk to Patty Roy about coming back. If Hasek is still playing Roy can still play. Who would you rather have in net if you are an Avs fan? Jose Theodore or roll the dice with a completely out of shape Patrick Roy? I'll take that Roy guy.