Avalanche Downed by Canucks, Lose 4-2

When your team goes down 3-0 by the end of the first period, what is there to say? "They were tired"? "Vancouver was rested"? "It was a late game"? I don't buy any of that.

The Avalanche just weren't prepared to play in the first 20 minutes. When you play the night before, you actually need more of a warmup the next day to get your body ready to fight. Instead, it appeared that the Avalanche woke from a nap that ended about 5 minutes before puck drop, just in time to toss on the pads and skates and see who their opponent was.

John-Michael Liles in particular was looking quite dreadful to start the game. After Alexander Edler ran Chris Stewart face first into the boards, the Avs had what the announcers called a "power play." It was anything but.

Liles had the puck at the point and tried to make a pass with Alexandre Burrows stick a mere inch away from his own. Shockingly, Burrows intercepted the pass, streaking in on surprise starter, Andrew Raycroft with about ten steps on Liles. Lucikly, Burrows got denied by the post but not to worry, the fun wasn't done.

Liles picked up the puck, carrying it along the left boards where he was then rubbed out by Ryan Kesler. Kesler then broke into the Avs zone but was knocked off the puck by Milan Hejduk. The puck ended up in Liles skates and in classic comedic style, he couldn't get a handle on it. Kesler centered it to Burrows who was initially denied by Raycroft but thanks to Wojtek Wolski forgetting he was playing defense, he was able to grab his own rebound and put it into an empty net.

That put the Canucks up 2-0 on the backs of a powerplay goal and a shortie. Taylor Pyatt then completed the trifecta with an even strength goal while Avs fans everywhere picked up the "Tavares or Hedman?" debate.

Luckily, Vancouver came out looking a bit listless - overconfident perhaps? - in the second period and the Avalanche were able to put one past Bobba Lou, on the powerplay no less! And then thanks to a miscue by Lou to start the third period, Darcy Tucker was able to bang home his eighth goal of the season. It was an interesting goal as Tucker shot it from behind the net while Luongo was racing back in. The puck ended up sticking to Luongo's outside skate and as he rotated to find it, he swung it into the net. And we had a one-goal game and renewed hope!

Alas, it was not to be. A phantom hi-sticking call on Ben Guite put the Canucks on the powerplay with a little over two minutes left in the game. In other words, the Avs needed to score a shortie or they were done. And done they were as Alexander Edler nabbed his ninth of the year to make it a two-goal game.

I think the best part of the phantom call to seal the game came this morning from Tony Gallagher (via Kukla) who complained that the referees kept Colorado in the game by parading the Canucks to the penalty box after they went up 3-0. Yeah, that seven second 5-on-3 was a bitch, wasn't it? And Henrik Sedin getting called for a pretty obvious trip at the tail end of a Canucks powerplay was a horribly biased call. And when Edler put the puck over the glass? What kind of crap call was that? Bad referees. Bad, bad, bad.

Random thoughts
Wingers still go deep in our zone, leaving the points open to keep the cycle going. I'm not even a friggin' coach, let alone a defensive coach, and I can see that as a problem.

Marek Svatos hasn't looked too hot playing with Stastny the last couple games. He's been pretty soft on the puck and has actually been trying to carry it too much. He's not a stickhandler, he's a sniper.

AD mentioned that Peter Budaj would get the start but I guess Tony G was trying to trick the Canucks as he went with Andrew Raycroft instead. Interesting strategy. If only the name "Andrew Raycroft" struck fear in opponents hearts rather than inducing laughter.

After last night, I now believe that Scott Hannan is incapable of scoring. He simply can't do it. He had two chances tonight, the second being a wide open cage and he couldn't put it home. Don't feel bad, Scott. We don't expect you to score. Even if it's an empty net. But it would be nice.

From the Announcers
I had the Canucks feed tonight and had the announcers tuned out about five minutes in. But I did catch a couple notables.

Darcy Tucker is 34 but the way he's playing this year, could be 44

Sad but true. Though he has looked much better playing on a grind line rather than a scoring line.

...taken away by Stastny who was in perfect position

Just say "taken away by Stastny", the rest is redundant.

Related Links
MHH Canucks-Avalanche Game Recap
Early errors cost Avs in road loss (Denver Post)

Avalanche vs Toronto Game Preview

I just got finished playing some parking lot hockey and boy did I feel old.

I'm still in Phase 1 of a recovery from a prolonged illness so I'll pretend that's the problem. It certainly has nothing to do with the big three-oh creeping up on me in a little over a year.

*waits for the 30+ crowd to throw some stones my way*

Big News!
The big news tonight is that David Jones is injured and Cody McCormick is back.

After sitting out a few games, Jones was injured in the first game back after a jarring check from Douglas Murray of the San Jose Sharks.

I've said it before and I'll say it again. Douglas Murray hits hard and it's best to just stay out of his way.

Unfortunately Jones didn't heed my advice and is now listed as day-to day.

So much for the 30-goal season, eh? What idiot predicted that?

Injury updates
In other news, Adam Foote is still out with a triceps tear, Paul Stastny took a few laps after practice yesterday and Joe Sakic continues to avoid snowblowers.

Old teammates, old story
Oh, and Andrew Raycroft and Darcy Tucker are facing their former team for the first time since the Avs picked them up in the offseason.

But did anybody not know that?

Throw it in?
horbayj asked in the comments of my Minister of Defense post when it was time to throw in the towel.

I said if the Avs can't beat the Leafs at home, it might be time to call it a season.

I hope I don't have to hold myself to that.

Related Links
Practice Report: Rare visit by Toronto

Avalanche Jobbed by BJs, Lose 4-3

(AP)

A low-scoring game exploded into a high-scoring affair in the span of less than four minutes.

The Avalanche scored in the final three minutes of the first but were answered by the Blue Jackets in the final two minutes of the second. I was half-asleep in my chair.

The third period started with me in the kitchen on a tangent about vitamins B12 and D (which I'm sure my girlfriend appreciated).

Then the goal horn went off.

Then the crowd went silent.

Then the goal horn went off again. And again.

From 1-1 to 4-2 Columbus in under three minutes.

Then the Columbus feed cut to some sort of infomercial with Mike Peca and by the time they cut back, the Avs had cut the lead to one while on the powerplay.

Note to producers: don't allow a lame, pre-taped vignette to take time away from the game. Especially while one team is on the powerplay. But especially never.

The least you could do is inset the bloody game so we can watch what we paid to see.

In the end, the Avs got a little sloppy, the BJs capitalized and there wasn't enough time for the Avalanche to recover.

Quick Thoughts
Why does Darcy Tucker have a perma-scowl on his face? And why does he continue to act like a fool on the ice? I'm tired of him.

Granato doesn't appear to feel the same way. He had Tucker out on the ice with just over a minute left in a one-goal game.

Steve Mason was very un-Mason-like tonight but he still got the job done. Oh what it must feel like to have a blue-chip goaltending prospect playing like a Vezina winner 95% of the time.

Brett Clark fired a slapshot at Mason from beyond the red line with a full six seconds left on the clock. Genius. It's what's for dinner.

John-Michael Liles laid out Derek Dorsett in the 2nd. I want to see that side of Liles more often.

Kristian Huselius was a fantasy stud for me tonight with one goal, two assists and a +2 rating. But it's a hollow victory.

Andrew Raycroft lost. Did you know that was allowed?

Related Links
Avs lose 4-3 at Columbus

Avalanche Drown Penguins, Win 5-3

(Doug Pensinger/Getty Images)

What the hell is with the Rocky Mountain News byline in their game recap?

"Crosby, Malkin combine for 4 points"? Really?

Why not "Jones, Wolski combine for 5 points"? Doesn't that feel just a tad more appropriate for a Denver-based newspaper?

They did cover David Jones' and Wojtek Wolski's excellent games with this nice segue:

"But a couple of Avalanche youngsters had pretty good games, too..."

Sure, it was a bit tongue-in-cheek but when the home team hits a three-game winning streak on the backs of two of their young "stars", shouldn't you use that as the angle for the story?

I know, I know. "Sidney Crosby saved the NHL" as the Altidudes tried to convince us all game long.

No, he did not. It was the huge infusion of young talent - Crosby, Alexander Ovechkin, Evgeni Malkin, Ryan Getzlaf, Mike Richards, Dion Phaneuf, Shea Weber, Mike Green, Carey Price...need I continue? - that helped redefine the NHL post-lockout.

Crosby did not pick up the NHL, put it on his back and ride into town with guns blazing.

And now I've gone and made Crosby the focal point of my recap. Fudgsicles.

Wolski wunning with the ball
Why was Wolski not playing center since day one? Or to reword - since he did play center on day one - why did he not continue to play his natural position?

Having Sakic, Stastny and Wolski down the middle would have given the Avs one of the best best trios in the league.

Had Sakic and Stastny not gone down with injuries, Wolski would still be stuck at left wing with his maddenly inconsistent play. I don't want to say those injuries "happened for a reason" but at least some good came of it.

On the flip side, if Wolski hadn't stepped up to the #1 center role, Tyler Arnason might have been shipped out of town by now.

Though Francois Giguere would probably have needed to package up Wolski in any deal with a reasonably sane GM.

The great balance of life, eh?

Jones swimming to shore
Jones has been impressing me on a consistent basis with his intensity and it paid off big tonight with two goals and one assist.

Both goals came on rebounds in front of the net, proving once again that good things happen when you head to the net.

With his deceptive speed and power, I'm looking for Jones to become a real force on this squad. As I have been since the start of the season, proving once that you can't win 'em all.

Hannan shuts down Malkin
Saying a player got "shut down" when they notched a goal and an assist might make me sound like an idiot.

But if you saw the frustration that Scott Hannan caused Malkin today, you'd realize that I'm less of an idiot than you think I am.

Hannan was in Malkin's face all game long and if there's one knock on Malkin, it's that he can get frustrated easily.

Of course he'll still score 10 goals on you while frustrated, but imagine what he would do if he was happy?

That ought to restore the idiot level nicely.

Raycroft wins again
Andrew Raycroft is now 9-1-0 on the season with seven straight wins.

Is there anything this man can't do?

Raycroft actually presents a striking resemblance to Jose Theodore.

Ostracized by his former team (or the fans at least), won an award many years ago which their reputation is still based upon, pseudo-restored by Jeff Hackett, patchy facial hair, Canadian.

Of course Theodore catches with his right hand, is French, allegedly hooked up with Paris Hilton and has way more money.

But still...

Playoff bound!
The Avs are back in the playoff picture! And if the playoffs started today they would face the Detroit Red Wings.

But they don't so they won't. The playoffs are a long ways off and a lot can happen over the next 615 games.

For the trivia lovers, today's game was the exact halfway point of the 1230 game season.

I don't recall where I read that this afternoon but a glove tap goes out to someone on the ol' Interweb.

Game Highlights


Related Links
Avs beat Penguins, push win streak to three
Jones, Raycroft lead Avs to win
Raycroft, Top line leading the way
MHH Recap

Avalanche Slide Past Blackhawks, Win 2-1

(AP)

Full disclosure - I spent a lot of time watching funny videos on the Fail Blog during this game.

It's not that the game wasn't exciting. It was. But I needed some laughter and Fail Blog never lets me down.

Once the smoke had cleared, the Avs had their second straight win, Raycroft had his sixth, and I was in a pretty chipper mood.

Raycroft the starter?
Geo makes a case for Andrew Raycroft to be the starter.

And as long as he keeps winning, that's what will happen.

It's not that he has significantly outplayed Peter Budaj. It's that he has out-winned him.

If Raycroft keeps his streak going, Granato will keep playing him.

(AP)

Wolski a-way!
Wojtek Wolski has been a friggin' superhero since being moved to center.

With three goals in his last three games, it's almost enough to make you forget the team is missing Joe Sakic and Paul Stastny.

Ok, it's not even close but remember one thing: if those two hadn't gone down, Wolski would still be mired in inconsistency on the left wing.

Once Stastny and Sakic are back, the Avs will have a pretty solid group down the middle.

Related Links
Wolski, Raycroft lead Avs to win over Chicago
Wolski powers Avs past Blackhawks
MHH Recap
Rayzor vs Boods

Avalanche vs Coyotes Game Preview

I'm late, I'm late. For a very important date.

It's only 15 minutes to game time and I'm just getting to a preview. Shouldn't Christmas time be less stressful as we all bask in the joy and goodness?

Is it fired up again?
My main thought is that I don't see the sense in starting Andrew Raycroft tonight.

We're getting away from Tony Granato's original theory on how this goaltending rotation would work.

It was abandoned when Budaj was on a winning streak - and I endorsed it - and now it seems with Budaj playing less than stellar, we've gone to a reward-based system for goaltending starts.

I won't delve much further into this lest I not finish until after the game ends, but I don't see Raycroft doing enough to unshelf Peter Budaj.

No shutout please
I didn't say anything after the Panthers win because, to be frank, I was flipping embarassed.

Shutout? By the Panthers? Come on now.

If the Avs get shut out by the Coyotes tonight, I won't watch the Avs for the rest of the year...

Avalanche Top Lightning, Win 2-1

I finally got my TV back today. Not in time to catch the whole game - of course - but I did see OT and the shootout.

Hejduk "scores"
The Hejduk "goal" was controversial but by the letter of the law, Mike Smith threw his stick. Just because the stick didn't come into play as part of the save has no bearing on the situation.

And for the Tampa announcers, the stick was most definitely out of Smith's hand before the save was made. Saying it wasn't out of his hands over and over again doesn't make it so.

It's a tough call but I'm going to agree with it while wearing my burgundy-tinted glasses.

Rayzor robs 'em
As for Andrew Raycroft's showboat at the end...I loved it.

I usually don't like that sort of play but the mood I'm in today, it struck the right chord for me.

Raycroft Gets Rewarded, Budaj Gets Bombarded

From AD: Andrew Raycroft will start in goal tomorrow night against the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Well...crap.

But I'll tell you what, I'm going to give Tony Granato the benefit of the doubt on this one.

For one reason or another, I'm in a forgiving mood today.

I don't feel like assuming it's a knee-jerk move designed to punish Budaj for a mediocre performance against the Flyers.

I don't want to presume that TG learned too much from ol' JQ over the last three years.

I hate to leap to the conclusion that Granato is panicking for no reason over Budaj's abilities.

I won't perceive that Granato is putting too much stock into Raycroft's win against the Wings.

I can't fathom that TG is going to start the fabled "win and you're in" goaltending rotation.

I just can't bring myself to do it.

Avalanche @ Red Wings Game Preview

The title says it all, doesn't it?

Well, that and Andrew Raycroft starting in goal.

Yep, to face the ol' winged wheel we're sending in the second stringer. That's some poor timing right there (though I do have a theory).

You know what else is poor timing? Landing the wrong way during volleyball, hearing a loud pop and heading to the ER in shorts in -40 weather.

Not only is it a recipe for a severely sprained ankle - and cold to boot - but combined with the distinct possibility of a rough loss tonight, it's a recipe for self-pity.

So what do you think, Avs? Can you keep me off the self-pity bandwagon?

You didn't bend to my anger against the Hawks so maybe the compassion approach will work.

If not, I'm all out of ideas.

Game time
The game starts at 7:00 ET, 5:00 MT.

Related Links
Avs-Wings: Foregone conclusion
Why the Red Wings make me sad

Avalanche Stifle Lightning, Win 4-3

(Associated Press)

The Avalanche scored three late first period goals en route to a 4-3 win against the visiting Tampa Bay Lightning.

Recap
Jordan Leopold opened the scoring on the powerplay at the 15:20 mark. Leopold came in from the point, took a nice feed from Marek Svatos and made a nice forehand-backhand move to put it past Olaf Kolzig.

A mere two minutes later, Marek Svatos again found himself working hard in tight and he managed to get the puck over to Wojtek Wolski who notched his first goal of the game. It was nice to see the 6'3 Wolski charging the net.

And apparently it felt good for Wolski too as barely 30 seconds later he drove hard to the net and managed to get a hold of his own rebound for his second goal of the game and third in his last four games.

That was all she wrote for Olaf Kolzig as Mike Smith came in to start the second period and did an excellent job in relief stopping 20 of 21 shots.

His only mistake was giving the puck away to David Jones who went into Datsyuk mode as he grabbed the puck, skated around one defender, then went forehand-backhand on a sprawling Mike Smith to make it 4-1. I hope any lingering Wings fans just threw up in their mouth on a comparison of Jones to Datsyuk. Because it's the only reason I said it.

The Jones goal proved to be huge as the Avalanche took a couple penalties which let the Lightning get right back in the game.

Ryan Malone and Steven Stamkos scored on back-to-back powerplays to bring the score to 4-3. And the cold sweats started flowing.

But the Avalanche were able to stifle the final onslaught and walk away with the W.

Half and half
With that win, the Avalanche pull within one win of .500 hockey. Yes we can! Yes we can!

It's disheartening to be aiming to play above .500 rather than aiming for the division title. But it's still early in the season. Baby steps. Baby steps.

Break out of the breakout funk
Early in the game, I found myself banging my head against the wall. Then I decided to stop that and watch the game for a while.

Ok, I was banging my head because once again the Avalanche were collapsing against each other as they broke out of the zone.

At one point Ryan Smyth skated from the left boards to the right boards as Milan Hejduk was breaking out of the zone. It honestly looked like Smyth for a second had forgotten what team he played for and was actually trying to get the puck away from Hejduk. It was baffling.

Thankfully as the game wore on, the team started to realize how much more effective you can be if you spread out on the rush.

Hopefully one of the coaches took notes and will try and implement that style of play. It would go perfectly with a "run-and-gun" offense, don't you think?

Lines
Smyth-Stastny-Hejduk
Wolski-Arnason-Svatos
Willsie-Hensick-Laperriere
Jones-McCormick-Mcleod

The Arnason line was far and away the best line of the night. And yes, it feels weird typing that. But how can you argue with two goals, five assists and a combined +6?

Ian Laperriere saw his ice-time increase to 18:42 tonight. He even saw 30 seconds on the powerplay though I dont' recall seeing him out there. I'm still watching from my Slingbox feed which makes it really hard to see numbers on the ice. Oh how I miss my TV.

Even though they played limited minutes, the new Cody McJones line played very well. Jones really seemed to up his physicality and effort tonight and was rewarded with a goal. Hopefully he sees the cause-effect line there.

Highlights
Brett Clark blocked nine blocked shots on the night which was 50% more than the entire Lightning squad.

John-Michael Liles returned from the flu but played limited minutes - 16:12 - and wasn't very noticeable.

Cody Mcleod pounded on Steve Downie in the third and I loved every minute of it. Except when Downie punched Mcleod after they had gone to the ice. But hey, what else can you expect from Downie?

Ruslan Salei had four shots on goal as he continues to up his play over the last few games. He's making me look like less of a fool for predicting he would be the Avs best defenseman.

Paul Stastny wore the "A" tonight but it must have weighed a lot as he didn't look to have much jump in his step. He had enough less after he took a shot to the leg and briefly went to the dressing room.

It was Raycroft's third win of the year which surpassed his season total in Toronto last year.

Up Next
It's off to Minnesota to take on the Wild on Monday as part of a three-game road trip. It will be the second meeting between the two teams. And the second chance for fans to shake their heads at management for letting Andrew Brunette go the way they did.

The game will be televised on TSN2 and Versus.

Related Links
NHL.com Event Summary
MHH Recap
Denver Post Recap
Rocky Mountain News Recap
AD's Post-game Thoughts

Avs Jammed up by Jackets, Lose 4-2

Let me tell you, I am picking the right games to miss. Unexpectedly, I had to leave the house during the game tonight and it seems I was saved some frustration.

I was heading out the door just as Brassard wristed the first one past Raycroft and I walked back in as the final buzzer sounded.

Given that Budaj was in for the 3rd period, I can assume Raycroft didn't get much better after the first goal.

And as the Jackets had only three shots on goal in the 3rd, I assume the Avalanche really turned on the pressure but couldn't convert.

Tough loss and a tough opponent coming up on Sunday in the Sharks, who currently lead the Red Wings 3-1 at the end of the 2nd.

I hope this season isn't as up and down as it's been so far or I'll need to stock up on some mood altering medications to even out the highs and lows.

Raycroft Gets Start vs Blue Jackets

The Rocky Mountain News is reporting that Andrew Raycroft will get the start in goal tomorrow night against the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Coming off a loss it might seem like a punishment or loss of confidence in Budaj but this is nothing more than keeping Raycroft in the rotation as Granato pledged to do from the outset of the season.

You could make an argument to put Budaj in and let him "bounce back" against a weaker team but this is the right call.

Had Budaj - and the team - got the W last night Granato's call would have been more difficult. Lucky for him the team decided to sit out the 3rd period.

UPDATE: Frederick Norrena is in for the BJs so it's backup e backup tomorrow night.

Thanks to GoaliePost for the link.

Avalanche @ Stars, Game 5 Preview

(AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Good grief, the game starts in less than two hours!

The Colorado Avalanche face off with the Dallas Stars at 2:00pm ET, 12:00pm MT at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas.

The Stars and Avalanche have struggled to start the season with both teams only having one win in their first four game.

The Avalanche got their win Thursday versus the slumping Philadelphia Flyers and looked good doing it. Playing against a turnover laden team will do that too you but don't let that take anything away from the Avalanche win. The team looked good while doing it.

Let's hope they keep it up this afternoon. Or morning for our Pacific coast friends.

Andrew Raycroft is in, much to most people's chagrin. Let's hope that works out too.

Related Links

Contributions across the board

Stastny's agent is eager to obtain long-term deal

Aw fudgesicles!

Raycroft is in tomorrow against Dallas.

So now we're back to the "earn the start" system that Q so wonderfully mismanaged the last three years. And let's be clear, Raycroft earned nothing last night except a win on the backs of the Avalanche skaters.

Prove it, Tony

Tony Granato has now earned a mild level of distrust after telling everyone that Raycroft was getting his one start a week and not to view it as any more than that.

He can keep saying Peter Budaj is "our guy" all he wants but he has to back up the words with actions.

He's not showing the cajones, folks.

But Budaj sucks, right?

Has Budaj earned the moniker of #1? Not with his first three performances. Has Raycroft earned it after one performance? Nope, not even close.

So what happens if the Avs destroy the struggling Stars tomorrow and walk away with the W? I now find it difficult to see Granato going back to Budaj whereas before, I believed him when he said "Budaj is our guy".

Right now, the Avalanche have no #1 goaltender and it appears management is fine going with the "hot hand" rather than having the patience to wait for one to develop. It's a scenario just waiting to have us all curled in a corner before the season is half over.

But a win is a win, right?

Avalanche vs Flyers, Game 5 Thoughts

(Doug Pensinger/Getty Images)

Cody Mcleod is making me eat my words. He has looked great in the first four games. He's got two goals on the season and has only taken one penalty, the fighting major as he defended Ryan Smyth's honor against Steve Staios.

Ryan Smyth has been absolutely rocking on the forecheck in the first four games. He's got one goal and two assists in those four games but that doesn't do justice to the energy he's brought in the offensive zone.

David Jones is on the cusp of breaking out. Again. He was driving the net hard and has deceptive speed and strength. On one drive, he got past the Flyers D and then gave a little shrug to knock him down along the way. It was exactly what you want to see from a power forward. He got his first assist of the night and I think his first goal is only a couple games away. And that first assist was a beauty threaded through two Flyers defenders.

Ruslan Salei led the squad in ice-time and a large part of that is due to the extra PP time. He manned the point on the second unit - and at least once on the first unit for a total of 4:05 on the PP. He seems to be settling into a groove and could still make me look like a genious after predicting he would be the Avs best defenseman.

Joe Sakic's post ringer in the second period woke up sleeping polar bears in the Arctic. He made up for that miss with three assists as he keeps inching closer to #10 on the all-time list.

The penalty shot call made on Liles on the Gagne break was the worst penalty shot call I can remember. It didn't look like much on the initial rush but on the replay, it looked like Liles maybe sneezed on him. His stick hardly made contact with Gagne and Gagne seemed to have no problem getting a shot off. Not getting a shot off isn't the only determining factor in awarding a penalty shot but I think an actual penalty has to occur first. I'm pretty sure.

The Avs were 3-for-11 on the PP (27%) while only allowing the one PK goal on seven shorthanded situations (85%). Putting Wojtek Wolski on the point in place of Sakic a couple times paid dividends. Wolsk did a great job at feeding the puck to open players and came away with one powerplay assist. Of course, as soon as Wolski gives up a shortie, I'll be preaching from the rafters that forwards should not play the point on the powerplay. Ah hell, I'll keep doing it anyways.

The big question coming out of tonight is whether the lineup stays the same, leaving Ben Guite in the press box. It was surprising to see Cody McCormick still in the lineup but he made a hell of a case for himself against Calgary as well as tonight.

The only goals against Raycroft, playing in his 200th game, were on a penalty shot and on a 5-on-3. Not too shabby. But we'll see the Buddah back in net on Saturday against the Stars. This is not the goalie controversy you're looking for.

Oh, and Brett Clark was representing Saskatchewan tonight with a nice goal. Good job, Brett.

Related Links

Power Play Propels Avs Past Flyers

NHL.com Event Summary

Raycroft secures Avs first win (makes it sound like Raycroft stood on his head, eh? yeesh)

Andrew Raycroft Post-game Video

Milan Hejduk Post-game Video

Avalanche Get First Win, Down Flyers 5-2

You move your feet, you win the game. It's an old adage and it works 95% of the time, every time. The Avalanche tried it tonight and scored their first win of the season on a fast-paced, skate flying adventure.

The Avs scored first, they scored often and they drew tons of penalties along the way. The Cody Macs were great, David Jones was pressing hard, Ryan Smyth was a beast down low, Milan Hejduk was a flat out beast and I could just go on and on. Even Tyler Arnason seemed to find his game legs again.

And the defense didn't take a backseat to the offense tonight as the skates kept moving on the backcheck as well as the forecheck. Flyers breakouts sometimes didn't even last beyond their own blueline before they were stripped of the puck. It was lovely to watch.

Andrew Raycroft needed to make just 16 saves in his regular season debut and, aside from his puck handling inabilities, looked half decent out there.

Unfortunately, I had company for a good portion of the night but I'll check out some of the taped action later tonight and will put up a few more thoughts in the morning.

In the meantime, Joe Sakic is still a god amongst men. And Paul Stastny is like his little Heracles.

Granato Needs to Take Charge

I know a lot of folks are concerned about Peter Budaj. I am too. But right now I'm more concerned about Tony Granato.

I was worried about the TG signing when it happened and over half you of you responded in the poll that it was the wrong move. One of you said "Hell yes" and I think I know who it was ;)

So far it appears Granato has: solidified the lines (good), opened up the offense (good) and put faith in the #1 goaltender (good). However it appears to have come at a cost. A lack of role identification.

Is Jones a power forward or a defensive specialist? Is Sakic a forward or a defenseman? Should players collapse low or stay high? What do players do if stood up at the blueline? 

The Avalanche still look disorganized on the ice and that can only be fixed by a coach grabbing control of his team, implementing a defensive system to complement the offensive one and holding players accountable for mistakes.

It's only three games in so there's still time to fix the problems. But they have to admit they are problems and not just bad bounces before they can move on to step two.

Case Study: Special Teams
Special teams were atrocious last year so what happened? The guy in charge of them - or at least in charge of the PP - got promoted to the head coach position.

So far this year Granato has used over a dozen players on the PK including the young David Jones. Jones has actually spent more time on the PK than Joe Sakic has. He also spends more time on the PK than he does on the PP. Isn't that a bit odd for a power forward?

Backdoor passes are always wide open, except with Ian Laperierre who has done a good job covering the middle of the ice, and the team seems to get mesmerized by the puck as opposed to worrying about coverage.

The disorganization and holes on the ice make me wonder if they actually practiced to look this confused.

The failure of special teams falls squarely on the coaching staff to fix and regardless if TG is in charge of them, he is still in charge of the team and is accountable for the shortcomings of the systems. Or lack thereof.

Avalanche Burgundy/White 2008/09 Game Results

In an unexpected twist, Team White trounced Team Burgundy in the Avalanche's annual Burgundy/White game. Team Burgundy essentially had the Avs entire 07/08 defensive squad on its side plus incumbent #1 Peter Budaj plus Joe Sakic yet they still got lit up for 9 goals. And they couldn't put a single puck past soon-to-be new whipping boy, Andrew Raycroft.

I expect that kind of performance from Jason Bacashihua but not Raycroft. Could this be the start of the career resurrection everyone's been waiting for? I think so.

It seems clear what the Avalanche need to do here. First, trade Sakic and Budaj for picks. It doesn't matter what picks, just stockpile them. Then ice a squad of rookies - clearly superior rookies - and build from the draft. Then "Cash" will back up Raycroft while Weiman waits in the wings. Seriously, I only added that last sentence for the alliteration at the end.

Ol' Davey Jones got on the board with a hat trick which keeps in line with Jori's comments that he might have found his scoring touch this offseason. The guy is a cult hero in the making. Last season he got close to cult status but every time he was at the peak, he got a bit gunshy and stepped away from the ledge. This year, it's cult hero or bust.

Jordan Leopold and Milan Hejduk each had 2 goals and 2 assists which, if you ask me, signals they are headed for 300+ point seasons this year. You heard it here first.

Ok, I'm tired and in a weird mood so off to bed. Don't forget, the preseason starts for the Avalanche on Wednesday against the Los Angeles Kings. Time for some revenge against Jack Johnson. Vendetta! Vendetta!

Related Links
Burgundy/White Box Score (PDF)
Avalanche's Leopold finally feeling healthy again (now they've gone and jinxed it)
A healthy Leopold strengthens Avs defence (all Leopold, all the time!)

Random Thoughts: Brought to you by Jack Handey

There's a lot of disappointment over the Avalanche's woeful offseason so far and rightfully so. As Jib points out, the Avalanche are looking a bit like Scrooge McDuck while MHH Joe is worried the team is headed down goon alley. DD prefers to poke fun at the Leafs for the moment which is definitely something I can get behind.

Myself, I'm soaking in a warm Saskatchewan summer so I'm kind of in "chillax" mode at the moment. Of course, the free agent frenzy was a different story as I had the tv on and computer open with about 300 tabs following the action. Once the weather starts turning towards hockey though, I'm fearful of what my thoughts on this team will be. But for now, here's what's going through my head.

Huet is not that great
One of the main things I've been seeing in comments throughout various sites is that the Avalanche are braindead for not picking up Cristobal Huet after Jose Theodore walked. I'll admit that when I heard Theodore was headed to Washington the first thing that popped into my head was that Huet could be headed our way. A millisecond later those thoughts were obliterated as the screen read "Colorado Avalanche Sign Andrew Raycroft"

I won't repeat what came out of my mouth at that moment but it wasn't good. Then I found out that Raycroft cost $800K while Huet ended up going to Chicago for $5.4M. And all was well. Ok, not entirely well but I still get a kick out of that being the last line of a wildly famous series of novels. Can you say "Lame ending?"

As much as I think Pierre McGuire is wrong for using Brodeur's contract as a benchmark for why the Huet signing is bad, he's spot on that they just handed out gobs of cash to a goaltender who has yet to win a playoff series. Let that sink in for a minute. Sure, Theodore has never gotten past the second round but at least he's saddled up his team a few times and got them past the first round.

And for a player who played hardball with a team, got what he asked for and then still walked, I have some questions about his character.

Tucker will be loved
As long as he can keep the douchery and whining to a minimum, Avalanche fans will enjoy Darcy Tucker. We grew to begrudgingly love Cody McLeod in a few short months, right? Well Tucker and McLeod aren't that different. They've both got ridiculous tempers coupled with gritty, never back down attitudes. Just dye Tucker's hair red and call them twins. Except one of the two can score 20+ goals in a season.

Naslund not needed but what about B-mo?
I've seen some folks mention they want Markus Naslund. Aside from that not being an option anymore...well, it was never really an option to begin with. Smyth and Wolski are the team's two top-line left wingers and let's leave it at that.

Besides, if we want an ex-Canuck, listen to Jibblescribbits and start rooting for Brendan Morrison. He'll come at a cheaper price and he can fill a need for depth down the middle. Because as we are all painfully aware of, Tyler Arnason is not a depth player. We're not even sure if he still plays hockey at this point. It actually makes me sad that I said it was good that the Avalanche re-signed him last summer.

Sakic did not hamstring the team
Joe Sakic not deciding his future has had minimal impact on the team's future direction. Yes, if Joe does retire (*knocks wood*) then there is a problem down the middle for the team. I don't know if Wolski is cut out to be a center at the moment so having Stastny, Wolski, Arnason and Guite doesn't fill me with a ton of confidence. The first and last I'm fine with but the middle feels a bit soft.

However, find me a top-line center to replace Sakic in the UFA pool and I'll give you a cookie. You could make an argument for a 2nd-line center within that group but there's no real standout that would have appeased fans. And no, Mats Sundin doesn't count since he is still undecided on his playing future.

And for goodness sakes, please quit saying Joe Sakic is being selfish.

Related Links
Reality check on Huet/Kolzig
Avs moves nothing major

Excited about Raycroft?

(ColoradoAvalanche.com)

So I was briefly perusing the Avalanche's official site checking out all the late breaking news (hah!) and noticed the current poll asks which recent move Avalanche fans are most excited about.

So far, Adam Foote is winning by a comfortable margin followed by Darcy Tucker, Wojtek Wolski and John Liles respectively. Bringing up the rear is dark horse Andrew Raycroft. Of course the Avalanche also have the Per Ledin signing along with the recent Daniel Tjarnqvist acquisition but those are filed under "Other".

Now, I would expect the Raycroft signing to be dead last for sure. Yes, the "Other" category is making an appearance at 2.5% but does the "Other" option really count in a poll? If "Other" counted, then the people who are conglomerated under "Other" would be one of the primary options.

But again I digress so here's my question which goes out to the 62 people (as of this writing) who are most excited about the Raycroft signing: Why?