Mile High HockeyA Colorado Avalanche Fan Community2009-01-06T22:00:05Zhttp://www.milehighhockey.com/atom/2009-01-06T22:00:05Z2009-01-06T22:00:05ZGame 40: Avalanche At Predators, Preview And Open Thread<center>
<table bgcolor="#ffffff" cellspacing="1" border="0" cellpadding="2" style="text-align: center;" width="400">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td class="hg"><a href="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/31752/MatchAvalanche.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/31752/MatchAvalanche_medium.jpg" alt="Matchavalanche_medium" /></a> <br /></td>
<td class="hg"><a href="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/31770/VS.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/31770/VS_medium.jpg" alt="Vs_medium" /></a><br /></td>
<td class="hg"><a href="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/32091/MatchPredators.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/32091/MatchPredators_medium.jpg" alt="Matchpredators_medium" /></a> <br /></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="fl"><b>Colorado Avalanche</b> <br /></td>
<td class="fl">8:00 pm ET / 6:00 pm MT <br /></td>
<td class="fl"><b> Nashville Predators</b><br /></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="fl"><b>19-19-1</b></td>
<td class="fl">January 6, 2009 </td>
<td class="fl"><b>17-18-3</b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="fl"><b>39 points</b><br /></td>
<td class="fl">Sommet Center<br /></td>
<td class="fl"><b>37 Points</b><br /></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="fl"><b>12th in West</b><br /></td>
<td class="fl"> Nashville, TN<br /></td>
<td class="fl"><b>14th in West</b><br /></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
</center>
<p>Well, here we are again. Just four games after playing the Predators (and winning 5-1), all the energy and spark that was still driving the Avs early last week is now long gone. They're once again putting in 20 minute efforts in 60 minute games. The Avs have lost their last three, having been outscored 11-2 in that span.</p>
<p>Who's to blame? Peter Budaj, of course. Who else but the goalie could you possibly blame when a team scores just two goals in three games? It has to be the goalie's fault because it's always the goalie's fault. Until Patrick Roy puts on the Burgundy and Blue and once again takes the ice at the Pepsi Center, to many Avs fans it will forever, no matter what, be the fault of the goalie.</p>
<p>For the rest of us, we know that a team once again depleted by injury, crippled by bad coaching and front office management, lacking in heart and spirit, can't possibly be good on a regular basis. It doesn't matter who's in goal. The team is junk from top to bottom right now. The fact that they're still at .500 (at least in record if not in that fascinating "points earned, points ceded" stat) is amazing to me. This team could just as easily be 10-28-1 as 19-19-1. </p>
<p>When your offense is led by Tyler Arnason and Darcy Tucker, and the goalie many fans want to take over as starter is Andrew Freaking Raycroft, you know you're in bad shape. Real bad shape.</p>
<p>That said, it's hockey and any team can beat any other team any night of the week. Well, except for Boston and San Jose, who actually can't be beaten. But everybody else is fair game. So the Avs could win tonight. I'm not even going to try and predict it.</p>
<p>Pekka Rinne will once again face the Avs for the Predators. The only thing I really care about in this game is how Colorado is going to convince Nashville to trade Shea Weber for Raycroft, Arnason and Tucker.</p>
<p>ESPN <a href="http://scores.espn.go.com/nhl/preview?gameId=290106027" target="_blank">preview</a>.</p>
<p><!-- BEGIN WIDGET --></p>
<hr class="widget_boundry_marker" />
<div class="pane sports_data_widget player_stats clearfix">
<table class="zebra">
<thead>
<tr>
<th></th> <th>GP</th> <th>MIN</th> <th>W</th> <th>L</th> <th>T</th> <th>EGA</th> <th>GA</th> <th>GAA</th> <th>SA</th> <th>SV</th> <th>SV%</th> <th>SO</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td class="td-name td-first">2008 - <a href="/nhl/players/l.nhl.com-p.1046">Andrew Raycroft</a></td>
<td>8</td>
<td>427</td>
<td>6</td>
<td>1</td>
<td>0</td>
<td>0</td>
<td>21</td>
<td>2.95</td>
<td>184</td>
<td>163</td>
<td>.886</td>
<td class="td-last">0</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
</div>
<hr class="widget_boundry_marker" />
<!-- END WIDGET -->
<p><!-- BEGIN WIDGET --></p>
<hr class="widget_boundry_marker" />
<div class="pane sports_data_widget player_stats clearfix">
<table class="zebra">
<thead>
<tr>
<th></th> <th>GP</th> <th>MIN</th> <th>W</th> <th>L</th> <th>T</th> <th>EGA</th> <th>GA</th> <th>GAA</th> <th>SA</th> <th>SV</th> <th>SV%</th> <th>SO</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td class="td-name td-first">2008 - <a href="/nhl/players/l.nhl.com-p.1945">Pekka Rinne</a></td>
<td>14</td>
<td>726</td>
<td>7</td>
<td>4</td>
<td>0</td>
<td>2</td>
<td>30</td>
<td>2.48</td>
<td>339</td>
<td>309</td>
<td>.912</td>
<td class="td-last">3</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
</div>
<hr class="widget_boundry_marker" />
<!-- END WIDGET -->
http://www.milehighhockey.com/2009/1/6/710731/game-40-avalanche-at-predaJoe @ MHH2009-01-06T19:50:08Z2009-01-06T19:49:18ZCumiskey Named to AHL All-Star Team<p>Since you can never have too many Kyle Cumiskey stories, Lake Erie's Kyle Cumiskey is one of the 24 Canadian-born players <a href="http://www.theahl.com/news/league/index.html?article_id=9267">named to the AHL All-Star team today</a>. He's the only Monster to make the squad, although former Monster Johnny Boychuk was also named.</p>
<p>The Planet USA squad - which encompasses all non-Canadian players - will be announced tomorrow.</p>
<p> </p>
http://www.milehighhockey.com/2009/1/6/710610/cumiskey-named-to-ahl-allDavid Driscoll-Carignan2009-01-06T18:11:33Z2009-01-06T18:10:53ZCumiskey, Dupuis Recalled<p>Let's just recap the latest injury news:</p>
<p>Adam Foote has <a href="http://www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2009/jan/05/foote-laperriere-join-mounting-injury-list/?partner=RSS">an injured triceps and will be revaluated in a couple of days</a>. He is out against Nashville. Daniel Tjarnqvist will probably take his place in the lineup, and <a href="http://avalanche.nhl.com/team/app/?service=page&page=NewsPage&articleid=402244">Kyle Cumiskey has been recalled as well</a>. UPDATE: <a href="http://www.denverpost.com/avalanche/ci_11386472?source=rss">Foote has been placed on IR</a> retroactive to Sunday, so he is out at least for the next 3 games (Nashville, Chicago and Pittsburgh).</p>
<p>Ian Laperriere has a stiff back and is "day to day". He's also out against Nashville. <a href="http://stats.theahl.com/hm/transactions.php?f_team_id=373">Philippe Dupuis has been recalled from Lake Erie</a>, but since Ben Guite is also available (he was a scratch against Minnesota), Dupuis is probably just insurance in case...</p>
<p>...Chris Stewart's sore foot will keep him out. According to the RMN article above, he's expected to play, though.</p>
<p>I haven't seen any mention of the status of Darcy Tucker,<a href="http://www.denverpost.com/avalanche/ci_11369178?source=rss"> who was X-rayed</a> after his deranged outburst against Minnesota. I assume that means he's going to play against the Predators. Hurray for us.</p>
<p>To summarize, sounds like Foote and Lappy out, Tjarmin and Guite in.</p>
http://www.milehighhockey.com/2009/1/6/710512/cumiskey-dupuis-recalledDavid Driscoll-Carignan2009-01-06T14:18:26Z2009-01-06T14:18:21ZWhat's Staying The Same: Avalanche Stats Revisited<p>The <a href="http://www.milehighhockey.com/2008/11/26/673310/what-s-still-not-working-p" target="_blank">last time we looked at the Avalanche team statistics</a> in comparison to the rest of the NHL, their record for the season was 9-11-0. Twenty games later, their record is 19-19-1. So at least they're up to .500. Unfortunately, that's really the only good news.</p>
<p>Once again I'll run through the major statistical categories. The first number will be the Avs' score, followed by their league rank in parentheses, followed by the change in position since the last time we looked at these stats in italics.</p>
<p><b>Point Percentage</b>: .500 (22nd) <i>+5</i></p>
<p><b>Goals Per Game</b>: 2.49 (26th) <i>+2</i></p>
<p>That's up .19 and two positions in the league rankings since Game 21, but it's really not much of an improvement.</p>
<p><b>Goals Against Per Game</b>: 2.92 (21st) <i>-1</i></p>
<p>A slight improvement in score, a slight slide in ranking.</p>
<p><b>Five-on-Five Goals For/Against Ratio</b>: 0.83 (27th) <i>+2</i></p>
<p><b>Power Play Percentage</b>: 16.0 (21st) <i>no change</i></p>
<p><b>Penalty Kill Percentage</b>: 79.4 (25th) <i>-5</i></p>
<p>Special teams continue to be a major weakness for the Avalanche. They haven't improved at all over the last 20 games on the power play, and they've gotten worse on the kill. Paul Stastny, a very effective penalty killer, hasn't missed that many games yet, so his absence can't be the sole reason the team sucks worse than they did before. </p>
<p><b>Shots Per Game</b>: 28.9 (20th) <i>+1</i></p>
<p><b>Shots Against Per Game</b>: 28.4 (7th) <i>+1</i></p>
<p>Almost no change at all from first quarter of the season. The Avs aren't shooting more, nor are they allowing more shots.</p>
<p><b>Winning Percentage When Scoring First</b>: .688 (15th) <i>-1</i></p>
<p><b>Winning Percentage When Trailing First:</b> .348 (13th)<i> +2</i></p>
<p><b>Winning Percentage When Leading After The First Period:</b> .667 (19th) <i>+3</i></p>
<p><b>Winning Percentage When Leading After The Second Period:</b> 1.000 (T1st) <i>no change</i></p>
<p>The Avalanche are still money when leading after the second period. The problem is they don't lead after the second period often enough. Consider that a symptom of only really trying for 20-30 minutes a game, instead of putting in a full effort for the entire 60 minutes of regulation. Sometimes that 20 minute effort comes in the third period, but by then it's far too late.</p>
<p><b>Winning Percentage When Outshooting Opponents:</b> .400 (29th) <i>no change</i></p>
<p>The Avs have significantly improved their number here (up from .250), but it's still the second-worst score in the league, just above Anaheim at .375. This kind of number is indicative of having a reasonably strong offense but a shaky defense.</p>
<p><b>Winning Percentage When Being Outshot By Opponents:</b> .565 (6th) <i>+1</i></p>
<p>The good news is that the Avs don't have to panic when being outshot. They still have a 50-50 chance of winning a game in which the other team peppers their net. Despite what some may argue, this can be considered an indication of decent goaltending. </p>
<p><b>Face Off Win Percentage</b>: 49.2 (21st) <i>no change</i></p>
<p>Still below 50%, still crappy.</p>
<p>The general trend among all these statistics is that the Avs are not improving as a team. Granted, they're not really getting worse, even with significant recent personnel losses. But consistent mediocrity is not really something to celebrate, you know?</p>
<p> </p>
http://www.milehighhockey.com/2009/1/6/710317/what-s-staying-the-same-avJoe @ MHH2009-01-05T21:44:11Z2009-01-05T21:44:11ZBecause You Asked: Why is Wolski nicknamed "Baron von Wolski"?<h2><a href="http://www.milehighhockey.com/2009/1/5/709770/because-you-asked-why-is-w">Because You Asked: Why is Wolski nicknamed "Baron von Wolski"?</a></h2>
<ol>
<li class="fs-list1">We didn't have anybody with "Baron" in their name/nickname.</li>
<li class="fs-list2">We had a 'royalty' theme started with The Duke.</li>
<li class="fs-list3">Other announcers are constantly screwing up the 'v' and 'w' sounds in his given name.</li>
<li class="fs-list4">It rolls off the tongue.</li>
<li class="fs-list5">I'm awesome, that's why.</li>
</ol>
http://www.milehighhockey.com/2009/1/5/709770/because-you-asked-why-is-wMike @ MHH2009-01-05T20:55:02Z2009-01-05T20:54:31ZFoote, Lappy out, Raycroft in for tomorrow's game<p>More <a href="http://avalanche.nhl.com/team/app/?service=page&page=NewsPage&articleid=402180">grim news</a> for the Avs today guys...</p>
<blockquote>
<p>The Avalanche will be without a pair of veterans when the club faces Nashville tomorrow, as defenseman <a href="http://avalanche.nhl.com/team/app/?service=page&page=PlayerDetail&playerId=8456283">Adam Foote</a> and forward <a href="http://avalanche.nhl.com/team/app/?service=page&page=PlayerDetail&playerId=8459094">Ian Laperriere</a> will not make the trip to Tennessee.<br /> <br /> Foote suffered a tricep injury during Sunday’s loss to the Minnesota Wild. The blueliner played briefly in the second period before leaving the game. He did not take part in practice Monday and is out indefinitely.<br /> <br /> The Avalanche also played the third period of last night’s game without the services of Laperriere. The winger, who has been playing center of late, skated for just 9:03 before leaving the contest with a back injury. <br /> <br /> “Adam has a tricep injury and he’s going to be reevaluated in the next few days,” said <b>Avalanche head coach Tony Granato</b>. “Ian should be day-to-day. He’s got a stiff back but won’t make the trip.”<br /> <br /> <a href="http://avalanche.nhl.com/team/app/?service=page&page=PlayerDetail&playerId=8466300">Ben Guite</a> is expected to jump back into the lineup tomorrow and replace Laperriere after being a healthy scratch against the Wild, while <a href="http://avalanche.nhl.com/team/app/?service=page&page=PlayerDetail&playerId=8462115">Daniel Tjarnqvist</a> will likely take Foote's spot on the blue line.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Oh, and this too:</p>
<blockquote>
<p><a href="http://avalanche.nhl.com/team/app/?service=page&page=PlayerDetail&playerId=8467453">Andrew Raycroft</a> will get the starting nod in goal for the Avalanche.</p>
</blockquote>
http://www.milehighhockey.com/2009/1/5/709712/foote-lappy-out-raycroft-iRather Dashing2009-01-05T05:12:41Z2009-01-05T05:12:29ZGame 39: Wild 2, Avalanche 0<div class="pane sports_data_widget clearfix">
<h3>New Lines, New Effort, Same results<br /></h3>
</div>
<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/54872/ac726187-3710-4b4c-af65-2687e7613735.jpg" target="_blank"><img class="photo" src="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/54872/ac726187-3710-4b4c-af65-2687e7613735_medium.jpg" alt="Ac726187-3710-4b4c-af65-2687e7613735_medium" /></a> <br id="1231128957092" /> <b>Darcy Tucker seals the game for the Wild with stupidity, tenacity and a whole lot of crazy.</b><br id="1227238003417" /></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><i>Photo courtesy David Zalubowski (AP Photo)</i></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><!-- BEGIN WIDGET --></p>
<hr class="widget_boundry_marker" />
<div class="pane sports_data_widget events clearfix">
<table class="box-score">
<thead>
<tr>
<th class="td-left"> Final - 1.4.2009 </th> <th>1</th> <th>2</th> <th>3</th> <th>Total</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td class="td-name"><span class="win"> <a href="/nhl/teams/MIN">Minnesota Wild</a> </span></td>
<td>2</td>
<td>0</td>
<td>0</td>
<td class="highlight">2</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="td-name"><span class="loss"> <a href="/nhl/teams/COL">Colorado Avalanche</a> </span></td>
<td>0</td>
<td>0</td>
<td>0</td>
<td class="highlight">0</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p class="foot clearfix"><span class="link-more"><a href="/event/l.nhl.com-2008-e.10386">Complete Coverage ></a></span></p>
</div>
<hr class="widget_boundry_marker" />
<!-- END WIDGET -->
<p>Well, folks, what can I say? We've been complaining that the Avs haven't been punching in for a full 60 minutes lately. Tonight, the effort was there...but it didn't do any good. The Avalanche still lost. Niklas Backstrom improved to 5-1 all-time at the Pepsi Center (if the stat I saw flashed during the game was correct) and the Avs fell to 11th in the conference and, once again, to last place in the NW division.</p>
<p>There aren't a lot of positives about losing 3 straight - two at home - and scoring a grand total of two goals in the process. The Avalanche offense continues to be as anemic as ever. But, at least the effort was there. A lot of players had good games, including Tyler Arnason and Marek Svatos. The Avs put up 33 shots on Backstrom and it wasn't just one line doing all the work; David Jones was the only forward without a shot on net.</p>
<p>Backstrom, of course, was terrific. There have been low scoring games by the Avs where the opposing goalie could mail it in. This wasn't one of them. Backstrom made a bunch of good saves in the game. Colorado had a bunch of scoring chances and, with a couple of lucky bounces, could have potted a couple of goals.</p>
<p>At the other end, Peter Budaj was also strong. He turned aside 35 shots and he was indeed the team's best penalty killer on a number of occasions. The Wild got two by him about 3 minutes apart, both by Owen Nolan. The first was a deflection of a Brent Burns point shot and the second was a fluky bounce off of Chris Stewart's skate that landed right on Nolan's stick. The first one was probably stoppable, but the second was just a goal that happens.</p>
<p>One big negative for the 2nd straight game was some undisciplined play by the Avalanche players. Adam Foote losing his cool against Rick Nash was a major factor in the Columbus game, and his idiotic roughing penalty on Cal Clutterbuck early in this game was every bit as stupid...and it led to the game winning goal. I know Foote often plays on the edge, but he needs to be smarter than that. It sounds like he'll have some time to find his zen, unfortunately; he suffered an arm injury in the game and left early in the second period.</p>
<p>Foote wasn't the only Avalanche player without a brain tonight. Darcy Tucker...I just don't know what to say. He's already playing bad hockey to begin with; he loses pucks along the boards and spends more time getting knocked on his ass than any player in history. And then you take on a boneheaded charging penalty in the 2nd, killing some nice momentum the Avs were working on at the time. In a normal world, you'd be watching the rest of the game from the bench. Nope. With just about two minutes to go in the game, Granato looked down his bench. Smyth, Wolski and Svatos had just come off the ice. Hejduk had been out there recently too. Everyone else is rested. Granato tapped Arnason and Stewart (who had a monster shift on the previous shift, moments after taking a puck to the leg and limping off the ice). He needed one more guy, so he looks past Hensick, Jones, Lappy (who had been benched since his own stupid penalty late in the 2nd), McLeod, Willsie, Cloutier, the guy selling peanutes...and settles on Darcy Tucker. Tucker rewards Granato's confidence by immediately drawing a holding the stick penalty and - just to make sure everyone was aware that Tucker doesn't give a shit about this team - took off after Clutterbuck to get another 10 minutes tacked on. Tucker very easily could have gotten a second minor penalty on the play (to put the Avs on a 5 on 3) or landed an instigator penalty (giving Granato an automatic suspension). Even with just the one minor penalty (plus the misconduct) he killed off any chance his team had at coming back. I'm reasonably sure they wouldn't have been successful, but that's besides the point. That is just dumb.</p>
<p>Tucker has proven throughout his career that he doesn't know any better. Foote and Laperriere do - they need to start setting GOOD examples and cut out the stupid crap.</p>
<p> </p>
<div class="pane sports_data_widget clearfix">
<h3>Lines</h3>
</div>
<p>There were a bunch of penalties in the first period, and that caused some havoc with <a href="http://www.milehighhockey.com/2009/1/3/708218/wolski-moves-to-center">Granato's new lines</a>. Hejduk didn't last very long at left wing. By my count he had 3 even strength shifts before he shifted back to the right side and he and Wolski moved up to the Smyth line. So, in the end, the lines looked more like this:</p>
<ul>
<li>Smyth, Wolski, Hejduk</li>
<li>Stewart, Hensick, Jones</li>
<li>Tucker, Arnason, Svatos</li>
<li>McLeod, Lappy, Willsie</li>
</ul>
<p>As you know, Brian Willsie was so urgently needed that Tony Granato scratched Ben "Our Only Faceoff Guy" Guite. Willsie played just 6 minutes and had just 4 shifts after the first period.</p>
<p><a href="http://inthecheapseats.com/reports/2008/0802g0580.html">ITCS Report</a></p>
<div class="pane sports_data_widget clearfix">
<h3>Quick Hits</h3>
</div>
<ul>
<li>The Avs fell to 1-4 in Sunday games on the season. They've been outscored 17-10 on those days and have been shut out twice.</li>
<li>The reported Pepsi Center attendance of 14,125 is the 3rd lowest attendance of the season.</li>
<li>Chris Stewart led both teams with 5 hits.</li>
</ul>
<div class="pane sports_data_widget clearfix">
<h3>Video Highlights</h3>
</div>
<center> <iframe src="http://www.nhl.tv/team/embed.jsp?hlg=20082009,2,580" height="289" frameborder="0" width="480"></iframe> </center>
<div class="pane sports_data_widget clearfix">
<h3>Next Up</h3>
</div>
<p>The Avs are in Cody McCormick's favorite city to play in (Nashville) on Thursday and then close out the first half of the season with a visit by the Blackhawks on Thursday.</p>
<div class="pane sports_data_widget clearfix">
<h3>Other Recaps</h3>
</div>
<p>Scrambling all four of the Avalanche’s forward line combinations didn’t result in the most important change of all – the bottom line. Rick Sadowski, <a href="http://www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2009/jan/04/foote-injured-avs-2-0-loss-minnesota/?partner=RSS">Rocky Mountain News.</a></p>
<p><span id="redesign_default">Despite a reasonable number of shots, the Avs did not make life very difficult for Backstrom. Aside from a Wojtek Wolski short-handed partial breakaway in the second period and a late-game Chris Stewart doorstep chance, the Avs had precious little in the way of dangerous scoring opportunities. - Adrian Dater, </span><a href="http://www.denverpost.com/avalanche/ci_11366033?source=rss">Denver Post.</a></p>
<p>It's the first time in 61 regular season and playoff games the Wild has held Colorado scoreless. - <a href="http://avalanche.nhl.com/team/app/?service=page&page=Recap&seas=20082009>ype=2&gnum=580">AP</a></p>
<p>It's nice to see the Wild get the early lead, but I'm still a bit bothered by the 32 shots they gave up to a team missing three centers - Nathan Eide, <a href="http://www.hockeywilderness.com/">Hockey Wilderness</a></p>
<p>For Nolan, it was his first two-goal game since Feb. 9, 2008, and he had multiple chances for his 12th career hat trick. Nolan has 18 goals against Colorado, fourth-most against any opponent. - Mike Russo, <a href="http://www.startribune.com/sports/wild/37072044.html">Star Tribune</a></p>
<p>The eyes now must turn to GM Francois Giguere, in my opinion. He should go out and get a center, somebody who can win faceoffs, play some defense and maybe chip in with the odd goal. Oh, what’s that you say? Yes, that’s right, the Avs could have had this kind of guy this past SUMMER, when I IMPLORED them to go get Stephane Yelle back. - Adrian Dater, <a href="http://blogs.denverpost.com/avs/2009/01/04/how-do-you-like-your-goose-egg-prepared/">All Things Avs</a></p>
<p>Francois Giguere made many questionable moves this offseason but letting Theodore walk was not one of those moves. - Shane Giroux, <a href="http://coloradoavalancheblog.com/2009/01/avalanche-shut-out-by-wild-lose-2-0.html">Avs Talk</a></p>
http://www.milehighhockey.com/2009/1/4/709172/game-39-wild-2-avalanche-0David Driscoll-Carignan2009-01-05T00:00:07Z2009-01-05T00:00:07ZGame 39: Wild at Avalanche, Open Thread<p>The Avs are hosting the Wild tonight. We've talked about the <a href="http://www.milehighhockey.com/2009/1/3/708218/wolski-moves-to-center">spiffy new line changes</a> and the <a href="http://www.milehighhockey.com/2009/1/3/708270/given-the-alternatives">same old goalie controversy</a> and the fact the Wild are 4-8-2 since the<a href="http://inthecheapseats.com/reports/2008/0802g0353.html"> Avs beat the Wild 6-5</a> on December first.</p>
<p>Now all we have to do is play the damn game and then whine / celebrate.</p>
http://www.milehighhockey.com/2009/1/4/709011/game-39-wild-at-avalancheDavid Driscoll-Carignan2009-01-04T01:02:43Z2009-01-04T01:02:04ZGiven the Alternatives...<blockquote>
<p>Boods in net. I threw Boods under the bus after last night’s game, and am not backing down. But I will say, he was not the reason the team lost last night. So calm down, Boods lovers. But his saves percentage is .899. The numbers are the numbers, folks.</p>
</blockquote>
<p><em>-The above taken from Adrian Dater's </em><a href="http://blogs.denverpost.com/avs/2009/01/03/major-lineup-changes-coming-for-tomorrow/" target="_blank"><em>latest blog scribblings</em></a><em>.</em> </p>
<p>Well, then count the above as Reason #4,398 why much-maligned management was correct to let Theo walk: Jose "Dater's Off-season Man-Crush" Theodore's <a href="http://www.nhl.com/ice/app?service=page&page=playerstats&fetchKey=20092ALLGAGAll&viewName=savePercentageLeaders&sort=savePercentage&pg=2" target="_blank">save percentage </a>is 0.889, <em>on a better team</em>. His GAA is also worse than Budaj's: 3.08 vs. 2.84. He has more wins because he has more goal support. Period, end of story. If the stalwart among you will recall, Dater said that letting Benedict Theodore walk for what he considered pennies <a href="http://blogs.denverpost.com/avs/2008/10/14/this-ones-on-management/" target="_blank">was a mistake</a>. <a href="http://blogs.denverpost.com/avs/2008/10/15/im-panic-stricken-but-i-still-managed-to-type-this/" target="_blank">Repeatedly</a>. I think this season so far has shown that it wasn't. Remember how Dater's boyfriend <strong>DD</strong> mentioned that the Avs have played a ton of one-goal games? You don't? Look <a href="http://www.milehighhockey.com/2008/12/28/703133/game-35-avalanche-4-red-wi" target="_blank">here</a>. Now then, where was I? Ohh yeah, Dater is wrong. With Theo in net, we'd be staring up at the Kings in the standing and close to catching the Blues and Isles for the Tavares sweepstakes.</p>
<p>The 'broken' part of this team (i.e. the one that does need fixing) is the O and the D, with coaching thrown in for seasoning. Not addressing the supposed "goaltending deficiency" wasn't a mistake by the front office. Not addressing the one-hit wonders like Salei on D, the apparently unfounded faith in some of the young players and Arny to replace Bruno's scoring, signing Tucker, and handing the reins to Tony G. can all be laid at management's feet as bad calls. </p>
<p>Dater and his fans can stick to their opinion that Boods is large part of the problem, but a different goaltender for this team won't even <strong>begin</strong> to be a <em>tiny</em> part of the solution. This is a <strong>mediocre</strong> team when healthy, and a horrible team when unmotivated and missing key players. Giggy needs to call GM GM in Washington and get the short version of the rebuild process and implement step #1 post-haste: If you wanna get good, you've got to be really bad for a little bit.</p>
<p>I fully endorse that by the way. Tell Sakic to get healthy, see if Forsberg can do the same, deal some guys like Salei and Clark for prospects, get Speedy up from the Monsters to take his lumps for the rest of this season, keep Arny on the third line where he belongs and unload him at the end of this season, resign Lappy, Guite, Budaj, Jones, McLeod, and Leoprone ,and then go after two or three of the following: Bouwmeester, Morris, Zetterberg, Franzen, Kotalik, Komisarek, Koistinen, McDonald, Gionta, Cammalleri, Tanguay, and the Sedin Twins. I'd also take a look at what would have to be given up to get Matt Hunwick out of Boston as an RFA next year. Give me something to look forward to, other than being the "also-rans" every year. </p>
http://www.milehighhockey.com/2009/1/3/708270/given-the-alternativesMike @ MHH2009-01-03T22:14:54Z2009-01-03T22:14:05ZWolski Moves To Center<p>Adrian Dater is <a href="http://blogs.denverpost.com/avs/2009/01/03/major-lineup-changes-coming-for-tomorrow/">burning the weekend oil</a> to get us some major lineup changes for Sunday's game. Per his blog, Sunday's lines will be:</p>
<ul>
<li>Smyth, Hensick, Stewart</li>
<li>Hejduk, Wolski, Jones</li>
<li>Tucker, Arnason, Svatos</li>
<li>McLeod, Laperriere, Willsie</li>
</ul>
<p>No Ben Guite, which seems an odd choice given how bad the Avs have been in the circle lately. Other than that, I like this move. I never got a chance to cover this in an article, but when Stastny went down my first thought was to split Smyth and Hejduk up. There's a lot of "I'm curious to see" items here. Like, I'm curious to see how Wolski will do at center (I think he could be better than at left wing). And I'm curious to see how Hejduk looks on the left (not sure how this one will work out, but he too could use a little shakeup). Most of all, I've been lobbying to see Hensick get time on the first line, and I'm really curious (and excited) to see Smyth, Hensick and Stewart in action.</p>
<p>Budaj will be in net, which means I give Tony G two thumbs way up for this move. He certainly isn't above criticism this year, but I think he's handled his players a <i>lot </i>better than his predescesor. He gave Arnason a chance, and now he's moving on to Plan B. If Joel Quenneville was still the coach, Arnie would still be manning the first line tomorrow, Double Dub would be a healthy scratch and Andrew Raycroft would be between the pipes. So cheer up, folks, things could be worse!</p>
http://www.milehighhockey.com/2009/1/3/708218/wolski-moves-to-centerDavid Driscoll-Carignan2009-01-03T15:30:38Z2009-01-03T15:30:14ZGame 38: Blue Jackets 6, Avalanche 1<div class="pane sports_data_widget clearfix">
<h3>That Was Nash-Ty<br /></h3>
</div>
<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/54426/stewart.jpg" target="_blank"><img class="photo" src="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/54426/stewart_medium.jpg" alt="Stewart_medium" /></a> <br id="1230991521536" /> <b>The Avs showed a lot of fight...for about 20 minutes</b><br id="1227238003417" /></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><i>Photo courtesy Michael Martin (Getty)<br /></i></p>
<p>Well, so much for being in the top 8 in the conference. The Avalanche were completely embarrassed by the Columbus Blue Jackets last night, 6-1. With the win, the BJs moved past the Avs into 8th. Frankly, based on their play last night, they deserve it.</p>
<p>Like so many recent games, the Avalanche came out with a lot of early jump. Chris Stewart fought with Jared Boll early in the game. He kicked butt, and that helped set the early tone. The Avs had a couple of early powerplays, and Darcy Tucker scored late in the 1st period to give the Avs a 1-0 lead at the first intermission.</p>
<p>And that does it for the positives column.</p>
<p>The 2nd period was marked by domination from the Columbus line of Rick Nash, Manny Malhotra and Kristian Huselius. Huselius was fed twice by gorgeous bang-bang passes from Nash. On the first goal, at the 2:28 mark, the puck was in the net before Peter Budaj reacted. The line was causing all kinds of fits for the Avalanche defensemen - especially Adam Foote who was called for interference on Nash and was on the ice for all three of the lines' goals.</p>
<p>Well, except for one - a Nash penalty shot. That shot was awarded when Brett Clark hooked Nash from behind on a breakaway. It was controversial, as it appeared that the play was just going to result in a delayed penalty. Play continued for some time before being whistled down (Nash had even gone off on a line change) when the Avs finally touched the puck it was time for a TV timeout. When we came backf rom the break, instead of the obligatory camera shot of Clark in the penalty box, we were instead greeted by one of an incensed Tony Granato on the bench. After that long stretch of play, Nash was awarded a penalty shot. He promptly buried it for what would turn out to be the game winner. The homers covering the Blue Jackets were under the impression that plays get whistled down immediately for a penalty shot, and I thought the same thing. Turns out, that's not the case.</p>
<blockquote>
<p>25.7 Timing - If the foul upon which the penalty shot is based occurs<br />during actual playing time, the penalty shot shall be awarded and<br />taken immediately in the usual manner notwithstanding any delay<br />occasioned by a slow whistle by the Referee to allow play to continue<br />until the attacking side has lost possession of the puck to the<br />defending side, which delay results in the expiry of the regular playing<br />time in any period.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>At any rate, the Avs were already sliding downhill and once the penalty shot happened they became completely unraveled. The only thing the Avalanche were able to do the rest of the game was hit people. All other aspects of the game - offense, defense and goaltending - were completely abandoned. It was gruesome. If you really want to re-live it, the video highlights are included below.</p>
<div class="pane sports_data_widget clearfix">
<h3>Lines</h3>
</div>
<p>Hey Tony, if you are going to continue to pull Arnason off the first line (a good move, in my opinion) why not do it from the start of the game? Why wait until the 2nd period?</p>
<p>Granato has been rather Quenneville-esque in the way he's throwing all his lines into a blender each night. One of the oddest combinations to fall out in the 3rd period: David Jones skating with Ryan Smyth and Milan Hejduk for 4 shifts.</p>
<p><a href="http://inthecheapseats.com/reports/2008/0802g0562.html">ITCS Report</a></p>
<div class="pane sports_data_widget clearfix">
<h3>Quick Hits</h3>
</div>
<ul>
<li>Columbus' Mike Commodore was on the ice for every one of his team's goals. He and his partner Jan Hejda were +4.</li>
<li>Ben Guite won all 7 faceoffs he took.</li>
<li>Last night's reported attendance was a dismal 14,482 (including two groups of Blue Jacket fans that FSN Ohio showed ALL NIGHT LONG). Of the 18 games at the Pepsi Center this year, 9 have drawn fewer than 15,000 fans.</li>
</ul>
<div class="pane sports_data_widget clearfix">
<h3>Video Highlights</h3>
</div>
<center> <iframe src="http://avalanche.nhl.tv/team/embed.jsp?hlg=20082009,2,562" height="289" frameborder="0" width="480"></iframe> </center>
<div class="pane sports_data_widget clearfix">
<h3>Next Up</h3>
</div>
<p>The Avs host the Minnesota Wild on Sunday - the first NW matchup for the Avs since December 7th. The Wild beat San Jose on Wednesday, but have been sluggish overall lately. Since we beat them 6-5 on December 1st, the Wild are 4-8-1.</p>
<div class="pane sports_data_widget clearfix">
<h3>Other Recaps</h3>
</div>
<p><span id="redesign_default">
<p>The Avalanche dominated the opening period, then went dormant, much to the dismay of coach Tony Granato. "We lost the game in the second period," he said. "That pretty much sums it up." - Pat Graham, <a href="http://www.denverpost.com/avalanche/ci_11360359?source=rss">AP (Rocky Mountain News)</a></p>
<p>"We weren't prepared for the competitive level at the start of the game," Blue Jackets coach Ken Hitchcock said. "But we really adjusted. We played our game in the second and third period. We played very, very well." - Aaron Portzline, <a href="http://www.bluejacketsxtra.com/live/content/sports/stories/2009/01/03/jackets03.ART_ART_01-03-09_C1_TKCDLDL.html?sid=101">Columbus Dispatch</a></p>
<p>Peter Budaj just isn’t a No. 1 goalie. Sorry, Boods backers, but he’s not good enough. Period. He’s a good kid and I hate to keep knocking him, but he’s not good enough. He’s just not. Don’t give me any “Aww, the D didn’t play that great in front of him and it’s not his fault and blah blah blah.” He was awful tonight, and he’s lost<del datetime="00"></del> four of his last six starts. Not good enough, sorry. I wish I could say different. But I can’t. - Adrian Dater, <a href="http://blogs.denverpost.com/avs/2009/01/02/what-was-more-depressing-watching-the-avs-tonight-or-watching-vh1-classics-top-100-hard-rock-songs-of-all-time/">All Things Avs</a></p>
<p>Huselius had his first multi-goal game of the season, scoring both times on pinpoint passes from Nash. After being held pointless for five games in mid-December, Huselius has three goals and three assists over his past eight games. - <a href="http://avalanche.nhl.com/team/app/?service=page&page=Recap&seas=20082009>ype=2&gnum=562">AP</a></p>
</span></p>
http://www.milehighhockey.com/2009/1/3/707920/game-38-blue-jackets-6-avaDavid Driscoll-Carignan2009-01-03T01:32:17Z2009-01-03T01:30:46ZGame 38: Blue Jackets At Avalanche, Open Thread<center>
<table cellspacing="1" bgcolor="#ffffff" border="0" cellpadding="2" width="400" style="text-align: center;">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td class="hg"><a href="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/32031/MatchBlueJackets.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/32031/MatchBlueJackets_medium.jpg" alt="Matchbluejackets_medium" /></a> <br /></td>
<td class="hg"><a href="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/31770/VS.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/31770/VS_medium.jpg" alt="Vs_medium" /></a><br /></td>
<td class="hg"><a href="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/31752/MatchAvalanche.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/31752/MatchAvalanche_medium.jpg" alt="Matchavalanche_medium" /></a> <br /></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="fl"><b>Columbus Blue Jackets</b> <br /></td>
<td class="fl">9:00 pm ET / 7:00 pm MT <br /></td>
<td class="fl"><b> Colorado Avalanche</b><br /></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="fl"><b>17-16-4</b></td>
<td class="fl">January 2, 2009 </td>
<td class="fl"><b>19-17-1</b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="fl"><b>38 points</b><br /></td>
<td class="fl">Pepsi Center<br /></td>
<td class="fl"><b>39 Points</b><br /></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="fl"><b>T-9th in West</b><br /></td>
<td class="fl"> Denver, CO<br /></td>
<td class="fl"><b>8th in West</b><br /></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
</center>
http://www.milehighhockey.com/2009/1/2/706885/game-38-blue-jackets-at-avJoe @ MHH2009-01-01T23:56:06Z2009-01-01T23:56:06ZChris Durno Sent Back To Lake Erie<h3><a href="http://stats.theahl.com/hm/transactions.php?f_team_id=373">Chris Durno Sent Back To Lake Erie</a></h3>
<div class="description"><p>That was quick. The Avs are back to 12 healthy forwards; I assume this means Brian Willsie is close to returning.</p></div>
http://www.milehighhockey.com/2009/1/1/706894/chris-durno-sent-back-to-lDavid Driscoll-Carignan2009-01-01T17:55:22Z2009-01-01T17:54:40ZWinter Classic Live Blog<p>I'm one of a bunch of SBNation bloggers joining James Mirtle for the Winter Classic Live Blog. You can take that in (and add your comments) via the following link:</p>
<p> </p>
<center><iframe src="http://www.coveritlive.com/index2.php/option=com_altcaster/task=viewaltcast/altcast_code=7ff4154d77/height=650/width=450" height="650" frameborder="0" width="450" scrolling="no"></iframe></center>
<p> </p>
http://www.milehighhockey.com/2009/1/1/706706/winter-classic-live-blogDavid Driscoll-Carignan2009-01-01T14:34:30Z2009-01-01T14:34:07ZGame 37: Coyotes 3, Avalanche 1 (Quickie Recap)<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/53823/clark.jpg" target="_blank"><img class="photo" src="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/53823/clark_medium.jpg" alt="Clark_medium" /></a></p>
<p align="center"><b>I have no idea what's going on here, but it seems like a fun way to spend New Year's Eve</b></p>
<p align="center"><i>Photo courtesy Norm Hall (Getty)</i></p>
<p align="center"><!-- BEGIN WIDGET --></p>
<hr class="widget_boundry_marker" />
<div class="pane sports_data_widget events clearfix">
<table class="box-score">
<thead>
<tr>
<th class="td-left"> Final - 12.31.2008 </th> <th>1</th> <th>2</th> <th>3</th> <th>Total</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td class="td-name"><span class="loss"> <a href="/nhl/teams/COL">Colorado Avalanche</a> </span></td>
<td>1</td>
<td>0</td>
<td>0</td>
<td class="highlight">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="td-name"><span class="win"> <a href="/nhl/teams/PHO">Phoenix Coyotes</a> </span></td>
<td>0</td>
<td>2</td>
<td>1</td>
<td class="highlight">3</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p class="foot clearfix"><span class="link-more"><a href="/event/l.nhl.com-2008-e.10848">Complete Coverage ></a></span></p>
</div>
<hr class="widget_boundry_marker" />
<!-- END WIDGET -->
<p align="left">The Phoenix Coyotes stopped the Avalanche winning streak at 3, dropping the Avs 3-1. I didn't watch the game as I was out celebrating with my family. It's recorded, but I don't feel all that compelled to watch it.</p>
<p align="left">From what I gather from the <a href="http://inthecheapseats.com/reports/2008/0802g0550.html">game</a>:</p>
<p align="left">TJ Hensick scored the only goal and Tony Granato finally followed my advice and moved him up with Smyth and Hejduk for part of the game. Granato <a href="http://www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2008/dec/31/avalanche-falls-coyotes-3-1/?partner=RSS">even said some nice things about him afterwards</a>, but also seemed to be leaning towards going back to Arnason in the next game.</p>
<p align="left">It didn't seem like a very physical game - not a lot of hits for either team, and just 5 penalties overall (and all 4 goals were at even strength).</p>
<p align="left">Brett Clark was on the ice for all 4 goals.</p>
<p align="left">The Avs still can't win a faceoff to save their collective lives.</p>
<p align="left">Next up is Columbus tomorrow. *Yawn*</p>
<p align="left">Today, of course, is the Winter Classic game (featuring two coaches who defeated us in the playoffs last year). <a href="http://www.fromtherink.com/2009/1/1/706471/2009-winter-classic-live-b">James Mirtle will have a live blog</a> going if you're into that sort of thing. I may take part, if the opportunity presents itself. Either way, I'll be watching the game (my wife is going to make <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poutine">poutine </a>and buffalo wings), mostly because it seems like the right thing to do.</p>
<p align="left">Happy New Year, everyone!</p>
http://www.milehighhockey.com/2009/1/1/706599/game-37-coyotes-3-avalanchDavid Driscoll-Carignan2008-12-31T22:45:05Z2008-12-31T22:45:05ZGame 37: Avalanche At Coyotes, Preview And Open Thread<center>
<table cellspacing="1" bgcolor="#ffffff" border="0" cellpadding="2" style="text-align: center;" width="400">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td class="hg"><a href="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/31752/MatchAvalanche.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/31752/MatchAvalanche_medium.jpg" alt="Matchavalanche_medium" /></a> <br /></td>
<td class="hg"><a href="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/31770/VS.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/31770/VS_medium.jpg" alt="Vs_medium" /></a><br /></td>
<td class="hg"><a href="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/32049/MatchCoyotes.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/32049/MatchCoyotes_medium.jpg" alt="Matchcoyotes_medium" /></a> <br /></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="fl"><b>Colorado Avalanche</b> <br /></td>
<td class="fl">8:00 pm ET / 6:00 pm MT <br /></td>
<td class="fl"><b> Phoenix Coyotes</b><br /></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="fl"><b>19-16-1</b></td>
<td class="fl">December 31, 2008 </td>
<td class="fl"><b>17-15-5</b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="fl"><b>39 points</b><br /></td>
<td class="fl">Jobing.com Arena<br /></td>
<td class="fl"><b>39 Points</b><br /></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="fl"><b>7th in West</b><br /></td>
<td class="fl"> Glendale, AZ<br /></td>
<td class="fl"><b>8th in West</b><br /></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
</center>
<p>It seems like the Avalanche have played the Coyotes ten times already this season. After I checked the schedule I realized they've only played twice, which seems hard to believe. In those two meetings, each team has won once, but the Avs have given the Coyotes three points in the standings (a win and an OT loss) while Phoenix has ceded only two points to the Avs. The teams have each scored six goals against the other this year.</p>
<p>The Avs are on a hard-to-believe three game winning streak, and despite having a first line center who is pointless since being given that job, the Avs have scored nine goals and have allowed only four in their last two games. Defenseman John-Michael Liles has finally found his offensive groove over the past three games and is responsible for seven points (3g, 4a) in that time. Ryan Smyth also has seven points (2g, 5a) in three games.</p>
<p>The Avs will need to keep leaning on these players if they want to keep winning. Them and goalie Peter Budaj, who has had two tremendous outings and is apparently out of coach Tony Granato's dog house. Budaj will get the start tonight.</p>
<p>ESPN <a href="http://scores.espn.go.com/nhl/preview?gameId=281231024" target="_blank">preview</a>. <!-- BEGIN WIDGET --></p>
<hr class="widget_boundry_marker" />
<div class="pane sports_data_widget player_stats clearfix">
<table class="zebra">
<thead>
<tr>
<th></th><th>GP</th><th>MIN</th><th>W</th><th>L</th><th>T</th><th>EGA</th><th>GA</th><th>GAA</th><th>SA</th><th>SV</th><th>SV%</th><th>SO</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td class="td-name td-first">2008 - <a href="/nhl/players/l.nhl.com-p.1704">Peter Budaj</a></td>
<td>30</td>
<td>1758</td>
<td>13</td>
<td>15</td>
<td>1</td>
<td>2</td>
<td>80</td>
<td>2.73</td>
<td>825</td>
<td>745</td>
<td>.903</td>
<td class="td-last">1</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
</div>
<hr class="widget_boundry_marker" />
<!-- END WIDGET --><!-- BEGIN WIDGET -->
<hr class="widget_boundry_marker" />
<div class="pane sports_data_widget player_stats clearfix">
<table class="zebra">
<thead>
<tr>
<th></th><th>GP</th><th>MIN</th><th>W</th><th>L</th><th>T</th><th>EGA</th><th>GA</th><th>GAA</th><th>SA</th><th>SV</th><th>SV%</th><th>SO</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td class="td-name td-first">2008 - <a href="/nhl/players/l.nhl.com-p.620">Mikael Tellqvist</a></td>
<td>9</td>
<td>514</td>
<td>4</td>
<td>3</td>
<td>1</td>
<td>1</td>
<td>21</td>
<td>2.45</td>
<td>270</td>
<td>249</td>
<td>.922</td>
<td class="td-last">0</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
</div>
<hr class="widget_boundry_marker" />
<!-- END WIDGET -->
http://www.milehighhockey.com/2008/12/31/706303/game-37-avalanche-at-coyotJoe @ MHH2008-12-31T03:21:49Z2008-12-31T03:20:37ZLess Hitting?<p>Last week, something happened during the Pheonix game that had me put my thinking cap on. I don't think it made it into the highlight reel, but at some point in the game Kurt Sauer rubbed out an Avalanche forward with a pretty big hit along the sideboards (probably David Jones - he always seems to be the recipient of those kinds of hits).</p>
<p>It got me thinking of a long-held theory of mine: that players - defensemen - don't hit as often when they play for the Avs. My theory was that guys with a reputation as being solid bangers with other teams (Sauer and Ossi Vaananen were the examples I used to use) ended up losing a bit deal of physicality after they were traded to the Avalanche, probably due to a different approach to defense by the Avs' coaching staff (read: Jacques Cloutier).</p>
<p>After watching the Sauer hit, I decided it was time to see if my theory was correct. So, I compiled the stats for all the defensemen who have played for the Avs since the lockout - from the start of 2005 through games played last Friday - both with the Avs and with the teams they played either before or after playing in Denver. I excluded Brett Clark, John-Michael Liles, Bob Boughner and Kyle Cumiskey, as all four have only played for Colorado during that time frame (honestly, I just forgot to include Boughner, but that excuse is still valid). I also didn't include Johnny Boychuk, as he's only played in 5 NHL games.</p>
<p>That leaves 12 defensemen who, in the last 3 1/2 seasons, have played for the Avalanche and at least one other team (including Ken Klee, who has played for FIVE teams besides the Avalanche in that time frame).</p>
<p>
<meta content="text/html; charset=utf-8" http-equiv="Content-Type" />
<meta name="ProgId" content="Word.Document" />
<meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 12" />
<meta name="Originator" content="Microsoft Word 12" />
<link href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5CDRISCO%7E1%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_filelist.xml" rel="File-List" />
<link href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5CDRISCO%7E1%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_themedata.thmx" rel="themeData" />
<link href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5CDRISCO%7E1%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_colorschememapping.xml" rel="colorSchemeMapping" />
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> </xml><![endif]-->
<style>
</style>
<!--[if gte mso 10]>
<style>
/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-qformat:yes;
mso-style-parent:"";
mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin-top:0in;
mso-para-margin-right:0in;
mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt;
mso-para-margin-left:0in;
line-height:115%;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri;
mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast;
mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;}
table.MsoTableGrid
{mso-style-name:"Table Grid";
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-priority:59;
mso-style-unhide:no;
border:solid black 1.0pt;
mso-border-themecolor:text1;
mso-border-alt:solid black .5pt;
mso-border-themecolor:text1;
mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;
mso-border-insideh:.5pt solid black;
mso-border-insideh-themecolor:text1;
mso-border-insidev:.5pt solid black;
mso-border-insidev-themecolor:text1;
mso-para-margin:0in;
mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri;
mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;}
</style>
<![endif]-->
<table cellspacing="0" border="1" cellpadding="0">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td nowrap="nowrap" valign="top" width="85">
<p><b>Name</b></p>
</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" valign="top" width="41">
<p><b>Team</b></p>
</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" valign="top" width="35">
<p><b>GP</b></p>
</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" valign="top" width="35">
<p><b>Hits</b></p>
</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" valign="top" width="47">
<p><b>Hits/G</b></p>
</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" valign="top" width="59">
<p><b>Increase</b></p>
</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" valign="top" width="16">
<p><b> </b></p>
</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" valign="top" width="75">
<p><b>Team</b></p>
</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" valign="top" width="35">
<p><b>GP </b></p>
</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" valign="top" width="35">
<p><b>Hits</b></p>
</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" valign="top" width="47">
<p><b>Hits/G</b></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td nowrap="nowrap" valign="top" width="85">
<p>Tjarnqvist</p>
</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" valign="top" width="41">
<p>Col</p>
</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" valign="top" width="35">
<p>11</p>
</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" valign="top" width="35">
<p>7</p>
</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" valign="top" width="47">
<p>0.64</p>
</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" valign="top" width="59">
<p>0.33</p>
</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" valign="top" width="16"></td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" valign="top" width="75">
<p>Edm & Min</p>
</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" valign="top" width="35">
<p>97</p>
</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" valign="top" width="35">
<p>30</p>
</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" valign="top" width="47">
<p>0.31</p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td nowrap="nowrap" valign="top" width="85">
<p>Hannan</p>
</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" valign="top" width="41">
<p>Col</p>
</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" valign="top" width="35">
<p>115</p>
</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" valign="top" width="35">
<p>75</p>
</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" valign="top" width="47">
<p>0.65</p>
</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" valign="top" width="59">
<p>0.10</p>
</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" valign="top" width="16"></td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" valign="top" width="75">
<p>SJ</p>
</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" valign="top" width="35">
<p>160</p>
</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" valign="top" width="35">
<p>88</p>
</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" valign="top" width="47">
<p>0.55</p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td nowrap="nowrap" valign="top" width="85">
<p>Blake</p>
</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" valign="top" width="41">
<p>Col</p>
</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" valign="top" width="35">
<p>81</p>
</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" valign="top" width="35">
<p>108</p>
</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" valign="top" width="47">
<p>1.33</p>
</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" valign="top" width="59">
<p>0.07</p>
</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" valign="top" width="16"></td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" valign="top" width="75">
<p>LA & SJ</p>
</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" valign="top" width="35">
<p>177</p>
</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" valign="top" width="35">
<p>223</p>
</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" valign="top" width="47">
<p>1.26</p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td nowrap="nowrap" valign="top" width="85">
<p>Klee</p>
</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" valign="top" width="41">
<p>Col</p>
</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" valign="top" width="35">
<p>81</p>
</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" valign="top" width="35">
<p>107</p>
</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" valign="top" width="47">
<p>1.32</p>
</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" valign="top" width="59">
<p>0.03</p>
</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" valign="top" width="16"></td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" valign="top" width="75">
<p>5 Teams</p>
</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" valign="top" width="35">
<p>172</p>
</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" valign="top" width="35">
<p>222</p>
</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" valign="top" width="47">
<p>1.29</p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td nowrap="nowrap" valign="top" width="85">
<p>Salei</p>
</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" valign="top" width="41">
<p>Col</p>
</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" valign="top" width="35">
<p>49</p>
</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" valign="top" width="35">
<p>93</p>
</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" valign="top" width="47">
<p>1.90</p>
</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" valign="top" width="59">
<p>0.00</p>
</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" valign="top" width="16"></td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" valign="top" width="75">
<p>Fla & Ana</p>
</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" valign="top" width="35">
<p>225</p>
</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" valign="top" width="35">
<p>426</p>
</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" valign="top" width="47">
<p>1.89</p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td nowrap="nowrap" valign="top" width="85">
<p>Brisebois</p>
</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" valign="top" width="41">
<p>Col</p>
</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" valign="top" width="35">
<p>113</p>
</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" valign="top" width="35">
<p>77</p>
</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" valign="top" width="47">
<p>0.68</p>
</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" valign="top" width="59">
<p>-0.04</p>
</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" valign="top" width="16"></td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" valign="top" width="75">
<p>Mon</p>
</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" valign="top" width="35">
<p>72</p>
</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" valign="top" width="35">
<p>52</p>
</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" valign="top" width="47">
<p>0.72</p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td nowrap="nowrap" valign="top" width="85">
<p>Leopold</p>
</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" valign="top" width="41">
<p>Col</p>
</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" valign="top" width="35">
<p>92</p>
</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" valign="top" width="35">
<p>70</p>
</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" valign="top" width="47">
<p>0.76</p>
</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" valign="top" width="59">
<p>-0.06</p>
</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" valign="top" width="16"></td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" valign="top" width="75">
<p>Cal</p>
</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" valign="top" width="35">
<p>74</p>
</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" valign="top" width="35">
<p>61</p>
</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" valign="top" width="47">
<p>0.82</p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td nowrap="nowrap" valign="top" width="85">
<p>Foote</p>
</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" valign="top" width="41">
<p>Col</p>
</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" valign="top" width="35">
<p>44</p>
</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" valign="top" width="35">
<p>68</p>
</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" valign="top" width="47">
<p>1.55</p>
</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" valign="top" width="59">
<p>-0.11</p>
</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" valign="top" width="16"></td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" valign="top" width="75">
<p>CBJ</p>
</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" valign="top" width="35">
<p>187</p>
</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" valign="top" width="35">
<p>309</p>
</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" valign="top" width="47">
<p>1.65</p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td nowrap="nowrap" valign="top" width="85">
<p>Skrastins</p>
</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" valign="top" width="41">
<p>Col</p>
</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" valign="top" width="35">
<p>193</p>
</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" valign="top" width="35">
<p>95</p>
</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" valign="top" width="47">
<p>0.49</p>
</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" valign="top" width="59">
<p>-0.17</p>
</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" valign="top" width="16"></td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" valign="top" width="75">
<p>Fla</p>
</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" valign="top" width="35">
<p>48</p>
</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" valign="top" width="35">
<p>32</p>
</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" valign="top" width="47">
<p>0.67</p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td nowrap="nowrap" valign="top" width="85">
<p>Sauer</p>
</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" valign="top" width="41">
<p>Col</p>
</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" valign="top" width="35">
<p>139</p>
</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" valign="top" width="35">
<p>112</p>
</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" valign="top" width="47">
<p>0.81</p>
</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" valign="top" width="59">
<p>-0.37</p>
</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" valign="top" width="16"></td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" valign="top" width="75">
<p>Pho</p>
</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" valign="top" width="35">
<p>35</p>
</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" valign="top" width="35">
<p>41</p>
</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" valign="top" width="47">
<p>1.17</p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td nowrap="nowrap" valign="top" width="85">
<p>Finger</p>
</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" valign="top" width="41">
<p>Col</p>
</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" valign="top" width="35">
<p>94</p>
</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" valign="top" width="35">
<p>147</p>
</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" valign="top" width="47">
<p>1.56</p>
</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" valign="top" width="59">
<p>-0.77</p>
</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" valign="top" width="16"></td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" valign="top" width="75">
<p>Tor</p>
</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" valign="top" width="35">
<p>27</p>
</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" valign="top" width="35">
<p>63</p>
</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" valign="top" width="47">
<p>2.33</p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td nowrap="nowrap" valign="top" width="85">
<p>Vaananen</p>
</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" valign="top" width="41">
<p>Col</p>
</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" valign="top" width="35">
<p>127</p>
</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" valign="top" width="35">
<p>141</p>
</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" valign="top" width="47">
<p>1.11</p>
</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" valign="top" width="59">
<p>-0.82</p>
</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" valign="top" width="16"></td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" valign="top" width="75">
<p>Phi</p>
</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" valign="top" width="35">
<p>27</p>
</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" valign="top" width="35">
<p>52</p>
</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" valign="top" width="47">
<p>1.93</p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td nowrap="nowrap" valign="top" width="85"></td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" valign="top" width="41"></td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" valign="top" width="35"></td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" valign="top" width="35"></td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" valign="top" width="47"></td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" valign="top" width="59"></td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" valign="top" width="16"></td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" valign="top" width="75"></td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" valign="top" width="35"></td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" valign="top" width="35"></td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" valign="top" width="47"></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td nowrap="nowrap" valign="top" width="85"></td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" valign="top" width="41"></td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" valign="top" width="35">
<p>1139</p>
</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" valign="top" width="35">
<p>1100</p>
</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" valign="top" width="47">
<p>0.97</p>
</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" valign="top" width="59">
<p>-0.26</p>
</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" valign="top" width="16"></td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" valign="top" width="75"></td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" valign="top" width="35">
<p>1301</p>
</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" valign="top" width="35">
<p>1599</p>
</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" valign="top" width="47">
<p>1.23</p>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
</p>
<p>Only four players - Klee, Rob Blake, Scott Hannan (surprised?) and Daniel Tjarnqvist - have a higher hits per game rate in an Avalanche uniform. Tjarmin probably should not have been included, since he only has 11 games in an Avalanche uniform. And both Klee and Blake are getting up there in years so their hits per game rate is falling anyway. For all intents and purposes, the only guy who is hitting more often with the Avs than on another team is Scott Hannan. Meanwhile, guys like Karlis Skrastins, Sauer and especially Jeff Finger and Vaananen are hitting with much higher frequency so far with their new teams.</p>
<p>As you can see from the table, Avalanche defensemen on the whole lose about one hit every 4 games with the Avs. That doesn't sound like a ton, but that's a shade over 21 less hits per year. Multiply that by six (the number of defensemen in each game) and you get about 130 hits less than these guys could make under another system. As a frame of reference, the Avs blueliners combined for 653 hits last year.</p>
<p>Now, we all now hits are not a perfect stat - what constitutes a hit can vary from rink to rink. But I think we can safely say that the Avalanche defensive system does not result in as many hits as other systems. The big question: is this necessarily a bad thing? There's more to playing defense than just hitting, and I can see the argument that focusing on hitting might tend to get players out of position, causing a detriment to other parts of the game. Personally, I'd like to see our defensemen punish opposing teams a bit more. Certainly, it's something we know they are capable of.</p>
http://www.milehighhockey.com/2008/12/30/705466/less-hittingDavid Driscoll-Carignan2008-12-31T00:38:13Z2008-12-31T00:38:13ZAvalanche Recall Chris Durno<h3><a href="http://www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2008/dec/30/avalanche-recall-durno-ahl/?partner=RSS">Avalanche Recall Chris Durno</a></h3>
<div class="description"><p>Durno is currently leading the Monsters in scoring</p></div>
http://www.milehighhockey.com/2008/12/30/705500/avalanche-recall-chris-durDavid Driscoll-Carignan2008-12-30T15:07:00Z2008-12-30T15:06:56ZGame 36: Avalanche 5, Predators 1<div class="pane sports_data_widget clearfix">
<h3>The Avalanche gang up on the predators<br /></h3>
</div>
<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/53305/liles.jpg" target="_blank"><img class="photo" src="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/53305/liles_medium.jpg" alt="Liles_medium" /></a> <br id="1230646075016" /> <b>John-Michael McDreamy has 7 points in the last 3 games</b><br id="1227238003417" /></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><i>Photo courtesy Michael Martin (Getty)</i></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><!-- BEGIN WIDGET --></p>
<hr class="widget_boundry_marker" />
<div class="pane sports_data_widget events clearfix">
<table class="box-score">
<thead>
<tr>
<th class="td-left"> Final - 12.29.2008 </th> <th>1</th> <th>2</th> <th>3</th> <th>Total</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td class="td-name"><span class="loss"> <a href="/nhl/teams/NAS">Nashville Predators</a> </span></td>
<td>0</td>
<td>1</td>
<td>0</td>
<td class="highlight">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="td-name"><span class="win"> <a href="/nhl/teams/COL">Colorado Avalanche</a> </span></td>
<td>2</td>
<td>2</td>
<td>1</td>
<td class="highlight">5</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p class="foot clearfix"><span class="link-more"><a href="/event/l.nhl.com-2008-e.10805">Complete Coverage ></a></span></p>
</div>
<hr class="widget_boundry_marker" />
<!-- END WIDGET -->
<p style="text-align: center;"></p>
<p> </p>
<p>Where has this team been all year?</p>
<p>Last night, the Avalanche rolled over Pekka Rinne and the Nashville Predators by a score of 5-1. It was quite a team effort - four different players scored a goal (Cody McLeod, for the 2nd game this month, had two) and 11 different players had at least a point. And Peter Budaj was sensational, turning aside 25 of the 26 shots he faced (including a couple of bombs from Shea Weber).</p>
<p>Suddenly, the Avs have momentum. The Avalanche are 8-2 in their last 10 games and, more importantly, they are averaging 3.5 goals a game. In that stretch, they have their first 5-goal win (against LA) and now they have their first 4-goal win of the year (14 of their 19 wins have been by just 1 goal).</p>
<p>How are they doing it? They are going hard to the net, they are getting their D involved in the play, and they are starting to hit better (a 76-51 advantage in their last 3 games). It's basic stuff, and all are three are areas we've been looking for all year. It seems that message has finally made it to the team. Maybe we should have benched that Stastny guy sooner...</p>
<p> </p>
<div class="pane sports_data_widget clearfix">
<h3>Lines</h3>
</div>
<p>Ian Laperriere was moved to the 2nd line during the Detroit game, and he stayed there last night. With the Avs leading for almost the entire game, the lines weren't messed up too much during the game. And with the game in hand, Tony Granato rested his first line for most of the 3rd period.</p>
<p>I can't help but point out, however, that Arnason is one of the few players who did not get a point last night.</p>
<ul>
<li>Smyth, Arnason, Hejduk</li>
<li>Wolski, Laperriere, Jones</li>
<li>Stewart, Hensick, Svatos</li>
<li>McLeod, Guite, Tucker</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="http://inthecheapseats.com/reports/2008/0802g0536.html">ITCS Report</a></p>
<div class="pane sports_data_widget clearfix">
<h3>Quick Hits</h3>
</div>
<ul>
<li>The Avs have scored first in 7 of their last 10 games</li>
<li>Tyler Arnason has no points in his two games on the first line, but he does lead the team with 10 shots.</li>
<li>In the 2nd period, Cody McLeod slowed up to avoid a check by Jordin Tootoo, sending Tootoo flying into the Avalanche bench. Darcy Tucker then tempered my enjoyment of the moment by jumping on Tootoo and earning two minor penalties. What made him think Tootoo would actually stand up for himself there?</li>
</ul>
<div class="pane sports_data_widget clearfix">
<h3>Video Highlights</h3>
</div>
<center> <iframe src="http://avalanche.nhl.tv/team/embed.jsp?hlg=20082009,2,536" height="289" frameborder="0" width="480"></iframe> </center>
<div class="pane sports_data_widget clearfix">
<h3>Next Up</h3>
</div>
<p>For the 3rd time in 4 years, the Avalanche will play in Phoenix on New Years Eve.</p>
<div class="pane sports_data_widget clearfix">
<h3>Other Recaps</h3>
</div>
<p>With three consecutive wins and seven in the past eight at home, the Avalanche has improved to 19-16-1 and 39 points, good for third place in the Northwest Division and - more important - the seventh spot in the Western Conference. - Rick Sadowski - <a href="http://www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2008/dec/29/avs-nashville/?partner=RSS">Rocky Mountain News</a></p>
<p><span id="redesign_default">Liles had his third consecutive multipoint game for the second time in his career. Only two other defensemen in franchise history have done it (Sandis Ozolinsh and Jeff Brown). - Adrian Dater, </span><a href="http://www.denverpost.com/avalanche/ci_11333855?source=rss">Denver Post</a></p>
<p>Moments after Cody McLeod checked Tootoo into the Avalanche bench in the second period Monday, Darcy Tucker cross-checked Tootoo and was given an additional penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct. - Rick Sadowski, <a href="http://www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2008/dec/29/avalanche-report-wimping-out/?partner=RSS">Rocky Mountain News</a></p>
<p><span id="redesign_default">"We expected a guy who was running around to stand up and fight for himself. Instead, he went down and covered up," Granato said of Tootoo. "I would expect a guy that runs around that much, finishing his check and stirring the pot as much as he does, to be able to answer the bell. I'm sure Darcy felt the same thing." - Adrian Dater, </span><a href="http://www.denverpost.com/avalanche/ci_11333856?source=rss">Denver Post</a></p>
<p>Darcy Tucker was sent off for four minutes for cross checking and unsportsmanlike minors and the Predators took advantage when Arnott deflected a shot off an Avalanche player's skate at 9:17. Budaj escaped further damage by stopping Radek Bonk while sprawled on the ice late in Tucker's second penalty. - <a href="http://avalanche.nhl.com/team/app/?service=page&page=Recap&seas=20082009>ype=2&gnum=536">AP</a></p>
<p>"They got a few lucky bounces and obviously a few goals that I could have made the save,’’ Rinne said. "It was just one of those nights where it seems like every single chance they got they scored. You can always talk about the lucky bounces, but if you work hard, you are going to get them.’’ - John Glennon, <a href="http://www.tennessean.com/article/20081230/SPORTS02/81230004/1028">The Tennessean</a></p>
<p><!-- BEGIN WIDGET --></p>
<hr class="widget_boundry_marker" />
<div class="pane sports_data_widget division_standings clearfix">
<h3>Northwest Standings</h3>
<div class="pane-body">
<table cellspacing="0" class="standings zebra">
<thead>
<tr>
<th></th> <th>GP</th> <th>W</th> <th>L</th> <th>OTL</th> <th>PT</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td class="td-name td-first"><a href="/nhl/teams/CAL">Calgary</a></td>
<td>36</td>
<td>21</td>
<td>11</td>
<td>4</td>
<td class="td-last">46</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="td-name td-first"><a href="/nhl/teams/VAN">Vancouver</a></td>
<td>37</td>
<td>20</td>
<td>14</td>
<td>3</td>
<td class="td-last">43</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="td-name td-first"><a href="/nhl/teams/COL">Colorado</a></td>
<td>36</td>
<td>19</td>
<td>16</td>
<td>1</td>
<td class="td-last">39</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="td-name td-first"><a href="/nhl/teams/EDM">Edmonton</a></td>
<td>34</td>
<td>17</td>
<td>14</td>
<td>3</td>
<td class="td-last">37</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="td-name td-first"><a href="/nhl/teams/MIN">Minnesota</a></td>
<td>35</td>
<td>17</td>
<td>16</td>
<td>2</td>
<td class="td-last">36</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p class="updated">(updated 12.30.2008 at 9:32 AM EST)</p>
</div>
</div>
<hr class="widget_boundry_marker" />
<!-- END WIDGET -->
http://www.milehighhockey.com/2008/12/30/704933/game-36-avalanche-5-predatDavid Driscoll-Carignan2008-12-29T22:00:08Z2008-12-29T22:00:08ZGame 36: Predators At Avalanche, Preview And Open Thread<center>
<table bgcolor="#ffffff" cellspacing="1" border="0" cellpadding="2" style="text-align: center;" width="400">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td class="hg"><a href="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/32091/MatchPredators.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/32091/MatchPredators_medium.jpg" alt="Matchpredators_medium" /></a> <br /></td>
<td class="hg"><a href="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/31770/VS.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/31770/VS_medium.jpg" alt="Vs_medium" /></a><br /></td>
<td class="hg"><a href="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/31752/MatchAvalanche.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/31752/MatchAvalanche_medium.jpg" alt="Matchavalanche_medium" /></a> <br /></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="fl"><b>Nashville Predators</b> <br /></td>
<td class="fl">9:30 pm ET / 7:30 pm MT <br /></td>
<td class="fl"><b> Colorado Avalanche</b><br /></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="fl"><b>17-15-3</b></td>
<td class="fl">December 29, 2008 </td>
<td class="fl"><b>18-16-1</b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="fl"><b>37 points</b><br /></td>
<td class="fl">Pepsi Center<br /></td>
<td class="fl"><b>37 Points</b><br /></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="fl"><b>T-8th in West</b><br /></td>
<td class="fl"> Denver, CO<br /></td>
<td class="fl"><b>T-8th in West</b><br /></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
</center>
<p>This will be a brief preview because I hate the Nashville Predators and the less I talk about them the happier I am. The Avs are in an interesting position right now. They've moved into playoff contention once again, this time in a three-way tie for the final spot with Edmonton and Nashville. Each team has 37 points. The Avs are also in their first win streak since December 9th and they're now two games above .500. That's a nice change of pace.</p>
<p>The goalie carousel also seems to be on hiatus, at least for now, since Peter Budaj had a strong game (especially in the third period, overtime and the shootout) against the Red Wings. Where he used to be highly suspect in the late minutes of games, he's now solid as a rock. He'll get the start tonight against Pekka Rinne.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, the Avs continue to face injury issues and still have to rely on Tyler Arnason as the first line center. He put up five shots on goal against Detroit, but got no points and was not particularly useful, even though both his linemates (Ryan Smyth and Milan Hejduk) had better nights. TJ Hensick, who on paper should be the second line pivot man, is deep in Tony Granato's dog house and may see even fewer minutes. The Avs need him more than ever, so hopefully he can shake the hockey monkey off his back.</p>
<p>Here's hoping the Avs can win another and claim a firm spot in the playoff picture, even with the weak lineup.</p>
<p>ESPN <a href="http://scores.espn.go.com/nhl/preview?gameId=281229017" target="new">preview</a>.</p>
<p><!-- BEGIN WIDGET --></p>
<hr class="widget_boundry_marker" />
<div class="pane sports_data_widget player_stats clearfix">
<table class="zebra">
<thead>
<tr>
<th></th> <th>GP</th> <th>MIN</th> <th>W</th> <th>L</th> <th>T</th> <th>EGA</th> <th>GA</th> <th>GAA</th> <th>SA</th> <th>SV</th> <th>SV%</th> <th>SO</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td class="td-name td-first">2008 - <a href="/nhl/players/l.nhl.com-p.1945">Pekka Rinne</a></td>
<td>12</td>
<td>608</td>
<td>7</td>
<td>2</td>
<td>0</td>
<td>2</td>
<td>23</td>
<td>2.27</td>
<td>286</td>
<td>263</td>
<td>.920</td>
<td class="td-last">3</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
</div>
<hr class="widget_boundry_marker" />
<!-- END WIDGET -->
<p><!-- BEGIN WIDGET --></p>
<hr class="widget_boundry_marker" />
<div class="pane sports_data_widget player_stats clearfix">
<table class="zebra">
<thead>
<tr>
<th></th> <th>GP</th> <th>MIN</th> <th>W</th> <th>L</th> <th>T</th> <th>EGA</th> <th>GA</th> <th>GAA</th> <th>SA</th> <th>SV</th> <th>SV%</th> <th>SO</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td class="td-name td-first">2008 - <a href="/nhl/players/l.nhl.com-p.1704">Peter Budaj</a></td>
<td>29</td>
<td>1698</td>
<td>12</td>
<td>15</td>
<td>1</td>
<td>2</td>
<td>79</td>
<td>2.79</td>
<td>799</td>
<td>720</td>
<td>.901</td>
<td class="td-last">1</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
</div>
<hr class="widget_boundry_marker" />
<!-- END WIDGET -->
http://www.milehighhockey.com/2008/12/29/704211/game-36-predators-at-avalaJoe @ MHH