It appears that nobody outside of some of us at this site think Budaj is fit to carry Theo’s jockstrap, much less be the regular starter for this team. No matter how his numbers are compared to Theo’s over the same time span, he comes out the same or better yet everybody is willing to toss him aside while Theo gets a ridiculous amount of doubt benefits from the US and Canadian governments. The fact that people use arguments like the desperation of the team was the reason they went on The Streak or Theo has a better resume to discredit even the possibility of Boots assuming the starting role pisses me off. One: if the team plays great in front of Boots and they get the W, it’s all due to the team, while if they play like ass, and Budaj gets an L hung on him, it’s all Budaj’s fault. Conversely, if Theo sucked goat balls in net, the team let him down because he’s obviously a talented goalie with a pedigree who is more trustworthy and when the team plays well and gets a W even in a shaky appearance by Theodore, all of a sudden Three-or-four “did enough to win.” The double standards and flip-floppery are rampant and tired. Two: Theo’s pedigree was pre-lockout, Eastern Conference inflation. He went downhill fast. Did he deserve a second chance? Sure. Did he show flashes of brilliance? Sure. Does it AUTO-FUCKING-MATICALLY mean he’s a hands-down, lights-out, every-which-way-but-loose, better goaltender. Not remotely.

I have to go lie down now and do my breathing exercises till my meds kick in…on account of my rage…

Who the hell uses the word “vacillating” in a sports article? I mean, sometimes I pull out some odd words but good grief, that one is simply not a cromulent word to use.

and his talking to the goalposts will be brought back into the forefront this year. I missed watching him last year and when Raycroft inevitably bombs, the job should be pretty much sewn up.

I wish I got to this thread earlier so people wouldn’t have taken what I wanted to say already (namely Mike’s rage post). I always show up late (baaaaw).

I posted this at Hfboards not too long ago, being one of the afformentioned water carriers. Feel free to add it to the ongoing Budaj defense manifesto.

Budaj is a guy who has every excuse in the entire world to lack confidence. He’s a guy who should have his nerves frayed and his whole psyc completely screwed up. In my estimation he’s been stepped on over and over throughout his long tenure with the Avalanche.

This all started when Phillip Sauve was ordained the successor to Roy. Sauve had his own connection to the Avalanche and Lacroix. Despite Budaj’s tremendous success Toronto in the OHL and his pick in the second round. He got bridesmaid duties to Sauve. Despite never been the official starter in Hershey he did extremely well and the old Bears faithful will quickly confirm that he was the better of the goaltenders. But despite those things it was Sauve that got the nods from the Avalanche brass. It seemed like no matter what he did, it was never good enough. Then comes the Avalanche call up after they finally got rid of Sauve. Budaj comes in to back up Abby. What do the Avs do going in to the playoffs? They deal for Salo who really never plays at all. Still Budaj hangs tough, so much so in the end that the Avs lean on him to carry the team to the playoffs after the Abby trade so Theo can rest his knee. The following year Theo sucks just about as much as you can suck and Budaj almost pulls off the miracle run at the end of the season. EVERYONE is thinking Budaj is the clear starter going in to the next year. Hell, there’s serious talk of just buy Theo out. But not only does Theo stay on board but Q has the balls to say there is no clear starter going in to training camp! Seriously, how bad do you have to be with goalies to even make such a statement when a guy just put the team on his shoulders for you last year? So, Budaj goes through camp with this crap and he starts out the year pretty well.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/teams/…=col&year=2008

Budaj beats Dallas, loses with 0 goal support in a horrid game in Nashville, wins the 3rd game San Jo-Fricken early favorite to win the cup-se. Then he doesn’t get the start in game 4?! Holy Hells, that’s perfect Coach Q for you. That is the chance at starting goalie? That’s what it looks like? That’s how you lose your starting job, by winning? What did it take for Budaj to win the job anyway? 6-0 with a 1.5 GAA?

Here’s my view on Budaj and the Avs going in to ‘08. We are no worse off than going in to ’07 in reference to goalie confidence from the fans. Except now we have a coach that’s actually pretty good with goaltenders. Then again, compared with Q anyone outside of Mike Keane would be better. Now, Budaj is finally the clear starter. No more wishy, washy garbage, he is the starter. Budaj hasn’t been the clear starter for his hockey team since eight years ago with the Toronto Major’s. Where, incidentally he was clearly the best goaltender of the entire league. His other chance at starter would be for Slovakia in the 2006 Olympics. Where he beat Bryzgalov (Russia) and DiPietro (USA). Just as a bonus to all the Theo lovers from the last playoffs, he also beat Backstrom (Finland) in the 2008 IIHF World Championships recently.

He’s done nothing in his career but win. The Avs have invested a ton of time in his development and he’s paid his dues. In my mind he’s never been named the clear starter of the Avs except after the Abby trade and “the streak” when Theo finally found Q’s doghouse for good. His other performances as a #1 in the OHL and International play have been very successful.

I predict Granato will show up missing an ear on opening day.

Living out in the desert in California, we don’t get a lot of hockey news (surprise) and the few times that I get to see the Avalanche is either when they’re playing the Kings or Ducks.

Toward the end of last season, my son and I were always confused as to why Theo was in instead of Boots. Of the few games we get to see (and even rarer when Budaj was in) he always seemed like a wall whereas Josie looked like a sieve!

Hopefully, Boots will get the chance to show what he can do based on his skills, not on his contract! This sounds similar to an argument at the Mile High Report about replacing Dre’ Bly with one of the other “cheaper” corner backs. It won’t happen because we’re paying Bly too much!

I was browsing SI.com, of course in search of more articles about Golden Boy’s “devastating” knee injury and how the sports mecca Boston is stunned and heartbroken, when I came across this in-depth blurb about how the Avalanche will have the second-worst goaltending tandem in the West, beating only the Kings. It then went on to mention how that male model we had last year experienced a “career resurgence” in Colorado and even said we “lost” him in free agency.

Yeah. Right. Lose an overpaid backup-caliber playboy, gain a hard-working, underappreciated, starting-caliber and motivated Boots. How can we sustain such a loss?

P.S. Is my overly sarcastic tone a little too over the top?