So much for that whole "Andrew Raycroft As Reliable Starting Goalie" thing.  Remember when he was the Colorado Avalanche's savior after Peter Budaj failed to deliver consistently?  Yeah, not so much.

The Avalanche put some goals on the board against the Toronto Maple Leafs but ultimately got crushed.  A controversial interference call on Ryan Smyth early in the third period nullified what would have been the tying goal, and after that it was all downhill as the Avalanche lost 7-4.

Despite that bit of frustration, Smyth had a good night, with two assists, and linemate Milan Hejduk had two goals.  John-Michael Liles was the other Av with a multi-point game, scoring a goal and an assist.

The Avs are now two games below .500, with an increasingly crappy record of 23-25-1.  Colorado is now 13th in the West but only four points out of the playoffs.  So all is not lost.  Yet.

[Editorial note - I apologize for my absenteeism as of late.  On top of my work and law school requirements, Louisville was hit by a snow and ice storm this week that has shut down most of the city.  I'm staying with family because my power is out and there's no telling when it will be restored.  Bear with me as I try to stay involved, but I can't make any promises.  And David isn't helping, because he's off to the Super Bowl this weekend.  So hang with us.  We'll get this train back on track ASAP. -Joe]