Game 49: Maple Leafs 7, Avalanche 4

by Joe Dunman on Jan 30, 2009 7:10 AM MST

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]

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Hope you get the power back soon, Joe.

The Canary stepped up with the GDT preview content so we held everything together for one night at least. Too bad the Avs couldn’t do the same. Apparently the loss of Wheels was to much for the D-corp to handle and they and Raycroft completely forgot the object was to KEEP the puck out of the net.

At least my comic book was excellent.

Colorado Avalanche: Gellin' and Propellin'!!!

by Mike @ MHH on Jan 30, 2009 8:01 AM MST reply actions

I hope he gets his power back too. He’s stinking up my couch.

Sure, it may be a rough stretch, but at least it's okay to like Jaromir Jagr again.

by JDunman on Jan 30, 2009 8:36 AM MST up reply actions

Are you working on one for tomorrow?

Or would you like me to put one up? (If I know ahead of time, I can do one that is a little more personal, rather than steal the one from NHL.com)

I'm The Canary - but I'm not cute nor cuddly, and I don't sing.

Now and then we had the hope that if we lived and were good, God would permit us to be PIRATES.
-Mark Twain-

by Americanario on Jan 30, 2009 10:01 AM MST up reply actions

I’ve got an idea….

see the front page.

Colorado Avalanche: Gellin' and Propellin'!!!

by Mike @ MHH on Jan 30, 2009 12:21 PM MST up reply actions

geez

I leave for a couple of days and the whole team falls apart

Hyphens cause writers more trouble than any other form of punctuation, except perhaps commas.

by David Driscoll-Carignan on Jan 30, 2009 8:08 AM MST reply actions

Ok

So that’s what happened to you! I thought you were just ignoring me because I didn’t do more to keep Tucker and Raycroft from signing in Colorado.

Pension Plan Puppets: A Toronto Maple Leafs blog and a group therapy session.

by PPP on Jan 30, 2009 8:34 AM MST reply actions

don't worry

i still blame you. ;)

by thedoctor on Jan 30, 2009 8:45 AM MST up reply actions

Wanna swap GMs and coaches?

MHH: Shagging Dater one contributor at a time.

by Bob in Boulder on Jan 30, 2009 10:10 AM MST up reply actions

Do we want Brad May back?

I'm The Canary - but I'm not cute nor cuddly, and I don't sing.

Now and then we had the hope that if we lived and were good, God would permit us to be PIRATES.
-Mark Twain-

by Americanario on Jan 30, 2009 10:13 AM MST up reply actions

Good point

Burke is pretty much a douche magnet.

MHH: Shagging Dater one contributor at a time.

by Bob in Boulder on Jan 30, 2009 10:14 AM MST up reply actions

No Dice

No way Tony Granato is coming within 100 feet of the Leafs again…until the next game…

Pension Plan Puppets: A Toronto Maple Leafs blog and a group therapy session.

by PPP on Jan 30, 2009 1:19 PM MST up reply actions

welp

that was pitiful. Salei, Clark, and Leopold all turned in performances that can’t be described as anything but awful. Raycroft was even worse, if that’s even possible, and Tucker was a complete d-bag AND a useless sack of shit at playing hockey too.

this game, and the associated Forsberg not playing this year info, marks the end of the season for the Avs. the best thing they can do now is lose more, and get Tavares.

by thedoctor on Jan 30, 2009 8:48 AM MST reply actions

oh, and Leopold, Clark and Salei should be traded for whatever we can get for them. hell, anyone without a NTC this side of Jones, Stewart, Stastny, Wolski, and Liles is fair game.

by thedoctor on Jan 30, 2009 8:50 AM MST up reply actions

This team has been too good to get Tavares. Not the worst, but bad enough to not make the playoffs is the worst place you can be in hockey. Just ask PPP or fans in Toronto, with the way the system works, it makes turning things around a real bitch.

I believe the Avs need to build the organization through dozens of draft picks. Tavares is nice, but no single player is going to fix the Avalanche problems for longer than a season. The annual late season Forsberg fantasy is going to die sooner or later, even Our Father, Who Art in Sweden can’t play forever.

I’d say for the right offer, Jones, Stewart, and Wolski are all fair game. They all have had flashes of good hockey, but nothing to prove to me that they will definitely be great players in the future. If some team out there overvalues one of them and wants to compensate us handsomely in return, I’m totally cool with waving goodbye to them.

I'm back to doing what I love most and it feels great.
~ Claude Lemieux

by JonHaven on Jan 30, 2009 8:55 AM MST up reply actions

Forsberg

isn’t going to save us this season. Even he has thrown in the towel on the Avs this season. (check post on front page)

I'm The Canary - but I'm not cute nor cuddly, and I don't sing.

Now and then we had the hope that if we lived and were good, God would permit us to be PIRATES.
-Mark Twain-

by Americanario on Jan 30, 2009 9:49 AM MST up reply actions

This team has been too good to get Tavares. Not the worst, but bad enough to not make the playoffs is the worst place you can be in hockey. Just ask PPP or fans in Toronto, with the way the system works, it makes turning things around a real bitch.

It makes it hell. The thing in Colorado is that you have some offensive players that you can flip for assets (Smyth, Hedjuk) and some great young guys to build around (Stastny, Wolski, Liles) so you’ve got a better base than the Leafs have had.

Pension Plan Puppets: A Toronto Maple Leafs blog and a group therapy session.

by PPP on Jan 30, 2009 1:31 PM MST up reply actions

as it stands right now without the lottery, the Avs are in the 8th draft slot out of 30 teams. they’re 6 points from the 3rd worst and about half the teams behind them have games in hand on them.

I don’t think we’re going to catch the Islanders for worst team, especially with Stastny returning, but with a firesale of some of our tradeable guys we could easily end up at 3rd worst. And that’s a damn good lottery shot at #1.

by thedoctor on Jan 30, 2009 9:06 AM MST reply actions

supposed to be a reply to JH

by thedoctor on Jan 30, 2009 9:06 AM MST up reply actions

As Puck Daddy put it. I could handle being “kicked in the nuts” a few more times to get a top pick. This season is turning me into a masocist. Bring the pain!

by InYoFace on Jan 30, 2009 11:50 AM MST up reply actions