The Morning After
by David Driscoll-Carignan on Mar 20, 2009 7:03 AM MDT
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Photo courtesy Doug Pensinger, Getty
Embarrassing.
We've seen some bad games from this team this year, but this one takes the cake. This wasn't a game where too many lucky bounces went the wrong way, or a closer game that just got away from the team. This game was nasty from the opening faceoff, and I don't mean "Miss Jackson" nasty. This was a disgusting hockey game.
I'm not always completely in tune with this kind of thing, but I knew this game was going to be bad just 8 minutes in. The game was tied 1-1, but on the ice the Avalanche were killing a penalty by coasting around on their skates. No one was skating, no feet were moving. I told myself then that we were going to be in trouble. We were.
The only good thing about the game was that the meltdown happened early enough for me to fast forward through large chunks of this clunker. What I did see was enough - our veteran defensemen watching timidly as the Edmonton forwards moved behind them to plant themselves in the crease, our goalie looking listless as he drains every ounce of confidence he's gained in the last two weeks (and then some), our forwards drifting aimlessly into the offensive zone on the forecheck and lazily swinging a stick towards a puck carrier. It was just bad, bad, bad, bad. How bad? It was worse than the new Facebook layout bad. It was Jar Jar Binks bad. It was Ishtar-Gigili-and-Howard-The-Duck-rolled-into-one bad. As Huey Lewis once sang: "sometimes, bad is bad." This was worse.
And it wasn't because of the kids - the two TJs, for example, were the only two forwards with any sort of hustle.
I won’t mention any names, but I saw a couple of Avs players after this one standing in the halls, laughing and telling jokes with friends. Meanwhile, I saw Ben Guite still sitting in his uniform well after the game, staring off into the room. The picture I get with this team finally - the one of 2008-09 - is that some guys cared and some didn’t. Make no mistake, the guys who didn’t care will be gone soon.
That's from Adrian Dater, and that first sentence is rather discouraging. I thought about dropping AD a line when I read that to see if he'd share the dirt with me on the down low, but I decided against it. If I did know the culprits, those players would be dead to me for the rest of their tenure with the Avs.
To me, the most amazing thing about last night was not how bad it was, but how unexpected it was. Yes, the Avalanche are at the bottom of the standings. But the team has (er, had) been playing well of late and had been competing on most nights. For them to not show up like this - and on a teamwide level - is the real shocker. I don't know about you guys, but I feel like I was on the receiving end of a shocker last night. And no, I'm not going to explain that - you'll either get that or you won't. Either way, I'd rather not experience that again. Ever.
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Dont have Center Ice....
But I watched the gamecast of the first period then got distracted.
I was shocked when I went back later in the evening and saw the final score.
I agree with you though, I would not want to know who AD is talking about – its sad, and I hope someone – players, coaches, front office guys, someone, pays for what is going on in Denver right now – its embarrassing.
/puts wizard detective hat on
1. if they’re gone next season they’re UFAs. The Avs will have difficulty trading anyone else.
2. if friends were there, they must be canadian.
3. that leaves us Willsie, Arnason, Sakic, Nycholat, Lappy, and Raycroft.
I don’t see Dater caring about Nycholat, and Lappy would never do this. So it’s Sakic, Arnason, Willsie and Raycroft. My money is on Raycroft and Arnason.
oddly, I did the same thing
Hyphens cause writers more trouble than any other form of punctuation, except perhaps commas.
by David Driscoll-Carignan on Mar 20, 2009 8:34 AM MDT up reply actions
I was at the game last night
It was my birthday and that was my present. Our seats were in section 106, 10 rows up on the goal line, so I got an up close and personal look at the Avs play in their own zone.
Colorado was soft in front of its net and surrendered the blue line at will, and goalie Peter Budaj battled the puck all night — and lost
That is a quote for Dater’s article on the game. I have to agree with him. I cannot even begin to tell you how amazing terrible it looked from our seats.
My 8 year old summed up the game by saying “It looked like the Oilers were on the power play the entire game.” By that, he doesn’t mean an Avs power play which now has turned into nothing more than short-handed goal opportunities for the opponent.
I guess I can now say that I have witnessed the worst Avalanche game in the history of the franchise. Hopefully, that is the worst game ever.
Avs. Sticking it to the Red Wings
so sorry – what a terrible birthday present that turned out to be.
Hyphens cause writers more trouble than any other form of punctuation, except perhaps commas.
by David Driscoll-Carignan on Mar 20, 2009 10:28 AM MDT up reply actions
I was sitting right by you
Section 106 row 9. We were in the Budaj cheering section which was a ton of fun. Except for the 8 goals. I watched Budaj all night since he was right in front of me. It was heartbreaking to watch not only the 8 goals but Budaj’s demeanor after each goal. He just kept hunching over and staring at the ice. Then he would straighten up, trying to shake it off. But even he stick taps to the posts were timid and you could almost feel his defeat. My heart is broken for him. Just an awful game.
An ounce of confidence can carry you a mile toward winning. Oh, and Red Wings suck.
Stupid Me
I was in Section 120 exactly opposite of you (I had Section 106 on my mind because I knew that was the section you were in and I was looking for your sign last night, plus I have been up since 4:00 a.m. so my brain’s a little foggy). I had the “Let’s Go Budaj” sign I kept holding up. You are right – he was visably shaken. He kept shaking his head and talking to himself. Truly awful to watch. After finally getting his game back on and doing really well, the team has to collapse in front of him again. I doubt very seriously he was laughing after the game.
Avs. Sticking it to the Red Wings
There is no way in hell he was one of the guys laughing and joking after the game.
An ounce of confidence can carry you a mile toward winning. Oh, and Red Wings suck.
Oh
and I didn’t bring my sign. There is something about that sign that just doesn’t work. The first game of the season I brought it and Budaj played really bad and gave up a lot of goals. So, the sign just seemed wildly inappropriate. I had the same feeling last night… that if I would have brought it, it would be another wildly inappropriate time. My intuition was correct.
An ounce of confidence can carry you a mile toward winning. Oh, and Red Wings suck.
and
Happy birthday – belated anyway.
An ounce of confidence can carry you a mile toward winning. Oh, and Red Wings suck.
I don't feel bad
For anyone who gets paid that much money to play a frakin’ game.
Suck it up, Budaj. The pain will be over soon.
I don't believe in Peter Budaj.
gets paid that much money to play a frakin’ game
You’re right! I mean, he’s getting 4.5 million to play this game. Oops, sorry, that’s what Hannan makes, you know the guy who screens him and deflects the puck into the goal. I meant to say 4.2 million. Crap, wrong again, that’s Liles, who turns over the puck at the blue line for breakaways. It’s really 3.5 million. Damn, wrong again; that’s Clark, who does so many things wrong it would take pages to list. Got it now, it’s 3 million. Holy hell, what is wrong with me, that’s Salei who likes to kick the puck into the net, and Foote, who has seen better games.
Too bad the team didn’t play like they played the last 4 games. It’s amazing how good the goaltending looks when the team actually shows up for the game.
I’m just wondering, if any of you got to pick one of the current NHL teams to prove yourself as a #1 goalie, how many of you would pick this Avs team? Come on? Be honest? . . . . . . didn’t think so.
Avs. Sticking it to the Red Wings
Pwned?
I don’t believe I was discussing any of the other overpaid Avalanche players.
I’m simply saying, I have no sympathy for any professional who is paid like a king to play a game. I don’t feel bad for them, no matter how bad their season goes.
I don't believe in Peter Budaj.
Sounds like
what sets you apart from many of us here at MHH is that we find it painful to watch the players struggle through this year (I know BiB has commented on this many times in explaining why he wants to team to tank enough to cause some huge changes next season). You may view the players more like the Avalanche franchise -expendible commodaties for your entertainment pleasure or in the case of the Avs franchise, financial gain. I happen to view them as . . . . . human beings.
Avs. Sticking it to the Red Wings
I agree wholeheartedly
I used to play AAA hockey until a knee injury changed everything.
Even at that stage, and being 16, the pressure to play perfectly every night was horrendous, from parents, coaches, scouts, etc. and I was under so much stress trying to balance hockey, school, work, life. It usually ended up in that order.
I have so much respect for all sports athletes, they deal with all the pressure of fans and media, and it’s considered a part of their job and everyday life.
Imagine having people scream at you when you are in your cubicle whenever you make a minor mistake, calling for your head. Not to mention the media hounding you all the time.
2008-2009 Avalanche: It's like watching a car crash.
Thanks
for giving us the player’s perspective.
And, sorry about your knee injury :(
Avs. Sticking it to the Red Wings
Thanks
It does help even if it’s been 7 yrs. I’ve recovered nicely considering the injury, but decided to stop playing officiated hockey.
Now that I’m 23 with a family, I really don’t have time for it anymore anyways.
I’m actually contemplating volunteering to help coach in my local little leagues.
2008-2009 Avalanche: It's like watching a car crash.
Coaching can be just as rough
having been a semi-professional athlete and now a coach (formerly college and now high school) I understand both side of the coin. As a coach everyone else (especially high school parents) think they now what you ‘should’ be doing to make your team better. But they often do not know what you see in the character of the athletes in practices and the locker room. It’s also hard when you are trying to do your best with what you are given. It’s hard to take a team that has little or no talent and turn them into contenders…but too many time that’s the card you are dealt.
MHH: Like the Avs organization, we’ve now officially lost our minds.
I'm The Canary - but I'm not cute nor cuddly, and I don't sing.
by Americanario on Mar 23, 2009 8:57 PM MDT up reply actions
I was there last night too...
my grandma couldn’t get over her embarrassment… she just sat quiet all the way home, and as i dropped her off, she just looked at me and said “why do we even bother coming, if this is the team they are going to be?” and left.
i used to have faith in us, but this morning she summed up my feelings exactly. wow. just wow.
awaiting the draft...
If we play anything like we apparently did,
(I didn’t see it, thank god) I have a sneaking feeling that no amount of Tavares can help us. Especially in light of the “laughing and joking players” comment. If the chemistry is that bad, we’re screwed unless the team gets blown up or some serious upper level changes are made. I’m too thoroughly disgusted to write anything else.
Get rid of the loser point
08-09 Avs- can we decline the penalty?
Disagree with you DD
I think you missed the real money quote from Dater’s blog post. Here’s the one that shocked me the most:
This is a beaten team that now has chemistry problems of all kind, not the least of which are the influx of Lake Erie players trying to learn the system every night, whild veterans stress over their jobs for next year and look around for blame of some kind.
The Avs have a system? When did this happen?
by Jibblescribbits on Mar 20, 2009 10:19 AM MDT reply actions
The Avs have a system? When did this happen?
The system is the absolute lack on one.
Since we are pulling up most of Lake Erie’s team can we pull up their coaching staff as well?
MHH: Like the Avs organization, we’ve now officially lost our minds.
I'm The Canary - but I'm not cute nor cuddly, and I don't sing.
by Americanario on Mar 20, 2009 10:27 AM MDT up reply actions
Do I want to know which players AD is talking about?
I do and I don’t. My fear is that since AD won’t mention them, it means they are players some of us like and want to return next season. If that’s the case, maybe I don’t want to know…It will be bad enough losing them after the season without having to sit here and know that each game gets you closer to ‘losing’ a favorite player.
I know we all hope it is Tucker, Arnason, and Raycroft, I still fear it could be a guy like Lappy.
MHH: Like the Avs organization, we’ve now officially lost our minds.
I'm The Canary - but I'm not cute nor cuddly, and I don't sing.
Sunday
I might meet him for a beer before the Sharks-Avs game
by Jibblescribbits on Mar 20, 2009 10:40 AM MDT up reply actions
I do want to know so I can scream at the TV or in the stands at the players who are tanking my team. I love the Avs as a team. Yeah, I have my favorite players but I love my team and any player who’s not bringin it every night deserves to be on my shit list. Especially when it causes my favorite goalie to look and feel like he did last night.
An ounce of confidence can carry you a mile toward winning. Oh, and Red Wings suck.
Or
a guy like Wolski, Budaj (even though I doubt it), Foote, Liles etc.
by Jibblescribbits on Mar 20, 2009 10:39 AM MDT up reply actions
Foote could very well decide to retire…
Budaj is RFA and we could simply let him walk…
Wolski and Liles are tougher, because we would have to trade them…though definitely not impossible.
MHH: Like the Avs organization, we’ve now officially lost our minds.
I'm The Canary - but I'm not cute nor cuddly, and I don't sing.
by Americanario on Mar 20, 2009 10:42 AM MDT up reply actions
No
I meant it could have been any one of those guys who were joking around afterwards. We all ant to attribute it to guys like Tucker and Arnason, but it isn’t necessarily any of those guys.
It could even be guys like Hensick and Stewert, guys who have been kind of getting the shaft the last few weeks, which may have kind of distanced them from the team’s struggles.
by Jibblescribbits on Mar 20, 2009 10:55 AM MDT up reply actions
7-0 to Detroit...
…was the WORST Avs game ever, by far. It was in a FAR more important game, a loss to the arch rivals, and in my opinion, the beginning of the end for the Avalanche dynasty that was.
That was the last time the Avs have made it past the second round…and that was 7 years ago.
I don't believe in Peter Budaj.
by BraxtanFILM on Mar 20, 2009 11:12 AM MDT reply actions 1 recs
Agree
That one was far more disappointing. The OT loss to the Wild that ended Roy’s career was worse than this one too.
But this one is different because it was the first time I’ve truly felt kind of embarrassed to be an Avs fan.
by Jibblescribbits on Mar 20, 2009 11:20 AM MDT up reply actions
exactly why i consider it to be the worst loss ever. i have never felt this crappy about my team. that loss to the deadwings may have been the beginning of the end, but last night was when the moment the avs hit bottom. and they may bounce along the bottom for a while, like a leaf along the ground in the wind; but last night we all were jarred into knowing just what has happened to our team.
awaiting the draft...
Bottom?
Last night was not the bottom. It will get worse before it gets better.
For instance, knowing that the next time the Avs will play a meaningful hockey game is probably at least 10 months away…that’s pretty bad. Or that the next time we have a team to cheer for in the playoffs could be 2011.
I don't believe in Peter Budaj.
This is really getting old..
Stewart, Jones and McCleod need to be promoted..
Arnason, Hannan, Clark, Budaj, Raycroft and Svatos need to go.
by Where is Bob Hartley? on Mar 20, 2009 4:25 PM MDT reply actions
Missed the guy
But when I saw the score, I didn’t bother finding out anything about it. Just couldn’t. Completely embarrassed to be on the end of a result like that.
I mostly feel sorry for guys like Lappy, Guite and Budaj who guy out night after night and do their best and just get repeatedly sold out by their teammates.
What you have to remember is tho
that every team, no matter their placement, has had these type of games where luck, skill, hockey gods, are just against them that night. But you still cheer them on cause they are your team, and if their chance is not this year, there is always next year.
Ever get the feeling we are on a collision course with reality?
by ang6666 on Mar 22, 2009 3:19 PM MDT reply actions
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