Game 64 Recap: Islanders 4, Avalanche 2
by David Driscoll-Carignan on Mar 3, 2009 9:20 AM MST
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Will he still be wearing this uniform tomorrow?
Photo byJim McIsaac (Getty)
278 minutes and 41 seconds. That's how long it's been since the Avalanche have had a lead in a game.
190 minutes and 31 seconds. That's how long it's been since any Avalanche player not named Ryan Smyth has scored a goal.
5 minutes and 51 seconds. That's how much NHL experience Jesse Joensuu had under his belt before scoring his first NHL game.
40 days. That's how much longer we have to endure this. As someone pointed out in the game thread last night, it's not just that the Avs are losing and are doing so seemingly without any care as to whether the opposing team is any good or not. The problem is that these games are dreadful to watch.
Just over 24 hours. That, of course, is the time until the trade deadline tomorrow. I really hope that Ryan Smyth isn't going anywhere. But if he is going, he's raised his trade value substantially this week. I'm on record as saying that the Avalanche really do not need to blow it all up, and I'm standing by that, even after this astonishingly bad road trip (honestly, "astonishlingly bad" doesn't even come close). But I don't have any idea what Francois Giguere has up his sleeve and I'm kind of excited to see how it all plays out. Personally, if the Avs move a few assets for picks, I'll be happy. If Tucker goes too, I'll be quite pleased (at this point, it doesn't really matter if Arnason sticks around). Anything after that, in my book, would be gravy.
Darcy Tucker was a surprise healthy scratch last night. Could a deal be in the works? Please?
Maybe I'm just seeing Chris Stewart wrong, because I simply do not understand why he is not getting more minutes than he is.
And gee whiz, it's a good thing TJ Hensick had that conditioning assignment this weekend. Otherwise, those 3 3rd period shifts would have been exhausting. Tony, it's over. Play the kids.
- Brett Clark and Ruslan Salei were injured on successive shifts by a blistering Mark Streit shot. Both returned to the game.
- Trent Hunter played 0:00 for the Islanders.
- Islanders coach Scott Gordon was seemingly random with his line combos. I've been looking at his team's shift chart all morning, and I can't make heads or tails of it.
The Avs host the Red Wings on Wednesday. Anyone still feeling cocky about this one?
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Watch
Honestly, after Wednesday, I can’t think of a reason to watch the last games to be honest. I will, and look for Stewert, Hensick and other young guys to see how they play, bbut I’m having trouble thinking of good reasons to invest time in the worst, and right now most boring, team in the league.
Maybe we’ll trade for someone that will peak my interest.
if you don’t watch then you never know how badly they can lose to the redwings tomorrow. Come on isn’t that something that would haunt you for the rest of your life?.
I'm Mr. Positive
by An Unmitigated Disaster on Mar 3, 2009 9:27 AM MST up reply actions
Oh, I’ll probably keep watching the Avs. I can’t help it. (Although not rest of this week because I’ll be super-busy all day/night this week with the Armory Show in NYC, but I’ll be back here after that is over).
I do have to give props to the MHH members because If it weren’t for the camaraderie on the GDTs (with or without booze), I’m not sure watching these Avs would be tolerable.
As far as being haunted by horrible losses to the Wings, there were several games last year that will probably go down in our collective memory as some of the worst Avs games ever.
Positives?
I just started wracking my brain for any positives to come from this season, in no particular order:
1.Wolski
2.Stewart
3.Smyth/Hedjuk/SoS
4.Shamwow (not the player—the nickname)
thats it for me.
I'm Mr. Positive
by An Unmitigated Disaster on Mar 3, 2009 9:29 AM MST reply actions
I've attended the NJ and both NY games
Liles looks tired. His hockey sense is there but physically he’s not. I think our brilliant medical team took out a lung in an attempt to fix his arm.
Also, the top 4 positives listed by Unmitigated are a reason I am still so excited for next year. We have have a serious offensive core. Granted they stay healthy.
True
He certainly isn’t the same player he was earlier in the season. He could just be defeated too, as a lot of players look.
by Jibblescribbits on Mar 3, 2009 9:42 AM MST up reply actions
They do
And that is one of my beefs with this team. I thought they were supposed to have a slew of leadership? Where is it? I thought at least foote and lappy could motivate this team to try. If their efforts aren’t working, I can only think of a few reasons why.
a) They aren’t putting in the effort
b) No one is listening
c) No amount of leadership can overcome poor coaching
d) Someone slipped xanax into the water bottles.
I’m leaning more towards c) every passing day, although when your team just sucks its hard for anyone to care. The problem I have with this is that I still believe that this team shouldn’t suck. Make the SCF? No. Suck this bad? Equally no.
Get rid of the loser point
08-09 Avs- can we decline the penalty?
I miss quenville. I also miss my dignity, since I just made that statement.
I'm Mr. Positive
by An Unmitigated Disaster on Mar 3, 2009 3:14 PM MST up reply actions
I think what we have here is a case of “be careful what you wish for”
Get rid of the loser point
08-09 Avs- can we decline the penalty?
true, I’m still happy that threeorfour is gone, but I didn’t realize how good a coach q was…I guess i thought he was holding some of the young guys back. But I learn from my mistakes rather than never admitting that I made any, like a particular hockey team I like.
I'm Mr. Positive
by An Unmitigated Disaster on Mar 3, 2009 6:40 PM MST up reply actions
I still think
Coach Q was holding some players back. We’ve seen a very different Wolski this season now that he’s not in the dog house, and with the move to center. I also think he (Q) destroys goalies (may or may not have something to do with Budaj’s struggles this season). But, that being said, it is obvious he had a defensive strategy…we are definitely missing that this season.
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.
he's not a good coach
he causes mediocre teams to overachieve, and holds back good teams. and he’s absolutely horrible with young players and goalies.
Q is a ticket to mediocrity. I’m at least glad to be out of that never ending purgatory.
Agree
I think tactically he’s pretty decent, especially in his own zone, but his handling of players is atrocious.
I’m not surprised he’s doing well in Chicago. I also won’t be surprised when they underachieve in 2 years and the players look like the hate him
by Jibblescribbits on Mar 3, 2009 8:06 PM MST up reply actions
I’m going to be following Chicago for that reason, and a few others. Like they were my favorite team (nhl) since the Rockies, although I did like the devils too. All that, of course, went out the window with the departure of the grizzlies and that cool incoming breeze known as the avs. But I’m interested to know how Q will do. He definitely underachieved in St Louis.
Get rid of the loser point
08-09 Avs- can we decline the penalty?
Agreed
But I noticed last night that when he plays with Hejduk, he plays better. He played so well when he had time to get chemistry with his wingers. TG has been rotating wingers on him since SoS came back. Clearly SoS and Smyth are amazing together. I think if TG keeps those two pairs next year and plug Davy Jones, Stewart, and my “hopeful hypothetical scoring winger”, those two lines can be dominant and Wolski can develop some chemistry.
Next season
I still hope the avs target a top 6/ top 2 winger and have a Stewert-Hensick-Svatos/Jones 3rd line.
by Jibblescribbits on Mar 3, 2009 9:58 AM MST up reply actions
It looked like last night that Smyth and Svatos had some good chemistry and scoring chances together as well. The Smyth-SoS-Svatos line had all the best chances last night and looked relatively good during the game.
Yeah, but it was against the Isles!!!!!!!!!!!!! Do we really want to set line combos based on the tiny spark of chemistry that was apparent against the Islanders? I mean, really, it’s the Islanders!!!
2008-2009 Colorado Avalanche: Dry Humping Mediocrity
Could read “… the Avalanche? I mean, really, it’s the avalanche!!!” Not like it would surprise any of us.
by StructuralPoke on Mar 3, 2009 3:55 PM MST up reply actions
I know, I know. Yes, it was the Islanders, and originally I wrote something about that, but then I took that out and just used the word “relatively” to qualify what I was saying about the line.
and looked relatively good during the game.
Because you know, I think the Avs made the Islanders look pretty good too.
Inconsistancy in winning and losing
As we all know, losing to the teams we should beat and beating the teams we should lose to is so frustrating!! Why can Granato get the team pumped to play Washington or Detroit but can’t ingrain it in the heads of the players that we NEED to beat teams like the Islanders or the Thrashers. Lack of coaching skills is why.
Even if we season sweep the Red Wings tomorrow, it will only be temporary sunshine in this season of storms.
Fire Granato.
that would require someone in the front office getting up off their ass, and based on their track record this year; they are probably wondering why all the other teams are calling them today. To say it a different way, if you have Giguere’s email or phone #, you might want to let him know that tomorrow’s the trade deadline and we don’t want him to miss it.
I'm Mr. Positive
by An Unmitigated Disaster on Mar 3, 2009 1:37 PM MST up reply actions
i can’t believe with all the guys being put on waivers today that tucker and Arnason aren’t at least out there. maybe they really don’t know what day it is.
I'm Mr. Positive
by An Unmitigated Disaster on Mar 3, 2009 2:31 PM MST up reply actions
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