Game 77 Recap: Coyotes 3, Avalanche 0
by David Driscoll-Carignan on Apr 2, 2009 7:55 AM MDT
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Back on February 10th, the Avalanche were shut out by Dan LeCosta - a Columbus goalie making his 2nd career start. Last night, the Avs showed that they still have some fight in them, topping that accomplishment by getting shut out by Al Montoya. It was Montoya's first career start.
There's not a lot to say about the game. The Avs played pretty well for a team with 4 defensemen having a combined 17 NHL games under their belt (including last night). Honestly, while there probably aren't any future stars among the recent Monster call-ups roaming the blueline, I was hard-pressed to see just how much of a step down this crop was from the $20 million group of guys we'd be using if the team wasn't sitting guys on purpose so banged up.
Andrew Raycroft had another good night between the pipes, but it's really hard to win when the guys in front of you score as many goals as you and I have scored in our NHL careers - nada. Overall, the team had some good opportunites, but couldn't convert. That's definitely the theme for the season, other than the whole Ti4T meme.
Up front, the Avs had some flashes from the TJs (Galiardi and Hensick). I wonder if the latter is feeling some pressure from the former, because he seems to be playing with a bit more urgency of late. If I had to pick 12 forwards for next year out of the current crop (including the "injured" players, I think I'd go with Galiardi at this point.
The injuries continue to mount, and these actually look to be legit. Ryan Smyth left the game in the 2nd with a hand injury. Cody McCormick appeared to injure his shoulder in an innocuous-looking blueline collision and didn't return. And John-Michael Liles was wincing on the bench in the 3rd, but he was able to finish the game. It would not shock me in the slightest to hear that at least two of those three were now done for the year.
- Ian Laperriere earned his 52nd fighting major as an Avalanche when he took on David Hale. He's now tops on the Avs career list.
- Over the Avs' 8-game losing streak, the Avs have had just two players named as one of the three stars (out of a possible 24). Can you name them?
- Derek Peltier had a team-high 3 blocks as well as a team-high 3 shots.
The Avalanche are in Vancouver on Sunday. I don't know about everyone else, but I'm really enjoying the light schedule this week...
[The Avalanche] will finish below .500 for the first time since 1993-94, when they were the Quebec Nordiques. The Avalanche has been outscored 36-10 during its winless streak, including 22-4 at home. - AP
The only way the Avs can not finish last in the Western Conference is if they win their final five games and the Coyotes lose their final five. - Adrian Dater, Denver Post
The first 8-game losing streak for the franchise since 17 years ago. They must really want Tavares. - Shane Giroux, Avs Talk
Serious or not, what the unnamed Phoenix official said is what a couple of other league-related people have also mused lately - the possibility that the Avs are, in fact, tanking it down the stretch to get the highest possible draft choice this June. - Adrian Dater, All Things Avs
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Over the Avs’ 8-game losing streak, the Avs have had just two players named as one of the three stars (out of a possible 24). Can you name them?
I’m going to guess Ryan Smyth and Peter Budaj??
Smyth is one
Hyphens cause writers more trouble than any other form of punctuation, except perhaps commas.
by David Driscoll-Carignan on Apr 2, 2009 11:48 AM MDT up reply actions
Another twine hymen goes unbroken via the Avalanche. My week is complete.
2008-2009 Colorado Avalanche: Dry Humping Mediocrity
Serious or not, what the unnamed Phoenix official said is what a couple of other league-related people have also mused lately – the possibility that the Avs are, in fact, tanking it down the stretch to get the highest possible draft choice this June.
Looks to me like we have a MHH reader in Phoenix.
Go Avs! Let's get some goals!
I’m glad we lost and everything, but I actually managed to watch some last night and it was embarrassing. That PP at the end of the 1st was shockingly bad, unforced turnovers everywhere. I’ve seen the Eagles — a Central Hockey League team — run better PPs and show more chemistry.
:(
I think I may have made this comment elsewhere, but I went to a Rage-Eagles game several weeks ago and was extremely impressed by the Eagles PP. Maybe it was just because I am so used to watching ineptitude over the past few years, but they did so many basic things that the Avs don’t do. Good spacing. Movement with and without the puck. Crisp, quick passes. Creating passing lanes. Creating shooting lanes. It was like they actually had a coach and practiced and stuff. Imagine that.
MHH: Shagging Dater one contributor at a time.
by Bob in Boulder on Apr 2, 2009 9:56 AM MDT up reply actions
I just don’t see what’s so difficult about running a good PP. Assuming you have a team of NHL-caliber hockey players, watch and study video footage of teams with excellent power play units, and then do what they do. Really, it can’t be harder than that, right? I mean, I know I couldn’t be part of a top-notch PP unit, but I don’t pretend to be an NHL player, either.
Go Avs! Let's get some goals!
Assuming you have a team of NHL-caliber hockey players, watch and study video footage of teams with excellent power play units, and then do what they do.
You forgot coaches….one would assume that’s partially the coaches job. Then you would look at the Avs an realize that they have no coaches…not NHL caliber anything.
the Eagles are a supremely well coached and well made team, with really intelligent vets everywhere. I go to 20+ games a year up here in FC, they’re fun to watch.
It’s easy to see why that Pankewicz guy never made it in the NHL (he did play a bunch of games for the Flames, but his temper is out of control half the time) but his skills are so far out of that league it’s insane. His shot would be one of the best and hardest in the NHL, let alone the CHL.
Part of the reason they Eagles look good is the caliber of teams they are playing against. Aren’t they front loaded with tons of ex-NHL guys while the rest of the CHL isn’t?
2008-2009 Colorado Avalanche: Dry Humping Mediocrity
they do have more talent, but not ex-NHLers. they have more ex-AHLers.
the quality of play in the CHL is very high though, especially within the top 8 teams or so. Vastly superior to college, better than the ECHL games I’ve watched, slightly less than an AHL game — if it involves the better teams in the CHL. the weak sisters of the league are truly awful. There’s a huge split in team talent.
I didn’t mean ex-nhlers as in career nhlers, just guys who had made more than a token appearance in the show. Guys with legit talent but maybe not all the pieces as opposed to grinders and undersized snipers that fill out most lower leagues. You are correct about the talent gap within the league though. Some Blazers games look pretty close to some of the more average AHL games I’ve seen on TV, while others look like SPHL tilts.
2008-2009 Colorado Avalanche: Dry Humping Mediocrity
the Eagles have Pank and Tobler as the only guys that have NHL experience at all. i just looked at their whole roster. most barely have AHL experience.
im telling you, they’re well coached more than they have better talent.
Rayn Smyth
is out for the season, according to Dater. The hits, they just keep on coming.
Get rid of the loser point
08-09 Avs- can we decline the penalty?
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