A Plea to the Avalanche Front Office
by David Driscoll-Carignan on Dec 10, 2011 7:57 AM MST
in Avalanche News & Notes
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Dear Avalanche Front Office,
We're all grown ups here (mostly), so there's no need to beat around the bush and mince words here. Joe Sacco is not going to be the coach of the Avalanche next year. We know it, you know it, he knows it. It's not working, for a variety of reasons. Many of those reasons having nothing to do with Sacco, but the sad truth is that the easiest way to change a floundering team is to change the coach.
The only real question is when. Does that move happen now, in an attempt to salvage this sinking season? Or does the guy signing checks clutch his mammoth billfold a little tighter, refusing to pay TWO coaches for one season? *gasp* I suspect it's the former; in fact I think that move could happen as early as Monday.
So, when Joe Sacco is replaced as coach, I, on behalf of all Avalanche fans of the realm, would make a humble - but important - request. Please, please, please, please, please, PLEASE put an end to this archaic practice of only looking at candidates from within the organization. Marc Crawford left in 1998. Since then, all the coaches have come from - or had ties to - the organization. Bob Hartley and Joe Sacco were promoted from the AHL's affiliate teams. Tony Granato and Joel Quenneville were both Avalanche assistants at some point before getting the head coach gig. In all cases, if coaches outside the organization were even considered, that secret was well-kept. Hartley, of course, worked out pretty well (pretty well = Stanley Cup). The rest? None have been able to get the Avalanche past the 2nd round of the playoffs. Lately, even getting to the postseason has been a chore; the Avs are on track to miss the playoffs for the 4th time in the last 6 years.
I get it. We are family, get up everybody and sing. It's good business to promote from within. It rewards people for their growth, it puts known people you are comfortable with in key positions and the folks you are promoting are familiar with the system. Great...except that "system" is broken. Sometimes, the best candidate is a candidate you don't know. Believe it or not, there are good coaches who have NEVER coached for the Avalanche or one of their affiliates. It's true. Check one out. Please. I (and the other Avalanche fans I am representing) have no issue with internal candidates getting a look, be it David Oliver, Sylvain Lefebvre or that Joe Sakic fella down the hall. Heck, filrt with Patrick Roy again if that's what you want to do (this time, though, please wait until you've actually gotten rid of the old coach first). But if you are not looking at outside candidates...well, you are doing the organization, the team and your loyal-but-starting-to-grumble fanbase an extreme disservice. And you don't want a bunch of plebs banging on the castle doors with pitchforks. Trust me on that one.
This request...nay, this plea applies to GM Greg Sherman as well. At some point, he'll be moving on too. Some might say he should be leaving before Sacco, but that's not important right now. What is important, again, is that the best candidate to replace him may not be Sakic or Eric Lacroix (honestly, we're not sure which of the two is earmarked for the job, but we think it's a safe bet that it's one of the two). Do a real search. Look at some new blood. Think outside the box. Please.
The Avalanche are in desperate need of a shake up. They'll get one, sooner or later. But will it be enough? Replacing a coach is a bold move. For the Avs, replacing a coach with an outsider is an even bolder move and that's exactly what this team needs and needs today. Anything less, and there might be a revolt by the fanbase. Might want to get those pitchforks ready, fellow plebs.
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Well said!
I second, third, even x 1000000 this plea, while cleaning my pitchfork I used during the Nordiques times.
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I don't think about the Stanley cup
I am not even thinking about making the playoffs
I would just like to see the team I love play passionate hockey...
PL needs to go. What does he do now beside cash a check every week? Whatever happen to the stan kroenke that resigned joe patty and rob right after the parade? Im afraid this goes all the way to the top. Kroenke has more money than god, and this once and almighty proud franchise has become just a slight step above the ny islanders. No respectable gm is going to come and work for an owner that only cares about arsenal and the st louis rams. Firing sacco now is an easy choice but no solution to the greater good. Another trade by the cpa will only hinder us further. Its time for kse to turn over their cards, show us a damn commitment asap or sell the damn team. We (fans) dont deserve this nonsense anymore.
by Jog73 on Dec 10, 2011 8:23 AM MST via iPhone app reply actions
PL needs to go. What does he do now beside cash a check every week?
If all he does is cash a check, then why does he need to go?
Because I really think we need to get our conspiracy theory straight. Does Lacroix pull strings from the back room that sets in motion large plots to keep the Avs mediocre? Or is he an ineffectual old man who managed to get an office-for-life in a broom closet somewhere out of a grateful, paternalistic owner?
If Lacroix is out-to-pasture then there’s no need to disturb him. Just don’t forget to pay the nurse to wipe the dribble off his cheeks when guests come around. And if he’s what is keeping the Avs down with some mad plot from the back room, then why do you question his value to the team?
If all he does is cash a check, then why does he need to go?
Because as the nominal head of the organization, if he’s not leading, he’s contributing the the confusion and lack of clarity as a whole.
Hell, what do I know. I mean, it worked for the Romanovs, so….
2011-2012 Lokomotiv Yaroslavl: Vyechnaya Pamyat!
2011-2012 Colorado Avalanche: Chances are rapidly diminishing that this will not suck.
PL is a problem
Have you noticed, if you’re a long-time Avs fan, who most of Sherman’s trades sure seem to have the Lacroix trademarks – secretive and explosive?
I think PL still is doing a lot of the GM stuff that should have been delegated to Sherman. I also believe that all the hire-from-within is also PL’s doing. After all he knows these guys; he hired them as players when he was GM. As long as Lacroix remains in the President’s chair, there’ll be no looking “outside the box”
IMHO, retire PL, fire Sacco, appoint Sakic president, and bring in a coach from outside – Maurice, perhaps – and things will start to straighten out.
Goalie Coach? Goalie Coach!?! We don't need no stinkin' Goalie Coach!
by AceODale on Dec 10, 2011 12:01 PM MST via mobile up reply actions 4 recs
this is absolutely, 100% on the money
DDC is deeply embedded throughout this blog. For better or worse, his taint taints us all.
by David Driscoll-Carignan on Dec 10, 2011 12:23 PM MST up reply actions
I agree with everything except Maurice…..Andy Murray, Guy Carbonneau or the head coach of the Toronto Marlies….
Transplanted Nordiques fan.......Current Avalanche obsessionist
Good points Ace.
I’d like Ted Nolan as head coach, but agree otherwise.
2011-2012 Lokomotiv Yaroslavl: Vyechnaya Pamyat!
2011-2012 Colorado Avalanche: Chances are rapidly diminishing that this will not suck.
Not Terry Murray
Please? We don’t need the offense stifled more than it is.
"Wisdom requires a flexible mind" - Dan Carlin
Agreed.
Duchene may be the face of this franchise, but O’Reilly is the heart. - Guitarpick8120
by Cheryl Bradley on Dec 12, 2011 7:37 AM MST up reply actions
All this speculation is “on the money”? How the heck do you know this?
Aren’t most trades a surprise? The only “explosive” trade Sherman’s made is the Johnson deal, and there’s no doubt that was a big one. Varly was big, too, but I wouldn’t call it a bombshell.
When did PL hire Sacco as a player?
The rest of this comment is just making stuff up. Didn’t PL sell the house in Colorado? Isn’t he in not-so-great health? How many games has he been to, do you have any idea? How many games has he even watched?
And Sakic as president? Seriously? Why? Based on his qualification of helping out with youth hockey and his 6 months with the Avs? The main idea of this post is to look outside the organization, so why should we look at Joe Sakic as some sort of savior in a really important job? Steve Yzerman had years as an apprentice with Detroit before he got a shot as a GM. What about one of the assistant GMs from some really good organizations?
Paul Maurice? His teams have made the playoffs four times in more than 1,000 games coaches.
I don’t care about speculation, that’s what fans do, but how can any of this actually be taken seriously? I’m all for letting it out and venting, but there’s not really anything about this post that actually makes any sense.
great write up DDC. I don’t have any answers, I’ve tried to be patient and give the organization the benefit of the doubt. But for the first time ever, I’m having a hard time watching games. The effort of guys like O’Reilly and Galiardi are probably the only reason I’m watching at all right now. I love this team, but they’re making things extremely difficult right now. I’m sure it’s miserable for them as well, at least it’d better be.
I agree 100%, the next candidate can’t come from within. We need a proven coach with a proven system.
But so far above and beyond that, we need evidence of high-level commitment from ownership. I’ve been convinced (and I know I was never the first to float this idea) that management is preparing for another labor strike, they way the contracts have been structured, and they are just squeezing pennies until that situation is resolved one way or the other. They got burned too badly the last time. Or even worse, they’re posturing to eventually move the franchise.
Great post! Nobody’s perfect, and to think that they already have the people they need & don’t need to look outside “the family” is asinine! Making a change without researching & considering ALL possible candidates is not doing the due diligence…I’d call that incompetence. I’m not changing allegiances, although the current front office is pushing it.
(Grabs an old & broken hockey stick, ties some raggedy t-shirts to the end and covers them with pitch.) Ready to join the mob to storm the castle!
"They called tripping!? Where did THAT happen?"
"On the ice."
".........my...brain hurts...."
by StoneCutter013 on Dec 10, 2011 8:35 AM MST via mobile reply actions
I agree. I couldn’t watch the whole game last night. And I almost quit watching the one on Thursday, too. (I wish I had stopped – would have saved me some depression).
I haven’t been on the Fire Sacco bandwagon, but after last night I said to my wife, “Something has to change, fast. The quickest way for a shakeup is to replace the coach.”
IMO, we should have easily won the past few games, but clearly this team has no answers anymore.
This Situation is starting to really resemble my other favorite sports team the Miami Dolphins, who played like shit for first 8 weeks of the season (1 was bye week) and started 0-7 then their coach supposedly had a come to Jesus meeting with the team and since then they have gone 4-1 and most of their wins have been blowouts and loss was by 1 point. Here is the quote that has been leaked out from that meeting from coach Sparano and I am sure there was alot more to go along with it.
"He said, ‘You know what? If you guys want to lose and be 0-16 and get me out of here, no problem. But guess what? I’m not going to be the only one gone, and that’s just the reality of this business.’ " – Said Kevin Burnett
"He said, ‘It’s on you now.’ He didn’t give us any more excuses – tired, hurt, scheme, whatever. It’s on you now, so if you want to lose, that’s on you.’ "
I think Sacco needs to have this same time of meeting and find something similar to get these guys on a roll again. Hey Sacco call Sparano ask him what he did because you guys are in the same boat so much its fucking scary makes me think I am a sports team jinx. If everyone keeps playing like they are there isn’t anyone fucking safe besides maybe Giguere, McClement and Winnik. Even O’Rielly and Landy have looked bad last 2 games (maybe 3 I didn’t see Vancouver game). This team still has a chance to turn things around but its going to take a big shakeup beyond a coaching change.
At the risk of being shot at sunrise and maybe even being removed from this blog, it has come to mind as I suffered through parts of the last few games and some before—maybe we’re just not a very good team?? I hope beyond hope that I’m wrong.
48.3
Now with injuries! They didn’t have enough talent before Stats and Wilson went down (fuck you Maxim Lapierre). I’m almost certain they just aren’t a very good team. But I’m about on board the fire Sacco train. They better just make sure to include “must be able to squeeze blood out of a bunch of turnips” in the job ad.
We see a wonderful sun-soaked city nestled at the foot of the Rocky Mountains. Enos sees nickels and dimes.
by Bob in Boulder on Dec 10, 2011 10:31 AM MST up reply actions
Just got back from skiing—now opening a beer—feel a little better
by Uncle Richie on Dec 10, 2011 3:45 PM MST up reply actions
you won’t be removed, since that’s pretty much my position to begin with
DDC is deeply embedded throughout this blog. For better or worse, his taint taints us all.
by David Driscoll-Carignan on Dec 10, 2011 12:17 PM MST up reply actions
Mine too. My expectations for this season are playing out pretty closely. I figured they’d be in the middle of the non-playoff pack come playoff time. They’re a little lower than that right now, but as Jibbs has pointed out, they are due for some uptick in production and hopefully W’s before the end of the season. Not enough to turn into world-beaters, but rise to mediocre or slightly above average.
My issue is the level of apathy and the seeming expectations for bad outcomes that seems to surround the team. Bright spots are few and far between and I haven’t seen anybody really YEARN for more of them. It’s too much business-as-usual in my opinion.
If we don't get our sauce, we ain't watching the game!
So that then begs the question, what did management see that warranted them jettisoning the “rebuild” mentality and their draft picks this season? A lot of the fan base saw this season for what it was, so why didn’t they (management) see the same thing?
by quietstorm560 on Dec 10, 2011 4:45 PM MST via mobile up reply actions
They knew they needed goaltending in the next couple of years, and didn’t see what they needed in their prospects. They found a starting quality goaltender with NHL experience. The first round pick paid for the goaltender and the 2nd bought the experience. If they decided to wait for Pickard to be ready for the NHL, we’d probably have Giggy and some scrub as a tandem this year, and likely be even worse than today. Think of it as getting a whole season’s advance on our 1st rounder for 2012.
Personally, I think it’s time to stop harping on the Varlamov trade. It was just another part of the rebuild, and not a derailment.
OK Shermie, time to be the shepherd
by Busted Twigg on Dec 10, 2011 5:16 PM MST up reply actions
I hope that's not true
But maybe it is?
All this talk of “regressing to the mean” well, maybe this is what the Avs are. Maybe those flashes of brilliance are just that and not the actual indicator of team talent.
"Wisdom requires a flexible mind" - Dan Carlin
Well Said! I wouldn’t mind seeing Mcnabb hit the road, as well. It’s painful enough to have endure this teams lack of identity and listen to captain dipshit give his two cents.
I Agree
McNabb needs to be shipped out with Sacco
Bababouy has lost his luster with the team I love showing such a non-winning spirit.
Are you ready to have your mind blown apart by the most awesome show in the universe . . . Tonight is your night to watch an NHL game !
I dont understand. 4 days off to get used to a new coach. Why isnt Sacco gone this morning?
Cap Floor Team = Cap Floor Results
by Cole D Hamilton on Dec 10, 2011 11:05 AM MST reply actions
The Avs are hoping you don’t watch any more games so they can start winning.
"In my experience, there's no such thing as luck" -Obi Wan Kenobi
I don't understand the purpose of the line, "I don't need to drink
to have fun." Great, no one does. But why start a fire with flint and
sticks when they've invented the lighter?
lol didnt watch edmonton or vancouver
Cap Floor Team = Cap Floor Results
by Cole D Hamilton on Dec 10, 2011 2:19 PM MST up reply actions
First two minutes of the Florida game last nite and the Panthers get called for too many men on the ice. Dinnen blows a gasket yelling and gesturing at the refs, right over his teams head who, yes, had too many men on the ice. Seems to me thats part of the coaching job. Show some fire and get things stirred up. Guess the point is our current coach doesnt show much of this.
by spokane-avs-fan on Dec 10, 2011 11:13 AM MST reply actions
Hence the team being apathetic? Great example set forth, coach…
by quietstorm560 on Dec 10, 2011 4:46 PM MST via mobile up reply actions
I like Roy as coach. I really do . . .
With Wilson injured, nobody on our team has any fire. Malone didn’t impress me last night. With Roy as coach, you can bet the team will have a big EDGE. Even the twirling weenie Duchene might drop his gloves or hit somebody. Sheesh. He might be a distraction, but right now I’d rather lose with Patrick screaming with eyes bulging and hands balled up in fists on the bench, than lose with Sacco rolling his eyes in silence.
History is a collection of lies, agreed upon -- Napoleon Bonaparte
Under Contract for 2012-13:
Center: Stastny
Left Wing: Landeskog
Right Wing: Kobasew
Defense: Hejda, O’Byrne, Elliott
Goalie: Valamov, Giguere
Coach: Deadmarsh
Only 30% of our team has a job next year. There are 53 games left this season. You want to still be employed in 7 months? Prove it.
Just a Colorado girl in Montana who ♥s the Avs.
Varly: you're awesome. We love you. Please don't break.
by andidee15 on Dec 10, 2011 11:39 AM MST reply actions 5 recs
Dead right . . .
Team is coasting.
History is a collection of lies, agreed upon -- Napoleon Bonaparte
by Schwerepunkt on Dec 10, 2011 11:44 AM MST up reply actions
It’s not just Sacco. Even if he isn’t doing the best job, well, a ton of his players aren’t either. Is he going to take the fall for it? Probably. But is he the only one to blame for the situation? Not by a mile.
Just a Colorado girl in Montana who ♥s the Avs.
Varly: you're awesome. We love you. Please don't break.
I haven’t watched much this week, but there was a shot of him against Calgary (I think) that was, to me, more or less “I’m about done with this shit”. Just looked like a guy who knew the end was coming and was kind of relieved by it
DDC is deeply embedded throughout this blog. For better or worse, his taint taints us all.
by David Driscoll-Carignan on Dec 10, 2011 12:28 PM MST up reply actions
I think he’s done. I think they are just waiting for Patrick Roy to decide if he wants to coach this rag tag bunch before they announce anything.
We see a wonderful sun-soaked city nestled at the foot of the Rocky Mountains. Enos sees nickels and dimes.
by Bob in Boulder on Dec 10, 2011 12:38 PM MST up reply actions
The team is playing like they’re done with Sacco. He’s tried carrots and he’s tried the stick. Nothing works. It’s getting to where it’s time to move on. Coaches can’t MAKE a team win. They can only help, but the team has to be open to being helped for that to happen.
It’s a shame. I like Sacco – he has potential to be a very good coach in a few years. It just won’t be with us.
Just a Colorado girl in Montana who ♥s the Avs.
Varly: you're awesome. We love you. Please don't break.
Time out!
I am 73-74-17. That means like every other game is a regulation win. You guys really are spoiled if you can’t be happy with that. And the 17 TO.. I mean OT losses were exciting, weren’t they? I bring you excitement.
So let me recap. If I aren’t winning every other regulation game and bringing excitement into your house by taking a few of those games into OT and SO then fire me. Who doesn’t want excitement in their house and in the arenas? I’ll tell ya who. Dumb people.
I also almost beat the Sharks in the playoffs.
by Pinchy The Lobster on Dec 10, 2011 11:56 AM MST reply actions 1 recs
I bring you excitement
and time travel. and bad math.
DDC is deeply embedded throughout this blog. For better or worse, his taint taints us all.
by David Driscoll-Carignan on Dec 10, 2011 12:20 PM MST up reply actions
I also almost beat the Sharks in the playoffs
Correction: Craig Anderson nearly beat the Sharks in the playoffs
Goalie coach? We don't need no stinking goalie coach!
How many of those wins were from a goalie overachieving? How many were from being a new face in the locker room that the players hadn’t tuned out yet? How many of those wins have come because you, as the coach, have adapted to another team’s strategy midway through the game and managed to get your players to follow the new plan? How many of those wins have come in the past calendar year?
Sacco’s not 100% to blame, but he’s not blameless either. He’s no more at fault than the players, the management, and the rest of the coaching staff. He’s still probably going to be the first to leave, the first to take the fall for it. The problem is that he’s a one trick pony. He’s VERY good at his one trick, but once everyone else figures it out, it’s not nearly as cool anymore. When the Avs can play a run and gun style (which is his system), they excel, but when they can’t, everything goes to hell because they don’t know how to adapt because HE doesn’t know how to adapt.
Sacco’s a young coach. He’ll get better. But just like Varly, he needs a coach too. A few years working with a someone as naturally gifted as Bylsma or a vet like Tippet and Sacco would be a heck of a coach. But even if we could bring in a “Giggy” – an experienced vet who still wants to coach but doesn’t want the limelight of a head coaching job anymore – as an assistant for him, that would work splendidly. He’s a young coach surrounded by young coaches and young players. He’s doing the best he can. The question then becomes is his best good enough? Is his best what is best for the team? He’ll get better, but can we afford to wait that long?
Just a Colorado girl in Montana who ♥s the Avs.
Varly: you're awesome. We love you. Please don't break.
Maybe Pinchy was being sarcastic? Regardless, I agree with you andiedee…
by quietstorm560 on Dec 10, 2011 4:52 PM MST via mobile up reply actions
We see a wonderful sun-soaked city nestled at the foot of the Rocky Mountains. Enos sees nickels and dimes.
by Bob in Boulder on Dec 10, 2011 12:17 PM MST reply actions
This still is the man who helped pay for a Stanley Cup in 2001 and wasn’t afraid to spend the $ to win when there wasn’t a salary cap. At the end of the day, we only have the players to blame. Eno$ needs to put the foot down on the franch-I-se and rebuild the front office from scratch.
I believe.
by Lost Winter on Dec 10, 2011 12:32 PM MST up reply actions
That was before:
1. He had built even more of his local monopoly.
2. He had is other, higher profile, sports toys in other places.
3. The NHL not only instituted a salary cap, but also a lucrative revenue share for bottom spenders.
No, it’s not the same man. It’s a fuckhole who currently doesn’t give a shit about this team.
We see a wonderful sun-soaked city nestled at the foot of the Rocky Mountains. Enos sees nickels and dimes.
by Bob in Boulder on Dec 10, 2011 12:37 PM MST up reply actions
The owner has got to want to win the cup as a priority to be competitive in this league. Everything else filters down. As long as the owner’s priority isn’t the Avalanche’ raising the cup, it won’t matter what the internal changes are. I completely agree with Bob, that Bettman’s cap totally changed the owner’s approach to this team, and one added point to this is that the owner doesn’t like hockey. He likes an easy winner, so he supported the team early, but, in actuality, he not only doesn’t give a shit about the Avs, he doesn’t give a shit about the sport.
...holy freaking f*ck, snakes!
First of all, yeah people can say that Enos has shown he’s willing to spend…but it’s damn obvious this team is NOT willing to pay now. We have one of the lowest salaries in the league and with the 2nd richest owner in the NHL, we should be technically able to throw our money behind superstar UFAs but we havn’t.
Paul Stastny did, what Paul Stastny does. Score big goals.
I understand this frustration. But we’ve all agreed in the past that the team looks to be targetting this coming offseason as a major one for building the team. i hate how cheap we are, i am 100% positive it contributes to our poor quality on ice product… but I’m willing to give them until next fall. If they are still in the bottom half spending after this year? Then fuck eno$ and quite possibly fuck this team. Dont know if i can stay a fan if they show a commitment to not improving
Cap Floor Team = Cap Floor Results
by Cole D Hamilton on Dec 10, 2011 5:02 PM MST up reply actions
There’s no way they can be when they’ve said “build from within” when guys like Duchene are up for a new contract.
Paul Stastny did, what Paul Stastny does. Score big goals.
re-signing just Duchene, Johnson etc wouldnt put them in top half. Im saying if they dont sign other major players outside of the current team
Cap Floor Team = Cap Floor Results
by Cole D Hamilton on Dec 10, 2011 6:18 PM MST up reply actions
Dear Bob in Babcock:
We are not “humping the cap floor” as you so often assert. We are nearly $600,000 OVER the cap floor. Hell, that’s nearly as much as I spent on dinner last night! What do you want from me here?
Your rightful and benevolent superior,
Eno$
2011-2012 Lokomotiv Yaroslavl: Vyechnaya Pamyat!
2011-2012 Colorado Avalanche: Chances are rapidly diminishing that this will not suck.
by Hopfenkopf on Dec 10, 2011 4:28 PM MST up reply actions 4 recs
Yes, please.
Love,
Eno$
2011-2012 Lokomotiv Yaroslavl: Vyechnaya Pamyat!
2011-2012 Colorado Avalanche: Chances are rapidly diminishing that this will not suck.
how much cash do they have to spend on a new coach and pay sacco $$?
Peter McNabb thinks I'm outstanding.
by An Unmitigated Disaster on Dec 10, 2011 2:29 PM MST reply actions
about tree fiddy
At exactly what point do you start to realize that life without knowledge is death in disguise?
by SteveHouse on Dec 10, 2011 2:38 PM MST up reply actions 3 recs
I’m not giving you no 3.50 you damn loch ness monster!!!
Peter McNabb thinks I'm outstanding.
by An Unmitigated Disaster on Dec 11, 2011 6:16 PM MST up reply actions
I’m not saying we should fire Sacco but…
(see new sig line)
"You're only as good as your coach wants you to be." - Bob Probert
Just got a look at the lines for the match-up against the Sharks
Hunwick Duchene Yip
Galiardi McClement Jones
Stastny O’Reilly Malone
Porter Hejduk Kobasew
Johnson Koci (FA signing)
Hunwick O’Byrne
Elliott Lefebvre
Varlamov
Desjardins
-A looks about right. Go Avs!
"It's not my fault I never learned to accept responsibility."-Woody Paige
by GeorgeInLimbo on Dec 10, 2011 3:31 PM MST up reply actions
Hunwick pulling double duty on wing & defense? Lefebvre comes out of retirement? Koci put the unipron back on?
This is hilariously foul…
by quietstorm560 on Dec 10, 2011 4:56 PM MST via mobile up reply actions
the sig is nice and all…. but Sacco wants Winnik to be really good and well….
Cap Floor Team = Cap Floor Results
by Cole D Hamilton on Dec 10, 2011 3:48 PM MST up reply actions
It's probably been said...
… But if I liked my coach as much as this team supposedly likes Sacco, I’d try not to play like $#!+ so that he could keep his job.
There’s a bunch of players who haven’t been playing at the NHL level over the last few games. Does Johnson have a 2-way contract? I think he was thrown into The Bigs too early and could use some time in the AHL. He looks like a deer in the headlights in tough situations
by Bent42 on Dec 10, 2011 3:54 PM MST via mobile reply actions
He has enough NHL experience that the Avs would have to put him through waivers to move him to the AHL. One-way or two-way contract means nothing there. All it does is let the Avs pay him less in the AHL. No way Johnson get through waivers without being claimed.
OK Shermie, time to be the shepherd
by Busted Twigg on Dec 10, 2011 5:21 PM MST up reply actions
I’m fully on the Fire Sacco bandwagon…
But why on Earth are people asking to hire Roy or promote Sakic?
THIS IS EXACTLY WHY WE’VE FAILED BEFORE. Keep hiring guys from within WITH NO TRACK RECORD.
Paul Stastny did, what Paul Stastny does. Score big goals.
this!!!
though roy’s track record actually is pretty good…. I would still rather see many many others ahead of him as coach
Cap Floor Team = Cap Floor Results
by Cole D Hamilton on Dec 10, 2011 4:53 PM MST up reply actions
Sacco will be fired far too late
One could argue it’s too late already (I would), but if now is the time to fire him, don’t expect this FO to do what needs to be done. Unfortunately what ails this organization is rooted at the very top, and while Sacco absolutely no longer has any business coaching this team, I have no faith in the decision makers of this franchise. I can almost guarantee Sacco will still be coaching Tuesday and it’s not because the FO has some long term gameplan about what to do with the head coach position in coming seasons. It’s because they have absolutely no clue how to run a franchise anymore.
I also think it’s too late for this season. The Avs need 65 points from the remaining 52 games if they want a chance of a playoff berth.
I don’t think that’s going to happen.
"Wisdom requires a flexible mind" - Dan Carlin
Why do you hate the avalanche my sanity?
"In my experience, there's no such thing as luck" -Obi Wan Kenobi
I don't understand the purpose of the line, "I don't need to drink
to have fun." Great, no one does. But why start a fire with flint and
sticks when they've invented the lighter?
Before the season began, did you think the Avs would make the playoffs? Legit question, curious about your expectations.
Yes
I thought maybe a seven or eighth spot.
I thought that with the upgrades in defence and net and Kobasew/Lindstrom unknown quantities (oh and Mueller back from concussion) I thought that there was a good chance of a playoff spot.
"Wisdom requires a flexible mind" - Dan Carlin
by Nemesis44UK on Dec 12, 2011 10:11 AM MST up reply actions
Mueller and Lindstrom have given us exactly what I thought they would give us. Nothing. Kobasew had a nice little stretch there, which was surprising. I was 99% sure that the team was severely lacking in top end forward talent going into the season, but did think that the upgrades on D and in goal would give us more hope than they apparently have. I wonder if any team with one group (in our case this year forwards) so severely lacking if pretty much crippled all over the ice?
We see a wonderful sun-soaked city nestled at the foot of the Rocky Mountains. Enos sees nickels and dimes.
by Bob in Boulder on Dec 12, 2011 10:34 AM MST up reply actions
50/50 I thought 8-10
Cap Floor Team = Cap Floor Results
by Cole D Hamilton on Dec 12, 2011 11:36 AM MST up reply actions
To answer my own question, I thought we’d finish 10th. No way, with our lack of top 6 talent, did I think we’d make the playoffs.
That’s about where I had them too.
Duchene may be the face of this franchise, but O’Reilly is the heart. - Guitarpick8120
Mile High Hockey
by Cheryl Bradley on Dec 12, 2011 1:08 PM MST up reply actions
Bababouy is having a hard time watching
Hockey isn’t as much fun when the Avs are loosing.
Are you ready to have your mind blown apart by the most awesome show in the universe . . . Tonight is your night to watch an NHL game !
Coaching issues!
ok…it hit me after watching this horrible game at Edmonton last night: bad coaching and no system is the main issue with Avalanche. Talent without a system doesn’t work. There are talented hockey players on this team. They just don’t know what to do and where to go on the ice. Can’t be blamed just on inexperience. Some games even a great veteran like Hejduk looks lost of the ice. Have you guys noticed the inability of doing passes in the offensive zone for this team? The players only try to carry the puck or dump it into the zone and usually get they stopped by the defense of the opposite team. There is no creativity in our game. Only dump and chase. That was the big difference between the AVS and Oilers last night…RNH was entering the zone and passing to his teammates and they made our defense look bad and out of position. The AVS seem to be incapable of doing this. Some of our players try hard to enter the zone (Duchene and Landeskog come to mind) but once they do this they have nobody to pass to and end up loosing the puck or shooting on the goalie from a bad angle. A SYSTEM IS NEEDED FOR OUR YOUNG PLAYERS! Sacco and his coaching staff seem to come up with one. TIME TO PULL THE PLUG ON THESE GUYS!
Systems
System system system. It’s what fans say when they can’t talk about anything else. What was wrong with the “system” two years ago?
The best players aren’t playing like the best players. We’ve morphed pretty freaking quickly into relying on O’Reilly and Landeskog for a big part of our offensive production, which is just wrong and too much to expect from those guys. We have the lowest payroll in the league. I understand the frustration of losing, but the talk about systems is uninformed.
The Avs have outshot and outchanced their opponents most games this season. That’s a fact. The other fact is that lines with talent don’t have to resort to dump and chase, while the lines without talent do. Do you actually think the coaches tell the team, “Hey, you guys are small but fast, why don’t you go ahead and toss it into the other team’s zone and try to grind it out?” Of course they don’t.
Going into this season, most people identified the lack of talent in the top 6 as the team’s biggest problem. And it has been. So how are they supposed to be a puck-carrying team with that glaring lack of talent up front?
Seriously, man, go ahead and vent, but try to maintain a dose of reality, too.
Even if their is a system in place…which I doubt is a good one because this team has no identity…
It still doesn’t describe the team coming out and putting up 9 shots in 2 periods against a divisional opponent after a game they got blitzed 6-0. Theirs no motivation sometimes…they come out randomly, and I’m not sure if it’s leadership or coaching where the responsibily for that lies, but something has to change…otherwise this team is looking at a bottom 3 finish.
Paul Stastny did, what Paul Stastny does. Score big goals.
The reason this system is so bad is that it’s so obvious that fans, especially other teams that our record against different sets of teams shows it:
Teams that rarely see us (Eastern Conf), we have a damn good record.
Teams that see us usually (Western Conference), pretty good some times, not so much other nights
Teams that always see us (Divisional Play), we’re getting raped prison style.
Paul Stastny did, what Paul Stastny does. Score big goals.
Since I knew this was coming when I read the op I made this....
Andyray ArlyleCay
by Paul X on Dec 11, 2011 11:38 AM MST up reply actions 3 recs
Top 6 on offense a joke
I agree with mist of what I have read here’. I too have been a season ticket holder from the beginning and it pains me to see how far we have fallen. It pains me to have an owner which does not recognize and correct an inbread situation which is mutating into disfunctional mess. It amazes me that a businessman would watch his asset depreciate the way the Avs have since the lockout.
As a GM I believe that Sherman is maturing. I believe that the move he made for goaltending was surprisingly bold and not really that risky. I also believe aghast this season. Is lost without some additional boldness in building a front line. We really do not have 6 skaters worthy of being top 6 players. We have 4 at the most…Duchenne, Stastny, Hejduk and Landeskog. O Reilly and Winnik are playing great but would be thIrd liners on a good team which WE ARE NOT! Same for Jones. Galliardi is playing out of his head. If we remember how hot we were last year at the beginning, we had Stewart and Fleishman. Fleishman and Hejduk were making magic.
We need help up front and getting a Zach Parise or Alex Semin who will be UFAs next year would immediately turn this team around. It would be a bold stroke and I think I am dreaming in hoping that Josh would fork up the 12 M it would take. Sacco would look much better if he had some Horses. Look at the Vancouver game. We out chanced them 11 to 4 in the first 2 periods. We had great looks but no talent. They do not need th at many chances because they are talented enough to bury the ones they got. Sure they were frustrated….much like the teams that played the Avs of old.
We are also very deep on D and could give up a blue chip prospect for a proven top 6 guy.
Semin is not going to turn this team around… the guy looks like Wolski out there…
But we do need 2 legit Top 6 forwards and who knows, maybe Semin being fed by Stastny is enough to turn this around.
Paul Stastny did, what Paul Stastny does. Score big goals.
Also… which one of these ones are actually playing LIKE a top 6 forward?
Duchenne, Stastny, Hejduk and Landeskog
Hejduk’s been invisible until the shift to Radars line… Stastny’s been MIA since 2010 and Duchene becomes a liability when he becomes fancy.
Paul Stastny did, what Paul Stastny does. Score big goals.
I was hoping for both Semin and Parise. I know I am dreaming but do have some hope that Super Joe would not continue to be part of a losing culture.
by Doctor Hockey on Dec 10, 2011 7:47 PM MST up reply actions
Semin currently isn’t playing like a top 6 forward for a lot of this season. I think he’s available but not sure who would take on his large contract for not much production. Who knows though, maybe a move to a new team would inspire him.
So right now he is Jones with a larger contract
by Freakoffaleash on Dec 11, 2011 9:05 AM MST up reply actions
and less heart
2011-2012 Lokomotiv Yaroslavl: Vyechnaya Pamyat!
2011-2012 Colorado Avalanche: Chances are rapidly diminishing that this will not suck.
I have no interest in Semin.
and no I don’t blame you for chuckling
DDC is deeply embedded throughout this blog. For better or worse, his taint taints us all.
by David Driscoll-Carignan on Dec 11, 2011 3:19 PM MST up reply actions
An open letter to people who write open letters:
Has anyone ever sent said open letter to its intended recipient? Let’s start with this fine piece of work by DDC. Someone please mail multiple copies to the Avalanche front office.
When does the hurting stop?
Shatty with the lone goal against the Sharks.
Elliott gets 13th shutout of his career, 4th of the season.
Sig.
While impressive… the Blues are a hell of a lot better than us right now…
Put Varly in there, and he puts up some eye popping numbers too.
Paul Stastny did, what Paul Stastny does. Score big goals.
I think this all goes back to the no goalie coach thing. For me it’s really hard to comprehend how a professional sports organization can go without having a coach specifically for young players placed with carrying the team on their shoulders. I absolutely believe Elliott is not doing this as if he’s flipped a switch. I think he’s had a good goalie coach helping him out and making him better.
Sig.
It’s like buying a Ferrari… and then never taking it into get serviced.
And then being surprised when it eventually blows up in your face.
Paul Stastny did, what Paul Stastny does. Score big goals.
Don’t get me wrong, I love Varly. I think he’s the best goalie as far as raw skill goes in this team’s history (excluding the obvious).
But that’s all he is right now, raw talent. And to make matters worse, he’s getting NO help defensively and no goal support.
In my eyes, if I had to list the problems of this team, I’d be:
1A. Defense
1B. Forwards
3rd. Goaltending
Paul Stastny did, what Paul Stastny does. Score big goals.
1. Lack of Scoring from Forwards
2. Lack of Depth of Scoring Forwards
3. Lack of Full time Goaltending coach
4. Stupid plays by Defense
That better?
by Freakoffaleash on Dec 11, 2011 9:04 AM MST up reply actions
Um how…
Goaltending has given us a chance to win more nights than our offense or defense.
Giggy and Varly were on a stretch where I think 8 games they allowed 2 or less goals…how the fuck did we not come out of that with more wins? Offense.
Defense is what fucked us against Edmonton and scoring.
Paul Stastny did, what Paul Stastny does. Score big goals.
I don’t anyone gets a pass here.
16 games where the offense scored 2 or less, 18 games where the goalies gave up 3 or more.
both numbers are pretty sad
DDC is deeply embedded throughout this blog. For better or worse, his taint taints us all.
by David Driscoll-Carignan on Dec 11, 2011 3:24 PM MST up reply actions
I like the point about raw talent, because there is a bunch of raw talent on this team.
The #1 problem as far as I can see is failure of said raw talent to translate into game talent. There is a young core there that could win a Cup with experience and the addition of 2 or 3 key pieces, but isn’t playing that way.
Varly’s inconsistency. A coach would be nice, but confidence in the guys in front of him to score once in a while might be better.
No goals and lots of silly turnovers for EJ.
Duchene’s inablility to fit into the team game.
Stastny having to do the “little things” so much that he doesn’t have time to make big plays.
Landeskog’s troubling shot percentage.
Elliott looks lost out there in his own zone now, which seems to have affected the offense he had in his first couple games.
O’Reilly seems to be playing well, but he is progressing so fast he might actually be underachieving too.
Major frustration from just about everybody on the team.
I want to see these problems fixed first and foremost. There seem to be some confidence issues and some communication issues that Sacco isn’t dealing with. There’s no guarantee that getting rid of him solves this malaise though.
"He who fucks nuns will later join the church." -The Clash
Want to know the sad truth? We go .500 against our division, and we’re 2pts behind 2nd in the Conference. Our own division is killing us.
Paul Stastny did, what Paul Stastny does. Score big goals.
What is your point'
Does sucking when it matters most somehow make it ok?
by Doctor Hockey on Dec 10, 2011 11:43 PM MST up reply actions
No… it’s if we even had a “respectable” record, we’d be in the top 4 of the Conf… aka in the playoffs… just a point to bring out how much those division losses are killing us.
Paul Stastny did, what Paul Stastny does. Score big goals.
Great post DDC
It is everything I wanted to say, but written in a clear and concise way and without the poo throwing at the end
"Wisdom requires a flexible mind" - Dan Carlin
by Nemesis44UK on Dec 11, 2011 2:03 AM MST via iPhone app reply actions
Varly
It seems like a lot of people are shitting on Varly. The guy has played well for most of the season. Our concerns should be:
How is O’Brien getting knocked off the puck by little Sam Gagner?
Winnik did a great job of spotting Eager as he slashed away at is goalie until the puck went into the net… Fucking idiot do something, anything!
Oh and a great pinch, again by Jan Hejda, offensive defenseman extraordinaire, and the reason we signed him to a long term deal.
I agree with the post above in that Sacco gets canned too late.
Look at Varly’s stats. They are pretty bad. I think he’s been wildly inconsistent. He is either on and plays great or plays badly and seems unfocused. I’m really not sure what the deal with him is because he’s never been like this in previous seasons. I can only conclude the current setup with infrequent goalie coaching is not working for him. I can’t understand why a team would give up so much for him and then not give him what he needed to be successful. I was just rereading an old interview from his first season when he played mostly in the AHL. He didn’t have a goalie coach then, just infrequent work with the Caps goalie coach when he could get up to Hershey, and Varly didn’t like that and said it was like his was coaching himself. Before that in Russia he had Jussia Parkkila as his coach, and he played very well under him. The new two years with the Caps he had Arturs Irbe and played well when he wasn’t injured. I think he needs a full time coach. But yes, I do think he is hurting this team at times, although he’s not the only problem.
As bad as Varly has been this season at times, he’s still not been as bad as Neuvy, who looks like he lost all his confidence and is broken now.
At the start of the year I was worried about his injury issues, so I am thankful that he has been healthy.
There are games where your goalie bails you out when your defense isn’t playing well and there are others when your D bails your goalie out when he is struggling.
I have seen a little bit of the former, but not much if any of the latter… At least not with Varly in net.
by Mapletreemarty on Dec 11, 2011 11:27 AM MST up reply actions
I’ve been thinking about doing a little study on how Varly plays compared against how recently he met with the consultant. It seems like the more games in a row he plays, the more likely he is to drop off, and it’s not until he drops off that he meets the consultant.
I’m having trouble finding the article, but I’ve seen something from the Goalie Guild (may or may not have been Justin) talking about the importance of practice and continuing to refine what you’re doing well to prevent it from dropping off. Varly is absolutely not getting that.
At exactly what point do you start to realize that life without knowledge is death in disguise?
Its fine everyone. There is no hockey today… and instead we get to witness the glory of Tebow
Cap Floor Team = Cap Floor Results
by Cole D Hamilton on Dec 11, 2011 10:09 AM MST reply actions
As much as I'm on the run-'em-out-of-town-on-a-rail bandwagon. I fear that.....
Andyray ArlyleCay
by Paul X on Dec 11, 2011 11:41 AM MST reply actions 1 recs
There are actually some teams with high expectations who have spent a lot on players who have much more reason to be more pissed than we do. The LA Kings, for example, according to Puck Daddy.
Awesome 3rd unis, they looked sharp last night.
If I was an LA Kings fan I would care, but I’m an Avalanche fan, and all I want for Kwanzaa is for the Avs ownership to give me one sign, ANY SIGN, that they care.
Fire somebody, make a change, show me that embarrassment is not acceptable.
Andyray ArlyleCay
just made me wonder if the avs dont wanna fire sacco before christmas.....
Transplanted Nordiques fan.......Current Avalanche obsessionist
or
they don’t want to fire him cuz they would have to keep paying him AND pay another coach on top of that
by ProfessorOak on Dec 11, 2011 12:52 PM MST up reply actions
My company isn’t having any problems firing folks before Christmas (me included). Doubt Kroenke would have any more qualms about it than they do.
Duchene may be the face of this franchise, but O’Reilly is the heart. - Guitarpick8120
by Cheryl Bradley on Dec 11, 2011 2:37 PM MST up reply actions
Ouch!
Sorry to hear that, Beachie. Here’s praying that you bounce back quickly…
Goalie Coach? Goalie Coach!?! We don't need no stinkin' Goalie Coach!
Thanks. Writing was on the wall. Our division of the company is breaking off from the corporation. I knew layoffs were bound to happen.
Duchene may be the face of this franchise, but O’Reilly is the heart. - Guitarpick8120
by Cheryl Bradley on Dec 11, 2011 4:05 PM MST up reply actions
Maybe you should care because maybe Terry Murray is the bridge from Sacco to the coach that will lead them to the promised land. Or not.
Kwanzaa, huh?
No!
Bad DiD.
Terry Murray is not the coach we are looking for. Defence first? Please. It would be a boon for our D, but would do nothing for our offensive players who are already struggling to find the twine.
Instead of bag skating the team, I would be more inclined to give them shooting practice. They take a ton of shots, but they aren’t good shots. Not enough players driving to the net to pick up the garbage. Exactly what Edmonton did against us. The 2nd (or 3rd) goal where matey was just jamming away at the puck under Varly’s hand until it went in? That’s what needs to happen.
(I don’t remember who it was and could care less. That game sucked).
"Wisdom requires a flexible mind" - Dan Carlin
Dude. You have more hockey knowledge in your little finger than I have in my whole body. It used to be that hockey coaches were used like wet wipes on an infants butt. I don’t think Sacco has justified keeping his position (again, opinion) and I want the organization to show me it cares.
Andyray ArlyleCay
Sorry, those thirds look butt ugly.
I don’t know why teams get a pass for their old ugly ass jerseys coming back and everyone saying omg that’s soo awesome because it’s retro.
Sorry, but only a few jerseys have stood the test of time. Chicago and Montreal are the first ones that come to mind.
Vancouver’s vintage blows. As does the Kings (the color scheme seems like some kind of cheap knockoff from the Lakers). Pittsburgh’s baby blue are gross.
Paul Stastny did, what Paul Stastny does. Score big goals.
Because I’m bored:
Anaheim Ducks – Ugly X3
Boston Bruins – Great X2, Meh
Buffalo Sabres – Meh X2, Ugly
Calgary Flames – Great X3
Carolina Hurricanes – GoodX2, Ugly
Chicago Blackhawks – GreatX2, Ugly
Colorado Avalanche – GoodX3 (Probably overrating the lazy design on the blues)
Columbus Blue Jackets – GoodX3
Dallas Stars – GoodX3
Edmonton Oilers – MehX2, Ugly
Florida Panthers – MehX2, Good
Los Angeles Kings – GoodX2, Ugly
Minnesota Wild – UglyX3
Montreal Canadiens – GreatX2
Nashville Predators – Good, Meh, Ugly
New Jersey Devils – Great X2
New York Islanders – Goodx2, WHATTHEFUCKWEREYOUTHINKING?x1
New York Rangers – Greatx2, Good
Ottawa Senators – Greatx2, Ugly
Philadelphia Flyers – GreatX3
Phoenix Coyotes – Goodx2, Ugly
Pittsburgh Penguins – Goodx2, Ugly
San Jose Sharks – Meh, Good, Great
St. Louis Blues – Goodx2, Great
Tampa Bay Lightning – Goodx2
Toronto Maple Leafs – Greatx2
Vancouver Canucks – Mehx2, Ugly
Washington Capitals – Greatx3
Winnipeg Jets – Mehx2
Paul Stastny did, what Paul Stastny does. Score big goals.
That’s a good exercise but links would have been awesome. Also, you missed a “horseshit” in there for Dallas’s black home jerseys and accidentally wrote “good.” And next to the classic Edmonton orange and blue I’m sure you meant to write “Freaking awesome” instead of “ugly.”
This would be cool as a fan post or something because it would distract me from being sad about the fact that Jay McClement has 3 fewer goals than Paul Stastny.
Also missed a “Glorious” on the Wild’s 3rd.
Maybe
Jibblescribbits: C'mon over and waste some time
by Jibblescribbits on Dec 12, 2011 12:26 PM MST up reply actions
I can’t support this post because you rated the Flames jerseys as great all around. The current ones aren’t terrible, but that alternate is hideous. The Senators new third looks better. The Wild, while I may hate them, have one of the sexiest third jerseys around. Stars whom you rate as “good” as well, are terrible. Numbers should in no way shape or form be on the front of a hockey jersey. There’s more I could nitpick with but your overall ratings aren’t very consistent nor accurate.
Sig.
As a color scheme and simplicity, Dallas works. That’s why I rated them good.
Flames vintage jerseys are actually good. The black and red of the home however is a great color combination.
And the Senators third just screams lazy lazy lazy.
Paul Stastny did, what Paul Stastny does. Score big goals.
You, sir, have lost all credibility. The Sens 3rds are brilliant. If there was a player on the Sens I liekd even a little, or if I cared about the Sens at all, I’d have one in my possession
Maybe
Jibblescribbits: C'mon over and waste some time
by Jibblescribbits on Dec 12, 2011 12:27 PM MST up reply actions
Brilliant? How is slapping a knickname on the jersey a brilliant move?
The rest of the jersey is actually well designed, it’s clean and edgy. Bold contrasting colors and very pleasant to look at but I hate when teams go the lazy route like that.
Paul Stastny did, what Paul Stastny does. Score big goals.
You have last year’s cofused with this years. I’m beginning to think your list isn’t very well researched ;)
Maybe
Jibblescribbits: C'mon over and waste some time
by Jibblescribbits on Dec 12, 2011 3:08 PM MST up reply actions
the color scheme seems like some kind of cheap knockoff from the Lakers
Ummm, the colors were intentional. Lakers came to LA in 1960. Kings came in 1966. Unified colors in LA.
Duchene may be the face of this franchise, but O’Reilly is the heart. - Guitarpick8120
by Cheryl Bradley on Dec 11, 2011 4:13 PM MST up reply actions
I know they were… it’s that they aren’t the same… the Lakers color scheme works. Purple, gold, played on a wood surface.
Purple, gold, played on a white surface doesn’t.
Paul Stastny did, what Paul Stastny does. Score big goals.
I don’t think the surface makes a difference.
Duchene may be the face of this franchise, but O’Reilly is the heart. - Guitarpick8120
by Cheryl Bradley on Dec 11, 2011 9:33 PM MST up reply actions
Skates were tearing up the wood, so the Lakers switched to sneakers.
OK Shermie, time to be the shepherd
by Busted Twigg on Dec 11, 2011 10:16 PM MST up reply actions 1 recs
lolz
Duchene may be the face of this franchise, but O’Reilly is the heart. - Guitarpick8120
Mile High Hockey
by Cheryl Bradley on Dec 12, 2011 12:36 PM MST up reply actions
My 2 cents.... for what its worth
If Sacco doesn’t get fired this week then I believe he will be kept until the off season when the team will clean house. The reasoning being if they have laready decided to shit can the whole lot then they will let their new GM pick his own coach. Firing Sacco now would make things more complicated then they need to be.
In his defence, Sacco is not our teams biggest problem. Our top 6 lacks elite talent. We have guys playing roles they aren’t meant to play. We are relying on our young core who need to learn how to win. And to be fair, we are currently sitting 25th in the league and we are 29th in the league in spending. I think if we had kept Fleischmann and added another top 6 forward we would be hovering around 6th rather than 13th.
That being said however, Sacco is not part of the solution and for that reason I do think he needs to go. If the Av’s would bring in Carlyle I would be ecstatic. He was who I wanted as soon as the rumors of his firing first surfaced. Jeff Marek reported that the Av’s were sniffing around Kirk Muller the week before he took the job in Carolina, so there is a possibility we would go outside of the organization. The real question is, would Carlyle want to come here? Would he come to a team where he’s not going to be given the resources to win. Would he come to a team where (according to local and sources around the league) nobody knows who’s really running the team (people around here say Lacroix like they know but there is no hard evidence of this)? Would he come to a team where we still have a few years of rebuilding to do before we sniff the playoffs again?
"You're eyes can deceive you, don't trust them" Obi-Wan
Team gets bagged for 30 minutes, full rink, end to end.
Paul Stastny did, what Paul Stastny does. Score big goals.
Yawn…another trick that hasn’t worked before and won’t work now.
Goalie coach? We don't need no stinking goalie coach!
That’s 30minutes of end to end versus last time when it was 8 minutes of blueline to blueline.
Paul Stastny did, what Paul Stastny does. Score big goals.
So the tricks of the head coach for motivation
Bag Skates
Doghouse
Demotions…
Goalie coach? We don't need no stinking goalie coach!
I wonder who injures their groin in this one, ha!
Paul Stastny did, what Paul Stastny does. Score big goals.
It’s a shame. Tim Tebow would’ve made one hell of a hockey player
Cap Floor Team = Cap Floor Results
by Cole D Hamilton on Dec 11, 2011 5:43 PM MST reply actions
I guess this means that Sacco is going to be the coach at least through tuesday now?
Peter McNabb thinks I'm outstanding.
by An Unmitigated Disaster on Dec 11, 2011 6:18 PM MST reply actions
The true measure of a coach:
He needs to grow a mustache. If it’s Quenneville-like or Byslma-like then we give him more time. If it’s like this then we’re screwed:
Meow-valanche. Prrr-valanche.
it really doesn’t work unless you’re over 45 and under 60
Peter McNabb thinks I'm outstanding.
by An Unmitigated Disaster on Dec 11, 2011 10:46 PM MST up reply actions
Let's watch this instead
THE COLORADO AVALANCHE HAVE WON THE STANLEY CUP. RAYMOND BOURQUE: A DREAM COME TRUE!
holy crap. Does that really go on for ten hours? You young ones have better acid than I did.
"In my experience, there's no such thing as luck" -Obi Wan Kenobi
I don't understand the purpose of the line, "I don't need to drink
to have fun." Great, no one does. But why start a fire with flint and
sticks when they've invented the lighter?
Would have made the most sense to pull his plug after the Edmonton loss…give a new coach a few days with the team for acclimation. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised—ownership is more concerned with the NBA season that the abomination that skates at Pepsi Center nowadays…
November: 4-9-1 (including the 8 game home stand)
December: 1-3-1 (so far)
The most alarming: 1-9 in our own division for this season (so far)
This isn’t improvement. No amount of Occupy:Bernie’s Dogghouse and Bag Skating is gonna change this. You NEED a complete overhaul of the entire coaching regiment. Otherwise the culture of losing will have a “Chernobyl” effect on the impressionable psyche of this young team—further stunting their growth and prolonging the rebuilding phase.
Dear Avalanche Management:
You don’t seem to care about the team, why should I?
Peter McNabb thinks I'm outstanding.
by An Unmitigated Disaster on Dec 12, 2011 11:02 AM MST reply actions
Dig the statement you’re making with your avatar.
Duchene may be the face of this franchise, but O’Reilly is the heart. - Guitarpick8120
Mile High Hockey
by Cheryl Bradley on Dec 12, 2011 12:37 PM MST up reply actions
Old news, where have you been Qatar?
Maybe
Jibblescribbits: C'mon over and waste some time
by Jibblescribbits on Dec 12, 2011 3:09 PM MST up reply actions
I noticed it a while ago, just didn’t say anything til now.
Duchene may be the face of this franchise, but O’Reilly is the heart. - Guitarpick8120
Mile High Hockey
by Cheryl Bradley on Dec 12, 2011 4:41 PM MST up reply actions
OT, but Go Rams!
CSU hires from without for their new head football coach. A coordinator from Alabama? Wow, there may be hope.
We see a wonderful sun-soaked city nestled at the foot of the Rocky Mountains. Enos sees nickels and dimes.
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