The blues are a better team than people give them credit for (me included). They have really improved, and Legace is better than most.

Oh and Theo's in net which always has me worried

So, Theo is in net.  Budaj gets the night off on the back to back to face Columbus at home.  On one hand I think it's smart to give Theo his first start on the road and the Avs don't have another back to back game until mid-December.  I also see that the schedule is set up to where Budaj can carry games all the way through the week of November 18th.  Once that week starts, there are games every other day on one of those brutal Calgary/Edmonton road trips.  All that means that Theo could theoretically (PUN!!) ride the pine for a long stretch after this game.

Now, on the other hand I can't see many other teams in the NHL that are already starting backup goaltenders at this stage in the season.

My secret wish is that Theo just puts on a spectacular show and raises his trade value.

we're pinned in our zone a lot, geez.

joey's line has zero pressure so far.  :(  not lookin good (expect for stastny's line).

Wolski had A good shift tonight.  

Joe and Co. generated some good opportunities.  Was anybody else shocked when Hlinka shot the puck?  Much better period for that line compared to the first.

Theo made a huge save on the PK! Of course, if he'd covered the routine shot about 10 seconds earlier and bailed out his D, he wouldn't have had to, so...

Skrastins has looked like he's getting better as the game goes on.

Finger had to cover for Liles after a bad pass, followed by a weak clear a few seconds later.  They better keep Finger around once Richardson gets back.

Guite looked great on the PK as well.  Another dagger in Arnason's back, hopefully.

Why is Clark on the PP? WTF?

I like the aggressive, puck possession PK.  Hope they can keep that up and not make any mistakes.  Kinda risky ragging the puck that much.

Horrible call on the Duke at the end of the period.  Apparently half of the crew forgot this is a CONTACT sport.

I was worried that the building was starting to wake up about 3/4 of the way through that period.  Hopefully the Avs can kill the penalty to start the period and generate a goal pretty quick to take them out of it.

COUNT THE REBOUNDS!!!!!

Clark got pwned by Hinote...

Seriously, why cover a puck when you can just kick it back out to let the Offense have another shot at it Theo?

The wheels are flying off...

WTF?!?!?!?!?!?!?!!?!?

He has one save selection: butterfly.  That second Hinote goal was brutal!  He BF'd way too early and then just watched...

The D is running around.  Wolski is up on the Sakic line at one point?  Joey Q. is playing mad chemist again.

Theo sux.

Seriously.  The second and fourth goals he took himself out of the play.  On the second goal in particular, a controlled BF slide to his left would have made the initial save and allowed him to be in position for a rebound and follow up shot.  The Dominik Hasek "Fall over and hope it hits me" move got the initial save, but left him lying in the crease like a wounded pigeon.  The fourth goal, he BF'd too early trying to make a blocking-type save, he overchallanged forward to the shooter and then just turned and watched the puck slide by.

PP was impotent all night, but let's give some credit to Legace who had a really good game. He made a half dozen steller saves.  PK looked good for St. Louis in streaks too.

Early last season the Avs got burned a couple of times with little awareness of when the man is coming out of the box.  They nearly got burned again early in the 3rd.  That's lack of communication from the coaching staff + Theo should be trying to let his guys know.  I didn't hear a stick banging on the ice, and even the Blues color crew noticed that.

Horrible 3rd period by the Avs.  The Hejduk-Stastny-Smyth line was the only one who showed up to play all three periods.

Take away the own goal by Kariya and the Avs haven't scored yet on the road.  That doesn't bode well.

Joey Q. HAS to find some way of getting the first line going.  Give Svatos or Wolski a shot up there for more than 1 shift or something.  

Liles had a pretty weak night all around also. Still, at least two of those goals could have been prevented by a mildly competent netminder, and the other two were a result of scrambling and lack of backcheck from the forwards.  Defensive guru Quennville needs to address that quick, fast, and in a hurry.

I'm disappointed in the showing.  The Blues are a one-line team, and the Avs let the depth players jump all over them in the 3rd.  Hell, Hinote has been a healthy scratch twice this season!