THE official Colorado Avalanche/NHL thread!!! [Archive]

BroncoAV06

09-11-2007, 02:08 PM

I can't wait, the Pepsi Center is going to be busy this year and full of excitment with the Avs and Nuggets! I wish I could make it to Denver.

Avalanche Announces 2007 Training Camp
Colorado Avalanche Aug 30, 2007, 1:45 PM EDT The Colorado Avalanche Hockey Club will begin its 2007 training camp on September 13, with 30 veteran players reporting for medical and physical tests. Players selected from the Avalanche rookie camp that runs September 8-11, will join the veterans on ice the following day.

The club will hold workouts from 9 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. on September 14 and 15 at South Suburban Family Sports Center located at Arapahoe Road and Peoria Street in Centennial. All scrimmages and practice sessions are open to the public at no charge on a first-come, first-served basis.

“I am anticipating a very competitive camp,” said Avalanche Executive Vice President & General Manager Francois Giguere. “Our entire organization is eager to get started and the coaches are looking forward to some high-energy workouts with a great deal of competition.”

The Avalanche will hold its annual Burgundy/White Game on Sunday, September 16 at Cadet Ice Arena at the Air Force Academy beginning at 11:00 a.m., with proceeds benefiting military families as well as youth hockey initiatives of the Colorado Avalanche. The Avalanche exhibition slate begins Monday, September 17 against the Phoenix Coyotes in Phoenix, the first of six preseason games before the club’s season opener on October 3 vs. the Dallas Stars at Pepsi Center.

Following is the Colorado Avalanche 2007 pre-season schedule and veteran training camp roster:

EXHIBITION SCHEDULE (Mountain time)
September 16 Burgundy/White Game (Air Force Academy) 11:00 a.m.
September 17 Colorado at Phoenix (Glendale Arena) 8:00 pm
September 19 Colorado vs. Los Angeles (Pepsi Center) 7:00 pm
September 20 Colorado at Dallas (American Airlines Center) 6:30 pm
September 22 Colorado at Los Angeles (Las Vegas, NV) TBD
September 25 Colorado vs. Dallas (Pepsi Center) 7:00 pm
September 29 Colorado vs. Phoenix (Pepsi Center) 7:00 pm

2007 Avalanche Veteran Training Camp Roster
Forwards (18) Pos
Tyler Arnason C
Andrew Brunette LW
Ben Guite RW
Eric Healey LW
Milan Hejduk RW
Jaroslav Hlinka C
Matt Hussey C
Ian Laperriere RW
Cody McCormick C/RW
Scott Parker RW
Brad Richardson C
Mark Rycroft RW
Joe Sakic C
Wyatt Smith C
Ryan Smyth LW
Paul Stastny C
Marek Svatos RW
Wojtek Wolski LW

Defensemen (10)
Johnny Boychuk
Brett Clark
Jeff Finger
Scott Hannan
Jeff Jillson
Jordan Leopold
John-Michael Liles
Dale Purinton
Kurt Sauer
Karlis Skrastins

Goaltenders (2)
Peter Budaj
Jose Theodore

09-11-2007, 03:18 PM

Since I'll be in AZ from the 14th-23rd I think it's a safe bet to say that I'll be at the Avs/Coyotes on the 17th. I'll get a good look at some of our young talent. :D

Medford Bronco

09-11-2007, 03:29 PM

Good luck to the Avs this year. I feel a great season coming. :elefant:

09-11-2007, 03:41 PM

Good luck to the Avs this year. I feel a great season coming. :elefant:

You and me both! I can't wait to see the mullet brothers out there!:laugh:

BroncoAV06

09-18-2007, 02:04 PM

By the way pre season hockey is under way.

http://http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/columns/story?columnist=burnside_scott&id=3011999

Colorado Avalanche: The Avalanche missed the playoffs for the first time since 1994, but given the way they finished up the regular season, chasing the Calgary Flames to the final days of the schedule, don't expect them to make a habit of it. A promising crop of youngsters, including Wojtek Wolski and Calder Trophy finalist Paul Stastny, combined with veteran free-agent acquisitions Ryan Smyth and Scott Hannan, makes the Avs one of the more interesting teams to watch this season. There's still the issue of former Hart and Vezina Trophy winner Jose Theodore, who will earn $6 million to serve as the Avs backup behind Peter Budaj. But there might be a market for Theodore, whose contract is up at the end of the coming season as the trade deadline approaches, if the Avs are lucky.

Dearly departed: Patrice Brisebois, Pierre Turgeon, Antti Laaksonen, Ossi Vaananen, Ken Klee.
Joyously welcomed: Ryan Smyth, Scott Hannan.

Burning questions
• Will 100-point man Joe Sakic, who turned 38 this offseason, ever start to act his age?
• Can Jordan Leopold, who played only 15 games last season, return to form as an elite defenseman?
• How long will it take Avs fans to fall completely in love with mullet man Smyth and his mullet sidekick Scott Hannan?
• What does Stastny do as a follow-up to his 78-point performance and NHL rookie record 20-game points streak?

Watchthemiddle

09-18-2007, 02:10 PM

Had my AV's hat on today.

Can't wait for this season.

underrated29

09-18-2007, 02:52 PM

i didnt realize we got rid of oz, oh well hannan is better anyway.

i just wish they would air the preseason games. Pisses me off so much.

from what i have heard, if/when peter clears himself to play- he will come here. barring we dont pick up or make any other trades limmiting our space/cap until then

Watchthemiddle

09-18-2007, 02:57 PM

underrated29

09-18-2007, 03:10 PM

Serious??? :elefant:

YEAH, if when. a guy i play hockey with, one of my best friends actually, told me that.

he is a die hard hockey fan. like no other. i dont know who he talked to to get that info, but so far everything he has told me has been pretty accurate. i think he talked to joel quinnevile. not sure. i will ask him next time i talk to him. to be sure.

LETS FREAKING HOPE SO!!

although someone made a good point, if when we do sign fopa, that might potentially move stasny to 3rd line, which would not be good. but that is a predicament i would like us to have.

Escobar

09-18-2007, 07:02 PM

Since I'll be in AZ from the 14th-23rd I think it's a safe bet to say that I'll be at the Avs/Coyotes on the 17th. I'll get a good look at some of our young talent. :D

Who do you root for? I am a coyotes fan also an avs fan aswell. Even though i don't really watch most of their games, i do peek in every once and a while and peek the standings every week.

Requiem / The Dagda

09-18-2007, 09:38 PM

Sid the Kid > Everyone in the NHL.

BroncoAV06

09-20-2007, 12:54 PM

Vany was just not suited for the new style of the NHL. Hannan was one of the top D-men on the market and will be a much need force on the defensive end that the Avalanche lacked last year. Leopold will also be big if he can regain some form of him old self.
Hannan/Liles, Leopols/Clark, Finger/Skrastins, very excited to see what the defensive pairings will look like.

Foppa as much as I love him I am still on the fence. I am glad to hear that he will not sign with a team untill he is fully healthy which could even take till mid season.

I don't think Stats would be moved to the 3rd line, could see somthing like Foppa/Stats/Hejduk as a 2nd line IF Foppa and the Avs would come to a deal.

Ryan Smyth will be big folks. Avs had a great off season with these 2 signings, Smyth crashing the net on that first line with Sakic and Brunette will cause havoc.

underrated29

09-20-2007, 01:08 PM

OMG IT WILL be crazy.

besides bruno, we didnt really have to much of a physical bunch who could also put the puck in and reak havoc down in front. and hell ya ryan will do that. hopefully wojtek can learn a lil from him and be a major force in a few years.

last year we were like 3 in goals scored or something, take that plus ryan. add that with our new and improved defense as you so lovely stated above. and abother year for budaj, plus the apparant second coming of jose (lets hope so). and we are back baby!!

BroncoAV06

09-22-2007, 12:33 PM

http://http://www.nhl.com/scores/htmlreports/20072008/GS010036.HTM
T.J. Hensick had a goal and two assists and Eric Healey scored twice as the Avalanche improved to 3-0 this preseason with a 6-3 victory at Dallas on Thursday night.

Hensick, the rookie center out of the University of Michigan, is tied with Paul Stastny for the team lead in scoring this preseason with six points (3g/3a). He assisted on both of Healey’s goals and scored the game-winner with 12:44 left in the third period.

Healey also had an assist to give him a 3-point night and John-Michael Liles had three assists. Jaroslav Hlinka had a pair of helpers and now leads the team with five assists in exhibition play.

Colorado scored three power-play goals, all in the third period, as they turned a 3-2 deficit into a 5-3 lead. Cody McLeod added an empty netter to round out the scoring. The Avalanche has scored eight power-play goals in the preseason, converting at a 33.3% clip (8-for-24).

Sergei Zubov had a goal and one assist for Dallas and Mike Modano also scored.

Peter Budaj and Michael Wall split the goaltending duties, with Wall earning the victory.

The two teams combined for 96 minutes in penalties.

Colorado Avalanche

09-22-2007, 03:16 PM

Who do you root for? I am a coyotes fan also an avs fan aswell. Even though i don't really watch most of their games, i do peek in every once and a while and peek the standings every week.

I always root for the Avs, but the Coyotes are my second team. That being said, when the Avs and Coyotes play each other, I have no second team.

I went to the Avs/Coyotes preseason game. None of our big name players played except for Stastny and Wolski. I left after the first period because it was the most boring thing I had ever seen.

BroncoAV06

09-28-2007, 01:34 PM

Looks like Hensick could stick with the Avs this year! Could pull of a Statsny type rookie season if he continues to play well!

09-28-2007, 01:39 PM

Looks like Hensick could stick with the Avs this year! Could pull of a Statsny type rookie season if he continues to play well!

Richardson and McCormick are on the IR, so Hensick and Hlinka will stay up.

BroncoAV06

10-02-2007, 07:28 PM

By The Denver Post
Article Last Updated: 10/02/2007 04:29:55 PM MDT

The Avalanche today announced they have moved Sunday's game at Pepsi Center against the Dallas Stars to a 5 p.m. start time in order to fit into a crowded sports schedule in Denver that day.

The Avs, who were scheduled to start at 6 p.m. But the team, in agreement with the NHL, decided to moved the game to accomodate the Rockies hosting the Phillies at Coors Field at 7:30 p.m. and the Broncos facing the Chargers at Invesco Field at 2:15.

"This coming Sunday will be a very special day in Colorado major league sports history and we wanted everyone to be able to attend these three events if they wished to do so," Avs general manager Francois Giguere said.

Also on Sunday, the Rapids playing Toronto FC at 6 p.m.

Denver Native (Carol)

10-03-2007, 05:30 PM

GOOOOOOOOOO AVS :elefant::elefant::elefant:

10-03-2007, 07:41 PM

I was sad to see TJ Hensik moved down.

The first two lines will be as follows, for tonight anyway.

Sakic, Hejduk, Smyth

Stastny, Hlinka (I hope he is as good as people say he is), Brunette.

Wolski will be on the third line with Lappy and someone else (not sure, haven't looked). It also looks like Kurt Sauer will be paired up with Leopold on D. I wouldn't be surprised to see Hannan and Liles paired together with Clarke and Skrastins as the other pair.

AZOmae

10-03-2007, 09:56 PM

Hat Trick!!! WOW!! The kid's got potential!! :laugh: (continuing his dominance from last season)

GO AVS!!!

BroncoAV06

10-03-2007, 09:56 PM

Hilinka has looked great with Andrew and stats!

Stastny Hat Trick, first of his career!!

Wolski, Lappy, Arny(Centers the line)

Well good to see the Avs developing depth, that is what killed them early in the salary cap era. Q said there was at least 5 guys that could of made the roster out of camp that are down at Lake Erie now!

Well I was just thinking that the 3rd line is doing a good job of keeping the puck in the Dallas zone but they need to get more pucks on the net, what happens? Wolski with a goal! 4-1 Avs as the 2nd period counts down.

Watchthemiddle

10-04-2007, 12:23 AM

I'll take the win.

I just want to see the AVs dominate for 3 periods. THats what killed us last year. We would dominate for 2 periods...and then fold in the 3rd. Anyway its a good day for Denver and Colorado sports.

:beer::beer:

Medford Bronco

10-04-2007, 01:39 AM

10-04-2007, 06:18 AM

Entertaining game last night. I really liked Hlinka. I think he'll just get better with more experience.

Also, Spector picked the Avs to win the cup this year. :D

Medford Bronco

10-04-2007, 08:12 AM

Entertaining game last night. I really liked Hlinka. I think he'll just get better with more experience.

Also, Spector picked the Avs to win the cup this year. :D

Great start for your Avs, Statsney what a great game for him.:salute:

I look for big things from the Avs IF the goaltending holds up

10-04-2007, 10:05 AM

Great start for your Avs, Statsney what a great game for him.:salute:

I look for big things from the Avs IF the goaltending holds up

I have no doubt that Budaj can hold up. The kid was 31-16-6 last season and didn't play a whole lot during the first half of the season when the Avs were still trying to let Theodore prove himself. I think Budaj will hold up just fine.

underrated29

10-04-2007, 11:25 AM

we looked good. this is the first time i have been able to anything this year. I gotta say that hlinka is gonna be good! guy has some vision.

our defense seemed to chase the puck a little, but i think some more time together will work that out.

we just need to watch the slot, and keep the guys out of budajs way.

the offense in my mind will be better than last years, and the defense will be much improved with jordan and hannan.

i really think we can compete this year.

BroncoAV06

10-05-2007, 12:59 PM

Oct 3 Weiman will open the season as the backup Avalanche goaltender Peter Budaj, according to the Denver Post. The 23-year-old will likely stay with the team until Jose Theodore is healthy.
Advice: Weiman has not played in an NHL game, but played in 54 games for the Albany River Rats of the AHL. He posted a 27-22-3 mark with a 2.99 goals-against average. Theodore, meanwhile, started practicing last week after having knee surgery in August but will not be placed on the injured list.

DENVER -- Colorado Avalanche goaltender Jose Theodore will complete his rehabilitation from offseason knee surgery by starting in the season opener Saturday for the AHL Lake Erie Monsters.

The Avalanche said he would return to Colorado on Sunday.

Theodore had surgery in August.

"Jose is in the final stages of his rehabilitation work and both our hockey staff and he agreed that actual game action would be the way to complete this process," general manager Francois Giguere.
Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press

10-05-2007, 03:48 PM

Avs got SMOKE by a haggard Nashville team last night. Last I saw on ESPN it was 4-0 with 1 minute left in the third.

BroncoAV06

10-07-2007, 09:29 PM

Avs exploded tonight! Avs 6 SJ 2, COL 2-1 SJ 1-1-1

Defense was solid, shut down the Thorton line, early in the game 18 mins left in the first Hejduk recived a double major and the Avs killed off the 4 min penelty. Aggresive, not allowing the Sharks to set up on the power play and they kept the bigger Sharks from possesing the puck along the boards.
Budaj was good tonight as well, 2nd goal game with 2 mins left in the 3rd on a Sharks PP.

Offense-Ryan Smyth got his first goal in an Avs uniform, rebound(Will do that a lot this year) Hejduk showed good speed 2 goals, Stats had a 5 point night (1 G 4 A) Sakic got on the board, overall it was what you would expect from the Avs. Good shooters, movement lead to goals and attacking the net. Helped that they got 2 goals in a min span when the flood gates opend in the 3rd!

Solid defense in front of Budaj will be big this year. Penalty killing will need to be a focal point all year. The Avs offense is there, its what carried this team last year so the defense coming along points to very good signs in the future for the Avs. Will be nice to get off to a good start this year as well. The western conference is a very tricky one with many teams looking good this year.

Next game at St. Lious, Friday 6:00pm

10-07-2007, 09:36 PM

I won't get to know about the result of the next game for like three days after its over. I'll be en route to the Middle East.

I caught most of the first and all of the second on NHL Radio linked from nhl.com. Stastny is a friggin stud.

BroncoAV06

10-13-2007, 04:32 PM

Went down to the Blues 4-1 last night. St. Lious seems to have our number latley. Jose got the start in net, look great through 2 periods then the Avs feel apart. Let the Blues crash the net and Jose had no chance on 2 of the 3 goals in the 3rd. 2-2 so far on the season, PK looked good, still have to iron some things out, defense has to settle in and the offense has to get going outside of Stats.

Blue Jackets at home tonight. Go Avs!

BroncoAV06

10-19-2007, 10:19 PM

Avs had another bad first period, well the Blackhawks had 2 great goals from the future Superstars of the NHL Toews and Kane, Jose did play solid just beat on 2 great shots early. Towes was a goa; that only the special ones can make. The Avs fought back and tied it in the 3rd, Svatos is looking like he could have another good year which is what the Avs were waiting for. Ruuto's goal late, just can't have that. The Avs have no problem putting shots on goal, they had pressure on the Hawks but out shot them 40 to 27, Khabibulin was just great shuting the Avs power play down early, 2 shots would have went in but Khabibulin was having one of those nights a good goal tender has.

Avs are 4-3 on the season with all 4 wins coming at home. They have to find a way to get more out of their power play on the road. They can not afford to suffer anymore first periods like the last 2 games. If it keeps up the Avs will have to big of a hill to climb. Hopefully more pucks will find the net on the road as the 4 game road trip finishes up with 3 against divisionn opponents.

Wild, Sunday puck drops at 5 MST. The Wilds have not allowed many goals at all this year, yet another challenge for the Avs offense. They can score but they just can wait untill they are down 3 goals to do so. Defense will have to continue to gell and the penlty kill just needs to keep it up. Killed 18 consecutive PP.

BroncoAV06

10-23-2007, 02:01 PM

Interesting Peter news, down to Avs and Sens:
Sporting News

Peter Forsberg has a short list of teams he would play for this season: Colorado and Ottawa.

He is one of several high-profile free agents remaining on the market. And, according to media sources, he is targeting a mid-November comeback and will play for a contender.

That certainly would put the Senators in the picture. NHL sources told the Toronto Sun the Avalanche are a Forsberg favorite. He played on Stanley Cup-winning teams in 1996 and 2001 during his 10-year tenure with the Avs.

"I believe he has an affinity for Colorado because of what he's accomplished there, but the Senators are in the mix," an NHL executive told the Sun.

Signing Forsberg could a problem for the Senators, who stand at $48.5 million against the salary cap, which is $50.3 million. Reports say Forsberg might want a three-year, $15 million deal. Other reports say he would sign with the Senators for $3 million per season.

The Sens also have to come to terms with top-line center Jason Spezza, whose contract expires after this season.

The Avalanche have more cap room, with a $45 million payroll at present.

Plagued by injuries, most notably by wonky feet in recent seasons, Forsberg opted not to sign a contract in the offseason. He is coming off foot and groin surgery. He began 2006-07 with the Philadelphia Flyers and was traded in February to the Nashville Predators.

Two other notable unsigned free agents are Scott Niedermayer and Teemu Selanne, who finished last season with the Stanley Cup-champion Anaheim Ducks. The team continues to wait on their decisions on whether to play, although both have indicated they are considering retirement.

Forsberg is skating at home in Sweden with MoDo of the Swedish Elite League as he prepares for a return to the NHL.

According to the Sun, three other teams are interested in Forsberg -- the Flyers, Detroit Red Wings and Vancouver Canucks

Big game in Edmonton tonight. Divison games are always going to be big. Avs need to find a way to get off to a good start on the road, they can not go through another game down 2 or 3 goals and omeback just to lose in the final mins of the 3rd. Just have t okeep putting pucks on the net, which they have been doing, and need the power play to come through on the road. Had plenty of opportunities against the Wild and failed, Wild are a great defense team to their credit.

Smyth is going to be very emotional, I hope that he can translate that to the ice and have another productive game. He has been great and I love his game he brings to the rink. I do want to see Hannan become more of a force on the blue line. Stpe up and show why the Avs made you the other big signing and want to you to anchor the blue line along with Liles.

Leopold has shown what the scouts and the Avs saw in him. He skates well and is strong for his size. He has been very aggresive and at times take to many penlties which I would like to see him cut down on but the Avs defense looks like it could shape up to be very solid as the year goes on.

Go AVS

rockies

underrated29

10-23-2007, 02:22 PM

good news about fopa, i said a while ago that my good friend talked to someone..oh yeah i was supposwed to find out who he talked too...anyway i think it was quennville and he said peter would come here if he cleared himself to play. So that looks good so far- us and sens.

hopefully i can watch the game tonight, shoulod be a great one. how has budaj looked, jose also?

awesome news about svatos, thanks for updating that. i thought for sure wew ould trade him this year if he didnt get his act together and start skating.

thanks for the article too.

Denver Native (Carol)

11-01-2007, 10:43 PM

Great win for the AVS tonight - 3 - 2 over Pittsburgh, after the AVS were down 2 - 0, and their 6th straight win at home :elefant:

11-02-2007, 05:05 AM

Great win for the AVS tonight - 3 - 2 over Sydney Crosby, after the AVS were down 2 - 0, and their 6th straight win at home :elefant:

Fixed it for ya Carol. I love coming in to work in the morning and reading the recaps of the Avs games. Makes my day when they win. If they keep this up, I may have to purchase the last couple of months of NHL Center Ice when I get home in Feb.

Stastny seems to be on a cold streak while Sakic and Wolski are ON FIRE. Is Stastny still playing well and just not getting the chances? Or is he just not playing as well?

BroncoAV06

11-02-2007, 01:03 PM

Stats is playing weel, Milan was out a week with a back injury which through him off a bit since they had such chemistry going. Hejduk was back in the line up last night.

Everyone is playing well, Gutie had a huge game last night, had the game winner. No lines are taking a shift off, and Q does a great job putting lines together on the fly.

Pitt has a heck of a team and Sid is crazy good, already knew that but watching him last night was amazing.

Thedore has been playing very well, made great saves the last 2 periods to hold of the Pens. He is taking time away from Budja and taking advantage of it.

8-4 overall, 6-0 at home, tied for first with MIN with 3 home games left on this 5 game home stand all against division foes, VAN, CAL, EDM. Good start is what could prople this team the rest of the way, with solid goaltending, like what I am seeing, and the Avs just need to keep pushing.

underrated29

11-02-2007, 02:21 PM

yeah, sid was sick- It was so cool wathcing him play, that shot of his was a laser! he is also a lot stronger than i thought he was. He is going to be sooo good when he primes out. I just hope he has a long healthy career.

But good win avs- what a come back huh, ha haha i loved it.
jose did a good job, goal 1 wasnt really his fault, just a lucky bounce off of cuminsky's? skate.

speaking of cuminsky, i thought he had a great game too, he took crsby on all alone 1 on 1 and denied him access to jose.

11-08-2007, 04:16 AM

Avs had a good win last night, which brings their point total to 20 (10-5). They are alone atop the Northwest division. :elefant:

underrated29

11-08-2007, 10:25 AM

that svatos shootout goal was just sweet, actually so was wojteks, you just dont get any prettier than that.

BroncoAV06

11-08-2007, 02:23 PM

It almost looked like Svatos got a little lucky as the puck fluttered a bit and went right over Dwayne. Playing hard and not giving up, after a 3-2 first period by EDM, no goals in the sencond and Lappy comes up with the tieing goal his second of the game in the 3rd. Overtime both goalies hung in their, and EDM could not hang in the shootout.

Is big to start off good in the division. Liking what I am seeing, Symth, Sakic, Lappy, Gutie, Stats, Liles, Hannan, etc, these guys go 110% every shift and I love the no quite attitude that this team has. Defense continues to improvw as it has the Avs could make it interesting. And you know Joe is going to get in a grove soon. The PP is also going to have to score, as the season goes on if that gets going and they pick up 1-2 PP goals a game or capitalize on the opportunites with the man advantage it will make things that much more easier for them. NHL is never an easy game now a days, makes for a heck of a season.

Denver Native (Carol)

11-29-2007, 08:40 PM

Here is latest AVS news for SR :salute:

http://www.9news.com/sports/article.aspx?storyid=81885

Avalanche recall T.J. Hensick
posted by: Jeffrey Wolf , Web Producer

DENVER (AP) - Center T.J. Hensick is expected to make his NHL debut at San Jose Friday night after the Colorado Avalanche recalled him from their American Hockey League in Cleveland.

The 21-year-old Hensick leads the Lake Erie Monsters in scoring with 13 points in 18 games.

The 2005 third-round draft pick scored 69 points in 41 games as a senior at Michigan last season, winning the Central Collegiate Hockey Association scoring title.

He was also a finalist for the Hobey Baker Award, and led the country in assists, assists per game with 1.12, and points per game with 1.68.

Meantime, the Avalanche reassigned forward Brad Richardson to Lake Erie to make room for Hensick.

11-30-2007, 02:03 AM

I already read that on the DRMN website. ;) Thanks though.

I read the Post and the News for the Broncos and Avs every day.

Medford Bronco

11-30-2007, 10:52 AM

I already read that on the DRMN website. ;) Thanks though.

I read the Post and the News for the Broncos and Avs every day.

For you SeeingRed

feel free to ask Med to provide highlighs, I will do so for you my friend:salute:
the win over Edmonton from Wed Night :D

http://www.nhl.tv/team/launch.htm?hlg=20072008,2,355

11-30-2007, 11:24 AM

For you SeeingRed

feel free to ask Med to provide highlighs, I will do so for you my friend:salute:
the win over Edmonton from Wed Night :D

http://www.nhl.tv/team/launch.htm?hlg=20072008,2,355

The Site You Are Trying To Access Is Blocked

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Al Udeid network is maintained as a weapon system. Use of this network constitutes consent to monitoring.
Category of Blocked URL: Internet Radio/TV
Requested URL: www.nhl.tv

underrated29

11-30-2007, 11:43 AM

i hate myself for saying this, or being this i guess is what i mean, but i havent been watching as many games as i should. The ones i have watched i havent noticed jordan playing at all.

DID something happen to him? is he hurt again? Or am i just not seeing him?

11-30-2007, 11:51 AM

Leopold is as injury prone as they come. He had to have wrist surgery, if I remember correctly.

Medford Bronco

11-30-2007, 12:30 PM

The Site You Are Trying To Access Is Blocked

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Al Udeid network is maintained as a weapon system. Use of this network constitutes consent to monitoring.
Category of Blocked URL: Internet Radio/TV
Requested URL: www.nhl.tv

I can get it by launching the NHL video portal:confused:

try this one, hope it works

http://cosmos.bcst.yahoo.com/up/sports?ch=240479&cl=5239067

11-30-2007, 12:32 PM

The Site You Are Trying To Access Is Blocked

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Al Udeid network is maintained as a weapon system. Use of this network constitutes consent to monitoring.
Category of Blocked URL: Streaming Media
Requested URL: cosmos.bcst.yahoo.com

It's our web blocker.:mad:

Medford Bronco

11-30-2007, 12:35 PM

The Site You Are Trying To Access Is Blocked

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Al Udeid network is maintained as a weapon system. Use of this network constitutes consent to monitoring.
Category of Blocked URL: Streaming Media
Requested URL: cosmos.bcst.yahoo.com

It's our web blocker.:mad:

sorry SR. :sad:

I wanted to at least give you a taste of some Avs Highlights.

11-30-2007, 02:12 PM

Yeah...I used to be able to watch highlights on NHL.com on the government computers, but because of bandwidth and what not, they block all streaming media. It blows, but I can understand it.

I was just looking at the standings for the western conference. Despite how poor the Avs have been playing as of late (excluding the win over the oil the other night), we are still only a handful of points behind the 'red hot' Red Wings for first place in the west. Personally, I think the Avs have what it takes to win the President's trophy this year IF their D can find a way to be cohesive and if they can solve their little goalie deal. I can't stand rotating goalies. It's like a RB by committee...I can't f-ing stand it. Theodore sucks. Budaj won 30+ games last year and if he had been starting from the get-go we would have finished with well over 100 points and would have won the division, or at least locked up a wild card spot. Budaj isn't great, but he's damn good and the best goalie this team has had since Roy (haven't said/typed that name in a while) retired. Quenville is retarded when it comes to goalies. He did the same thing with STL. Roman Turek got the shaft a few times by Q. It's really irritating. However, if we don't do something magnificent this year, I think it's safe to say that you'll see Q coaching a new team next season. I'd like to see Tony Granato get another shot at the job now that he's got a couple more years under his belt. Or bring back Hartley.

Medford Bronco

11-30-2007, 02:35 PM

11-30-2007, 02:42 PM

Hartley was fired from the Avs because the players quit responding to him. How many players from that team are left on our roster? Two? Sakic and Hejduk? I think Hartley is a good coach with the right kind of team. Of course, I could be wrong. When he coached the Avs, we were stacked...we hate Foote, Blake, Roy, Foppa, Hejduk, Tanguay, Drury, DeVries, Bourque (sp?) etc. We also had the real mastermind of a GM...Pierre Lacroix (sp?).

Boy how the league has changed.

BroncoAV06

11-30-2007, 02:50 PM

Thedore has actually played a few great games this year which has erned him a few more starts. Budja just has not put his foot down fully on the starting goalie spot.

The Avs just were not getting time in the opponents zone, not getting shots on net and the defense was slacking through that last streatch.

Its hard when you lose and energy guy like Lappy, I think its still at least 3 weeks. McCormick has been a good energy guy latley, hitting people and taking over as the fighter. He also plays hard along the boards.

The offense just hit a slump, Symth, Milan, Stats, AB, were just not getting it done. They have been able to overcome that beating up on the oilers. I don't think it is anything to be to worried about, Saur has been playing great he is plus 12, Finger has improved, so the defense definitly has the chance to be really good and the offense with Sakic starting to find the net cna explode again soon.

@ SJ tonight, LA tomorrow, and home Mon vs SJ. Been nice to get the first one on the road in SJ, not overlook LA who cna be a good team and then have a shot to get to from SJ at home.

11-30-2007, 03:05 PM

Maybe Budaj hasn't been as solid this year for (IMO) the fact that he has been splitting time with a has-been (or never-was, haven't figured it out yet) and hasn't had time to get in to a groove. Goaltending is like every other position. If you're only playing every other game, there is no way you will ever settle in to a groove. Also, I think his confidence is down because of splitting time with Jose. Budaj won 30 games last year. His reward? Splitting time with a goalie who is only playing because of a stubborn GM trying to get his money's worth.

Denver Native (Carol)

12-06-2007, 07:30 PM

If this is true, Crawford needs to go to prison!!!!!!!!!!

http://www.canada.com/topics/sports/story.html?id=a6169d9e-6aca-4fff-bcb8-4779bd9aad37&k=64401

Crawford directed Moore hit: report
Nonis confirmed threat
Published: Thursday, December 06, 2007

Todd Bertuzzi might have been following the directives of former Vancouver Canucks head coach Marc Crawford when he broke the neck of Colorado Avalanche rookie Steve Moore in 2004, according to a report on CBC Wednesday night.

In court documents obtained by CBC, it's alleged that Crawford told his players "[Moore] must pay the price" after pointing to Moore's name and number on a board in the dressing room. The documents indicate that both Bertuzzi and Canucks current general manager Dave Nonis confirmed Crawford made the threat. Nonis was the director of hockey operations at the time of the incident.

Bertuzzi went after Moore on March 8, 2004, jumping him from behind and driving his head hard onto the ice. Moore suffered a severe concussion and three broken vertebrae in his neck. He has not played in the NHL since.

The attack was considered retribution after Moore hit Vancouver Canucks winger Markus Naslund in the head on Feb. 16, 2004, knocking the Canucks captain unconscious. Crawford was critical of Moore's hit on Naslund, telling reporters after the Feb. 16 game it was "a cheap shot by a young kid on a captain, a leading scorer in the league, and we get no call? That is ridiculous."

The former Canucks coach was accused of smirking after Bertuzzi attacked Moore a month later, but wasn't punished by the NHL.

Bertuzzi was suspended for the remainder of the 2003-04 season and was reinstated by the league at the beginning of the 2005-06 season.

Moore has launched two lawsuits against Bertuzzi. The first one, filed in U.S. court, was thrown out of court over jurisdictional issues. A subsequent lawsuit was filed in Canada and is still before the courts. Moore was originally seeking $19.5 million in lost income and damages, but CBC now indicates he has upped that amount to $38 million.

© CanWest News Service 2007

pnbronco

12-06-2007, 09:27 PM

I'm with you DN(C), the whole thing still makes me sick. I really hope Moore wins his lawsuit and I usually hate those things.

Simple Jaded

12-06-2007, 09:39 PM

I sincerely doubt Crawford meant for Bertuzzi to break Moores neck.

But Crawford is has been a doosh since he left Colorado, anybody who has seen his teams defend Forsberg knows what I mean.

Which makes his indignant response to Naslunds injury a complete joke......

12-07-2007, 02:17 AM

How many years ago was this? And we're still talking about it? Giminy Christmas.

Right now, I'm more concerned about the Avs' problems RIGHT NOW.

East Coast Fan

12-07-2007, 08:10 AM

Oh boy oh boy-now my Pens are getting hot-2 Western road wins...gotta keep it going now, boys!! :D

12-07-2007, 08:23 AM

This is an "Avalanche" thread. The Avs beat the Pens this year, 3-2, so go take your Pens crap to the NHL thread.

East Coast Fan

12-07-2007, 08:41 AM

This is an "Avalanche" thread. The Avs beat the Pens this year, 3-2, so go take your Pens crap to the NHL thread.

Yes, you're correct; in my "haste" I hit the wrong thread-sorry. Guess that's a result of working too much overtime and trying to "sneak" onto the internet while at work!! :uh:

12-07-2007, 08:53 AM

Yes, you're correct; in my "haste" I hit the wrong thread-sorry. Guess that's a result of working too much overtime and trying to "sneak" onto the internet while at work!! :uh:

LOL! It's ok. I was just teasing you anyhow. My being defensive isn't literal. ;)

East Coast Fan

12-07-2007, 09:20 AM

LOL! It's ok. I was just teasing you anyhow. My being defensive isn't literal. ;)

No problem..guess I'm also still half-asleep...:laugh:

BroncoAV06

12-07-2007, 02:29 PM

Philly tonight.

It was so hard watching the Avs fall apart in the 3rd against the Blue Jackets, only the 3rd time we have lost to them in 21 games and the first time they beat us in their place. 4 goals in the 3rd for the Blue Jackets, defnese fell asleep and Budja was facing a shooting gallery.

Sakic has missed 3 games with a groin injury, Stat has cooled down a bit, and overall the team has yet to find a true identity. Saur went on IR and he was playing the best defense on the team. Offense goes on streatches were they just can not score and the poer play has been horrid.

Divsion games will be big, Symth, Stats, Milan, someone is going to have to step up and be that guy. They just need to keep getting the puck into the offensive zone, getting shots on net, and limit the times they have defensive brian farts.

12-07-2007, 02:56 PM

Stastny has NOT cooled down at all! Through 27 games he has 33 points. In the past eight games he has 11 points. That's not bad at all. He's on pace for 100 points. Don't know how that's cooled down...

Here is an article by Terry Frei, whom I can't f-ing stand, but it's worth the read I guess.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/columns/story?columnist=frei_terry&id=3144545

BroncoAV06

12-07-2007, 03:02 PM

Stats has been getting points, I guess I meant he is not dominating. No doubt he has been performing the best out of any one on the team. He is on the verge of being that guy, like Zetterberg etc.

That artical pretty much sums it up. Budja or Jose is going to have to grab the number one spot. If the Avs get through the injuries they should be ok, like I said before, they bring their defense up a notch. Really a big thing is the power play, they are not getting those goals.

12-07-2007, 03:13 PM

I had no idea Hannan wasn't playing very well. Ryan Smyth is putting up good numbers as of late. I think some people expected a lot more than they should after he got off to that start last season. He's a great compliment to Sakic though.

The first post on this page sums up what I think about the goalie situation. Q needs to play the best goalie (Budaj) and let him win games. Quit this rotational BS.

BroncoAV06

12-07-2007, 03:29 PM

Hannan, IMO, he has been ok, but not a game changer like all thought he would be after that contract. He is -15 on the season, he is usually up agianst the other teams top line.

Saur was +10 and playing really well, Finger has been solid (great strength). Clark has been very incosistent, Skras battleing injury only been beack a couple weeks, and of course Leopold can not keep his wrist from getting hurt.

pnbronco

12-07-2007, 08:13 PM

Go Avs, we need a win tonight. Has anyone heard if Sakic will play?

12-08-2007, 01:45 AM

Sakic didn't play. He's still day to day. Good win last night vs Philly. Theo had a good game.

pnbronco

12-08-2007, 10:31 AM

Sakic didn't play. He's still day to day. Good win last night vs Philly. Theo had a good game.

It was a good win. I think they played a solid game game all around and I was impressed with Theo. I have not been a fan of his so that says a lot. That save against Richards was major. The Flyers goalie was really something to watch, he made some unbelievable saves. It was fun to see an Eastern team and I'm glad the Avs did well. I hope Joe and Lappy start feeling better soon, they have some tough games coming up.

12-08-2007, 10:39 AM

We've got a tough game tomorrow night against the Blues.

BroncoAV06

12-08-2007, 04:19 PM

I was vewry pleased with the defense in the 3rd, they did not give Philly a lot of chances to get any shots on net and sneak one by. Thedore made a good play on the break away and that goal with 3 seconds left was great by Milan.

Blues have improved a whole heck of a lot. Boyes is having a great start and Paul K. is playing well. Have anotehr shot at the Jackets again in Columbus and I forgot the 3rd team we play.

12-10-2007, 01:44 AM

pnbronco

12-10-2007, 01:31 PM

Friggin Avs last night...NINE goals...beat the Blues 9-5. Hejduk had a hat trick and three assists, Stats had two goals and three assists. Awesome offensive game...highest goal total in the NHL this year. Broncos blew out the Chefs, Avs blew out the Blues...good day in sports.

I know! My first thought was well the Broncos won and won well, it could be a bad night for the Avs. When I saw the score I went how are the stars lined up and how can we do it again? Great day...

12-10-2007, 02:05 PM

Stats is only one point behind Crosby, tied for 4th in the NHL with 29 assists, tied for 4th in +/- at +15. He's on pace for 110 points and +45. The kid is amazing. We desperately need Milan to keep playing at the level he was towards the end of last season. A productive Hejduk is as good as any other player in the league. His best year he had Forsberg passing to him all the time...that was the year Foppa won the Hart trophy and Milan won the Rocket Richard trophy. Stats can get him the puck.

BroncoAV06

12-10-2007, 02:24 PM

Crazy game last night, they put the puck in the net every chance they got, power play goals, even strength, etc..

A player not to overlook is Wolski, he has been playing very well, 2 goals last night, almost had the hat trick on 1 on 3 short handed were he made a nice move around 2 defenders to get a shot on net and Blues goalie had to make a pad save on him!

Can;t really be to made at the defense, it was just one of those games. If you were a Blues fan, then yes you could be made.

12-10-2007, 02:40 PM

BroncoAV06

12-10-2007, 04:28 PM

Can't be made at the defense? Did you mean mad? I'm confused.

Wolski is a good player, but he's streaky. So far this year he's had the same kind of start as he did last year. Eventually last season he started to taper off and his performance started to dwindle. He still put up ok numbers, but nothing like what I expected of him.

Hopefully we make the playoffs this year so I can at least catch some Avs hockey live. I got to see the first game against the Stars on Versus, but I left like a week after that to come here. All I have to keep me going on Avs news is the Avs Message board (which blows and I refuse to visit), the DRMN, the Post, and ESPN.

Did mean mad, don't know why I typed made!?

Wolski is young, he is learning a lot. He was inactive a few games last year late as the coaches were trying to get the messege through to him that he needs to work hard all year. I think it paid off and you should see him be a steady player all year. Last year was prettty much his rookie year.
He has one of the quickest shots on the team, he has learned to use his body a lot more, and despit his looks he is pretty gifted with the stick.

Took a couple years but the Avs finally seem to be digging out and getting used to the cap era. Stats, Wolski, Liles, Cumminsky, Hensick, are just a few names that should be a strong young core for years to come for the Avs if they are able to keep them all.

12-11-2007, 05:34 AM

I think Hensik is going to be good. One player I really still think has a shot at being a good stay at home defenseman in the NHL is Johnny Boychuck. I wish they'd bring him up instead of Cumiskey. oh well. But you're right, we've got a great core of players and our management is doing a GREAT job at building talent from within the organization. In the cap era, you can't do what Pierre used to do and go out and get the best FA available at the trade deadline.

12-13-2007, 04:49 AM

What's up with the Blue Jackets completely dominating the Avs two games in a row?! Consistensy seems to be a tad bit of a problem for us this year.

pnbronco

12-13-2007, 10:01 AM

What's up with the Blue Jackets completely dominating the Avs two games in a row?! Consistensy seems to be a tad bit of a problem for us this year.

It's strange we use have the Blue Jackets number, but not this year. The problem of win a game, lose a game seems to have come back from last year. It will be interesting to see if they can bounce back tonight and Sat.

Medford Bronco

12-13-2007, 12:04 PM

What's up with the Blue Jackets completely dominating the Avs two games in a row?! Consistensy seems to be a tad bit of a problem for us this year.

can we make a trade ;)

avs and Canes, they are both very up and down.

got any defenseman you want to unload
the Canes are good up front but defensively suck badly right now.

pnbronco

12-13-2007, 01:37 PM

Sorry Med no D's to trade. My hope is that the up and down is because of the injuries, but we shall see.

underrated29

12-13-2007, 01:37 PM

med thats how the avs are too. We got some great players back there, but none of them seem to put it together at the same time. The last avs game i watched we were dominating some team and inthe 2nd period i think the whole period was spent in our end.

As said above, inconsistent.

pnbronco

12-14-2007, 12:22 AM

Hey SR hope you got some rest. The Avs did a good job. It was so good to see Lappy again, he has a special energy that had seemed to be missed. I kept going back and forth and Budaj did a great job with a PK. They looked solid tonight and played well. So we shall see what happens on Sat. On a side note do you have a favorite Av?

12-14-2007, 02:19 AM

I got some rest...crashed after the Broncos went down 17-6..took a nap anyway.

My favorite Av is probably either Hejduk or Budaj. I love Sakic, as does every other Avs fan but he's too easy to root for. I like players that fly under the radar, but put up big numbers.

It makes me sad that Coach Q keeps alternating goalies. Budaj needs to start four or five games in a row, get in a good groove, and be the starter. Part of the reason the Avs fell so far behind so fast last year was because of Theodore. Granted, he's done well for us most of the time he's player this year, I still don't think he'll ever return to his Vezina/Hart form. He'll be a backup or a starter on a crap team for the rest of his career after this season when the Avs don't resign him. Once Budaj settles in to a groove, he's a top 10 in the league goalie. Let the kid play. But, what's not to like about a guy with Ned Flanders on the back of his mask? ;)

BroncoAV06

12-14-2007, 02:30 AM

Consistancey is a key in Denver right now, lol.

As long as the Avs don't fall on their faces they should battles for the division. Healthy team will help. And yes someone getting in a grove in goal.

Well I am off for the night. See everyone later.

12-14-2007, 03:10 AM

pnbronco

12-16-2007, 12:03 AM

Peter did a great job in net! I love having Lappy back he brings such energy to the team. It was funny he just said he felt like the team was a little soft so he went to Fiddler and kept talking till they got into it. Nice solid play and Leopold scored his first goal and got a little over 10 minutes. Sorry if you have listened to this SR. I just wanted to keep up with whats going on. Hope they can take this same energy to CA....

12-16-2007, 02:15 AM

The game against the Ducks is gonna be tough. They just picked up Doug Weight, who seems to love playing against the Avs.

Good win last night though. It makes me happy to see Budaj doing so well in net the past couple of games.

BroncoAV06

12-16-2007, 02:21 PM

Man I fell asleep the other night and was at work last night. Good to see the Avs putting some wins together. West is a really tight race at the moment. There is bound to be a couple teams start to drop off in the coming weeks.

pnbronco

12-17-2007, 10:53 PM

Hey BA and SR not sure if you are able to keep up with the LA game. Ryan Smith scored at 2:37 and then before 4 minutes were up in the first period Hlinka scored too. So at 13:33, 1st period it's 2-0 Avs. Looks like LA is trying to pick a fight with Ryan Smith. Peter in net.

BroncoAV06

12-17-2007, 11:14 PM

I caught the last few mins of the first period, lost track of time. Looked real good for the few mins I saw, pushing the Kings around and getting plenty of time in the zone.

Svatos should of had a penlty shot!

pnbronco

12-17-2007, 11:17 PM

pnbronco

12-18-2007, 12:31 AM

Dang this has bad memories from last year. It's 3-2 Avs now:eek:

12-18-2007, 05:34 AM

Good win for the Avs last night. We've won 3 in a row and are 1st in the Northwest Division.

Got a tough game against Anaheim coming up, but it should be a pretty good test for our team. Even though they don't have Salanne anymore, they're still a tough team with one of the best goaltenders (Nabokov) in the league.

And, if I may, Budaj is on a roll because he has been given the chance to settle in to a groove, thank you very much.

We've gotta keep a guy on Doug Weight at all times. That guy shreds the Avs no matter who he plays for. :tsk:

BroncoAV06

12-20-2007, 02:06 PM

Hard one against the Ducks last night 2-1 OT lose. Glad the Avs were able to come out with at least 1 point which is big. Ducks were punding us last night and Budja is the reason the Avs did not lose 6-1. He had a great game. Stats line was no where to be found last night, Ducks did a good job of shuting them down. Lappy, Guite, McCormick, line has been a spark and they go 110%every shift, they scored the lone goal last night. Only 12 SOG for the Avs last night.
Sheriff had a good one with Parros last night, heavy weight bout.

Injuries have taking its toll early on the Avs. Good to see them still fighting and for the moment at least on top of the NW Division. Will be nice to get some playmakers back in Sakic, Arny, and Symth was out last night with a neck injury. Don't know if it is serious, does not sound like it, guy takes a pounding down low.

SR, Budja is starting to get in a grove.

Captain Joe Sakic sat out his 10th straight game with a groin injury. He missed only one over the previous three seasons combined, due to an injured jaw. Colorado left wing Ryan Smyth missed his first game of the season because of a stiff neck.

"We started a little short-handed without Smitty in the lineup," coach Joel Quenneville said. "We had to change and improvise our lines right before the game. But we worked hard and the guys battled. And Peter was outstanding tonight."

Defenseman Jordan Leopold also didn't play for the Avalanche. Leopold, who received stitches in his right leg during a practice session last week, was sent back to Denver on Tuesday after the stitches opened up in Monday's 4-2 win at Los Angeles. It was only his third game back after missing the previous 21 because of an injured wrist.

Brad May, who was traded from Colorado to Anaheim last Feb. 27, was sidelined because of a broken bone in his right foot. The injury occurred during Saturday's practice. This was the first game between the teams since that trade.

Notes: The Avalanche played back-to-back games against Anaheim and Los Angeles on the same road trip for the 11th time in franchise history - and have never won both games. ... Budaj has allowed just six goals on 122 shots on net during Colorado's last four games. ... McCormick's goal snapped a 22-game drought. ... Anaheim has not allowed a third-period goal over its last seven home games. ... The Ducks have scored no more than two goals in any of their last five games overall. ... Colorado D Karlis Skrastins, whose NHL-record playing streak for defensemen ended at 495 games the last time these teams met on Feb. 25, 2007, has played in only 19 of Colorado's first 34 games because of a shoulder injury.

underrated29

12-20-2007, 02:43 PM

how did scott do against george. Thats some muscle pounding it out right there.

Ive been sick so didnt even feel like watching last nights game. I also cant believe leapold is out again.wtf.

I am glad to hear that lappy's line is really bringing it. Its about time we had some guys who are willing to throw the body around a little.

Did i hear arnason is out for the year? Man i hope not, no one seems to like him much but he is one of my top 3 favs for the avs.

well we need a few nights rest, take it easy avs and shape up.

12-20-2007, 02:51 PM

I told you Budaj would come through. ;)

I got an excellent wallpaper of Budaj off of the Avs website. It's an amazing picture of him in net vs Sergei Zubov who was coming in on a shootout. Check out their wallpapers. Good stuff.

I'm glad we squeaked out a point. As of right now, we're in a three way tie with Vancouver and Minnesota for first with 40 points. We're tied for second place in the west with 19 wins (I think).

If I remember correctly, our next game is at home vs the Rangers, so that'll be another big time test of our team. I'm glad to see we're doing well on pretty much one solid line with Joe out. I know how much Q likes to change things up, but hopefully he keeps Stats, Hejduk, and Smyth together. Bruno, Wolski, and a C can hold down the second line until Super Joe comes back.

BroncoAV06

12-20-2007, 03:14 PM

pnbronco

12-20-2007, 11:26 PM

It was an even fight. Parker does not bring a lot to the line up but I just love him being in there for the fights instead of Lappy since Ian is important to the team offensivly and defensivly.

NHL has changed but still nice when you get to see the few heavy weights go at it. Parros was actually an Av for a little while last season and the Avs traded May and him for Parker.

Well not much you can do about stiches opening, just bad luck right there. I don't think Arny is out for the season, will check into that more. Arny is a solid player, he can score and brings the element to the thrid line. I was glad to see him back, you need guys like that these days.

Arny broke a wrist. They said last night that he had surgery, I think yesterday and would be out for at least a month. It didn't sound like it would be for the whole season. The fight between Parros and Scotty was fun, two big guys. Both Scotty and Parros are really nice guys, in fact they said Parros graduated from Princeton and is really smart. I think they did a good job with so many injuries and I'll take the point. They will play the Rangers tomorrow.

12-21-2007, 02:12 AM

BroncoAV06

12-21-2007, 10:40 AM

Looks like Smyth is going to be out for a while. He woke up Wednesday with a stiff neck and they're suspecting it to be a herniated disc in his neck. If that's the case, we need to get Joe healthy ASAP.

Symth is a hard worker and a player that this team lacked, ability to set up in front, win battles in the corners, and score. I just can't wait till the Avs get healthy. Stats and Hejduk are the go to guys now. Who steps up after them?

Stay in the race, every point matters, (we all know that from last year), get games to OT if possible.

The defense is really going to be big. With the offense missing key pieces a lot of heat will be on them. Example the Ducks game, Avs were on there heels all day and Budja faced a shooting gallery.

We will see. Go Avs!

Dec 21 Sakic (groin) did not practice as expected on Thursday and is getting no closer to returning, the Denver Post reports.

Recommendation: Perhaps more worrisome is the fact that Sakic hasn't been able to skate since Saturday as his groin injury has worsened. "He knew it wasn't right," head coach Joel Quenneville said Thursday. "We'll know when it's right when we put him back on the ice next time. That was his test (Saturday), to kind of give him a base line to figure out where he's at. But he's not ready to get out on the ice yet." We'll keep you posted but be prepared to be without Sakic for another week.

Happy Hollidays All.

Take care SR. :salute:

pnbronco

12-21-2007, 08:07 PM

Symth is a hard worker and a player that this team lacked, ability to set up in front, win battles in the corners, and score. I just can't wait till the Avs get healthy. Stats and Hejduk are the go to guys now. Who steps up after them?

Stay in the race, every point matters, (we all know that from last year), get games to OT if possible.

The defense is really going to be big. With the offense missing key pieces a lot of heat will be on them. Example the Ducks game, Avs were on there heels all day and Budja faced a shooting gallery.

We will see. Go Avs!

Happy Hollidays All.

Take care SR. :salute:

Dang Joe is no closer, uggg! I heard about Symth also, so I hope they can face the Rangers tonight. I'm sure the Rangers are not in a good mood with what the Wild did to them last night. So Go Avs!!!

Happy Holidays to all of you. Going to TX in the am for the holidays, cheer for me while I'm gone, later...

pnbronco

12-22-2007, 02:26 AM

Great game! I was yelling like a nut case. I was so proud of them. Hope they can keep it up.

12-22-2007, 02:31 AM

Man, to see a goal by Svatos with Hlinka and Hensik on the assists made me smile. I think both of those two players picking up the assists on that goal have big futures in our organization, especially Hensik.

Good win tonight. Budaj is playing some great hockey and keeping us in games that I think we would have lost if Theodore had been in net.

BroncoAV06

12-22-2007, 02:07 PM

Hensick is getting some good experience this year. They also had the rookie Jones up who the organization likes. Good game last night. You could really feel the energy from the Pepsi Center through the TV.

It was great my girlfrined screamed when Wolski put in the OT winner, brought a tear to my eye to see I have created a new hockey fan, an Avs one I might add!

Hlinka is 31 and good to see the vetren/first year in the NHL guy playing well. It is big to have someone that will not get rattled and is playing so well with the young guys with all the injuries we have had.

Vancuver Sunday, followed by the Wings! Interesting week, don't like either team, but the Wings again are having a great year. Need to continue to play hard, take advantage of the PP, etc.

12-22-2007, 02:17 PM

Yep, two tough games this week, really tough.

Congrats on transforming your girl in to an Avs fan.

I had my wife transformed in to a Broncos fan, so hopefully she continues that so that my son grows up rooting for the right team.

It would be great to have people ask him why he likes the Avs and Broncos since he was born in Texas and lived in Arizona only for him to answer "because my daddy likes them"

BroncoAV06

12-23-2007, 10:16 PM

Ahhh, 3-1 Avs in the 3rd. PP goal by AB! McCormick with the 2nd and Svatos with the 1st. Tighten up on defense and continue to but pressure on the Nucks, don't sit back and let Vancuver get shots. Avs playing well. 6 min left in the 3rd see if they can knock of the Nucks!

12-24-2007, 04:05 AM

Excellent win against a tired Canucks team last night. We haven't lost in regulation in our past six games. Gotta love my guy Peter Budaj. That rhymes.

BroncoAV06

12-27-2007, 10:27 PM

DENVER -- Joe Sakic will undergo hernia surgery Friday, and the Colorado Avalanche captain will be out of action for up to three months.

Sakic has been out since Nov. 30, missing 12 games. The operation will keep the 38-year-old center sidelined for eight to 12 weeks.

"Joe's rehabilitation has not progressed as anticipated and upon further evaluation the decision has been made to perform surgery in order for him to fully recover," Avalanche team physician Andy Parker said Thursday in a statement released by the club.

Before sitting out against San Jose on Nov. 30, Sakic, who has seven goals and 15 assists in 24 games this season, had played in 232 consecutive games -- dating to Jan. 6, 2004.

"After consulting with the doctors we believe this procedure will enable me to return to the lineup," Sakic said in a statement.

Sakic, in his 19th NHL season, ranks eighth on the league's career points list with 1,611. He is 11th in assists (994) and 14th in goals (617).

Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press

Get well soon Super Joe! Stats, Symth, Hejduk, all going to have to step up that much more into the leader roles!

3-2 Wings up in the 2nd! Go Avs!

12-28-2007, 02:08 AM

Avs lost 4-2 and Joe is having surgery that will sideline him 2-3 months. Hopefully everyone can get their stuff together

Broncolingus

12-28-2007, 03:32 AM

Avs lost 4-2 and Joe is having surgery that will sideline him 2-3 months. Hopefully everyone can get their stuff together

Just hang around until the last month or so of the season and get strong into the playoffs...

12-28-2007, 04:09 AM

The northwest division is interesting. Right now Vancouver is in first with 46 points, then Colorado and Minny with 44, and Calgary with 41 (I think). Going to be very interesting come the last month of the season.

Timmy!

12-28-2007, 04:25 AM

Gooooooo Avs!

pnbronco

12-30-2007, 12:42 AM

Well darn, the Av's lose and the Wild won in OT. I hope they can bounce back with Phoenix, go Av's......

12-30-2007, 02:13 AM

We were bound to come down to Earth again sometime after not losing in regulation for six or seven games. I think that long Christmas break killed our momentum, but hopefully we can get a good rebound game in against a mediocre Phoenix team.

pnbronco

12-31-2007, 12:06 AM

12-31-2007, 02:19 AM

So with Joe being out so long, a friend of mine said that the Avs would go after someone else. So has anyone heard anything like this? Also what happens to Joe's salary? Does it count against the cap? I looked on the Avs site but could not find anything. Thanks for any info and hope they play hard against Phoenix.

No, they won't go after anyone. Sakic's surgery was successful and after his 6-10 week rehab he should be back. It would make zero sense to go after a center because we'd have to get a top six center to fill Sakic's void. Super Joe has a couple years left in him, so it would be a bad move to bring anyone else in. The only player you might see Colorado go after is another top four defenseman. Right now our defense is pretty porous, from what I read.

Sakic being injured has no bearing on our salary cap and he still gets paid.

12-31-2007, 02:32 AM

Pretty good article by Kiszla...don't say that often.

http://www.denverpost.com/avalanche/ci_7839111

pnbronco

12-31-2007, 07:17 PM

No, they won't go after anyone. Sakic's surgery was successful and after his 6-10 week rehab he should be back. It would make zero sense to go after a center because we'd have to get a top six center to fill Sakic's void. Super Joe has a couple years left in him, so it would be a bad move to bring anyone else in. The only player you might see Colorado go after is another top four defenseman. Right now our defense is pretty porous, from what I read.

Sakic being injured has no bearing on our salary cap and he still gets paid.

Thanks for the info SR. I was reading on the Avs message board and I could not believe all the people that were acting like Sakic was done. He is such a hard worker I think he will be back also. I always wondered how the cap works. Have a safe and Happy New Year. :beer:

01-01-2008, 09:35 AM

Thanks for the info SR. I was reading on the Avs message board and I could not believe all the people that were acting like Sakic was done. He is such a hard worker I think he will be back also. I always wondered how the cap works. Have a safe and Happy New Year. :beer:

The Avs message board sucks. I registered there during the summer of '06 and couldn't take it. There are so many idiots on that message board that it just drove me away. Sakic isn't done. He just had a hernia. It isn't like he blew out his knee. Hernias are common in men his age.

The NHL salary cap is a mess. If you want to read more about it, go over to nhl.com and read about it.

pnbronco

01-01-2008, 12:30 PM

01-01-2008, 12:36 PM

I just read in the paper that Symth needed help from two teammates to get from his locker stall to another room, a bad ankle injury. He is getting a doctor's prognosis today, and it doesn't look good. He doesn't know how he got hurt and it highly doubtful he'll play on Weds. I hope the young ones can pick up the slack.

What a strange game last night. They great in the first, bad in the second and came back in the 3rd. Then Wolski beat Bryzgalov in the shoot out but the puck took a weird hop on him and slid off. I think if effected Savatos mind set. Well at least we got a point.

He probably got hit in the ankle with a puck or something. It's pretty hard for a hockey player to get ankle injuries without the puck or the stick being involved. The boot of a skate is pretty damn stiff all the way up, so unless he some how managed to tear his achilles tendon or took a shot to the foot/ankle, I don't see how else he could have gotten hurt.

Smyth hurts his neck, but he doesn't know how. Comes back and plays. Hurts his foot/ankle some how, but doesn't know how. It's turning in to a pattern.

BroncoAV06

01-01-2008, 02:43 PM

I just read in the paper that Symth needed help from two teammates to get from his locker stall to another room, a bad ankle injury. He is getting a doctor's prognosis today, and it doesn't look good. He doesn't know how he got hurt and it highly doubtful he'll play on Weds. I hope the young ones can pick up the slack.

What a strange game last night. They great in the first, bad in the second and came back in the 3rd. Then Wolski beat Bryzgalov in the shoot out but the puck took a weird hop on him and slid off. I think if effected Savatos mind set. Well at least we got a point.

I don't know how that would affect Svatos, Illy just made a good save on Svats. Was a weird game but the Avs were able to pick up another point and not come away empty. I love the way Guite, McCormick, Lappy, and McCloed are playing.

pnbronco

01-01-2008, 03:43 PM

I don't know how that would affect Svatos, Illy just made a good save on Svats. Was a weird game but the Avs were able to pick up another point and not come away empty. I love the way Guite, McCormick, Lappy, and McCloed are playing.

Wasn't that pass from Guite to McCloed really cool? McCloed has such great facial expressions when he scores and I'm really happy things are going well for Guite.

Thnikkaman

01-03-2008, 03:40 PM

Go Avalanche

Broncolingus

01-03-2008, 03:43 PM

I was not happy with the loss last night...Avs looked flat.

Also, I was hoping Dallas - for the first time ever - could do something worthwhile and slow down the Red Wings...

But no...they got their a$$es handed to them too...

pnbronco

01-04-2008, 12:38 AM

The Colorado Avalanche Hockey Club announced today that further medical evaluation on the injured right ankle of forward Ryan Smyth revealed a fracture and that he would be out approximately eight weeks.

So what's going on in South Denver? The injury bug has gone from the Broncos to the Avs.:tsk:

01-04-2008, 01:51 AM

This is a good thing and a bad thing. The bad is obvious, Ryan Smyth and Joe Sakic are out. The good, TJ Hensik gets to play. :D

pnbronco

01-04-2008, 11:29 AM

This is a good thing and a bad thing. The bad is obvious, Ryan Smyth and Joe Sakic are out. The good, TJ Hensik gets to play. :D

So tell me about Hensik. I really don't know anything about him. Nice avatar.

BroncoAV06

01-05-2008, 06:32 PM

See what happens. Avs are going to need to find scoring, hope Stats can explode again, will be a struggle but they just have to keep the division in reach, get points every chance they can, hope the Budja can build and become a solid threat to hold teams to 1-2 goals but then that goes to the defense which has been suspect at times and Hannan, Leo, Liles, Skrats, Finger, Cumminsky are all going to have to buckle down and do their jobs along with every other plaryer on the Avalanche just exicute and play hard.

Going to have to do a better job on PP, when they get a shot to score they are going to have to take better advantage of it.

DENVER -- Colorado Avalanche forward Ryan Smyth has a broken right ankle and will miss up to eight weeks, the latest blow to a team that has already lost captain Joe Sakic to injury.

Smyth was hurt during Colorado's 4-3 overtime loss at Phoenix on Monday. The club said Thursday the fracture was discovered during a follow-up MRI.

Smyth has 28 points, third-best on the team, with 11 goals and 17 assists in 36 games.

Head trainer Matthew Sokolowski said Smyth is expected to make a full recovery.

Sakic, who underwent successful hernia surgery Dec. 28, is expected to be out eight to 12 weeks.

Defenseman Kurt Sauer (neck) and center Tyler Arnason (wrist) are also on injured reserve. Arnason is expected to join the Avalanche on their upcoming five-game road trip.

"Arnie has been skating and progressing well," Avalanche coach Joel Quenneville said before Wednesday's 5-2 loss to Phoenix.

Colorado recently recalled rookie T.J. Hensick from AHL Lake Erie to add some offensive punch. It's his second stint with the Avalanche this season. He has one goal and two assists in 12 games with Colorado.

"I'm glad to be back," Hensick said. "If I play at a consistent level, I can play in this league."

Quenneville is hoping Hensick can ease the loss of Smyth.

"He's a guy who can help us," Quenneville said.

The Avalanche are in the midst of a four-game losing streak, including three at home. The team had been virtually unbeatable at Pepsi Center earlier in the season.

Colorado forward Ian Laperriere said Wednesday it will be a challenge to make up for the losses of Smyth and Sakic.

"You need more than one [person] to step up to fill the void," Laperriere said. "It takes a team effort."Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press

Thats good news right there. Arny has potential to have big games when he gets skating well and shots on goal.

pnbronco

01-05-2008, 11:16 PM

Is anyone watching the Avs game? Clark is really playing well. I thought they would really struggle They just said Arnie would go on the trip and probably place, I didn't realize that he was that far along. Go Avs!!

BroncoAV06

01-05-2008, 11:19 PM

I am at work. Not a good penlty this late by Lappy, a point would be huge for us (got realtime on).

They have solid d-men but at times just struggle as a unit.

How are the lines shaping up? Whats Q up to tonight?

Got 1 point for sure and killed the penelty, 1 more point still up for grabs guys!

BroncoAV06

01-05-2008, 11:26 PM

Ohhhh Avs Win in OT 2-1, wish I could of been at home to watch it!

Great way to respond as a team knowing you lost another player for at least 2 months!

Svats has been a man on fire. Hes got the talent has showed it and is stepping up now!

Thnikkaman

01-05-2008, 11:35 PM

I wish I could watch Avs games again. F#$KIN Iowa

01-06-2008, 01:30 AM

I wish I could watch Avs games again. F#$KIN Iowa

Yeah! F***ing Qatar!

Good win last night...we need the points. Now we're 3 points behind Vancouver for first.

BroncoAV06

01-06-2008, 01:55 AM

Love the new adopted Bronco SR!

01-06-2008, 02:00 AM

Love the new adopted Bronco SR!

I had Budaj up there for a while, but once Smyth went down and I read that Hensik was getting another shot, I had a change of heart. That kid could be really good.

pnbronco

01-06-2008, 12:27 PM

So there's 4 of us now, cool. The Avs are coming us with a really tough road trip so I hope they can carry last nights game on the road with them. I was really impressed with Clark, he played some serious defense. I was freaked with Lappy penalty, it was total accident, but they killed it and WON!!

Will be traveling with my business most of next week. So BroncoAv6 could you please post what's going on? Thanks, everyone have a safe and good week..

BroncoAV06

01-08-2008, 01:53 PM

Just a heads up the game is on Verses tonight, Avs at Redwings. Puck drops 5:30 MST

Their losing streak is over, but the Colorado Avalanche are still trying to break out of an offensive slump.

The Avalanche look to generate more scoring when they face the Detroit Red Wings, the NHL's best defensive team, at Joe Louis Arena on Tuesday.

Colorado (22-16-3) ended a four-game skid Saturday, beating the New York Islanders 2-1 in overtime. The Avs, though, failed to score more than twice for the fourth time in five games and fell to 0-for-16 on the power play over their last five contests.

"It's a tough stretch without scoring," coach Joel Quenneville said. "Finishing has been the tough part."

Breaking out of that funk against the league-leading Red Wings (32-8-3) won't be easy. Detroit's 2.02 goals allowed per game is the lowest mark in the NHL, and the Wings rank among the league leaders in penalty killing with an 86.4 percentage.

The Red Wings have killed off 25 straight power-play chances over seven games.

The Avalanche's offensive woes are due in part to the absence of captain Joe Sakic, who had hernia surgery and hasn't played since Nov. 30, and forward Ryan Smyth, who hasn't played since Monday because of a fractured right ankle.

In addition, Paul Stastny, who leads the team with 44 points, has just three assists in his last eight games. Linemate Milan Hejduk hasn't recorded a point in six games and Andrew Brunette has gone five games without a goal.

Still, the Avalanche enter this game with some momentum following Saturday's win, which helped them avoid their first five-game losing streak in nearly 10 years. Marek Svatos, who leads the team with 16 goals, scored the winner and has six goals in his last seven games.

"Every game, I play a lot and I am getting lots of opportunities," Svatos said. "So, my confidence is going up."

Colorado's 47 points halfway through the season are its most since it had 53 in 2003-04.

The Avalanche ended a four-game losing streak in Detroit in their last game there, a 4-3 overtime victory March 4. Colorado, however, is 3-9-2 in it last 14 games overall against the Red Wings.

Detroit has won three straight and seven of eight, including Sunday's 3-1 win in Chicago. Henrik Zetterberg, Dan Cleary and Mikael Samuelsson scored in the first period for the Red Wings, who have recorded at least three goals in all but two of their 32 wins.

"I thought we played a good game," coach Mike Babcock said. "We drove the net real hard in the first period and had some chances."

Zetterberg, who played his third game after missing five due to a back injury, has a point in each of his last eight games (five goals, eight assists).

"We played well in our own zone and picked off a lot of their passes in the slot. That might have been the key to the game," said Detroit's Chris Osgood, who made 19 saves and leads the league with a 1.68 goals-against average.

Along with the best overall record, Detroit owns the best home mark in the NHL at 17-3-1.

BroncoAV06

01-09-2008, 09:22 PM

Jose has played great the last 3 games. 2nd goal by the Cpas was a fluke. Svats just put a goal for the Avs.

2-1 with 3 mins left in the 3rd. The Avs could not buy a goal before Svats just put that one in. See how it turns out.

Well game over, Caps win 2-1. The Avalanche should be dead last in PP percentage after this game. They just can not getanything going, shots are not getting through and the puck stays in the corners to long.

Goaltending and defense have been great like I said above, that is the reason the Avs have been in these last few games. Overall the offense is slumping hardcore. I agree with Brian Englomn (spl?) said that the Avs just have to put pucks on the net, no matter what just get some shots! They have been controlling the puck but it has been stuck in the corners and not getting to the net.

Stats has become Mr. Invisable. Its tough for the 2nd year player who has become the #1 Center due to Sakic's injury. He now is going up against the other teams top 5 players and is being shut down. Should be a good learning experiance for the kid, should now know that he still has a lot of work to do to be the go to guy.

01-10-2008, 01:44 AM

Avs are hurting right now without Super Joe and Smyth. People are keying in on Stats. He hasn't had a point in something like 6 or 7 games.

pnbronco

01-10-2008, 09:37 PM

Thanks BAv for posting the game. I was driving down to Tucson and the game would cut in a little here and there, but could not really follow most of it. Will be here till Sunday, so keep them coming. Yell for me too....

Watchthemiddle

01-10-2008, 09:41 PM

Congrats to Stastny on making the all star game!! :beer:

http://www.denverpost.com/avalanche/ci_7933261

pnbronco

01-11-2008, 11:30 PM

Congrats to Stastny on making the all star game!! :beer:

http://www.denverpost.com/avalanche/ci_7933261

A big Congrats to Stastny!! I just looked at the standing, ug, we have fallen to the 9th place. So add salt to the wound the Wings, 70 point, double ugg. So go Avs!!!

BroncoAV06

01-12-2008, 10:06 PM

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) -Marek Svatos capped a third-period rally with two goals in about 2 minutes, and the Colorado Avalanche rallied three times from two-goal deficits to beat the Carolina Hurricanes 5-4 on Saturday night.

The late goals game Svatos nine goals in his past 10 games and helped the Avalanche stop a two-game losing streak. Paul Stastny, Milan Hejduk and Cody McLeod also scored, and McLeod got his first career NHL assist for Colorado.

Erik Cole, Keith Aucoin, Chad LaRose and Cory Stillman scored for the short-handed Hurricanes in their second loss in a row at home. They have only two victories in their past eight games.

Associated Press

Wow I kind of stopped following the game here at work when it was 5-1 Carolina! What a third period that must have been! Svatos is playing great and it is good to see Stats and Milan getting back on the score sheet. 2 points makes me a happy guy!

01-13-2008, 01:48 AM

BroncoAV06

01-13-2008, 02:47 PM

It was never 5-1 Carolina. They were up 4-2 at the start of the third period and McLeod scored, then Svats scored twice and won the game. Dude has 19 goals but still less than 30 points. LOL!

I was definitely happy to see Milan and Stats get on the score sheet. They were both hurting and getting them in the score sheet more often is imperative for the next six weeks until Super Joe and Ryan Smyth get back.

Svats is a goal scorer, still crazy to see him with only 2 ast. Meant 4-1. Quick turn around, play the Pantheres this afternoon. Really don't know what to expect from the Panthers, I know they got better up front and have solid goaltending. See what the energy level is like early for the Avs.

BroncoAV06

01-13-2008, 10:28 PM

Avs win in Shootout 4-3 in Florida.

It was an even game from the start. Some bad blood early as Horton and Finger got double roughing minors just 2 mins into the game. AB scored the first goal, he drove to the front of the net, put the puck on Vokuns pad and but the rebound in right by his leg. Florida put one in later in the period to tie it up. 1st period was full of penalties both ways as there was 40 mins combined of players in the box. Can not say enough of how even this game was. 2nd period the Avs scored on the PP, Panthers tied it up, 3rd Svats puts one home, Panthers come right back and tie it up. It got a little scary in the third period, Jose came out to about 10 ft in front of the blue line to play a puck, it bounced left and a Panther fired it in on goal as Jose was coming back and it just went wide of the open net, then Jose got caught behind the net a min later and Weiss missed an open net from the side as the puck found him.

OT was even a few chances back and fourth. Shootout, Jose stoped all three shooters he faced, Vokun stoped, Svats and Wolski, Milan put home the winning shot just above Vokuns left pad bottome corner of the net.

AB first star in my book, 2 hard fought goals.
Box Score:
http://www.nhl.com/nhl/app?service=page&page=Boxscore&gameNumber=667&season=20072008&gameType=2

Avs looked fine for an afternoon game after a night game. Energy level was fine. They finish up their 5 game road trip of the Southwest division with Tampa on Tue. Won 2 in a row after droping the first 2 against the Wings and Caps.

01-14-2008, 01:45 AM

The game against Tampa is going to be tough. Lecavalier is playing like a madman this year. St Louis is always a threat.

Medford Bronco

01-14-2008, 09:01 AM

The game against Tampa is going to be tough. Lecavalier is playing like a madman this year. St Louis is always a threat.

The Lightning are so putrid defensivley that the Avs should handle them
the last two good wins for you guys should help

good luck vs Tampa, Any help Med can get is good for my sucky Canes:laugh:

01-14-2008, 09:02 AM

The Canes are also so putrid that the Avs handled them. I've been waiting for your Med.

Medford Bronco

01-14-2008, 09:28 AM

The Canes are also so putrid that the Avs handled them. I've been waiting for your Med.

yes the whole SE divsion sucks. :laugh:

we should forfeit our playoff spot as one is not deserved by any of those teams

pnbronco

01-15-2008, 10:01 AM

BA, thank you so much. I got sick on Sat, nothing is worse than being sick away from home, so I was either sleeping or working and had no idea what had happened. Got home late last night so I can watch the game tonight. So I'm hoping for a good game tonight and 2 more points, thanks again...

BroncoAV06

01-16-2008, 09:48 AM

http://www.nhl.com/nhl/app?service=page&page=Recap&gameNumber=679&season=20072008&gameType=2

Link to the re-cap and highlights, all that good stuff. I was unable to see the game. 2 PP goals, first time the Avs had scored more then once on the PP on the road this season. Good way to finish off the 5 game road trip with 3 wins in a row. Avs start a 5 game home stand Friday against the Blackhawks. CLB, NSH, MIN, and CHI again round out the 5 game home stand.

Medford Bronco

01-16-2008, 11:00 AM

BroncoAV06

01-17-2008, 07:13 PM

DENVER (AP) -Colorado Avalanche center Paul Stastny had surgery to remove his appendix Thursday and will miss up to three weeks, including his first All-Star game on Jan. 27.

Stastny, the team's leading scorer, felt pain in his abdomen Thursday, and the team's medical staff determined he needed the appendectomy, trainer Matthew Sokolowski said.

Sokolowski said Stastny is expected to fully recover in two to three weeks.

Stastny would have been the seventh NHL player to follow his father in an All-Star game.

Stastny has never before missed an NHL game, appearing in all 82 during his rookie season and 46 this season.

He has 17 goals and 32 assists on the season.

The Avalanche recalled center T.J. Hensick from Lake Erie of the American Hockey League.

Avs can not catch a break. Sad that Stats has to miss his first All-Star game. At least it came at a point where there will be a few days off for the All-Star break. Just keep on keeping on, thats all the Avs can do at this point.

pnbronco

01-17-2008, 08:22 PM

Avs can not catch a break. Sad that Stats has to miss his first All-Star game. At least it came at a point where there will be a few days off for the All-Star break. Just keep on keeping on, thats all the Avs can do at this point.

I can not believe it. At least they were home when it happened. Well SR will be happy Hensick is back. They played really well at the end of the road trip, hope they can keep it up till the break, come on Joe, get better sooon....

01-18-2008, 04:05 AM

I can not believe it. At least they were home when it happened. Well SR will be happy Hensick is back. They played really well at the end of the road trip, hope they can keep it up till the break, come on Joe, get better sooon....

Since it's at the expense of Stats being healthy, I'm not too happy about it. Tough year so far for the Avs and we're still only three points out of first place. Quite the testament to the depth we have.

BroncoAV06

01-20-2008, 08:50 PM

Farm Report:
After dropping a 3-1 decision to the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins on Wednesday (Jan. 9), the Monsters bounced back in a big way by topping the Philadelphia Phantoms, 5-1, on Friday evening. A total of 11 Lake Erie players recorded points in the contest, with Brad Richardson (1g/2a) and David Jones (1g/1a) leading the way. Netminder Tyler Weiman stopped 31-of-32 shots to earn his sixth victory of the season.

The Monsters again had 11 players record points in Saturday’s 6-4 loss to the Hershey Bears. Jeff Jillson tallied three assists, while Richardson (1g/1a), Jones (1g/1a) and T.J. Hensick (2a) each had multi-point efforts.

Lake Erie wraps up a four-game road swing on Friday against Syracuse.

NCAA
-University of Michigan goaltender Billy Sauer’s shutout streak ended at 206 minutes, 14 seconds, during the Wolverines’ 6-1 win over Western Michigan University on Friday. Michigan also took Saturday’s rematch by a 5-1 count, improving Sauer’s record to 18-2-0. The junior leads the nation with a .900 winning percentage and ranks fifth in goals-against average (1.72).

-Miami (Ohio) University junior Justin Mercier notched the game-winning power-play tally – his 17th goal of the season – in the RedHawks’ 6-3 victory over the University of Nebraska-Omaha on Friday and followed up with an assist on Saturday night. Mercier is tied for seventh in the nation in goals-per-game (0.71).

-Boston University freshman Kevin Shattenkirk registered his second multi-point game of the season in Saturday’s 3-1 victory over the University of Maine. The defenseman assisted on a first-period goal, while his tally in the second frame proved to be the game-winning marker.

-University of Minnesota sophomore Mike Carman recorded an assist Saturday in his second contest of the season, a 4-4 tie with St. Cloud State University.

OHL
-Nigel Williams recorded his second consecutive multi-point game on Thursday in Belleville’s 5-1 win over the Barrie Colts.

-Peterborough Petes goaltender Trevor Cann stopped 32-of-33 shots en route to his 13th victory of the season on Saturday against the Kingston Frontenacs.

USHL
-Indiana Ice forward Paul Carey has been selected to the East Division roster for the 2008 USHL Prospects/All-Star Game, to be held Jan. 29, 2008, at the Resch Center in Green Bay, Wis. Carey is currently tied for sixth in the league with 35 points (20g/15a) and leads the USHL with 11 power-play goals.

pnbronco

01-20-2008, 10:32 PM

Well the Avs played solid tonight. I was really proud of them. For one day they get to 1st in the Division. What a wild season. A couple of weeks ago they were 9th and then go to 3rd for the day.

01-21-2008, 01:42 AM

Hell, they went from 8th place before the game started to 3rd place after the game was over. As long as we can keep playing solid D and getting solid play in net from Jose (who, as much as I don't like him, I'm proud of him that he seems to have rebounded) we should be alright. It's nice to see our young guys like Hensick, Hlinka, Jones, and Svats pitching in. I wish Wolski would pull his head out. Either way, good for the Avs. Hopefully we can at least hang in the wild card slot until Joe, Ryan, and Stats come back.

And, for the record, I do believe earlier in the year I said something about the Jackets going from good to their normal bad by the time the year was up. Looks like I was right there.

BroncoAV06

01-25-2008, 02:44 PM

56 pts at the All-Star break, 3 points behind the Wild for 1st place. Team has been playing hard dispite all the injuries. Can not wait untill I can finally see another game. 2nd half should be interesting, division looks again to come down to the very last day.

01-26-2008, 01:46 AM

We should have Stats back in about 10 days or so.

BroncoAV06

01-29-2008, 01:53 PM

John-Michael Liles, Colorado Avalanche (unrestricted free agent)
Liles has a lot of upside as a puck-moving defenseman, but it appears the Avs won't be looking to re-sign him, so he'll likely be on the move. Liles might be the kind of defenseman who could help a team like Chicago over the long term if they thought they could lock him up.

Liles looks to be gone! Hope that if a deal is made it is just not for a aging forward that will only play till the end of this season.

Rob Blake, Los Angeles Kings (unrestricted free agent)
The big veteran has a no-trade clause but is believed to be willing to waive it under the right circumstances. He was hoping to be part of a renaissance in Los Angeles, but the Kings are among the NHL's worst teams. So Blake might be happy to give it one more go somewhere else. If Colorado moves defenseman John-Michael Liles, Blake could return to Colorado, where he won a Cup in 2001. The New York Rangers will also be interested in shoring up their blue line.

Avs are mentioned alot in forward talk. It looks like not if just when a trade will go down. Liles will definitly be a nice chip to throw in on a deal for a forward. I like Liles but it looks like Cumminsky could eventually be the puck mover on the blue line and another scorer would be welcomed to the mile high city.

Farm Reprot:

The Lake Erie Monsters had a record-setting night on Saturday (Jan. 26) in a 7-2 victory over the Rochester Americans. The Monsters set franchise records for most goals in a game, largest margin of victory, goals in a period (5) and most combined points (19) by the most players to record a point (13) in the team’s history.

Chris Stewart (2g/1a) and T.J. Hensick (1g/2a) led the way with three-point performances, while Michael Wall stopped 25-of-27 shots to earn the victory.

Chris Stewart notched three points during a record-setting night for Lake Erie
The Monsters also topped the Americans by a 4-3 count in a shootout the previous night after rallying back from a 3-0 first-period deficit. Stewart and newcomer Philippe Dupuis notched a goal and an assist apiece and Tyler Weiman made 25 stops.

Lake Erie totaled a pair of points in its two contests earlier in the week, dropping a 2-1 overtime decision to Syracuse on Tuesday and losing by a 3-2 score in a shootout against Hamilton on Wednesday.

Wyatt Smith scored Lake Erie’s lone goal against Syracuse, while Jeff Friesen and David Jones had a goal each for the Monsters against Hamilton.

Next up, the Monsters will host the San Antonio Rampage in a two-game series on Thursday (Jan. 31) and Friday (Feb. 1).

NCAA
-University of Michigan goaltender Billy Sauer put up a pair of solid performances over the weekend, but the Wolverines came away with only one point against arch-rival Michigan State University. Sauer stopped 27-of-28 shots on Friday in Michigan’s 1-0 loss and followed it up with a 32-save performance in a 2-2 tie during the rematch on Saturday. Sauer ranks first nationally in save percentage (.937) and second in goals-against average (1.68).

-Miami (Ohio) University’s Justin Mercier notched a goal on both Friday and Saturday in the RedHawks’ weekend sweep of the University of Alaska, giving him 20 tallies on the season. Mercier, who ranks sixth in the nation in goals-per-game (0.71), joined teammate Ryan Jones and Michigan’s Kevin Porter as the only 20-goal scorers in the nation.

-Boston University freshman and Colorado’s 2007 first-round selection Kevin Shattenkirk totaled three assists over the weekend against the University of New Hampshire. Shattenkirk’s 12 points (3g/9a) ranks second among Terrier defensemen. Fellow freshman Colby Cohen chipped in with an assist on Saturday to move his season total to eight points (1g/7a).

-University of Minnesota sophomore Mike Carman scored his second goal of the season in the Gophers’ 2-2 tie with the University of Wisconsin on Saturday. Gopher captain Derek Peltier added his 10th assist of the season in the contest.

OHL
-Nigel Williams recorded his ninth goal of the season – and fourth since being traded to Belleville – in the Bulls’ 5-4 win over the Oshawa Generals on Wednesday. Through 47 games, the defenseman has totaled 33 points (9g/24a).

WHL
-T.J. Galiardi notched two goals on Friday in Calgary’s 6-0 win over the Portland Winter Hawks and added another tally in Sunday’s 9-2 victory over the Brandon Wheat Kings. Galiardi ranks second among WHL rookies with 47 points (13g/34a) through 52 games while carrying a +20 rating.

CHL
-Ian Keserich has been strong in net since joining the Mississippi RiverKings earlier this month. In three games with his new team, Keserich has posted a 3-0 record with a 1.33 goals-against average and a .955 save percentage.

USHL
-Paul Carey had a pair of assists on Friday as the Indiana Ice topped the Des Moines Buccaneers by a 5-4 count. Carey ranks third on Indiana’s scoring chart with 39 points (20g/19a) in 36 games. He will participate in the USHL Prospects/All-Star Game on Tuesday (Jan. 29th) in Green Bay, Wis.

-Cedar Rapids netminder Kent Patterson led his squad to a 4-1 win over Sioux City on Friday by stopping 28-of-29 shots. With the victory, Patterson improved his record to 4-2 with a 2.88 goals-against average.

pnbronco

01-29-2008, 02:02 PM

Liles looks to be gone! Hope that if a deal is made it is just not for a aging forward that will only play till the end of this season.

Avs are mentioned alot in forward talk. It looks like not if just when a trade will go down. Liles will definitly be a nice chip to throw in on a deal for a forward. I like Liles but it looks like Cumminsky could eventually be the puck mover on the blue line and another scorer would be welcomed to the mile high city.

So are they thinking about trading Liles soon? I have a stick of his, so I had better run down there sooner than later...

BroncoAV06

02-01-2008, 02:39 PM

DENVER -- Jose Theodore's wildly erratic goaltending stint with the Colorado Avalanche has taken another turn.

This time, it's about his aching back.

Theodore has started 11 consecutive games for a team now without Joe Sakic, Ryan Smyth and Paul Stastny in the lineup, and his play has helped keep Colorado in the Western Conference playoff race. During the stretch, he has a 6-4-1 record, a 1.94 goals-against average and a .930 save percentage.

Before suffering back spasms during Wednesday's game, Jose Theodore was 6-4-1 over 11 straight starts for the Avalanche.

It all has led to very tentative speculation that he might be on the verge of salvaging his reputation and landing another big-money contract.

But he left the Avalanche's victory over the Chicago Blackhawks on Wednesday night after two periods with back spasms, and on Thursday, he didn't make the trip to Detroit, where Colorado renews its rivalry with the Red Wings on Friday night before moving on to St. Louis for a Saturday night game.

The Avalanche said in the afternoon that the tests revealed no other major problems, and that he will receive treatment for a minor muscle flareup.

For at least the weekend, though, the Avalanche will go back to Peter Budaj, who had a strong stretch run a season ago while Colorado put together a 15-2-2 streak -- as Theodore watched from the bench.

Maybe none of this should be surprising, because the story of Theodore's stay with Colorado can be summarized with a series of phrases that begin: Just when you think ...

Just when you think it's safe (or advisable) to write off Theodore ...

He rallies.

Just when you think it's time to say he's got his groove back ...

He falters.

That's not all that dissimilar to the pattern of his tenure with the Canadiens, but now he's a 31-year-old goalie trying to save his career.

The guy has more goaltending lives than Felix "The Cat" Potvin.

During his tenure in Colorado alone, which began in March 2006, Theodore -- justifiably at times -- has been derided as washed-up and embarrassingly ineffective. The sort of goalie who brings winces from teammates, coaches and fans after another in a series of soft goals.

But of late, he seems to have rediscovered his ability to make that uncanny side-to-side save and anticipate plays. He also has ceased leaving the juiciest of rebounds.

Is he all the way back?

He shrugs off all questions of that ilk, saying he'll leave those evaluations up to others.

"Since I got here, everybody's been entitled to their opinion," Theodore said. "For myself, it's just being prepared every game and getting points. The rest, I'm going to let the people decide what they think."

Handling goalies never has been Quenneville's strength. At times he has treated Theodore like the 2002 Hart Trophy winner, on other occasions Quenneville's treated his netminder like he was the infamously inept Hardy Astrom, Quenneville's one-time Colorado Rockies teammate. Although Theodore certainly hasn't earned his coach's complete embrace, that one-end-of-the-spectrum-or-the-other approach surely hasn't helped.

After Budaj held down the No. 1 job down the stretch last season, it seemed likely Colorado would buy out the final season of Theodore's $16 million, three-year deal. Ultimately, the Avalanche decided to bring him back. General manager Francois Giguere's public reasoning was that Theodore was still capable of recapturing the magic and had earned the respect of everyone in the organization, including his teammates, because he continued to work hard and wasn't a grousing distraction while Budaj got all the work.

It also reflected an organizational view that the Avalanche might as well ride out the final season of his deal, and perhaps hope for lightning in a bottle while assuming Theodore could at least be a competent (if overpriced) backup to Budaj. It even got beyond the point of the Avalanche being afraid to admit a mistake in acquiring him for David Aebischer.

Aebischer's subsequent struggles with Montreal and Phoenix made unlikely that the Avalanche would be embarrassed for putting so much faith in Theodore. The issue became whether his cap figure ($5.3 million annually) and unreliability simply meant he had been an overrated investment.

It wasn't even out of line to argue that either Jarome Iginla or Patrick Roy would have been a more justified choice for the 2002 Hart; that Theodore had been overrated all along; and that the downsized equipment especially hurt the slight Theodore.

After all these false starts, it would be unwise to get too carried away while evaluating the current state of Theodore's game. Even if Theodore's back problem is only a temporary blip and he returns to the net, this all could change overnight -- both because of Quenneville's short leash and Theodore's up-and-down play. But it is absolutely true that with Sakic (hernia surgery), Smyth (broken ankle), and Stastny (appendectomy), all out, Colorado has needed a goalie to step up, and Theodore has.

"I think we're comfortable and confident in both Jose and Peter, but this is the first time in a while where Jose has had a chance to play consecutively," Quenneville said. "I just think you can see how he wants the net, how he's moving, how he's handling the puck. I just think that he is eager to grab the challenge of playing regularly."

Veteran winger Ian Laperriere said, "You don't get what he has, trophy-wise, being a guy without any character. Even with the year he had last year, people kept confidence in him, kept believing in him because of what he had done in the past. And right now, he's playing the best I've seen him play."

Colorado winger Andrew Brunette said Theodore's continuing hard work in practice helped keep his teammates from writing him off.

"I found him hard to score on because he's there before the puck gets there," Brunette said. "In practice, you'd get that feeling that he's still pretty good. I don't think we've ever lost confidence in him, but it was one of those things where Peter ran with the ball when he had it and it was tough to get it away from him."

Laperriere called Theodore's attitude "unbelievable. We all want to play, especially goalies, because if one is playing, the other isn't. He was so good. He worked with Peter, he wanted Peter to do good, and I think that's part of the reason. When you're nice to people, I'm a firm believer that it comes right back to you. He went out of his way to help Peter and be positive around the room. That was a credit to him and it's paying off right now."

Veteran defenseman Brett Clark, who usually plays against the opposition's top line with Karlis Skrastins, said it "wasn't hard" to keep faith in Theodore.

"I think as a group, we all knew he had it in him," Clark said. "And he kept a great attitude. He came in and worked hard every day. Every day, day in and day out, [he] never complained. He knew where he wanted to get to with his game, and we stayed behind him and let him work out what he had to."

Theodore said he did some soul-searching, both last season and during the offseason.

"I think, in a way, with experience and looking back, when you like your team and you like your teammates and you respect your organization, there's no sense in coming here and not helping the other guy out or not being supportive of your teammates," Theodore said.

Of course, Theodore had millions of reasons to be something other than a pouting malcontent. There are worse things in life than collecting $5.5 million last season and $6 million this season as a backup, if it came to that. Yes, he's now playing for a new contract, from the Avalanche or another team.

"I think every year you approach it the same way," Theodore said, "but obviously when it's the last year of the contract, I think as a player everybody puts that extra pressure on yourself, which is a fun and good pressure, I guess."

Terry Frei is a regular contributor to ESPN.com. He is the author of the just-released "'77" and "Third Down and a War to Go."
http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/columns/story?columnist=frei_terry&id=3224763

Hey hey Jose!

BroncoAV06

02-05-2008, 02:14 PM

Farm Report:

Forward David Jones led the Lake Erie Monsters to a 2-1 victory over the San Antonio Rampage Friday (Feb. 1) evening in Cleveland with a pair of goals. Jones notched a power-play marker in the second period to even the game and then scored the game-winner with 5:56 remaining in the contest. The goals extended Jones’ point streak to 10 games (7g/7a), while Lake Erie netminder Michael Wall stopped 25-of-26 shots to earn the victory.

The Monsters lost the first end of back-to-back contests against the Rampage the previous night, dropping a 4-3 overtime decision. Jones, Wyatt Smith and Philippe Dupuis notched a goal apiece for the Monsters.

NCAA
-Brandon Yip recorded a goal, while Kevin Shattenkirk and Colby Cohen notched an assist apiece in Boston University’s 4-1 victory over Merrimack on Friday. Shattenkirk then erupted for three assists and Cohen added a helper of his own in the Terriers’ 4-3 overtime loss to Boston College Monday in the opening round of the Beanpot tournament.

-Ohio State University forward Tom Fritsche tallied two assists as the Buckeyes split a pair of contests with Bowling Green State University over the weekend. The senior ranks third on the team with 16 points (4g/12) in 29 contests.

-University of Michigan goaltender Billy Sauer stopped 21-of-24 shots in the Wolverines’ 3-3 tie with Northern Michigan University Friday evening.

OHL
-Nigel Williams scored his 10th goal of the season Thursday in Belleville’s 6-4 loss to the Sarnia Sting. The defenseman now owns 34 points (10g/24a) in 50 games this season.

-Kevin Montgomery recorded an empty-net goal to cement the London Knights’ 6-4 win over Belleville on Friday night. Montgomery leads all London defensemen with 33 points (7g/26a).

-Trevor Cann picked up a victory in his only game of the week by stopping 35-of-37 shots in Peterborough’s 5-2 win over the Niagara IceDogs Thursday. Cann improved his record to 16-21-0-2 with a .903 save percentage.

WHL
-Calgary forward T.J. Galiardi totaled seven points (1g/6a) in four games last week. Galiardi started out the week by recording a goal and two assists in Calgary’s 5-1 win over the Kootenay Ice and also recorded a multi-point game with two assists during a 4-0 victory over the Edmonton Oil Kings. Galiardi ranks second in the WHL in rookie scoring with 54 points (14g/40a) in 56 games.

CHL
-Goaltender Ian Keserich stopped 31-of-32 shots to earn the victory in Mississippi’s 4-1 win over Corpus Christi on Thursday, improving his record to 4-0 since joining the RiverKings. Keserich then made 25 saves in Mississippi’s 5-4 overtime setback against Laredo the following night. In five games with the RiverKings, Keserich has posted a 1.98 goals-against average with a .933 save percentage.

USHL
-Indiana Ice forward Paul Carey scored a goal to help lead Team RBK to a 6-5 shootout victory over Team CCM in the USHL Prospects/All-Star Game last Tuesday. Following the All-Star Break, Carey chipped in with two assists as the Ice earned a pair of 2-1 victories over the Chicago Steel last weekend.

02-06-2008, 02:26 AM

pnbronco

02-06-2008, 10:05 AM

I missed out on a few games while our internet was down for the past week, but my dad sent me a bunch of articles through e-mail with Adobe, so I got to keep up.

How about my boy TJ getting a couple of great performances against STL and PHX! Makes me happy. The DRMN and Post are both saying that Stats might be back tomorrow night against SJ. That'd be nice.

Both Stats and Theo are on the trip, but so is TJ. The only guys that got sent down yesterday were the 2 back up goalies that had come in. TJ did great in both those game. You know they held their own in Detroit until the very end. They also got hosed in OT with PHX, it was a terrible call. I have not seen a whole game in a month. Too much traveling and long hours at my trade shows, so I'm hoping tonight I can watch the game and not fall asleep. Hope you're doing well SR.

pnbronco

02-06-2008, 10:11 AM

Hey BA, thank you for the farm reports but I miss hearing what you are thinking also. I thought you would have gone nuts with the OT PHX "score". I actually had fallen asleep by then but when I saw the replay I thought what the heck. I guess Q went nuts and I mean nuts, vein sticking out and everything. The funny thing was when they called it a score Gretz bolted from the stands like I'm not going to be here for you to reverse.

Thnikkaman

02-06-2008, 12:17 PM

BroncoAV06

02-06-2008, 03:30 PM

I actually do not have Direct TV at the moment and have not been able to watch some games for quit some time. I listen to the radio broadcasts but obviously you can not tell how the team, defesne/offense is preforming. I am hoping that I will be able to get back to watching and talking about games down the streatch!

T.J. Hensick knew it would only be a matter of time before the pucks started hitting the back of the net.

A high-scoring forward at every level he’s played, the Avalanche rookie has begun to show signs of his offensive potential at the NHL level.

In Hensick’s first four games following his latest recall from the Lake Erie Monsters, the rookie has produced five points (4g/1a), including back-to-back multi-goal games against the St. Louis Blues and Phoenix Coyotes.

“It’s definitely exciting to get back-to-back games with two goals and help this team offensively. It’s something that I’ve wanted to do since I first got called up and it’s finally coming,” said Hensick. “Maybe there was a little relief on my part, but I knew it would come with time. It’s a learning process for me and I learn something new every day.”

Hensick capped off a memorable four-year stint at the University of Michigan in 2006-07, a season in which he led the nation with 69 points (23g/46a) in 41 games. He was also tops in the country in assists, assists-per-game (1.12) and points-per-game (1.68) during his final season as a Wolverine. Those gaudy statistics made him a finalist for the Hobey Baker Memorial Award as the top player in college hockey.

Hensick recently recorded a pair of goals in back-to-back games against St. Louis and Phoenix
Not surprisingly, his considerable talents translated well to the American Hockey League. Hensick started the season with Lake Erie and led the team in scoring with 13 points (5g/8a) in 18 games prior to his first recall by the Avalanche on Nov. 29.

It didn’t take long for the rookie to notch his first NHL goal. The Lansing, Mich., native scored in only his second contest with the Avalanche, a Dec. 1 match-up against the Los Angeles Kings at Staples Center.

After that game, however, Hensick went through a 19-game goal drought, something not uncharacteristic for a rookie still learning the ropes in the NHL.

Displaying his resiliency, Hensick fought through the stretch and has become a valuable contributor for the Avalanche, impressing his teammates in the process.

“He’s playing great. Sometimes when you have that hot stick it feels like everything is going in,” said Avalanche defenseman John-Michael Liles. “He’s worked hard and put in some time in the minors and had a few trips back and forth, so it’s nice to see him rewarded.”

If Hensick continues to provide a scoring punch at the NHL level this season, his participation in the AHL All-Star Classic on Jan. 28 may be looked upon as a turning point.

Hensick skated for PlanetUSA in the showcase and scored two goals while adding a pair of assists to lead all scorers.

When you examine the timing of his recent goal-scoring streak, its relation to his performance in the All-Star Game becomes clear. Playing – and playing well – against the AHL’s top skaters gave the 5-10, 185-pound forward a confidence boost.

“Coming up and down and only playing 25 games in the American League, you don’t really know where you stand against its top players,” said Hensick. “Being in the All-Star game was kind of overwhelming, but playing against the best players and having such a good game gave me confidence.”

That confidence is now translating to his play at the NHL level. Hensick has pleased Avalanche Head Coach Joel Quenneville with both his confidence with the puck and how he’s progressed each time he’s been called up by Colorado.

But perhaps most importantly, Hensick has impressed Quenneville and his teammates alike with the spark he’s provided to the team’s power play unit.

“Things are going well for me right now, especially on the power-play,” said Hensick. “Right now, I’m more comfortable than I have been in the past and the guys have been really good to me, so hopefully it can continue.”

02-07-2008, 02:29 AM

Is there a place where you are catching them online?

Unfortunately, no. The games are over when I get to work (1am Eastern) so I just read the recaps on ESPN then read the articles on the Post and DRMN when they get posted in the morning. I'll be home on Feb 19th, so I'll probably purchase the rest of the Center Ice package so I can catch the rest of the games.

pnbronco

02-07-2008, 12:26 PM

TJ did so well last night. He got the game winning goal. Unless they bring in some big name I think it will be hard for them to send him down. It was fun to watch the game. Jose had some great saves too. Also who would of thought that Guite would end up being a force, him an Arnie were all over the Sharks. Jose frustrated the fool out of Thornton. Hope they can keep it up and we get those much needed points.

pnbronco

02-07-2008, 12:29 PM

Unfortunately, no. The games are over when I get to work (1am Eastern) so I just read the recaps on ESPN then read the articles on the Post and DRMN when they get posted in the morning. I'll be home on Feb 19th, so I'll probably purchase the rest of the Center Ice package so I can catch the rest of the games.

Congats SR, less than 2 weeks! I'm really glad to hear that. I know you miss your son. Also so I'm on topic you will get to see the games in real time.

pnbronco

02-07-2008, 11:59 PM

This was a great night for hockey. First Dallas beat MIN, then Chicago beat CGY but the best of all the Kings beat the Wings. I know that the Wings are not in our division but it just makes me smile.

02-08-2008, 02:29 AM

The northwest is still up for grabs. The Avs have a golden chance in the next few weeks to string together some wins and win the division for the first time in a few years.

pnbronco

02-10-2008, 01:56 AM

Another solid night for the Avs. I am so impressed with what they have been able to do with all the injuries, some real depth. I hope they play as strong here in Denver next week. It looks like it will be another season of down to the wire.

02-10-2008, 02:05 AM

What an impressive win last night. Our young guys are stepping up like crazy. Biggest highlight of the night IMO was Hejduk getting two goals.

BroncoAV06

02-10-2008, 03:04 AM

I think I am going to lose it soon. I have been going to alot of the Scorpions (AHL) games latley and that has been alot of fun. Always good to beat the Nucks and get 2 more points in the NW! Jose doing it again, heard alot of good things about McCloud lately, playing hard but smart; Saw him go against Grier, on hockeyfights.com. Everybody wanted to dump Svatos after last year, but he is a scorer and you have to give it time and he has ahown he can find the back of the net again on a regular basis. I agree PN, the injuries suck but the Avs are showing that they have built a solid farm system and have players that don't need stars to be good, they can play hard themselves and put points on the board.

02-10-2008, 04:19 AM

Everybody wanted to dump Svatos after last year, but he is a scorer and you have to give it time and he has ahown he can find the back of the net again on a regular basis.

See my Adopted Bronco. :D

BroncoAV06

02-12-2008, 01:19 PM

News and notes:

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- Colorado's top three forwards -- captain Joe Sakic, Ryan Smyth and Paul Stastny -- are back on the ice.
Sakic, who is recovering from hernia surgery, went through a light skate before practice Monday. It was the first time he has skated since November.

Smyth (ankle) and Stastny (appendectomy) participated in practice and both took contact. For Smyth, it was his first ice time since he was injured on New Year's Eve.

Stastny, the team's leading scorer with 49 points, has been practicing and could return soon. He's listed as questionable for Tuesday night when the Avs play Anaheim at the Pepsi Center.

Coach Joel Quenneville said Smyth could return to action this week.

Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press

Farm Report:

Wyatt Smith scored the game-winner 5:08 into the third period as the Lake Erie Monsters pulled out a 3-2 victory over the Grand Rapids Griffins on Saturday (Feb. 9). Jamie Lundmark and Eric Healey each had a power-play goal in addition to Smith’s tally, which came shorthanded. Goaltender Michael Wall stopped 40-of-42 shots to earn his fifth victory of the season.

The win avenged a 4-1 Lake Erie loss to Grand Rapids on Friday night, during which Lundmark tallied the Monsters’ lone goal.

Earlier in the week, the Monsters suffered a 2-1 overtime setback against the Hamilton Bulldogs. Philippe Dupuis scored in regulation for Lake Erie and Wall stopped 32-of-34 shots.

NCAA
-Colorado’s three Boston University prospects – Colby Cohen, Kevin Shattenkirk and Brandon Yip – each recorded a goal in the Terriers’ 6-2 win over UMass-Lowell Friday night. Yip also added three assists in the game, giving the forward a career-high four points. Cohen then scored a goal and assisted on the game-winner in the team’s 5-4 victory over Northeastern in the Beanpot consolation game Monday.

-The No. 2 Michigan Wolverines took three points from No. 1 Miami (Ohio) University over the weekend. Michigan netminder Billy Sauer stopped 18-of-20 shots to lead the Wolverines to a 4-2 win on Friday, while Miami forward Justin Mercier tallied an assist in the contest. Sauer stopped 30 shots and Mercier added two helpers in Saturday’s rematch, which ended in a 5-5 tie.

-Ohio State University forward Tom Fritsche notched his fifth goal of the season in a 3-3 tie with the University of Nebraska-Omaha Friday evening. Fritsche is tied for second on the team with 17 points (5g/12a).

-University of Minnesota forward Mike Carman had an assist in the Gophers’ 4-1 loss to the University of Denver on Saturday.

OHL
-Nigel Williams had an assist in Belleville’s 6-3 win over the Peterborough Petes Thursday. Petes netminder Trevor Cann stopped 35 shots, but was saddled with the loss.

-Kevin Montgomery recorded an assist in the London Knights’ 8-5 loss to the Brampton Battalion Sunday evening.

CHL
-Goaltender Ian Keserich earned two victories in a three-game series versus Youngstown last weekend. Keserich stopped 37-of-38 shots in a 5-1 win Friday, followed by a 22-save performance in a 6-5 victory on Saturday. The RiverKings then dropped a 4-0 decision to Youngstown on Sunday, with Keserich making 22 stops. Since joining Mississippi, the netminder has posted a 6-1-1 record with a 2.09 goals-against average and a .932 save percentage.

USHL
-Indiana Ice forward Paul Carey recorded a goal and one assist Friday in his squad’s 4-3 win over the Green Bay Gamblers.

-Kent Patterson stopped 28-of-29 shots as the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders earned a 4-1 win over the Tri-City Storm. The netminder has posted a 5-3-0 record with a 2.74 goals-against average in 10 appearances this season.

underrated29

02-12-2008, 02:26 PM

I THOUGHT FOR SURe that svatos would have been traded last year. It wasnt his ability, we all knew he could score. It was his feet. Hejduk had the same problem as svatos earlier inthe year last year, that svatos had at the end of the season.

Neither of them was moving their feet. Milan finally started to and has been liting it up since.

Now marek is doing the same thing. Before he wasnt moving his legs and was trying to deke his way around players, instead of skating past them, which he can do really well when he tries. He is an amazing skater when he turns it on. And now that he has he is looking good. And i think he is only at like 80% of what he could become.

Tongiht we got the...ducks????

GO avs!

underrated29

02-12-2008, 11:36 PM

OH CRAP!!! did you guys see clark go into the boards at the start of the third--it jsut happened. It looked like he broke his arm. SHt. I hope he is ok, hope its just a bruise. But to me looked like he broke it.

02-13-2008, 02:12 AM

Clarke will be out for a while, I suspect. Word on the street is he hurt his shoulder pretty bad.

pnbronco

02-13-2008, 09:06 AM

Clarke will be out for a while, I suspect. Word on the street is he hurt his shoulder pretty bad.

He looked like he was in some serious pain. It looked like his shoulder when he skated off the way it hung on him. I hope Stas is close, they keep talking about how empty the Avs bench was last night.

underrated29

02-13-2008, 09:16 AM

that was one of the worst 3rd period plays i have ever seen. I dont care if we were short benched with clark and guite out. We spent the whole 3rd period in our zone. We deserved to lose that one.

02-13-2008, 09:41 AM

that was one of the worst 3rd period plays i have ever seen. I dont care if we were short benched with clark and guite out. We spent the whole 3rd period in our zone. We deserved to lose that one.

What the hell do you expect when we've only got three forward lines and six defensemen? Don't be such a party pooper. We're still in a playoff position, which no one thought we would be when Stats, Sakic, and Smitty all got hurt.

Stats is close. He's been having some minor soreness and stifness in his abdomen after skating and had some soreness in his groin. He should be back by mid next week at the latest.

We should know within the next week if Peter is coming back and where he'll end up.

After thinking long and hard about it, I'd welcome him back to the Avs with open arms. Prior to a couple of days ago, I wasn't a big fan of the thought of Peter in an Avs jersey again, but with the way guys like Hlinka, Hensick, Guite, McLeod, and Arnasson have been playing, Peter could get hurt and it wouldn't really damage our team like it did in the past. With that said, my feelings won't be hurt if Foppa doesn't come back. I've got my team Sweden jersey, my Forsberg Nordiques jersey, the home, away, and alternate jerseys, and a white jersey with the all-star patch on it from a few years back to remind me of all of the great times Peter shared with us when he was an Av.

pnbronco

02-13-2008, 10:32 AM

Also the Ducks have Scott Niedermayer and Selanne back. Plus I think Selanne gives it that little extra push every time he's in Denver to prove that Denver made a mistake. I am amazed at this team for everything they have done with all the injuries, they have proved to me that they are a team. We should know soon about Peter, it will be interesting.

BroncoAV06

02-13-2008, 02:44 PM

It looks like the Avs still fought hard short handed, Jose had another solid game, team has heart, no doubt about that. Smyth could be back as soon as the end of this week, Sakic, Stats, and Smyth all skated with contact in practice this week as well.

02-14-2008, 06:45 AM

Smitty is supposed to play tonight against the Blues. Looks like Stats is going to be out another week or two with a groin strain. Clarke will be out for four to six weeks with a dislocated shoulder. Joe has been skating for a few days now, so he should be back in a week or two at the most.

BroncoAV06

02-14-2008, 01:35 PM

Leo has the ability to be a really good defender but he is never healthy. What is it with Denver sports team this year, injury bug took a stop at Mile High!

Avalanche forward Ryan Smyth will return to Colorado’s lineup when the club hosts the St. Louis Blues Thursday at Pepsi Center (Altitude; 7:00 p.m.).

The forward has missed the Avalanche’s last 18 games after suffering an ankle fracture during the overtime session of Colorado’s New Year’s Eve tilt at Phoenix.

“He’s one of those guys, it’s tough to keep him off the ice,” said Avalanche head coach Joel Quenneville. “He’s been progressing really quick since he got his cast off, and if it was his decision, he would have been playing this past weekend.”

Smyth donned a normal gray practice jersey on Wednesday, as opposed to the blue non-contact sweater he was wearing Monday.

“Obviously it’s frustrating watching. You want to be out there, contributing as much as you can,” said Smyth. “Hopefully I can bring my assets to the table and not worry about [the injury].”

A veteran of 824 regular season contests, Smyth had collected 28 points (11g/17a) in 36 games prior to his injury.

Theo in ‘08
Despite Tuesday’s loss to Anaheim, Jose Theodore still ranks among the hottest goaltenders in the league since the calendar flipped to 2008. During his 14 starts this calendar year, Theodore has posted an 8-5-1 record with one shutout, a 1.89 goals-against average and a .932 save percentage.

If history is an indicator, the Avalanche will rely heavily on Theodore during Thursday’s game against the Blues.

In the previous two meetings between the clubs – both Avalanche victories – a combined total of 24 goals were scored. The Avs earned a 9-5 win on Dec. 9 at Pepsi Center, followed by a 6-4 victory on Feb. 2 at Scottrade Center.

“Usually St. Louis is a defensive team, but the last two games have been pretty much offense,” said Theodore. “Even if it’s an offensive game from my point, the most important thing is getting the two points.”

When factoring in Tuesday’s 2-1 setback against Anaheim, Theo has allowed two goals or less in 10 of those 14 appearances, including one goal or less on seven occasions. Theodore’s 1.89 goals-against average since January 1st ranks 3rd among NHL goaltenders, trailing only Dominik Hasek and Jean-Sebastien Giguere.

Odds and Ends
Avalanche captain Joe Sakic again skated laps on his own prior to the team’s practice Wednesday and injected some stickhandling into the session as well.

“In the back of everybody’s mind I think it’s encouraging that he’s getting closer,” said Quenneville. “Right now, we’re trying to keep our group focused on the short-term picture, which is trying to beat the next opponent.”

Quenneville also stated that defenseman Brett Clark is out indefinitely after dislocating his shoulder in the third period against Anaheim.

“He’s a valuable player to us in all areas because he’s used in every scenario,” said Quenneville. “Everybody is going to have to share a little bit of those quality minutes. Guys have gotten through it when Kurt [Sauer] got hurt and Leo [Jordan Leopold] got hurt. It’s up to that crew to continue to do the same.”

dogfish

02-18-2008, 08:53 PM

wow, there's actually a nationally televised avs game tonight-- against the bitch ass red wings, no less. . . first avs game i've gotten to watch all year. . . anybody else watching it? ian laperriere freakin' crushed lydstrom into the boards. . . . :woot:

the dead wings are up 2-0 at the first intermission, though. . . :tsk:

BroncoAV06

02-18-2008, 10:32 PM

Avs have really fallin on tough times. Wings look like they will shut them out tonight. On a good note, in SI there was a blurb about Jeff Finger and some scouts felt that he has been one of the most improved players in the NHL this year. Future should be ok with the talent that the Avs have started to develope and with most of the players on the roster now. Just have to push even harder this second half.

pnbronco

02-19-2008, 01:08 AM

pnbronco

02-20-2008, 12:31 AM

I read that Joe is traveling with the team on this road trip. I just heard on the news that he may play tomorrow night. I hope this is the beginning of a good run for us.

pnbronco

02-22-2008, 10:27 PM

Anybody watching the game tonight???

02-22-2008, 10:46 PM

My dad is at the game and I've been listening to the radio broadcast. Sounded like we were skating circles around them for the first 5-7 minutes. Glad to see Stats didn't waste any time.

pnbronco

02-22-2008, 11:31 PM

My dad is at the game and I've been listening to the radio broadcast. Sounded like we were skating circles around them for the first 5-7 minutes. Glad to see Stats didn't waste any time.

Dang IT!!! 2.8 seconds.... Who is your Dad's team?

pnbronco

02-23-2008, 12:00 AM

Man I hope some of you got to see/hear this game. It was nuts, 12 rounds in the shoot out. Up to spot # 9...:elefant:

BroncoAV06

02-23-2008, 04:06 AM

http://www.nhl.com/nhl/app?service=page&page=Recap&gameNumber=928&season=20072008&gameType=2

Those are some good higlights right there! Great to see the Avs being able to battle back from giving up such a late goal to rally in the shootout! JOSE, JOSE, JOSE!

02-23-2008, 07:52 AM

Crazy game...can't believe Morris of all people got that goal with 2.8 left.

Denver Native (Carol)

02-26-2008, 11:37 PM

GREAT win for Avs - 3 - 2 over Calgary in OT:elefant:

02-26-2008, 11:38 PM

Heard it on the radio. Stats got the game winner.

Thnikkaman

02-26-2008, 11:45 PM

I am glad that I had the forethought to listen to the game. Good game, gets me excited for the avs again.

I wonder how much it would cost me to get Altitude on Direct TV

02-26-2008, 11:46 PM

You'd have to get the NHL Center Ice package. If you get the sports channels that give you all of the Fox Sports networks and what not, the hockey games, etc, get blacked out.

BroncoAV06

02-27-2008, 02:19 AM

How bout that pass by Symth on the goal by Stats!? Very last play of the highlights on NHL.com.

02-27-2008, 11:41 AM

I just finished watching the highlights on NHL.com. Great pass to Stats.

Medford Bronco

02-27-2008, 12:06 PM

Good win for the Avs last night.

Good luck the rest of the way :beer:

02-27-2008, 01:28 PM

Med. We all know you're a closet Avalanche fan. You can just quit with the act already. We know.

Thnikkaman

02-27-2008, 01:53 PM

How bout that pass by Symth on the goal by Stats!? Very last play of the highlights on NHL.com.

That was a heads up play. Its always good beating the flames.

Medford Bronco

02-27-2008, 03:03 PM

Med. We all know you're a closet Avalanche fan. You can just quit with the act already. We know.

I like the Avs but never better than the Canes.
:salute:

I especially enjoyed 1996 when Roy stuck it to MTL when they screwed him over. Also 2001 was great because of Ray bourque.

also players like Scot young and Deadmarsh were some of Meds favorite
back when the Avs were on TV with ESPN a lot more than sucky Versus coverage now :tsk:

02-27-2008, 03:08 PM

Adam Deadmarsh is the reason I hate Ed Jovanovski so damn much. They got in a fight, Ed knocked him out, and Deadmarsh had concussion problems for the rest of his career after that. Pisses me off just thinking about it.

pnbronco

02-28-2008, 12:11 AM

Well, what happened all these posts on the Avs site. Heard the game off and on while we were driving to WA, it was nuts. Almost drove off the road when I heard they call out Foote's name.

underrated29

02-28-2008, 12:42 AM

wooohoooooo!!!!!!!!

Super joe and marek o right!

Thnikkaman

02-28-2008, 12:43 AM

I missed most of the 3rd period, and overtime, but was pleased to hear us win the shootout.

02-28-2008, 10:56 AM

I listened to the second and most of the third period on the NHL.com radio broadcast, but couldn't keep my eyes open anymore so I went to bed. Glad we won though. For some reason I can't get the highlights to load on NHL.com.

Medford Bronco

03-04-2008, 11:53 AM

For the Avs Fans

http://www.hockeywidgets.com/sig/sigs/532008492248.png

BroncoAV06

03-04-2008, 02:48 PM

Been a way a little bit damn compter at home has a virus. Svats was having a great season on the offensive end :(

DENVER -- Peter Forsberg isn't worried about his right foot or his fitness level in his first game with the Colorado Avalanche against Vancouver on Tuesday night.

He's simply concerned about living up to expectations.

Forsberg

"I'm just asking everyone who's watching for a little patience," Forsberg said. "It might be a little tough here in the beginning. But I thought I might as well get back playing and get back into it right away."

The Swedish forward said after the morning skate that his ailing right foot felt healthy enough to play and that he's growing used to the Mile High City's altitude.

"Hopefully, I'm adjusted," Forsberg said.

Forsberg will be on the same line as Milan Hejduk and Joe Sakic, but doesn't know how much he'll play. He'll leave that decision to coach Joel Quenneville.

"I don't think he's going to overplay me," Forsberg said. "He knows it's the first game for me in a long time."

Quenneville will let Forsberg's productivity on the ice dictate his playing time. Forsberg, 34, has gone through only one practice and one morning skate with the team since signing a one-year deal last week.

"I think Peter's got a little jump to him," Quenneville said. "Physically, he's looked good, looks young. I think he's refreshed and energized. I think he's got high expectations and high standards in how he evaluates his play. I don't want to expect too much from him, but I think in just watching him skating, he looks good."

The news that Forsberg was going to play spread fast through the team's locker room.

"He's playing?" Ian Laperriere said. "It's great news. It's Christmas again."

Forsberg's return came at a good time for Colorado, which had Marek Svatos and Ryan Smyth leave with injuries against the Los Angeles Kings on Saturday night.

Svatos will miss the rest of the season with a torn ACL, and Smyth is out indefinitely after suffering a concussion and a minor shoulder separation on a violent check into the glass partition near the Avalanche bench. Smyth had to be carried off on a stretcher.

"He came out of the hit, as dangerous as it appeared, in not bad shape," Quenneville said. "We'll see how he handles his concussion and go from there. ... I think some of the symptoms that were present immediately are evaporating. I think that's a good sign."

Forsberg said he's going to be a little nervous skating in front of the Avalanche crowd. He's hoping that no one will expect too much from him.

That's going to be difficult since Forsberg established quite a legacy during his first stint in Colorado. He helped the team win two Stanley Cups, won the Hart Trophy as the NHL MVP in 2003 and ranks fourth on the franchise's career scoring list with 741 points.

"It might not be my best game," he said. "But I'm excited to get out there and play."

Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press

03-05-2008, 01:34 PM

It was good to see the highlights last night and see Peter Forsberg back in an Avs uniform. Great win last night. Theo is 4-0 in the his last four starts and the Avs have won four in a row. They're currently in the #7 seed and only a couple points behind the league lead.

BroncoAV06

03-05-2008, 01:41 PM

Always good to get the win in regulation and prevent a division foe to get a point by taking it to OT. From the little bit of highlights Foppa/Joe/Hejduk looked smooth on the ice together.

BroncoJoe

03-05-2008, 02:14 PM

Peter the Great looked very good. Didn't notice any change in his game, and that was really great to see.

My only complaint was it wasn't broadcast in HD.

BroncoAV06

03-05-2008, 02:34 PM

Another good read on Peter and Paul Stastny

Hall of Famer Peter Stastny was fire. His son—Avs supersoph Paul—is ice. So what do the two have in common? Hockey as a performance art.
by Jeff Bradley

The old man is tough, but he could have been a lot tougher.

You think you have it bad? You grew up in big houses in St. Louis and the New Jersey suburbs; I shared a one-bedroom apartment with four brothers and a sister. You gripe about cell phone reception; I worried about my phone calls being wiretapped! You complain, period. I wasn't allowed to complain until I escaped Czechoslovakia 27 years ago!

Paul Stastny, budding NHL star, hasn't heard these exact words from his dad, but that doesn't mean that Peter Stastny, legendary NHL star, isn't paying attention. Peter, after all, is a Hall of Fame forward renowned as much for focus and attention to detail over 15 NHL seasons as for his 450 goals, 789 assists and daring 1980 defection. In many ways, Peter's decision to leave home and country cleared the ice for an era of Eastern European stars in the NHL. But his escape also allowed his talented son to grow up playing the game as it should be played—for fun. Turns out, that may be the way to set up Gen Next for a shot at greatness.

Twenty-two sons of NHL Hall of Famers have gone on to skate in the bigs (see chart), but only a handful developed into stars. In fact, most sons of greatness are more Pete Rose Jr. than Sr.

Maybe it's those famous names on their backs (and, in Paul's case, the same number). Maybe it's a lack of talent or drive. Maybe it's the unrealistic expectations. Or maybe it's just the heckling from fans jealous of the multiply blessed. "You've got to try to block it out," says Paul, a laid-back 22-year-old. "But it's not always easy."

Paul learned early how to filter out taunts and other harsh comments, which served him nicely while he learned the game under the pointed guidance of his father—who still calls when he sees the kid lose the puck or spectate on the penalty kill—and later when he first skated into an NHL arena. And just as Paul can block out the tone of Peter's voice so he can concentrate on the wisdom, so too can he laugh off a coach's tirade and trust his own talent.

Yes, that talent. Paul does not possess jaw-dropping moves or blazing speed, but he's preternaturally economical when he traverses the ice. Somehow he gets there, before fans or foes think he will. That efficiency earned him serious time on the Avs penalty kill and man advantage. The game's movements, the split-second decisions about where to be and when to get there, are second nature to him. (Avs coach Joel Quenneville marvels at how "the puck just finds him.") And those who saw Peter watch Paul and say, "We know where that came from."

Joe Sakic, who called himself "officially old" when he became the first to play with both Peter (on the 1988-89 Nordiques) and Paul, is amazed at the similarities. "They're built the same," the Avs captain says. "Both are powerful skaters. And they look the same. Paul wears the same type of skates his dad wore, all beat-up and old-school, and uses the same old wood stick."

Peter says the resemblance goes deeper, that the game is in his son's blood. He sees instinct in Paul's effortless ability to ghost himself into the play, in the angles of his passes and the paths he takes when he plays without the puck. Says Dad: "I don't like to boast, but when I watch Paul, it's like watching myself." Peter also believes his son was born to be a center. "You have to have those instincts and qualities to anticipate and to know how to react," he says. "You cannot teach what he has." Will Paul ever be as good as his father? "I think he will be better," says Peter.

He's definitely different, at least in one key way: Paul says he'll never match Peter's intensity, and that may be another reason he's succeeded where other sons have failed. "My dad is the kind of guy who can't live with mistakes," says Paul. "He'll beat himself up over the smallest error. I can't play well unless I'm having fun. My dad loved to play hockey, but it became a job for him at a young age. For me, there's more to life than hockey."

These days, that goes for the father as well as the son. Peter is out of hockey now. Since 2004 he has represented Slovakia in the European Parliament and lives in his hometown of Bratislava. Some 18 years after communism's fall, Peter is trying to help the country he left—and never stopped loving—find its democratic footing. He's got a lot going on in his life, and a lot of stories to tell. About how he, his wife and his brother sneaked out a side door of the Innsbruck Holiday Inn in the middle of the night, hopped into a Mercedes driven by a representative of the Nordiques and sped toward Vienna and the Canadian embassy. About how he taught himself to speak French (the language of Quebec City) and English (the language of the locker room) within a couple of years of arriving in the NHL. About how he responded to any player who dared call him a "commie" without a ref's seeing the payback. The man who scored more points in the 1980s than any other player not named Gretzky can tell how he was asked to carry Slovakia's flag at the 1994 Lillehammer Olympics and could not contain his tears, then scored five goals in eight games for his country.

Still, the best story is what's happening on the ice in Denver (and St. Louis, where 25-year-old Yan Stastny just got a call-up to the Blues). The Avs are fighting for a playoff spot, and Paul leads the team in scoring with 50 points in 47 games. The kid has been benched recently by an emergency surgery (appendix) and a groin pull, but Peter likes the direction the boy's career is heading. "Leaving Czechoslovakia was the best decision in my life," he says. "The hardest, but also the best. And the biggest beneficiaries are my children. Watching them is my greatest thrill."

Paul smiles when told that, exposing a gaping hole where a tooth once lived. "Believe me," the son says. "He's not too thrilled when I play like garbage. He can be tough."

But he could have been a lot tougher.

underrated29

03-05-2008, 02:35 PM

The no HD has been a bummer... I though fopa looked a little slow and still hesitant. It will come as soon as his legs come back and (foot). He sees the ice so well though, god i missed him. His timing on passes are a lil off too, but what do you expect when you have only practiced once with the guys on your line.

Things are going to start looking good.

pnbronco

03-05-2008, 02:40 PM

Always good to get the win in regulation and prevent a division foe to get a point by taking it to OT. From the little bit of highlights Foppa/Joe/Hejduk looked smooth on the ice together.

I was amazed how good they looked together. Joe and Peter had a great connection when he played here before, it reminds me of the twins, when I asked him about it he said that they have played together for so long they just have a feeling where the other one is. You know they only had the practice on Monday together, so I was really happy with their performance. Plus it was funny Peter kept saying be patience with me, it's been 10 months since I've played and I might not have that much ice time. I have to tell you, I'm so proud of the young ones that kept them in the hunt. I hope this is the beginning of a strong run for the team.

BroncoAV06

03-06-2008, 02:32 PM

Avalanche story from ESPN:

At lunch on Tuesday at Dixon's, in Denver's LoDo district and within walking distance of both the Pepsi Center and Coors Field, bartender Matt Raia handed over the "Specials" sheet.

There was only one item on the sheet.

For $6.99 (or roughly 43 Swedish Krona), I could order "Forsbergers" -- four Swedish meatball sliders -- with "an Avalanche" of homemade potato chips.

At the time, Peter Forsberg -- troubled foot, ankle and all -- was a few hours away from playing his first game in his return to the Colorado Avalanche.

Fortunately, King Carl Gustaf didn't abdicate this week, because given the pack tracking Forsberg in Denver, there couldn't have been many reporters left back in Sweden to cover it.

And in Denver itself?

The coverage has been monumental. The public reaction has been clamorous. Forsberg's return in a 2-1 Avalanche victory over Vancouver on Tuesday, when he didn't have a point but played nearly 20 minutes, didn't sell out. But Thursday's game against defending Cup champion Anaheim almost certainly will -- now that it's known Foppa is in the lineup.

How do you explain Forsberg seemingly eclipsing all but John Elway in star power in Denver's athletic history -- and gaining popularity in his absence?

You don't. You just accept that it happened.

Joe Sakic has been the franchise's captain since -- or, actually before -- the Nordiques landed in town, has won a Hart Trophy and accepted the Stanley Cup twice in handoffs from NHL commissioner Gary Bettman. As respected as Sakic is, and that's a lot, he has never generated this sort of rock-star fervor. Maybe if he had left and come back, he wouldn't be as taken for granted.

But there's just something about Forsberg, both on his own and as a representation of the halcyon hockey years in Denver, when the Pepsi Center was sold out every game, when the players' parade from the parking lot to the dressing room at times could seem like a roll call of Hall of Fame candidates.

It all seems to have gone downhill, or at least been a chilling and unwelcome introduction to the real (hockey) world, since the introduction of the salary cap in 2005 led the Avalanche to make half-hearted offers to Forsberg and Adam Foote, all but guaranteeing their departures.

And now, Forsberg is in the Avalanche sweater again, along with Foote, acquired at the trade deadline from Columbus last week.

"It's not just having them back and around," Sakic said. "They're going to help our hockey club. … We know [Forsberg] missed a whole year [2001-02] and came back for the playoffs and was unbelievable. So as long as he's healthy and his foot's fine, we expect a lot of great things from him. And Adam has already made his impact."

Said Forsberg: "It feels like it was yesterday I left here. These guys [Sakic and Foote] are still flying around. Even if they're a couple of years older than I am, they look great out there. Seems like they haven't missed a beat."

In this political year, with the Democratic convention ticketed to play the Pepsi Center in August, I'm reminded of a scene at the end of the landmark film, "The Candidate." The newly elected Robert Redford, who has gone from idealistic, straight-shooting neophyte to something resembling a conventional politician in the space of about 90 minutes, asks his staff, "What do we do now?"

The media has been swarming around Peter Forsberg since he arrived in Denver last week.

So what now for this team?

First of all, could this season get any more strange? Certainly, this is not the first team in NHL history to suffer injuries, but Sakic, Paul Stastny and Ryan Smyth were all out at the same time until recently, and now Smyth is out again for at least a short time with a concussion and minor shoulder injury. He was hurt in the same game last Saturday against the Kings in which Colorado's leading goal-scorer, Marek Svatos, suffered a season-ending knee injury. Defenseman Brett Clark, the steady journeyman whose poise and unflappability made him more valuable in the post-lockout game, is out for the season with a shoulder injury.

"I wasn't around for three months, so I'm just one of the guys trying to get back in," said Sakic, who missed 38 games because of a hernia. "It's been pretty tough to get a feel for the chemistry with all the guys being out, sometimes at the same time, sometimes at different times. The guys have hung in there pretty good to stay in the race, and now the acquisitions are going to help us down the stretch. It's going to be a fun finish."

Stastny, 22, has been playing in Denver since 2004, when he enrolled as a freshman at the University of Denver. "I was a senior in high school when Peter last played here," he said with a smile. "So I think it's pretty cool to see him here. I don't think he missed a beat [against the Canucks] at all. He's still the two-way player he's always been. He's a very important ingredient to add to our team and we'll take it."

The Avalanche, riding a three-game winning streak and currently in seventh place in the West, could rally and win the Northwest Division, claim the conference's No. 3 seed, and be a bona fide playoff threat. They could also miss the playoffs altogether for the second straight season.

The additions of Foote and Ruslan Salei, who came from Florida for Karlis Skrastins and a draft choice at the deadline, add toughness and a physical edge on the blue line, especially in the wake of Clark's absence. John-Michael Liles has been playing the last week as if the weight of the world is off his shoulders, helping the previously inept power play temporarily get out of the league's No. 30 (as in NHL-worst) spot until St. Louis climbed back out of the cellar Wednesday.

"Ruslan's been great," Sakic said. "With Footie and Pete, they came in here and it's not really an adjustment, so it's almost like getting a couple of injured guys back."

The key issues include how long it will take Smyth to return to the lineup, how effective Forsberg can be at age 34 after taking so much time off and battling the foot and ankle problems, and whether goalie Jose Theodore continues his remarkable turnaround down the stretch of this contract season.

In the 2008 calendar year, Theodore has a 2.11 goals-against average and a .924 save percentage. "If you look at it since Christmas, I don't really know the stats, but I'm sure they're as best it's ever been in my career," he said. "I've got more experience with the things I've gone through in the last couple of years. I've got more confidence and need to keep building on things."

In his Hart Trophy season, 2001-02, Theodore's full-season numbers were 2.11 and .931, so he at least is in that same realm since the New Year.

I'm still suspicious about whether Forsberg lowered his own standards to return, and doing it with Colorado in part because he knew he would be cut more slack in Denver than anywhere else. And it's reasonable to wonder just how much box-office concerns drove this signing, given the Avalanche's lackluster attendance this season in an arena with some of the highest ticket prices in the league.

He looked rusty, but certainly not out of place, in his first game Tuesday, playing left wing on a line with Sakic and Milan Hejduk. "I'm just happy I survived the first game," Forsberg said. Since he arrived in Colorado last week, he has emphasized the issue now is conditioning and not so much the condition of his foot.

"There's nothing else I can do about it now," he said. "It's been getting better and so I don't think it should be a problem."

Terry Frei is a regular contributor to ESPN.com. He is the author of the just-released "'77" and "Third Down and a War to Go."