SB Nation - Milan Hejduk

Game 37 Recap: Avalanche 5 - Blue Jackets 2

David Driscoll-Carignan — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 04:50:07 -0000

More photos » by David Zalubowski - AP

about 11 hours ago: Just recalled from a minor league club, Colorado Avalanche right winger Brandon Yip, left, picks up the puck as Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Kris Russell defends in the first period of an NHL hockey game in Denver on Saturday, Dec. 19, 2009. Yip was appearing in his first game in the NHL. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Browse more photos »

Final - 12.19.2009	1	2	3	Total
Columbus Blue Jackets	0	2	0	2
Colorado Avalanche	4	0	1	5

Complete Coverage >

It looked like it was going to be a blowout, but that didn't quite materialize. Pretty much everything went right for the Avs in the 1st period as they put up 4 goals on board in the first 8:02 of the hockey game - 2 by Wojtek Wolski and one each by John-Michael Liles and Paul Stastny.

Unfortunately, there's no easy button in hockey, and, to their credit, the Blue Jackets didn't roll over in this one. Columbus battled back to make it 4-2 and the game was never really in hand until Milan Hejduk iced it at the 16:32 mark. A major positive for the Avs is that they didn't turtle with the lead - the two teams were even at 18 shots each over the final two periods. It may not have been the most exciting hockey to watch, but the Avs get the win and, with the Calgary loss, move back into first place in the NW and jump from 7th to 3rd in the Western Conference.

The Avalanche had a strong game from 5 forwards tonight - Wolski, Hejduk, Stastny, Matt Duchene and Stewart (who I think was the best of the bunch and not just for his attempt to get the net back on the moorings at one point in the game). Hejduk, Stewart and Wolski combined for a whopping nineteen shots, which is probably why they had 4 of the Avs' goals. If the Avalanche can get two dangerous lines rolling like this on a consistent basis, then they will likely continue to run in the top part of the standings.

Stick tap also to John-Michael Liles who had two points and 5 blocked shots. This on a night when Pierre Lebrun stated on the Satellite Hotstove that the Avs are actively shopping him around the league (well, to the 12 clubs they can trade him to).

Game 37 Preview: Blue Jackets at Avalanche

David Driscoll-Carignan — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 16:10:30 -0000


Columbus Blue Jackets	7 MT / 9 ET / 2 GMT	Colorado Avalanche
14-14-7	December 19th, 2009	19-11-6
35 pts	Pepsi Center	44 pts
12th in West	Denver, CO	7th in West

If you have a riff with people wanna bust,
Break out before you get bumrushed at the (Wild Wild West)
When I roll into the (Wild Wild West)
When I stroll into the (Wild Wild West)
When I bounce into the (Wild Wild West)

Will Smith, Wild Wild West

Welcome to the wild, wild west where the Avalanche have slipped from 2nd to 7th in the span of just 6 days. That's the kind of crazy stuff that happens in a division where 1st and last are separated by just 14 poits. A win tonight could move them back in 3rd (and atop the NW division). Then again, they could also win and stay right where they are. Losing is not really an option, as the Red Wings and Canucks are just 3 and 4 points behind the Avs going into tonight's games.

The Blue Jackets are a struggling team right now, with a dismal 2-8-5 record in the past 15 games (one of those 8 losses is to the Avs). Steve Mason will get the call for the BJs. Derek Dorsett and Rotislav Klesla are on IR (if I recall correctly, both players missed the previous Avalanche - Blue Jacket matchup.

The Avalanche laid an egg on Wednesday, a game notable mostly for David Koci's non-suspension-worthy boarding penalty on Mike Green and John-Michael Liles' 3rd period benching. Hopefully, the Avalanche will get a boost from the return of Milan Hejduk, who has missed the last two games with a lingering knee injury. I hope the rest has done him some good, as he hasn't looked all that sharp lately and has just 1 point (a goal) and just 8 shots in his last 6 games. Marek Svatos will not play (according to Dater) and Brandon Yip is expected to make his NHL debut (he'll be wearing #59). Craig Anderson will get the start. No shock there; Peter Budaj has gotten just two starts while Anderson has been healthy.

Today in Colorado Avalanche History: December 19th, 2007. Cody McLeod makes his NHL debut against the Anaheim Ducks. He was here to stay - he's missed just 9 regular season games since his debut (all due to injury, I believe).

Blue Jackets vs Avalanche coverage

Blue Jackets vs Avalanche preview

The Cannon

Colorado Players Among League Leaders

Joe Dunman — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 15:16:13 -0000

More photos » by Jay LaPrete - AP

Browse more photos »

One sign that a team has a strong offense is the presence of its players among the league's individual leaders. Last season the Avs' offense was the worst in team history, and because of that, few Avalanche players made the final leader lists at the end of the season.

Historically speaking, Avalanche players have frequently appeared in large numbers on the league leader boards. In 2000-01, four Colorado players finished the year among the top 50 players for points scored (Sakic, Forsberg, Hejduk, Tanguay), with three more just outside (Drury, Blake, Bourque). Last season, not one Avalanche player appeared on the list.

Non-offensive categories like blocked shots and average time on ice feature Avalanche players this season as well. Last year no Colorado players ranked among the top 50 in ice time, nor did anyone make the +/- leader board. This year is a different story.

Below is a comparison between last year's leaders and this year's current standings, separated by category. First is the player's rank, then name, then current total in parentheses.

	2008-09	2009-10
Goals	t-47th Hejduk (27)	t-26th Wolski (13)
		t-29th Hejduk (12)
		t-47th Jones (10)

Assists		t-8th Stastny (26)
		t-20th Wolski (20)

Points		t-14th Stastny (34)
		t-17th Wolski (33)

(+/-)		t-11th O'Reilly (12)
		t-16th Wolski (11)
		t-33rd Hannan (9)
		t-44th Stastny (8)
		t-44th Wilson (8)

PIM	11th Laperriere (163)	17th McLeod (59)
	12th McLeod (162)	t-42nd Koci (44)

ATOI		10th Quincey (25:11)

Hits	t-22nd McLeod (194)	21st McLeod (87)

Blocked Shots	2nd Clark (238)	1st Clark (108)
	t-14th Hannan (162)	7th Hannan (76)
	29th Salei (143)	t-11th Quincey (67)

Shots	t-23rd Smyth (257)

PP Goals	t-39th Hejduk (10)	t-10th Hejduk (6)
	t-39th Smyth (10)	t-38th Duchene (4)

PP Assists		t-26th Quincey (8)

SH Goals		t-1st Jones (2)
		t-12th Duchene (1)

SH Assists		t-9th Galiardi (1)
		t-9th Foote (1)

The season is not yet half over. If these trends continue, expect to see a major Avalanche presence on the NHL individual leader boards at the end of the year.

Game 35 Preview: Flames at Avalanche

David Driscoll-Carignan — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 14:20:50 -0000


Calgary Flames	6 MT / 8 ET / 1 GMT	Colorado Avalanche
19-8-4	December 13th, 2009	18-10-6
42 pts	Pepsi Center	42 pts
2nd in West	Denver, CO	5th in West

Must win? Probably not, but this still shapes up as a big, big game for the Colorado Avalanche. The winner of tonight's game is in sole possession of first place in the Northwest. The loser will be in 5th place in the West, just 2 or 3 points ahead of the 6th-place Phoenix Coyotes.

I am very interested to see how the Avalanche play tonight. They've been a bit inconsistent lately, and I'm anxious to see if they can rise to meet tonight's challenge. Joe pointed out yesterday that the wheels are far from off of this magic bus. If you look at the tale of the tape below, you'll see that these two teams are pretty evenly matched statistically.The Avalanche can absolutely win this game...but it's probably going to take 60 minutes of effort to do it.

It would be nice if the Avs had a big, raucous home crowd to help fire them up. Unfortunately, the Avalanche are struggling attendance-wise, with just one sellout (opening night) and an average attendance of 13,994 (78% capacity). Only 4 teams have a lower average this year (Nashville, Atlanta, Phoenix and the Islanders). Of the 10 sparsest crowds the Avalanche have played in front of this year, 8 have been in the Pepsi Center. Come on, good people of Denver. Your team is in a battle for 1st place tonight; get out there and show them some love! You'll have plenty of time to get to the arena after watching the Broncos knock off the Colts today.

For the Avs, Craig Anderson is the confirmed starter. He set a career high in minutes on Friday and could set a high for wins with a W tonight. Milan Hejduk (knee) is doubtful for tonight. Figure on Ryan Stoa (#29) to make his NHL debut tonight for sure, and if indeed Svatos (mystery ailment) isn't in the lineup, Justin Mercier (#43) should play as well.

Figure on Mikka Kiprusoff as the Flames starter tonight. The Flames are almost at full strength. Corey Sarich will not play tonight and Craig Conroy is banged up and will be a game time decision.

Flames vs Avalanche coverage

Matchsticks and Gasoline

Taylor Arnason update:

Arnason assisted on Oleg Sorokin's 1st goal of the year (glad to see Oleg get of the schnide) as the Dinamo rolled over the Tagliatti Lada on Friday 4-1. Riga is now tied with the Torpedo for the 8th and final playoff spot in the Western Conference

On this day last year:

On December 13th, 2008, the Avalanche were 12th in the conference with a 14-14-1 record. To that point, the Avalanche had 85 goals for (2.94 p/g) and 81 against (2.85). (Those goal numbers include shootout goals. I think).

Tale of the Tape:

Calgary			Colorado
6th	42	Points	6th	42
10th	2.87	GF/G	11th	2.85
5th	2.32	GA/G	12th	2.71
25th	17.8	PP%	18th	18.5
13th	81.7	PK%	15th	80.8
28th	27.4	S/G	30th	25.8
17th	30.6	SA/G	25th	32.5
30th	45.6	FO%	29th	46.5
21st	14.3	PIM/G	13th	13.1
Iginla	32 pts	Top Scorer	Stastny	33 pts

Ryan Stoa and Derek Peltier Recalled

David Driscoll-Carignan — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 23:19:02 -0000

More photos » by JACK DEMPSEY - AP

3 months ago: Colorado Avalanche's Ryan Stoa, front right, celebrates a goal with the bench during the second period of a preseason NHL hockey game against the Dallas Stars in Denver on Thursday, Sept. 17, 2009. (AP Photo/Jack Dempsey)

Browse more photos »

The Avalanche today recalled forward Ryan Stoa and defenseman Derek Peltier from Lake Erie. Brian Fahey - who has been a healthy scratch in every game since being recalled on November 26th - is headed back to Cleveland.

Stoa and Peltier were both among the last players cut in training camp this fall. We've seen Peltier before, of course, but have yet to see the former Golden Gopher Stoa in a regular season NHL game. Stoa is not exactly off to a blazing start in his pro career with 9 points in 25 games, but he does have 7 goals. It sounds like Milan Hejduk is doubtful for Sunday's game and we still haven't heard what kept Marek Svatos of the ice for the 2nd half of Friday night's game. With that in mind, it seems likely that Stoa will be in the lineup tomorrow against Calgary. I sure hope so, because I've run the above photo a couple of times now, and wouldn't mind a few more choices. Peltier, however, is likely just around as a 7th d-man.

In related news, Craig Anderson will get the start against the Flames.

Game 29 Preview: Return of the Foote

Mike MacLean — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 20:31:50 -0000

More photos » by Charles Rex Arbogast - AP

Browse more photos »

This is going to be extremely quick, folks. I just found a computer and I don`t even know if the formatting will turn out. This is the return of Adam Foote, I won`t bag on him as much as others do, but it will be interesting to see how the fans treat him.

Andrew Murray and Raffi Torres return to the lineup, and the defensive pairs have been shaken up. Toots and Stralman aren`t together anymore, Stralman is with Russ and Methot returns to the lineup to play with Fedor. Should be interesting how the Russ-Stralman pairing does five-on-five.

I won`t be able to watch this game tonight unfortunately, but I will be checking the boxscore on my Blackberry. Here`s hoping the boys can pull one out and get back in the win column.

Fearless Prediction: A win, damnit.

Game Time: 7:00pm ET

Opponent's Blog: Mile High Hockey

Game Page: Avalanche vs Blue Jackets Coverage

TSN Preview: Avalanche vs Blue Jackets Preview

TV: FSN Ohio

Radio: WBNS-AM (1460); WWCD-FM (101.1)

More after the jump...

From the Columbus Dispatch:

Colorado captain Adam Foote makes his first appearance in Nationwide Arena since he was traded by the Blue Jackets to the Avalanche on Feb. 26, 2008. The Blue Jackets are in a 1-4-3 tailspin since Nov. 19. Columbus won all four games last season and has won six of the past seven games in the series.

Jackets Links:

Columbus Blue Jackets / Columbus Blue Jackets Schedule

Columbus Blue Jackets Roster / Columbus Blue Jackets Stats

Here are the lineups for tonight's tilt:

Columbus Blue Jackets

Kristian Huselius	Antoine Vermette	Rick Nash
R.J. Umberger	Derick Brassard	Jakub Voracek
Jason Chimera	Samuel Pahlsson	Andrew Murray
Raffi Torres	Derek MacKenzie	Jared Boll

Fedor Tyutin	Marc Methot
Mike Commodore	Jan Hejda
Kris Russell	Anton Stralman

Steve Mason

Mathieu Garon

EXTRA: Alexandre Picard

INJURED: Fredrik Modin, Andrew Murray, Derek Dorsett, Rostislav Klesla, Marc Methot

Colorado Avalanche

Matt Duchene	Paul Stastny	Chris Stewart
Wojtek Wolski	T.J. Galiardi	Milan Hejduk
Cody McLeod	Ryan O'Reilly	Darcy Tucker
David Koci	Chris Durno	Marek Svatos

Scott Hannan	Kyle Quincey
John-Michael Liles	Brett Clark
Adam Foote	Ryan Wilson

Peter Budaj

Tyler Weiman

Game 26 Recap: Wild 5 - Avalanche 3

David Driscoll-Carignan — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 23:11:23 -0000

More photos » by Tom Olmscheid - AP

22 days ago: Colorado Avalanche defenseman Ryan Wilson (44) goes to the ice after a check by Minnesota Wild right wing Cal Clutterbuck, right, during the first period of an NHL hockey game Friday, Nov. 27, 2009, in St. Paul, Minn. (AP Photo/Tom Olmscheid)

Browse more photos »

Final - 11.27.2009	1	2	3	Total
Colorado Avalanche	1	2	0	3
Minnesota Wild	1	2	2	5

Complete Coverage >

My motto's always been; when it's right, it's right.
Why wait until the middle of a cold dark night.
When everything's a little clearer in the light of day.
And you know the night is always gonna be there any way.

-The Starland Vocal Band, Afternoon Delight

Unless you are a fan of the Wild or an NHL linesman, this one wasn't much of an afternoon delight. The game was kind of a sloggy, stop-and-go affair with a ton of stoppages. There were 70 faceoffs - 18 more than were in the Avs OT game against Nashville on Wednesday. I'm sure the Wild will take it, however.

The Avalanche jumped on the board first. Matt Duchene was relegated to the 4th line today, but was a factor early. On just his 2nd shift, he moved the puck off the right wing boards. As his winger, Chris Stewart, drew the attention of a couple of Wild players, Duchene smartly dished it back to a wide open Kyle Quincey. Quincey hesitated a second before burying it past Nik Backstrom.

Minnesota tied it up about 4 minutes later when Owen Nolan was the first to a rebound in front of the net. It figures; he always seems to score against the Avs.

In the 2nd, Chuck Kobasew and his porn mustache (the Wild are growing mustaches for charity) made the game 2-1. Kobasew and Kyle Quincey collided in the corner. Quincey got to his feet, but let Kobasew go to pressure Derek Boogaard with the puck in the corner. Bad idea; Boogaard dished the puck to a now wide open Kobasew for an easy goal.

Both teams then traded quick PP goals, with Paul Stastny and Kobasew scoring goals with the man advantage. The Avalanche tied it late in the 2nd when Wojtek Wolski and Chris Stewart got a breakout when Shane Hnidy misplayed the puck and turned it over after a faceoff. Wolski streaked down the ice and made a tremendous pass to Stewart who slammed home his 2nd goal of the year.

While it was great that the Avalanche could tie the game, they had to have been kicking themselves a bit as both Matt Duchene and Paul Stastny had a beautiful scoring chance ring off the post and then TJ Galiardi's swat at a loose puck in the crease ended up knocking the puck out of the net instead of in. If any of those chances go in, the Avs are up 4-3 after two and have a chance at at least grabbing a point.

Instead, the teams were knotted up going into the 3rd and only one team seemed interested in changing that. Hint: it wasn't Colorado. The Avs were woefully outplayed in the first half of the 3rd with Minnesota getting several extended shifts in the offensive zone. Somehow, the Avalanche held on and had a chance to break the tie 8 minutes in when Marek Zidlicky went to the box for tripping. This being the Avalanche powerplay, the crucial opportunity was squandered. And, less than 20 seconds after the Wild killed it off, Darcy Tucker used up the last of the goodwill he had stored up in September by taking a slashing penalty. I was kind of unsure how to proceed there for a while when Tucker was actually playing well, but now that he's back to playing bad hockey I no longer feel conflicted as a fan. Anyway...shockingly, Minnesota scored on their powerplay when Mikko Koivu created a goal by coming out from behind the net with the puck (something he's done about 16,000 times against the Avs) before dishing to Andrew Brunette on the backside.

That was the winner. The Avalanche woke up late and had some sustained pressure with Craig Anderson off for an extra attacker, but they just couldn't get it past Backstrom. Eventually, the dam broke, Koivu got a breakaway and selflessly waited for Kobasew to get open so that he could collect the hat trick (I think they should have waved that one off - he was clearly in the crease!). The Wild aren't the greatest team in the NHL right now, but for the 2nd time this year they've shown the Avs that you can't take any NHL team for granted. The Avs have mailed in two opportunities against the Wild, and they have two losses to show for it. Let's hope they come out with a little more effort and consistency tomorrow.

Lines

The lines were completely changed around tonight (and bore no resemblance to what Altitude listed on their ticker at the start of the game). Matt Duchene started on the 4th line, but he and linemate Chris Stewart had solid games and played their way into good ice time. Wojtek Wolski and Cody McLeod played the early part of the game together, but seemed to switch sides frequently, something Sacco's done off and on all year. Milan Hejduk did not play in the 3rd period after suffering some sort of knee injury.

Hejduk - Stastny - Jones
Wolski - O'Reilly - McLeod
Tucker - Galiardi - Svatos
Koci - Duchene - Stewart

Hannan - Quincey
Wilson - Liles
Clark - Preissing

Quick Hits

Thanks in part to substantial PP time, Chris Stewart had 16:21 of ice time, the most minutes he's had since the 2nd game of the year
Paul Stastny took 32 of the teams 70 faceoffs today.
Tom Preissing had no PP ice time at all, and has had just a smattering of PP shifts after his debut in the 8-2 Vancouver debacle. With our PP struggling, would it be such a terrible idea to give him a shot?

Video Highlights

Next Up

The Avalanche host the Wild tomorrow night, in Denver.

Game 25 Recap: Predators 4 - Avalanche 3 (OT)

David Driscoll-Carignan — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 05:22:05 -0000

More photos » by David Zalubowski - AP

24 days ago: Nashville Predators goalie Pekka Rinne, top, of Finland, lands on Colorado Avalanche defenseman Tom Preissing after they collided in the first period of an NHL hockey game in Denver on Wednesday, Nov. 25, 2009. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Browse more photos »

Final - 11.25.2009	1	2	3	OT	Total
Nashville Predators	2	1	0	1	4
Colorado Avalanche	0	3	0	0	3

Complete Coverage >

I don't know what it is about the 2nd period, but it is almost single handedly making the Avs' season so far. Some games (like tonight), the Avs have come out flat. Other games, they coast towards the finish line. But that middle period? That's keeping them in hockey games, and up in the standings. It's nothing really new. In each of the last 4 seasons, the 2nd period has been the Avs' best offensively. Goal totals over those 4 seasons: 224 in the first, 233 in the 3rd and 289 in the 2nd. Why? Honestly, I don't have the foggiest. It just seems to be what it is.

The Avalanche looked terrible in the first 20 minutes, although, to be fair, the Predators played excellent hockey early on. With Brett Clark taking an early penalty, Nashville was able to convert and jump on an early 1-0 lead. Marcel Goch later made it 2-0 and, really, it could have been much worse. The Avalanche limped to the dressing room after 20 minutes lucky to be down by just two.

But, as has been the case all year, the Avalanche came to life in the 2nd period. Terrific passes by Milan Hejduk, David Jones and Chris Stewart set up goals by Ryan Wilson, Hejduk and Marek Svatos and in just over 14 minutes, the Avalanche turned a 2-0 deficit into a 3-2 lead. The couldn't seal the deal, though, as Shea Weber scored late in the 2nd period to tie things up and both teams tightened it up in a scoreless 3rd period.

There's been a lot of talk about the large number of shootouts this year. Like a lot of people, I fall into the "hate the shootout, but admit it's fun to watch" category. It's true; I think the shootout is a ridiculous way to decide a hockey game, although I find them exciting. But tonight's game is a good reminder that OT can be every bit as exhilarating as a shootout. Yes, Nashville was the team to score, leaving the Avs with a solitary loser point, but that was 3 minutes of wild hockey. Frankly, I'd much rather see OT extended to 10 minutes. If you still want a shootout after that so that there aren't any ties, I'll stop complaining. But you have to get rid of the loser point. Please.

To our American readers, have a safe and enjoyable Thanksgiving tomorrow! For everyone else: we'll see you early on Friday; the puck drops in Minnesota at 2pm eastern.

Avalanche Olympic Preview

David Driscoll-Carignan — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 13:00:15 -0000

Around SBN, each of the hockey blogs is running a little preview of the Olympics with a look at who has a chance to make the Olympic rosters. We're still about a month and a half away from when the rosters are announced (Canada announces on December 31st, USA on January 1st), but here's a look at how the Avalanche are shaping up as of today. Remember, in 2006 the Avalanche sent 11 players to 8 different Olympic squads, tops in the league. The list won't be as big this year.

Team USA

Craig Anderson was not invited to Team USA's orientation camp in August (Tim Thomas, Ryan Miller and Jonathon Quick got the nods), but his strong play to date has to put him in contention to make the roster. Fairly Safe Bet

Paul Stastny did attend the orientation camp and figures to have a solid chance at making the roster. Fairly Safe Bet

John-Michael Liles was not one of the 12 defensemen named by Team USA GM Brian Burke, so it would seem doubtful that Liles will get a chance to repeat his 2006 Olympic participation. Work To Do

Team Canada

No Avalanche players were invited to Team Canada's camp in August. Actually, two were invited...but Ryan Smyth got traded and Joe Sakic retired. The Avalanche have some good Canadian-born players, of course, but no one strong enough to crack a very deep Team Canada squad.

Team Czech Republic

Milan Hejduk already has a gold medal (1998) and a bronze medal (2006) to show for his 3 Olympic appearances. Figure him to be on the team once again. Pack Your Bags

Team Slovakia

Peter Budaj played in the 2006 Olympic games (he was 2-1 with a 2.01 GAA) and is a good bet to make the team this year as well. He's likely to be battling Jaroslav Halak for the starting position. Nearly A Lock

Marek Svatos also played for the 2006 team. I'm not sure that he's a lock; perhaps they need an enforcer? Fairly Safe Bet

Team Belarus

Ruslan Salei is a lock...assuming he's healthy. Pack Your Bags

Colorado Avalanche: What the Hell Happened?

David Driscoll-Carignan — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 13:00:15 -0000

Halloween, 2009. Although the Avalanche had lost the night before to San Jose, we woke up that Saturday feeling pretty good about our team. The Avalanche had finished October at phenomenal 10-2-2 and, as we dressed our kiddos in their Halloween costumes and ran out to the stores to stock our trick-or-treat bowls, we had a little spring in our step. Our sad-sack Avalanche of last year had turned things around and were currently perched on top of the Western Conference (indeed, they were tied with Pittsburgh at 1st in the league).

And, yet, we knew.

Oh, sure, we got indignant when James Mirtle (and others) predicted we'd start to fall back into the pack or whenever someone failed to give the Avalanche props in power rankings and the like. We're proud of our team and, after 6 months of nothing but negativity (on the ice and off), it was great to have something to feel good about again. Deep down, though, we knew. The team was better (not that we could have gotten much worse than the steaming pile of dung that was the 2008 season); the Avalanche were working harder, working smarter and, for the first time in years, had a bona fide #1 between the pipes. But - and this may be the largest "but" I've ever written - this was not a first-place team. Deep down, we knew it.

Since then, it hasn't been very pretty. The Avalanche have gone 3-5-1 in November. That won't get it done. If the Avalanche were to continue at that pace, they'd finish the season at 33-40-9. 75 points. Last year, 75 points would have been good enough for...you guessed it: 3rd-worst record in the NHL. Are you guys ready for the next "tank it 4 ___" watch?

What the hell happened? Lots. Adrian Dater covered it very well on Friday night after the latest debacle. I agree with every single point in that excellent post. I'd also like to flesh out a few thoughts I've had bouncing around in that little plinko machine in my head.

Unquestionably, any discussion about the Avs and their now-wheelless bus has to start with the powerplay. After 6 games, the Avalanche had 10 PP goals and were humming along at 38.5% efficiency. For a team that scored just 50 PP goals last year, that was an amazing start. Sadly, it wouldn't last. In the 17 games since that game 6 in Toronto, the Avalanche have just 7 PP goals in 62 chances. That's a pitiful 11.3% efficiency, even worse than 15.7% the Avalanche mustered last year and the 14.6% laugher under Joel Quenneville that created our power play kitten meme. Why has it been so bad? Losing John-Michael Liles has had an impact. It's probably not a coincidence that the PP collapse coincided with Liles' leaving the lineup; he was injured in the Toronto game. In a perfectly symmetrical stat, the Avalanche have had 44 PP opportunities this year with Liles in the lineup and 44 PP opportunities with him out of the lineup. With him in, they've scored 13 times (29.5%). Without? 4 (9.1%).That's ugly.

Compelling stats, but there's more to it. In the first 6 games, the Avalanche were getting something on the powerplay they have lacked for years: scoring from the point. Kyle Quincey was absolutely revitalizing in the early going and he, Liles and Brett Clark combined for 3 goals and 11 assists on the PP in the first 6 games. Since then, bone dry and I mean Mojave Desert dry. No goals for any of them. Liles has 2 assists (both in Friday's game). Quincey and Clark have just one PP assist each. What happened to them? In the last 4 games, Quincey hasn't even registered a shot on net (PP or otherwise). They have been so ineffective that Joe Sacco has resorted to using a forward on the point. It's working about as well as it did under both Joel Quenneville and Tony Granato. In other words, it isn't.

And how about that Kyle Quincey? When the Avalanche traded for him this summer, I was less than pleased. It wasn't so much a knock on Quincey (or Tom Preissing...don't ask me to go there right now) as I felt it was a mistake to trade Ryan Smyth. My argument was that the Avalanche had a fair number of manageable defensemen, while they were thin offensively and at left wing. And that was before the sudden maturation of Kyle Cumiskey or the surprising play of Ryan Wilson. For a while, it looked like Quincey would sway me. In an interview for Second City Hockey's fan program back in October, I said the following:

Quincey has been a GREAT fit for us defensively. He is already paying dividends. The Avs have been looking for a PP quarterback for eons and his crisp passes have already started a boatload of breakaways at even strength.

What happened to those dividends? Did the board of directors vote to suspend them? Where did that PP quarterbacking go? Where did those breakout passes go? What about the big hits he was throwing around in the first couple of weeks? What's with all the stupid penalties all of a sudden (6 minor penalties in the last 4 games)? Is he still an upgrade for our defense? Yes. Has he been playing so far above the guys in the pressbox to warrant the trade of Smyth? No. I mean, Ruslan Salei can take bad penalties and do nothing on the PP just as well as Quincey has done lately. Speaking of Salei, he's set to return from his back injury soon. With all that defensive depth I talked about, is he even going to play? Or are we just going to pay Salei and Preissing $5.775 million to watch from the press box?

While I'm aware that moving Smyth was a salary move, you'd like to see a big trade like that make your team better. Smyth, in case you missed it, has 23 points in 22 games this year. Our #1 left wing, Wojtek Wolski, has a solid 20 points. No complaints there. After Wolski, though, our left wingers are providing butkus. Cody McLeod has 8 points. Darcy Tucker has 7. David Koci has 1. The Avalanche are so hard up at left wing that Marek Svatos (8 points) played there on Friday; he has 3 even strength points this year. I like Kyle Quincey, but wouldn't this team look much better right now with Ryan Smyth skating with Matt Duchene and Milan Hejduk rather than Svatos or Tucker?

Smyth's linemate this year is Anze Kopitar, who is tearing up the league (33 points). Smyth's linemate last year was Paul Stastny. While Stastny hasn't been terrible, he's been quieter than he should be. You may recall that when Kopitar signed his big extension with the Kings last year, I opined that that deal would be the ballpark for Stastny's upcoming extension. Sure enough, when Stastny signed his extension about a month later, it was just $200,000 less per season than Kopitar's. How's that worked out for the respective teams? For the Kings, really well. Here are Kopitar's numbers before signing his extension and his numbers since:

Before: 155 GP 52G 86A 138P -29 .89 PPG (points per game)
Since: 105GP 41G 58A 99P -10 .94 PPG

Since becoming rich, Kopitar hasn't rested on his laurels. In fact, he's increased his scoring production. You know what's coming next.

Before: 164GP 55G 109A 164P +16 1.00 PPG
After: 52GP 12G 29A 41P -3 .79 PPG

Stastny's production has slipped since signing his extension. Now, .79 PPG is not terrible, but it is a decline. That's a 65-point season, something 50 players managed last year. In fact, only 5 teams didn't have a player get to 65 points (want to guess one of them?). It's good, but it's not great. It's not quite $6.6 million worth, not quite highest-paid-on-the-team great, not quite 21st-highest-paid forward-like. It's hard to pick on a guy who leads the team in scoring, but Paul Stastny needs to be doing more and he needs to do it on a more consistent basis. Stastny is held off the scoresheet on too many nights and, in fact, is in the longest goal-scoring drought of his career (12 games). When he was a 2nd line center and the Avalanche had other weapons, this would have been okay. They don't have other weapons.

I'm already running long, so I'll have to speed through the rest of this. Craig Anderson has a 3.39 GAA and .885 Save Percentage in November and lately he's been making us think fondly of Jose Theodore's awful stickhandling. Perhaps we should hold off on giving him the keys to the city for a while longer. Our PK was terrific in October (12.9%) but it's been dreadful since (26.3%). The Avalanche were supposed to be harder to play against under Joe Sacco, but the Avs are giving up more shots per game than they did under Tony Granato and they are hitting substantially less (from about 10 per game to 6). How is that better?

At the end of October, Joe Sacco looked like a coach of the year candidate for the way he had turned this team around. In just 3 weeks, that's gone away. Although they are still high in the standings, they are looking more and more like last year's team - no scoring, defensive lapses, inconsistent goaltending. With another bad week, the Avs could be out of the top 8 altogether (they are just 5 points ahead of the 11th place Canucks).

Personally, I think the next few weeks are going to be very interesting. As we approached the start of the season, it seems like most of us fans felt that this season wouldn't be so much about winning as losing as it would be about effort and player development. That's going to be put to the test shortly, I'm afraid. Will we be frustrated with repeated losses? Or will we really be content to watch guys like Wojtek Wolski, David Jones and Kyle Cumiskey who are having career years (Cumiskey has already set a career high, and Jones needs just 2 more points to do the same) as well as seeing kids like Matt Duchene, Ryan O'Reilly and Ryan Wilson blossom? It will be an adjustment for sure, but not all that new for us. After all, we were 3 games over .500 and in 8th place as late as January 10th last year. I think we all know how that ended for us.