Bear with me here, as there are several definitions and opinions of what "bad" is. To me, a bad coach is one who fails to adapt, to utilize his team's strengths, and too often plays into the opponent's system. Thanks to some quick research from patrit19, we have established that Colorado's record against their division under Sacco is as follows:

1st year: 10-11-3

2nd year: 7-16-1

3rd year: 2-12-1 (so far)

For a total of 19-39-5 (thanks Mike). Abysmal would be insulting to the word abysmal.

Why it means he's a bad coach: Other than the obvious (under .500), this is hard evidence of what many of us fans have speculated for a while now: He fails to adapt. The teams that know the Avs best (their division) have no problem beating them--and it's become worse and worse in each season, as teams become more and more familiar with the Avalanche style of play. Eastern teams? No clue how the Avs play--and the Avs eat them up.

It's time for Sacco to go. Will the Avs get someone better? Who knows. But at least for a while, maybe the division won't know exactly how to handle the Avs.

Forgive me for sounding like some anonymous hockey blogger, but I couldn't help but post some of this info here and see what fellow Avs fans think.  I had a conversation with someone over the weekend--this is someone who has played a lot of hockey with a certain Avalanche prospect; they're friends and speak often.  I got the following dirt out of the conversation:

• Overall, the organization is anything but organized.  They don't just jerk the players in the NHL around, but the prospects as well.  Things are in the toilet right now--they're not making enough money...or at least that's what the brass thinks.  
• Joe Sacco is some kind of "idiot" (also described as "horrible coach").  He says a bunch of "poop" and the players basically tell him to "piss off" (hence the on ice performance?). Apparently he's a total prick to the younger players.  I asked why he's been extended, and the answer was that they're going to see how this season goes...or at least part of it, and then..."he's gone". 
• Liles wanted out BAD.  He didn't like the way he was treated (or the organizational stuff) and wanted to play somewhere where his skill set will be utilized.  

Naturally, getting this information was kind of discouraging...especially after a great draft.  Is any of it true?  I can't say for sure, unless I was there.  But it seems legit (especially considering my source) and it certainly would explain a lot of what happened last season both on and off the ice.  One final factor to bear in mind--a lot of this is coming from a prospect player who probably hasn't been given as much time at the NHL level as they'd like.  Perhaps they're just bitter?  

Actually, this whole post really raises more questions than answers.  Forget I said anything. (b3)

I remember reading on Hockey Buzz a few days ago that some teams were high on this guy.  Didn't think the Avs were actually doing something.  Does this mean Fleischmann is done?  Dater seems to think it means the Avs may be drafting Larsson.

http://blogs.denverpost.com/avs/2011/06/15/avs-closing-in-on-swedish-player-lindstrom/7409/

And in case you missed it...here are a few more words to make this article long enough to post.

I figured it might be nice to have a one stop thread for trade talk over the next four days leading up to the deadline.  Of course, if one of you official types wants to make a better thread for this topic, then by all means.

If you have a twitter feed, you've probably notice that the Avalanche, and Stastny and Liles in particular are blowing up right now.  The latest developments per NHL Insider and Darren Dreger:

Liles:  Asking price has apparently been upped to possibly a 1st round pick or 2nd rounder and a prospect/player.  Tempting...but I'd still rather have Liles, thanks.  It would be a mistake to trade him.  

Stastny:  Consensus is that he's not available.  Although the Toronto Sun disagrees.

Foote:  Wants to finish his career as an Av. (e3)  Confirmed by Denver Post.

O'Reilly:  Word is Chicago is looking for a young, defensive minded center, and that they've been talking to the Avs.  Some feel O'Reilly is that guy.  

Updated: 27FEB2011 2300hrs MST

Belated Mid Season Recap (Avs on a roll).

February 2nd, 2012

I know we're a bit past the mid season mark, but I figured it's better late than never!

2011-2012 has been an exciting year for the Colorado Avalanche.  After 54 games, the team sits at 31-16-7, good for 70 points( 1st in the Northwest division, and 2nd in the conference).  They’re currently 3 points ahead of Vancouver, but hold two games in hand and have a lock on the tie breaker with a 3-0-1 record against the Canucks this year.  By my count, it should take them no more than seven games to eclipse last season’s total of 80 points.

Let's look at how we got here:

The off season didn’t start with such optimism, as the Avs missed the playoffs last year despite leading the NHL in scoring for the first half of the season.  The top line of Stewart, Stastny, and Jones (yes, David Jones played an entire season) put together some impressive numbers the last couple weeks of the season, but it was too little…way too late.  

Then came the summer to remember.  First, Peter Forsberg, who played in 21 of the Avalanche’s final 28 games, collecting 6 goals and 19 assists, signed for one more year with the team .  Craig Anderson was given another 2 year deal, despite his "off year".  But General Sherman wasn’t done there.  He shocked everyone the day before the draft by trading the team’s 1st round pick (13th overall), TJ Galiardi, Brandon Yip, and Jonas Holos to Chicago for the rights to UFA Brent Seabrook (who quickly signed a 5 year $30M contract). 

After a so-so pre season, the Avs came flying out of the gate.  Who would have thought that the addition of one player to the soft defense would change so much?  The top pairing of Seabrook and Quincey has been nothing short of awesome.  The Avs haven’t had a shut down pair like this since probably 2001 (you know who).   Liles and O’Bryne have had some great chemistry as well, and Shattenkirk has played well with his rotation of partners (Wilson, Hunwick, Gaunce…etc).  The confidence has spread to Craig Anderson, who has enjoyed a solid year (25-13-5, 2.59 .916) as well as rookie backup Calvin Pickard (6-3-2, 2.88 .906).  The offense has certainly returned, and not just due to the return of Captain Forsberg (55 points in 43 games).  Linemates Duchene and Hejduk are both on pace to eclipse 40 goals, and the "second" line of Stastny, Stewart, and Fleischmann (and sometimes Jones) are keeping pace.

The Avalanche also represented well in this year’s All-Star game, as  Stewart, Forsberg, Liles and Duchene all represented the burgundy and blue.  Some other positives to note:  Stewart leads the team with 33 goals (4th in the NHL), Stastny had a 14 game point streak earlier in the year (before missing 4 games with a lower body injury), winger David Jones is on pace to score 30 goals (despite playing heavy minutes on the THIRD line).  Ryan O’Reilly is among the league leaders in +/- with a +22 (oh, and his 11 goals have certainly helped—4 of them game winners!).  

Coach Sacco and his staff have done a terrific job rebounding this team, instilling confidence in the young players—even the guys who played a few games at the beginning of the season before they were sent down (Better luck next year, Stefan).  I guess he took the ol' military training approach--gotta tear them down before you build them up!  Perhaps a bigger impact has been new Assistant Coach Adam Foote's improvements to the PK (why didn’t you help them LAST year?!).  Of course, only dealing with 34 man games to injury (an Avalanche record?) hasn’t hurt…pun intended. That number might be a lot higher if Peter Mueller hadn't sadly announced his retirement in the off season (still really bummed about this one--but he seems sadistically happy with his position as Colin Campbell's replacement).

Let's look at where we're headed:

The Avs enter this weekend with a home and home against the Detroit Red Wings, who should be no problem for the Avs—they have owned Detroit this season, outscoring the Wings 13-2 in two games.  It should also be noted that the Wings will be without the services of Todd Bertuzzi, who was recently injured in a freak hot-tubbing accident with teammate Tomas Holmstrom.  Both are expected to miss the rest of the regular season.   Said players would probably miss the playoffs as well, but with Detroit’s current record (17-28-8), I’d say the playoffs are a long shot at this point.  It’s really too bad Detroit traded their 1st, 2nd, and 3rd round picks this summer to try and replace the retired Lidstrom (I always knew Byfuglien was an overrated defenseman).  A series sweep would certainly bolster the Avs’ chance of making the post season.  However, at this point, that wouldn’t be such a difficult task as the Avs would currently only need to carry a .333 win percentage to have an 85% chance of making the playoffs…but let’s go in on a hot streak, okay boys? 

All that being said, it’s safe to say the Avs are really starting to show that promise we’d all hoped for.  We’ve endured some growing pains with this team, but thankfully the management never panicked, and now it feels like the window for a championship is beginning to open.  Go Avs!

No, not the roster.  Does the roster need work?  Sure, but it's a rebuild in progress--one that's going pretty well.  Inject a little size into that defense, and we'll be okay.

No, the rebuild I'm talking about is the image of the team.  From poor attendance to mediocre marketing the Avalanche brand has become as stale three day old cheese from a party platter.  

But this thread isn't about just tearing down.  It's about ideas.  We need to improve this situation.  But what can be done?

Logo:  Let's start here.  I love the logo--I'd like to keep it the same.  But it doesn't mean it couldn't use some subtle tweaks.  Maybe even a slight palette swap.  Check out the long history of changes to the Bruins logo to see how subtle change works over time.

Uniforms:  I don't think you'll find anybody on these boards who would counter the notion that the current uniforms are awful.  Just awful.  Complete overhaul needed here.  Something simple?  Classic stripes?  Or just bring back the jerseys from the glory days?  

In game entertainment:  Oh god, it's bad.  From the goal horn/song to the arena music that for some reason thinks it needs to play whatever is popular on the latest edition of EA's NHL series...it needs a total change.  The Pepsi Center is cookie cutter crap and lacks any kind of identity.  Remember the "Avalanche wave"?  What happened to that?  That was awesome.

Bernie:  Put him to sleep and never speak his name again.

Marketing:  Other than a push to sell ticket packages, the point of marketing is to make people not just aware of a product, but that they WANT that product.  They need it.  Make this team cool again.  Tell the fans why Chris Stewart is CGDS.  Why should we care about Duchene?  Who is "The Factor"?  Sell me on this product!  Contact Apple and find out which agency runs their advertising.  They are excellent at their job.  

Press:  Generate interest not just amongst fans, but encourage the press to cover our team.  Issue press passes to bloggers.  Agree with it or not, blogs are the future of press.

Personality:  Twitter is great, but encourage the players to open up.  Duchene letting a vodka line slip may be a bit embarrassing, but it absolutely endears him to the fans.  Let's ditch the current scripts and throw some twists in there.  Make the off ice product as entertaining as the on ice product.  

These are just a few things management/ownership can do to make this team fresh again.  You want to sell tickets?  Image is just as, if not more important than the on ice product.  I have no doubt the team will develop into a championship caliber.  But let's have the best image, too.  The franchise's image will determine national exposure, and will pay off two fold as players not only are proud to play for the franchise, but others want to come here (and may even take a hefty discount to do so).  Just ask Detroit.

After tonight's (adjective needed) loss to the Blackhawks, I decided to do a little stat digging and see if perhaps we can pinpoint an area that needs improved the most.  This is an 11 game sampling that started with the 5-0 (adjective needed) loss to the Los Angeles Kings, which followed on the heels of a (adjective needed)  game win streak.  

Since the start of this 11 game, let's just call it "bad" streak of play, the Avs have seen their offense go from 1st in the NHL to 4th, their Power Play drop from 4th to 9th (19.2%), and the penalty kill dip from...well, it's sucked all season, and now it sucks a little worse.  The team has gone 3-6-2, collecting 8 out of a possible 22 points, and have dropped from 4th in the West to 8th, only 3 points up on the teams chasing them, but having  played 2 more games.

Continue reading this post »

I think this is a great matchup.  Although barely making the playoffs in the East, I really believe that the Flyers boast a roster as deep as anybody in the league.  This should be a great series...but with any series, there are many questions (feel free to chime in with your own):

Will the Hossa curse continue?  Imagine if his team lost in game 7 for the third straight year?

Byfuglien VS Pronger!  Epic.

Patrick Kane:  Will cab drivers in Philadelphia be prepared?

Does Scott Hartnell have the best hockey hair in the league?

Lappy?

EDITOR'S NOTE: Added to the Front Page to facilitate discussion on a slow news day. Also, the Finals schedule has been announced.

I'll admit I haven't made a video for this here internet box in some time.  Enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ILu7ObR-bk0

Oh, and of course this has to be 75 words long.  So I'll keep typing some stuff in here until I meet the quota.  It's too bad t he Sharks are down 3-0 in this series.  I was kinda hoping they'd win the cup and that the Avs would prove to have been their toughest opponent.  Oh well.  The Blackhawks are good.  Damn good.

Avalanche head coach Joe Sacco announced after tonight's game six that forwards Milan Hejduk, Peter Mueller, and David Jones would not be making the trip to San Jose for game seven, and indicated that some roster changes may be in store.   

On a serious note...thanks for the great season, Avalanche.  I really enjoyed this entire year...it's been a while since I've been able to say that!  Can't wait until October!

People around here know I like to complain a lot.  I'm a sore loser--more like...I expect to win.  All the time.  It's not that I love to win, it's that I hate to lose.

That being said, I can't complain about this team.  They've been awesome.  They were supposed to finish last in the West, and here they are in the playoffs.  Now they're pushing the heavily favored #1 seed to the brink.  They may go on to lose this series, but at least it will be close, and for that I can't complain.

They're finally getting goaltending the likes of which we haven't seen since before the lockout.  I can't complain.

The rookies are just starting to show how good they're going to be, and hopefully the young defensmen in the system will do for our defense next year, what the rookies have done for the offense this year.  I can't complain.

I'm actually just enjoying this series.  Win or lose, they've showed heart, skill, and the determination needed to prove they belong.  It won't be long before the Avs are at the top of the league again.  I can't complain!

Tavares is now 6 points back of Duchene.  True, he's played two more games, but the gap is certainly shrinking...and if he's broken out of his scoring slump, it could be a very tight race down to the end.  

One has to think that if the scoring race is close between these two, than the easy fallback vote is to give the Calder to Tyler Myers, or even Jimmy Howard.

Duchene does have other intangibles on his side--his team is competing for the playoffs (this is an advantage over Tavares only), and he's been a great two way player, not just a scorer.  He looks like a legitimate superstar out there--flying past opponents, making quick turns and dangles, and setting up great plays.

But the bottom line is, if he isn't at least a solid 7 points or so above the rest in rookie scoring when it's all said and done, I think the trophy may go to Myers.

So the loss against Vancouver sucked.  It sucked about as bad as a regular season loss can suck (without suffering an injury to a star player, or missing the playoffs on the last day of the regular season). 

But, life in Avalanche land is pretty good these days.  Even their mediocre "lose one, win one" record since the olympics is on pace for enough points to get the Avs into the playoffs.  

At the beginning of the year, everyone picked this team to battle it out for last in the West.  Nobody thought Duchene would have such an immediate impact.  Nobody thought Anderson would be so solid, or that O'Reilly would make the team.  Nobody thought Stewart would start scoring goals like he's Cam Neely.  I'm certain nobody thought Galiardi would be putting up numbers, or guys like Yip would have any impact whatsoever.  Nobody thought the Avs would be here...including many of the people on this site.

And I never thought we'd actually get rid of Wolski (who I hate).  And what did the Avs get in return for him?  A guy who just needed to get out of Phoenix.  A guy who has put up 6 points in 4 games, looking like another hungry young player who is going to add to this team for years. (Plus, he's American.  Bonus.)

And the best part of all, is that this team is young, and still rebuilding.  It's not a patched together, plug the holes, hope to limp into the playoffs team.  This team is built for long term success.  Once again, we Avalanche fans are poised for a decade of being spoiled.  

Since Firefox has recently jumped on the "Skins" bandwagon (they call them personas), they've opened the field up to struggling artists everywhere! 

Behold my Avalanche Persona!  Available for download here:

Made in America!!!!! Click here!

You'll need the latest version of Firefox.

In case anyone else is interested, there's a link on their page on how to create your own persona.  It's pretty simple--anyone with a little bit of photoshop experience can do it.  If anyone cares to make some better Avalanche themed personas, please feel free to post them here.  My feelings won't be hurt!

Peter Forsberg is going to be talked about, so we may as well get this discussion going now.  According to sources, Forsberg is gearing up for one last attempt at an NHL comeback.  Clearly the Avalanche are in a position they didn't expect to be in (nor did anyone else).  When Forsberg rumors first surfaced back before the season started, it was speculated that he wouldn't be interested in joining a club that was supposed to be fighting to finish 13th in the conference. 

Now, things have changed a bit.

So...what do you do about Peter Forsberg if you're the Colorado Avalanche GM?

I've been digitizing all my old VHS tapes and have come across a few Avalanche things I taped.  So I figured I'd upload them for ya'll to reminisce about the good ol' days.

1996 Stanley Cup Finals game 4 preview and analysis - Gary Thorne, Bill Clement and crew talk about how the Avs have pwned the Panthers.

The Avs win the 1996 Stanley Cup in Overtime - Includes post game interviews, Conn Smythe...and...the tape runs out right before they lift the cup!  Hooray! Stupid triple overtime eating up all my tape...

How to beat the 1997 Colorado Avalanche - Playoff preview as analysts and NHL players talk about how hard it will be to knock out the defending Stanley Cup Champs.

Per NHL.com: http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=463553

Personally, I'm glad to see him get another shot in the NHL.  Best of luck to him--and I hope the Pens can repeat with him behind the bench.  Of course, now that he's moved on from the Avs, he'll probably be an awesome assistant coach.

Then again, if the Penguins' power play starts to suck...we'll know why.  Expect to see Crosby at the point.

Wish it ended on a better note.  Hard to believe that such a career ended with a snow blower, or that the last time  he ever shook hands in the NHL playoffs will be after a four game sweep to the Detroit Red Wings.

The second worst summer in Avalanche history just took a turn for the worse, and I, frankly, feel pretty blue.  Not so much burgundy. 

Well, thanks a lot, Joe.  I can't really say anything else, except...you were totally badass.  Good luck in the future...a future I hope you still share with this organization.

There are rumors going around (per TSN, anyway) that the Avs are currently shopping Smyth, Hannan, and Liles in an effort to "cut salary".

This worries me a bit.  Don't get me wrong, I don't really want to see any of those guys leave, but I wouldn't be heartbroken if it landed us some good young players.  What I'm worried about however, is the phrase "cut salary".  I am hoping the Avs don't become one of the teams that barely spends above the cap floor. 

If you are going to trade one of those guys, and it's not about salary, why not Smyth for JS Giguere?  Similar salaries, and both players fill voids on the other team.

If the Avs do turn into a "cap floor" team, expect them to be relocated within 10 years.