Avalanche report, November 27

By Rick Sadowski, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)

Tuesday, November 27, 2007

It could be worse

Avalanche coach Joel Quenneville figures his team's situation could be a lot worse after being outscored 21-8 while losing four of the past five games.

Despite the slump, the Avalanche is one point out of first place in the crowded Northwest Division and has played one fewer game than co-leaders Minnesota and Vancouver.

"Maybe we're fortunate to be in the position we're in, knowing that we still haven't played our best hockey yet," Quenneville said Monday.

"The upside is still in place to really improve."

This doesn't mean he's pleased with how the Avalanche has played lately. He especially was perturbed with Saturday's 5-2 home loss to Calgary.

"We weren't excited at all against Calgary, and that can't happen," Quenneville said. "There's a certain standard how we have to play and approach each and every game, and that's a higher standard of how we compete. There's a certain way of playing where you give yourself a chance to win.

"There's no sense in feeling good about ourselves with where we're at and how we've played."

Power play a focus

The Avalanche worked on its sputtering power play in practice and will do so again today.

"It's definitely been a sore spot," Quenneville said of an 0-for-24 rut. "I think that's where you lose a lot of momentum in games. There's frustration when your top guys aren't productive and you lose a little confidence as the game goes on. Pucks are going off our sticks and we're chasing it the whole shift.

"I think (the power play) is one of our staples - our bread and butter - and it should be."

No word on Parker

There was no word from the NHL whether Scott Parker would be suspended for his second period cross-check against Calgary's Dion Phaneuf on Saturday.

NHL spokesman Frank Brown said in an e-mail that league vice president and director of hockey operations Colin Campbell, who is in charge of discipline, "is looking at it," but he had no other information.

Parker was assessed a major penalty and game misconduct for knocking down Phaneuf, who continued in the game and played Sunday in St. Louis against the Blues.

In a related move, the league rescinded the instigator penalty assessed to Calgary's Eric Godard for starting a fight with Parker in retaliation for the hit against Phaneuf.

It would have been Godard's third such infraction and resulted in an automatic two-game suspension.

Light on his feet

Forward Ian Laperriere, who is recovering from a sprained right knee, did some skating for the second day in a row.

He was injured Nov. 11 in a collision with Minnesota's James Sheppard.

Laperriere also worked out with a bungee cord in the locker room while listening to music.

He crisscrossed his legs while moving left to right and back with the cord stretched.

"Dancing with the Stars," he quipped.