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Foote contributes in return; Stastny scores winner

By Rick Sadowski, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)

Published February 26, 2008 at 11:56 p.m.

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Adam Foote played his first game with the Avalanche since May 2004 on Tuesday night. Colorado had acquired him via trade earlier in the day.

Photo by AP

Adam Foote played his first game with the Avalanche since May 2004 on Tuesday night. Colorado had acquired him via trade earlier in the day.

The Avalanche's Paul Stastny, center right, celebrates his winning overtime goal with teammates Ryan Smyth, center left, Wojtek Wolski, left, and Joe Sakic on Tuesday night in Colorado's 4-3 win against the Calgary Flames in Alberta.

Photo by Jeff Mcintosh / Associated Press

The Avalanche's Paul Stastny, center right, celebrates his winning overtime goal with teammates Ryan Smyth, center left, Wojtek Wolski, left, and Joe Sakic on Tuesday night in Colorado's 4-3 win against the Calgary Flames in Alberta.

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A familiar figure made his way from the Avalanche locker room to the bench with 6:26 remaining in the first period Tuesday night at the Pengrowth Saddledome.

Ol' No. 52 was back.

Adam Foote, considered by many to be the heart and soul of the team's two Stanley Cup championship teams, received a warm welcome from coach Joel Quenneville, who patted the 36-year-old defenseman on the back, as did several of his new/old teammates.

A weary Foote, acquired earlier in the day from the Columbus Blue Jackets, managed to take one 56-second shift in the period and finished with 18:30 in ice time in the Avalanche's 3-2 overtime win against the Calgary Flames.

"Weirdest day of my life," said Foote, who waived his no-trade clause when he and the Blue Jackets couldn't reach an agreement on a new contract. "I found out after practice and it was a shock to me. I didn't think it was going to happen, but I've always had a big part of Denver in my heart.

"They worked hard to get a plane to Columbus and they found a fast bird that could fly here faster and higher. My mind was kind of spinning, but it worked out great."

Foote provided steady play on the ice and gave the Avalanche an emotional lift it parlayed into a pivotal come-from-behind win that pulled the team two points behind Nashville for the final playoff position in the Western Conference.

"We kept getting updates on his whereabouts," Quenneville said. "He's here now . . . he's getting his skates on . . . he's heading to the bench. You could see the smiles on everyone's faces."

There were plenty more happy expressions after Paul Stastny converted Ryan Smyth's pass at 3:02 of the extra period during a four-on-three advantage.

Milan Hejduk, whose power- play goal tied the score with 6:27 to play in regulation, took a shot that Flames goalie Miikka Kiprusoff stopped but didn't control. Smyth got to the rebound and passed to Stastny on the right side.

"The rebound came right to 'Smitty' and I went back door and I knew he was going to find me," Stastny said. "He made a no-look pass right to me."

Stastny set up Hejduk's goal with a drop pass in the right circle and Hejduk fired a laser that beat Kiprusoff to the far corner.

"Paul gave me a great pass, he drove to the net and I tried to shoot far side, low blocker,"

Hejduk said. "To get two power-play goals, it's a big lift and this is what we have to do."

The Flames were angry at referee Dennis LaRue for sending Jarome Iginla to the penalty box for tripping John-Michael Liles at 1:37 of overtime and accused the defenseman of taking a dive.

While the Avalanche prepared for its power play, the crowd booed as replays were shown over and over while "Swan Lake" blared through the arena.

"You know what? I was not trying to dive," Liles said. "What are you going to say? I'm sure that they'll say I dived, but I didn't."

Liles chipped in with two assists and only missed a few shifts in the second period after getting hit on the knee with a Dion Phaneuf slap shot and crumpling to the ice.

The Avalanche started with five healthy defensemen because Foote arrived late and Ruslan Salei, acquired from Florida for Karlis Skrastins, will join the team for tonight's game in Vancouver.

"I'm sure it was tough for him to go right from the airplane to the ice," Hejduk said. "It's amazing."

Foote wondered in the second period if he could help out.

"I felt like I'd never put on skates before," he said. "As my legs got going, I felt better . . . but not great."

The Avalanche took a 1-0 lead at 4:08 of the first period on a goal by Smyth, who beat Kiprusoff to the short side with a back-handed shot from the right circle.

The Flames tied the score on Dustin Boyd's goal at 15:35 and went ahead at 12:58 of the second period on a short-handed goal by Robyn Regehr, whose shot went in off Scott Hannan's skate.

"It was a bad break, but as a goalie you just want to make the next save," Jose Theodore said. "I kept saying, 'If I could hold it at 2-1 we're going to get the next one.' I was seeing the puck well and I wasn't going to let it affect my game."

Avalanche 3, Flames 2, OT

Colorado1 0 1 1 - 3

Calgary1 1 0 0 - 2

First period - 1, Col, Smyth 12 (Svatos, Liles), 4:08. 2, Cal, Boyd 6 (Nolan, Lombardi), 15:35. Penalties - Sauer, Col, (delay of game), 1:40; Parker, Col, major (fighting), 6:46; Godard, Cal, major (fighting), 6:46; Sakic, Col, (holding), 8:40; Hannan, Col, (cross-checking), 13:34.

Second period - 3, Cal, Regehr 5 (Langkow), 12:58 (sh). Penalties - Aucoin, Cal (boarding), 4:39; Hejduk, Col, (tripping), 5:21; Lombardi, Cal (holding stick), 11:03; Sauer, Col, (roughing), 14:07; Phaneuf, Cal, double minor (charging, roughing), 14:07.

Third period - 4, Col, Hejduk 21 (Stastny, Liles), 13:33 (pp). Penalty - Hale, Cal (tripping), 13:17.

Overtime - 5, Col, Statsny 19 (Smyth, Hejduk) 3:02 (pp). Penalty - Iginla, Cal (tripping), 1:37.

Shots - Col 8-11-10-5 - 34. Cal 11-10-8-0 - 29. Power plays - Col 2 of 5; Cal 0 of 4. Goalies - Col, Theodore 17-17-2 (29 shots-27 saves). Cal, Kiprusoff 19-8-4 (34-31). A - 19,289 (19,289). T - 2:28. Referees - Eric Furlatt, Dennis LaRue. Linesmen - Mike Cvik, Don Henderson.

NUMBERS GAME

2 power-play goals for the Avalanche, breaking a 1-for-34 slump with the man advantage during parts of eight games.

SENSE OF RELIEF I

John-Michael Liles was breathing a little easier once the NHL trading deadline passed. The Avalanche defenseman was mentioned in numerous trade rumors and was happy to put on a Colorado sweater for Tuesday's game.

"I was a little nervous," he said. "Every time I saw a number on my phone that I didn't recognize, it was a little nerve-wracking. I got a call from one of my buddies who called from his work phone just to mess with me. He did the exact same thing last year. He's one of the few guys that can get away with it."

SENSE OF RELIEF II

Right wing Milan Hejduk, above, acknowledged being troubled by a monthlong scoring slump, which he finally snapped with a power-play goal that tied Tuesday's score with 6:27 left in the third period.

Hejduk is second on the Avalanche with 21 goals, but his only two goals in the previous 12 games came Feb. 9 against Vancouver and he had gone seven games without a point.

"I was kind of struggling," Hejduk said. "I can't even remember the last time I scored. It was a long time and it was nice to help the team win the hockey game."

HE SAID IT

"Maybe Patty (Patrick Roy) will come out of retirement now."

Hejduk, on the Avalanche's acquisitions of Peter Forsberg and Adam Foote.

Comments

  • February 27, 2008

    5:59 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    SE7EN writes:

    Foote...traded, on a plane and playing on the same night. That kind of heart is exactly what we need on this team, and another reason why it was a huge mistake to keep Blake on the roster after the lockout and deny Foote and Forsberg, the true heart of the Avs. So good to see #52 back on D. You're the man, Footer!

  • February 27, 2008

    8:54 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    JGagnon19 writes:

    Yeah, I'm glad that Foote and Forsberg are back, but the Avs didn't have a choice with Blake staying on. They weren't going to buyout his contract, because they couldn't afford it. Blake and Sakic were due huge bonuses that year, and because of it, had to keep Blake (would have always Sakic) and couldn't afford Forsberg and Foote.

    It was all a matter of economics.

  • February 27, 2008

    1:52 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    GJrodburner writes:

    Regardless of the economics of the Blake deal, the so-called glory years for the Aves ended when they could not bring back Foote and Forsberg. I don't know if anything can be recaptured by their returning to the Aves, but I'm willing to take my chances. Last nights win was pivotal, and maybe, just maybe we'll be looking back at that win last night as the turning point in this season. To play the Flames that tight and tough just speaks volumes about how important Smythe, Sakic, Stastny, and Foote can be to this team down the stretch. Throw in Forsberg for good measure and it is conceivable that this team could and can make it to the third round of the W.C.P.O's! With the possibility that the contributions from all involved with the win last night in Calgary can lead to a win and more cohesive team play tonight in Vancouver, it just may happen that bringing back these "old-timers" was the best move the Aves could have ever done for the team. Closure to the respective careers of Foote and Forsberg isn't that far off, but man I would like to see them go out together as Aves; along with Sakic, and when they all do retire, have at least one more Cup to show for their work. If that scenario is going to play out it will have to be this season.

  • February 27, 2008

    2:32 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    ColoNative writes:

    What next? An Elway led bronco team?

  • February 27, 2008

    9:10 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    GJrodburner writes:

    ColoNative you may have it right, but I'm hoping you are wrong in your criticism. At one point during the first period in the Vancouver game at about the 6:37 mark, I witnessed exactly what we have been missing in our blue-liners...tongue hangin', legs screaming, lungs burning, eyes bulging determination to keep on skating to thwart a shot on goal...by none other than number 52! Yeah, that old stink known as Adam Foote. Not even good 'ol number 7 could have done what Footer did at that point in the first period tonight. Granted, John wouldn't lace them up if there was a straight blade underneath, but sometimes the old-farts that do lace 'em up with a straight blade underneath just know what it takes to make the kettle boil with good mojo. Adam Foote was cooking last night in the first period, that much is for sure.