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Avalanche getting no respect in preseason

By Rick Sadowski, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)

Published September 19, 2008 at 4:49 p.m.

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Avalanche goalie Andrew Raycroft jumps a few feet as part of his medical and physical trials Friday at the Pepsi Center. It was the first day of training camp for the team.

Photo by Javier Manzano / The Rocky

Avalanche goalie Andrew Raycroft jumps a few feet as part of his medical and physical trials Friday at the Pepsi Center. It was the first day of training camp for the team.

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The late Rodney Dangerfield got more respect than the Avalanche has been getting.

Based on predictions by a number of hockey pundits, the Avalanche's chances of even qualifying for the Stanley Cup playoffs in 2008-09 are pretty much nonexistent.

The Hockey News, for example, picked the Avalanche to finish last in the Northwest Division and next to last in the 15- team Western Conference. The Sporting News also forecast a last-place finish for the team.

Not that Avalanche players, who reported to the Pepsi Center on Friday to kick off the start of training camp, are losing any sleep over the dire projections.

"They said that last year, too," forward Ian Laperriere said. "OK, let's not play. Who won the Cup? They said Detroit again? We'll throw the season away and not play then. Those magazines, it drives me nuts. So let's not play. Let's go home.

"We've got a good mix of young guys, older guys, grit and skill. Not everybody can be like Detroit. But with the skill and the mix of grit, we're the closest thing to a team that can beat a team like Detroit."

Captain Joe Sakic, who is beginning his 20th NHL season, doesn't think much of the negative conjecture.

"I mean, we still have to go out and play hockey," he said. "Guys are excited. We in here like the makeover of our team, and we're just going to go play."

Sakic pointed out that his favorite baseball team, the Seattle Mariners, "were supposed to make a run this year" and they own the worst record in the American League.

"So, there you have it," he said. "I see a lot of good possibilities for this team. We just have to try and stay healthy this year."

Third-year center Paul Stastny said the Avalanche can use the predictions as motivation.

"It makes less pressure on us," he said. "You just go out there and do our thing and not worry about what other people say."

The same holds true for Tony Granato, who is beginning his second stint as head coach, having replaced Joel Quenneville in May.

Saying he's "more confident, more relaxed" than when he replaced Bob Hartley as head coach in December 2002, Gra- nato said the Avalanche will emphasize speed more than it did last season, when the team finished second in the division, with 95 points, and lost to the Red Wings in the conference semifinals.

"We want to be a team that dictates the pace of the game with our quickness," Granato said. "With the puck, I think you'll see a little bit more of an up-tempo game. I think that's fair to say. We're going to try and implement that as we start camp."

The Avalanche lost goalie Jose Theodore and forward Andrew Brunette to free agency in the offseason, along with defensemen Jeff Finger and Kurt Sauer. General manager Francois Giguere signed a couple of hard- nosed wing in Darcy Tucker and Per Ledin, defenseman Daniel Tjarnqvist and goalie Andrew Raycroft as a backup for new No. 1 goalie Peter Budaj.

"Peter is our go-to guy," Granato said. "He deserves that. He's had a great five years as a pro now. He's done a great job preparing for this opportunity. He's proven with what he's done in the past that he's ready for it. Andrew is an experienced guy that's still a young guy that was a proven winner a couple years ago. I'm very confident in the guys we have in net.

"I think we're a little bit more physical and maybe a little bit more intense than other teams have given us credit for in the past. We have some intensity and some grit to our game that maybe . . . when you think of the Avalanche, you think of skill and you think of talent. Maybe sometimes you overlook what kind of grit and heart we have.

"That's the type of team I'm looking forward to having, a team that plays with its heart on its sleeve, a highly passionate team, a highly energized team. We want a passionate team that plays hard every single night. That's the identity I would like to have as a team, and I think that's the personality as a group that we have."

Regardless of what the critics have to say.

Comments

  • September 19, 2008

    7:03 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    bxwatso writes:

    This is the worst Avs team ever in terms of talent depth. When a coach starts talking things like 'heart,' you know he has nothing. Detroit doesn't have to rely on 'heart' for 80+ games, they have 'talent.' The Avs have next to no credible name brand skaters, and they let their more talented goalie go. The few name brand skaters they have are mighty old.

    Since every team has the same cap, it has to be lousy management and coaching choices that drive away top skaters. The Avs are underspending the salary cap while raising ticket prices. If they don't come up with something special this year, I promise they won't see me again.

    P.S. Jones kicks butt.

  • September 19, 2008

    10:18 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    thisguyhere writes:

    Dont act like the talents not there, it might not be proven talent but you will see, nows as good a time as ever to show it.

    I would say be ready to see a break out years for quite a few players, such as Stastny, Budaj, Wolski, Liles and yes Joe might be old, but he did score 100 points just 2 seasons ago. And his no normal joe. Also with the toughend Defense adding Salei and Foote makes losing Jeff Finger and Kurt Sauer a good thing (needed the space) Also dont even get me started on how GOOD of a thing it is to unload that Premadona Head case of a goalie. Just because he had a good (not great) last three months now everyone thinks his made of gold. What about the 2 and ahalf season he spent sitting on the bench because he couldnt stop a simple shot from the point.

    The Avs sit in a way better place then they did at the start of last season. And i expect big things this year.

  • September 20, 2008

    1:50 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    Nick writes:

    I have to agree with thisguyhere. It pisses me off when people say we should have kept Theodore..that guy is pure crap. He was good for 3 months (while the team was playing good in front of him mind you) and won TWO playoff series in 3 years!!! Goldstein went as far to say the Avs may have the worst goaltending in the league this year! Are you kidding me?? You don't even have to play hockey to see that Peter Budaj is FAR more talented and a just plain better goalie than Theodore. Period. This team is way better than last years team..which was one of the last 8 teams standing. Defense top to bottom is in the top five in the league, goaltending has improved just with the departure of "Jose Threeorfour," and the offense still boasts Sakic, Stastny, Hejduk, Smyth, Svatos, Wolski, Hensick, Jones...etc. Whats not to like about this team?? How could anyone possibly pick them to finish below the Kings???? I just don't get it!

  • September 20, 2008

    10:36 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    Woodrow writes:

    This season will be much like last season and VERY enjoyable to watch. Budaj is a strong goalie and I predict he will finish in the top 5 statistically this year.

    Detroit seams to be able to reload year after year on top of what they already have so its very difficult to keep up with that. If they don't go all the way again it will be because of key injuries and/or they get cold at the wrong time.

    There's always hope, you never know what's going to happen in this league.

  • September 22, 2008

    12:49 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    carmela_avs writes:

    I think it would be difficult for the Avs to be in the conference finals and Stanley Cup finals. Although I think that their chances to make it to the playoffs is at least the same as last year, or maybe a little better. This may be the chance for Budaj to show what he can do, and I do hope for his sake and for the sake of the whole team, that he surprises everyone and prove that he can be the number 1 goalie.

  • September 23, 2008

    10:04 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    GJrodburner writes:

    We will know within the first ten games of the season as to what caliber of talent Budaj really is for this team in net. We'll find out how much T.G. actually did learn as an assistant, and we can find out right away if speed will actually be a part of this years team m.o. IMO this is the only real attribute that the team can use night-in-night-out to offset the talent pools that the Sharks, Wings, and 'Hawks now have. Granted, it may be a year out for the Blackhawks, but that team is loaded right now, just not seasoned. As double edged as having speed can be, it really seems the best weapon in our arsenal once the season begins. Barring significant injury to all key players on this years team I think that this team can make a push beyond the semis!

    I like the fact that this team has been dismissed by the "in the know" writers as last place finishers; especially by the pro-canuck writers that can't stand the fact that this team won the way they did when they moved from Quebec to Denver. If, and it is a long shot at best, should Foppa some how find the cure for his ailing ankle/foot, and he can make it back after the New Year, then this team will put a damper on the entire Northwest Division and for that matter the entire Western Conference too. I'm not much on the long shot, but I do like being the underdog. To that end I say October 9th can't get here fast enough.

  • September 24, 2008

    7:57 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    champagnetony writes:

    i agree with the later posts that this team has enough talent. this avs teams finished 11th in the league in offense last season with all the injuries they sustained. the defense was bad last year until the late season acquisitions and goaltending was a big problem until theodore woke up and played well for the last couple of months. the defense is now *much* improved and barring injuries will gel and become a top defense in the west this season. the offense is only going to get better this year as some of the new studs (jones in particular) start to have an impact and the juniors (wolski, stastny, and svatos) produce as expected. this, of course, is critical because as talented as some of these players are, look at alex tanguay. he never moved into the next level of production that the avs wanted from him and he's now with the canadiens after not producing with the flames. these young players have to step up this season and produce like datsyuk and zetterberg. (not to put too much pressure on them.) the wings had 5 or 6 20 goal scorers last season, 2 of whom almost had 100 points. amazing. so just to compete with that, the avs have to get consistent and balanced production from their forwards this year. obviously there are questions, can raycroft be a legitimate backup, can budaj lower his GAA and become an elite goaltender, will foppa return, is granato ready to coach, can this team play the kind of power, speed, and skill game that the red wings and the sharks play or more important can they play their own style (which we aren't sure what that is yet) and still compete with those teams? i have hope for this team, i think they are back on the upward trend towards dominance in the west.