Go to the mobile version of this Web site.

Login | Contact Us | Site Map | Paid archives | Electronic edition | Subscription Questions | Extras

Avalanche's Raycroft puts best foot forward in win

Goalie produces good debut as sub against Stars

By Kevin Lonnquist, Special to the Rocky

Published September 25, 2008 at 9:20 p.m.

Text size  
DNA105 - Colorado Avalanche center T.J. Hensick celebrates his tie-breaking goal in the third period of a preseason NHL hockey game against the Dallas Stars, Thursday, Sept. 25, 2008, in Dallas. The Avalanche won 3-2. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

DNA105 - Colorado Avalanche center T.J. Hensick celebrates his tie-breaking goal in the third period of a preseason NHL hockey game against the Dallas Stars, Thursday, Sept. 25, 2008, in Dallas. The Avalanche won 3-2. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

Avalanche quick links

Drew on the NHL
Drew Litton
Scores and statistics

Related Links

More Colorado Avalanche

More stories »

The trend for Andrew Raycroft is his first season with a new club goes pretty well. The Avalanche backup goalie used the energy of his first season in Boston and Toronto to give reasons for those clubs to stick with him.

And then there was that second season when it didn't go so well. Maybe that's why the Avalanche signed Raycroft to a one- year contract. Still, the organization hopes he provides a bit of that energy he previously has shown at a new stop.

He made his Avalanche debut Thursday night against the Dallas Stars and stopped eight of nine shots in a 4-2 victory at the American Airlines Center.

T.J. Hensick scored a tiebreaking power-play goal early in the third period to lift the Avalanche. Matt Hendricks added an empty-netter with 13 seconds to clinch the win. Ryan Smyth and Brian Willsie also scored for the Avalanche.

Saying he wanted to get his starter into a rhythm, Avalanche coach Tony Granato decided to start Peter Budaj in back-to-back games. Raycroft came on in the middle of the second period to finish the game.

The Avalanche signed Raycroft on July 1 after Jose Theodore signed a free-agent deal with Washington.

Raycroft, 28, is a mystery because of his past inconsistency. Two years ago, he tied the Maple Leafs franchise record with 37 wins.

Last season, when Toronto signed Vesa Toskala, it seemed to send Raycroft into a tailspin. He won only two of his first 11 starts and was pulled. It was if 2006-07 never happened.

"For whatever reason, they didn't believe in him," Avalanche general manager Francois Giguere said. "But this is a guy who won the Calder Trophy (awarded to the league's top rookie goalie) and has shown he can play the game at a high level. We think he can definitely help us."

Against the Stars, he was tested less than a minute into his appearance. He deftly handled Dallas left wing Brenden Morrow's one-timer. But at the end of the period, he had no chance on a Dallas power play.

Morrow scored on the weak side despite Raycroft technically doing the correct thing by pinching the far side of the net with the puck nearby. For the rest of the game, he was flawless.

"I know I have it in me," Raycroft said. "It's not like it's my first year. I just have to get back to playing crisper and doing the little things right. I definitely know it was time for a change."

"Very solid. It was good to get him in there," Granato said of Raycroft, who won the Calder Trophy with Boston in 2003-04. "I'm sure he was tired of his teammates taking shots on him. He looked confident out there."

ETC.: The Avalanche pared its roster to 33 by sending center Philippe Dupuis and defensemen Kevin Montgomery and Michael Vernace to Lake Erie of the American Hockey League. . . . As expected, Darcy Tucker was a scratch from Thursday's game because of an injured right ankle. Tucker went down in the third period of Wednesday's loss to Los Angeles. But Granato said Tucker's injury is not serious.

Comments

  • September 27, 2008

    12:33 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    GrantYN writes:

    The Calder Trophy is award to the top rookie in the league, not the top goaltender.

  • September 27, 2008

    12:34 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    GrantYN writes:

    The Calder Trophy is awarded to the top rookie in the league, not the top goaltender.

  • September 27, 2008

    4:54 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    champagnetony writes:

    Raycroft won the Calder for the 2003-04 season which was his rookie season.