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The Colorado Avalanche said goodbye to their last remaining veteran from two Stanley Cup teams on Sunday in Denver.  With a 4-3 Overtime victory versus the Edmonton Oilers, the Avs bid adieu to veteran defenseman Adam Foote.  The come-from-behind win was the closing note in a disappointing 30-44-8 season.

‘Footer’ will go out on top (franchise leader in assists from a defenseman) despite the Avalanche struggling to the second-worst record in the NHL.  Adam announced his pending retirement last week.  He has an outside chance at landing in Toronto at the Hockey Hall of Fame.  Foote played 17 of his 19 NHL seasons with the Colorado Avalanche.

“It was great to get the win for Foote. What a great career,” said sophomore winger Matt Duchene after the game.  Duchene has been living with Foote since coming to Colorado last season, and credits Adam with his immediate success at the NHL level.

Duchene assisted on both Milan Hejduk’s game-tying goal early in the 3^rd Period and David Jones’ game-winning goal 3:57 into OT.  The Avs came from behind to tie it twice after falling behind 1-0 just 1:26 into the 1^st Period and then handing Edmonton a 3-2 lead in the 2^nd.

Milan Hejduk’s goal moved him ahead of Peter Forseberg on the Colorado/Quebec all-time scoring list with 756 points.  Hejduk is now the only remaining player from the 2001 Stanley Cup Champion Avalanche still playing in Colorado.

Foote won Stanley Cups with the Avalanche in both 1996 (when Hejduk was still playing in the Czech Extraliga) and in 2001.  Said Foote to the Avalanche faithful and his teammates after his final game at Pepsi Center, “Thank you for your support, and I love you all.”

Following Joe Sakic’s retirement before last season, Adam Foote was named Captain of the Colorado Avalanche.  Many expect Hejduk to be offered the C if he is retained through a new contract for next year.

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Image by Getty Images via @daylife

So the Avalanche won a game in Edmonton last week to break a 10-game losing streak.  Aside from a rousing whoop-dee-friggin-doo, there are a couple of points worth noting about this rare win for Colorado.

First, it was prospect forward Ryan Stoa scoring the shootout goal that lifted the Avalanche to its third win since January 18^th.  Second, the Avs played tough defense and goaltender Brian Elliot stopped 31 shots in a standout performance.  Third, and this one is sort of funny, the Avalanche have now developed a verifiable trend that goes thusly: Win 1 (vs Blues), Lose 10, Win 1 (at Blues), Lose 10, Win 1 (at Oilers).

That’s a pattern, and if it holds up through the final 11 games of the NHL Regular Season, Colorado is due for another victory on its final game of the year against those same Edmonton Oilers.  Now, this is where it gets downright hilarious.

Colorado’s two wins previous to Saturday night’s breakthrough in Edmonton were both against the St Louis Blues.  The Avalanche can put together an absolutely stunning final three months of the season by continuing the trend mentioned above.  If they do, Colorado will have gone 4-36 in the final three months of the season while beating just two different teams.

That’s right, the Avalanche have a chance to make hockey history by beating just two teams in their final 40 games.  Barring an unforeseen setback like accidentally winning another game, Colorado is on pace to make the end of their crummy season honestly interesting in the worst way imaginable.

Tuesday, March 22^nd vs Columbus Blue Jackets (7:00 MST)

Once upon a time, the Avalanche were positively dominant against the Blue Jackets.  They started the season with twin 5-1 victories over Columbus, one in Colorado and one in Ohio.  Then there was a 3-1 whooping in early February that continued the Avs’ decent into mediocrity.  The game was not so close as the score.

So now the Avalanche are coming off a gritty 3-2 shootout road win with a chance to put together back-to-back victories for the first time in 2+ months.  Will they do it?  Yeah… yeah, I think they will.  But it’ll be a shame to see the above-mentioned chance at hockey history slip away.

PREDICTION: Avalanche 4, Blue Jackets 3

Thursday, March 24^th vs Toronto Maple Leafs (7:00 MST)

The Maple Leafs are working on a fun trend of their own.  Every other game for the last two weeks Toronto has won handily, while the games in between are mistake-filled losses.

The Leafs are scheduled to hit Denver after losing to Minnesota on Tuesday.  As far as trends go, though, Toronto is bad enough to lose on any given night no matter the prevailing winds.  And so, because I won’t have another opportunity to predict an Avalanche victory for a couple weeks, we’re calling this one a victory and a feel-good 3-game winning streak as Colorado nears the conclusion of an otherwise abysmal season.

PREDICTION: Avalanche 3, Maple Leafs 2

Saturday, March 26^th @ LA Kings (2:00 MST)

Assuming Colorado actually wins their first two games this week, it will be a fitting contrast when the Avs are brutalized by the Kings in Los Angeles.  If the Avalanche lose two cake-walk home games before heading to LA… well, it’ll just be sad won’t it?

PREDICTION: Avalanche 1, Kings 4

**BONUS COVERAGE**

Matty Duchene has not slumped in his sophomore season with the Avalanche.  He leads the team with 56 points, and has showcased his ability to take on an entire defense and come away with a goal.

That said, Duchene needs to start working on some offensive zone discipline.  Too often Colorado’s offense boils down to Matt on an island at right wing trying desperately to make something happen.  It’s understandable because the rest of his team has shown a complete inability to produce scoring chances in recent months, but the whole thing is eerily reminiscent of watching Carmelo Anthony monopolize the Nuggets’ offense for six years.

Simmer down Matty.  Let the game come to you.  Trust your linemates.  And pray that Tomas Fleischmann makes it back to full strength for the beginning of next season.  You two had some wicked chemistry going before blood clotting in Tomas’ lungs sent him to the IR, and I am looking ever so forward to seeing that terrifying transition offense work its magic in ’11-’12.

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Peter Forsberg’s return to the Colorado Avalanche lasted just two games, back-to-back road losses in Columbus and Nashville.  Suffering through pain from chronic foot problems and lacking the characteristic speed and strength that made him such a terror during the late nineties and early ots, Peter the Great will hang up his skates in Denver tonight.

For those of us who grew up during Foppa’s Glory Days, this is especially bittersweet.  Many Avalanche fans had planned to pack Pepsi Center tonight to get one last glimpse of Peter on home ice, but Forsberg’s afternoon announcement

Fighting back tears, but often flashing his trademark smile, Foppa said at a 2:30pm retirement announcement, “After this past weekend, I came to the sad conclusion… that I was gonna have to retire. It was not an easy decision, and believe me the process I went through was even tougher.” The 37-year-old Forsberg noted that five surgeries and constant pain was forcing him away from the game he loved.

Meanwhile, Foppa’s Avalanche teammates will welcome the surging Calgary Flames to Denver tonight.

Colorado will endeavor to break a horrendous seven-game losing streak that extends back before the All Star Break.  The formerly high-powered Avalanche offense has scored 2, 3, 0, 0, 2, 1 & 3 goals in those losses.  The Avs have not won in a game where they scored less than 4 goals since December 19^th versus Montreal.

But it does not get any easier from here…

Monday, February 14^th vs Calgary Flames (8:00 MST)

The Flames just had a ten-game points streak (8-0-2) come to an end.  After falling well below the Avalanche, Calgary has surged while Colorado fell, getting themselves back into the playoff hunt.  With a win tonight, the Flames would catapult themselves into the 8^th and final playoff spot.

For the Avalanche, desperation has set in.  Another awkward offensive effort will surely end in a loss as Colorado’s young defense continues to struggle.  For what it’s worth, this Calgary team is not going to end up a playoff team, and represents a good chance for the Avalanche to get back to their winning ways.

PREDICTION: Avalanche 3, Flames 2

Wednesday, February 16^th vs Pittsburgh Penguins (7:00 MST)

The Penguins have been struggling mightily without their best two players (Sid Crosby and Evgeni Malkin) along with a host of other key offensive contributors.  Now their defense has slid into a rare funk to match.  Pittsburgh gave up 14 goals in their last two games, including a 9-goal shellacking at the hands of the suddenly feisty Islanders.

However, the Penguins are still a Championship-caliber team and they’ll be playing mad.  I do not see the Avalanche matching what will surely be some ferocious play from the ‘Guins, who come to Denver on three days rest.

PREDICTION: Penguins 4, Avalanche 2

Saturday, February 19^th @ San Jose Sharks (8:30 MST)

The Avalanche played well in the Shark Tank last year in the playoffs, but Colorado has not looked like that team all year.  Increasingly, Colorado fails to match the intensity of their opponents.  With all of the injuries plaguing these Avalanche, a matchup against the gritty Sharks in San Jose does not bode well.

PREDICTION: Avalanche 1, Sharks 3

**BONUS COVERAGE**

Peter Forsberg noted that he promised his fiancé that he would not continue to play if he could not defend himself on the ice.  While it’s a shame Foppa could not give us one more game in Denver, I trust that he gave it his best shot… and it will be a proud day (not a sad one like today) when his #21 jersey is retired at Pepsi Center.

“It is perfect for me to announce my retirement here in Denver as a member of the Colorado Avalanche.  I really want to thank the organization for everything they’ve done for me, including the last opportunity here.  I will always be grateful for that,” said Forsberg, pausing often to choke back emotion. “And finally I would like to thank the great fans of Denver and around the world for their tremendous support, the way they embraced me… the way they embraced me from the beginning.”

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The Avalanche offense, once the best in hockey, has fallen apart in January.  An attack that averaged 3.5 goals per game through December has put up a paltry 2.4 goals per game in January.

With Craig Anderson and the Avalanche defense struggling mightily with consistency, 2.4 goals just doesn’t win a lot of hockey games.  Especially when your defense offers up an average of 3.4 goals per game to opposing offenses.

Now the Avalanche have been bumped out of the playoff picture following dismal performances at home versus Nashville & Boston.  A week that began with a rousing 4-3 win over the league-best Vancouver Canucks sputtered into futility after it was learned that speedy Czech winger Tomas Fleischmann will miss the rest of the year due to blood clots in both lungs.

Colorado’s offense needs to collect itself and rediscover the flow that made it unstoppable early in the season.

Colorado’s defense needs to buckle down and start making stands at the blue line instead of playing chase after the seal has been broken.

Monday, January 24^th vs St Louis Blues (7:30 MST)

After finishing December on a five-game winning streak against some top West competitors, the Blues have struggled even more mightily than the Avs in January.

Like Colorado, the Blues’ defense has been a sieve this month.  Top goalie Jaroslav Halak occasionally backstops a gem, but gets flustered by early goals and gives up 4+ with regularity.

The Avalanche absolutely must come out blazing in this game if they hope to salvage their five-game homestand going into the All Star Break.

PREDICTION: Avalanche 5, Blues 3

Wednesday, January 26^th vs Phoenix Coyotes (7:00 MST)

The Coyotes have come on strong after struggling early in the year.  They play the speedy Avalanche forwards tough and force action to the boards better than any team this side of Detroit.  In fact, their style of play reminds of a Detroit-lite… as in lite on talent.

What they lack in big-name talent the Coyotes make up for in grit and hard-nosed play.  Bad news for the Avalanche.  Phoenix shut out the Avs earlier this month in Colorado, and will be coming off a cupcake home contest against the pathetic Edmonton Oilers.

If the Avalanche want a win, they will either need Peter Forseberg to sweep in and save them, or they will have to simply outwork their opponent in the little battles that decide most hockey games.  Avs fans are praying for the former.

PREDICTION: Avalanche 2, Coyotes 3

**BONUS COVERAGE**

The triumphant return of Foppa?

Looks like it.  Peter Forseberg flew to Denver late last week and has been skating with the team in practice ever since.  Word on the street has Foppa signing with the Avalanche once both parties are convinced that he has his legs back… and that his troublesome foot will hold up under the wear-and-tear of NHL play.

Unlike previous comeback attempts, Forseberg has been resting instead of rehabbing through Swedish league play.  He is reportedly at his best health in years, even at the advanced age of 37.

Here’s hoping for a career Renaissance for our beloved Foppa, Peter the Great, the Swedish Beast.  Although hoping that Forseberg will save our season may be a bit too much to ask.

If Peter does sign with the Avalanche this week, do not expect him to play until after the All Star Break.

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Both myself and the Avalanche took a month-long break since my last Preview article on December 21^st.  I took the time to cover Denver’s changing political landscape in my capacity as the Denver Political Buzz Examiner and Denver Page One Examiner.

Meanwhile, the Avalanche played a sleepy 12-game stretch that dropped them to 8^th place in the Western Conference.  Colorado’s four wins over that stretch were simply not good enough to keep them competitive, and injuries finally began to affect their formerly league-leading offense.

Now, there were some bright spots during that otherwise dismal run.

On January 4^th the Avs pulled out a thrilling OT win versus the Buffalo Sabres in Denver.  On January 10^th they held onto a one-goal lead for the latter half of the 3^rd Period in beating back the (then) NHL-best Detroit Red Wings.  And on January 14^th the Avalanche did something they almost never do – pounded the Wild in Minnesota with a dominant 4-1 victory.

In fact, aside from a 6-game stretch around Christmas & New Years where they went 1-4-1, the Avalanche made the most of Survival Mode.  They are still a playoff team with a couple games in hand over their nearest pursuer, but to stay ahead of teams like San Jose & Los Angeles the Colorado Avalanche will need to rediscover scoring consistency in a hurry.

Tuesday, January 18^th vs Vancouver Canucks (7:00 MST)

Let us not mince words; the Vancouver Canucks have manhandled the Avalanche so far this season.  The ‘Nucks sit at the top of the NHL with 64 points, and their +40 goal differential is +18 better than their closest Western Conference competition.

In four games against Vancouver this season, the Avalanche have managed two 2-goal losses, one 2-1 slugfest won by the Canucks’ (then) superior goaltending, and one 4-3 OT loss in BC that garnered the Avs their only point from the season series thus far.

So why will the Avalanche win tonight?

Because they are finally getting healthy with the return of Cody “Highlander” McCleod and one-time leading scorer Chris “Stewie” Stewart.  The loss of Stewart was particularly troubling for an Avalanche offense that still maintained a 3.5 goals per game clip for much of his absence.  With the return of Stewie, Colorado has its game-breaker back – a guy who can beat a defense on his own and forces opposing defenders to play off the attacking point.  Chris is exactly the kind of big, strong skater that can make the Canucks pay for their aggressive play deep into the opponent’s zone.  And McCleod is just a punishing physical presence on the checking line whose intangibles are off the charts.

Most importantly, though, the Avalanche will win because I am going to the game.  They are 2-0 with my muscley hockey butt in the stands, and they will play fast in a crucial divisional contest on four days rest.

PREDICTION: Avalanche 4, Canucks 3

Thursday, January 20^th vs Nashville Predators (7:00 MST)

Nashville is easily the streakiest team in the NHL.  They sit at 5^th in the hyper-competitive West despite two five-game losing streaks and a four-game losing streak.

Depending on how they play at Phoenix on Tuesday night versus the Coyotes, the Predators may roll into Denver having lost 3 of 4 with the sole win a SO victory.  That would bode well for the Avalanche, who jump on slumping squads better than almost any team in hockey.

We will go ahead and assume that, no matter the outcome, Tuesday’s battle between the Preds & ‘Yotes for 4^th in the West will at least leave Nashville wearied heading into Pepsi Center.

PREDICTION: Avalanche 3, Predators 2 (OT)

Saturday, January 22^nd vs Boston Bruins (1:00 MST)

The midway point in Colorado’s 5-game home stand welcomes the Eastern Conference’s second-best team to Denver.  It will be the only game between the Bruins and Avalanche this season, barring an unlikely meeting in the Stanley Cup Finals.

Last year the Avalanche went into Boston and kicked off a thrilling streak of 8 wins in 9 games (7 on the road) with a 4-3 victory.  I was convinced then, as I am now, that the Avalanche match up very well against Bruins netminder Tim “Chunky Love” Thomas.  He sports a rare combination of big goalie with a quick glove, but if Colorado can get him moving (gravitating?) side-to-side then they can pile on the goals.

PREDICTION: Avalanche 4, Bruins 2

**BONUS COVERAGE**

Watch out for them Predators.

No team is more capable of surprising a great hockey club in the playoffs than Nashville, and that makes the season series versus the Preds extra-important.  Home ice advantage might make or break the Predators’ postseason.

Give Nashville a top-four seeding and they could roll to the Conference Finals.  Stick them in the bottom half of the playoff bracket and this crazy engine of speed and power likely runs out of juice on a cold, sad night in Detroit or Vancouver.

With the way the Western Conference is shaking out, a first-round matchup between the Avs & Preds is likely.  Neither is likely to win their division with the Canucks and Red Wings dominating the Northwest and Central respectively.  Colorado and Nashville are the best of the rest in my opinion.  I like them for the 4-5 spots when all is said and done.

The Avalanche are playing their first game of the 2010-2011 Season against the Predators this week.  This late start to the four-game season series means that Colorado can start climbing the playoff ladder at Nashville’s expense now.  Aside from the normal pressures associated with staying in the tight Western playoff hunt, the Avalanche need to worry about beating out a similarly skilled team in the race for home ice.

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Colorado had an outstanding Week Three, scoring 14 goals over three games.  The Avalanche stole a point in an OT loss at Vancouver before blazing through Calgary and dominating Columbus at home.

Unfortunately, goalie Craig Anderson was lost to injury for an undetermined period of time last week.  The injury was sustained during warm-ups in Vancouver, and was the product of a non-contact leg extension.  In his stead Peter Budaj has held up okay, but both goaltenders play behind one of the worst defenses in the league.

Thursday, November 4^th vs Vancouver Canucks (7:00 MST)

The Avalanche were the better team in Vancouver, but could not hammer home the win.  Their outstanding offensive play against a Cup contender in the Canucks has me believing that Colorado can beat any team on any given night.

The Avalanche are rested and they play tough in division contests, so I’ll recycle my prediction from last week’s OT loss.  This time the ‘Lanche get the extra-time goal.

PREDICTION: Avalanche 4, Canucks 3 SO

Saturday, November 6^th vs Dallas Stars (7:00 MST)

The Stars are playing outstanding, attack-oriented hockey right now.  They just thumped the Penguins and will play the Coyotes before coming to Denver on short rest.

Colorado & Dallas are similarly defensively challenged and are starting average goaltenders in front of a porous defensive front.  That sounds like a recipe for another Avalanche barn-burner, and likely a win given the Avs’ ample rest this week.

PREDICTION: Avalanche 6, Stars 4

**BONUS COVERAGE**

Defense, defense, defense.

Surely this is the message head coach Joe Sacco has been hammering home all week.

The Avalanche had a curious 5-day break between home games that started last Saturday, so there will be no excuse for the Colorado D to be anything less than crisp tonight.  Personnel is a part of the issue – the Avalanche have a lot of young defenders – but this offense-or-bust mentality is also a part of the reason the Avs give up so many goals.

Sacco rarely has the luxury of an early lead, so it is difficult to do anything but send his team full-throttle to the net.  Still, a focus on defense must be developed for this team to succeed in a stacked Western Conference.  With Andy out for who-knows-how-long, now is the time to get these young defenders and forwards to buckle down and learn to play responsible team defense at an NHL level.

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**NOTE** Due to insanely high winds knocking out power in West Lakewood, this Week 3 Preview will be written in haste from a remote location deep beneath the earth’s crust.

And now, your hyper-abbreviated Avalanche Week 3 Preview:

It’s de ja vu all over again for the Avalanche who returned from a successful road trip against tought teams for a lackluster homestand against… well, tough teams.  Fact is, though, this is exactly what the Avs did last season; win on the road and give up goals by the boatload at home.

Colorado dropped two points behind Calgary for the NW Division lead after a sorry performance at home versus the same San Jose Sharks that bumped the Avs from last year’s playoffs.  The ‘Lanche went from 4-2 to 4-4 whent they followed the San Jose loss with a 6-4 loss to the very talented LA Kings.

Tuesday, October 26th @ Vancouver Canucks (8:00 MST)

Vancouver has been underwhelming during a 3-3-2 start to the season, but don’t be fooled.  The Canucks are a very talented hockey team, and will give the Avs’ all they can handle.  These teams always come out skating, and the first team to capitalize with a score probably wins.

PREDICTION: Avalanche 4, Canucks 3

More to come tomorrow on the rest of the Avalanche’s Week 3…

Thursday, October 28th @ Calgary Flames (7:30 MST)

After a bad run, the Avalanche dropped down the ranks of what will continue to be a tight NW Division.  At the top of the heap is Calgary, who have enjoyed a soft early season schedule.

Now missing starting goaltender Craig Anderson, the Avalanche will need to put in another gutsy performance just to compete.  The Colorado offense is buzzing, though, and I like the Avs to win with a late scoring flurry.

PREDICTION: Avalanche 4, Flames 3

Saturday, October 30th vs Columbus Blue Jackets (7:00 MST)

The first break in the Avalanche schedule is a home contest against the Blue Jackets.  Unfortunately, this is still not much of a break.  Columbus sits at the bottom of the Central Division despite a 5-3 record, and they worked the Avs last season.

This looks a lot like another home letdown game for the Avalanche, and unless Peter Budaj and the Colorado defense finally put up a wall it will be.

PREDICTION: Avalanche 2, Blue Jackets 4

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Mon @ NY Rangers, Thu vs. San Jose, Sat vs Los Angeles

The Avalanche are 3-2 after a long first week that included four straight road games following an Opening Day win over the Cup Champion Blackhawks in Denver.

Colorado’s three victories have all come by a single goal, one of those in Overtime and another in a Shootout.  The third saw Craig Anderson stop 41 shots on the way to a tough 3-2 victory in New Jersey.

Oh, and the Avs bumped off the hated Red Wings in Detroit to kick off the teams’ four-game season series.

In two losses the Avalanche have played well.

They came out strong and couldn’t convert good chances in a loss to the high-scoring Islanders.  More impressively, Colorado came from two goals down to tie the defending Eastern Conference Champion Flyers in Philadelphia before the home team bounced a mucky game-winner past Andy with a couple minutes to play in the 3^rd Period.

In all, the Avalanche are making the best of a very tough opening schedule, and the hits just keep coming in Week 2…

Mon, Oct 18^th @ New York Rangers (5:00 MST)

The Rangers make the most of their few offensive chances, and the Avalanche will need to be very focused defensively in this game as a result.

That said, expect Colorado to push the play more often than New York and generate lots of shots on goal.

This early in the season the Avalanche have an odd advantage; they have played five games to the Rangers’ three.  The Avs’ young guns are warmed up and ready to hit high gear.  Meanwhile, New York is already down two top scorers in Marian Gaborik & Chris Drury, both out for multiple weeks after a rough ‘n tumble loss to Toronto.

PREDICTION:  AVALANCHE 4, RANGERS 2

Thu, Oct 21^st vs. San Jose Sharks (7:00 MST)

It’s too early to be sure that the NHL has passed the Sharks by, but still…

Goaltender Evgeni Nabokov tucked tail and headed for the Russian Kontinental Hockey League after failing to carry San Jose to the Cup Finals once again.  In turn, the Sharks signed the goalie that defeated them in their Western Conference Series loss to the Blackhawks.  German import Antti Niemi stood on his head in the final two rounds of the 2010 Playoffs for Chicago, but his body of work over the course of a regular season is less impressive.

The Sharks bankrolled new contracts for the same underachieving duo that has disappeared from five consecutive postseasons: Joe Thornton got a 3-year $21 million extension and Patrick Marleau, realizing he had less value on the open market, got four years at $27.6 million.

Meanwhile San Jose has started out a disappointing 1-2 and will make a tough road visit to hard-hitting Carolina before traveling to Denver.

The moral of this story?

The Sharks’ ship has sailed and this year is the beginning of their inevitable decline from the top of the Western Conference.  The Avalanche are young, talented, playing great team hockey, and coming home from an early gut-check 5-game road trip.  Colorado will play up for this game in a big way after getting muscled out of last year’s playoffs by these veteran Sharks.

PREDICTION:  AVALANCHE 4, SHARKS 3

Sat, Oct 23^rd vs. Los Angeles Kings (7:00 MST)

The Kings are the most dangerous team in the West for the Avalanche this season.

Colorado is the second-youngest team in the NHL with a scary-good nucleus of speedy goal-scorers.  The Avalanche have a chance to build a long-term Cup Contender starting now.  The youngest club in the league?  These LA Kings.

Los Angeles is every bit as potent with their expedient movement of the puck through the neutral zone, aggressive forechecking and underestimated goaltending.  They are the mirror image of our Avalanche, and the games between these teams this season will be the beginning of a long battle for conference supremacy.

As well as the Avs are playing this season, the Kings are playing better.

LA has allowed exactly one goal in three of their first four games, and the three goals allowed in that fourth game (their only loss) were scored on backup goaltender Jonathan Bernier in Calgary.  Starter Jonathan Quick is as good as any goalie in the NHL, and he is just beginning to hit his stride.

PREDICTION:  AVALANCHE 2, KINGS 3 (OT)

WEEK 2 PREDICTION:  2-1

**Bonus Coverage**

The Avs’ 2-5 loss to the Islanders on Saturday came the night after goalie Craig Anderson stopped 41 of 43 shots in a thorough out-dueling of future HOFer Martin Brodeur in New Jersey.  Earlier in the week Colorado backup Peter Budaj stopped all six Red Wings shooters in a 5-4 Shootout victory.

The Avalanche have two capable goaltenders, and Craig Anderson ended up overworked at the end of last season.  That cannot be the case again this year, and the obvious answer is starting Budaj more often.  He is a better post-regulation goaltender than Andy, and more than worthy of shouldering some of the burden.

Despite the ultra-tight Northwest Division and the equally competitive Western Conference, Colorado has to find a way to spell Anderson after taking on 43 shots worth of work the night before a road game.  No excuse for not doing so.

Hopefully in the future we will see a more liberal use of Peter Budaj and a more rested Craig Anderson when the games matter most.

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Mon @ Philadelphia, Tue @ Detroit, Fri @ New Jersey, Sat @ NY Islanders

After a rousing Overtime defeat of the Stanley Cup Champion Chicago Blackhawks in their Home Opener, the Avalanche hit the road… and hard.

That makes the 4-3 defeat of Chicago to begin the season just HUGE for the Avalanche.

Not only did the Avs go toe-to-toe with an outstanding offensive hockey team, but they won the game largely on the strength of young defenders like Ryan Wilson.  The 1996 Cup Champion Avalanche were in the stands to watch as the New Look Avalanche outhustled, outchecked, outskated & outshot the 2010 Stanley Cup Champs.

Mon, Oct 11^th @ Phildadelphia Flyers (5:00 MST)

After ruining the Pittsburgh Penguins’ Grand Opening of their new digs (the Consol Energy Center) with a driven 3-2 regulation win, the Philadelphia Flyers were stymied in a defensive showcase at St Louis’ Home Opener 1-2.  Now the Flyers return to Philadelphia for their own Home Opener hosting the Colorado Avalanche.

The Flyers are the defending Eastern Conference Champions and will be playing in front of a notoriously nasty Philadelphia crowd.  The young Avalanche look to keep it close after what they showed against the Blackhawks, but the Flyers are an even more physically imposing hockey club than Chicago.

If the game goes past regulation, Colorado stands a chance to render an upset.  Otherwise Philly will almost certainly find a way to win in a tight contest.

PREDICTION:  AVALANCHE 2, FLYERS 3

Tue, Oct 12^th @ Detroit Red Wings (5:00 MST)

Not only did the Avalanche & Red Wings split the 2009-2010 Season Series 2-2, but they each scored 11 goals through those four games.  Each team enjoyed a road win in the other club’s house, and both managed a 2-goal advantage in their home wins.  Neither the Avs nor the Wings scored more than 4 goals on the other in a single game, and both lost to the San Jose Sharks in the Stanly Cup Playoffs to cap their season.

Some circumstance is involved here for sure, but the point is that the Colorado & Detroit are largely on equal footing these days.  Both clubs went through an abbreviated rebuilding phase in recent years and are now on their way back to the top of the Western Conference.  Unlike last season, however, the Red Wings are off to a convincingly strong start having routed the Anaheim Ducks and roughed up the Blackhawks on unfriendly ice.

It will take more than a spirited effort for the Avalanche to grab a win in the Motor City, and Colorado will be coming off another tough road game the night before.

PREDICTION:  AVALANCHE 1, RED WINGS 3

Fri, Oct 15^th @ New Jersey Devils (5:00 MST)

To put it plainly, Devils goaltender Marty Brodeur has been awful in the young season.

The man who trumped many of Patrick Roy’s NHL goalie records has been syrup-slow in net, and could not hold onto a 2-0 lead in New Jersey’s Home Opener versus the Stars.  Loui Eriksson scored off a partial break for a 4-3 OT Dallas victory on a shot that Brodeur routinely stopped until last season.

One night later the speedy Washington Capitals lit Brodeur up for 7 scores, include 4 in the 2^nd Period.

Now, the Great Martin Brodeur is playing behind the most questionable defensive front of his long, storied career.  But excuses won’t cut it when the lightning-quick, hungry for a road win Avalanche come to town off consecutive losses an on plenty of rest.  Sorry Marty, better luck next time.

PREDICTION:  AVALANCHE 5, DEVILS 2

Sat, Oct 16^th @ New York Islanders (5:00 MST)

The Islanders were having defensive issues before studly young blueliner John Tavares went down with a mild concussion.  A 5-4 loss and a 6-4 win combine for 8 goals allowed in two games.  And that was on home ice.

Now NY-I has to go through Washington & Pittsburgh before coming home Saturday to host Colorado.  Unless Tavares can make a speedy return, both teams will be seeing a lot of open ice in a free-flowing offensive showcase featuring goals by the bucketload.

PREDICTION:  AVALANCHE 5, ISLANDERS 4 (SO)

WEEK 1 PREDICTION:  2-2

**Bonus Coverage**

The NHL scheduling czars did the Avalanche no favors in setting up the opening leg of Colorado’s season.  You may remember that the Avs were picked to finish among the worst in the West last season before skating out to the league’s best record through three weeks.

This season Colorado was set up to fail early once again.

A Home Opener versus the Cup Champ ‘Hawks followed by a Road Opener against the East Champ Flyers and a visit to D-town versus those dastardly Red Wings.

After five consecutive road games following their Home Opener, the ‘Lanche roll back into town to face the team that knocked them out of the 2010 Cup Playoffs (Sharks) and the second-best team in that rough ‘n tumble Pacific Division (Kings) before hitting the road again to face stout divisional competition at Vancouver & Calgary.

If the Avalanche come out of that three-week stretch better than .500 they have a lot of home games and some light competition to look forward to in ensuing months.

And if Colorado races out to the top of the league again with THIS opening schedule?  Well… look out world.

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In a move that echoes the end of the Sakic era in Denver, Adam Foote is signing a new contract, committing to just one season at a time with the Colorado Avalanche. The nearly 39-year old defenseman and team captain will be entering his 19th season in the NHL – not bad for a guy who plays with the physical tenacity that he does. The scorers – Sakic and the like – take less physical punishment and often have careers that last quite a long time, if they can keep the skills up. Not that Sakic wasn’t tough – but Foote plays with a physical vendetta against everyone. You try to rough up the star (first Sakic, now Duchene), you’re liable to have Adam Foote come at you and make you pay. That he plays with that style and has maintained such longevity is no small feat.

Foote’s deal comes with a relatively low base salary of $1 million, but is said to be laden with incentives to bring him closer to the 3.25 million he earned this past season with the Avs, a season where he logged minutes in 67 of the 82 games.

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