kermit

I do not like how we always come from behind. Albeit, it's a good thing, but it happens to often, we need to get a lead and play with it instead of falling behind, and play catch up.

Phish4

Ok, this thread needs a revival after a few weeks. Some points off the top of my head:

Theodore has been playing very well. Not $6 million well, but certainly enough to win games in a 1a goalie fashion. Quinneville appears to have started a goalie platoon system, which IMO is a good idea and will most likely give the team a better chance to win than heaping the workload on either goaltender.

Smyth has stood out in just a dozen games for the better. I was skeptical (to say the least) when he was signed, but he's won me over with his work ethic. I'm still not thrilled that his salary is higher than anyone but Sakic, but you have to overpay for the best blah blah blah.

Hannan, I'm on the fence of. He's played very well some nights, and Sauer-esque other nights. I'm well aware he needs to find his grove with new teammates and Q's system, but for a shutdown defenseman, I find myself wanting more after watching him play.

Hlinka impressed for the first half-dozen games, but has gone completely dry since. Being used on the 4th line with Smith and Guite won't bolster anyone's point totals, and I won't complain when he's making league minimum, but I'd really like to see why this guy was the leading scorer of the Czech league. Right now, his skillsets just aren't there.

Leopold is injured (again), but in the time before his injury I was very impressed with his play. I'm not sure whether he's ever capable of becoming a team's 1-2 defenseman because he isn't now, and he's not showing flashes of brilliance. That having been said, he's a very dependable 3-4 defender.

Wolski and the dreaded sophomore slump worried me more than Stastny, but Wojtek has played considerably well, and has done so fairly quietly. I'm not expecting a huge year from him, but I think he is going to outpace his rookie season, perhaps by a considerable margin.

----------------

Some other points:

-Still the number one name associated with the Forsberg lottery. The Avs have enough offensive weapons, but I admit in some games (last night against Vancouver, for example) I've caught myself thinking that Foppa would have put the team over the edge and gotten two points. Again, if Forsberg wants to return to Colorado, I don't see how there's any hesitation. In spite of injuries/decline/whatever, I seriously think Forsberg legitimately turns Colorado from a playoff contender to a Cup contender.

-Trade rumors with the Leafs have come and gone, mostly involving a combination of Hejduk/Svatos and/or Kaberle/Kubina. The current rumor is Liles/Svatos/pick for Kaberle/prospect. As an Avs fan, I'd take that without thinking twice. Liles has been performing well defensively and Svatos is heating up, but Kaberle is the type of player that ~25 teams in the NHL need, Colorado being one of them. The Avs' powerplay has been mediocre and the Leafs' just as much, but Kaberle's performance speaks for itself -- 81 powerplay points in the last two seasons. Liles and Svatos isn't near an overpayment, and considering I'd overpay for Kaberle, I'm hoping this deal gets done.

------------------

Anyways, 16 points in 13 games averages to 101 points on the season, which is more or less where I think the Avs will end up this year. Until then...

__________________

kermit

I have been overly impressed with the way we have been playing without Sakic. Hejduk has been starting to light it up now without Sakic, which is a good thing. Once we get Sakic back, and if Hejduk can keep it up we will have 2 great lines.

I have been impressed with the goalie situation, both goalies have been playing decently...

Adama0905

A merry christmas to everyone. Obviously, the Hejduk, Stastny and Smyth line has impressed to a grand extent. I'm very happy because it seems Hejduk has definitely overcome the 05-06 season. Second? leading scorer on the team, even though he missed four or five games in the early going. Good stuff. Stastny obviously has impressed. Smyth is great. I have to admit, I am finally on the Smyth-wagon. I hated the move during the offseason, but now I see he has some of the best work ethic out there.

Also worth mentioning is the play of Wojtek, the guy who everyone thought was going to be way better than Stastny, and who is finally living up to the hype (maybe not the hype of being better than Stastny, but the hype he had going in to the beginning of last season). Great job Wolski.

Impressive rookie this year, easily Cumiskey. The guy is just so fast, and he can actually, get this, play defense. Wow. When I think of him, I just think of this incredible play during that 9-5 game where I believe Kariya was on a breakaway, and Cumiskey easily catches up to him, and makes just this magnificent play on his stick and cleanly grabs the puck. That was, to me, the second or third best play of the game.

Budaj is playing great this last start streak, but nobody make too much of a big deal out of it, because if we do, he'll start sucking big time.

So yes, we have a great team right now.

hockeytalky75

Unfortunately, the Avs are locked in a 4 game skid at this moment. They just cant seem to score. It is increasingly getting more frustrating. Especially when you lose to Phoenix 2 times in a row, and the only people scoring are ex-teammates. Weird. haha. Anyways, I look for the Avs to break the slump, and get even better. Who knows what will happen as the season goes on. I can only hope they get better and freaking HEALTHY!

__________________
www.hockeytalky.com

Adama0905

I'm just mad that Stastny and company are doing a damn thing offensively.

hockeytalky75

We need to get production from more than 1 or 2 players. We have enough offensive weapons, well did before Smyth and Sakic went out, too put the hammer down on pretty much every team as long as they would produce. I see them breaking out soon. then look out NHL.

__________________
www.hockeytalky.com