Denver Post sports writer Adrian Dater posts his Avs Mailbag each Monday during the 2005-06 NHL season on DenverPost.com.
To drop a question into the Mailbag or visit DenverPost.com’s .
Adrian – During the Avs games, I have noticed the backup goaltender writing things down on a clipboard. I have never seen this done by Avs goalies before. It is driving me nuts wondering what they are writing. Can you please find out? Thanks.
— Debbie Blank, Dacono
Debbie – Mostly it’s just shot charting by Peter Budaj. He likes to keep track of who shot the puck from where, and he likes to make other little mental notes about certain opponents. He’s a sharp kid with a good future.
Adrian – Of late, there has been a lot of talk surrounding Peter Forsberg being the points leader of the NHL and how the Avs should be lamenting the loss of such a formidable force. However, where is the talk about how the Avs are now spreading the love. Nine players have double-digit points, including three defensemen!
— Adrian, Pueblo
Adrian – Good name. Yes, the Avalanche’s goal-scoring prowess is one of the top stories of the early part of the NHL season. The Avs are scoring goals – and still haven’t gotten a lot of scoring yet from Milan Hejduk and Alex Tanguay.
Whether this kind of output can last remains to be seen, but so far so good. The output of third-liners Antti Laaksonen and Ian Laperriere has been a big surprise, and Marek Svatos and Pierre Turgeon have had good starts. And, yes, the play of defensemen such as John Liles and Patrice Brisebois has been another key. If the Avs can get more scoring from Rob Blake, too, we might well ask, “Peter Who?” around here. (Although seeing Forsberg get two and three points every single game isn’t all that comforting to Avs fans, either.)
What happened to John Kelly?
— Todd Zeo, Denver
Todd – John is in St. Louis calling the Blues games. He left the Avs during the lockout. He has family from the St. Louis area, where his dad was a longtime Blues announcer. Doug McLeod is doing the play-by-play for Altitude now.
Hey, Adrian! It’s good to see that the fans have been cheering and supporting Brad May.
— Chris, Arvada
Chris – Yeah, the May “controversy” is officially over, I believe. He has not been booed the last few home games. I don’t think he ever deserved the kind of booing he got – even though I don’t condone his “bounty” comment regarding Steve Moore. But he’s not the one who gutlessly hit Moore from behind. Todd Bertuzzi did that.
How many points do you think Rob Blake will score this season?
— Alicia Duran, Northglenn
Alicia – 56. Actually, I don’t quite have a good feeling for that, but I’m sure he’ll get at least 40, maybe more. He got off to a bit of a slow start, but has been playing better of late. He doesn’t seem to have quite the zip on his slap shot of a few years ago, but it’s still a good one. The Avalanche power play has been a bit spotty of late, and that’s where he’s usually going to get many of his points.
Hi, Adrian. While it is good to see so many Avs contributing, I got the feeling during the Dallas game that we lack a “true” go-to guy. I know Joe Sakic is a great leader, but who do you see stepping up to take over a game when it is needed the way Peter Forsberg always did? Thanks.
— Bill Gosser, Sandusky, Ohio
Bill – Well, that’s a good point. I mean, the true measure of a guy like Forsberg is during the big games late in the season and in the playoffs. The fact is, Forsberg is having an MVP-type season so far – even though he doesn’t have a lot of goals.
I’ve said all along: I worry about the Avs late in the year, when perhaps guys like Sakic and Turgeon get a little tired. But Sakic still qualifies as a top-flight, go-to guy. But I think the real guy who can be the go-to goal-scorer is Milan Hejduk. He’s still not in gear yet, though, and the fact that he’s going to wear a knee brace all year is a bit disconcerting. But Hejduk has the most natural scoring talent on the team right now, and he can be a game-breaker.
I was just wondering how Steve Konowalchuk was selected to be an assistant captain over Alex Tanguay. I know Konowalchuk has more years of playing under his belt and was a captain in Washington, but Tanguay has been with the team much longer than Konowalchuk has.
— Rob Duwa, Iowa City, Iowa
Rob – Yeah, but Konowalchuk has been in the league longer than Tanguay, and that often is the clincher for captaincy duties. Konowalchuk is more of a vocal guy in the dressing room than Tanguay, and Tanguay still is only 25. I’m sure Tanguay will get the “A” at some point in his Avs career, though.
In March, my wife and I will see the Avalanche at the Savvis Center in St. Louis sitting in seats that cost $15 each. The comparable seat at Pepsi Center is $34. The difference between seats on the glass at the two hockey venues is $59! If NHL hockey teams are operating with the same salary cap based on league revenue, then why are ticket prices not similar, if not the same, from market to market?
— Adam Woehler, St. Charles, Mo.
Adam – Fifteen dollars might be too much to see the Blues right now. They might be the worst team in the league. Even though it’s a salary-cap league now, it’s still a capitalistic system in that teams can charge whatever they want. If the market will bear it, that’s the American way – and Canadian, too, when it comes to hockey.
Faithful Avs Mailbag reader here. (Can you imagine how tough it is to be a hockey diehard in Houston, let alone an Avs fan?) Anyway, can you tell me what Bryan Trottier’s been up to? Thanks.
— Will Ledesma, Houston
Will – Houston has a pretty good hockey history, even without the NHL. People forget that Gordie Howe played there for several years with the Houston Aeros.
The last I knew, Trottier was just hanging out with the family, enjoying a retirement of sorts. Obviously, things didn’t go well with his last job as coach of the Rangers. He’s a good man, though, and had a great career. He got a pretty nice financial settlement from the Rangers, so I’m sure he’s doing OK.
Adrian Dater has covered the Colorado Avalanche since the team moved to Denver in 1995. To drop a question into his Avs Mailbag or visit DenverPost.com’s .
