A must-win notes column …
Add karma to the list of things the Mighty Ducks have going for them against the Avs. Said Ian Laperriere after Tuesday’s come-from-ahead loss: “We felt like everything would go right for us in the series against Dallas. That’s how they feel right now. They find a way to win.” …
Joel Quenneville, trying desperately to find something positive amid the gloom Tuesday night: “I thought we caught up to the pace of the series tonight.” I’m thinking that’s coachspeak for, “I have to admit it: That other team is better than us.” …
If looks aren’t deceiving and the Avs’ glory days are behind them, just make sure you appreciate how great the ride was. To wit: They went into tonight’s game with 91 playoff wins since arriving in Our Town. That’s 12 more than the next winningest team, the Motor City crew, the one on those bumper stickers. …
The Avs don’t need to get their power play going. They just have to skip the second period. They’ve outscored the Stars and Ducks 16-11 in the first and third periods and OT, but have been outscored 16-5 in the second. …
OK, so I lied. The Avs do need to get their power play going. Their 0-for-28 streak has dropped them to 10.6 percent (5-for-47), 14th among the NHL’s 16 playoff teams. The two below them, the Flyers and Rangers, are long gone. …
Stat du jour: 2. That’s how many NHL players had scored four or more playoff goals in a game without a teammate lighting the lamp, as the Ducks’ Joffrey Lupul did Tuesday night. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, the most recent time it happened was in 1944, when Maurice “Rocket” Richard scored all five of the Canadiens’ goals in his second playoff game. …
How badly do the Nuggets need a perimeter jump shooter? The Pistons made 15-of-22 3-pointers in their series-opening win over the Cavs. The Nuggets were 15-for-68 from beyond the arc in their five-game series against the Clippers. …
Local kid makes good: The Sharks were on the outside of the playoff picture looking in when ex-DU defenseman Matt Carle joined them in late March. They were 15-4 with Carle in their lineup going into Wednesday night’s game at Edmonton. …
Add Wyoming football coach Joe Glenn’s wife, Michele, to the list of those who’ve beaten me to a hole-in-one. She aced the 119-yard third hole at the Ridge at Castle Pines North on Saturday during the annual Cowboy Joe Club tournament. …
How good is 7-foot Ohio State freshman-to-be Greg Oden? Consider this: The Buckeyes have lost four starters, but are a consensus top-five pick for next season. …
Oden would have been the top pick in the NBA draft, but fell victim to NBA commissioner David Stern’s 19-year-old age limit. The assumption has been that Oden would turn pro after his freshman year, but he says that’s not necessarily so. Said Oden, when asked by the Fort Wayne News-Sentinel about his future: “I’ll stay longer than two years, I’m pretty sure of that. I want to get my education; that’s always first. That’s the plan.” …
Your American League Cy Young favorite? That’s easy. It has to be Royals middle reliever Mike Wood, 3-0 on a 10-22 team. …
Things are getting downright ugLee for the Cubs without their first baseman around. Through Tuesday, they had scored 13 runs in a span of 11 games.
Catch Jim Armstrong from 6-9 a.m. during “The Press Box” on ESPN radio 560 AM. He can be reached at 303-820-5452 or jmarmstrong@denverpost.com.
