Denver Post sports writer Adrian Dater posts his Avs Mailbag each Wednesday during the 2006-07 NHL season on DenverPost.com, which earned distinction for its online-exclusive series of Mailbags at this year’s Colorado AP Reporters and Editors Awards.
To drop a question into the Avs Mailbag or visit DenverPost.com’s .
Hi, Adrian. I don’t see Jose Theodore being the answer in goal. He just doesn’t play well. I don’t have any confidence in him, regardless of what management says. Any chance of trading Theodore to Philly for Peter Forsberg?
— Bob Aquin, Cheyenne
Bob – Well, time will tell, but there is no question he’s been up and down a bit so far. He’s taken a lot of grief over the eight-goal game in Montreal, but he had no shot on about five of those goals. I mean, the Avs were terrible defensively and put Montreal on the power play all night.
That said, he wasn’t great against Chicago the game before that. But two of the last three starts of his have been wins, over Ottawa and Minnesota. So, let’s give the guy a bit more of a chance to prove himself, shall we?
Where I live, we have a thriving ECHL team that is affiliated with Carolina and Florida. I’ve noticed that the Avalanche is not affiliated with any ECHL franchises. Why is that?
— Tom Lastrom, Fort Myers, Fla.
Well, Tom, because the Avs have too many other affiliations going on right now. They are affiliated with Albany and the San Diego Gulls, and they have something of a partnership now with the new CHL team in Prescott, Ariz., run by Pierre Lacroix’s son, Eric.
The Avs have had a lot of affiliations over the years. I still remember vividly the first Avalanche game I ever covered – a preseason game in Cornwall, Ontario, in 1995. They played the Montreal Canadiens that night, in the building housing the Avs’ former AHL affiliate, the Aces. I think Owen Nolan scored the first goal of the game for the Avs, which would make him the answer to a pretty good trivia question.
During the Avs’ video player introductions before each home game, it sounds like there are artificial cheers being pumped through the sound system when certain players appear on the screen … specifically certain players who seem to draw a smattering of boos from the live crowd. Am I hearing things?
— Jeremy May, Denver
Jeremy – That’s a worthy conspiracy theory, but the Avs say no and I think it’s pretty standard now in NHL buildings to blow out the eardrums with pre-game introductions.
One thing the Avs give their fans during games at the Pepsi Center is plenty of volume. I wouldn’t mind a nice, fun, soothing organ now and then, like they do in Chicago, Montreal and Boston. But I guess that makes me “old school.”
Hi, Adrian. What ever happened to old favorites Shjon Podein and Eric Messier?
— Gwen, Denver
Gwen – Messier’s career ended prematurely after a pretty bad wrist injury with Florida in 2003-04. To be honest, I don’t know where he is right now, but I know he hasn’t been in a professional league as a player the last couple of years. He was something of an unsung but valuable guy on the Avs’ 2001 Cup team. He blocked a lot of shots in the playoffs that year, and became a pretty good, pesky defensive presence.
The last I heard of Podein – one of the nicest guys ever to wear an Avs uniform – he was playing and coaching on a team in Japan – the Nikko Kobe Ice Bucks. I think he was even exploring buying a team there.
Incidentally, one of the big stars in the new Japanese League is Joel Prpic, who played briefly with the Avs.
Seems my beloved Avalanche tend to use “dump and chase” more than many other NHL team to get into the zone. Is it just me or would you like to see more of our guys driving to the net?
— Bill Rodden, Greenbrier, Ark.
Bill – I disagree the Avs are a dump-and-chase team right now. They are second in the league in shots on goal, having 30 or more in nine of the first 11 games.
I think they’ve got guys who drive to the net, guys like Andrew Brunette, Marek Svatos, Wojtek Wolski and Ian Laperriere. I think a couple Avs teams of the past actually were more dump-and-chase types that played a little too much on the perimeter. The 1997-98 Avs come to mind, along with the ill-fated 2003-04 “Superstars on Ice” version.
I like the blend of veterans and new kids on the block of ice. We have had all the overpaid superstars who don’t have heart or passion. We may not win a Stanley Cup any time soon, but it’s nice to see hardworking, inspired hockey again.
— Diane Salisbury, Colorado Springs
Diane – I tend to agree with you, at least offensively. They do have a nice blend of experience and youth. I really, really like Paul Stastny as a player. Geez, who knew this guy would be so good so soon? And I like Wolski, too.
I think they are a little less varied on defense, which is the concern. Some of the guys (Karlis Skrastins, Patrice Brisebois, Ken Klee) are up there a bit in age. But a lot depends on how Jordan Leopold plays when he comes back – which still seems a bit uncertain at the moment. A healthy Leopold could make a huge difference to the Avs’ defense.
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 .
