It was a fluke of the NHL calendar. Maybe nothing more. But on a cold December night, that chill down the spine sure felt like change was coming for the Avalanche quicker than any of us desired.
On the day the Avs announced venerable captain Joe Sakic required hernia surgery on a body that’s finally showing signs of age, young center Paul Stastny skated with the team’s top line on his 22nd birthday.
Ready or not, Stastny must be the man.
The Avalanche is his team now.
“It’s tough when you lose your top player. But we’ve got to cope with it and not feel sorry for ourselves,” Stastny said Saturday, after Colorado dropped a 3-1 decision to the lowly Los Angeles Kings. It was one of those home losses that could come back to haunt the Avs when the playoff race heats up later this winter.
Doesn’t it seem like only yesterday that Sakic was triumphantly raising the Stanley Cup as Denver cheered?
And doesn’t Stastny look young enough to be lugging books between classes on the University of Denver campus?
Time does not wait until we’re good and ready for change.
Sakic has been selected to the All-Star Game 13 times. But not this season.
It is Stastny’s turn to represent. He is what’s next for hockey in Denver.
Happy New Year. Welcome to a new era for the Avs.
“What impresses you so much about Stastny is the ability to withstand the defensive pressure he gets,” Kings coach Marc Crawford said. “Even if somebody like a Rob Blake leans on him, he has the ability to make a great play. He doesn’t just make good plays, he makes great plays. He’s one of the top centers in this league, for sure.”
The holes in his smile, flashed like an old-time hockey badge of courage, give Stastny the look of authority beyond his years.
A family heritage in the sport seems to have taught the second-year pro to be in awe of nothing on the ice.
Those who know Stastny say his shoulders are much bigger than his mouth, but there’s an unmistakable edge that expects victory and demands excellence.
“It’s something Stastny has got in him. He’s a lot like Joe. He’s a leader who doesn’t scream and yell in the locker room, but goes out and works hard every night,” Avs veteran Ian Laperriere said.
“But when something needs to be said, Stastny is not afraid to say it. It’s very rare at age 21 or 22 to be mature in that way. You either have got it or you don’t. And he’s got it.”
Scanning the Pepsi Center crowd, which reveals its graying hair by voting for the Rolling Stones when asked to select one of three tunes to be played during intermission, there are far more fans wearing the old No. 21 of Peter Forsberg than the No. 26 of Stastny, who is entrenched as center for linemates Ryan Smyth and Milan Hejduk.
And guess what. Foppa ain’t coming through that door. Even if he did, Forsberg would probably be limping. Even a legend rusts over time.
This is not to suggest the career of Sakic is all over except the sad farewells at age 38. But how far the Avs can go in a run at the championship now rests on Stastny.
“The element of surprise is gone now for Stastny,” Crawford said. “The beauty of playing with Sakic is people in this league are still so respectful of Joe Sakic that it allowed Stastny’s talent to bloom even faster. Now, he has to carry the load.”
With shortstop Troy Tulowitzki walking through the Rockies’ clubhouse like he owns it, quarterback Jay Cutler calling signals for the Broncos and Nuggets forward Carmelo Anthony growing in fits and spurts as a leader before our eyes, it feels like the dawn of a fresh beginning in Denver athletics.
Stastny, however, might have the toughest job of all the Young Turks in Colorado.
“It’s impossible to take one guy and replace Joe Sakic,” Laperriere said.
In addition to leading his team in scoring, only Stastny must perform in the direct shadow of a Denver sports icon.
They don’t call him Super Joe for nothing.
Filling Sakic’s skates?
For Stastny, the tough part will be growing comfortable while wearing Super Joe’s cape.
Before it looks right, this is going to take some time.
For all of us.
Mark Kiszla: 303-954-1053 or mkiszla@denverpost.com
