LOS ANGELES — Down on the farm, the forwards who were the late cuts at Avalanche training camp are doing all they can to show that the coaches made a mistake.
Brian Willsie, T.J. Hensick and Chris Stewart are averaging at least one point a game for the Lake Erie Monsters of the American Hockey League.
Leading the way is Willsie, who posted four goals and six points through the Monsters’ first four games. Hensick and Stewart have four points apiece as the Monsters have a 2-1-1 record.
Goalie Jason Bacashihua — a former first-round NHL draft pick — might be the Monsters’ best player. He has a 1-0-1 record and a sterling .922 save percentage.
Winger Per Ledin, another late cut, has two assists in the four games.
PK woes continue.
Oscar Moller’s first-period goal for the Kings came on the power play, and it marked the sixth straight game the Avalanche has allowed at least one power-play goal.
The Avs came into the game ranked last in penalty-killing percentage, at 69.6 (16-for-23).
Footnotes.
The Avs are doing better on faceoffs than in the last couple of years. Colorado came into the league winning 54.6 percent of its draws (161-for-295), fifth-best in the NHL. . . . Joe Sakic’s five-game point streak entering the game was his longest to start a season since 1999-2000 (eight games). . . . Darcy Tucker entered the game needing two goals for 200 in his career. . . . The Avs will take today off, before resuming practice Wednesday.
