Denver Post sports writer Adrian Dater posts his Avs Mailbag every Monday during the 2008-09 NHL season on DenverPost.com.
To drop an Avalanche- or NHL-related question into the Avs Mailbag or visit DenverPost.com’s .
The Avs game = dump-and-chase, thugging it out on the boards behind the net and looking for points in the ruck. This strategy DOES NOT WORK. Is this very disciplined team a little too disciplined?
— Matt, Denver
Matt – It’s a can’t-win scenario for Tony Granato. I think he’d love his team to play tougher and even a little more on the edge at times, and generally be the big bullies on the ice. But because the Avs’ penalty-killing has and continues to be so suspect — and I use that word charitably — he doesn’t want his team to be in the box too much.
The Avs come into tonight’s tilt with Detroit tied with the Wings for 20th in the league in PK (80 percent). But Detroit has the best power play in the league. So if you want to play dish-it-out type hockey, you’d better have a good PK. And the Avs don’t. So, they have to watch it.
There is a goalie who was here and we let him go. His name is Marc Denis, and he is playing right now with the farm club of the Montreal Canadiens (Hamilton Bulldogs). He is performing really, really well right now, and he was our former top prospect years ago. He has NHL experience, and he has great confidence right now, and we know already he has skills to be a No. 1 goalie in the NHL. Adrian, do you think Francois Giguere will be interested to bring him back home? Ask him please. Thanks.
— Joe, Quebec City
Joe – Sorry, I’m not jumping on the Denis bandwagon. It’s one thing to do it in the minors, another at the NHL level. And other than a couple decent years in Columbus (and I know that was a bad team, but he didn’t make them much better) and a few good nights with the Avs many moons ago, Denis never proved himself to be an elite NHL goalie.
He’s 31 now. Sometimes goalies take a long time to bloom (Tim Thomas in Boston is one example), but most of the time they were what they were. I wish him nothing but success, but I don’t think Francois Giguere is making any calls to Hamilton right now.
When will “The Sheriff” be handing out justice again? Hopefully some time soon?
— Josh Osborn, Alliance, Neb.
Josh – Scott Parker appears to be out of hockey for good — at least this year. He was sent to the minors by the Avs earlier this year, but decided not to report. That forfeited his contract with the Avs, and so the Sheriff has been laying low since.
I know he was living in the Denver area the last time I checked. Parker was/is a good person and did some good things for the Avs, but I think his time in a Burgundy and Royal Blue uniform is done for good.
In the last minute of a Nov. 8 game against Nashville, the Predators pulled their goalie. Then they got a delayed penalty. Colorado pulled its goalie. It was only about five seconds, but have you ever seen a time when there were no goalies on the ice?
— James Heitzer, Denver
James – Good question, and the answer is yes — although I can’t provide any exact dates for you!
I know I’ve seen it before. It isn’t as uncommon as you might think. The team behind is gambling a lot and prone to take a penalty in its desperation.
The only way the team presumably ahead — who only pulled its goalie because of the delayed penalty — can be scored on legally is if a player from his own team put the puck in the net. I remember the Avs’ Uwe Krupp scored on his own net while Patrick Roy was off the ice on a delayed penalty, in a game at Boston. Krupp wore the No. 4, so I think my lead sentence was something like, “That was the last time a No. 4 scored FOR the Bruins in Boston since Bobby Orr was here.” Or something like that. Pretty clever, wasn’t I?
I have noticed that Alan Roach has not been doing the arena announcements for home Avs games of late. I thought he was there for at least opening night, but I could be wrong. Where has he gone?
— Chris Baerns, Aurora
Chris – I saw Roach — a.k.a. the “voice of God” — at the last Avs’ home game. My goodness, what a set of pipes that man has. Can you imagine, having a voice like that — and getting all the commercial opportunities he’s gotten because of it? I’ve always wondered if he feels a little guilty about it or something, but I’ve never asked him. I’m sure he’s just thankful.
But seriously, the guy has had a lucrative career doing Avs, Rockies and now Broncos games. He also has had a lucrative
career being an FM deejay and the PA voice at Super Bowls.
Astute Denver sports fans will also remember Roach was the PA man for the late, great Denver Grizzlies of the IHL and the Denver Thunder of the National Professional Soccer League. I was the beat writer for that Thunder team (1993, I believe), and it might have been the worst team in pro sports history. They lost 33 games in a row at one point, if memory serves, and by the end of their less-than-one-year stay in Denver, they were bouncing checks to their players. But that didn’t stop Roach from booming “THUN-DERRRRRRRRRRR Goaaaaaalllll by …” over the loudspeakers of the old McNichols Sports Arena.
Ah, memories.
What do you think the Avs are going to do next year if Joe Sakic does indeed retire? I know Giguere mentioned the idea of trying Wojtek Wolski out at center, but if that were the case, why haven’t we seen him in that role yet? I’m no coach, but to wait until we have no other option than to see him play center sounds a little too risky.
— Harold, Littleton
Harold – If things start to go south a little more for the Avs, I think there’s a real good chance we might see W.W. play some at center. I mean, Tyler Arnason is the second-line center at the moment. No punch line needed. But Double-Dub has played better of late in his left wing spot, so we’ll see what happens.
Adrian – Has anybody else complained about the weak signal from KCKK. I can barely get it in my car. I really miss the broadcasts on the previous radio station.
— Dave, Longmont
Dave – Look, it gives me no pleasure whatsoever criticizing other media brethren. I know some people who know me well just snickered after reading that. But the fact is the KCKK 1510 AM experiment hasn’t gone over too well with the fans this year. The signal is spotty (some times I can hear it fine, other times it’s like hearing spirits at a busy séance or something — just garbly and ghostly).
I assume you’re not an employee for 104.3 The Fan here. But, yes, I have heard the grumbling about 1510, and I’m assuming their management personnel have, too. There’s not much I can do about it, though. You have more power over this kind of situation — as fans — than I do.
When are we going to see this much-anticipated Wolski article about him and his infamous entourage? Quit pulling our chains, Dater! 🙂
— Mike, Denver
Mike – The story was delayed a few times, but it finally ran on Nov. 24. Here is the link: .
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 .
