These are strenuous times right now for Avalanche youngster TJ Galiardi, both mentally and physically.
Wednesday afternoon, Galiardi was at Avalanche practice. Later that day, he was told he was being demoted to Lake Erie of the AHL. Thursday, he played a full game for the Monsters, and Friday was told to get back on a plane to Denver to help fill out the roster with the sudden, season-ending loss of left wing Tomas Fleischmann.
Saturday, Galiardi was in an Avs uniform, but played only 14 minutes, 4 seconds in a 6-2 loss to the Boston Bruins. Galiardi seemed to acknowledge being shaken by the sudden demotion. Even though it was a brief one, he says he learned from it.
“I think I needed, you know, a wake-up call,” Galiardi said. “It helped me get some confidence back. I played a lot in the game I was there. I guess the message is, in the NHL you can’t get too comfortable. It’s a negative downturn and I was starting to go down that road, and they had to wake me up.”
Galiardi was one of the few Avs who did not finish in minus territory Saturday, though he wasn’t a big factor on offense.
Footnotes.
Avs winger Chris Stewart failed to get a goal for the fourth straight game since returning from a broken left hand. . . . Bruins forward Marc Savard, whose career has been hampered by concussions, may have suffered another one Saturday. Savard left the game with a head injury after being hit into the boards by former Bruins teammate Matt Hunwick. Savard had his head down along the glass when Hunwick finished off his check.
