SAN JOSE, Calif. — For ex-Avalanche players, there was plenty to be happy about on Saturday night. Goalie Craig Anderson made 47 saves in a shutout win for his new Ottawa Senators team, and Chris Stewart’s two goals helped lead his new St. Louis Blues to a laugher victory over Anaheim.
The current Avs? Nothing to be happy about.
The Avs’ Misery Index officially reached double figures at H-P Pavilion, where the Avs lost a team-record 10th straight game, 4-0 to the San Jose Sharks. The franchise record is 14.
Newcomers Erik Johnson and Jay McClement did not have the kind of “you’ll be sorry” success to flaunt at their old team in St. Louis in their Avs debuts.
Johnson and McClement were not the problems in the Avs’ latest loss, but they were not the solutions to them either. Each played their fair share of time in a dismal first period that saw the Avs down three goals by the time the game was 17 minutes old.
“I don’t think we quit. I thought we played hard after we got down. But there’s a little bit of pressing going on right now,” Avs coach Joe Sacco said. “You see a lot of guys who are usually pretty good around the net not able to cash in on their chances right now.”
Johnson, paired with Ryan Wilson most of the game, was on the ice for San Jose’s first goal, scored by Devin Setoguchi at 6:29.
Otherwise, Sacco had good words to say for his team’s newest big acquisition.
“I thought he was real good and showed a lot of poise with the puck. I know our power play didn’t score, but I thought it looked a lot better and he was a main reason for that,” Sacco said. “He’s going to be a real good addition for our team, there’s no question.”
Setoguchi split the middle of the defense and beat woeful Avs goalie Peter Budaj on the backhand, the first of his three goals on the night and first hat trick of his career.
A little more than eight minutes later, Budaj slid too far on an attempted save and was out of position for the rebound that came off the backboards, right to Setoguchi for an easy one-timer to make it 2-0.
The Avs played a good second period, outshooting the Sharks 11-4. But like in the whole, long losing streak, they couldn’t finish much of anything.
“We’re just not scoring any goals right now,” veteran Milan Hejduk said. “It’s just not going in for us, at all.”
Adrian Dater: 303-954-1360 or adater@denverpost.com
Avs Recap
The Post’s three stars
1. Devin Setoguchi.
Sharks winger had the hat trick.
2. Antti Niemi.
Sharks goalie was strong in the shutout.
3. Douglas Murray.
Played a strong game on defense for San Jose.
What you might have missed
Rock star Neil Young was at the game as a fan.
Up next
At St. Louis, Tuesday at 6:30 p.m.
