How bad are the Colorado Avalanche this season? Well, they are 0 – 2 against the Atlanta Thrashers, with both losses coming in regulation. Keri Lehtonen became the sixth goalie to shut out the Avs this year. He made 35 saves and stood on his head at times, robbing Hejduk on a memorable chance where after great passes down low from Smyth and Stastny, Lehtonen was on his back and appeared to be down and out, but the goaltender kicked up his leg and got enough of the puck to send it wide. Lehtonen was a little lucky, he was bailed by his posts 3 times on shots by Hendricks, Hejduk and Tucker.
The first half of the game was full of chances but both goalies were sharp and no one could score. Once the game hit the halfway point, it became very clear that the game was probably turning in a ‘next goal game’. The first goal came when Clark missed the net a shot from the point and inadvertently sent Kovalchuk on a break where he found the open man (Bogosian) who buried the chance. Tucker was called for a borderline goaltender interference call about a minute and a half later and Budaj gave up a backbreaker to White with less than 1 sec left in the 2nd period (which unfortunately isn’t exactly new to Budaj this season.) Game over.
What impressed me:
Matt Hendricks – Even though he looked like he was hyperventilating during the first period, he got decent ice time (8:37), hit the post in the 1st with a good wrist shot on a quick 2 on 1, and in the 2nd, he tied up his man well, causing a turnover that led to an offensive chance. No reason to not keep him up, now is the time to find out what you have.
What didn’t impress me:
Tyler Arnason – Continues to skate around at half speed. Example: One of the few mistakes that Lehtonen came in the 2nd when Stewart put a hard, low shot on net and Lehtonen gave up a juicy rebound right in the slot. If Arnason goes to the net he would have been teed up for a shot that even he could put in. By the time he got to the puck, defenders were there to take away the chance.
Peter Budaj – He actually had a solid first period but after giving up the Bogosian goal, his game seemed to fall apart. He gave up a stoppable goal with less than a second left in the period less than 2 mins after he gave up the first goal. Bottom line: He just has to find a way to make that save if he wants to stay in the NHL.
Scratches:
McCormick (hand)
McLeod (shoulder)
Nycholat
Willsie
3 Stars
1. ATL G 32 K.LEHTONEN
2. ATL D 4 Z.BOGOSIAN
3. ATL L 17 I.KOVALCHUK
Next game: Thursday at home against Minnesota – 7PM.
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