October 7, 2009
Young Avalanche squad determined to improve

[DENVER, CO] -- After missing the playoffs for the second time in two years, skidding into the Western Conference basement and losing longtime captain Joe Sakic to retirement, not much is expected from the Colorado Avalanche this season.

Well, maybe except for another last-place finish.

"The media and fans probably are not expecting as much from us," right wing Milan Hejduk acknowledged. "I believe we could surprise a lot of teams. The pressure is not really high, and maybe that's better for a young team. Maybe we can come from behind and surprise people. I think we'll be better than anybody else thinks."

The Avalanche already has pulled off a couple of surprises by knocking off San Jose and Vancouver in its first two games, in large part because of some splendid goaltending by free-agent signee Craig Anderson, who stopped 73 of 75 shots and turned in a 35-save shutout against the Canucks.

"The expectations are very low for us," said left wing Wojtek Wolski, who scored three times in the first two games. "To get a start like we did is great for our team, for our fans. Bringing in fewer fans last year than we did the year before, we wanted to get off to a good start and show Denver that we’re back."

But now the real test is about to begin with a seven-game road trip starting Thursday in Nashville. The Avalanche also will play Chicago, Boston, Toronto, Montreal, Detroit and Minnesota before its next home game, Oct. 23 against Carolina.

The Avalanche could very well be back among the NHL's bottom feeders after this trip.

"It's definitely not an easy schedule for us," Hejduk said. "We're going on a long road trip in the early stage of the season, but what can you do? It just means we have to win some road games."

Colorado was hardly a road warrior last season, when it won five of its final 20 games away from the Pepsi Center and finished with a dismal 14-24-3 record overall while being outscored by a wide margin – 132-92.

Yet first-year head coach Joe Sacco is looking forward to this excursion. He feels optimistic about the 2-0 start – the first for the Avalanche since the 2001-02 season – and he's eager to see how young players like prize rookie Matt Duchene will fare in hostile environments.

"Guys feel better about themselves in the room," Sacco said. "They're starting to believe in what we're doing here and, most important, they believe in each other. It's going to be a tough road trip, but our young guys are providing us with a lot of energy right now. I think our veteran players are doing what they're supposed to be doing — they're leading by example. I like the mix, I like the energy, and I like the feel of the room."

Anderson gave the Avalanche quite a scare when he wasn't able to practice Tuesday because of a groin problem, but he was back on the ice Wednesday and is expected to play Thursday against the Predators.

The Avalanche will need him to keep playing as well as he did in the first two games. But Colorado definitely has to cut down on the quality scoring chances it’s been allowing. Too many of the Sharks' 40 shots in the season opener came from dangerous areas, and the Canucks forced Anderson to make a number of huge stops among his 35 saves.

Still, there are encouraging signs for this once elite franchise.

Aside from Anderson, the top line of Wolski, Paul Stastny and Hejduk looks terrific with four goals and seven assists; much-maligned forward Darcy Tucker, who is coming off an awful eight-goal season, already has chipped in with two goals while playing his usual feisty style; Duchene, the 18-year-old center drafted third overall in June, looks like he belongs and is giving Avalanche fans hope for the future; the special teams appear to be vastly improved from a year ago; defenseman Kyle Quincey, acquired from Los Angeles in the Ryan Smyth trade, is producing quality minutes at both ends of the ice; and the youngsters – nine players are 25 or younger – are providing energy and enthusiasm.

"I feel like I fit in pretty well," said Duchene, who is centering the second line with physical Cody McLeod at left wing and sniper Marek Svatos on the right. "I don't feel it's above my head at all.

"I almost feel like I'm a rookie in junior again. You're going up an extra step where everything is just a little bit quicker and a little bit harder and stronger. Guys' stick checks ... defensemen, they're so good, you really have to be thinking a little bit faster. It's faster out there, so you have to be thinking a little bit quicker. They're just little things, but they're big things at the end of the day, so the quicker I adjust the better I'll do.

"There's going to be a learning curve. I'm a young guy just coming in, but I'm confident in myself and I think I can play at this level."

So far, so good, for Duchene and the rest of the Avalanche.

Rick Sadowski is a columnist for TheFourthPeriod.com and the Colorado correspondent for The Fourth Period Magazine. He has covered the NHL since 1981, most recently for the dearly-departed Rocky Mountain News in Denver. He's written for several publications and web sites, including NHL.com. Check out his blog Through the 5 Hole.