The Colorado Avalanche yesterday reassigned forward Brad Malone to the Lake Erie Monsters, ending his first stint with the club at nine games.

Malone was brought up from the Monsters to fill in for the handful of injuries on the Avalanche roster that included Brandon Yip, Chuck Kobasew, and David Jones. Because these players are getting back to healthy, it didn’t make sense to have Malone spending time in the press box. His development is far too important for that.

Malone had two points, both assists, in his nine games and finished plus-1 with six shots. He averaged around ten minutes per game and was certainly noticeable out on the ice. Malone was given a good look by the staff and certainly seems to be flourishing nicely in his first season out of the college circuit.

The Denver Post had more good news about the Avalanche today, stating that defenseman Ryan Wilson is close to returning from a head injury suffered in Vancouver.

What do you think?

The Colorado Avalanche today recalled two more players from the Lake Erie Monsters in order to fill in the gaps in a shrinking roster.

Both David Van Der Gulik and and Evan Brophey have been selected to join the Avalanche in action, beginning with a game against the San Jose Sharks on the road. Due to injuries to Chuck Kobasew (head) and Brandon Yip (groin) and coupled with the lingering suspension of Kevin Porter, the Avalanche quickly found themselves in a bit of a pinch for players.

Van Der Gulik currently leads the Monsters in points with 19 and had a decent showing at the beginning of the season last year before being sidelined with a knee tear. He sits above both Greg Mauldin and Ryan Stoa in points tallied so far this year. Brophey is second on the team with eight goals and has four assists as well. He has only played one NHL game in his career, for the Chicago Blackhawks, and will be looking to stay up as long as possible.

More interesting than the choice to call these players up is the decision of who not to recall. While Mauldin has been out recently due to illness, the fact that Stoa didn’t get a nod could be more significant than most realize. Long has Stoa failed to capitalize on his opportunities and overlooking him now, while most likely related only to current play, could imply that Stoa will be on his way out of the franchise when his contract expires at the end of the season.

There has been no announcement as to who will play tomorrow night against the Sharks.

What do you think?

Check out the new mask of third string Colorado Avalanche goaltender Cedrick Desjardins, courtesy of InGoal Magazine.

Adrian Dater is reporting that prospective Norwegian defenseman Jonas Holøs would like to be released from his current contract with the Colorado Avalanche.

This consideration is shocking given the potential Holøs displayed last season and in camp, but it is hard to blame the guy with the plethora of defensemen in the system and the seemingly random order of succession in Colorado.

Dater says that Holøs is looking to find a team in Europe to play with, and that despite being assigned to the Lake Erie Monsters to start the season, Holøs has yet to play a game. If it is a question of playing hockey and developing into the player we all know he will become, the move to Europe makes the most sense. Holøs lost ice time with the Avalanche last season, and while the reason isn’t exactly known, he did spend a lot of time in the press box for games which hurts his chances at improving his play because he isn’t ever playing.

This is, perhaps, one of the reasons that future Avalanche defenseman Stefan Elliott was reassigned to start the season. Keeping Elliott growing is of utmost importance.

Holøs will be missed in Colorado and we at The Avalanche Guild wish him the best in the future.

Mueller?

There has been no official update on why Peter Mueller was a scratch for last night’s blowout against Craig Anderson and the lowly Ottawa Senators.

What do you think?

Just when it looked like prospective defenseman Stefan Elliott might make the opening night roster, news came that he would be the Colorado Avalanche’s final roster cut ahead of today’s 1pm deadline.

Elliott had a fantastic camp and preseason, very similar to last year. He managed to prove that he could hang in the NHL while maintaining a solid, all around game. He managed to edge out fellow prospect Tyson Barrie, who seemed to struggle in the first period defensively before settling down.

Heading back to start the season with the Lake Erie Monsters, Elliott will likely be one of the first call ups to join the Avalanche in the event of further injury on the blue line. It would appear for now that Matt Hunwick is more valuable than Elliott, much to the chagrin of many Avalanche fans. What many don’t realize is that Colorado needs Hunwick’s $1.55 million on the books. Without his contract, Colorado would be too close to the NHL Salary Cap Floor.

Speaking of injury, it was also announced today that forwards Brandon Yip and Mark Olver and defenseman Kyle Cumiskey would be placed on Injured Reserve, effectively bringing Colorado’s roster down to 23 players. Cumiskey, who is out with a groin injury, skated at practice this morning.

What do you think?

The Colorado Avalanche announced four roster cuts over the weekend, three of which were surprises to many.

Forwards Brad Malone and Patrick Bordeleau, defenseman Tyson Barrie, and goaltender Trevor Cann were all sent back down to the Lake Erie Monsters, Colorado’s AHL affiliate.

Malone and Bordeleau almost surely seemed like they had found a place to play on the opening night roster and many argued that Barrie was a lock as well based on his preseason point production. Ultimately it seems that Barrie has lost out to Stefan Elliott, who appears to have a more complete game consistently. Barrie was shaky at the beginning of a handful of games and, despite settling in and scoring some goals, wasn’t considered ready for the NHL quite yet.

Malone was the most exciting of the four sent down as he displayed a poise and on-ice knack for playmaking that didn’t seem likely upon first glance. Malone did everything right and should be proud of his time with the club because he will be back soon if he continues to work hard. Many fans wanted to see Bordeleau stick in Denver and even fellow Monster Greg Mauldin was surprised to learn of Bordy’s reassignment. The trouble is that Colorado already has the same type of player in Cody McLeod and it doesn’t make sense to have two of the same role player currently.

Why Cann remained with the team as long as he did is a mystery as the Avs began playing their Semyon Varlamov/Jean-Sebastien Giguere tandem in the preseason pretty early. Cann will be sharing netminder duties in Erie with Cedrick Desjardins.

It is likely that Malone and Barrie will see time with the Avalanche this season when injuries begin to plague the team. With the current roster at 27, the Avs still have four additional cuts to make.

What do you think? Were these players worth keeping in Denver?

Many thought that the 2011 Colorado Avalanche training camp was going to end without a single fight despite all of the hard hitting that was going on over the course of the three days of hockey. However, Brad Malone and Dillon Donnelly had other plans.

Players are giving their all at training camp and are looking to make a strong, lasting impression with the coaching staff. They want everyone to know that they’re valuable and that they are worthy of a spot on the roster.

That is why a fight or two isn’t uncommon in a training camp in the NHL and that is why both Malone and Donnelly went toe to toe. Malone is looking to make the roster this season while Donnelly was trying to rebound from a lackluster showing yesterday. Despite playing for the same team – in principle – and having no qualms with each other following camp, the two prospects duked it out in the final and surprisingly intense game of camp before the intra-squad scrimmage, the Burgundy/White game.

It is safe to say that this fight was largely a draw, but word was that 22-year-old Malone left with some blood showing after a quick round with the 18-year-old scrapper.

Neither player is new to fighting but Donnelly has a few more bouts under his belt as the NCAA has strict rules against it.

Malone Fight Card | Donnelly Fight Card

What do you think? Do you like what you see? Who do you think won?

Courtesy of the Anaheim Ducks PR team:

A statement from Bethann Salei, wife of Ruslan Salei:

“On behalf of the Salei family, I want to express my sincere thanks to the entire hockey community, including all of Ruslan’s friends and fans, for the overwhelming love and support. While this is an extremely difficult time for us, the outpouring of affection our family has received has been comforting. As much as Ruslan enjoyed playing hockey, he loved the camaraderie he had with his teammates, the team staffs, and the fans that much more.

Ruslan was the love of my life, and I’m extremely grateful to have our three beautiful children. He treasured his family life with us, and we miss him dearly.”

 

The Colorado Avalanche have posted a photo gallery of the fallen defenseman. The team also announced that it will be celebrating the lives of the three players who have passed this summer during the festivities on opening night, October 8th as the Avs take on the Detroit Red Wings.

Colorado Avalanche prospective goaltender Kieran Millan is entering his senior year at Boston University and he’s going out in style.

The netminder is starting the season with some new designs on his new Bauer 960 mask. Painted by Sylvie Marsolais from Sylabrush, Millan’s mask not only prominently features his Boston University Terriers in a subtle yet intense design, but the pattern reflects that of his leg pads as well.

Millan is entering his final season with the Terriers and he currently owns a 2.57 goals against average and a .911 save percentage in 103 college appearances. His overall record is 61-28-11. He was drafted by Colorado 124th overall – fifth round – in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft. Millan was recently interviewed by independent goalie scout Justin Goldman at prospect orientation this summer. We’ll obtain a scouting report and notes on Millan and his progress if he attends rookie camp next week.

Kieran Millan's Mask | Courtesy of Sylabrush

Kieran Millan's Mask | Courtesy of Sylabrush

What do you think? Do you like the mask?

Colorado Avalanche forward TJ Galiardi seems to be the first poster boy for a new ad campaign by RIVALUS, a sports supplement and nutrition company.

The video is about what it takes to be an athlete:

What do you think?

One of the newest additions to the Colorado Avalanche club is proving to be quite the open, well spoken individual.

18-year-old Gabriel Landeskog has been incredibly transparent about his experiences regarding the 2011 NHL Draft. First he kept Draft Diaries for Puck Daddy, which give awesome insight into what his personality is like. But Landeskog also allowed NHL cameras to follow his every move during draft day, capturing the special moment in a wonderful behind the scenes look at the festivities for the second overall selection.

“I was kind of secretly hoping for the Avalanche to pick me.” – Landeskog

What do you think? Do you like this kid or what?

Shaun Smith is the founder of Absolute Mental Training and provides The Goalie Guild with a column every Tuesday. If you have any questions or comments, contact him at ssmith@absolutementaltraining.com!

Watching the Colorado Avalanche recently, I tried to wrap my head around how such a talented team could be struggling so much of late. Announcers during the game talked about how they lacked heart but I don’t agree with that. Too many players on the current Colorado Avalanche team have too much pride to allow themselves to play on a losing team.

Other sports personalities want to point their fingers at Joe Sacco and how he has not done anything to gather his troops back together. I would argue that this is incorrect as the Avalanche coach appears to be more than willing to try whatever is necessary to get success out of his team. Maybe some of the Avalanche’s demise is a result of the coach trying too much, but I believe that a larger issue may be the team’s current perspective.

Much has been made that this year’s Avalanche’s struggles should have occurred last year. Yet last year, the Avalanche team surprised many and made quite a run with a team who many thought would be challenging for a first pick in last summer’s NHL draft. The perspective of the Avalanche squad last year was one of proving that they did have the talent and grit to be a great team and that they did.

This year though the Avalanche squad was expected to be contending for the top seed in the Northwest Division and they did this at the start of the year. Everything was going good and then for whatever reason the wheels fell off of the wagon. Since Christmas wins for the Avalanche have been hard to come by. Injuries, bad luck and questionable goaltending are only some of the reasons that I have heard for the current slump which has left many people frustrated and a sense of hopelessness appears to have spread across the entire team. I believe that this is a direct result of a change in the team’s perspective and the result has been a questionable team identity and little to no confidence that they deserve to win.

You may question how a team’s perspective could have caused such a nightmare season but I believe to understand this you must understand the key components of perspective. They are:

• Identity- People with a perspective know who they are and what they need to do to make this possible. This year’s Colorado Avalanche identity has been challenged by their inability to play as a team and put together wins of late. They no longer accept who they are and have lost sight of what really matters.
• Support- When I first think of support I think about life support. Life support is often used to sustain a person’s life while they are ill or injured. Obviously, in the case of the Avalanche the athlete’s are not in a life or death situation (although some may argue sports are a life and death situation) but the team and its players still need support. The support that the team needs is the support of each other and their coaching/management staff. Often when a team is losing, like the Avalanche have, the players no longer come together and support each other. Instead of feeling like an integrated team who support each other they become individual athletes. This results in further poor performances and even further separation within the team. We can all benefit from knowing where our real friends are and the Avalanche squad are no different.

The Colorado Avalanche have struggled to keep a perspective in the 2010-2011 because of the expectations that were placed on the team this year. I can only imagine that the current perspective of the Avalanche squad is one that wears heavily on each and every player on the team. No longer do they feel like they are accepted or that they have any control of their current situation. This feeling of hopelessness has led to little success in the second half of the current season.

The players, I am sure, no longer are enjoying the game and at times may be looking to the summer where they can have a break from the game and regain a positive perspective on what is going on. So who has perspective? Most often you can find people that have perspective by looking at elite athletes who have had a lengthy successful career in their sport or teams who we admire.

These teams and athletes are grateful for what they have been given. They can see the big picture and that one bad performance does not define who they are. They can focus at the toughest at times and get production because of this focus. These elite athletes and teams often have the poise and character that represents their success. These teams and athletes love what they are doing. Start observing and mimicking those great athletes and teams today!

Shaun Smith is the founder of Absolute Mental Training and provides The Goalie Guild with a column every Tuesday. If you have any questions or comments, contact him at ssmith@absolutementaltraining.com!

What do you think?

If you were surprised about the trade that sent Craig Anderson to Ottawa in exchange for Brian Elliott, wait until you hear this. When the clock struck midnight on Saturday morning, news filtered through that quickly sent a shockwave across the Front Range. For those that were still awake, this trade surely ruined any chance of sleeping quietly through the night.

The Colorado Avalanche had announced in the dead of the night that they acquired defenseman Erik Johnson, forward Jay McClement and a first-round pick in either the 2011 or 2012 NHL Entry Draft from the St. Louis Blues. In return, they shipped out rookie stud Kevin Shattenkirk, power forward Chris Stewart and a second-round selection in either 2011 or 2012.

“We are excited to be adding a top young defenseman in this league, a player who will have an impact on our blue line for several years to come,” said Avalanche General Manager/Executive Vice President Greg Sherman in the team’s official press release.

The 22-year-old Johnson was the first overall pick in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft and has five goals and 14 assists in 55 games for the Blues this season. With an intimidating presence at 6-foot-4 and 232-pounds, Johnson brings some of that physical edge back to the Avalanche blueline. He has 20 goals and 71 assists in 203 career NHL games.

The 27-year-old McClement has six goals and 10 assists in all 56 games for the Blues this season. He has spent his entire career with the Blues (six seasons) and has 52 goals and 104 assists in 449 games. The durable forward is a penalty-killing specialist and has played all 82 games in each of the past two seasons.

One major component of the deal is the first-round draft pick for the Avalanche and the second-round pick for the Blues. The pick headed to Colorado is conditional, and therefore protected by St. Louis as a top-10 selection. This means that the draft picks would be used in the 2011 Entry Draft, unless the Blues have a top-10 selection, in which case they can opt to transfer its 2012 first-rounder instead. If that happens, the Avs will send their second-round pick to St. Louis in 2012 instead of 2011.

Considering where the Avalanche sits in regards to the standings, and depending on how the Blues fare to finish this season, Colorado could have two high draft picks in the first round of this summer’s Entry Draft. Click below to check out more analysis on the trade and check back here for more analysis on the trade over the weekend.

NHL.COM ARTICLE

What do you think? Is this a good deal for the Avs?

Hey everyone, Justin here from Mile High Sports Radio and The Goalie Guild. This is my first time posting anything on The Avs Guild since I hired my good friend Ryan Boulding to take over the website back in November. And he’s done an amazing job, to say the least. I was fortunate enough to make it out to Pepsi Center this morning to watch Peter Forsberg’s inaugural skate in his latest comeback attempt. Hopefully you’re already following our Twitter feed @TheAvsGuild and saw some of the scouting notes I posted this morning. If not, be sure to check it out.

Also be sure to visit Adrian Dater’s blog at All Things Avs, as he posted a solid 10-minute video of Forsberg’s post-skate press conference. A lot of interesting things were said here, and it was definitely more positive than I expected.

I left Pepsi Center fairly impressed with Forsberg’s skating and overall stride mechanics. He had no problems working his way through 40 minutes worth of drills with Ryan O’Reilly – yes, O’Reilly is already back on the ice – and assistant coach Steve Konowalchuk. Nobody else was on the ice the entire time. Only once did Forsberg stop to rest on the bench, at the 8:29 mark, for about four or five minutes.

Most of the drills Forsberg rolled through were very basic and focused on his stride, weight transfers, footwork and agility. After stretching for five minutes, he did the real casual skate from center ice to the top of the circles and fired pucks on goal. His accuracy was way off, as only one of every four or five shots hit his mark. This was to be expected, of course, since his focus was entirely on his skating.

The next set of drills he went through involved pulling pucks off the half boards on both sides of the ice, taking three strides towards the slot and then firing shots on goal. He looked a little stiff for the first 15 minutes of the practice and was moving at half-speed during this time. I noticed that his first stride was solid and he looked very comfortable. He did not labor on either skate more than the other. His balance was fine and he looked to be in great shape.

As he got into the second half of drills, it was easy to see that he was loosening up, getting re-acclimated and therefore starting to push things a little more. His knees were bent a little more and his pace definitely quickened. He was putting more weight and a bit more pressure on his skates due to the drills he was doing. I couldn’t pick out the exact model of his Bauer skates, but I’m pretty sure they were Vapor XXX’s. He rocked an Easton stick and Easton gloves as well.

One drill that displayed his agility included a simple “catch and release” pattern where O’Reilly and Konowalchuk stood on either side of the goal line with four pucks by their side. Forsberg started below the faceoff dot, received a pass from one side, took a step to the middle and quickly fired a shot on goal. Then he quickly skated to the other side, received another pass below the faceoff circle, pushed back to the middle and quickly fired another shot on goal. He did this drill three times, switching with O’Reilly and Konowalchuk (he rolled through the drills as well, which was cool to see. I miss that guy, he was so underrated).

After 30 minutes on the far end of the ice, Forsberg, Kono and Radar swapped ends. I was able to shoot the video seen above and get a much closer look at Forsberg’s weight transfers and work on his inside edges. Fairly impressive, all things considered. The balance was good, he was much more flexible in the final 10 minutes and even his accuracy and shot release was getting more consistent. It’s just like anything else – get the blood flowing and the body moves much more fluidly and with more comfort.

Watch the video I posted above closely. Coming off the right faceoff circle, he’s putting all of his weight on the left skate. Good weight transfer, no hesitation and good balance. Coming off the left faceoff circle, however, his mechanics are not exactly the same. They shouldn’t be, however, since he’s a left-handed shot. But it’s something I noticed while I was shooting the video. 

This has nothing to do with his ankle or foot, but more about just having the top-flight balance he will probably have in another week of skating at the NHL level. Basically, he’s shaking off a bit of rust and honing his focus. It’s just a little detail that I would point out in a scouting report. 

I’ll conclude with the same thing I always say when it comes to discussing a Forsberg return – nobody will truly know just how good his ankle and foot feels until he says something. It’s something you simply can’t decipher by watching a few drills. Nothing, no matter how hard he skates, can ever match the movements and speed that comes with an NHL game.

Keep in mind that he has been skating all year long with some junior players in Sweden. He was tired, I’m sure, from getting in late after a long flight and having to wake up early, but there were only a few times I saw him breathing hard and bent over with his stick on his knees.

Overall, if things continue to stay positive as far as how he feels, I won’t be surprised if he goes through with one final comeback and finds a way to play 20+ games this season in an NHL uniform. And if that happens, odds are strong that he’ll do it in an Avalanche uniform. Please keep in mind, however, that I am merely speculating and projecting my opinion after a simple and straightforward 40-minute skate.

But the scouting notes I have are positive, the atmosphere of the post-skate press conference is positive and he’s on the right track. That’s already a better start to this “comeback” than I expected.

A lot of goaltending advice will seem like common sports cliches, but only because it carries everlasting value.

“Let the play, and the game, come to you. Don’t try to chase the puck. Just be patient.”

Those are just a few quips coaches will preach to their players in almost every pro sport, but only because it goes a long way in determining a winner and a loser.

Avalanche goaltender Peter Budaj’s first start of the regular season on Tuesday night was a perfect lesson in these goaltending virtues. Budaj, who was 3-3-1 lifetime against the Red Wings with a .917 save percentage heading into the prime time game on Versus, had a rough history of issues with his confidence and rebound control throughout his career. He would give up bad goals at the wrong time and then tighten up as a result. As games continued, he often looked impatient, scrambly and out of control. And that usually led to many tough one-goal losses where he simply didn’t make the timely save.

But last night’s 5-4 shootout win over the Detroit Red Wings was the complete opposite of everything Budaj used to be. He was poised, confident and focused from the moment the puck dropped until the very last shootout stop on Henrik Zetterberg. Even though he allowed four goals on 28 shots, he was one of the true stars of the game. More importantly, he was there when his teammates needed him the most.

As a goalie scout, I can tell you that facing very few shots in the first period makes it extremely tough for a goalie to play at their best. It’s extremely hard to get into a rhythm and nervous energy builds up while the focus can also stray. Every goalie at every level will also tell you that seeing a couple of routine shots early is very beneficial to feeling comfortable and playing well in a big game.

To start the 103rd all-time meeting against the Red Wings, Budaj faced an early shot and made a great save through traffic. Even though he gave up a juicy rebound, he confidently recovered and pushed to the top of his crease to square up for a potential rebound. Just a few moments later, however, Johan Franzen picked up a loose puck off the half-boards and fired a low wrist shot that beat Budaj just inside the far-side post. It was pretty much the worst start Budaj could have hoped for, as the Red Wings took a 1-0 lead just 2:24 into the game.

But despite allowing the early goal, Budaj’s demeanor never changed. He didn’t tense up. He didn’t cower into a shell and his mechanics never changed. The result of this consistency in his technique and in his mind resulted in a huge stop on Niklas Kronwall, who was all alone in the slot and had a prime scoring opportunity, just a minute later. And it wasn’t the save that impressed me, but rather where he made it. He was well above his crease and eliminated Kronwall’s time and space in a confident manner.

The first period ended with the score tied at 1-1 thanks to a David Jones wrist shot at 16:56. Detroit only had four shots on goal and Colorado had nine, so Avalanche fans were already on Budaj’s back and lacking confidence in his ability to stop pucks in a close game. But on the flip side, I was rather impressed with his steadfast demeanor and consistent confidence. I wasn’t worried about him in this game.

The second period got underway with an early power play chance for Detroit and resulted in a beautiful pass by Zetterberg off the half-boards, which was re-directed by Pavel Datsyuk just inside the right post. Budaj reacted well, but simply couldn’t get his right toe on the puck. Very few goalies would have made that save, as Detroit’s top guns proved what makes them so special – superfluous and sensational communication. The goal came just 2:50 into the second period and gave Detroit a 2-1 lead.

Although Colorado continued to carry the play in all three zones by jumping on top of Detroit’s defense, forcing turnovers and using their speed to their advantage, Franzen would extend the lead to 3-1 with a nice snap shot at the 13:02 mark of the second period. Defensively, it was a huge letdown, as Colorado limited Detroit to just four shots halfway through the middle frame. But the Avalanche’s “never say die” attitude helped them overcome a two-goal deficit the night before in Philadelphia, so the confidence on the bench was clearly there to do it again.

That comeback was initiated thanks to a beautiful play from Ryan O’Reilly. With his combination of speed and awareness, he took advantage of a Detroit turnover and flew down the left wing thanks to a powerful first stride. As soon as he hit the neutral zone, his head was up the entire way into Detroit’s zone until he cranked a slap shot that slightly tipped former Avalanche defenseman Ruslan Salei’s stick blade. The shot fooled Jimmy Howard just enough to power through his left arm, bringing the score to 3-2 with only :49 seconds remaining in the second period.

The shots in that middle frame were 14 for Colorado and only nine for Detroit, making the total a surprising 23-13 edge for the Avs. Budaj, who could really only be faulted for Franzen’s goals, had allowed three goals on 13 shots. No, it was not much of a ringing endorsement for Sacco’s decision to start Budaj against a potent Red Wings team. Yet Colorado found themselves only down a goal heading into the third period.

For a goaltender, it’s not how saves you make, it’s just a matter of being one better than the goalie on the other end. I was frustrated with the quality chances Detroit had with such few shots, so I knew the third period would come down to Budaj’s ability to make the timely save.

The final frame started off with a bang for the Avalanche. They got the puck in deep and forced Dan Cleary to take an interference penalty just 1:43 into the period. Although they failed, once again, to take advantage of the man advantage, they carried the play and kept Detroit on their heels. That’s when Daniel Winnik would chip a puck past Kronwall and then fire a simple shot over Howard’s left shoulder to tie the game 3-3 at the 4:43 mark. It was his first in an Avalanche uniform and a goal that totally stunned and silenced the crowd at Joe Louis Arena.

But Detroit was opportunistic when John-Michael Liles coughed up the puck during another Avalanche power-play chance. Darren Helm, who is easily one of the fastest players in the NHL, cruised down the left wing on a 2-on-1 short-handed breakaway. He held on to the puck until the last moment, forced Kyle Quincey to slide over, then made a perfect saucer pass to Patrick Eaves, who elevated the puck and put it over Budaj’s glove. No chance for Budaj, no excuse for Liles’ costly turnover. The Red Wings were up 4-3 with just over 13 minutes remaining and the momentum was quickly back in Detroit’s corner.

Once again, Colorado’s resiliency allowed them to fire back, as a beautiful backhander by Jones slipped under Howard, who was deep in his net and clearly not prepared for the shot. It once again shocked the Red Wings, eliminated the crowd’s presence and rejuvenated the Avs bench, just enough for the game to end in a 4-4 tie. Despite it being just the third game of the regular season, it was an instant classic thanks to the quality goals, amazing plays and even a fight between Cody McLeod and Doug Janik.

Surprisingly, very few chances surfaced during the overtime period and the game went to a shootout. Below is a recap of the six shootout chances against Budaj. As you will see, each one preaches the importance of patient goaltending:

1. PAVEL DATSYUK - The shiftiest hands in the league couldn’t pull Peter out of position, as Budaj stayed anchored in his crease and got the right pad down in time to stone Datsyuk’s quality opportunity.
2. JIRI HUDLER - The underrated scorer walked in on and tried to go high, but Budaj was patient and forced Hudler to shoot high and over the net. It may have slightly grazed the post.
3. TODD BERTUZZI - Colorado’s arch nemesis swung really wide to the left side and tried to force Budaj to come off his angle. But Budaj would have none of it, as again he displayed great patience, tracked the puck perfectly and made a beautiful left toe save as Bertuzzi cut across the crease.
4. JOHAN FRANZEN - Mentally, Franzen had a clear advantage after beating Budaj twice in regulation. But again, Budaj forced a perfect shot and Franzen nailed the crossbar. It was a bit of luck for Peter, but that’s what it takes to beat one of the best teams in the league.
5. MIKE MODANO - This one was another lucky break for Budaj, as Modano cruised in and fired a wrist shot high over Budaj’s glove and off the crossbar. The puck came back into Budaj’s body but he alertly squeezed the legs shut before the puck could escape.
6. HENRIK ZETTERBERG - A move that would have beat most inexperienced goalies, Hank opened up the five-hole, but Budaj went paddle down and did an amazing job of covering the space with his stick, shutting the door on Zetterberg.

Thanks to a Brandon Yip wrist shot over Howard’s glove, Colorado once again came back from a two-goal deficit and skated away with two points and a 5-4 overtime win. On opening night they squandered a two-goal lead and still won in overtime. Last night, they came back from one and won in overtime. It’s not a pattern this team will want to continue, but at the end of the day, points are all that matters. And in years past, Budaj would have been paralyzed after allowing a goal in the shootout and then he would execute with much hesitation.

But not last night. Not at any point. Not after any of the gut-wrenching goals against him. He was even-keeled the entire 65 minutes and on each of the six shootout chances against him.

When a goaltender gets to years five and six in their NHL career, they begin to truly understand the mental approach needed to succeed as a starter or a backup. Away from the rink, I know that Budaj really matured over the summer. He bought a house and started a family and it’s not “…all hockey, all the time…” for him anymore. He’s balanced in life, and I feel that has turned him into a much better goalie on the ice. Throughout training camp and his limited pre-season action, I noticed better perspective, more mental toughness, confidence, and most importantly, more patience than ever before.

It was very exciting to see Budaj not only get the start, but despite giving up four goals on just 28 shots, make the timely stops when his team needed it most. I don’t remember every single win he has notched in an Avalanche uniform, but because of the lessons learned, I consider it one of his best wins in his career. It proved he’s capable of winning games behind Craig Anderson. It proved he has matured and evolved into a mentally tough netminder capable of overcoming any hurdles set in his path. He’s a consummate pro and he deserves more starts.

Coming away with the win in Detroit does so much more than give the Avalanche two points in the standings. It increases their momentum heading into the final three games of this crucial five-game road trip. More importantly, it forces Craig Anderson to play even better in the next game. Healthy competition between two goalies is one of the most important things for the Avalanche to have.

That’s not because I think Anderson is going to play worse than he did last year. It’s simply because he will now be motivated to work even harder than before. If you thought Anderson was good in the first two games of the season, imagine how good he will be in the next game knowing that Budaj already has one start and one gigantic win under his belt.

At today’s final Colorado Avalanche Training Camp session, none of the usual Sunday morning sentiments of peace, compassion and good will towards our fellow man were shared on the ice. Not a drop of civility was found, for we were all amongst wolves.

Without warning, this year’s training camp ignited a fire that set the entire group of veterans and prospects aflame. No time off for good behavior, no holding back. Just 56 players fighting for exposure like a pack of bloodthirsty, savage beasts.

And it was quite an awesome spectacle to watch.

Two sets of three scrimmages in consecutive days goes a long way in elevating the pace, flow and speed at which everyone performs. And while most other teams in the league eased their way into the pace of a pre-season game, the Avalanche players’ intensity escalated to the point where they are two steps ahead of the pack.

In the race to October, the Avs are already set up in the starting block. But everyone else is still tying their shoes.

The schedule over the last week has been hectic. A rookie camp from Tuesday to Thursday. Physicals and tests on Friday. Scrimmages on Saturday and Sunday. A fan-friendly Burgundy-White game in Broomfield on Monday. The first team flight and pre-season game in St. Louis on Tuesday, then right back here to Denver for a game against the Kings on Wednesday.

In order to truly understand what kind of impact the “two-day camp dynamic” has on this year’s Avalanche team, Tuesday’s pre-season opener against the Blues and Wednesday night’s game against the Kings will provide the answers. For how they skate and execute compared to the Blues and the Kings will go a long way in determining if the pros outweigh the cons.

To give you an example of the difference in camp structures, the Blues held two practices on Saturday, then one big scrimmage sandwiched in between two more practices today. Instead of a more glorified scrimmage game tomorrow, they will hold two more practices. And then again on Tuesday morning. Guess which team might have the better wheels on Tuesday night?

Because the two-day dynamic was at the forefront of my analysis over the last five days, I’ll review today’s camp with this in mind and drop some of my scouting notes by position. Guess which one comes first? Yep. I’ll post reviews on the forwards and defensemen on Monday, just in case any cuts are made. Enjoy! 

GOALTENDING

The two-day dynamic has a bigger influence on the goalies than any other position. Timing and confidence is everything, so to be lacking in either of those areas will certainly lend a hand to struggling. Even more important, however, is the negative effect of almost no one-on-one time with the goalie coach.

Fortunately, it happened last season with Jocelyn Thibault. For two days, he ran drills with Billy Sauer, Peter Delmas, Tyler Weiman, Trevor Cann and Peter Budaj. The comments below were the opening paragraph of my goaltending recap of last year’s training camp:

“A prospect can improve at an incredibly fast rate when someone that mastered the position at the NHL level is constantly providing that prospect with feedback. Especially with a position like goaltending, one that relies on non-stop progression and refinement, having a goalie consultant that understands the nature of the game (especially in 2009) and can relate to today’s elite puck stoppers is the most important factor in developing the goalie depth chart.”

This year, however, I did not see Kirk McLean do any legitimate goaltending drills with the prospects, neither during Rookie Camp or at any point this weekend. This lack of goalie-specific training over the last five days seriously affects two goalie prospects that have tremendous long-term value. Can you guess who I’m speaking of? You got it – Brandon Maxwell and Calvin Pickard.

Simply put, both goalies struggled in training camp, but not because they lack skill or confidence. It was simply due to the extreme jump that comes from facing shots at the major-junior level (Pickard plays in the WHL, Maxwell in the OHL), taking the summer off, then facing shots at the NHL level. That alone is an extremely tough task. But having to do it without the valuable advice that comes from an NHL goalie coach is nearly impossible.

You will hear and read a lot of things about the performances of Maxwell, Pickard and Cann. Very few, if any, will be positive. But trust me – even without goalie-specific drills with McLean - they all did plenty of things that impressed the coaching and scouting staff.

CALVIN PICKARD- Pickard impressed me because of his durability, steadiness and overall net presence. He is definitely poised to be the better than his brother, Chet, who is battling for a spot behind Pekka Rinne in Nashville. He’s definitely plays the calm butterfly style and does an excellent job of sealing holes and letting the puck hit him. He works very hard to see the puck around bodies and create his own flawless lines of sight. That work ethic is one of his best assets. He played 62 games last season with the Seattle Thunderbirds, so he can handle a heavy workload and he can execute with high levels of energy regardless of how many shots he faces.

Was he scrambly at times? Absolutely. Did he give up bad rebounds? Sure did. But did any of that come from a lack of talent? not even close. It comes from the jump in pace and speed that comes from NHL shooters. And even though the competition caused his confidence to wane over the weekend, that work ethic and positive attitude never dropped at all. He made big saves on breakaways on a number of occasions in this year’s camp and he displayed to me exactly what makes him such a tremendous prospect. One or two more years in Seattle, maybe a little more weight and refinement and he will be primed and ready to begin his pro career in the AHL.

If you look at the two photos included here, you’ll notice some of what I mean. In the first one above, he’s frozen solid on a shot that beats him low glove side. The inability to track the puck with his eyes causes him to tense up and brace for a shot. And that means he’s not executing correctly. In the shot below, he reacts to a Kyle Quincey blast by standing up and trying to re-direct the puck with his blocker and stick. Instead of butterflying and getting a pad behind the shot, he stands up and whiffs completely. The result? A puck in the back of the net.

These shots only represent a small sample of goals that resulted from a lack of timing and experience. At his age, one can’t expect him to have the ability or wherewithal to execute at this level. But in most instances, including the photo below, he displayed outstanding net coverage and showed why he plays bigger than his size would predict.

BRANDON MAXWELL - Maxwell impressed me this weekend because of his refined technique and style. He has faster footwork and a tighter stance. Last season, I considered him a “calm butterfly” goalie that relied more on solid positioning than reactions. He was what you would call a passive goalie, one that waits for the puck to hit him instead of flashing feet and hands in order to take away space.

This season, he had a much better balance of both. And that balance is what every goalie needs to be truly successful in the NHL. His stance and execution in this year’s camp was much more active and his faster feet allowed him to be better positioned to make those second and third saves. Overall, I could clearly see vast improvements in most areas of his game. This is a luxury that comes with playing in the CHL. He played close to 50 games and faced a ton of shots against the best players in his age range.

The areas in which he struggled during camp included shots up high – namely glove side - and deflections. These just so happen to be the two areas that are exposed the most when timing and confidence is not where it needs to be. Therefore, I took nothing negative away from most of the goals he allowed in the warm-ups and scrimmages. But breaking down his performance from a technique and skill standpoint (a la our patented scouting charts), the grades and ratings went up in almost every category.

TREVOR CANN -Cann impressed me because of his adjusted mechanics and improved skating. Just like for any hockey player, skating ability is the most important skill to have. If you can’t skate, you can’t stop the puck in an efficient manner. Last season, Cann was the slowest goalie on the team. His entire stride mechanics were not anywhere close to where they needed to be. But over the season, possibly the summer, something changed.

He’s faster. He’s better balanced. He’s much more mobile. He’s more confident. I could go on and on. He was the most improved goalie in the system and has gone from being in my doghouse to being a potential #4 goalie in the system. Of course John Grahame will cover that role for now behind Jason Bacashihua, but next year, Cann will be ready for a full season in the AHL. And more AHL games this season could prove he’s ready now. It’s possible, but I wasn’t that impressed. He still has a lot of work to do before he’s considered anything more than a future AHL’er.

PETER BUDAJ - To explain my thoughts on Budaj’s performance in camp, I have one word for you – confident. Last season, he had a real defeated attitude and constantly buried his head into the ice. He was intimidated by Craig Anderson’s presence and he struggled with his rebound control. This season, however, Budaj clearly knows his role and has embraced what he means to this team. The fact he was re-signed after playing so little last year says a lot for his influence in the locker room and on the bench.

Because of his happy-go-lucky attitude, Budaj clearly fills the backup role on this team to perfection. He’s the best kind of partner a goalie like Anderson could hope for. And with that comes plenty of comfort for Budaj. Because of this, he played a much more relaxed and composed butterfly style than what was seem in last year’s camp.

Another visible difference in Budaj’s game is that his pads (due to new sizing regulations) are probably a 1/4-inch to a 1/2-inch shorter than last year’s. This is not a negative thing, for a goalie that wears slightly shorter pads will not only benefit from an increase in mobility, but they will feel a little lighter and execute just a little bit easier as well. Above you see a shot of Budaj’s thigh rises and how there’s a tiny bit of space, but combined with his confidence, his technique in areas like rebound control, butterfly slides and overall movement in the scrimmages was visibly better than last season.

JASON BACASHIHUA - Cold Hard Cash is back and better than ever. But we’ll have a more in-depth article on him, including an interview with his goalie coach over the summer and some videos, next week. Briefly, he’s more calm, patient and mobile than last season and a lot of that comes from his improved footwork. He also has one of the most underrated gloves in the AHL.

—–[ THE AVALANCHE GUILD ]—–

Ultimately, I was very impressed by the improvement of the three youngest goalies in camp and the performance of the top four goalies in camp. Grahame struggled the most of the NHL and AHL goalies, but I don’t think it’s worth explaining the reasons why. He’s simply here to provide stability behind Bacashihua. It’s fun to see him try and stop the puck using the traditional butterfly style that dominated the game in the late-90′s, but other than that, he’s not a very capable goalie.

Unfortunately, the overall development of Avalanche goaltending as a whole was somewhat impacted by a lack of goalie-specific training on the ice with McLean. He was on the bench for a few scrimmages and then on the drills side of the ice today, but I didn’t see anything more than some conversation with the goalies at different points over the weekend. I only have one set of eyes, so if you saw something I didn’t, please leave a comment below.

A goalie coach is extremely crucial to a prospect’s success in a pro training camp. Without the micro-analysis, the verbal feedback and the positive reinforcement from McLean on the ice over the last five days, Pickard and Maxwell clearly struggled to keep up. But again, it was not a reflection of a lack of skill or long-term upside. The Avalanche failed to take advantage of a great opportunity to really enhance Pickard’s first camp experience and Maxwell’s second. And for myself, that was a little disappointing.

Earlier this week, The Goalie Guild was fortunate enough to catch the first glimpse of Craig Anderson’s new Dillon mask for the 2010-11 season. We were so impressed with the mask’s combination of class and Corvette racing culture that we just had to learn more about the design and the artist.

So allow us to introduce you to Mr. John Pepe, the founder of Pepe’s Custom Paint. John has been painting masks for many years now, but like most hard-working mask artists, life is prone to taking sudden twists and turns, and tough decisions have to be made. So John took a “sabbatical” of sorts from painting, but has slowly worked his way back into the trade.

But one part of his mask painting endeavors that has always stayed the same is his friendship with Anderson.

We actually “met” Pepe way back in March, when we featured his terrific Egyptian-themed mask for Guild member Bruno Roti. We were very impressed with the quality of work back then, so now, six months later, we are proud to offer our Guild readers and Avalanche fans a closer look at Pepe’s background and his experience painting Anderson’s new mask!

TGG: How did you get involved in the airbrushing business and who are some of the goalie mask artists that have inspired you over the years?

JP: I got my start while working for an equipment manufacturer back in Montreal. They were looking for someone to paint masks and although my airbrush experience was extremely limited, I jumped at the opportunity. I was lucky enough to meet Frank Cipra who was a huge help to me when I was starting out. He shared his painting technique, saving me a lot of trial and error by showing me the correct way to do paint a mask. His work still amazes me.

TGG: How did you connect with Craig Anderson, and how long have you been painting his goalie masks?

JP: I was introduced to Craig through Bob Dillon, who has been custom making Craig’s masks for quite some time. I have been painting Andy’s masks for about 10 years give or take. The first one was while he was playing in Norfolk I believe.

TGG: What was the inspiration behind his new mask design? What were some of your thoughts while actually airbrushing the design?

JP: I had not been happy with the paint jobs I had done for him in the past few years. It was always a tight deadline, a creative block or a combination of the two. Whatever it was, things never turned out the way I wanted them to. This time around, I didn’t really have a deadline and I had a lot of ideas flowing for what I wanted to do. I thought it would be fun to have the snowman and car look a lot more like the work of Big Daddy Roth, since that had been the influence of the design in the first place. So, I took some time and designed a snowman in the Rat Fink style but had it shaped to fit around the vents in the mask. I really wanted there to be a complete face on the mask without a big hole in the eye or nose. Then came the ‘Vette. I wanted to make it as large as possible since the space is limited and it needed to be recognizable as a Corvette at a glance – even with the skis and the monster truck tires. Instead of the usual little logo on the chin, I decided to have the opposite side be all Avalanche. I put as large of a logo as I could without cutting it off. The lower half is loosely based on the third jersey, along with some elements pulled out of the logo itself. Overall it took about a week and a half working on it on and off. It was the most fun I had painting a mask in quite some time. No pressure at all.

TGG: Some goalies are very open about their design, but others are very particular. What kind of “client” is Anderson?

JP: Craig is very easy to work with. He lets me run with it for the most part. All he wanted was for the Corvette to be on it somewhere and to have “Jake” (the Corvette Racing logo) on the backplate. We’ve been going with the race car theme for a while, and at one time it was a Mustang. I am not sure when or why we started with it, but it has stuck.

TGG: Who are some of your other pro goaltender clients?

JP: My past clients have included Sean Burke, Scott Clemmensen, J.S. Aubin, Curtis Sanford, Reinhard Divis, Rastislav Stana, Sebastien Caron, Ryan Bach, Chris Mason, Peter Skudra, Thomas Greiss, Kevin Weekes and many others in pro leagues around the world.

A special thanks to John Pepe for taking time out of his busy schedule to answer our questions. We are excited to watch Anderson stop thousands of pucks wearing his beautiful new Dillon mask! The Goalie Guild is a proud supporter of Pepe Custom Paint and you can find his contact info in our Mask Artist Directory.

What makes a two-day training camp so unique and entertaining?

The urgency, both on and off the ice.

With only six hours to impress the entire Colorado Avalanche coaching and scouting staff and stake a claim to one of the team’s 23 roster spots, players can boost their value and reputation in a single line rush, body check or glove save. That’s all it takes to turn heads, raise eyebrows and have the reporters and fans talking amongst themselves. One good play begets the next, and that is how impressions are made, quotes are dropped and hype starts to build.

It happened with Ryan O’Reilly and Matt Duchene last year. And it could happen again this season with guys like Ryan Stoa, Kevin Shattenkirk and Colby Cohen. And even though the Avs did not acquire many players over the summer, a few jobs are still up for grabs and certain roles need to be filled.

Today’s session went a long way in reflecting the frenzied atmosphere that is to be expected of a quick two-day training camp. It was fast, furious, physical and quite competitive. No love was lost, no friendly jokes were tossed back and forth, no time was wasted, no players held up on the body contact and no drills were run. Just pure, hard-nosed hockey.

The Avalanche coaching staff, once again, was not on the ice at all. They all watched from the stands, as did I. Three games, each 45 minutes in length, took place between the black, grey and blue teams. Below are just some of my thoughts and notes from today’s camp.

PETER BUDAJ - Did not look any more refined or improved from a skills perspective, but his confidence level compared to last year’s first day of training camp was much higher. He played at the top of his crease throughout the first half of the scrimmage, controlled his rebounds, moved effectively and communicated well with his defensemen. Although he did not see much action in the first scrimmage, I point to a nice breakaway save on Wacey Hamilton as proof of his confidence. He handled the puck well and did not seem rattled, tense, nervous or shaky.

MIKE CARMAN - I was impressed with his situational awareness and vision, especially away from the puck. Solid skating stride and skills. His highlight play of the day came in the first scrimmage when he carried the puck behind the next, executed a solid wraparound with balance and then roofed the puck over Craig Anderson’s left shoulder. Anderson was down early, but Carman’s quick release was impressive. I like his ability to keep possession of the puck and his overall skills are above average.

CAMERON GAUNCE – Today was not an impressive showing for the defenseman. He did not read plays with much precision and he failed to keep the puck in his offensive zone on more than a few occasions. He did not have the energy or alertness you expect to see from a major-junior standout. He did not provide any offense, nor did he bring much of a physical element to his game. His timing was simply off and he didn’t do much to try and snap out of his funk.

GREG MAULDIN – The bread winner of today’s session. Energetic, explosive stride, quick release, situationally aware. He has many NHL-level assets. I loved his ability to anticipate and read plays. He has wheels that can’t be overlooked. He had one of the best work ethics all day long. As the scrimmages continued, he did more to turn heads and create a buzz in the stands. You will hear many writers, bloggers and analysts mention him as one of the guys that stood out. Why? He never took a shift off, and every time he was on the ice, he made something happen or played to one of his strengths. I point to a brilliant cross-ice pass that landed right on the stick of Philippe Dupuis and resulted in a goal. He’s not a typical “rookie” mold at 28 years of age, so his experience lends a hand to his ability to execute at such a high level on the first day of camp. He’ll be a brilliant addition to the Lake Erie roster and because of his age, could be one of the first forwards called up to the big club. It is somewhat of a shame that he’s at the center position, but guys like him often find a way to make things happen. Oh, he also added a goal and hit two posts to boot. His release is definitely NHL-quality.

MATT FORD – One of three players on an AHL contract alongside Travis Gawryletz and Patrick Bordeleau, so he’s simply fighting for a role in Lake Erie. After today, he is certainly in the running and on the minds of the coaching staff. It was late in the second scrimmage that he made a real impact in today’s camp, as he re-directed a harmless shot from Gaunce up and over Calvin Pickard and then came right back and ripped a shot over Pickard’s glove just a few minutes later. He was one of the many players that gained confidence and speed as the scrimmages went along. Isn’t a hidden gem as far as talent is concerned, but I liked his ability to bang and crash and take the puck to the prime scoring areas. Needs to improve his skating ability if he wants to have a future in the NHL.

TREVOR CANN – I probably gave Cann more negative press than anyone else in the Avalanche community, but for good reason. He was a hard worker and had good net presence, but his technique was always really awkward. Today, however, his mechanics, stance and technique was totally refined and it really showed. His butterfly style is much more effective, mainly because he’s a much better skater. That is the foundation of any successful goalie, and since his footwork is so much better than at this point last season, he is now a viable prospect worth retaining. He was beat on a nice re-direction by Chris Stewart late in the second game, but that was the only time he looked out of place. He is still a long way from being an NHL goaltender, but a totally refined game has laid a foundation in which he can develop NHL-caliber skills. To me, he was the most improved Avalanche prospect in relation to last year’s camp.

JOEY HISHON - We all know about his skill set, skating ability, heightened sense of awareness and knack for scoring nice goals. What I learned about Hishon is his “bigger-than-he-looks” presence on the ice. He was another one of the young guys with an extremely high work ethic and that went a long way in putting him at a level above most of the other prospects out there. I was impressed with his balance on his skates and his puck possession. For his appearance, he is rather gritty. One benefit of being shorter is the low center of gravity. Combined with his strong edge work on his skates, Hishon can separate players from the puck and force turnovers on one side of the ice. On the other side, he can carry the puck into the zone, dump and chase and win some battles that most guys his size would dare not even try to win. One more season in Erie Owen Sound with the Otters Attack will be great for his development and if he can put on a little more weight, he will be that much stronger on his skates. Definitely a high-caliber prospect with tremendous upside.

Overall, today’s camp was quite gratifying. It’s great to be back in the swing of things and I am so excited for the start of the pre-season schedule. I don’t expect many surprises, but again, a two-day camp means just about anything can happen. I can’t wait for tomorrow’s camp and will see you all in the morning!

Aaron Musick, the Avalangelist, kicks off our second season of Blogger Network coverage with his 2010 Avalanche Training Camp preview. Follow him on Twitter at @Avalangelist and check out his blog on Hockey Buzz all year long! 

WHAT TO WATCH FOR AT CAMP

Well hockey fans, it is finally here – the start of NHL training camps. The Avs will kick off their full training camp tomorrow after their brief rookie camp that happened this week. As usual, all of their practices at held at South Suburban Family Sports center in Centennial. However, before you go check out what the “A” is all about, there a few things to look for at training camp this year:

Goaltender Calvin Pickard: The Avs’ second round draft pick in this past year’s draft has impressed a lot of people who went to the rookie camp. Can he do the same versus all the regulars and impress the coaching staff?

Rookie Defensemen: There are currently 16 players listed on the Avs’ training camp roster under defense and eight of them are recent Avs’ draft picks. From Kevin Shattenkirk, the Avs’ first round selection in 2007 to Troy Rutkowski, the Avs’ fifth round pick in this year’s draft, that Avs have a bunch of players vying for the coach’s attention during training camp. Especially memorize the numbers for Shattenkirk (8), Colby Cohen (36), Cameron Gaunce (3) and Jonas Holos (6) as they should be the ones to stand out the most among this group.

It would also be prudent to watch how the older defensemen are around the young guys. Can the young guys keep up? Are they pushing anyone for a spot?

Matt Duchene: There’s a good chance that the Avs’ practice facility will be packed, especially on Saturday, and most of them will come to see the Avs’ budding star live. Don’t overthink anything, just enjoy watching the talent the kid can put on display.

Daniel Winnik: Yet another piece the Avs have picked off of the Phoenix roster and this will be the first chance to see him practice with his new teammates (with the coaches watching at least). How good can he be to this team? Can he replace Matt Hendricks?

Ryan Stoa: Stoa got his feet wet in the NHL last year and shortly thereafter learned how much he had to improve, especially when it came to the speed of the game. Has he adjusted by now?

Peter Mueller: Which Mueller appears at camp? The scoring star after the Avs acquired him? Or the frustrating forward that he was in Phoenix?

Ryan O’Reilly/Joey Hishon/ T.J. Galiardi: These three guys are put together because they all have one thing in common: they all were/are/will always be underrated forwards. Does Hishon look more like Ryan “Radar” O’Reilly or Duchene? What does O’Reilly look like? Is he faster, bigger, better? Is Galiardi a first line left winger or a third liner? These are all questions of which to be aware.

Craig Anderson: The Avs’ savior, among other titles given to him, is back for year two and is looking for a new contract. Watch and see him work, even if he won’t be going 100% at the beginning. How does he look? Is he focused, ready for more?

That should be enough to watch, but also keep an eye on Ryan O’Reilly, one player whom the fans do not know, but impresses the fan base with what he can do.

Enjoy it Avs fans, and rejoice: hockey is back!

The second day of Colorado’s 2010 Rookie Orientation Camp was like my own personal “welcome back” party to celebrate the new season. Hardly anyone shows up during the week, so the Family Sports Center rink has that empty, lonesome feeling. And I totally love it.

This year looks to be no different. Although I missed Tuesday’s opening session, Wednesday was an even better opportunity to scout and photograph - you got it – the goalies. Seattle Thunderbirds standout Calvin Pickard, wily veteran John Grahame, the head honcho Craig Anderson, and a little bit of former Hershey Bears goalie Jason Bacashihua, Kitchener Rangers stud Brandon Maxwell and Peter Budaj. I also got to catch up with Avalanche radio play-by-play Marc Moser and Avalanche studio host Peter Ruttgaizer as well.

Click here to read my insight on the goaltenders from today’s action. I also posted a mini-photo gallery of Craig Anderson and his slick new mask right here. The mask was painted by Pepe’s Custom Paint. They are good friends of The Goalie Guild and they do some awesome work! You can also visit our 2010 Avalanche Training Camp Photo Gallery on a daily basis through the weekend for our photos. All rights reserved and all that good stuff.

 2010 TRAINING CAMP PHOTO GALLERY

I’ll also quickly enhance the goaltending coverage with a short video of Anderson working with Daniel Winnik at the end of today’s session. Not the kind of rebound control you want to see, but if you read our goaltending coverage on The Goalie Guild you’ll see it’s nothing more than rust and new, stiff pads.

Now on to the rookies, prospects and veterans, all of which were having an enjoyable time running their own drills and hosting their own scrimmages. The atmosphere was so laid back that I didn’t really focus on who stood out or who seemed a step behind. Why? Without any coaches, the intensity takes a major nose dive. Other than what I already know about the players on the ice, it’s just not effective to take much from what I see until the coaches are there and the atmosphere is more structured.

But that didn’t stop me from noticing a number of positives and a couple of negatives from different players. But again, I don’t take much from what I saw yesterday. Everyone was either shaking off rust, playing in a relaxed, laid-back manner or simply trying to adjust to the speed of the action. As the week turns into the weekend, the notes will get more in-depth and precise. But today was more about fun and first impressions.

DANIEL WINNIK - He’s going to make a lot of fans very quickly. I love his addition to the team because of what he does and how he does it, not because he’s overly skilled. He’s an average skater, passer and shooter. But his ability to grind away in the corners, win small puck battles and bring a physical element is going to make him a valuable commodity in the lineup.

Winnik is what I call a Silent Assassin. He’s not flashy, doesn’t warrant a lot of attention, but gets the job done. He works hard. He’s experienced and he’s committed to doing the little things that create puck possession for his linemates. That’s the only way he’s able to maintain a role on an NHL team and he should be rewarded for it, especially on this team. The Avalanche, as you know, have plenty of scoring potency. But they have very few bodies that can grind along the boards and win battles.

Overall, Winnik fills a major void in the lineup and I am excited for him to bring an element of grit and sandpaper to the lineup. It’s no stretch to expect 10-12 goals from him, momentum-shifting penalty minutes and a physical presence to the lineup on a consistent basis. And his work ethic was quite noticeable today. He was one of the more serious players out on the ice, partially due to the fact that his job has to be earned.

MILAN HEJDUK- Healthy, but displayed stiffness and rust. He was one of the veterans just slowly easing his way into camp. There’s nothing wrong with this and nothing negative about his performance in today’s camp. He’s the most reliable veteran forward on the team, and even though there’s a stigma around the league that he has little value, every player on the team knows what kind of silent leadership he brings to the locker room. The hands, the footwork and the precision is still there and has not faded in the least bit. But I could tell by his stride and his upper body positioning that he was a little tight.

To me, Hejduk is at a point in his career where he takes nothing for granted. The perma-smile was proof of his situational awareness. I think he fully understands the fact that his role on the team is changing, but that he is still counted on to score goals. He’s more of a mentor than ever before and that’s a great asset for the Avalanche to have.

With Adam Foote mentoring the defensemen, it’s only natural to have Hejduk do the same thing with the skilled forwards. Foote is more of a verbal leader in the locker room, but Hejduk is a quiet guy that leads by example. It is that perfect balance that makes this “young team” so composed and potent on a nightly basis.

I’ll keep an eye on Hejduk for the rest of the camp and see how he settles in as regular camp approaches on Saturday. I’m sure he’ll be fine and you’ll hear from a lot of fans how he looks totally healthy and ready to go. But that’s what makes Hejduk so special – he’s as steady as she goes.

KYLE QUINCEY- There was nothing about his shot, his stride or his passing that looked to have improved over the summer. But one thing you can’t see that I could tell has improved was his confidence. At this time last summer, Quincey was the new kid on the blueline block and just looking to decipher his role and establish a presence as a top-4 defenseman. And as we all know, he did just that.

But this September is different. His role is understood, his presence is established and his responsibility is greater than any other point in his NHL career. He’s evolving and developing a leadership role, which is exactly what you want.

So what exactly am I looking for when I watch Quincey through the weekend? Confidence with the puck. I want him to shoot more. I want him to be more assertive. I want him to be a true quarterback.

As I type this, I actually remember Quincey taking control of setting up and running the drills prior to the scrimmage. He was loud, verbal and to-the-point. He really did seem like a player-coach out there, making sure things were getting done and moving along. And that’s what I want to see from Quincey throughout the season. Take control of the wheel and drive the defenseman to be more offensive, especially on the power play.

The Colorado Avalanche announced their last cuts today, ensuring that the future will arrive Oct. 1.

In their final cuts, the Avs announced the reassignment of center Chris Durno, defenseman Derek Peltier and goaltender Tyler Weiman to the Lake Erie Monsters of the AHL.

These cuts confirmed what Avalanche fans have all been hoping for: to see Matt Duchene in an Avs sweater during the season opener on Thursday. Also joining Duchene will be second round draft pick (#33 overall), center Ryan O’Reilly.

While Duchene was met with much anticipation, O’Reilly was met with curiosity. Thought to go in the top-20 in the NHL Entry Draft, O’Reilly fell all the way to the second round where the Avs management practically did an Irish jig while going up to the podium to select him.

O’Reilly has been described by NHL Central Scouting’s Chris Edwards as, “…very responsible defensively. He backchecks hard and he’s very good at identifying his check in his own end. He’s very good at the defensive end of the game.”

O’Reilly has also been noted by Denver Post writer Adrian Dater for his great stick work.

Duchene, on the other hand, is seen as the new face of the franchise alongside, and even above, Paul Stastny. Duchene has great speed, quick wrists, a hard shot and prowess in the defensive zone. Up to the draft, there was talk that the Islanders might in fact take Duchene first of all. However, after a tense couple of hours, two selections and a fist pump, Duchene was selected by the Avs.

At the time of his selection Duchene thought that he was “really close” to being NHL ready and couldn’t wait until camp to try and make the team.

While the Avs wasted little time in signing Duchene on July 16, O’Reilly had to wait a little longer to get his entry-level contract. Coming into camp, O’Reilly flew under the radar but separated himself from the rest of the pack through his play and earned his three-year entry level contract on Sept. 21. 

With the cuts, it is apparent that the Avs are at least going to test Duchene and O’Reilly, both 18 years old, in the first portion of the season. Now, the Avs get ten games to look at the future of their franchise and see exactly where it is heading.

This is a great step forward for the Avs, as they are giving their two brightest center prospects a chance to make the club for the entire season and try to make a difference that will allow this team to escape the cellar of the NHL.

Aaron Musick covers the Colorado Avalanche for HockeyBuzz and will be providing insight on The Avalanche Guild all season long!

The 2009-10 Colorado Avalanche Training Camp closed yesterday (Tuesday) and I was fortunate enough to soak in a few more drills with Peter Budaj and Tyler Weiman.

Personally, today was a very cool experience. I noticed that on Sunday, none of the nets were equipped with Edge ProTech skate blade protectors. I’m pretty sure a ton of NHL equipment managers are using them on a consistent basis, so I made sure to bring a pair with me.

When Weiman was heading on the ice, I caught him before he hit the ice and asked if he wanted to borrow them. He gladly accepted of course, so I’m proud to say that The Goalie Guild helped Weiman and Budaj save the edges on their blades throughout this mini-practice session with Jocelyn Thibault.

This first video is pretty straightforward. Anytime a goalie works on their lateral movement while in the butterfly, it’s actually more beneficial for me to watch upper body positioning. Pretty much every NHL/AHL goalie is solid at pushing off in a strong and efficient manner, so the main thing I key in on is their upper body, including the shoulders, chest and arms.

(video removed per 72-hour NHL Media policy)

Budaj was definitely more relaxed than he was on Sunday, but his rebound control still left something to be desired. But the one thing that really stuck out through this second set of drills was his slight leaning to the left (glove side).

It’s not a major defect or anything like that, but to me it’s a noticeable difference compared to Weiman’s upper body positioning. Budaj’s shoulders are broader, but his left arm and glove is so tight to his side that he looks too tense. Weiman’s shoulders to me are much more relaxed and parallel to the crossbar.

(video removed per 72-hour NHL Media policy)

The first thing I’d point out right away from this third video is Budaj’s body language. The first four seconds he’s caught hunched over with his head down. Now I can’t tell if this is from fatigue or if he’s trying to focus, but regardless, I think the key for a goalie is to always stand up straight. Not only is it easier to breathe, it’s just overall much better body language.

The first shot he faces results in a juicy rebound and the puck being roofed over his glove (by Adam Deadmarsh). I was not very impressed with Budaj’s body language after he allowed that goal. Once again his head was buried and he was all hunched over. On the rest of the shots, his shoulders are noticeably slanted and he barely leans to his left. This isn’t a major thing, but it’s noticeable.

(video removed per 72-hour NHL Media policy)

Overall, I’m still very impressed with Weiman’s composure, confidence and body language. He’s a little bigger in the net than Budaj thanks to a slightly wider stance and butterfly and he has a tremendous attitude. Budaj was not nearly as rusty as he was on Sunday, but I still wasn’t that impressed with his body language and rebound control.

And yes, Tyler was very nice in returning my Edge ProTech’s back. Thanks Weims!!

A prospect can improve at an incredibly fast rate when someone that mastered the position at the NHL level is constantly providing that prospect with feedback. Especially with a position like goaltending, one that relies on non-stop progression and refinement, having a goalie consultant that understands the nature of the game (especially in 2009) and can relate to today’s elite puck stoppers is the most important factor in developing the goalie depth chart.

Jocelyn Thibault, just one full season removed from his 14-year NHL career, was quietly named the new goalie consultant for the Colorado Avalanche last week. Sure enough, Thibault was on the ice Sunday morning for the first day of Avs Training Camp and did some remarkable work that I’m proud to share with you today. It was a beneficial morning for me in a number of ways, none more important than learning what kind of an instant impact Thibault had on some of the Avalanche goalie prospects.

But before we dig into the nitty-gritty, let’s go through a few other notes I had from the first day of Avs training camp:

PETER BUDAJ – Budaj was extremely rusty throughout the first hour of camp. He simply never got into much of a rhythm. He was playing a half-step deeper than usual and struggled with his rebound control. He never seemed comfortable and his upper body seemed tight. His body language reflected a lot of tense frustration as he reacted late to some shots and dropped early on others.

It was fairly obvious to me that Budaj was feeling the heat in a number of ways. In fact, one could argue that he’s facing more pressure than any other Avalanche player. Not only is he set to be dethroned by Craig Anderson, but he’s also constantly being pushed by a confident Tyler Weiman.

From a fantasy perspective, I wouldn’t put much value in Budaj’s stock heading into the season. Between Weiman and Anderson, Budaj has the least amount of confidence and is also under the most scrutiny from the media and fans. Unfortunately, the biggest enemy Budaj will face all season will be himself. And until he comes to an internal realization that he has to show more composure, Budaj will struggle to play consistently and run hot and cold.

TYLER WEIMAN – With even better footwork than before, Weiman is still consistently progressing. Even on a horrible Lake Erie team last year, Weiman was one of the steadiest performers in the AHL. He looks sharper than usual and skated with a lot of confidence, like he was totally bulletproof. He’s no longer fazed by anything or anyone, nor should he, for this is his seventh consecutive Avs training camp. His mindset and body language was terrific.

To be blunt, Weiman is so solid that Budaj seems to be hanging on by a thread. I don’t mean to take away from Budaj’s game, but it’s getting to the point where even the casual Avs fan is wondering why Weiman has only played half a period in the NHL. This is a question that has to be asked over and over again because there’s simply no excuse for not giving him at least one opportunity this season.

So it’s my conviction that Weiman will be called up at least once and play extremely well in his limited chances. In the meantime, at least we know he’ll get plenty of work and minutes in the AHL.

BILLY SAUER & PETER DELMAS - It’s amazing what a young goalie can do when they actually take a little time to think about what they’re doing. It also helps when the team’s goalie consultant is on the ice to make adjustments. Most skaters are there to battle against one another for a spot on a roster, but for some goalies, it’s more about impressing the coaching staff and absorbing every little piece of information that comes from the goalie coach.

Sauer, a big goalie with great coverage down low in his own right, does not have the best mobility or quickness. In fact I worked up a scouting chart on him back on Wednesday, which was the first day of Rookie Training Camp. It’s not hard to see that Sauer is a good step slower than Weiman, Budaj and Peter Delmas.

But all Thibault had to do was run two drills, make one minor adjustment to Sauer’s footwork and everything totally clicked. This not only turned a pressure-filled training camp experience into a mini semi-private lesson, but it also improved the organization’s depth while at the same time allowing the scouts to do their job. Overall, it was a great display of pure development straight from Thibault’s mind, something every GM wants to see on a daily basis.

(video removed per 72-hour NHL Media policy)

In the first video, Thibault uses four pucks to explain a basic system for tracking the puck around the crease. It splits the ice up into six zones – four behind the net split up from end board to end board and two out front, one on either side of the ice. David Marcoux, the former goalie coach in Calgary, actually taught Kiprusoff and many other pro goalies this exact system (It’s also the one I was taught five years ago). The drill Thibault runs with Sauer is just about setting your feet quick enough so that you can control your body’s movement and therefore the rebound.

What I noticed in this drill (starting at 1:30) is that Sauer covers the lower portion of the net in impressive fashion due to his great size. But his feet aren’t the quickest and because of that, he doesn’t have very good body control. He hunches over and leans forward when he drops into the butterfly, which causes some bad rebounds and takes away from an efficient recovery. His body is not in great alignment and that causes him to lose speed and not generate as much power getting back to his feet. He also doesn’t take up as much space up high because his shoulders are hunched and his back isn’t completely straight. Overall his inefficient footwork leads to some juicy rebounds and you can see Thibault most likely explaining some of these aspects to him at the end of the video.

(video removed per 72-hour NHL Media policy)

This second video totally hits home the importance of a quality goalie coach to the prospects in this system. On Sauer’s first three shots, he’s still leaning forward like before. He flies out towards the shooter because his body’s momentum carries him forward. He was a little sharper going to his right, but his shoulders were still hunched over.

But at 1:05, Thibault does a remarkable job of giving Sauer some great feedback about the path his skates travel. Instead of sliding out towards the shooter to cut down the angle, Sauer is better off setting his feet sooner and cutting off the angle deeper in his crease. This is a luxury a big goalie can afford, as this adjustment will allow him to drop into the butterfly in a faster manner and control the rebound with more ease.

At 1:10, you see Thibault show Sauer exactly how to adjust his movement. To paraphrase, stopping on a dime instead of sliding out past the top of his crease will come from setting his feet sooner. The result will be better body control, better balance and then an ability to recover just a little bit quicker than before.

At 1:50, Delmas steps in and shows Sauer how it’s done. Delmas is flat out a terrific skater. He moves in a more efficient manner when it comes to shots in tight and his feet are very quick and get set sooner than Sauer’s. Even though Delmas doesn’t have the big body (listed 11 pounds lighter than Sauer), he’s much quicker going post to post.

Delmas doesn’t exert nearly as much energy even though he might need to travel a further distance because he’s a smaller goalie, which allows him to get the knees down quickly and have better rebound control. Another positive to Delmas’ game is that he has a very straight back and takes away a large portion of the top of the net. That straight back means a lot, because it allows for better alignment and quicker recovery time.

Then everything clicks when Sauer goes back in the net at 2:40. The first shot to his right, he’s in a little more control of his body. The second one was excellent and the third one was even better. As my comments point out, he was set sooner and was in much better control of his body. The fourth and fifth shot to his left were a little off-balanced but he finishes with a strong one. And did you notice his rebounds were placed in much better areas?

Now this is all pretty straightforward stuff for a goalie to absorb in a few hours, but what happens when Thibault isn’t around to keep providing Sauer with that feedback? This is where goalies must show a lot of mental strength. Sauer has to train his mind to be consistent with what he just learned. He’s a bigger goalie – he doesn’t need to come out as far as a smaller goalie does. So there’s more advantageous things he could be doing with his feet that end up saving time, energy and most importantly, bad rebounds.

In conclusion, this was just a few minutes of basic goalie drills, but as you can see, a good goalie coach can turn it into something beyond valuable. Every moment a prospect gets that type of feedback, the stock of that goalie rises by leaps and bounds. But without the constant feedback, goalies have to work even harder at being mentally tough enough to retain the information and execute correctly on a consistent basis.

Thirty goalie coaches in the league work on hundreds of prospects in an effort to improve the organization’s depth. But as I’m often found saying, goaltending is 90% mental. So no matter how much a goalie learns in a single day, if they don’t apply themselves and stay focused, it’s all for naught. This barely scratches the surface of the goalie consultant’s impact, but as you can see, it’s a vital and invaluable aspect of developing players at that position.

What impact does a goalie coach have on your fantasy team’s goalies? What kind of adjustments to a goalie’s game did you see or hear about over the summer? And most importantly – how consistent is the goalie playing? These are questions you should be asking in order to not only understand the position better, but to give you an edge from a fantasy perspective. Having the answers will make drafting goalies less of a headache and more of an opportunity.

Although Peter Budaj was pretty rusty through the first day of Avalanche Training Camp this morning, he still looked quite sleek in his new Bauer X:60 setup. Good job by BudajFan31 from www.GoaliePost.com for noticing that Budaj’s blocker is actually an XR skinned with X:60 graphics.

It was also the first time we noticed Jocelyn Thibault on the ice working with the Avs goalies. Peter Delmas, Tyler Weiman and Billy Sauer spent the majority of the day with Thibault, which included some informal introductions, plenty of smiles and the discussion of a few simple drills. This is just one of them:

I was beyond impressed with Thibault’s work with the goalies on the ice. He handled introductions promptly, and as you can see, got right down to business by warming up the goalies for the scrimmage. Budaj’s rust was pretty visible from the get-go. I noticed that he played at least a half-step deeper in his crease than usual and he seemed tense and tight in the shoulders. Numerous times in the first hour of drills he was beaten under the elbows or top-shelf. I also caught him doing a lot of this throughout the drills:

There was some visible negative feedback, as he would turn his head and shoulders in frustration while getting back into his butterfly stance after allowing a goal. I’m not sure how he performed during the scrimmage, but many fans I spoke to afterwards agreed that his timing was off. At least with all the time I spent watching Budaj today, I did snag a photo of his mask:

I have no idea who that is on the edge of his mask (the right side), but we can tell you that Ned Flanders is proudly displayed on the backplate once again, but this time in a larger size than ever before. There’s also a motorcycle being blanketed by the checkered flag right above the unknown character.

Stay tuned for tomorrow morning’s SCHOOL OF BLOCK, which will bring you an inside look at some other dynamics Thibault brought to the Avs goaltending regime and how it should really benefit the organization’s depth at that position.

Here is the completed scouting chart of Billy Sauer from yesterday’s Avalanche Rookie Training Camp. Click to download the PDF and enjoy!