| 25 March 2009
If you ever wanted to know how an AHL team would do against an NHL team, well tonight’s Avs / Ducks game might have been the closest thing to an answer you will see. The Avs had 4 recent call ups from Lake Erie (Galiardi, Hendricks, Peltier and Verance) plus another 3 players who spent significant time in the AHL at some point this season (Willsie, McCormick, and Hensick). The scoring for the Ducks started early in the first when Budaj gave up the worst goal of the season (I know, that 's saying something) when Christensen fluttered a puck on net and turned to go off on the line change. Similar to a wide receiver in football who starts to run with the ball before he catches it, Budaj started moving the puck up ice before he caught it -- it hit him in the glove and bounced into the net. Things only continued to go down hill, it was 3-0 after the first and the game as over. Hejduk and McLeod scored the goals for the Avs. Highlights. What impressed me:
Cody McCormick - Nice effort all game long. Made a hussle play in a meaningless 3rd period that led to the 2nd Avs goal. McCormick played like he wants to be part of the Avs next season.
What didn’t impress me:
Goaltending - When you pull the first guy after 1, then pull the second guy because he was even worse after 2 and replace him with the first guy (who was bad enough to get pulled in the first place), you know you’re in trouble. Budaj gave up the worst goal of the season and Raycroft gave up 4 goals on 8 shots.
AHL Call Ups - None of them have been awful, but I';m still waiting for one of these kids to make a play to show they belong. Hendricks had a great chance in the slot in the second and shot it over the net; Peltier flubbed an open chance to get a hard shot on net right before the Christensen goal, etc. They are not taking advantage of chances -- the game looks a little too big for these kids right now.
Scratches:
Foote (head)
Nycholat (head)
Stastny (foot)
Stewart (head)
Svatos (head)
Tjarnqvist (head)
Tucker (back)
3 Stars:
1. ANA R 10 C.PERRY
2. ANA C 48 A.EBBETT
3. ANA D 34 J.WISNIEWSKI
Notes: Ruslan Salei left early in the 1st with a knee injury and did not return.
Next Game: Friday at home against Vancouver, 7PM
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