Pseudo-GM Time: 36 reasons to Sign Miroslav Satan

1/36: that's the Avalanche power play success rate over the last ten games.

That number is simply pathetic, and if it doesn't change, the Avalanche's success in the month of November won't change: a 2-3-1 record.

The power play was a big reason for the 10-1-1 start, but after Liles and Tucker went down, so did it. But the past is the past: we can't just wait around for Liles to get healthy, and Tucker still doesn't look 100% after returning.

Enter Miroslav Satan.

Yes, he's old. Yes, he's one-dimensional. Yes, signing him is an incredibly short sighted move.

But who cares?

His salary would be inexpensive. He has experience. He's proven that he has the hands to be both a good shooter and passer.

Something has to get the power play going, and something has to get Matt Duchene going. Putting him on a line with McLeod and Svatos every night has become the equivalent of beating one's head against a brick wall.

Because the only real player in jeopardy of being bumped down a line or scratched (Svatos) isn't a player the Avalanche have any long term plans for, there comes no risk with signing Satan.

At the very least, signing him would give Joe Sacco another competent top-six forward to work with.

They're not so bad, I guess

Probably better than the home and away jerseys, at least. The Avs will wear them in 11 of the remaining 34 home games.

1 for 31

That's the Avalanche power play success ratio over the past 9 games.

Get Preissing in there, Sacco.

And of course, the tune "we don't think it'll be anything long term" has turned into Liles being placed in the IR.

Here's the fact of life for the Avalanche: if Stastny can't score on the road, the power play has to. If it doesn't, you're going to lose games.

Can't wait to see the new jersey's that will be unveiled tomorrow. If they're anything like they're rumored to be, someone deserves to be shot.

Bad feeling about Liles

I have a feeling we've seen the last of John-Michael Liles for a while.

When have you ever seen a player return quickly after what's happened to him? He missed two weeks with a shoulder injury, came back and played two pretty godawful games, and in game three re-injures the shoulder on an innocent looking play.

I still don't know what happened. With the way he fell down/the look of pain on his face, I thought he took a high stick.

But no, it was the shoulder.

Will he need surgery? Who knows, but this is wouldn't be the worst year for it to happen. The long Olympic break would allow alot of recovery time.

What if Tom Preissing comes in and plays like the 38 point, +40 player he was in 2007 for Ottawa? Could we have seen the last of JM Liles as an Avalanche?

That's certainly extreme, but it's just a thought.

Brett Clark is having a nice bounce back year. He's still gotten it from the fans (mostly unjustified), but take a look at this stat: 12 blocked shots tonight.

12 blocked shots in one game! A couple of them were huge, too, including the one off of the side of his head late in the 3rd.

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Not to say "I told you so," but...I told you so.

Prospal
Salary: 1.100
Games: 17
Points: 19

Svatos
Salary: 2.025
Games: 17
Points: 5

That's just to put things in perspective.

Yes, Prospal has been playing center on a line with Gaborik, but he's been good even during the games Gaborik has missed. And, he's had success at LW pretty much every team he's been on in his career.

Wouldn't he look alot better next to Duchene than the other people he's been paired with so far?

One month in the books

If someone would have told me the 09/10 Colorado Avalanche would set a record in October, I would have believed them.

But I would have thought it would be for fewest points to start the season.

Right now, life is good. The Avs 10-2-2 record ties the most points ever in the month of October, and the schedule is about to get easier after playing the past 11 of 13 on the road.

One problem: EVERYONE is injured. Everyone.

For the third season in a row, the Avalanche players are having significant trouble staying healthy. I can't really blame the training staff because injuries have ranged anywhere from a cheap shot into the boards to the H1N1 flu.

How long can Colorado keep winning with all these players out, and what happens if MORE players get injured?

Tom Preissing still hasn't played a game, but right now healthy defensemen is low on Colorado's list of priorities. Even with Salei and Preissing on the IR, the solid play of Wilson still makes a log jam on the back end.

I hope McLeod is able to play when Colorado returns home after Sundays game against Vancouver. The organization has been pretty mum on his eye injury, so who knows?

What I do know is the team can't afford to have he or Tucker out for much longer. Hensick and Svatos have been inept offensively, and Willsie/Durno don't even have the skills to produce.

Colorado splits November 50/50, with seven games at home/on the road. That's a much lighter schedule than the ten road games they played last month, but eight of the games are against division rivals. It's going to be a big month, but I expect a winning record as long as Stastny/Anderson don't go down to injury.

No Fluke Here; Avalanche Win Again

10-1-2; the best start in Avalanche history.

That's right, this Avalanche team has started the season better than any team icing names like Sakic, Forsberg, Roy, and Bourque (to name a few).

Hopefully now people will stop calling it a "fluke" and that the team has faced "no adversity". Wouldn't YOU call 8 injuries (including Galiardi tonight) and 9 roads games adversity?

Some notes:

- Joe Sacco for the Jack Adams.

That is all.