Road To Playoffs Starts Tonight
Avalanche begins stretch of nine of 10 games away
(from the Rocky Mountain News)
By Jim Benton
Rocky Mountain News
March 4, 2006 - Colorado heads into a crucial part of the season tonight, but Avalanche wing Ian Laperriere was lighthearted about the challenge.
The Avalanche plays Pacific Division-leading Dallas tonight (6, Altitude2) at American Airlines Center to start a stretch of playing nine of 10 games on the road.
"I eat more on the road, that might be the only difference," Laperriere joked. "We have a bigger buffet, that's the only difference."
Laperriere, though, knows the significance of the Avalanche's final 21 regular-season games and he was sincere when discussing the importance of the games during the next three weeks.
Colorado plays at Dallas, Minnesota, St. Louis and Chicago before returning home March 12 to face Calgary at the Pepsi Center.
The Avalanche won't be home long as the team begins a five-game trip the next night in Calgary. The Avs play at San Jose, Los Angeles, Anaheim and St. Louis to conclude what could be a decisive 22-day schedule.
"It's going to feel a little bit like the playoffs," Laperriere said. "Those points mean so much. These are crucial points. Sometimes it is easy to play on the road because you simplify things. You don't feel like you have to put on a show. Hopefully, that will be the case. We don't need to put on a show on the road, we just need points. That's the mentality from everybody."
Colorado is currently third in the Northwest Division but trails the Vancouver Canucks and Calgary Flames by only one point. Vancouver jumped past Colorado with a win against Chicago on Friday night.
The Avalanche is sixth in the Western Conference but only five points behind second-place Dallas.
"This year, I've never seen anything like this," Laperriere said. "With 21 games left in the season, you go back 10 years, you knew the teams that were making the playoffs. Right now, you don't know. It's going to be until the end for the eight spots.
"That's what the league wants. They wanted that with the salary cap with more competition, and that's what it is. Every market has a chance, and that's why I don't think you will see any big trades. Pretty much every team still has a chance to make the playoffs."
Laperriere said that balance also makes it fun for the players.
"We're in a position right now where we can catch a couple teams," he said. "It makes it a little more exciting."
Avalanche captain Joe Sakic anticipated the tight division and conferences races.
"This is what we expected at the start of the year," he said. "We look forward to the challenge. We've been playing a lot better lately and there is no room for error right now.
"Coming down the stretch we know how important each game is. If you lose one or two you could drop a little bit. We can't afford any major letdowns; you have to get all the points you can."
Avalanche coach Joel Quenne-ville hopes his team can pick up five or more victories in the next nine road games.
"It seems like its getting tighter and tighter," Quenneville said. "Change is dramatic on a lot of nights. Our objective is not just to make the playoffs; we want to win our division."
The NHL trading deadline is Thursday, but with 25 teams still in contention for the 16 Western and Eastern Conference playoff spots, teams might be reluctant to make deals.
The salary cap also is a factor this season in trade-deadline deals.
Avalanche general manager Pierre Lacroix, though, has a reputation of orchestrating unexpected trades.
"It's been quieter maybe than the past," Quenneville said. "The perfect fit might be tough to find. There are so many teams right now trying to make the playoffs. There might not be that many people available.
"As an organization, we are aware of what is going on. Pierre is a master of doing what he feels will improve our team, and I'm sure that's going to be the process this week."