LCS Hockey - Team Reports - Colorado Avalanche

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head coach: Bob Hartley

roster: C - Joe Sakic, Peter Forsberg, Stephane Yelle, Chris Drury. LW - Valeri Kamensky, Keith Jones, Rene Corbet, Eric Lacroix. RW - Claude Lemieux, Adam Deadmarsh, Milan Hejduk, Jeff Odgers, Shean Donovan, Warren Rychel, Scott Parker. D - Sandis Ozolinsh, Adam Foote, Sylvain Lefebvre, Alexei Gusarov, Jon Klemm, Aaron Miller, Eric Messier, Wade Belak, Pascal Trepanier, Francois Leroux. G - Patrick Roy, Craig Billington.

transactions: Gonesville: Tom Fitzgerald (Nashville), Jari Kurri (retired), Uwe Krupp (Detroit). Charlie New Guys: Nobody.

1997-98 results:

Record...........39-26-17, 95 PTS, 2nd Western Conference 
Goals Scored.....231
Goals Against....205
Power Play.......17.4% (7th)
Penalty Killing..87.1% (3rd)

GEE, THAT'S SWELL

* Peter Forsberg is the game's best all-around player.

* Forsberg and Joe Sakic combine to form hockey's best one-two center combination.

* Sandis Ozolinsh is a dangerous scoring threat from the blue line.

* Adam Foote is one of the NHL's best defensive defenseman.

* Patrick Roy is Patrick Roy.

* New coach Bob Hartley should light a fire under the team.

* Rookie Scott Parker might be able to replace the toughness lost when Chris Simon got traded.

* Young defensemen Aaron Miller, Eric Messier, Pascal Trepanier, and Wade Belak should more than make up for the loss of Uwe Krupp.

GRIEF

* Ozolinsh still needs signed.

* Not much scoring on the wing. Team desperately needs a scorer to play with Sakic.

* Claude Lemieux could be slowing down.

* Colorado still misses the emotional leadership provided by Mike Keane and Mike Ricci.

1998-99 OUTLOOK: Assuming the Ozolinsh gets signed, the Avalanche will once again be a serious power in the West. A new coach could be just what the doctor ordered. A core group of Forsberg, Sakic, Ozolinsh, Foote, and Roy will always make Colorado a Stanley Cup contender.

PREDICTION: First in Northwest Division.