LCS Hockey - Defense Causing an Avalanche of Problems

Defense Causing an Avalanche of Problems
by Greg D'Avis, Colorado Correspondent

After toiling in obscurity for several years, Aaron Miller has unexpectedly become the star of the Colorado Avalanche defense.

For most of the past two seasons, Miller was a sixth or seventh defenseman and occasional fill-in winger, rarely noticed except for a couple of good playoff performances.

This year, though, Miller has been seeing more ice time than virtually anyone in the league -- about 30 minutes a night -- as the Avalanche defense has been reduced to bare bones by a near-supernatural rash of injuries.

While recognized NHL defensemen like Sylvain Lefebvre, Adam Foote, Jon Klemm and Alexei Gusarov are injured, the Avalanche's no-name defense has risen in the past three weeks to help the team begin its resurgence after a lousy start.

The defensive troubles began in the off-season, when Uwe Krupp signed as a free agent with the Detroit Red Wings and Sandis Ozolinsh held out.

No problem, said the Avalanche brain trust, because Klemm and Miller were ready for expanded roles and Wade Belak and Eric Messier were on the brink of becoming full-time NHL regulars.

Then, in the first game of the season, Messier, who was counted on to take Ozolinsh's place on the power play, broke his elbow. Out `til January.

Gusarov and Klemm were pressed into point-man duty, with little effectiveness. Soon enough, the injuries started mounting. Adam Foote injured his arm and still hasn't returned. Sylvain Lefebvre took a puck to the eye and still hasn't returned. Belak's always-troublesome groin acted up. Miller missed time with a concussion.

The Hershey Express started up as the Avalanche started dragging players up from the minors such as Ted Crowley, Jeff Buchanan and Dan Smith, who's been back-and-forth between Hershey and Denver about 15 times this year.

Trades brought in some fresh faces. Greg deVries came over from Nashville. Cam Russell came from Chicago. Both filled gaps, but neither has ever been a top-four defenseman.

Meanwhile, the injured list continued to grow. In successive games in November, Jon Klemm and Alexei Gusarov both went down. Klemm is gone till spring, Gusarov for another month. Ozolinsh, who could be in the best bargaining position of any of the remaining NHL free agents, remains unsigned.

And the no-name defense of the Avalanche acquits itself well. The corps has worked exhaustively with a basic four-man rotation of Miller, deVries, Russell and Smith, with spot time for Buchanan and fellow rookie Brian White.

Bizarrely, as the defense has become decrepit, it's also improved. The Avalanche has given up more than two goals only three times in all of November.

Hopefully, soon, Ozolinsh will be back in the fold, Foote and Lefebvre will be off the disabled list and Miller and Co. can return to a normal workload. But until then, the Avalanche's No-Name Defense is making a name for itself.