head coach: Marc Crawford

roster: C - Joe Sakic, Peter Forsberg, Mike Ricci, Stephane Yelle, Jari Kurri, Josef Marha. LW - Valeri Kamensky, Rene Corbet, Eric Lacroix. RW - Claude Lemieux, Adam Deadmarsh, Keith Jones. D - Sandis Ozolinsh, Sylvain Lefebvre, Uwe Krupp, Adam Foote, Alexei Gusarov, Jon Klemm, Aaron Miller, Eric Messier, Wade Belak, Francois Leroux, Pascal Trepanier. G - Patrick Roy, Craig Billington.

injuries: Keith Jones, rw (knee, one month); Mike Ricci, c (shoulder, one month); Sandis Ozolinsh, d (shoulder, day-to-day).

transactions: Traded Scott Young, rw, to Anaheim for 1999 third round pick; lost Brent Severyn, d, to Anaheim in the waiver draft; traded 1998 third round pick to Pittsburgh for Francois Leroux, d; assigned Yves Sarault, rw, to Hershey (AHL).

standings:

GP   W   L   T   PTS   GF   GA   HOME      ROAD
 3   2   0   1     5    9    3  0-0-1     2-0-0

game results:

10/1 Dallas       T 2-2
10/3 at Calgary   W 4-1
10/5 at Edmonton  W 3-0

team news:

by Greg D’Avis, Colorado Correspondent

If you're a believer in portents, then the season began well for the Avalanche; the last time Valeri Kamensky scored the team's first goal of the year, they went on to win the Stanley Cup. Colorado began the season sharply, in contrast to the way they stumbled out of the gate the last two years. While there've been some struggles with chemistry and the like, the first week of the season filled any fan of the burgundy-and-blue with crazed optimism and religious fervor.

Opening night against Dallas was a sloppy affair; the Avalanche both dominated and were lucky to escape with a tie. Despite controlling the puck for a majority of the game, the Avs had a difficult time getting good shots on Ed Belfour and gave Dallas chance after chance with stupid penalties. As Crawford experimented with different lines - at different times, Sakic, Forsberg, Yelle, Corbet, Lemieux, Deadmarsh, Leroux and Kamensky all played center - the chemistry was lacking in a big way. The power play struggled, pretty plays ended with missed passes.

The once-feared trip through Alberta wasn't much of a struggle - Calgary wasn't a match for the Avalanche, as Peter Forsberg re-established himself as the most exciting player in hockey, changing the game every time he touched the puck. The game was most notable for the debut of the Avs' new physical presence; Francois Leroux fought twice, including a monster battle against Sandy McCarthy, and Wade Belak tussled with Mike Peluso twice. Also significant, in the long run, were two goals -- one by Uwe Krupp, a nice one-timer which was a good welcome back for the big guy, and one by Jari Kurri, who's been proving he still has some of the old skills.

Edmonton was another violent game, reaching the pinnacle of absurdity when Valeri Kamensky fought Oiler Jason Arnott. Patrick Roy celebrated his 32nd birthday with his 38th career shutout; Claude Lemieux got himself untracked with two goals; and (everyone sing along!) Peter Forsberg was the best player on the ice.

The Good: Patrick Roy, Patrick Roy, Patrick Roy. St. Patrick looked almost unbeatable in the first three games, giving up no bad goals and doing all that funky head-shakin' that everyone loves. Helping him out has been the defense, playing a new "lock" system similar to the one Detroit used so effectively last year. The shots have been cut down, and those that do come aren't too good. Also, the odd-man-rushes which plagued the team so much last year have virtually disappeared.

The team has also been much more physical - Leroux and Belak definitely help, providing the imposing presence that didn't exist last year, but everyone's finishing their checks, which is more reminiscent of the Cup year than last season. Rene Corbet is developing into a premier agitator; he's always been hyper, but this year he's been all over the ice, in everyone's face, all the time.

Peter Forsberg and Uwe Krupp -- both of whom had significant injury problems last year -- are playing well. Forsberg's been the best player on the ice the first three games; while his stats (two goals, four assists) are good, they only hint at how dominant he is. He's back to making everyone look like a pylon, and as soon as he and Kamensky get used to Deadmarsh as a linemate, things could get crazy. Krupp's size was missed during the playoffs last year; he's also looked good. He says he feels better than ever -- which is what he said at the beginning of last year, too.

The penalty killing was suspect after Keane's departure. "No problem!" said Marc Crawford, as he moved defenseman Jon Klemm into Keane's old spot next to Stephane Yelle on the top penalty-killing line (Klemm also plays wing with Yelle and Jari Kurri on the checking line). The two form a near-impenetrable wall; in the first three games, despite myriad power plays for the other team, the Avalanche only gave up one power-play goal (in the midst of what amounted to a five-minute Dallas power play). Of course, you don't have to kill penalties if you don't take them, which brings us to...

The Bad: Lots of penalties. A whole lot. And for the most part, it's not the overly physical players, like Adam Foote or Claude Lemieux, taking them. Forsberg's playing like he must drill every player in the league at least once. Krupp and Yelle have both spent significant "quiet time" in the box as well. Just as alarming is the team's propensity for taking penalties when they're already a man down; one five-on-three in a game is too many, much less the three or four they faced in Edmonton.

The absence of key players. Number 19 is out there, he shows up in the box scores and takes face-offs, but Joe Sakic hasn't been much of a presence so far. Adam Deadmarsh hasn't been making much of a pitch for the Hall of Fame either. Of course, this cuts both ways -- it can be said that if the Avs are doing well with these two slumping, they'll be even more formidable once they hit their groove.

Sandis Ozolinsh's separated shoulder isn't serious and he'll likely be back Tuesday against Boston. It's just worrisome because after the team was so shorthanded last year due to bumps and bruises, it would have been nice to see a few weeks go by before even a minor injury. Jari Kurri suffered a scary injury in a collision with Drake Berehowsky of the Oilers, but was eventually able to play again after lying on the ice for several minutes.

The New: There's a few new faces around; a few rookies, a few vets. The departures of Mike Keane, Scott Young and Brent Severyn left holes, thus far, ably filled.

Wade Belak: The 6'5", 223-lb defenseman caused the most excitement locally in an otherwise drab preseason, mostly by fighting anyone he could and laying vicious checks on those he didn't. The 24-year-old former first-round draft pick spent most of last year with Hershey in the AHL; in spot duty with the Avalanche, he looked lost and out of place. Not so this year. Because of the overabundance of qualified defensemen on the team, he's seen only spot duty, alternating games on wing with Pascal Trepanier; he made an impression, though, fighting Mike Peluso twice in the Calgary victory.

Jari Kurri: Kurri didn't play in the Original Six era -- it just seems like it. Now 37, the one-time 70-goal scorer was picked up more for his defensive abilities and leadership. He's looked pretty sharp early on, though, with a goal and assist in the first three games and time on all the units. With his goal against the Flames, he's now three away from 600 for his career.

Francois Leroux: The Avalanche traded for the behemoth Leroux immediately after losing Severyn in the waiver draft, and addressed the team's biggest problem last year -- lack of toughness. Leroux -- another defenseman who's getting used as a wing -- isn't much of a skater and won't provide the offense that Chris Simon once did, but he's one of the most intimidating fighters in the league and will hopefully serve as a deterrent to anyone getting fresh with Sakic or Forsberg.

Josef Marha: The Czech center finally stuck with the team this year, after being the final cut the past two seasons. He's likely only around until Mike Ricci returns, unless he plays well enough to make the long-expected Ricci trade happen. He's a playmaker with good speed; the knock on him is his size (6', 176 pounds). He's not afraid to get his nose dirty but gets moved off the puck too easily. After the first three games, he's the only player yet to see action.

Eric Messier: Everyone expected that Messier, after playing impressively in occasional duty last year, would be a gimme coming into 1997, but his fate wasn't decided until the final day of training camp. He's been one of the bright spots in the first week, playing smart, solid defense and contributing a bit offensively, seeing power play point duty while Ozolinsh is out. He has point potential, scoring big for Hershey last year, but has yet to get his first NHL goal. He's an incredibly hard worker -- undrafted, he was signed as a free agent after Colorado found him playing roller hockey.

Pascal Trepanier: The "who?" of the new guys. Trepanier -- once again, a defenseman-playing-wing -- snuck up on everyone, getting the last roster spot instead of the more likely Yves Sarault or Christian Matte. The 24-year-old is a feisty player who's played an effective checking role in the first few games. Messier's defensive partner last season, he has the potential to develop into a Corbet-type player. Against Dallas, he laid impressive checks on Sergei Zubov and Greg Adams - neither player was a factor afterwards. Also undrafted, Colorado signed him as a free agent after stints with Cornwall (AHL), Dayton (ECHL) and Kalamazoo (IHL).

RECENT LINES

Offense
Valeri Kamensky/Peter Forsberg/Claude Lemieux
Eric Lacroix/Joe Sakic/Adam Deadmarsh
Jon Klemm/Stephane Yelle/Jari Kurri
Francois Leroux/Rene Corbet/Pascal Trepanier

Defense
Sylvain Lefebvre/Uwe Krupp
Alexei Gusarov/Adam Foote
Eric Messier/Aaron Miller

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