Goalie Peter Budaj is the scheduled starter for Monday?s game against the Detroit Red Wings at the Pepsi Center, and rookie defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk might play. Turns out Shattenkirk only has a sore foot, instead of a broken one. Avs coach Joe Sacco said that he will try to participate in Monday morning?s skate.
We?ll also have a Matt Hunwick story in tomorrow?s paper. The 5-foot-nothing defenseman is having a tough time in Colorado, with no goals and a minus-8 in 19 games, but the 25-year-old is a great kid, a very likeable young man who has had considerable NHL success. Remember, he was plus-4 for Boston before the seemingly unpopular Nov. 29 trade young D-man Colby Cohen and was solid in last year?s playoffs. I like and respect the guy. I?m sure you would too, if you met him. He talked candidly about his own goal that gave the Islanders a 4-3 OT victory on Saturday and his determination to turn his game around as an Av. He is just a stand-up guy.
I also talked to Greg Mauldin after practice today. He was scratched Saturday after playing 27-consecutive games since being called up from Lake Erie in November.
?To be a healthy scratch is never a good feeling, but sometimes it?s good to sit back and watch the game and see what you need to bring to the table,? Mauldin said. ?Last couple games, I still brought energy, but I need to focus on doing the little things better if I?m playing on the fourth line. Sometimes, if I?m only playing 5 to 7 minutes some nights, everything I do is magnified. So the message I took out of it is, if I play on the fourth line and want to stick around here, I have to play with energy every shift, make sure I finish my checks, create energy for the boys, and when I get an opportunity on the PK, I have to play the PK to the best of my abilities.?
We?ll also have a Matt Hunwick story in tomorrow?s paper. The 5-foot-nothing defenseman is having a tough time in Colorado, with no goals and a minus-8 in 19 games, but the 25-year-old is a great kid, a very likeable young man who has had considerable NHL success. Remember, he was plus-4 for Boston before the seemingly unpopular Nov. 29 trade young D-man Colby Cohen and was solid in last year?s playoffs. I like and respect the guy. I?m sure you would too, if you met him. He talked candidly about his own goal that gave the Islanders a 4-3 OT victory on Saturday and his determination to turn his game around as an Av. He is just a stand-up guy.
I also talked to Greg Mauldin after practice today. He was scratched Saturday after playing 27-consecutive games since being called up from Lake Erie in November.
?To be a healthy scratch is never a good feeling, but sometimes it?s good to sit back and watch the game and see what you need to bring to the table,? Mauldin said. ?Last couple games, I still brought energy, but I need to focus on doing the little things better if I?m playing on the fourth line. Sometimes, if I?m only playing 5 to 7 minutes some nights, everything I do is magnified. So the message I took out of it is, if I play on the fourth line and want to stick around here, I have to play with energy every shift, make sure I finish my checks, create energy for the boys, and when I get an opportunity on the PK, I have to play the PK to the best of my abilities.?
