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I'm Suggesting Blindness
2008-05-12 21:42:00
Unbelievable.Clown Shoes.Ridiculous.This has nothing to do with the Avalanche (unless rumors about Torts maybe looking for a new job count), but this has to be deseminated throughout the intra-webs as much as possible.
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Getting To Know You: Pat Burns
2008-05-12 21:02:00
So who is Pat Burns , and why are some of us at MHH wetting ourselves at the prospect of the Colorado Avalanche hiring him as the head coach?Pat Burns is notable for a number of things.  First, he's the only coach to have won the Jack Adams trophy (best coach) with three different teams.  He also won the Stanley Cup with the New Jersey Devils in 2003, his first year with that organization.  He was forced to leave coaching after the 2003-04 season ended because of a cancer diagnosis.Burns has remained with the Devils organization as a scout/player development guy, and is currently an assistant coach with the Canadian team at the World Championship tournament.  Now that his cancer is in remission, he's made it clear that he is interested in a new head coaching job in the NHL.Now, what kind of coach is Pat Burns?  He's most well-known for his Cup win with the Devils, and the Devils are most well-known for their perfection of the neutral zone trap and the defe...

St. Patrick Behind The Bench?
2008-05-12 16:07:00
Former Avalanche goaltender Patrick Roy is a coach.  The Colorado Avalanche currently have a coaching vacancy to fill with the departure of Joel Quenneville (remember Don Cherry, he wasn't fired).  Therefore, Patrick Roy is automatically a candidate for the job. Forget the fact that Roy has only been coaching hockey for a few years, and only at the junior level (in the offense-only QMJHL).  Forget that hiring him would instantly be labeled a publicity stunt more than an actual move to improve the franchise.  Forget that Francois Giguere would have to justify a growing string of nostalgia hirings, even if they've proven reasonably successful so far.  Forget the fact that any and all mistakes or shortcomings suffered by the team would be magnified ten fold, just by the name behind the bench.  It's a wonder Wayne Gretzky survived this long in Phoenix. Sure enough, because Patrick Roy is a coach somewhere, he's a candidate for the Avalanche job.  ...
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St. Patrick Behind The Bench?
2008-05-12 15:07:00
Former Avalanche goaltender Patrick Roy is a coach.  The Colorado Avalanche currently have a coaching vacancy to fill with the departure of Joel Quenneville (remember Don Cherry, he wasn't fired).  Therefore, Patrick Roy is automatically a candidate for the job.Forget the fact that Roy has only been coaching hockey for a few years, and only at the junior level (in the offense-only QMJHL).  Forget that hiring him would instantly be labeled a publicity stunt more than an actual move to improve the franchise.  Forget that Francois Giguere would have to justify a growing string of nostalgia hirings, even if they've proven reasonably successful so far.  Forget the fact that any and all mistakes or shortcomings suffered by the team would be magnified ten fold, just by the name behind the bench.  It's a wonder Wayne Gretzky survived this long in Phoenix.Sure enough, because Patrick Roy is a coach somewhere, he's a candidate for the Avalanche job.   "...
More About: St Patrick , Bench

The Coach Q Era Is Officially Over
2008-05-09 21:17:00
This is no April Fools Day joke. The Avalanche web site just announced that Coach Joel Quenneville will not receive a new contract from Colorado: The Colorado Avalanche Hockey Club announced today that Joel Quenneville will not return to coach the team next season. "After meeting with Joel, we mutually agreed that the best decision for both parties involved is to go separate ways," said Avalanche Executive Vice President & General Manager Francois Giguere. "On behalf of the organization, I want to thank Joel for his years of service and wish him the best in his coaching career." More to come. UPDATE: As PPP acknowledged in the diaries, this has major implications for the world's dwindling kitten population.  Obviously, with the departure of Q, we will have to retire the Power Play Kittens meme, and come up with something equally vicious and mean-spirited for next season. UPDATE 2: Adam Proteau at the Hockey News says Coach Q will probably have no trouble finding a ...

The Coach Q Era Is Officially Over
2008-05-09 20:17:00
This is no April Fools Day joke.The Avalanche web site just announced that Coach Joel Quenneville will not receive a new contract from Colorado: The Colorado Avalanche Hockey Club announced today that Joel Quenneville will not return to coach the team next season."After meeting with Joel, we mutually agreed that the best decision for both parties involved is to go separate ways," said Avalanche Executive Vice President & General Manager Francois Giguere. "On behalf of the organization, I want to thank Joel for his years of service and wish him the best in his coaching career." More to come.UPDATE: As PPP acknowledged in the diaries, this has major implications for the world's dwindling kitten population.  Obviously, with the departure of Q, we will have to retire the Power Play Kittens meme, and come up with something equally vicious and mean-spirited for next season.UPDATE 2: Adam Proteau at the Hockey News says Coach Q will probably have no trouble finding a new bench ...

Giguere Flies To Worlds, Maybe To Woo Burns
2008-05-09 18:28:00
And no, I didn't say "Boo-urns." This little bit from Rick Sadowski over at the RMN wasn't posted until late yesterday afternoon so I didn't get a chance to link to it, but it's definitely becoming more clear that Avalanche general manager Francois Giguere is shopping his options.  Or shoptions, if you will. I spoke with Giguere the day after the season ended and, except for saying that he'd welcome Joe Sakic back "with open arms," wouldn't comment specifically about any player or coach. Frankly, I didn't get the feeling that he was too enthusiastic about Quenneville. ... Seems to me, if Giguere wanted Quenneville back, a new deal would already have been struck. And if Quenneville wanted out -- I don't really think this is the case -- it would have made sense for the two sides to make some kind of mutual announcement. That hasn't happened, obviously, and now Giguere is heading to eastern Canada to check out the World Hockey Championship tournament. Who's als...
More About: Worlds , Flies , Burns

Giguere Flies To Worlds, Maybe To Woo Burns
2008-05-09 17:28:00
And no, I didn't say "Boo-urns."This little bit from Rick Sadowski over at the RMN wasn't posted until late yesterday afternoon so I didn't get a chance to link to it, but it's definitely becoming more clear that Avalanche general manager Francois Giguere is shopping his options.  Or shoptions, if you will. I spoke with Giguere the day after the season ended and, except for saying that he'd welcome Joe Sakic back "with open arms," wouldn't comment specifically about any player or coach.Frankly, I didn't get the feeling that he was too enthusiastic about Quenneville....Seems to me, if Giguere wanted Quenneville back, a new deal would already have been struck. And if Quenneville wanted out -- I don't really think this is the case -- it would have made sense for the two sides to make some kind of mutual announcement.That hasn't happened, obviously, and now Giguere is heading to eastern Canada to check out the World Hockey Championship tournament. Who's also in eastern ...
More About: Worlds , Flies , Burns

For The Love Of Sakic Part II
2008-05-08 23:59:00
Just so you know, Mile High Hockey will be sponsoring the Joe Sakic page at Hockey-Reference.com as soon as "the check" clears and the message is approved. It's kind of pricey at first-glance but not really that expensive as far as advertising on heavily-trafficked sites goes. The message will appear as such for a full year. And if you don't get the reference, watch this.  Mike Haynes, get better soon.
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For The Love Of Sakic Part II
2008-05-08 22:59:00
Just so you know, Mile High Hockey will be sponsoring the Joe Sakic page at Hockey-Reference.com as soon as "the check" clears and the message is approved.It's kind of pricey at first-glance but not really that expensive as far as advertising on heavily-trafficked sites goes.The message will appear as such for a full year.And if you don't get the reference, watch this.  Mike Haynes, get better soon.UPDATE: Message is now up on Super Joe's page.UPDATE 2: I'm also sponsoring Mike Keane's page.  Message should be up by tomorrow.
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Lack Of Strength = More Injuries
2008-05-08 21:48:00
Anyone who has ever been an athlete (or even just a casual game-player) knows that to avoid injury you need to increase your strength.  The stronger you are, the less likely you'll be to get hurt.   I learned the hard way that bicycle racing had created a major discrepancy between my quad and hamstring muscles when I dislocated my knee in April 2007.  One of the main reasons I got hurt was because the front of my leg was much stronger than the back, creating an imbalance that ended with me in surgery and then on crutches for a month.  Live and learn, I suppose. Another real-world example of the importance of strength training: the Colorado Avalanche. I linked to it in the previous entry about Coach Q, but Adrian Dater's recent blog post (in which he joins the chorus of "nays" on Q's future with the team) was full of interesting tidbits.  In response to a reader's comment that the team's entire training staff should be fired: About the training staf...
More About: Injuries , Lack

Lack Of Strength = More Injuries
2008-05-08 20:48:00
Anyone who has ever been an athlete (or even just a casual game-player) knows that to avoid injury you need to increase your strength.  The stronger you are, the less likely you'll be to get hurt.  I learned the hard way that bicycle racing had created a major discrepancy between my quad and hamstring muscles when I dislocated my knee in April 2007.  One of the main reasons I got hurt was because the front of my leg was much stronger than the back, creating an imbalance that ended with me in surgery and then on crutches for a month.  Live and learn, I suppose.Another real-world example of the importance of strength training: the Colorado Avalanche.I linked to it in the previous entry about Coach Q, but Adrian Dater's recent blog post (in which he joins the chorus of "nays" on Q's future with the team) was full of interesting tidbits.  In response to a reader's comment that the team's entire training staff should be fired: About the training staff thing...
More About: Injuries , Lack

Coach Q Keeps Losing Rooms
2008-05-08 15:50:00
When a coach loses the respect of his players and they start tuning him out, willfully ignoring his commands and decisions, it is said that he has "lost the room."  Well, Coach Q lost the biggest room of all a while back when he lost the respect of the fans.  But it's becoming more clear that Q lost the players, too. Even though Ralph Routon contends: Many fans and observers feel Quenneville deserves most of the blame, and it's true the Avs have been postseason underachievers the past three years, never advancing past the second round. But unlike the Nuggets players, whose frustration with Karl is well-documented, the Avs don't appear to hold Quenneville responsible. Really?  It's already been noted (twice) that Andrew Brunette is no fan of Quenneville and will probably not be offered a new contract by the Avalanche if they retain Coach Q, but now Dater confirms that it was more than just one guy: "Desire to compete" is a thing tough to prove, and I don&rsq...

Coach Q Keeps Losing Rooms
2008-05-08 14:50:00
When a coach loses the respect of his players and they start tuning him out, willfully ignoring his commands and decisions, it is said that he has "lost the room."  Well, Coach Q lost the biggest room of all a while back when he lost the respect of the fans.  But it's becoming more clear that Q lost the players, too.Even though Ralph Routon contends: Many fans and observers feel Quenneville deserves most of the blame, and it's true the Avs have been postseason underachievers the past three years, never advancing past the second round. But unlike the Nuggets players, whose frustration with Karl is well-documented, the Avs don't appear to hold Quenneville responsible. Really?  It's already been noted (twice) that Andrew Brunette is no fan of Quenneville and will probably not be offered a new contract by the Avalanche if they retain Coach Q, but now Dater confirms that it was more than just one guy: "Desire to compete" is a thing tough to prove, and I don?t think ...

Hmmm, Interesting...
2008-05-07 23:52:00
For those of you who hadn't heard yet, the Toronto Maple Leafs fired their coach Paul Maurice today.  Now, on its face, it wouldn't seem to have much of an impact on the Colorado Avalanche. But it might. We bloggers have use for actual journalists (even those disguised as bloggers), because journalists keep track of crap we usually forget---or don't even notice in the first place. For instance, Dater posts today a few interesting tidbits of info I hadn't previously thought about: Well, what do you know, the head coaching position for the Toronto Maple Leafs just opened up. And, what do you know, Joel Quenneville is without a contract to coach a team for next season right now. And, what do you know, the general manager of the Maple Leafs is Cliff Fletcher, the same man who gave Quenneville his first coaching job, as Marc Crawford’s assistant with the St. John’s Maple Leafs of the American Hockey League, in 1991. And, gee, Quenneville grew up in Ontario as ...
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Hmmm, Interesting...
2008-05-07 22:52:00
For those of you who hadn't heard yet, the Toronto Maple Leafs fired their coach Paul Maurice today.  Now, on its face, it wouldn't seem to have much of an impact on the Colorado Avalanche.But it might.We bloggers have use for actual journalists (even those disguised as bloggers), because journalists keep track of crap we usually forget---or don't even notice in the first place.For instance, Dater posts today a few interesting tidbits of info I hadn't previously thought about: Well, what do you know, the head coaching position for the Toronto Maple Leafs just opened up.And, what do you know, Joel Quenneville is without a contract to coach a team for next season right now. And, what do you know, the general manager of the Maple Leafs is Cliff Fletcher, the same man who gave Quenneville his first coaching job, as Marc Crawford?s assistant with the St. John?s Maple Leafs of the American Hockey League, in 1991.And, gee, Quenneville grew up in Ontario as a big Leafs fan and was...
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But What About The Players?
2008-05-07 18:15:00
While I've been focused this week on the Avalanche coaching situation, Draft Dodger over at In The Cheap Seats has been analyzing the free agency concerns facing each of the three player positions.  What do the Avs do if Jose Theodore takes off?  What about the limitations of Jeff Finger and Kurt Sauer?  Should Colorado go after Brian Rolston?  All these questions and more are pondered: Goalies Defensemen Forwards Worth noting in the comments section of the post on forwards is the brief discussion about possible captaincy replacements for Joe Sakic should he retire this summer (god help us all).  My vote: a year (of mourning) with three alternates and no captain, and then Adam Foote if he's still around in 2009-10.
More About: Players , The Players

But What About The Players?
2008-05-07 17:15:00
While I've been focused this week on the Avalanche coaching situation, Draft Dodger over at In The Cheap Seats has been analyzing the free agency concerns facing each of the three player positions.  What do the Avs do if Jose Theodore takes off?  What about the limitations of Jeff Finger and Kurt Sauer?  Should Colorado go after Brian Rolston?  All these questions and more are pondered:Goalies Defensemen ForwardsWorth noting in the comments section of the post on forwards is the brief discussion about possible captaincy replacements for Joe Sakic should he retire this summer (god help us all).  My vote: a year (of mourning) with three alternates and no captain, and then Adam Foote if he's still around in 2009-10.UPDATE: And please, before you waste your time trying to argue about whether or not Joe Sakic is a good leader (seriously, Thomas, please), remember that none of us has ever been in the locker room, on the team, to experience his impact as a captai...
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The Ax Rarely Falls In Denver, For What It's Worth
2008-05-06 15:27:00
Jim Armstrong at the Denver Post looks at the strange coaching atmosphere in Denver professional sports in that it's almost impossible for anyone to get fired: Denver has become the exception to the rule in pro sports. For whatever reason, local coaches are immune from the pressure felt by their contemporaries in other markets. They say they're under pressure to win, but are they? If they don't win, it's not like they lose their jobs. Maybe they don't get a new company car or a ringing endorsement in the newspapers, but they don't lose their jobs. The last coach of one of Denver's major pro sports franchises to get the gas? That would be the Avs' Tony Granato, who was replaced by Joel Quenneville in 2004 and promptly hired as an assistant coach. So there you have it. Even when a coach gets fired around here, he doesn't get fired. Presumably this piece has something to do with Coach Q's situation, except that not renewing an expired contract is not exactly the same t...
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The Ax Rarely Falls In Denver, For What It's Worth
2008-05-06 14:27:00
Jim Armstrong at the Denver Post looks at the strange coaching atmosphere in Denver professional sports in that it's almost impossible for anyone to get fired: Denver has become the exception to the rule in pro sports. For whatever reason, local coaches are immune from the pressure felt by their contemporaries in other markets.They say they're under pressure to win, but are they? If they don't win, it's not like they lose their jobs. Maybe they don't get a new company car or a ringing endorsement in the newspapers, but they don't lose their jobs.The last coach of one of Denver's major pro sports franchises to get the gas? That would be the Avs' Tony Granato, who was replaced by Joel Quenneville in 2004 and promptly hired as an assistant coach.So there you have it. Even when a coach gets fired around here, he doesn't get fired. Presumably this piece has something to do with Coach Q's situation, except that not renewing an expired contract is not exactly the same thing as ...
More About: Worth , Falls

For The Love Of Joe Sakic
2008-05-05 21:06:00
The correct plural of the word "Av" is "Avs," not "Av's."  The apostrophe signifies possession, not plurality.  If you're trying to signify possession as it relates to the Colorado Avalanche, you put the apostrophe at the end of the word, as in "The Avs' legacy of dominance in the regular season will continue to suffer as long as Coach Joel Quenneville is behind the bench." Avs, not Av's.  Get it right.
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All Quiet On The Coach Q Front
2008-05-05 16:07:00
One of the biggest question marks hovering above the Colorado Avalanche this offseason is the future of coach Joel Quenneville, who has been defended by the mainstream press as he's been attacked by me and the rest of the online Avalanche community.   So far, there is no word from the team. Our take is that he's simply the wrong coach for the Avs.  The lineup, at least on paper, was built for speedy, score-at-will offense.  Paul Stastny, Joe Sakic, Wojtek Wolski, Milan Hejduk, with Ryan Smyth and Andrew Brunette down low, were the foundation of a run-and-gun attack that could have led the league in goals scored.  Instead they spent most of the year below the goal line or dumping the puck and weakly chasing it into the corners.   Sure, injuries played a big role in the lower productivity of the Avalanche offense, but the replacements---TJ Hensick, David Jones, Jaroslav Hlinka---are all quick, shoot-first-ask-questions-later kind of players.  They'r...
More About: Coach , Front , Quiet

Playoffs Open Thread
2008-05-04 07:21:00
Philadelphia finished off the surprisingly ineffective Canadiens 6-4, to win the series four games to one.  Most likely there will be a battle of Pennsylvania in the Eastern Conference Finals. Sunday's games: Rangers at Penguins, 12:00 PM Mountain time on NBC, and then the Sharks at Stars at 7:00 PM on Versus. This is a game day open thread for anyone inclined to discuss these games.  Have at it.
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The Real Extent Of The Injuries
2008-05-02 19:26:00
On the Coach Q show this morning, it was reported that Peter Forsberg suffered two torn groin muscles (there's one on each side for you non-medical students), Wojtek Wolski suffered five broken ribs and both Ian Laperriere and Scott Hannan were playing with broken bones in their feet.   What a bunch of divers. The audio of the show should be posted before long here. Hat tip to Dario over at ITCS. UPDATE: Dater confirms the damage, including the status of Paul Stastny---he tore his MCL and would have missed four weeks if the season was still going on.  Luckily he'll have the off-season to recover fully.
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WCS Game 4: Red Wings 8, Avalanche 2
2008-05-02 15:56:00
Well, thank god that's over. Despite the hope that they would leave the series with at least one win, the Avalanche once again completely crapped the bed and lost to the Red Wings 8-2.  The sweep in the Western Conference Semifinals worsened the Avs' record against the Wings this season to 0-8.   0-8. Of all the teams to go winless against, why the Red Wings? Detroit fans can now gloat and revel in the fact that their extremely talented (and healthy) team easily dispatched a former arch rival completely decimated by injuries and crippled by poor coaching, both of which plagued the Avalanche all season long.  The only exception was the first round series against the Wild, when everything seemed to come together. Just as the Avs got healthy, coordinated, and backed up by a solid goalie, it all fell apart again.  Ryan Smyth, Scott Hannan, Paul Stastny, Wojtek Wolski and Peter Forsberg all missed significant chunks of the series.  Can anyone imagine the R...
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WCS Game 4: Red Wings At Avalanche, Preview And Open Thread
2008-05-01 20:00:00
In some ways, it's hard to believe this could be the last game of the season for the Avalanche .  In other ways, it's hard to believe the season didn't end on April 6th.  But I'm not going to write a season wrap-up just yet, since the Avs could still conceivably win tonight and keep their playoff hopes on life support for a bit longer. Paul Stastny, Ryan Smyth and Wojtek Wolski are all out for sure.  They won't be back even if the Avs pull a Red Sox and make it to the next round.  Marek Svatos, if he's off his crutches by now, has been warming up the local golf courses for his teammates.  And, this just in: Peter Forsberg is out as well. The Avalanche will dress seven defensemen instead because, well, they can. Tonight TJ Hensick and David Jones will get another chance to show off their developing skill sets, since they'll have to play significant minutes filling in for the injured regulars on the team.  Poor Jones has been struggling to score g...
More About: Preview , Open , Game , Wings

State Of The Blog: April Edition
2008-05-01 17:16:00
Unless I've totally missed the point, the goal of every blogger is to expand his or her readership and be seen by an ever-growing number of people.  There's a lot of ego involved.  I'd be a liar if I didn't admit that it's nice to have other people read and respond to things I write, and to take those things seriously enough to argue with me about them.  For a guy that only wears underwear and lives in his mom's basement, that's not half bad. It's also nice to piss off sports radio hosts to the point that they call you (and "blogging" in general) out on the air---then try to jump on the bandwagon less than two months later with their own half-assed attempt.  There's a special kind of inner glee I derive from that. Mile High Hockey set new site records for visitors and page views in April .  13,160 unique visitors.  37,014 page views.  Not too shabby for a team-specific hockey blog that's only been around since the end of last July.  ...
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Looks Like I Picked The Wrong Week...
2008-04-30 15:53:00
...to watch playoff hockey.  Or to be an Avs fan. At this point, with the Avs down three games to none, crippled by a constant string of injuries and a starting goalie who can now officially be labeled "done," things couldn't get much worse.  At least we can point to injuries as a major reason for the collapse.  Sharks and Rangers fans don't have that luxury. Dater adds: Just add Paul Stastny to the latest Avs injury list. There’s only one game left in the season for the Avs to sustain any more injuries, however, so it’ll all be over soon.  This really is ridiculous, the number of injuries that came in bunches this year.  I’m serious when I say this, I think the Avs need to hire some more medical personnel next year. Whether it’s a yoga guru or a faith healer or whatever, their players need to stay healthier if they’re ever going to win a Stanley Cup again.  I know injuries are freak things, and maybe nothing could ha...
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WCS Game 3: Red Wings 4, Avalanche 3
2008-04-30 14:48:00
Going into the all-important Game 3 last night, the Avs needed to get the offense going and take the play to Detroit.  At least, that's what Avs fans thought.  The coaching staff didn't figure that out 'till the second intermission.  By then, Paul Stastny was out after an awkward leg-on-leg collision with Henrik Zetterberg, Peter Forsberg had already left once for some kind of ankle problem and then returned, and the refs had decided that they'd rather just get the series over with ASAP. The game got started off on a fairly even pace and then Cody McLeod of all people scored with a tip-in of a T.J. Hensiiick shot after a nice feed from Tyler "Whipping Boy" Arnason.  The jubilation in Le Can lasted for a couple of minutes until the Detroit puck-possession game got into full swing.  Then the shelling of Jose Theodore commenced with full fury.  He-who-wasn't-previously-named saw 19 shots in the 1st period.  Two got past him: a PP goal from Pavel...
More About: Avalanche , Wings

WCS Game 3: Red Wings At Avalanche, Preview And Open Thread
2008-04-29 20:08:00
Okay, first of all, I'm proud to announce that I've been meeting with a psychologist for the past two days and major progress has been made.  I'm no longer superstitious about goalie names.  The therapist helped me to realize that not saying the name(s) of the Avalanche goalie in the past two game threads didn't do jack to prevent the Red Wings from scoring a crap ton of goals.  So I'm over it.  Feel free to compliment Jose Theodore (or attack him) in the thread, as MHH no longer believes in silly things like superstitions. As for Theodore, I still think Budaj should get the start tonight, but I understand the other side, and the ESPN preview (linked below) suggests that Theodore was indeed still sick in game 2, so both of his consecutive meltdowns may have been due to fever and nausea and not a simple reversion to his 2007 self.  Of course, that begs the question, why the hell did Coach Q let him play?  But whatever.  That's in the past. T...
More About: Preview , Open , Game