Surprising Avs, Coyotes meet for 1st time
Budaj likely to make season debut
Last Updated: Wednesday, November 4, 2009 | 10:51 AM ET
CBC Sports
Peter Budaj has appeared in 148 games for Colorado the past three seasons, but has been sidelined by H1N1 and Craig Anderson's terrific play. (Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)The Phoenix Coyotes look to hand the Western Conference-leading Colorado Avalanche their first home loss in a meeting of surprising NHL clubs Wednesday night.
Phoenix (9-5-0) fell to Los Angeles 5-3 on Monday night after winning seven of nine. The Coyotes, though, got some positive news Tuesday, with the closing of the bankrupt franchise's sale to the NHL.
Notification of the closure was filed in U.S. Bankruptcy Court, as the NHL paid about $140 million for the club. The league plans to resell the team, preferably to an owner that won't relocate the franchise.
'We don't think we've played our best hockey, and that's frustrating and disappointing.'—Shane Doan, Coyotes captain
That may be easier said than done considering the team has drawn just over 12,000 combined for their last two home games at Jobing.com Arena in Glendale, Ariz.
For now, Phoenix's biggest concern will be trying to find a way to beat a Colorado team that is perfect through four games at home. The Avalanche (10-3-2) are eager to head back to the Pepsi Center in Denver after a tough second half of a four-game road trip, losing consecutive contests in regulation for the first time this season.
"I don't know if there isn't a little bit of fatigue setting in from being on the road so much," said first-year coach Joe Sacco, whose team has played 11 of its last 13 on the road.
Outscore teams at home
The Avalanche play three straight and four of five at home, where they have outscored opponents 16-7.
Colorado is coming off a 3-0 loss to Vancouver on Sunday night, failing to give goaltender Craig Anderson any support. On Friday night, the Avalanche were held to one goal in a loss to San Jose.
Anderson, who tied an NHL record with 10 wins in October, has played every minute for the Avalanche and owns a 2.11 goals-against average.
Reports out of Denver indicate Peter Budaj will likely make his first start of the season. While Anderson's play delayed his debut, Budaj also battled the H1N1 virus, telling the Denver Post, "I think it was basically pretty much [like] the regular flu."
Ilya Bryzgalov is expected to make his 12th start after Jason LaBarbera faced the Kings.
Bryzgalov is 8-3-0 with three shutouts and a 1.78 GAA.
The Coyotes needed a clutch effort from Bryzgalov in a shootout to win their previous game, 3-2 against Anaheim on Saturday night.
"We don't think we've played our best hockey, and that's frustrating and disappointing," Phoenix winger Shane Doan said.
Doan had a goal and an assist against Los Angeles to take over the team lead with 12 points (four goals, eight assists). He has six goals and 10 assists in his last 12 games against Colorado.
Winger recalled
Doan, the seventh overall pick in the 1995 draft, will get another chance to mentor the eighth selection in 2008, Mikkel Boedker.
The 19-year-old winger was recalled Tuesday. He was held off the scoresheet in five games with the Coyotes this season before being sent to San Antonio of the AHL.
Boedker, a native of Denmark, had 11 goals and 17 assists in 78 games as a rookie last season. He scored in Phoenix's 3-0 win over Colorado on April 1, the last meeting between the clubs.
The Coyotes won the season series 3-0-1, holding the Avalanche to one goal or none in each of their victories.
With files from the Associated Press
