Do The Avs Need a Goon?

After watching the spectacle on the ice during the 2nd period between David Koci and Derek Bougard, I can’t help but ask the question that is the title of this blog.  I would also like to ask this question of the NHL as a whole, but I will just start with the Avalanche for now.

First of all, don’t get me wrong.  I love a good hockey fight as much as the next guy.  If two players are in the heat of competition, their emotions start flying, and that leads to an impromptu fight, then I am perfectly ok with that.  For example, there was a play in the Avs / Wild game where Adam Foote started going after one of the Wild players because he had taken too many extra swipes at Andy’s pads after the whistle was blown.  If that had led to a fight, it would be ok in my opinion.  A fight should happen as a result of the tough and intense play on the ice…not instead of it.  Ironically, this is the fight that the referees seem to be very quick to break up for some reason.

On the other hand, we have what took place last night (at about the 1:25 mark of the highlights video).  The two big bruisers from each team were hacking away at each other for at least two shifts before they finally squared off at center ice.  Once the “fight” got under way, David Koci pranced around and began stretching out like he was Jim Carrey in the basketball scene from The Cable Guy, while all four referees skated around them waiting for something to happen.  After a few seconds, one of the refs told them to do it if they were going to, and they finally started taking swings at each other.  After all of the wait, the fight itself was pretty boring and meaningless.  The referees should not let two guys dance around for 15 seconds before they even touch each other.  If they are going to allow this junk, they might as well post the “tale of the tape” graphic on TV, bring out the cutmen, lower the lights down to center ice, and have the arena workers push out a little ring for the two guys to fight in.  Maybe Michael Buffer can come out and announce the whole thing.  You get the point.  It was a complete mess that the officials should not have allowed continue on as long as they did.

Better yet, they should not have even blown the whistle.  If they want to pull their shenanigans, let them.  Why do all four officials on the ice need to pay attention to these two guys?  Just let the play continue, and they will get tired of punching each other after 25 seconds or so.  They can add a little picture-in-picture box on TV for people to watch if they want.  But otherwise, the actual hockey players out there should be able to keep playing the game.

So far, I have not been impressed with anything that David Koci has done on this team.  This fight last night killed the momentum of the actual hockey that was being played at the time, because the Avs were in their offensive zone, and they were a second away from getting a decent shot on goal.  It was a total selfish move in my opinion, and it really should not be part of the game.  It is a little bit surprising to me that the Avalanche would want a spot on their roster for a guy that can skate ok, barely pass, is not even that great of a fighter, and does nothing else on the ice other than antagonize the other biggest guy on the same shift (aka, a complete Goon).  It really does not even matter to him if a puck is involved when he is out there.  Does anyone else  think that this is backwards and that the play on the ice should come first?

Some may say that the fight between Cody McLeod and Brad May on Saturday night falls into the same category.  I would argue that, at least in the case of McLeod, they make other contributions on the ice.  They both played hockey first, and fought second.  I do not think that anyone can question Cody McLeod’s determination and intensity to actually play the game.  This was especially evident after he took a stick in the eye, but managed to still get a shot on net that led to the 2nd goal, before heading directly to the locker room to get checked out.  You want a guy like that on your team.  He knows his status on the 3rd line, and constantly contributes.  I have not seen anything at all like that from David Koci, and I would be inclined to throw him into the same heap that Scott Parker currently resides in…where ever that may be.

- Next game is 10/23 at the Pepsi Center against the Carolina Hurricanes.  Puck drops shortly after 7pm mtn.  It will be my first attended game of the season, and the first game ever for my 8 week old son.  Gotta teach them early!