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A quick glance at the NHL standings reveals a surprising fact...the Colorado Avalanche are the best team in the Western Conference.
It wasn't that long ago that the Avs were a staple at the top of the conference, but it seemed that the franchise had hit bottom and was destined to rebuild after finishing last in the West last year with 69 points -- the worst season since the franchise moved to Colorado in the mid-1990s. Instead, Colorado has made a quick turnaround in the early-going, and has been beaten just once in regulation through nine games this season.The biggest difference between the 2008-09 Colorado club and this year's Avalanche is the arrival of goaltender Craig Anderson, who may be just the guy to stabilize a club that has searched desperately for an heir to Patrick Roy's throne for the better part of this decade.Roy, the Hall of Fame goaltender who led Colorado to a pair of Stanley Cup titles in 1996 and 2001, called it a career after the 2003 playoffs and the Avs haven't made it past the second round of the playoffs since. Even worse, Colorado has been left out of the playoff party in two of the last three seasons, a fact that resulted in the firing of general manager Francois Giguere just one day after the conclusion of the 2008-09 campaign.The Avs eventually hired Greg Sherman as their new GM, and he removed Tony Granato as head coach and replaced him with Joe Sacco on June 3. Sherman's biggest move, however, came when he decided to sign Anderson on the first day of free agency.The signing generated little fanfare when it happened, considering big-name players like Marian Hossa and Marian Gaborik were inking lucrative long-term deals, while the Avs and Anderson quietly agreed on a two-year, $3.6 million contract.It wasn't as if Anderson had been absent from anybody's radar heading into the free-agent market, however, since he did have a strong 2008-09 campaign in Florida despite playing second-fiddle to Tomas Vokoun. Anderson went 15-7-5 with a 2.71 goals-against average and an excellent .924 save percentage in 31 games with the Panthers.That season may not have convinced everybody that Anderson was ready to be a full-time starter, but Sherman saw enough to assure him of his new backstop's worth. At the time of the signing Sherman said of Anderson, "His overall performance last year was very impressive and he is entering the prime years of his career."Given Anderson's performance so far as an Av, Sherman may have been right on the money about the 28-year-old goaltender entering his prime. Anderson has started in every game for the Avs this year and recorded a 6-1-2 record along with a 2.06 GAA and .934 save percentage.Primarily as a result of Anderson's play, the Avs are tops in the Northwest Division and Western Conference with 14 points through nine games."He has given us a chance to be in every game and to compete and to win every game," Sacco stated in a recent conference call.And that is exactly what Colorado starting goaltenders between Roy and Anderson were not capable of doing, giving their team a chance to be in every game. Just look at Peter Budaj, who has yet to see a second of action as Anderson's backup this year. Budaj was awful as the Avs starter last year, posting a 2.86 GAA and .899 save percentage in 56 games, and rarely was the deciding factor in helping his club win. He was, however, the reason for many of Colorado's losses a year ago.
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