SLUMPING TANGUAY A HEALTHY SCRATCH
los angeles » Veteran winger Alex Tanguay, who has only three goals this season and just one since October, was a healthy scratch against the Los Angeles Kings on Wednesday night.
Despite his scoring struggles, Tanguay of late had been on the top line with Nathan MacKinnon and Matt Duchene.
Mikhail Grigorenko, a healthy scratch against San Jose on Tuesday, stepped into that spot against the Kings.
The other scratches were defenseman Nate Guenin and Zach Redmond. Andrew Bodnarchuk, scratched in six of the previous seven games, was back in the lineup, in the third pairing with Chris Bigras.
Comparisons.
The Avalanche went into the Wednesday night game against the Kings, its last before the all- star break, with a 26- 22- 3 record.
The 55 points worked out to be 1.08 per game.
In Patrick Roy’s two previous seasons as coach, Colorado’s records were 20- 18- 10 at the allstar break in 2014- 15, for 1.04 points per game; and 37- 16- 5 at the Olympic break in 2013- 14, for 1.36 points per game.
The NHL per- team average— or the “break- even” point— in the era of three- point games has been roughly 1.1 points per game.
Alumni.
Rob Blake, the Kings’ vice president and assistant general manager, is scheduled to play for the Avalanche in the Feb. 26 game against the Red Wings alumni at Coors Field. He was with Colorado from 2001- 06 and got to hoist the Stanley Cup along with Roy and Avalanche executive vice president and general manager Joe Sakic.
Timing.
The Avalanche- San Jose game Tuesday was listed as a 7 p. m. PST. Puck drop was at 7: 15.
The Avalanche- Los Angeles game Wednesday night was listed as a 7: 30 PST start. Puck drop was at 7: 45.
NBC Sports televised both games.
Taking a break.
The Kings announced that their legendary television play- by- play broadcaster Bob Miller, 77, is taking a medical leave of absence from his duties at the microphone and soon will undergo heart bypass surgery.
“It is unfortunate that I have to miss Kings telecasts, but I have to get this taken care of as soon as possible,” Miller said in a team release. “I know the telecasts will be in good hands, and I hope to return to the TV booth as soon as my health allows.”