2006–07 Colorado Avalanche season

NHLTeamSeason
Season=2006–07
Team=Colorado Avalanche
Conference=Western
ConferenceRank=9th
Division=Northwest
DivisionRank=4th
Record=44–31–7
HomeRecord=22–16–3
RoadRecord=22–15–4
GoalsFor=272 (T-4th)
GoalsAgainst=251 (18th)
GeneralManager=Francois Giguere
Coach=Joel Quenneville
Captain=Joe Sakic
AltCaptain=Andrew Brunette
Ian Laperriere
Arena=Pepsi Center
Attendance=17,612 (13th)
GoalsLeader=Joe Sakic (36)
AssistsLeader=Joe Sakic (64)
PointsLeader=Joe Sakic (100)
PIMLeader=Ian Laperriere (133)
WinsLeader=Peter Budaj (31)
GAALeader=Peter Budaj (2.68)

The 2006–07 Colorado Avalanche season was their 11th National Hockey League season in Denver, Colorado. It was a season of transition for the Avs, as the team began the season with a new General Manager in Francois Giguere, ending the twelve year reign of Pierre Lacroix. [ [http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/news_story/?ID=166683&hubname= Giguere hired as new Avalanche GM] , tsn.ca, May 24, 2006, accessed February 2, 2007.] The off-season also featured the departures of Alex Tanguay and Rob Blake, continuing the trend of star players leaving Denver that began the previous year. [ [http://proicehockey.about.com/od/nhlfreeagents/a/06_transactions_3.htm 2006 off-season transactions] , proicehockey.about.com, accessed February 2, 2007]

After a decade near the top of the Western Conference standings, the Avalanche were expected to struggle to make the playoffs in 2006–07. [Dater, Adrian, More stars desert Denver, The Hockey News 2006–07 season preview, pgs. 90–93] The team's expected decline also saw attendance take a hit, as Colorado's NHL record sellout streak of 487 games was ended on October 16 when 17,681 tickets were sold for a game, 326 shy of a sellout. [Frei, Terry, Avs see sellout streak get away, Denver Post, October 17, 2006]

Joe Sakic was the lone representative for the Avalanche at the 2007 All-Star Game in Dallas. Sakic recorded four assists at the game. [ [http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/boxscore?gameId=270124032 2007 All Star Game box score] , espn.com, accessed February 11, 2007]

Entering the final week of the season on April 3, 2007, Colorado was 7 points behind the Calgary Flames for the 8th and final spot in the Western Conference standings. Needing Calgary to lose all four games that week and for them to win all four they fell short by 1 point. Calgary losing to Colorado, San Jose, Edmonton, and again to Colorado did not capture a point that week and Colorado winning three out of four was knocked out of contention when they lost to the Nashville Predators on April 7, 2007. The following night, the Avalanche beat the Flames 6–3 giving them 95 points overall on the season and one short of Calgary who had 96. With the 95 points, the Avalanche became the team with the highest point total in a season to not make the playoffs.

Regular season

eason standings