|
|
|
|
CategoriesNew Products - moreBestsellers
|
Daily NewsWednesday 16 February, 2011
Granato has fond memories of Colorado|Wholesale NHL Jerseys Tony Granato remains a well known figure in Colorado nearly 24 months after he was fired as Avalanche coach in his second stint on the job. Now in his second season as a Pittsburgh Penguins Jerseys for sale assistant, Granato was surrounded by media members Wednesday morning as he discussed his first visit to the Pepsi Center given that the Avalanche cleaned house following the team's last-place finish in the Western Conference in 2008-09. "I was here for seven years and I loved every second of it," said Granato, 46, who served as the Avs' bench boss for parts of three seasons and was an assistant under Bob Hartley and Joel Quenneville. "I met great friends and people back here, and my family loved it here. It was a wonderful seven years of my life and being a part of the Avalanche organization was a tremendous honor and I enjoyed every second of it." Granato compiled a 104-89-22 regular-season record and a 9-9 mark in the playoffs as coach. The Avalanche went 32-15-4 after Granato replaced Hartley 31 games into 2002-03 season before losing a seven-game series to Minnesota during the first round on the playoffs after taking 3-1 series lead with what turned into goalie Patrick Roy's final season. Colorado went 40-29-13 in 2003-04, defeated Dallas Stars Jerseys in the first round and lost to San Jose while in the second. The wheels feel off in 2008-09, once the Avalanche won only 10 of their final 41 games and finished last in the Western Conference with a 32-45-15 record. "There's items that didn't work out the way we hoped they might," Granato said. "We were in a transition stage, so to speak, trying to change personnel maybe, shift to a younger team. I think a lot of the young players with this organization are beginning to build up and turn themselves into great Wholesale NHL Jerseys players. I believe the procedure and the ideas that had been set up back then can pay dividends and they will return to where they need to be. "There's things you wish went differently inside situations, but you also understand that's an area of the game you enter. I used to be lucky enough to get hook up with Pittsburgh after leaving here and I'm enjoying this as well." Like the Avalanche, the Penguins have been hit hard by injuries. The Penguins choosing a lump sum 177 man games to injuries and illnesses, and star forwards Sidney Crosby (concussion) and Evgeni Malkin (knee) remain sidelined. "We're a little similar now because our 87 (Crosby) and our 71 (Malkin) aren't in your lineup tonight," Granato said. "I'd want to be in this building with those two guys, but it's part of hockey. You go places and you do the best you can for as long as you can." The Penguins have lost four of their past five games but have 35 wins and 74 points and so are in fourth place in the Eastern Conference. The Avalanche have lost eight games in a row and is 14th in the West with 25 wins and 56 points. "I watched the last three (Avalanche) games to get ready for this one," Granato said. "They've got a bit of key injuries and maybe they are slowing down a little bit, but they still got a great young core. They have got some good players that this organization is going to be hearing from later on. I am not sure if this is a year where they are able to make a real charge at (a playoff position). It wouldn't surprise me because they've put some good streaks during the last couple years. When you least expect it, they intensify and locate methods to put things together. So they're capable of cheap NHL jerseys for sale." Granato said he's learned a lot from Penguins coach Dan Bylsma, who on Tuesday marked his two-year anniversary replacing Michel Therrien behind the bench. The Penguins came from nowhere to earn a playoff berth during the past year and started to win the Stanley Cup. In two-plus seasons, Bylsma has posted a 100-50-15 record which is the third-winningest coach in franchise history. "He's a highly skilled young coach," Granato said. "You are aware of the success he'd his first year coming in, taking a team that looks like it wasn't will make the playoffs and winning a Stanley Cup. He's very organized, he's a game plan executed that's very structured and he's very disciplined in how he is doing it. He's great to do business with. I've many userful stuff here from him and he's going to be a great coach for a long period." Granato is happy together with his present position -- but eventually would like to get another crack for a top job. "If that opportunity came sometime later on and was right, needless to say I'd personally," he said. |
