My Avalanche season preview is on NHL.com, along with three keys to success.
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Goalie Reto Berra stopped 22 of 23 shots Tuesday night in Calgary, but it wasn't enough as the Avalanche remained winless in the preseason with a 2-0 loss to the Flames.
Colorado has scored seven goals in six games, been shut out twice and has an 0-5-1 record.
Worse, center Jesse Winchester left with an undisclosed injury after playing 4:25. I'll find out more Wednesday morning during team availability.
Johnny Gaudreau scored in the second period and Lance Bouma added an empty-net goal. Flames goalie Jonas Hiller made 28 saves.
The Avalanche have two preseason games left, both against the Stanley Cup champion Los Angeles Kings. They meet Thursday in Colorado Springs and Saturday in Las Vegas.
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Daniel Briere is still getting acclimated to life in Colorado with the Avalanche, the fifth and what probably will be the final team in an NHL career that began with Phoenix (now Arizona) and includes Buffalo, Philadelphia and Montreal.
"It's a learning process, trying to learn about new teammates, new linemates, a new coaching staff and the system that they want you to play," said Briere, who has scored 30 goals four times but hasn't reached that total since 2010-11 when he had 34 for the Flyers. "It's going the way I thought it would be going, a little slow in the beginning because you're trying to gather all the information. I'm excited to be here. It's been a good summer thinking about it. I like the makeup of the team and I'm really looking forward to being here."
A first-round pick (24th overall) of the Coyotes in the 1996 NHL draft, Briere made his NHL debut on March 19, 1998 against the Avalanche. Acquired June 30 from Montreal in exchange for P.A. Parenteau and a fifth-round pick in 2015, Briere is expected to play on the third line this season and get some time on the power play, where he's scored 106 of his 299 career goals in 916 games.
Briere has been a center for most of his career, but he was scheduled to play right wing Tuesday night in Calgary on the top line with Alex Tanguay and Winchester in his third preseason game. He might have played last Thursday in Montreal, but he spent a couple days at home in the Philadelphia area visiting with his son, who sustained a broken femur playing hockey.
"Has a long road ahead, but he's going to be fine," said Briere, who is engaged and has three children from a previous marriage. The family is staying back East because he doesn't want to pull the kids from school and take them away from their friends. He stays in touch through phone calls and social media.
Briere said he's excited about joining the Avalanche and will be happy to play wherever coach Patrick Roy asks. He missed 10 games to recover from a concussion last season with the Canadiens and had 13 goals and 12 assists in a limited role in 69 games. Briere played in 16 playoff games, but he barely averaged 10 minutes in ice time while contributing three goals and four assists.
Said Roy: "He's only played two games, so it's hard to judge. It'll be interesting to see him in a bigger role (Tuesday)."
Briere, who turns 37 on Oct. 6, said playing on the third line once the regular season starts would be an "upgrade" from his experience in Montreal. He's in the last year of a contract that will pay him $4 million.
"I'm an easygoing guy," he said. "Wherever they need me to help out the team, that's where it's going to be. I can play all three positions up front, too. So we'll see how things shake up. It might be a different position, different roles up and down the lineup. Hopefully we don't have too many injuries, but you never know what can happen. I'm ready for whatever is thrown at me.
"Patrick told me to come in and have fun, to relax. Obviously last year, personally, it was a frustrating season as far as responsibilities went on the ice. So those were his words of advice, just to come in here and have fun and good things will happen."
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Here's how the Avalanche lineup will look Tuesday:
Forwards Tanguay-Winchester-Briere Agozzino-Hishon-Rendulic Talbot-Cliche-Everberg Schumacher-Henley-Maggio
Defensemen Hejda-Guenin Wilson-Redmond Siemens-Noreau
Goalies Berra Pickard