from Nick Groke of the Denver Post,

Through five games, Colorado's talented front line seems stuck in the muck. The Avs rank second-to-last in the NHL in shots per game, at 24.2, though the Avs are tied for eighth overall in scoring at 3.2 goals per game.

"If you're looking at our Corsi or Fenwick, our numbers aren't very good," Colorado coach Patrick Roy said, pointing to two statistics that measure shots taken. "I don't think it's because of the number of shots we're getting. It's more of the shots we're not taking."

Corsi is meant to estimate puck possession by totaling shots on goal, missed shots and blocked shots. Fenwick does the same, minus blocked shots.

But Roy said you can stuff the numbers. The Avs' problem, he said, isn't puck possession. Their problem is being more aggressive toward the goal.

"We want to simplify our offense and put more pucks at the net," he said. "Right now, we're forcing way too many plays on our entries and we have to backcheck. And every team is backchecking hard now. Tracking is a big part of the game.

"Every team is coming back, collapsing. And if you try plays in the middle, like we have, your Corsi or your Fenwick won't look good."

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