Adam Foote returns to Colorado as a Blue Jacket

 

Stephine Chavez (HV)

 

On December 5th, 2006, the Columbus Blue Jackets and former Avalanche player Adam Foote came to Denver to challenge the Avs. Joe Sakic stated "the team did a terrible job moving the puck around. We've got to work harder and try to find a way to score. We have to find a way to get to the net. "If we want to win a game, we have to play well all 3 periods", says Karlis Skrastins. "None of us played well. We need more traffic to the net." The Blue Jackets dressing room was a happier place to be after they got their second shut out in their history and it was back-to-back games. Adam Foote, a former Avalanche defenceman says, "Our goalie made some big saves. We are trying to be consistent. We are a better team than our record shows." Foote signed a contract with the Columbus Blue Jackets this past summer and has been trying to help the team gain more confidence in their play to help them win more games. It is obvious that Foote misses Colorado to an extent. Foote explains "this is the first time my family and I have been back since leaving Colorado. It's part of the game; things happen for a reason. It' water under the bridge. I don't want to dwell on it nor be negative. A big part of my life is Colorado but I have a job to do here right now. It is fun to come back here though." "I have a lot of memories here, said Foote. "When I left Colorado they were still a powerhouse team winning every night. I was too young to realize what it was in Quebec early. I was just happy to be on the right trail. Quebec turned into a great hockey team for a really long time. It is starting to feel good with this team. (Columbus) We haven't played with a lot of confidence. We had a couple of wins together with our fans behind us. It's a good feeling. It's so mental with young, inexperienced teams that once things go your way when you do it the right way it's great to see. Our execution is improving and we are playing on the same page. When we do that we can win. Our goaltender is plaing with a lot of confidence. He has a lot of experience and is great with puck handling. He made some big saves at the right time tonight." The Columbus Blue Jackets hadn't had any shutouts in history then get two back to back. When asked how that feels and affects the team, Foote responded, "it's huge for momentum. It's great for the franchise. You gotta love to win but hate to lose more. We know what we have to do."

Photo: Adam Foote © Stephine Chavez (HV)