Takeaways from Avalanche’s first preseason game: Good thing it didn’t count, but there were some positives

It’s always weird, that first preseason game. It’s like a Pet Sematary version of hockey, mostly strangers inhabiting otherwise familiar colors.

No exception in Tuesday’s preseason opener at the Pepsi Center. The Avs only dressed six players who played at all for the team last season, and the crowd was pretty sparse. I know a lot of you would have watched it on local television had you had the chance, but the Cable Wars dragged on for another day.