Tuesday, February 26, 2008
The Avalanche of Old
The Avs have re-acquired defenseman Adam Foote at a steep price of a conditional 1st round pick. A 2008 pick if the Avs make the playoffs this year, or a 2009 pick if they don't. As well as a conditional draft pick if he re-signs with Colorado this Summer.
The Avs also acquired defenseman Ruslan Salei from the Florida Panthers for Karlis Skrastins and a 2008 3rd round pick.
More to come later.....
Avalanche Atrocious in Alberta
The game started off well for the Avs as Tyler Arnason was able to put them ahead less than 30 seconds into the game. The Avs dominated the Oilers in the first, had several near misses, and gained a 2-0 lead on a Ben Guite goal later in the period from none other than Joe Sakic. Then came the Avalanche kiss of death this season. Once they got that two goal lead, the Avs abandoned what had worked for them and decided with over 40 minutes left in the game, they were content with sitting on the lead and hoping for the best.
Give credit to the Oilers, once they got down, they played hard. As much as the Avs dominated in the 1st period, they were controlled as much or more by the Oilers in the 2nd. The Avs had 3 shots on goal in the period.. 3.. Goals by Gagner and Glencross tied the game before, by my account, the Avalanche even had a shot on goal in the period. That's over 11 minutes. Who would have thought that the 1-4 and 0-5 forechecking systems wouldn't produce any offensive pressure?
The Avs finally started playing again in the 3rd, but the Oilers got a break when Kyle Cumiskey misread a cross-ice pass, tried to step in front of it only to have it get by him on to the stick of Cogliano who came in and buried a nice shot just inside the far post to give the Oilers a 3-2 lead they wouldn't give up. Cumiskey made a rookie mistake, but at least he was trying to be aggressive, something the rest of the team wasn't doing.
My Observations:
Tyler Arnason showed good jump throughout the game, and seems to play so much better in the Albertan cities than anywhere else in the league. Wojtek Wolski looked good and played hard after being a healthy scratch last game. Joe Sakic was back in the lineup, but you could tell that he had missed 3 months of action. Paul Stastny had a chance to tie the game on the power play in the 3rd, having a rebound kick out to him with a wide open net, but the puck got into his skates and handcuffed him. Scott Hannan looked drunk for a good part of the second period. He was slow to react to the play, and was gliding around the ice hunched over, lunging with his stick instead of moving his feet. The power play continues to lack power. Here's a quick version of almost every Avs PP chance this season. Dump the puck in, opponent sends it back down the ice, regroup and dump it in again. Gain possession, battle along the boards for 30 seconds, lose the puck, go pick it up in their own end again. Repeat 2-3 times and the power play is over. The times the PP has been somewhat effective has been when the Avs focus on creating from the point or the side boards. Unfortunately, they continue to want to start from behind the net, which allows the other team to collapse down low, cut off all passing lanes, and keep the Avs to the outside, and often times only allow maybe 1 shot on goal in the 2 minutes. Throw in the fact that the 4 guys without the puck are stationary, and playing D against them is pretty easy.
In the end, the Avs started the way they wanted to, but like many games this month, were unable to play hard for 60 minutes. Part of it is team philosophy, but in the end, the onus falls on the players as well. They aren't playing like they want to win, and with every remaining game being important for both teams involved, this kind of effort will continue to produce losses.
Forsberg Coming Back to the Avalanche
After weeks of wondering will he or won’t he, and an announcement that he won’t, Peter Forsberg signed with the Avalanche Monday afternoon through the rest of this season. While this is exciting news for Avs fans, there are more of us than not that are hopeful rather than confident. Forsberg has been battling ankle injuries for years, and even went through 30 pairs of skates recently in an attempt to find one pair that would ease his discomfort when skating. Now don’t get me wrong, I am going to love seeing that #21 Avalanche jersey back on the ice, hopefully sometime soon. The Avalanche are in desperate need of a shot in the arm, even though Joe Sakic was able to return Sunday night. As of right now, they are 4 points out of the final playoff spot in the West, but there are 19 games remaining, and the next two are against division foes ahead of them in the standings. Needless to say, the Avs have a lot of work to do in the final weeks of the season, but it’s not an impossible feat.
Now that he has officially signed, we can start to speculate what the forward lines will look like. A lot of this will be determined by the health of Forsberg. Will he be able to play top 6 minutes? If so, the Avalanche currently have top talented centers in Sakic and Stastny, and with Forsberg being a natural center, do the Avs move him to wing? Maybe a top 6 of Smyth, Stastny, and Hejduk and Forsberg, Sakic, and Svatos. Or do the Avs try to balance it over three lines with keeping pairs together? Sakic/Brunette, Stastny/Smyth, Forsberg/Hejduk perhaps.
Whatever the case, this team has its work cut out for them in the final 19 games. I am going to remain optimistic and hopeful. Hopeful for a strong finish, a playoff birth, a healthy return by Forsberg, and a packed
Sunday, February 24, 2008
The Avalanche and the Trade Deadline
As I sit here on February 22nd typing this, we are less than 4 days from the trade deadline. We are in the midst of one of the most fun times of year for hockey fans. With only a handful of teams that don’t have realistic shots at the playoffs, a lot of teams are to believe that they are maybe one move away from making a run at a final playoff spot, or a division title, or even a trip to the cup finals. Speculation and rumors have been swirling for weeks, and continue to gain speed and frequency as the deadline nears, but a lot of people, myself included, wonder how much movement will there actually be.
A recent trend has developed in the league in recent years where UFAs traded at the deadline end up signing with the team they were traded from after the season. Just last year, we saw Nashville and Atlanta pay big prices for guys like Tkachuk and Forsberg only to see them move on after the season.
Throw in the likes of Doug Weight and Bill Guerin, and you begin to wonder why a GM would give up high picks and solid prospects for a rental player that will most likely be gone in 2-3 months unless they felt the move gave them a solid shot at the Stanley Cup. This year, the big “prize” appears to be Mats Sundin. Granted, there are a lot of teams that would love to have a player like that for a playoff run, as a fan, how would you like to see your favorite team basically give away a big package for a guy that in all indications will just return to
Due to things such as the salary cap and 3-point games, conference races for the playoffs have become tighter since the lockout. It seems like even teams that are 12th or 13th in the conference are just one 5-game stretch from being embedded in a playoff spot. Because of this, you have to wonder how many true sellers there are at this point.
From all indications, the asking prices for the guys that seem most likely to be traded are pretty steep for a rental player. While there may be several smaller moves, I just don’t see the conditions being right for the movement of so-called impact players.
Now to the Avalanche. As of tonight, even with all the injuries that have occurred and continue to occur, they still find themselves only 4 points out of a playoff spot. In the past, this team hasn’t been shy about making a splash at the trade deadline, but with the current market conditions and cap limitations, I don’t see them making a move that will dramatically improve their chances for this season. The Avs do have three main players that will be unrestricted free agents this summer in Liles, Brunette and Arnason. Of the three, the Avs could get the most in return for Liles if they chose to do so, but I’m not sure they would or should. He will no doubt be looking for a raise from his current 1.4 million deal, and though he has had a rough year, I think the Avs should try to re-sign him. But then again it all comes down to how much will he be looking for, does he want to stay, and what does management think their chances of re-signing him are. From all indications, Kyle Cumiskey appears primed to take over the role that Liles has filled as a puck moving defenseman. He has great wheels, good hands, and the ability to create. Andrew Brunette has not been the same this year without Sakic. He seems slower, less consistent, and that has lead to a dramatic decrease in production compared to the previous two years. He is a veteran, and with the right linemates can be a solid top-6 winger. Tyler Arnason has had flashes of brilliance on offense this year, but will never be a Selke finalist. In his last 20 or so games, he has been great and put up a lot of points on the line with Svatos and Wolski, and maybe that could be enough for someone making a decent proposal to the Avalanche for him.
Some fans have already put a nail in this coffin of a season for the Avs, and have even thrown around the word re-build. If you look at the core of this team, they are not in need of a re-build as much as a re-tool. They have gone big chunks of the season without Joe Sakic, Ryan Smyth, Paul Stastny, and now their best defenseman Brett Clark is out indefinitely. With the mini reemergence of Jose Theodore, where would this tema be if those guys had been able to stay healthy? The Avs have depth and an above average top 6 up front. They have a very capable checking line in Guite, Lapperiere and McLeod/McCormick who can provide energy and toughness. If there are things this team needs it would be a top line defenseman and a goaltending. Theodore has played well this year, and his play has gotten better as the year has gone on, but it’s not worth $6 million per year. The way he’s played and with the lack of available top-end goalies on the market, I wouldn’t mind the Avs making a play to re-sign him at a cheaper price. When all is said and done, and 1pm local time rolls around Tuesday the 26th. I don’t see this team looking much different than it does today. Except for hopefully Joe Sakic will be in the lineup. But I’ll still be watching closely because just as important as what the Avs do is what the teams that are ahead of them in the standings do, especially Calgary and Vancouver.
Avalanche at Phoenix - Feb 22
After losing the first three games against Phoenix this year, the Avalanche were able to avoid a series sweep by beating the Coyotes 3-2 in a shootout in the desert, getting an important 2 points after a tough shootout loss two nights ago against Anaheim.
It only took a little over 14 minutes for Paul Stastny to make his presence felt in his return to the ice, tying the game on a great individual effort in the first period. The goal came just four minutes after Phoenix grabbed the lead with a 5 on 3 power play goal. The goal was a great example of what this team has been lacking lately as he was able to make something out of nothing on a 1 on 2 getting a good shot on net and following up to bury his rebound. The Avs were able to build on the improved play they showed in Anaheim Wednesday night and played a solid road game.
The Avalanche had a goal disallowed 3 minutes into the 2nd period after Ian Laperriere made a great play from the seat of his pants and slid a backhander into the empty net. Unfortunately for the Avs, the net was empty because Lappy was basically sitting on Tellqvist. The Avs were able to take a 2-1 lead for real 9:09 into the 2nd period when Marek Svatos blasted a onetimer from the left circle over the shoulder of Tellqvist, who started in place of Ilya Bryzgalov who was out with the flu. It was Svatos’ 26th of the year and 3rd on the PP. The Avs continued to play well through the rest of the 2nd limiting the chances for the Coyotes. The third period was a little different. As usual, the Avs were content sitting on that one goal lead, and thanks in large part to some great saves by Jose Theodore, were able to do so for the first 19:57 of the 3rd period. Phoenix pulled Tellqvist with just over a minute remaining in the game and scored with just 2.8 seconds remaining when a Derek Morris shot deflected off the stick of Paul Stastny and behind Theodore to tie the game. And just like that, the Avs gave up another point late.
The Coyotes got the first chances of overtime, but the Avs had more, but were unable to capitalize and we were off to a shootout. Which went as follows:
Subaru Shootout
Svatos – deke to the backhand, sprawling pad save by Tellqvist
Mueller – quick shot, pad save by Theo
Smyth – backhand, save
Vrbata – deke to backhand, save
Hensick – glove save
Doan – had him beat, lost the puck
Stastny – backhand, pad save
Hanzal - forehand, pad save
Hejduk – quick shot, blocker save
Reinprecht – backhand, post
Arnason – forehand GOAL stick side
Perrault – deke, forehand GOAL
Jones – shot shoulder save
Ballard – deke, pad save
Liles – shot five hole, GOAL
York – shot stick side, GOAL
Laperriere – shot, post
Kapanen – blocker save
Brunette – shot, arm save
Jovanovski – shot, glove save
Guite – backhand, missed net
Carcillo – deke, pad save
McLeod – shot, stick side GOAL
Yandle – shot, missed net
The thing I couldn’t get is why guys like Lappy and Jones, even McLeod took a chance and Kyle Cumiskey didn’t. It worked, but I’m still questioning that.
Overall, the Avs showed good effort throughout the game, but I really wish they wouldn’t be content with just sitting on the one goal lead. They turn their own end into a shooting gallery and Theodore by far was the reason the Avs got a point in this game. The Yote’s tying goal came as a result of the Avs failure to clear the puck when they had a chance to, something that has consistently plagued this team.
Colorado did manage to score a power play goal, but there is still a lot of work to be done on that front. In the end, the Avs got two desperately needed points, and that’s all that really matters.
Notes and Observations
Wojtek Wolski and Jaroslav Hlinka were healthy scratches in this game. Jeff Finger is out day-to-day with a hand injury. Also on the note of personnel, the Avs were pretty consistent with the lines tonight, something Quinneville hasn’t done a whole lot of this season. Joe Sakic is practicing with the team and is expected back at some time on this road trip. Kyle Cumiskey continues to impress me with the dimension he adds to this team. There are times he gets himself trapped too low in the offensive zone, but he has the speed to get back to his position. He is able to move the puck up, carry it in deep, and create opportunities and draw penalties with his shiftiness. The Avs improve to 4-3 in the shootout this season, and are now 2 points out of the 8th spot in the West. The Avs are off to Edmonton where they will play 3 games in 4 nights against the Canadian teams of the Northwest. T-minus 3 ½ days until the trade deadline.
Sunday, February 10, 2008
Avs Put the Smack Down on Luongo and Canucks (Feb 9)
No Stastny tonight, lasted 5 minutes in the morning skate
1st Period
Looks like it’s going to be Guite’s line going against the Sedins tonight
For as many guys the Avs are missing up front, the Canucks are missing 4 defensemen
Good first 5 minutes for the Avs, but the tide has turned a little bit
End of the First. The Avs couldn’t have asked for a better period, home or away. All four lines played well, fought hard and created chances on Luongo. While the Sedin line had a couple good shifts, and Pyatt hit a post, the Avs controlled the period, especially down low behind the net and in front of Luongo. Plus they buried the good chances they had. This was probably a better period than the first against
Sedin line -2 in 1st
2nd Period
The Avs forwards really bunch down low leaving the points WIDE open
Avs 0-1 on the PP
That goal picked up the Canucks, they had a good next shift
The Avs have had a lot of space in the neutral zone tonight and have been able to carry the puck into the Canuck zone with little opposition
The pace has slowed a little bit since the
Avs going with the three centers up front on the PP (HEnsick, Arnason, Hlinka)
The Avs are on the PP, but the Canucks are getting the scoring chances
:54 Fresh out of the box McIver gets into a scrap with Lappy. More wrestling for position than punches thrown.
After a bit of a flurry by the Canucks, that’s the period
Another great period by
3rd Period
Curtis Sanford is in for Luongo
Again, the PP goal gives the Canucks life as they follow it up with a good shift
Hannan called for holding before the fight
Whew.. the Avs doged several bullets on that kill. The Canucks are in full control this period
Avs can’t get it past the red line
Not much happening
And that’s all she wrote. A little tussle here at the end, but nothing comes of it.
A big win for the Avalanche. The get a road win against a divisional opponent, and move past
Numbers!!!
Goals
1 – 7:10 of 1st
2 – 11:19 of 1st
3 – 17:05 of 1st
4 – 7:37 of 2nd VAN PP – H. Sedin (12) from Salo (9) and D. Sedin (31)
5 – 16:41 of 2nd
6 – 17:01 of 2nd
7 – 1:22 of 3rd VAN PP – Salo (2) from Raymond (10) and D. Sedin (32)
8 – 9:21 of 3rd
SOG
Avs:
Canucks:
PP
Avs: 1-3
Canucks: 2-3
Western Conference Standings:
Team GP
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15. LA 57 23 49
Friday, February 8, 2008
Do You Know the Way to Win in San Jose (Feb 6)
Two nights after giving a point away at home, the Avs ventured to
After the letdown against the Coyotes, this game was even bigger for the Avs, and they definitely showed they were ready to play in the first period. The Avs played possibly their best period on the road this season. They were able to dictate the play for the entire period, especially in the Sharks zone, as the Avs outshot
After a brilliant first 20 minutes, a seemingly different Avalanche team came out in the second period. For that matter, the Sharks realized the game was already a third of the way over and decided they should probably start playing. One thing that was evident throughout this game was how different this Avs team was than the one that lost 2 of 3 to the Sharks earlier in the season. The Sharks are a big, strong, quick team that had physically overmatched the Avs, and I’m not sure if they were ready for what the Avs had for them in the first period. This Avs team is not afraid to throw the body around, and Cody McLeod in particular was able to make his presence known with his limited ice time. Anyway, the Sharks took over in the second. They took the play to the Avs and did a great job of controlling the puck in the Avs end. Just under 6 minutes into the period, the Sharks were able to tie the game on a Patrick Marleau PP goal on a pretty cross-ice feed by Sandis Ozolinsh. Yes, THAT Sandish Ozolinsh. The Avs fell victim again of playing complacent once again with a 1-0 lead, something they have become accustomed to much of the year. But alas, seven minutes later, the Avs took the lead once again with a power play tally of their own, scored by none other than T.J. Hensick on another deflection of a Brett Clark point shot. Hensick’s 5th goal in the last 4 games by the way. With the lead once again, the Avs went back on the defensive and were able to milk the clock and get out of the period with that lead.
The third period went pretty much the same way as the second. The Sharks had the puck a lot, had several great chances, and Jose Theodore stood on his head. Theodore was by far the only reason the Avs were able to stay ahead. The Avs had a couple good chances in the period, but weren’t able to capitalize. I though the lines of Wolski-Arnason-Svatos and Laperriere-Guite-Richardson played the best in this game. They were the only lines that were able to create any pressure, and Guite’s line did a great job against
My rants of the evening:
After a bitter tasting OT loss in their previous game, Jose Theodore stole a victory in this game, and was by far the number 1 star of the game. I’m not going to lie, I am not a fan of the Avs trying to sit on 1 goal leads. It’s one thing to do it late in the game, but to try and play 45-50 minutes of that is a lot to ask. A good chunk of the 3rd period, the Sharks were given the time and space to make even strength play look like a power play. Granted the Avs did win, but I like being critical… Congrats to Ian Laperriere who played in his 900th career NHL game... Tyler Arnason has 9 points in the last 6 games… T.J. Hensick continues to have the hot hand, especially on the PP, but his minutes have droppes in each of the last 3 games. I just don’t get it, don’t most guys get more minutes when they have the hot hand? Hlinka playing with Hejduk and Brunette isn’t working, thank god Stastny is coming back Saturday. With that said, where does that leave Hensick who will now be the 5th center? Do the Avs send him back down to
Numbers!!!
Goals
1 – 10:24 of 1st -
2 – 5:53 of 2nd - SJ PP Marleau (10) from Ozolinsh (12)
3 – 12:51 of 2nd -
4 – 19:59 of 3rd – COL EN Finger (5) unassisted
SOG
Avs:
Sharks:
PP
Avs: 1-4
Sharks: 1-3
Standings:
Avs: 63 Points – 5th in West
Sharks: 65 Points – 4th in West
Avs Next 5:
2/9 – @ VAN
2/12 – ANA
2/14 – STL
2/17 - @CHI
2/18 - DET
Tuesday, February 5, 2008
Who Own da Avs.. Owns, Owns (Feb 4)
The first period was pretty much back and forth with the two teams combining for 29 shots on goal. T.J. Hensick kicked off the scoring with a power play goal 17:48 into the first, but the Avs took two quick penalties shortly thereafter and Peter Mueller was able to connect on a one-timer from teh top of the circles on the 5 on 3 to tie the game. Mueller is going to be a star. He's big, can play physical, has wheels and great hands, and a nose for the net. Plus, it's not often you see a rookie playing the point on the power play. Hopefully Phoenix fans appreciate what they have in that kid.
The second period continued in the same fashion. Even though he was held off the scoresheet, Milan Hejduk had some real good chances, and looked pretty quick. Unfortunately, the same couldn't be said for Andrew Brunette. Phoenix's second goal, scored by Daniel Winnick was the result of J-M Liles failing to get the puck out of his own zone, the Yotes working hard down low, and Winnick getting open in front for a tip with a couple Avs just looking at him. The prettiest goal of the period came about 10 minutes later when Jovanovski made a blind pass in the Avs end along the blue line which was picked off by Brad Richardson. Lappy was able to hustle in and join the play to cause a tight 2 on 1, and chipped in a pretty feed from Richardson with a guy on his back to even the score. Ian Laperriere had a great game. He was everywhere, killed penalties, and was probably the hardest working Avs player on that ice.
The 3rd period was almost like two different acts, and quite frankly was kind of weird. The Avs played very well in the first half of the period, and had a good chance about 9 minutes in when Brad Richardson got a breakaway coming out of the sin bin (after a questionable slashing call). He didn't score, but was able to draw a penalty. Which brings us to the beginning of the odd. T.J. Hensick scored on that ensuing power play, sneaking the puck just inside the goal line off the skate of a sliding Coyotes defender giving the Avs a 3-2 lead, but it wasn't official until about a minute thirty later. Al the Avs saw the puck go in, raised their sticks, and the puck went down the ice. Play went on until the next whistle when the play was officially reviewed, for a long time, then finally called good. Then the Avs decided to sit on the lead, quit pushing the play, and looked very lackadaisical. With just over 3 minutes, and after shoddy defensive play caused a faceoff to the right of Budaj, Tyler Arnason was kicked out of the circle forcing Svatos to take the draw. The Coyotes ran a set play with Steven Reinprecht pushing the puck past Svatos and feeding a pass across to a wide open Radim Vrbata. Where the hell did everyone go!! Arnason went after Reinprecht, and Jeff Finger, who was supposed to be there, was not. Ugh. Ironically, the Altitude guys had just gone on a two minute stretch about how the Avs could move into 5th place in the West and a point behind Minny with a win... Oops.
Honestly, I was too pissed to pay attention to the overtime period, and of course, Phoenix scored on another questionable play to end the game 3:23 into OT. The goal was credited to Vrbata, who put a shot on goal. Budaj appeared to have the puck underneath him, then Shane Doan dove, stickless and punched between Budaj's legs, squirting the puck into the net. The ref was right there, didn't blow the whistle until the puck had crossed the line and he was signaling goal, Wayne Gretzky was jumping up and down, and that was that. The Yotes quickly scampered back to the locker room while the Avs stayed on the bench and a heated Joel Quinneville
gave it to the refs. Was it a bad call? Maybe. Should the Avs have been in that position in the first place? Definitely not.
News and Notes:
The Coyotes are 3-0 against the Avs this year, winning both games in Denver.
Karlis Skrastins was the odd-man out in the 7 defenseman carousel
T.J. Hensick he of the 4 goals in 2 games, had only one shift in regulation after his second goal with 10 minutes left in the third.
Jose Theodore will be in net Wednesday at San Jose after missing the last two games because of back spasms
Paul Stastny will make the trip and is questionable for Wednesday's game
Numbers!!!
Goals
1 - 17:48 of 1st COL PP- Hensick (4) from Arnason (15) and Liles (19)
2 - 19:01 of 1st PHX PP - Mueller (16) from Jovanovski (30) and Doan (33)
3 - 5:04 of 2nd PHX - Winnik (6) from Murley (1) and Kapanen (15)
4 - 14:49 of 2nd COL - Laperriere (4) from Richardson (3)
5 - 9:52 of 3rd COL PP - Hensick (5) from Hlinka (16) and Arnason (16)
6 - 16:49 of 3rd PHX - Vrbata (23) from Reinprecht (21)
7 - 3:23 of OT PHX - Vrbata (24) from Doan (34) and Michalek (9)
SOG
Avs: 12-11-11-2 - 36
Coyotes: 17-9-6-1 - 33
PP
Avs: 2-4
Coyotes: 1-4
Standings:
Avs: 61 Points 5th in West
Coyotes: 59 Points 8th in West
Next Up: @ San Jose Wednesday, February 6
Sunday, February 3, 2008
Avs Get Big Win in St. Louis (Feb. 2)
The Avs struck first on a TJ Hensick goal on a pretty feed from Laperriere. The play was started by Cody McLeod down low, something he did well all game, and got him another assist later in the 3rd period. Danny Hinote countered less than a minute later on a wraparound similar to the goal Zetterberg scored on Budaj the night before. Before the 1st period ended, the Jaroslav Hlinka potted a rebound, and Paul Kariya scored a PP goal less than a minute later, and we had ourselves a 2-2 game after 1.
The Avs had the only goal of the second on a delayed penalty call. Wolski came off the bench as the 6th skater, got a nice feed from Scott Hannan and put a one-timer on net. Ben Guite deflected the puck in front, and the Avs regained a 3-2 lead.
The third period ended up being the fastest paced an funnest of the game. The Avs actually converted a power play opportunity 1:00 into the period by TJ Hensick, then teh Avs shut 'er down. Andy McDonald converted on a nice play be David Perron on a 3 on 2 where teh defense got caught, and the forwards were too tired to get back and help. Tyler Arnason scored a wraparound goal that I'm sure Manny Legace still wants back, and a minute later, Keith Tkachuk answered. From that point on, with the Avs leading 5-4, it was all Blues. The Avs quit trying to attack, the Blues were swarming, hit the post on 3 separate occasions, and honestly should have tied the game. Instead, Ben Guite scored an empty netter, and that was that.
It was a game the Avs really needed, and it took 59:53 to officially put away the Blues. The Avs looked like a completely different team playing a completely different style from the night before. They forechecked well, created good chances, and capitalized on their opportunities. With the exception of Guite's empty netter from his own end, all the Avs goals were scored within 4 feet of the Blues net. They were the ugly, hard working goals this team needs to win games, while the Blues goals were mostly pretty plays.
Marek Svatos became the next in the long list of Avs players with the last name starting with S (Sakic, Smyth, Sauer, Stastny) to succomb to an injury. Svatos missed the game with what is being called a (groin) injury. I remember when Sakic's hernia was supposed to be just a little groin injury.. Shit..
The Avs won the game, but there was a lot to be desired. They allowed the league's lowest scoring team to score 4 goals. They made the league's worst power play look pretty fantastic, but were still able to hold them to 1-4. The Avs were outshot in every period. And most frustrating was that everytime they were in postion to put the game out of reach, they sat back and played that Quinneville Prevent Defense. It's that defense that doesn't allow the Avs to forecheck or establish any offensive presence while letting the other team control the puck in their own end, and hoping really hard they don't score. Not fun to watch if you're an Avs fan.
Things that make you go uhhhhhh..
The three Avs forwards with the most ice time Saturday night were... Hlinka, McCormick, and Laperriere.. J-M Liles and Jordan Leopold were both under 12:00 in ice time, while Kurt Sauer was at 13:45 in his first game back from concussion. TJ Hensick scored his second goal of the game one minute into the 3rd on the power play and was rewarded with only two more :30 shifts the rest of the game.. Despite giving up 4 goals, Budaj looked good again..
Numbers!!
Goals
1 - 5:28 of 1st COL - Hensick (2) from Laperriere (11) and McLeod (2)
2 - 6:16 of 1st STL - Hinote (5) from Mayers (10) and Johnson (9)
3 - 13:42 of 1st COL - Hlinka (6) from Wolski (19) and Clark (14)
4 - 14:34 of 1st STL PP - Kariya (13) from Boyes (14) and Backes (11)
5 - 10:01 of 2nd COL - Guite (5) from Wolski (20) and Hannan (13)
6 - 1:00 of 3rd COL PP - Hensick (3) from Arnason (14) and Liles (18)
7 - 6:24 of 3rd STL - McDonald (10) from Perron (10) and Boyes (15)
8 - 11:16 of 3rd COL - Arnason (6) from McLeod (3)
9 - 19:53 of 3rd COL EN - Guite (6) unassisted
SOG
Avs: 9-10-5 - 24
Blues: 12-12-8 - 32
PP
Avs: 1-3
Blues: 1-4
Standings:
Avs: 60 pts. - 7th in West
Blues: 55 pts. - 12th in West
Saturday, February 2, 2008
Playing Not To Lose - Avs at Detroit Feb. 1
From the opening faceoff, you knew this game would not resemble Wednesday night's win vs. Chicago. The Avs, though they played a spirited game, played the entire game as though they were trying not to lose, instead of trying to win. The Red Wings controlled the puck well, created chances, and didn't allow the Avalanche to mount any kind of offensive attack for the first 40 minutes. The Avs were able to muster 3 shots on goal in the 1st, followed up with 1 in the second. That's right, one shot on goal. The Avs did have a goal disallowed with 8 seconds left in the 2nd period when Scott Hannan was pushed into the goal post trying to come around the net, and while he stayed out of the crease and hung on to the crossbar, Milan Hejduk threaded a shot through his legs and into the goal. Thanks to a golden globe worthy performance by Hasek, who "allegedly" was interfered with, the goal was immediately waved off. That was the best chance the Avs had to gather any momentum, and it was for naught.
The Avs did show up for the last 20 minutes though, creating chances and actually registering 11 shots on goal. Peter Budaj continued to be the only reason the game was tied, but all that changed with 2:40 left in the 3rd when Henrik Zetterberg potted a wraparound to take the lead for Detroit and seal victory. Kris Draper would add an empty netter with :13 left, and that was that.
It was obvious again, that the Avs have a long way to go when it comes to competing with the best teams in the league. Yes they are dealing with injuries, but they didn't even give themselves a chance to win for the first 40 minutes. While they were able to keep Detroit to the outside for most of the game, the game plan was to clearly hope Budaj could steal a shutout through 3 periods, steal a point, and maybe a second in OT or the shootout. Unfortunately, the Wings finally broke through late, and that was that.
The Avs power play went 0-3 and continues to look horrible, spending more time in their own end rather than attacking. On the bright side, the PK killed 4 Wings opportunities including a big 5 on 3 early in the 1st period.
The Avs travel to St. Louis today, a game they really need. With Budaj's performance last night, one would assume that he would get the start tonight, but with Joel Quinneville, who knows.
Numbers!!!
Goals
Wings: Zetterberg (30) from Datsyuk (45) and Rafalski (35)
Draper (9) from Datsyuk (46) and Lidstrom (44)
SOG
Avs: 3-1-11 - 15
Wings: 14-9-13 - 36
PP
Avs: 0-3
Wings: 0-4
Standings:
Avalanche 58 points - 7th in West
Red Wings 82 points - 1st in West
Thursday, January 31, 2008
Avs Start 2nd Half Right
The Avs were powered offensively by the line of Wolski, Arnason, and Svatos who combined for 3 of the 6 goals and 8 points. Brad Richardson, called up from Lake Erie on Tuesday, played effectively on a line with Ben Guite and Ian Laperriere.
The Power Play still looked lost but managed to go 1-4 with Andrew Brunette cashing in ona one-timer from the top of the circles on a nice feed by Hejduk.
Jose Theodore played well, being beat just once on a bit of a misdirection play in front early in the second period. Theodore left the game after two periods due to back spasms, and was replaced by Budaj who allowed two late 3rd period goals while facing only 4 shots.
Paul Stastny remains out until possibly late next week.
The Avs start a brutal February scehdule in Detroit on Friday which will see them play 10 of their 14 games on the road.
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
Avalanche First Half in Review
Through the first 50 games of the 2007-2008 season, the Colorado Avalanche have faced as much turmoil and adversity as they ever have in their time in
As expected, the Avs started off the year strong offensively, but defensive breakdowns and inconsistent play in goal were common place. If you look at the success of the Avs at the end of last year, a lot can be attributed to the solid team defense and the play of Peter Budaj. Budaj struggled early and in Joel Quinneville fashion, with a healthy Jose Theodore, the Avs went to a rotating goalie system, with each goalie playing no more than a few games at a time. Each goalie has played well at times, and each goalie has definitely had off nights. But in defense to each of them, there have been an innumerable amount of goals scored on the Avs by guys left wide open in front. Whether it be both defensemen chasing the puck down low, or the centers not helping out in the slot, both Budaj and Theodore have been left out on an island at times. At the same time, bad rebounds and soft goals continue to drive fans crazy. Heading into the all-star break, Theodore has started 10 consecutive games, for the most part has played well, and even has some wondering if he’s returning to the form that he once showed as league MVP.
The defensive corps of the Avalanche has been an enigma through the first half of the season. Everyone knows what this group is capable of, we all saw it in last year’s push that left them just shy of the playoffs, perhaps that’s why the inconsistency is so frustrating. Scott Hannan has played well, but hasn’t been the force many expected him to be. Jordan Leopold has shown flashes of great ability at times and has earned time on the power play, but again has bothered by injuries, and most recently a touch of the flu. Karlis Skrastins continues to play significant minutes, but just doesn’t seem to be the same guy from the past couple years. Kurt Sauer who stepped up huge for the Avs at the end of last season and played well to start the year has been sidelined for 26 games due to post-concussion symptoms. As of this past week, he was still experiencing dizziness, and his return seems to be a ways off. Kyle Cumiskey and Johnny Boychik have been called up at times this year, and Cumiskey in particular has flashed amazing skating ability which he has used to rush the puck and make up ground when getting caught in the defensive zone. The two most consistent defensemen throughout the year have been Brett Clark and Jeff Finger. Each has played well in their own zone, both are tough competitors, and both can contribute offensively. For two guys that have had to battle just to get the opportunity to play in the NHL, the Avs have got to be pleased with the play they get from these two guys night in and night out. Perhaps the biggest disappointment this year has been John-Michael Liles. He’s never been the biggest or strongest guy in his own end, but his offensive contributions made a lot of people forget about his shortcomings. Unfortunately Liles has struggled this year finding the back of the net. While he has played very well the last couple weeks, he remains snakebitten, and with him being a
The Avs have had to deal with injuries in the past, but this year, it’s starting to get ridiculous. Joe Sakic has been out for 26 games with a groin injury that turned out to be a hernia. Ryan Smyth has missed 14 games most due to a broken ankle. Both of these guys will be out until late February-early March. Then a week before he was to make his first All-Star appearance, Paul Stastny underwent an appendectomy and will be out another 1-2 weeks. Stastny has been the best player for the Avs this year with contributions not only in the offensive zone (49P in 46GP), but strong play in his own end and on the PK as well. With arguably their 3 most talented offensive players on the shelf, the Avs have had to find a new identity as a team and have looked to their secondary players to step up and provide primary scoring. Marek Svatos leads the team in goals at the break with 20, but somehow only has four assists. He has shown that he is fully over the injuries that have cut his previous seasons short, and still continues to score big goals at key times (5 GWG). Milan Hejduk, continues to be his streaky self, and his play as of late, has shown how important it is for him to have a playmaker such as Sakic or Stastny play alongside him. Wojtek Wolski continues to show that he can be a star in this league, but needs to be more consistent. Andrew Brunette struggled after Sakic went out, but reemerged on a line with Stastny and Hejduk, and has started to do the things that made him successful last year. Perhaps the best group of players in the wake of the injury bug are the grinders and energy players. For about a two week stretch after Sakic went out, the line of Cody McCormick, Ben Guite, and Ian Laperriere was the best every night for the Avs. Cody McLeod has been up from
The Avs special teams can be described easily. The penalty kill has been decent (15th in the league, out of 30). The power play has been awful. And for as much grief and blame we place on the defense and goalies for close losses, the lack of power play goals has absolutely killed this team. At the break, the Avs are 29th in the league in overall power play percentage at 13.2%, and are dead last with a 9.9% effectiveness on the road.
Heading into the last 32 games of the season, the playoffs are a possibility but far from a certainty, and this team is full of question marks. Theodore has been playing well as of late, but can he continue and carry this team to a playoff spot? Will Quinneville even give him this opportunity? How much longer will Smyth and Sakic be out, and how much will they be able to contribute when they return? With 30 days left till the trade deadline, will the Avs make any big moves (Liles)? The Avs have a tough two week stretch coming up, and that could very well determine what they do before the deadline. Will the Avs figure out what the hell is wrong with their power play? Can the Avs scratch and claw for a playoff berth, or will they be on the outside looking in for the second year in a row? And finally, the Avs have to get fully healthy at some time don’t they?
NHL All-Star Game 08
Call me biased, but I still don’t understand why so many people shit on the game of hockey. The NHL all-star game has come and gone, and this weekend has given the game’s critics another chance and stage to pander the game. Granted, any all-star game in any sport isn’t the best interpretation of what the sport truly is, and that holds true for hockey. The game is an exhibition to showcase to the general masses the skill of the league’s best players and gives fans from across the country a chance to familiarize themselves with players they may not be able to see on a consistent basis.
I enjoyed the all-star game, especially the third period, and especially the final 5-6 minutes. The skating picked up, and guys were even backchecking! There were pretty goals, great saves, mic’d goalies, a good atmosphere, a 4-goal comeback, and a game that wasn’t decided until the final 20 seconds. But for some reason, with all the positives of the game, there are still people out there who will continue to bash the game, and the state of the league. The funny thing is if you ask them why, they can’t give you a legitimate answer. People look down on the league and the sport because that seems to be the thing to do. What can be done?
I have no doubts that the contempt shown by the world-wide leader in sports plays a big part in the general perception of the game. It’s a catch-22 for the league. ESPN doesn’t need the NHL, but the NHL desperately needs ESPN. Versus has done a good job with their coverage, especially this year compared to last, but the lack of availability and visibility of the network hinders the league and the progress in connectivity with new fans.
The NHL needs to find an outlet to show the world the type of men that play in this league. With all the issues swirling around the other major sports leagues, the biggest problem facing the NHL is visibility and acceptance by the casual sports fan. You look at professional athletes, and the thing that stands out to me about hockey players is the mix of skill, humility and respect for the game and those that have played the game. Thanks in part to the sacrifices these guys have to make at a young age, there is a maturity found even in the youngest of stars that you don’t see in other sports. Call me crazy, but it’s nice to see guys who are truly thankful for the opportunity they have and how they give that back to their communities.
Enough with expansion talks and gimmicks. The league has a solid foundation on which to build on, but it doesn’t seem to be enough focus on building upon what they have. I don’t want to see more teams in the league, I want to see more successful franchises. It does nobody any good to place a franchise in a city and hope it works. The rejuvenation in the fan bases in
The game has a lot to offer, and for the most part, true fans are passionate fans, there doesn’t seem to be a happy medium. Unfortunately, you either love it or you hate it, and who knows if that will ever really change.