Avs Get Big Win in St. Louis (Feb. 2)

I don't know what happens when these two teams play each other, but one thing is for sure, you are going to see some goals. The Avs won the second of back-to-back games for the 5th time in 7 tries last night holding off the Blues 6-4. After the games the two teams played the night before, a 2-0 lose by the Avs to Detroit, and a 1-0 shootout win for the Blues over the Ducks, one thought, we would be in for another grinding, low-scoring affair. I guess not.
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