Playing Not To Lose - Avs at Detroit Feb. 1

The month of February is going to be, by far, the biggest test for the Colorado Avalanche this year. The Avs started the month in Detroit Friday night, a month that will see them play 10 of 14 games on the road, and only 1 against a team that is not currently in a playoff spot or on the verge of one. Throw in the fact that they will most likely have to play this month without Joe Sakic and Ryan Smyth, and you have got yourself quite a conundrum.
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

Avs Start 2nd Half Right

The Avalanche came out firing on all cylinders Wednesday night and hammered the Chicago Blackhawks 6-3. The win ended a two-game skid, and with winning the last of a five-game home stand, the Avs improved their record at the Pepsi Center to 18-8-1.
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.

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 Denver. After an exciting and eventful off-season that saw the major free agent acquisitions of Ryan Smyth and Scott Hannan, hopes were high for Avalanche faithful. Throw in the performance of the Avs in their last 19 games of the 06-07 season (15-2-2), and the Avs looked as though they would be primed again to take their spot at the top of the tough Northwest division. Then the season started. A season that has been marred by inconsistency, injuries, and inquiry, and yet the Avalanche are within three points of first place in the division, and have a finger hold on the 8th spot in the West.

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 UFA at the end of this year, there are many out there wondering if the Avs will deal him to strengthen the team in other areas

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 Lake Erie for 17 games and has played a solid role for the Avs. For a team that has been struggling to find an identity all season, this team has turned into a hard working, grinding team, and especially of late, has not been shy about dropping the gloves.

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 Chicago and St. Louis is great for the sport. It’s amazing what winning can do. The points system has created tight races and parity in the league, and because of this I can’t see the league changing this for the foreseeable future. I think the schedule will continue to be tweaked, but no matter what, you can’t please everybody. Back to the TV issue, a lot of hockey naysayers will tell you that the game is hard to follow on TV. To those people I say go to a few games in person. It honestly doesn’t take long to get a feel for what the game is about, and when that happens, the game is pretty easy to follow on TV. Just don’t bring back the glow pucks.

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.

2007 NHL Free Agent List Presented By Pabst Blue Ribbon

My summer project will be tracking the free agent player movement in the NHL. Follow along at http://therealstoney.googlepages.com/home

Sportscenter is.... for retarded people

Just a few things for my Tuesday morning. I watched the season finale of Heroes last night, and I was very pleased. People died, there was a nice cliffhanger, and overall, it brought volume 1 of the show to a nice close, and left me wanting the next season to start next week. I tried watching the 1st half hour of the 24 season finale and couldn't get through 10 minutes. That show has become absolutely brutal, and I think they are still planning to do another few years. Ugh. The Rockies lost a close one last night, again. There are 39 days until the Free Agent rush begins in the NHL.
I watched Sportscenter Sunday night for the first time in about 5 months, and I remembered why I don't watch any more. The show has become a complete parody of itself. I was flipping back and forth between Sporstscenter and some other uninteresting program, it was like a car wreck I couldn't avert my eyes. I'm pretty sure Neil Everett was one of the anchors, but I'm not sure who he was working with. Growing up, I watched Sportscenter every night. I loved it, it was fun, I got to see highlights of my favorite athletes, it was perfect. I don't know what happened, was it me that changed? Watching the show the other night, the only emotion I could muster was embarrassment. What happened to the days when people tuned in to the show to catch highlights of their favorite teams and players? I swear to god, I watched a three minute stretch of highlights where every line uttered by the anchors contained some bullshit attempt at a hip catch phrase. It's not about you douchebag! I know Everett has garnered some acclaim recently by getting suspended for calling out an alleged Chris Berman pick up line during a highlight. I didn't see it, I read about it, and honestly, it was stupid. Remember some of those old SNL skits where they parodied Sportscenter? The stuff I saw the other night was even more over the top. Words were being made up and guys names were being pronounced wrong, it was a clusterfuck. Pippity poppity scoopity slopity. That was a throw to first in the dirt. The saddest thing is these guys think it's cool and they are making a social impact. They're only about 10 years too late.

It Could Have Happened to a Better Guy, But Oh Well

Earlier this afternoon I read an article on ESPN.com in which David Ortiz showed support for Barry Bonds and his pursuit of Hank Aaron’s home run record. I started thinking about what Ortiz had to say about the situation and the numerous other articles on the internet, on TV and in print that have crucified Barry Bonds for the last few years, and felt it was my turn to chime in on the subject. A majority of the sports media has officially labeled Bonds as a steroid using cheater that has tainted the game. Granted, everyone has the right to have their own opinion, but isn’t there some form of journalistic integrity and fairness that should still be involved? You can assume and speculate all you want, but Barry Bonds has never officially tested positive for steroids, and has never been suspended by Major League Baseball. I don’t like Barry Bonds as a person. He’s arrogant, difficult, and hasn’t been the world’s best teammate, but he’s one of the greatest hitters and baseball players of all time and you have to respect that.

If you look at a picture or video footage of Bonds in his days with the Pirates compared to footage now, it’s almost like looking at two different people. Just by the physical difference people are going to say “look how much bigger he is, he definitely juiced”. Maybe he did, maybe he didn’t, like I said before, it hasn’t been officially proven. But if you look at a lot of different players that started playing in the 80s and look at them now, you will notice strikingly similar changes. Look at Roger Clemens. There are a lot of reasons players look a lot different today than they did 20 years ago let alone 50 years ago. The world is a different place inside and out of the ballpark, and a lot of people don’t want to look at some of the positive reasons for these changes, they just want to focus on the negatives like steroids and other so-called performance enhancing drugs. I’m not naïve, I know that steroids have played their part in not only baseball but in basically every sport known to man. Athletes have admitted using and have tested positive. As much as I feel steroids and other drugs don’t belong in the game, I don’t feel baseball players are truly enhanced by juicing as much as other athletes in other sports. Drugs that make you stronger aren’t going to make you a better baseball player. You can’t pull a guy out of a weight room that can bench 400 pounds and expect him to be able to hit a baseball. At the same time, drugs that make you stronger will give you an unfair advantage in a weightlifting competition. Why is Barry Bonds going to break Hank Aaron’s record this year? Because he has one of the best baseball swings you will ever see. He has unbelievably quick hands. He has become one of the most selective hitters in the game. In the year Bonds hit 72 home runs, there were games when he only saw one pitch in the strike zone, and he was able to square it up and drive it out of the park. That is talent. Talent that I feel doesn’t come in a syringe. Why hasn’t Bonds been able to hit homeruns at the same pace as he did 5 years ago? Because he’s getting old, and he has been hampered by leg injuries the last few years. Talk to baseball people all over the world and they will tell you the most important part of any good swing starts with the legs and a solid foundation. What happens when a player has a bad knee and isn’t able to shift his weight or plant a solid front leg? He won’t get the same power and consistency as a healthy player. Bonds is as healthy as he’s been in three years and it’s showing in his power numbers.

Even though I never saw Willie Mays or Mickey Mantle or Babe Ruth play, I know that they were great players. They were able to do things other players weren’t and put up some of the greatest stats of all time. Baseball like many sports relies on stats to measure the greatness of a player and their place in history. It seems that many people, especially those in the media have a feeling that if records that have stood for decades are broken, the reputations and honor of players that have held those records for decades would be forgotten or diminished. Even though Hank Aaron broke Babe Ruths’ career home run record, people who know baseball, who follow it, who love the game and its history are still going to associate Babe Ruth with home runs and acknowledge him as one of the greatest power hitters of all time. The same thing will reign true when Bonds breaks Aaron’s record. To say that Bonds doesn’t deserve to break Aaron’s record is ridiculous, and most of that comes from his trouble relationship with the sports media. You may not want him to break the record, but tough shit, it’s going to happen.

The game of baseball has evolved through the years, and so have the players. The days of major league players having to find off-season jobs to supplement their income are over. These days, you can have a utility infielder making over a million dollars a year. Playing a professional sport has turned into a year round job. Players have learned that to keep their job and sign that next big contract, they have to continue to work and improve after the season ends. Training programs, eating programs, and an all around focus on health are not things players in the 50s thought about. If you spend 3 months working out for 3 hours a day, you are going to see changes in your body, you are going to get stronger. You supplement that with practice for your sport, and you are going to see improvements in your abilities in your sport. You want to know why baseball players are bigger and stronger and faster than they were in the past? That’s it. They put in the work throughout the year and after the season to look that way. Sure some guys get help from a pill or a bottle, but more often than not, it’s all natural. The thing that sucks is you have sports writers who never played past little league or throw a ball like a five year old girl throwing out accusations on a whim whenever someone does something impressive. A 350 lb mess who has never worked out in his life is going to think guys who improve their physique did it with drugs because he doesn’t realize while he sits at his desk every morning pounding his Krispy Kreme’s and super bug gulps, athletes are busting their ass in the gym.

The bottom line is later this summer, Barry Bonds will become the new all-time home run leader. He still hasn’t tested positive for a banned substance. Even if he did, no amount of steroids in the world is going to make you a better hitter or teach you how to square up a 96mph fastball on the inside corner. Natural ability and skill are always going to be necessary to play baseball. It makes you wonder if Bonds was as personable and upfront as a guy like David Ortiz, would we be reading a new story every morning about how Bonds in the devil and the worst thing to come along since AIDS? Records are made to be broken, and they are not always going to be broken by the best person in the game.