Peter Forsberg to Announce Retirement

I just got a text message from TSN's alert service that Peter Forsberg is going to announce his retirement.

I hadn't seen this anywhere else and thought it may have been a mistake. But lo and behold, it's up on TSN's website as well.

So long, Foppa. We will always love you.

Speaking of Unbeatable Records

One of the common bar room discussions is focused around unbeatable sports records. Gretzky's points total, Cal Ripken's consecutive game streak, Martin Brodeur's shutout total (yeah, I said it). It's been hashed, re-hashed, then hashed again and has likely been the cause of a few fights. Good times.

Tonight I was reading the 2010 World Junior media guide - because I didn't have time to read it until now - and spotted a few records that should be in people's repertoire during any future discussions:

Most Points, Career - 42
Most Points, One Tournament - 31
Most Assists, Career - 32
Most Assists, One Tournament -24
Most Points, One Game - 10

Any guesses as to who this prolific junior phenom might be? If you said Bjorn Christen...you'd be wrong. In fact, it was our very own Peter "Foppa" Forsberg.

Over the course of 14 games in two tournaments, he put up an amazing 42 points including 32 assists. The majority of those points came in the '93 tournament when he put up 31 points in seven games including a 10-point night against Japan.

In case you don't feel like doing the math, that's an average of over four points per game. Even Jordan "F'n" Eberle only put up 26 points in the 12 games he's played. That's barely two points per game. Peter Forsberg laughs at that kind of scoring pace.

No matter what Red Wings fans might say, the hockey world is worse off for not having Peter Forsberg at full capacity for the last decade.

I've got one more world junior thought on my mind before my focus (probably) will shift back to the Avalanche. I might get it out today. Or maybe tomorrow. But it will definitely be before the end of the decade. Probably.

And I still heart Jordan Eberle.

Peter Forsberg to Play in Sweden

Peter Forsberg is going to stay in Sweden.

And why wouldn't he?

His choices are the cap-strapped Flyers - who are already deep at center - or the abysmal Colorado Avalanche who have absolutely no hope in hell of winning the Cup.

They barely have a shot at the playoffs at this point.

Good luck in Sweden, Peter.

We understand.

Related Links
Forsberg's NHL aspirations end this season because Avs stink

I'm Shocked! Shocked I Tells Ya!

(Getty)

Both the Denver Post and Rocky Mountain News are reporting the same story today: Peter Forsberg is having foot troubles and may not return to the NHL. Hmm...when have we heard that before?

As soon as the season was done, I was calling it a career for Forsberg. I'm sure he appreciated it too. But honestly, what more can be done on his foot at this point? It couldn't be made well enough to withstand a dozen NHL games so how can anyone be hopeful he'll be able to withstand 82 games?

If he does attempt to stage a comeback though, I can understand. This sport is his life, his passion, his identity. It's easy enough for us to say he should hang 'em up. It's much harder for him to call it quits when he knows he is mentally capable of a full season, but his body just won't hold up for him.

Related Links
Forsberg sidelined for months
Forsberg's career might end because of more foot trouble

Avalanche Over, What Next?

I threw my notes on the game out last night so no point recapping. Just look at the score and you'll know all you need to know.

So where do we go from here? Well, I don't know about anyone else but I still want to see who will win the Stanley Cup. And not only that, the World Hockey Championships get under way this afternoon. Can you believe Selanne joined the Finnish team? Amazing what an extra 5 months rest will do for someone who was thinking of retiring.

So I think I'll be using those as a way to get over the complete beatdown that was handed to the Avalanche by a team with a gloating, mocking fan base. I don't know if I'll watch any Red Wings games though. You know, to avoid the nightmares.

But what about Forsberg retiring? And is Sakic going to play again? Will Foote come back? Will the team re-sign Theodore? Is Budaj the answer?

I've got thoughts on all those subjects but I think I'll wait until the season is fully over to expand on them.

One thing I'd like to note is the injuries the team had. Not because I'm using that as an excuse why they lost. I'm using that as an excuse why this team still deserves our pride.

Dario from ITCS caught the morning show with Coach Q who revealed that Peter Forsberg was playing with two torn groin muscles while Scott Hannan and Ian Laperriere were both playing on a broken foot. Two torn groin muscles and the man was still skating. A broken foot each and they were still lacing up their skates and giving it their all. That's courage and dedication right there and they deserve our thanks for gutting it out.

Add up Ryan Smyth's likely broken foot, Wojtek Wolski's 5 broken ribs, Marek Svatos' torn knee, Paul Stastny's bum knee, Brett Clark's bitched shoulder and Theodore's bubonic plague and you have a worn out, beat up team. And though I was a bit pissed last night due to an 8-2 drubbing, after putting the injuries into perspective and what some of the players played through, I can honestly say I'm proud of the squad for giving it their best.

It's just too bad their best wasn't enough.

Related Links
Postmortem
Living with the aftershock
So much for pride, Mr. Theodore
The scoop on the Avs injuries
Avs season ends with thud
The End.
Q&A with Francois Giguere

Playoff Gameday: Avalanche vs Red Wings - Game 4

Could this be it for the Avalanche team and fans this season? Will tonight's game end in the agony of a sweep at the hands of the team's "bitter rivals", the Detroit Red Wings?

I will boldy say "No!"

I was off most of the afternoon giving a talk at the U of S to get high school students interested in the tech world - and believe me there's lots to be interested in - which left me a bit behind on my actual work.

So I don't think I'll be saying much other than:
Stastny - out
Smyth - out
Wolski - out
Forsberg - out
Svatos - out
Clark - out

Is there anyone left to suit up?

And finally, I will not allow myself to believe this is Joe Sakic's final year.

So this isn't much in terms of a preview from me. Fortunately the Avalanche fan base are blessed with a great group of bloggers who have put out some amazing posts today which should keep you reading until game time. And not only amazing posts, but some pretty clever titles.

So I'll encourage everyone to check out their words and make sure to clear a 3-hour timeslot from 9:30 ET to 12:30 EDT. The game doesn't start until 10:00 EDT but use the first 30 minutes to align the beer and chips on the coffee table, put the kids to bed (if applicable) and settle into a nice ass-groove in your favorite chair/couch.

From that point on, cheer like hell and help will this team to a victory tonight. Because nothing hurts worse than getting swept.

Related Links
ColoradoAvalanche.com Preview
TSN Preview
19 Reasons to watch tonight
The wheels on the bus fall down and down
O Captain! My Captain
On effort
Peter Forsberg out for Game 4'
Theodore's goal: Playing for pride
MHH Gameday Open Thread
On the Wings Preview

Playoff Gameday: Avalanche vs Red Wings - Game 3

UPDATE: Jib has had enough and wants to get everyone fired up and I must admit, the excessive use of profanity energized the shit out of me! Let's hope the whole team reads his blog so they can get riled up for this game too.

If you want to talk about must win siutations, tonight's game can be part of the dictionary entry. If the Avalanche lose today, it's season over.

Yes, people will quote the miracle of 3-0 comebacks but the odds would not be in the Avalanche's favor.

Hell, I wouldn't even call it odds. I would call it the likelihood of God being an Avalanche fan because it would take divine intervention to take 4 straight from the Wings at this point.

Smyth out?
To make matters worse, it is being reported that Ryan Smyth will miss this game. Maintenance day my ass, coach Q. If there's one thing I hate about the playoffs, it's the ridiculous injury updates.

Forsberg in?
Peter Forsberg skated in practice and is likely to play. But I'll believe it when I see him out for his first shift. Not even sitting on the bench at puck drop will convince me that he's in the lineup.

Hannan in?
Scott Hannan is probable as well but I won't believe it until I see him on the bench. I won't need him to actually take a shift to believe he's in the game. Lucky him, eh?

Lineup
So what to do with all these injuries?

Well, if Hannan is out, Finger will stay in. If Hannan is in, Finger will likely swap out. The defence is the easy one to deal with. Though I'd like someone to remind Sauer and Foote that they need to wake up a bit.

If Forsberg and Smyth are out, Q again will need to draw on some reserve power. Cody McCormick and Jaroslav Hlinka will stay in even though both played less than stellar in their recent outings. He then has to decide from players such as Brad Richardson, Wyatt Smith and T.J. Hensick to fill Smyth's spot.

I'm not sure I'd trust Hensick in a crucial situation like this but there is something to be said for that rookie enthusiasm. I don't feel Wyatt Smith will bring anything to the tableand Brad Richardson has been in Q's doghouse all year.

I think the order in Q's head based on comments he's made so far and what we saw in the regular season is:
Wyatt Smith
T.J. Hensick
Brad Richardson

And I hope to God I'm wrong because I don't want to see Wyatt Smith anywhere near the ice.

But let's hope it doesn't come down to that and Forsberg is good to go.

Related Links
RMN Avalanche Playoff Report
Forsberg might play, Theodore simply must
Dear Quenneville, You must be kidding
I flu over the cuckoo's nest
Avs Forsberg, Hannan Probable for Game 3
Colorado not worried about being down to Wings (when has a team ever said "Yeah, we're scared shitless"???)
Let's get fired up

Game 4 Preview: Avalanche vs Wild

I'm finally in the "must-win" phase. If the Avalanche lose tonight, this series is all but over. With 2 of the possible 3 remaining games being housed in the raucous Xcel Energy Center, the Avalanche can't afford to be down 3-1.

Pre-game press conference
In a shocking turn of events, the pre-game press conference is up on NHL.tv and the game hasn't even started yet! Who knew that was possible.

In the press conference, Quenneville was grilled about the powerplay, Paul Stastny, Jose Theodore and Jordan Leopold.

Powerplay futility
Quenneville feels that the powerplay being ineffective last night was an issue of having trouble getting set in the zone.

Getting past Minnesota in the neutral zone is an issue not just on the powerplay but at even strength. I think the main issue was trying to be too cute with their plays and working the down low cycle.

The blueliners are getting more shots off which is great but you have to clog that net and not give Backstrom a clean look at it.

Leopold in?
Jordan Leopold is considered a "strong option" tonight. So that could mean Jeff Finger will get a taste of action in the press box. Finger looked a bit lost last night and is, of course, the easy scapegoat for the winning goal.

Forsberg likely to play
Peter Forsberg is considered likely to play tonight. Hopefully he does and hopefully be plays better than he did last night.

Related Links
NHL.tv Avalanche Team Console
ColoradoAvalanche.com From the locker room: Game 4

Avalanche Take Game 1 in Wild OT Thriller

(AP Photo/Tom Olmscheid)

Wow. If that's how the entire series is going to be, I don't think I can watch any more games. That was Intense. It was hard-hitting, fast-paced and had about 100 times as much emotion as their last game against each other.

In other words, this was playoff hockey!

Recap
The game started off with both teams hitting anything that moved. And that mindset never let up for the full 71:11 tonight.

The Avalanche got on the board first on a Kurt Sauer marker. No, that's not a typo. Kurt Sauer scored his second playoff goal - his previous was in Minnesota as well - off of a beauty Joe Sakic setup early in the 2nd.

Ryan Smyth followed that one up with a powerplay goal late in the second. Yes, the Avalanche were 100% on the PP tonight. It must be a full moon tonight or something.

The Wild never shut down though and they came out hard in the third. They were rewarded early as Mikko Koivu got a puck past the previously impenetrable Jose Theodore. He got that puck past Theodore thanks to an unfortunate redirection off of Jeff Finger's skate. But we still love Finger.

Then just 3 minutes later the Wild tied it up on a powerplay of their own as Todd Fedoruk found himself all alone in front of the net and got it past Theodore. Who was supposed to be covering Fedoruk? And why didn't Foote get that puck out of the zone?

So it was off to OT while I tried to calm my beating heart.

You know who was already calm? Joe Sakic. You know who decided the game had gone on too long? Joe Sakic. Elevent minutes in, he gobbled up a rebound off a Ruslan Salei point shot and slid it underneath a sprawling Backstrom. And you know what? The usually reserved Mr. Sakic was caught on camera giving a giant "Whooo!" after he scored. I love it!

OT Superhero
We can talk all we want about Chris "Clutch" Drury but let's never forget what Joe Sakic has done for this team when it matters most. This was Joe's 8th career OT playoff goal and he is magic when the game is on the line.

His composure in these situations keeps the entire team relaxed and focused so they can do their jobs. Heck, tonight Joe was even laying the body out a bit to help lead by example.

That's one other thing to not forget. Joe is a strong, tough player. He comes from "the Dub" and that league is not for the faint of heart. If you survive in that league, you're going to come out the other side with a rough-and-tumble exterior.

Goaltending
Wow. Kudos to both goaltenders for putting on a show. Nik Backstrom didn't need to get going until about midway through the game as the Avalanche didn't put much rubber on him but once they did, he was up to the task. He made at least 3 snazzy glove saves and looked cool as a cucumber in net.

At the other end, Jose Theodore looked sensational. If it wasn't for Theodore, the Avalanche would be hanging their heads after a 5-1 defeat.

Early on the Wild were pressing hard but Theodore stood tall - and quick - in the net and kept his team in the game. When the Wild finally got their first goal, the shots were 22-9 in favor of the Wild. Enough said.

Refereeing
Ok, look back through pretty much every post I've ever made and you'll notice one thing; I don't bitch about refs.

Tonight was different. There was a stretch in the second period where the refs looked to actively have their heads shoved somewhere they shouldn't be. There were quite a few interference calls that were missed including the blatantly obvious one by Rolston on Hannan. In that same shift, the Wild got their first goal. So yes, the refs directly led to the Avalanche first goal.

And then, they had the audacity to try to "make up for it" by not calling the most obvious trip in the game. Milan Hejduk was all but in the penalty box after he tripped a Wild forward but both refs inexplicably held their arms down. Oh wait, it wasn't inexplicable. It was a gesture of incompetence to try and appease the Colorado bench.

Terrible effort by the refs.

Smyth, Wolski and the Forse
Ryan Smyth had a tremendous game. This was the Ryan Smyth I was stoked about last summer. He played an in-your-face style, charged the net hard, kept his feet moving and was an overall menace. If only he'd been able to convert on his penalty shot opportunity! But hey, he did managed to score the Avs second goal so we'll forgive him.

Wojtek Wolski also had a whale of a game. He had 2 assists on the night including setting up the game winning goal with some nice, composed moves up high. He was forechecking, backchecking and hitting and that's what I want to see out of Wolski. If he does those 3 things each game, the points will come just like they did tonight.

And Peter Forsberg. What can be said about this guy. I'll have to echo Pierre McGuire's comment - albeit less enthusiastically and high-pitched - and say "This guy is spectacular!"

I don't know Forsberg keeps the puck on his stick the way he does but it's magical. And the respect he garners opens up so much ice for his teammates that it's unreal. Please, please, please stay healthy, Foppa.

Props all around
I singled out Ryan Smyth, Wojtek Wolski and Peter Forsberg but really, the whole lineup deserves kudos tonight. The checking line of Guite, Laperriere and McLeod worked hard, the defense played a solid game and there really was no scapegoat tonight.

Of course winning helps deter the need for a scapegoat. But I'm still looking at you, Arnason.

The "Boogeyman"
This dude scares the crap out of me. However he appears to do no such thing to the members of the Avalanche. He absolutely flattened Ben Guite and David Jones at different points in the game and they both got right back up and kept on ticking.

There were a couple times that Guite directly went after Boogard even after Boogard had flattened him. He also whiffed on an open cage during a powerplay opportunity when something with hands - not fists - would likely have buried it.

And it certainly didn't stop the Avs from knocking Marian Gaborik down multiple times.

So much for the "Boogeyman" effect.

Next game
The next game is at 9:00 EDT on Friday which should leave the West coast fans plenty of time to hit the bars to celebrate a 2-0 series lead. Or did I just jinx it?

Related Links
NHL.com Event Summary
Sakic's OT Goal Wilts Wild
TSN Recap

Colorado to face Minnesota in Playoffs

(AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Jonathan Hayward)

It became official even as the game was still going on. The Colorado Avalanche will play the Minnesota Wild in the first-round of the 2008 Stanley Cup playoffs. Just one point was needed for the Avalanche to leapfrog the Flames into 6th place and the Wild took this one to overtime in the final minutes of an eventual 4-3 shootout win by the Avalanche.

Shootout ownage
Jose Theodore continued his superb performance in shootouts as he shut the door on both Wild shooters. Unfortunately that now means jack squat as there are - rightfully so - no shootouts in the playoffs.

I also loved the way he swept the puck away after stopping Pierre-Marc Bouchard to win the game. Basically it was a "Get that shit out of here" type motion. I love that cocky attitude in goaltenders as it typically equates to confidence so hopefully Jose keeps it up.

Blocker side ownage
And on the flip side of the coin, Jose Theodore continues to be weak on the blocker side. The Wild's second goal, by Keith Carney, was a shot from just inside the blueline with no traffic for miles around. And Theodore completely whiffed on it. He was off his angle a little bit but he really appears to have trouble covering the spot just above his pad on the blocker side. He needs to fix that up quick, fast and in a hurry.

Super Joe to the rescue
Oh Joe Sakic. How I love your clutch scoring abilities. Not only do you pull it out with mere seconds left in a game but you also score clutch goals whenever you feel like it. You also don't answer my phone calls but I won't hold that against you.

Going into the third period at a 2-1 disadvantage to the Wild doesn't inspire a lot of confidence. Fortunately Joe Sakic really could give a crap what you think. Just 5:38 into the game, Sakic took a feed from Forsberg, moved it from backhand to forehand to the back of the net before you could blink, cured cancer, and then came back in time to nonchalantly raise his stick in celebration.

Forsberg flying
Peter Forsberg had another 3-point game as he assisted on all three of the Avalanche goals this afternoon. When Forsberg is in the lineup, the Avalanche are 8-1-0 and look like a completely different team. I think it's safe to assume that any lingering doubt over this signing has evaporated.

He played just under 20 minutes tonight and was on the bench during the shootout so it appears that he'll be good to when the series kicks off. For the sake of the team, I hope he can stay healthy for at least the first 3 games of the playoffs.

Wolski peaking
Wojtek Wolski put in a very solid game tonight. He was hitting solid, backchecking hard and stripping the puck off quite a few Wild players. His hard work didn't translate into anything on the scoreboard but I'm sure it was noticed by the coaching staff.

I really wish Wolski would put in this level of effort a bit more consistently. I don't think he played terrible, even when Q benched him, but he wasn't finishing his checks and backchecking hard enough. But this is only his second year and I still expect him to turn into a 30-goal scorer.

Gaborik getting feisty
I had to do a double take on this one but at the very end of the overtime period Marion Gaborik ended up getting into a fight with Ian Laperriere. Obviously that's not a matchup the Wild want to see but the Avalanche will be happy to have.

It appeared to start when Laperriere yanked Gaborik's stick out of his hands. Gaborik came back with a shove, Lappy shoved back and the rest is history. The gloves never came off but each player tossed a few punches and got me excited about the upcoming series.

Related Links
NHL.com Event Summary
ColoradoAvalanche.com Recap
In the Cheap Seats Recap
Denver Post Recap
Rocky Mountain News Recap
Two takes, one game
This loss is win for Lemaire
Boogeyman not scary

Avalanche Clinch Playoff Spot with Win Over Canucks

(AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Jonathan Hayward)

Breathe in deep folks. Smell that? That's the smell of playoff hockey. Yes, with a 4-2 come-from-behind victory over the Canucks tonight, the Avalanche will start a new playoff streak this year.

The only question left is which seed will they end up? They could go as high as #3 or as low as #7 so there's still some fun to be had. Unfortunately most of the fun will be had by other teams as the Avalanche are out of action until Sunday when they close out the regular season against the Wild.

And at the current moment, the Wild would be the Avalanche's playoff opponent. Is that better than the Sharks? I'm inclined to say yes though the Avs are 2-4-1 against the Wild this year. But hey, the playoffs are a whole new season so anything can happen!

Rough beginnings
The game got off to a rough start as the Canucks really had some jump in their game in the first couple minutes. I was actually on the edge of my seat in the early goings and was getting concerned that the Avalanche were going to have "one of those games"

Pessimisity turns to optimisity
My pessimism was rewarded as the Canucks built up a 2-0 lead by the 5:50 mark of the second period and things weren't looking good. Fortunately, the Avalanche powerplay miraculously came through to get the Avs within one. Then Milan Hejduk tied it up. Then Wojtek Wolski scored again. That's right, before you could blink the Avalanche had taken the lead. Well, if you didn't blink in the 5 minutes and 19 seconds it took, you might want to get that checked out.

I'm taking my puck and going home
At that point, the Canucks seemed to basically pack it in. The fans lost all their life and the team looked so frustrated I actually felt a little sorry for them. Just a little. The Canucks had a powerplay opportunity 20 seconds after the go-ahead goal and they really sleepskated through it and that pretty much emptied the arena of any atmosphere whatsoever.

Forsberg gets his first
In the third, Peter Forsberg was sprung on a breakaway by Andrew Brunette and he made absolutely no mistake as he roofed it past Luongo's glove. For his first goal of the season, he looked pretty relaxed. He also played over 20 minutes tonight so it's a good thing the Avalanche don't play again until Sunday. All kinds of time for that groin/foot to heal up again. Unless of course he lacerated his liver late in the game.

Theodore shuts the door in third
Jose Theodore put in what is becoming a standard Theodore performance. Look ok in the first, above average in the second and lights out in the third. He made some great in-close saves in the final minutes to preserve the two-goal lead and definitely helped the team get the win.

I didn't see the second goal and was too lazy to rewind but on the first goal, he got a piece of it but it looked like he was screened and/or the puck caught a deflection. I'll never blame a goalie for a screen or deflection goal. But I'll certainly hope like hell that they figure out a way to have that puck still hit them.

Foote takes one in the ear
Adam Foote caught a puck in the ear after Milan Hejduk tipped a Vancouver shoot in. He immediately hit the ice as blood started coming from what appeared to be his ear. It's never good when blood comes from your ear but in this case, it shouldn't be too serious. However Foote didn't return to the game after the incident.

Which way to the golf course?
Tonight was a rough hit to the Canucks playoff chances. Along with their loss to the Avalanche, the Nashville Predators leapfrogged them with their own come-from-behind win over the Blues. The Canucks now need some help from the Predators if they don't want to be hitting the links come April 7th.

Kharmic Aura
I'd like to give a big wave to a couple Canucks fans. I'm not sure what their names are but last year at GM place on April 5th they had some choice words for me after the Avalanche win. Well, karma is a bitch, isn't it? Maybe if you'd kept your mouth shut the Canucks would have got in this year. But you had to open your annoying mouth and cost your team a shot at the Cup. Well done.

Related Links
NHL.com Event Summary
TSN Recap
In the Cheap Seats Game Notes
ColoradoAvalanche.com Recap
Rocky Mountain Recap

Wild Down Avalanche in OT

It was a game that made you mad, then happy, then excited, then anxious, then nervous and ultimately...mildly disappointed. The Minnesota Wild took down the Colorado Avalanche 3-2 in overtime to stay on top of the Northwest division.

If all had gone well today, the Avalanche would have solidified a playoff berth and been in the hunt for the division title. The playoffs are still looking probable but the division title is less likely. The Wild would have to lose their next 2 in regulation while the Flames would need to grab no more than 5 of their possible 8 remaining points. Oh, and the Avalanche would have to win their remaining two games. So in the immortal words of Jack Sparrow...not probable.*

Theodore Struggling
Jose Theodore continued to struggle tonight as he has for his last 3 games now. He's fighting the puck off and giving up a lot of goals to his blocker side. The knock on Theodore used to be that his glove side was terrible. Well, he appears to have taken steps to remedy that but it's been to the detriment of his blocker side.

For those hoping for a Budaj start, don't get your hopes up. You should see Theodore start against Vancouver on Tuesday and given that it's a 5 day break until the Wild game, you'll probably see Theodore in goal next Sunday to close out the season. So for better or worse, it will be Theodore leading this team into the playoffs. Here's to hoping he steps his game up again.

Finger the new Liles?
Jeff Finger had a solid game tonight as he found his name on the scoreboard twice, once for scoring the Avalanche's first goal and again for assisting on Salei's tying goal. Unfortunately he also found himself victimized on the winning goal but that whole play boiled down to Hejduk trying to be too cute with the puck.

But what does this have to do with Liles? Well, Finger has found a way to pinch in at just the right time in much the same way as John-Michael Liles used to be able to do. Could the emergence of Finger and the addition of Salei make Liles expendable over the summer? My gut says yes.

Forsberg Injured
Well, it looks like I wasn't a chicken little when I claimed Forsberg played too much and was hurt. Some people toed the company line and believed the "He was out of gas" explanation but it just didn't smell right. If he was so gassed he couldn't sit on the bench for OT and the shootout, why was he fine talking to reporters after the game?

And sure enough Peter Forsberg sat out tonight with what was described as a "groin injury". I'd say "Psst...it's really his foot" but it doesn't really matter. If he continues to play 20+ minutes a game he...well he won't continue to play. I seriously want to beat my head against a wall over his playing time but don't worry, I won't.

Notes
I was busy reconstituting my place after getting new flooring installed so I didn't write down any notes. Hopefully I haven't ruined your day but if I have, feel free to send some hate mail my way. No letter bombs though.

*Can a movie only a couple years old have "immortal words" already?

Related Links
NHL.com Event Summary
ColoradoAvalanche.com Recap
Peter Forsberg - I give up

Avalanche Come Back to Stymie Oilers

(AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

I'm glad I have a healthy heart. If I was a weaker man I may have found myself in the emergency room with shortness of breath and a tingling sensation down my left arm.

After jumping out to a 2-0 lead, the Avalanche then gave up 3 straight goals and had many fans nervously wringing their hands. Andrew Brunette continued his under-the-radar work as he took a Forsberg pass and displayed some fancy hands as he beat Roloson on a deke right in the crease. You won't see many players with the hands and patience to pull that off.

Unfortunately the Avalanche went into the third period down 4-3 after Sam Gagner restored the Oilers lead. Things were looking grim but I really had a feeling about this one. With mere seconds left I started to think I was crazy and that this team wasn't going to get it down. And in steps Joe Sakic. The man - who is totally useless by the way - tied the game with just 5 seconds left prompting me to wake up the neighbourhood I'm sure.

After OT decided nothing, the Avalanche took it to Roloson in the shootout and came away with a big 2 points on the night. The Avalanche maintain their hold on the #7 seed in the West and have now reached the 90 point barrier. The Canucks got thumped again tonight and Nashville moved into the #8 seed but the Avalanche still hold a 4-point cushion from #8.

Shootout
I don't like shootouts deciding extra points in a game but they sure are exciting. Especially when the team you're cheering for scores on all 3 of their attempts. Dwayne Roloson was taken to town by Wojtek Wolski, Joe Sakic and Milan Hejduk in the shootout. Sakic and Wolski both went backhand-roof and Hejduk went low blocker to steal the extra point.

Ray Ferraro, color commentator for the Oilers, called all three Avalanche goals and I'm guessing MacTavish might ask him for advice next time the Oil find themselves in a shootout.

Another goaltending anti-duel
That's actually not fair to Roloson who played a pretty decent game. Jose Theodore, on the other hand, spent most of the night as he did the last game against Vancouver; kicking out rebounds and hoping the defense would clear them.

I'm not sure where Theodore's head is at lately but he's been less than stellar in the last two games. Essentially the Avalanche got 4 points despite some soft play from Theodore. With the playoffs looming on the horizon, Theodore needs to bring his head back into the game fast. I mean, what was he doing hugging the post on the Gagner goal? That was just weird.

In consolation - you know, aside from the 2 points - Theodore should get a Highlight of the Night nod for his sprawling glove save in the first period.

Forsberg Injured?
Peter Forsberg, who put up another great showing with 3 assists, was not on the bench during the Overtime period leading to speculation that he has again aggravated his foot or groin. He played over 22 minutes tonight so it's not unlikely.

You know what I can say with 100% certainty is aggravated? *points to self* This guy. Let's recap Forsberg's schedule since his return:

Mar 4, 6, 8 - plays around 20 minutes per game
Mar 9, 11, 13, 15 - sits out with sore groin
Mar 17 - plays 20 minutes
Mar 20, 22 - sits out with sore groin/foot
Mar 24, 26 - plays 15 minutes per game
Mar 28 - plays 22 minutes
Mar 30 - sits out with a scurvy (ok, I'm just guessing)

Does the coaching staff not see the damn pattern here?

Adam Foote Returns
Adam Foote was back in the lineup tonight and boy did he look...slow. The Oilers are a high-flying team and players such as Gagner, Cogliano and Glencross viewed him as nothing more than a pylon.

He did start getting meaner as the game wore on, presumably because he was sick of the breeze as Oilers flew past him. As long as he can strike some fear into the opposition, he can make up for a lack of Foote speed. Heh, get it. Foote speed.

Notes
- Forsberg went off for a spear on Staios after Staios got away with cranking Forsberg in the mouth earlier in the play
- Liles had a terrible shift which led to Gagner's go-ahead goal in the 2nd as he bobbled the puck twice
- Sakic was snakebitten by bouncing pucks until his tying goal (which was on edge when he chipped it in)
- Ruslan Salei coughed up the puck late but Theodore bailed him out with a nice save on Nilsson

Game Highlights


Related Links
NHL.com Event Summary
ColoradoAvalanche.com Recap

Avalanche Thump Canucks

(AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Well that was the biggest win of the season by far. Tonight the Avalanche thumped the Canucks 6-3 - including 5 goals on Roberto Luongo - to jump into 7th in the West. The Avalanche are now 4 up on Nashville and 5 up on Edmonton in the playoff race. With a mere 4 or 5 games remaining between the teams gunning for the final spots, the Avalanche are all but assured a spot if they just keep the pedal pressed down.

Goaltending anti-duel
Roberto Luongo let in 5 goals which is the first time he's done that since February 9th against...the Colorado Avalanche. For a guy with a GAA below the 2.3 mark the Avalanche sure haven't had trouble scoring on him. Hey Gary, can you make an exception and let the Avs play the Canucks in the playoffs? Pretty please?

At the other end, Jose Theodore got the better of Luongo but still had some stumbling points. The first goal was a great goal by the Canucks and the 2nd goal was pure dumb luck. The third goal, however, could have turned the tide of the game in the Canucks favor. Sami Salo blasted a shot from the point and it beat Theodore cleanly on the short side. That's a puck that needed to be stopped as they were just 10 seconds away from taking a 3 goal lead into the third.

Forsberg and Hejduk together again
In what you could say is a brilliant coaching move, Joel Quenneville bumped Ryan Smyth from the RPM line and created the PPM line. And PPM stood for Point Per Minute for that trio tonight. Once those three were together they accounted for 3 goals and 9 points. Paul Stastny had a goal and two assists, Hejduk had two goals and one assist and Forsberg had three assist.

I think everyone well remembers the dynamite duo that Forsberg and Hejduk were back in day and Quenneville decided to give the duo a shot again. It payed off extremely well and I can't see why he'd bother breaking them up at this point. Of course next game they could come out flat for 5 minutes and Forsberg would find himself playing with Ben Guite.

Timeout while up?
In what I'd call another excellent coaching move, Quenneville called a timeout shortly after the Avs went up 5-2 after an icing call. Not only did it give the players a chance to catch a breather before a tough draw but it also settled the team down. They really started running around and loosening up a bit much so the timeout served to settle them back into their groove.

Smyth drops 'em?
In what I'd call a not so brilliant coaching move, after the Canucks had scored the late 2nd period goal Alain Vigneault put out a line including uber-pest Alex Burrows. Q, with last change, put out a line including Ryan Smyth rather than the grind line. What happened was Alex Burrows lined up next to Smyth and knocked his stick out of his hands off the draw. This apparently enraged Smyth and he chased after Burrows and the two dropped the gloves and fell to the ice (as Burrows was backpedaling faster than Dion Phaneuf)

Now, I think Smyth should have kept his cool and let it go but in his defense, he did get bumped down to the third line again so he may have been frustrated. But he never should have been out there at that point anyways. A 10 second shift to end the period after a momentum changing goal calls for the grind line of Guite, Lappy and McLeod.

"I really think Vancouver can come back"
In the only reference I'll make to McGuire - who wasn't that bad tonight I thought - he stated before the third period began that he really felt the Canucks could come back and take this game to OT. 23 seconds later Milan Hejduk made it 6-3 and we never heard mention of that comment again.

Notes
- Wolski had a great steal down low to lead to the 5th goal
- the Avs had 23 shots in their 4-goal second period
- Leopold left the game in the third with what appears to be another injury
- McLeod's goal was his first in 23 games and he keeps doing it against superstar goaltenders
- the fans were really into this game and it was great to hear the excitement
- that's the first 3-game losing streak for the Canucks this season
- Andrew Brunette continues to quietly rack up points with 2 assists tonight
- the Avs won the faceoff game (!!!) with 60%

Related Links
NHL.com Event Summary
In the Cheap Seats Recap
Denver Post Recap
ColoradoAvalanche.com Recap
How Luongo getting laid could help the Avs
Doing the dirty work, game in and game out

Avalanche Shut Out Flames

(AP Photo/Jack Dempsey)

In the immortal words of Al Pacino...Hoo-ah! This was a game the Avalanche definitely needed to win and they ended up shutting out a divisional opponent to maintain a hold on the 8th playoff spot in the West.

It was a hotly contested games as both teams stormed the opposing goaltender, tossed some heavy checks and got a little lippy. In the first period there were more entertaining sequences during stoppages than there were entertaining sequences during actual play. Of course Ian Laperierre figured into most of those interactions and I wouldn't have it any other way. I love how animated he gets when he's really riled up.

Theodore Shuts the Door
Jose Theodore played a solid game although I don't think he played superb. He made a couple excellent saves late in the third when it mattered but up until that point he was tossing out some interesting rebounds. Fortunately, the Flames were more concerned with steamrolling Theodore than burying the rebounds.

This game should go a long way to restoring Theodore's psyche to what it was before the 1-4 run he was on recently. And lets not forget that he was yanked against Edmonton after giving up 3 goals on 8 shots. You've got to give Q props to having the balls to go back to Theodore and not jump the gun and switch to Budaj this late in the season.

Forsberg Returns
Peter Forsberg returned...again. After missing a few games with a sore groin (pssstt...don't tell anyone but it was actually his ankle) he stepped back into the lineup on home ice again. I'll be honest, he wasn't all that noticeable out there. He was part of the great rush that led to the first Avalanche goal but that was about it.

Leopold Punishes Former Team
Jordan Leopold was in the lineup again as Adam Foote continues to rest his injured hip and he made his former team pay. Leopold trailed in off a great rush into the Flames zone and blasted the puck home. Oh, and it was on a powerplay. With Phaneuf in the box. Does it get any sweeter?

Phaneuf talks but doesn't walk
Well, maybe that's not an entirely fair heading. Phaneuf did walk...away from any scrum or challenge that Avalanche players issued. He and Ian Laperierre spent a good portion of the first period jawing with each other but Phaneuf appeared to not want to back up his tough talk by dropping the gloves. Because you know Lappy would have done it at the drop of a hat.

And just for that, let's all remember when Phaneuf was completely owned by Jarko Ruutu.

Iginla off his game
Jarome Iginla was off his game all night. He spent more time running around yipping and bitching than he did concentrating on the game. In fact, it was Iggy who put the icing on the cake by firing the puck wide on the far side in the final seconds which sent the puck out of the zone and sealed the deal. It was a shot out of frustration and anger, not strategy, in my estimation.

Often times you don't want to fire up Iginla but the Avalanche did a great job in pressuring him and really getting under his skin. Again, he and Lappy did a lot of yapping in the first and Iginla was visibly angered, not just fired up. Any time you can take a Hart candidate off his game, you're doing something right.

Botched call?
On the game clinching second goal, you could make an argument that the play should have been whistled as icing. And from what I, and the announcers, could tell you'd be right. The puck was fired from the Avalanche blueline and never touched any other player until Phaneuf got to it. I'm not sure how both linesman let that one go and I know I'd be a bit ticked if I were a Flames fan. But thankfully I'm not a Flames fan.

Lines
The lines stayed solid throughout (and the team won) with Wolski rejoining Sakic and Brunette. Peter Forsberg found himself on the third line (and the lines stayed solid) with Tyler Arnason and David Jones which kept his ice-time down. Hopefully the 15 minutes he played wasn't too much for his foot (and the team won) and we'll see him back in the lineup on Wednesday.

The grind line of McLeod-Guite-Lappy were a spark plug all night (and the lines stayed solid) long and though I tend to prefer McCormick over McLeod, there isn't much complaining to do when the team wins, right?

Oh, did I mention that the lines stayed solid and the team won? I'm going to send some data over to NASA so they can look for a correlation.

Flames Announcers
Seriously, do I ever get to make a post without these two? I'm sure they're not bad people but their blatant homerism is just frustrating to listen to. When an Avalanche player knocks down a Flames player he "tackles him" but the exact same play in reverse is a "great defensive play" It's just too much to handle sometimes.

Hell, when Theodore got run over and bent in half, they actually said "Jose Theodore is allegedly injured..." once the play was stopped. Really, they actually said "allegedly" as Theodore lay in pain after performing a Cirque de Soleil-style stretch.

Oh, and to top it all off, they said Lappy was "an interesting choice as a leader" And they didn't mean that in a good way. They meant it in a way that questions the mentality of a team that would give Lappy an A on his jersey. Anyone who watches him play should know why he's chosen to be a leader but watching the game would be asking too much of those two.

Notes
- Jeff Finger was the ice-time leader for the Avs with 23:49
- the Avs pushed back against a physical Calgary team and showed some testicular fortitude
- the Avalanche won the faceoff game with a 55% win rate
- Ruslan Salei saw a ton of PP time but only ended up with 1 shot on the night
- Cody McLeod saw some PK time

Related Links
NHL.com Event Summary
ColoradoAvalanche.com Recap
In the Cheat Seats Recap
Phaneuf's Judgement Cometh Soon
Late game observations from Dater
Theodore takes charge
Leopold scores on recovery
Phaneuf's tactics fail to pay off

Gameday: Avalanche vs Flames

Tonight marks what could be a turning point in the Avalanche season...or the first nail in their coffin.

On a 4-game losing skid, the Avalanche maintain a seemingly futile grip on the 8th and final playoff spot in the West with Nashville and Edmonton - heck, even Chicago - tugging at their heels. They will be facing a Flames team which recently took down the Minnesota Wild to pull within one point of the division lead - and looked good while doing it.

If the Avalanche were to win tonight and the Oilers pull out a W over the Wild, the Avalanche's playoff hopes will dip below the 50% mark. Conversely, if the Avalanche win and the Wild take down the Oilers, their playoff hopes climb to 82%. Quite the swing that could happen tonight so hopefully the players come prepared.

Inconsistency and Frustration
Unfortunately, the players sound more frustrated than fired up based on Dater's latest article in the DP. Of course no player is going to flat out say that so everybody is reading between the lines when Andrew Brunette cites chemistry and "different things" as the cause of the Avalanche struggles. But if you ask the coach, there should be no troubles since each line tonight has played with together at some point in the season. Um...right. I'll just give my head a shake and move on from there. Oh, but first I'll point out that Forsberg has yet to play with Arnason. But who's counting?

Starting Goaltender
Jose Theodore is back between the pipes in what's been one of the things I feel Quenneville has properly handled. Theodore was stellar throughout the second half but stumbled a bit against New Jersey and Edmonton. However rather than planting him on the bench, he has showed confidence in him and hopefully Theodore will prove him right because now is not the time to stumble in the goal crease.

Wolski Out of the Doghouse
Wojtek Wolski will find himself back on the #1 line with Joe Sakic and Andrew Brunette. Q has liked what he's seen in Wolski the last couple games - I don't think he's been much different - so has bumped David Jones down to play with Tyler Arnason and that Peter Forsberg guy.

Forsberg In?
And in case you hadn't figured it out, it sounds like Peter Forsberg is very likely to play tonight. Hopefully he doesn't play 20+ minutes and then sit out for the remainder of the season with a sore groin/broken ankle/severed pinky toe. Having him on the third line with Arnason would seem to indicate he'll see less ice time than playing on the #1 unit but you never know what will happen come game time.

Game time
The puck drops at 9:38pm ET and I have to decide if I want to shell out money to listen to Roger Millions and Charlie Simmer on Flames PPV or if I can handle watching the game via an Internet feed.

But if that's my biggest problem for the day, I'll consider myself lucky.

Related Links
Hart talk comes West
Avalanche Lines for Tonight
2008 Countdown to the Cup Coverage at NHL.com

Out and In and Out and In...the Merry-Go-Round Continues

Peter Forsberg and Paul Stastny are back on the ice, but Forsberg is questionable to play tomorrow, while Adam Foote is back in Denver to evaluate his hip. It's odd that a player who has a sore groin/hip would get inserted into the lineup, play 20 minutes and then sit out the next set of games due to another sore groin/hip. It's inconceivable! Hell, it's enough to drive fans crazy.

Too bad the Avs have such an overabundance of capable players or I might have headed to Denver with this sign.

And what is actually injured with Forsberg? He tells reporters the foot/ankle are fine, it's just a sore groin. Then Sakic says "His ankle's sore..." Who to believe?

Jones to play with Sakic and Forsberg

With Peter Forsberg back in the lineup, it looks like David Jones isn't going to be bumped from his current spot alongside Joe Sakic. Instead, he will find himself playing alongside both Peter Forsberg and Joe Sakic.

Wow. Called up just over half a month ago and he's now playing with two world-class hockey players. It doesn't get a whole lot better than that for Jones.

Related Links
Avs seek boost for final playoff push

Avalanche Comeback Fizzles Stars

(AP Photo/Jack Dempsey)

I got back from an all-day shinny tournament - B-side champions thank you very much - and sat right down and started watching the game. Who needs to shower, right? Actually, I planned on watching the first period then grabbing a shower but after I sat down...I really didn't have the energy to get up again.

Thankfully the Avalanche found their energy midway through the game and were able to come away with a 3-1 comeback win against the Dallas Stars. Make no bones about it, the Stars are a great hockey team and the Avalanche were able to perform a third period comeback on them. Sure, the second goal came shortly after a missed high-stick from Ruslan Salei on Mike Modano but who's counting?

Keep on truckin'
During the second intermission Jeff Finger was interviewed and said "We're not going to push, we'll just see what happens in the first 10 minutes" Well, two goals happened after just continuing to play their game; albeit with a little line juggling from Q.

Rubber match tomorrow
And you know what? I don't even have the energy to write a whole lot more. So I'll put up a few notes and bid you all adieu until tomorrow when the Avs look to sweep this home-and-home against the Stars.

Notes
- 6 in a row!
- Foote missed the game due to a hip injury (it doesn't sound severe at the moment)
- Leopold was in and looked a tad rusty
- McCormick is back from his chest injury
- Liles played his 300th game tonight
- Forbserg played his 700th
- does anyone create more space with the puck than Forsberg?
- Finger crunched Morrow into the bench divider ala the Smyth hit but was playing again a few minutes later
- how about Bruno's quick hands on the game winner
- Forsberg got his first and second points tonight
- Theodore played stellar again and Turco was flat out superb
- now I'm wondering if stellar is better than superb or vice-versa
- I was wondering why Richards wears #91 now and it's because Bill Masterton wore #19 with the North Stars and his jersey has obviously been retired
- I wonder if my uncle is going to read this post (he's a Stars fan)
- if you are reading this, Jim then I've got to say it..."Look at me!" (inside joke)

Related Links
NHL.com Event Summary
ColoradoAvalanche.com Recap

Avalanche Topple Canucks in Forsberg's Return

(Doug Pensinger/Getty Images)

The Avalanche moved up to 3rd place in the Northwest division following their 2-1 win over the visiting Vancouver Canucks. But more importantly in a lot of people's minds was the return of Peter Forsberg.

Since signing with the Avalanche the day before the trade deadline, fans have been eagerly anticipating seeing Foppa in an Avalanche jersey. And no, practice jersey's don't count.

Forsberg's Return
The anticipation was thick in the air as the game began and almost all cameras were zeroed in on Peter as he sat on the bench to start the game. The fans didn't have to wait long to see him on the ice as 28 seconds in the game, Peter "Foppa" Forsberg set his skates on the Avalanche ice surface in a game for the Colorado Avalanche for the first time since the lockout.

The second he stood up to hop over the bench, the fans were rising to their feet in appreciation and adulation. It was the sort of display that many opposing teams fans will snicker at but had 99.9% of Avalanche fans with ear-to-ear smiles on their faces. I know I did.

So how did Peter fare in the game? Well he certainly injected some energy into both Sakic and Hejduk, his linemates tonight. Both seemed to have an extra spring in their stride throughout most of the game and I'm sure Hejduk remembers better than anyone who his linemate was during his 50-goal season. Seeing that trio flying 3-wide across the blueline, it appears they all remember each other just fine.

I was a bit nervous at times, particularly when Forsberg was controlling the puck along the boards with his skate. The Canucks took that as a good opportunity to jab away at Forsberg's foot - and who can blame them. However he held his ground like the Forsberg of old and showed that he is still one of the strongest players on the puck in the NHL.

He also got into some physical battles and showed he still has that fire inside to compete and win. So it should be an interesting stretch run for this team, even absent Ryan Smyth and Marek Svatos.

Now hang on for a second while I clean up after slobbering over Forsberg for the last minute here...

Everything else
As for the rest of the game, well I have to hit the sack and I'm not sure if I'll be able to update this until later on in the afternoon so here's some quick notes:

- Liles finally netted another goal and on the PP no less
- Wojtek Wolski started the game strong but seemed to fade away midway through
- Tyler Arnason appeared to not care less that a hockey game was happening around him
- what a lame call on Jose Theodore for delay of game (there were Canucks all over him!)
- John Garret gave a stat of the Canucks being winless without a point from a Sedin but at that point Henrik had already assisted on the Canucks lone goal
- Theodore took a knee to the head from Matt Pettinger but stayed in the game
- Theodore played strong overall but kicked out some big rebounds off his chest
- Scott Parker has no idea what to do with the puck
- or the puck is so scared of Parker that it actively tries to escape him