Avalanche 6 - Flames 5; Sieve Edition

In one of the great goaltending duels of our time, the Avalache came away with what some are calling a steal of a win. I don't consider it a steal myself. It may have been a late goal that won it but it was hard work that made it happen.

What did play nicely into the hands of the Avalanche was the Flames giving Henrik Karlsson the start. I have my doubts that Miikka Kiprusoff would have let in half the goals tonight, most notably the Yip goal.

The same could be said in the other direction as Peter Budaj did not have a solid game. I tried to get on the Budaj bandwagon way back when and I'd love it if I could jump on again. Problem is I can't bring myself to do it.

What can be said about Chris Stewart's hat trick? Kids a beast and has shown himself to be worth the contract extension he earned this summer. I wonder if it's time to give Stewart a shot at being that big right-handed shot from the point on power plays?

Once again, Daniel Winnik proves himself to be the best acquisition of the offseason. He's got more goals than Kovalchuk at approximately 1/100th the price and puts in 100x the effort each shift. I'll take it.

Joe Sacco told Ryan O'Reilly to get more aggressive. Result? This beauty of a forecheck leading to Stewart's second goal of the night. Three assists? Just another day at the office for O'Reilly. The kid's smart, motivated and listens to the coach? Love it.

Jonas Holos recorded his first NHL point tonight which is great. His defensive play had a few blunders stil which is not so great. Hopefully those go away as he could be a great asset to the blueline.

One person who did not record a point tonight was John-Michael Liles. Thwarted at nine in a row. What a great start to the season for Liles and here's to another 9-game streak starting with the next one! The countdown stands at 31.

NHL.com Highlights


Related Links
NHL.com Event Summary
Burgundy Blog Recap
Put it on Ice Recap
MHH Recap

Avalanche 4 - Blackhawks 3, Late Review Edition

It was a good start to the season last night and you can already get a glimpse at some promising -and some troubling - developments. I'm going to reel off some thoughts and forgo a more eloquent recap. But to make it seem like I did put thought into this, I'll group things into the "promising" and "troubling" categories.

Troubling
The Avs strategy without the puck still seems to be "chase the puck". It didn't work well last year and it doesn't look like it will do any better this year. Time to fix it.

Slow start, great middle, terrible end - this apparently hasn't changed from last year. It makes for nail-biting finishes but it's super stressful. Quit giving up the lead!

You remember during the MHH roundtable how a lot of us talked about how this team had toughness but nobody knew about it? Where the hell was that last night? They may not be the biggest team but they've got at least show they've got a pair. Anderson shouldn't have to defend himself, guys shouldn't be allowed to get close enough to bother him. And what was with Scott shoving Duchene around and getting away with it? I know he's a big guy but you can't let that precedent be set.

Where was Brandon Yip last night? Vacation? Did he stay at a Holiday Inn Express at least?

Promising
Johnny Liles is just 38 points away from hitting 40 on the season.

Paul Stastny owned that game~ He's always been the quiet guy who just GSD (got $#!^ done) but last night he was extremely noticeable. It looks like he's about to take a step forward in his development and possible become a dominant force.

Chris Stewart is a beast. A beast with silky soft hands. He is going to be so fun to watch this season.

Milan Hejduk is aging extremely well. If his knee can hold up, he should have a good year. It doesn't seem like he's lost much in terms of speed and he still has some of the best hands in the NHL.

Ryan O'Reilly is looking sharp early on. Can he have as good a start to this season as last season?

How about Matty Duchene taking control and setting up the game winning goal? Hell yeah!

Oh and how about the enthusiasm he showed after the goal? He was celebrating all the way to the locker room. That's going to be infectious for the team and it's clearly a good thing.


Final thought
Starting the season with a win on home ice is always nice. Against the defending champs makes it that much sweeter. Let's hope they can ride that momentum into...Monday?! Monday? Damn, that's a long wait.

To my Canadian friends, enjoy Thanksgiving weekend!

Season Opener Thoughts

As I'm sure you're all aware, tonight opens the NHL season and our beloved Avalanche are facing the defending champs, the Chicago Blackhawks. Here's my version of "30 thoughts" on the night

1. Isn't it odd to pair Chicago against Colorado to start the season? There's not a ton of history there for a defending, original six Cup champion. Shouldn't they open their season with a bang?

2. Will anybody not feel a couple "man tears" as Jaye from PKLC puts it during the opening ceremony featuring the '96 cup team?

3. Will any male not feel a little conflicted about their sexuality when they see Peter Forsberg's piercing gaze on camera?

4. Will anybody ever get tired of seeing Joe Sakic on the ice, even if he's in a suit? I know I won't.

5. T.J. Galiardi will score the Avs first goal of the season. Bank it.

6. How wrong is it that I'm still contemplating going to a Crash Test Dummies acoustic set at 8:00 tonight, meaning I'll record the game and watch once it's over?

7. Are there other teams playing tonight? I'm not sure. I also don't care.

8. Can all the "Quit living in the past people" calm down and enjoy the awesomeness that it was? It would sure be nice to do some work on selling the "now", but we can still enjoy the "then".

9. To those people: how would you kick off the season?

10. Is 10 the new 30?

I might have more later but this damn day job keeps breaking my blogging mojo.

Enjoy the season opener! And remember just like the preseason is just the preseason, the season opener is just one game.

No freak outs allowed if they lose.

Avalanche vs Wild - Game Preview

I just got back from Vegas last night and there's an Avs game starting in less than two hours. I guess my luck is starting to turn.

I was completely disconnected for the last 5 days and it felt very relaxing. But I'm ready to dive back in to the online world.

But first, I'm going to relax and watch the game and enjoy the weekend. Then, hopefully I'll be back in full force.

Avalanche @ Canucks - Game Preview

The Avs are going to get smoked tonight. I mean, bad. Epic proportions.

See what I'm trying to do there? The last time I got cocky, the Avs got destroyed. So this time, I'm reverse jinxing them.

Avs surge ahead

After Calgary laid an egg against Chicago last night, the Avalanche now have a firm grip on first in the Northwest division. And by firm, I mean 3 points of course. Would you rather that be a pliable hold? Tenuous, perhaps?

Liles and Galiardi return

Sweet! I'm stoked to see both of those players back. Galiardi's impact was missed on the PK and anchoring that fourth line. Hopefully there's no rust from their lengthy layoffs.

Wilson not suspended

Totally agree with Jib here and it's unfortunate that he wasn't suspended for a game. I'm guessing this was the "first time offender" sentencing at play. Which I don't agree with either.

Twit death

Dater is done with Twitter. Ok. Not much to say there except if I misused a hammer by trying to tighten a pipe with it...I probably wouldn't stop using the hammer. I just wouldn't use it in that way.

Though I will say that I've been a long-time twitter user and recently took a break - as I did with many online ventures such as this blog - and feel a bit refreshed because of it.

That I'm on vacation for a week as of right now probably helped that feeling along.

Game time

The puck drops at 10:08pm ET (yikes!). Be there or be...sleeping.

Footnote

That call against the Wings was terrible. I can understand the frustration and anger. I don't like it because it makes hockey look bad and the idea that the ref is infallible in his judgment is ludicrous when all evidence says to the contrary. But it was the Wings...

Avalanche vs Canucks - Game Preview

It's game day once again and tonight, the Colorado Avalanche are hosting the Vancouver Canucks at the Pepsi Center.

Luongo suits up

This will be Roberto Luongo's second start since returning from a rib injury and he couldn't have come back sooner, with Andrew Raycroft finally showing his true form.

Against the Avalanche though, Luongo is a it less like Darkseid and a bit more like Dr. Horrible with a 2.97 GAA and .898 save percentage in 25 games against. So you'll have to pardon me for feeling a bit cocky about the matchup.

I hope someone catches the connection between the headline and the second paragraph. I bet Jori will...

Jersey foul

The Avalanche's new third jersey is a foul in and of itself. I still don't mind the "uniprons" but I'm with Tapeleg here, these just aren't doing it for me. I know the Avs colors are burgundy and blue, but they shouldn't have barfed blue all over this jersey. It's too much. And where the hell is the yeti foot?

Hejduk Returns

The Avalanche will get Milan Hejduk back and it looks like he'll play with Matt Duchene. Most excellent. This also means that David Jones will stay on the top line and Marek Svatos will get bumped down to the third line. That's a win all the way across the board if you ask me.

Preissing Appears

Tom Preissing will suit up for the first time as a Colorado Avalanche. You know what? I'm excited to see what he'll do for this team. Don't expect a monster game as he'll need to find his groove again,

And note to Joe Sacco: this is so not a must win game. Look, I get what you're trying to do but if the team puts in a valiant effort and loses, that will still be forward progress.

Simon says

Today's game preview is a special edition which includes a Q&A session with Simon from the Canucks blog Dan Cloutier for Vezina, where he also has posted a Q&A session with myself.

With Roberto Luongo on the shelf, Andrew Raycroft helped carry the Canucks with some solid goaltending. Does this mean Vancouver will be more willing to rest Luongo and start Raycroft in hopes of keeping him fresh for a playoff run?

Probably not. Luongo is a guy that, while healthy, pretty much has to play every night. Even when it comes to optional practices during the season, Luongo will show up to work on his game and hates to take any time off. It even came to the point a while ago where the Canucks had to kick him off the ice from an optional skate just he’d take a break. So with all that being considered it seems pretty unlikely that Luongo will be sitting on the bench unless they are playing back-to-back on the road. The long fourteen game round trip surrounding the Olympics and the fact that Luongo will be playing in the Olympics means that Raycroft might get an extra start or two that back-up goalies typically don’t get here but ultimately I don’t see the team sitting down Luongo much at all now that he’s back.

Mikael Samuelsson was thought by many to be a product of a great team. So far, he is on pace to eclipse his season highs in points and goals. Do you think he can keep up this pace?

He probably can, but with that being said, I’d like to see him tidy up his overall game. Too often he is turning the puck over or is a defensive liability. Especially when he plays the point on the power play, if he as much as fumbles the puck, you can expect a great scoring chance for the other team. He’s a minus player on the team right now which is something that I’m sure the coaches would like to see him improve on. With all the injuries the Canucks have right now, they have been playing a defensive style of hockey which means they don’t have the luxury of being allowed to have guys who are frequently -1 or -2.

When the Canucks matched the Flyers offer sheet on Kesler, it appeared to drive up salaries for what would be considered grind-line player. Since then, Kesler has gone on to be a key cog for the Canucks. Does he appear to be future captain material for this team?

He absolutely is future captain material. If he stays in Vancouver then he’ll be waiting a long time for the ‘C’ since Luongo is here for the foreseeable future but Kesler is definitely one of the best leaders on the team. I see him more as a “leader by example” type rather than someone who is outspoken. That’s fine since no one plays harder than Kesler on a shift-to-shift basis than him. He can often go out and dominate a shift and you’ll see the type of potential he has to be a leader.

Looking back I don’t think too many people objected to the Canucks matching the offer sheet that Clarke put out there since Kesler showed a lot of signs for potential. When he first came into the league he had great speed but lacked any kind of finish. He got his game together playing on the checking line with Alex Burrows and I think Burrows and Kesler really fed off each other a few years ago when they were as automatic of a combo as Daniel and Henrik Sedin. Now that Burrows and Kesler are playing bigger and more offensive rolls they both have each other to thank for the chemistry they had on the checking line.

Was sending Cody Hodgson back to Brampton the right move for his future?

Yes, and looking back now Hodgson probably shouldn’t have been playing in the pre-season trying to earn a spot on the team. His back clearly hadn’t fully recovered from injuring it while working out prior to the Canadian World Jr. Camp. There isn’t much for him to accomplish in the OHL anymore and he might even get a little bored but it’s certainly better than having him confidence shattered by poor production in the NHL and losing a year of his entry level contract. I fully expect him to come back to camp next season and be more like the player the Canucks saw two years ago after being drafted and what we saw last December and January at the World Juniors.

Game time

The puck drops at 10:08pm ET and it's on the CBC, home of Don Cherry, Jim Hughson and Shane Giroux.

Related Links

MHH Game Preview

Avalanche vs Oilers - Game Preview

The Oilers are on a 3-game losing streak and I always say that the longer a streak goes, the more likely it is to end. Unless you're Carolina, of course.

But I don't expect Edmonton's streak to end tonight. I'm feeling good. I believe the Avs are feeling good. And I believe they'll still be feeling it from their come-from-behind victory against the Blackhawks on Friday.

Settle in - or head to the game if you can - and get ready for what should be an exciting game. I'm hoping Kyle Quincey lays out Dustin Penner at some point.

What are you hoping for?

Avalanche 4 - Blackhawks 3; Game Highlights

If there's one thing we should know by now about this Avalanche squad, it's that a 2-goal deficit means the game is just getting started. With five minutes left on the clock and a 2-0 deficit, a lot of fans must have been thinking "If we can get just one goal, this game will be ours." I know I did.

Look up in the sky...

Who better to reward our faith than another gap-toothed favorite, Ryan O'Reilly. In what was thought to be Matt Duchene's year, Ryan O'Reilly has shown what this team has been missing for some time - a true 3rd-line center.

O'Reilly nabbed two goals tonight and as always, was solid from start to finish in both zones. When I watched O'Reilly during Team Canada's orientation camp scrimmages, you had the feeling that this kid was destined to be an excellent 3rd-line center. That it has happened so soon is gravy on top of what has been a sweet boat ride through the first fifth of the season.

Avast thar

Twice I've predicted David Jones to have a 30-goal season. Once, I was wrong. But this time, it's looking good. Jones' shorthanded goal in the 2nd period was the exact goal I expect him to score. That he did it by making Dustin Byfuglien look pedestrian on the point is all the better. If he can stay healthy, he's going to hit it.

Miscellany

I love Duncan Keith and can't wait to see him play for Team Canada in Vancouver. There's no way they can't put this guy on the squad.

What the hell was Andrew Ladd doing all alone in front of the Avs net on that third goal? Taking advantage of the Avs losing assignments again, that's what.

Cody Mcleod came back and laid out 6 hits. I think it's clear what the Highlander brings to this squad, eh?

Brett Clark with 12 blocked shots? I'm still not a fan of his defensive positioning but the man has brass balls.

Kyle Quincey broke the 30 minute barrier tonight. Beast! Adam Foote played 26 minutes. That's too much for him at his current speed. The Liles injury put them in a tough spot but Foote shouldn't be playing more than Scott Hannan.

Next game

The Edmonton Oilers are in town tomorrow night at 8:00pm ET. I think the Avs 6-0 winning streak at home will continue on.

Related Links

Advertising ABCs
MHH Recap
NHL.com Event Summary

Avalanche vs Blackhawks; Game Preview

Do you know what I was doing while the Avalanche were beating the Coyotes? Sleeping. That's right, I fell asleep before the game started and didn't wake up until 12 hours later when the game was won, the rejoicing was over, the worrying had started over Duchene's sore shoulder and the callouts had begun. Aside from missing the rejoicing, I was ok with sleeping through that.

Today? I'm ready to go. It's an hour until game time, I just chowed down a protein bar (just kidding, those are crap), chugged down an energy drink (just kidding, those are crap), beat up a Leafs fan (just kidding, they're all in hiding), put on my Avalanche jersey (I honestly did this) and slammed my butt down on the couch (just kidding, I have to cook supper first).

And if you're thinking to yourself "Don't cook with your jersey on! It's probably quite flammable. And prone to getting spilled on." Have no fear. The kitchen is a no-jersey zone. It comes off when I head in to the kitchen and goes back on when I come out.

"Why don't you just leave it off until you're done cooking?", you ask. Well, if I did that, how would the team get any good vibes out of me? Let's not get crazy here, folks!

I'm in a fairly good mood today - 30 minutes ago I was kick-dancing down the grocery aisles to "Love Shack", much to the chagrin of my better half - and I have no fears that the Avalanche might let me down tonight with a lackluster effort. Though there will undoubtedly be more of those to come this season, tonight will not be one of them.

So kick back, relax and enjoy what should be a hell of a hockey game. And hey, it's always fun to watch Huet get lit up, right?*

*What? I had to at least make some mention of the game in this post, didn't I?

Addendum: Huet isn't starting. So let's all laugh at Brian Campbell's contract, mkay?

Avalanche vs Canucks - Game Preview

A grueling October finally came to a close for the Avalanche and it could not have gone any better. Well, they could have done without all the injuries. And I suppose technically they did leave six of a possible 28 points on the table. But all things considered, this was a success beyond anyone's imaginations for a team pegged for dead last in the NHL.

The Avs kick off Movember with a stop in sunny Vancouver tonight to take on Andrew Raycroft and the Vancouver Canucks. It's the tail end of a four-game road trip that has seen them go 2-1 with wins against division foes Calgary and Edmonton. Wouldn't it be nice to grab a couple more points from the division tonight?

The Avalanche are having their depth tested early in the season. With Darcy Tucker, T.J. Galiardi, Matt Hendricks and Cody Mcleod out, we've seen a quick parade of AHL call-ups. And while the Avs are still holding firm in light of the injuries, they will start to catch up with them.

Thankfully, Craig Anderson has showed no signs of slowing down. When the defense fails, Neo has been there to bail them out. When the offense is lacking, Mr. Anderson to the rescue. When the team is firing on all cylinders, there he is. He is everyone, and he is no one.

Anderson leads the league with a .930 save percentage and 10 wins and is 3rd in GAA with 2.04. Combine that with being tied for #1 in the league in games played, I think we can all sleep easy with him in net.

And sleep easy tonight might be what many people will be doing even before this game starts at 10:00pm ET tonight. Thanks to daylight savings time and Saskatchewan's rebel ways, that means a 9:00pm start time for this guy. You lucky Coloradians (I didn't look that up, just took a stab at it) at least get it at 8:00pm. But given my computer science background, I'll still be up long after the game ends. bless flexible working hours!

I might even have a thought or two on the game before I hit the sack. Or I'll be busy playing Dungeons & Dragons while reading comic books and drinking Jolt cola.

Oh, and Marek Svatos will get goal #3 tonight (hey, it worked with Matt Duchene...)

Related Links

Anderson to make 15th straight start
Jay Onrait chats with Craig Anderson
One month in the books

Avalanche vs Sharks - Game Preview

I was off the blogging grid for about a week and it looks like the world kept turning. Who knew!

In the time I've been gone, the Avalanche have continued winning, the bodies on the injured list have continued to pile up and the media (mainstream and otherwise) are looking for the Avs to cool off.

I'll take 2 out of 3 of those any day of the week. The injuries however have got to stop. With the latest news being that T.J. Galiardi is out for 4-6 weeks, the franchise's organizational depth will be tested. Philippe Dupuis has been called up and joins Chris Durno and Brian Willsie from the Monsters roster and press box hound T.J. Hensick finds himself drawing in to the lineup again. Thankfully John-Michael Liles makes his return tonight which should help the powerplay pick up steam.

Though Peter Budaj has recovered from his bout with H1N1, Craig Anderson will make his 14th straight start tonight. I guess coach Sacco felt that with organizational depth being tested, it was best to stick with a hot goaltender. I concur.

As this week has been draining, I'm going to be splayed out on my couch in full relax mode for this one. Enjoy the game everybody. I know I will.

Oh, and Matt Duchene will get goal #2 tonight.

Avalanche 3 - Red Wings 1; Game Thoughts

This morning as soon as I woke up, I said to the gf "Hey, the Avs are tied for 1st in the league" (yes, I said it with a hyperlink). She said "Maybe Sakic was bad luck. Good thing he's gone!" After she cleaned up the glass of water I dumped over her head (kidding...probably), she said "Well what's the difference?"

My answer was simple: goaltending and youth.

Sean at Anyone But Detroit has a good article up this morning about how Craig Anderson might be flirting with greatness. It certainly is all right for Avalanche fans to get excited about Mr. Anderson, especially after a 48 save performance against the Red Wings. Without Anderson, there is no doubt that the Avs would be flirting with .500.

As for youth, well just take a look at the team scoring stats. Ryan O'Reilly is tied for the team lead with Wojtek Wolski and Paul Statsny. So two 23-year old players and an 18-year old rookie are leading the team in scoring. And it's not even the 18-year old we expected to be up there. How's that for surprising?

Game Highlights

I was hosting a UFC party last night but recorded the game and kept up-to-date on it via Twitter. It's not likely I'll watch it as I've got things to do today, but I am curious to check out Anderson's full performance, particularly in the penalty-filled ending of the game. I wonder how many Detroit fans are claiming a conspiracy today after what sounds like a farcical amount of penalty calls against the Avs?

Next game

The Avalanche head out on another road trip, this one for a mere four games. However, three of those four games are against division rivals in Edmonton, Calgary and Vancouver. Stay excited folks, it could end any given Sundaymoment.

Related Links

Dear Excluding Zetterberg
It's all about Andy
The after party

Avalanche 4 - Red Wings 3; Game Highlights

That ending was so unexpected and yet so damn heartwarming. It was like a cheesy Hollywood movie but it's one I could get behind. After falling behind 2-0 and being absolutely dominated in the first two periods, the Avalanche came out in the third, tied it up, fell behind again, tied it up one more time and won it in the shootout.

Highlights

Cody Mcleod and Ryan O'Reilly are going to stick on a line for a while with the chemistry they showed tonight. Cody Mac had 2 goals + a fight against Brad May while Ryan O'Reilly had 2 assists including a sweet, sweet feed to Mcleod for the second tying goal.

There is no way O'Reilly is going back to juniors. Good news for Avalanche fans, bad news for Team Canada's junior squad.

TJ Galiardi was aching to make himself the next healthy scratch after a weak performance today. He turned it up a bit in the final two minutes but that's nowhere near good enough. His only saving grace will be that the entire team stunk it up in the first two periods.

Wojtek Wolski was planted on the bench in the 3rd period and only had four shifts in the 2nd. He is on a really short leash with Joe Sacco this year. While I'm all for sending messages, it's tough to send a message to just one player on a night like tonight.

Milan Hejduk still has some sick, sick hands. He was smooth as silk out there today and had some moves that made Detroit defenders look silly.

Craig Anderson made some stellar saves in the third period to keep the team in it and if it wasn't for him, the Avs would have been heading into the third down 10-0.

And finally, Matt Duchene got his first goal of the season. It was so quick that it took a second to register. He flew down what would be his off wing and sniped a wrist shot to the top corner, making Chris Osgood look silly, though not as silly as he looked in the shootout. Hopefully with that monkey off his back, Duchene will open up and start potting more of his opportunities. Lord knows he's had enough of them.

Suck it, Wings.

Avs 3 Stars

1) Cody Mcleod
2) Ryan O'Reilly
3) Matt Duchene

Highlight Video

Poll time

Related Links

NHL.com Game Summary
Paul Stastny - "We're just four lines playing with confidence"

Avalanche @ Red Wings; Game Preview

The first place Colorado Avalanche head to Detroit to take on the 11th place Red Wings tonight. I got joy out of writing that sentence. First place. 11th place. Mmmm...tasty.

Tonight will be the penultimate game of the Avs seven-game road trip which has seen them capture seven of a possible 10 points so far. I think that's far beyond what anybody's expectation of this trip would be so the only thing the Avalanche can do now is color us even more surprised.

Lineup

Chris Stewart and TJ Hensick have been the scratches recently and I don't see a need to inject one of them in the lineup at this point.

John-Michael Liles is still out so Ryan Wilson will draw in again. Wilson looked solid in his debut against the Canadiens on a pairing with Brett Clark.

Kyle Cumiskey slotted up to take Liles spot on the pairing with Foote against Montreal and will likely do so again today as he had his best game of the season on Thursday.

Johan Franzen is out of the Wings lineup for a few months after undergoing knee surgery while Pavel Datsyuk is sitting out this game as well. As much as I enjoy watching Datsyuk play, I'm more than happy to see him in the press box tonight.

Our old pal Brad May will be in the lineup tonight for the Wings and already fans are predicting a David Koci-May square off. Dario is taking it up a notch and hoping for an Adam Foote-Todd Bertuzzi showdown. Hard to argue with that.

Goaltending

Craig Anderson gets his eight straight start and there is absolutely no way you can argue that call. Anderson has been lights out this season and has fans, coaches and players alike marveling at a world without goaltending worries.

Time for the first?

Ryan O'Reilly got his on Thursday. Will Matt Duchene get his tonight? Wouldn't it be poetic for the Avs great white hope to score his first goal against the Wings? We all know it's only a matter of time but could time run a bit quicker, maybe?

At least he's enjoying the travel in the meantime.

Game time

The puck drops at 7:08 ET. This is a can't miss so put away whatever else you had planned and settle down in front of the TV or computer.

Avalanche 3 - Montreal 2; Game Highlights

No, O'Reilly!

I'm late to the party so hopefully nobody has used that one yet.

A few thoughts:

Montreal's second goal should have been blown dead. The Avalanche's third goal should have seen a penalty on Cody Mcleod. The Canadiens had seven players on the ice in the final seconds of the game. They got more breaks, the Avs still won. Suck it.

You know everyone has confidence in a goaltender when Craig Anderson makes a huge save and Mike Haynes doesn't even mention it. Last year? "HUGE SAVE BY BUDAJ! WOW! DID YOU SEE THAT, PETER? AMAZING!" Now? Business as usual.

I should be back in full force after a week off due to unfortunate circumstances so be prepared for some gloating after the victory over the Wings tomorrow.

Avalanche 4 - Leafs 1; Game Highlights

The Canadian Press

I've got to make this quick but I had to get out a few thoughts.

Cody Mcleod's penalty was not a weak call, it was a 100% illegal hit. See the numbers? Don't hit. Simple.

The hit that took out John-Michael Liles was a very similar play and is the reason the boarding penalty is in place. A push/hit at that distance from the boards is very dangerous and if anybody feels otherwise, ask Liles' separate shoulder and see what it tells you.

Jeff Marek nailed it on his twitter last night - Ian White starts in net Saturday for Ron Wilson.

And it was White who denied me going 2-for-2 on predictions last night. Matt Duchene had his first goal looking him in the face while family, friends and former coaches looked on but White made a huge save to put that milestone off for at least one more game.

When the Avalanche signed Darcy Tucker, I had very mixed feelings but mostly on the negative side. He's wiping a few of those away with his points but I still can't help myself...I'm just not a big fan of the guy.

David Jones keeps pushing for his 30-goal season. I was all over this guy as soon as he came in during 07/08 and it looks like this could be his season.

Adam Foote may be slow, but he's still one strong SOB.

The Avalanche will have two 18-year old centers on their roster for the full season.

Oh, and the Avs are first in the West. In case anyone was curious.

Avalanche vs Leafs, Game Preview

The Colorado Avalanche (3-1-1) head to the ACC for part three of their seven part road trip to take on the Toronto Maple Leafs (0-4-1) tonight at 7:30pm ET.

This season has been going better than most Avalanche fans expected and I'd be lying if I said I wasn't expecting a win out of this game. I generally subscribe to the "the more things stay the same, the more likely they are to change" philosophy but I can't see the Leafs pulling it together after a blowout yesterday against the Rangers.

The opposition

The Leafs have yet to get one in the W column this season and I can't tell you how funny I find that. After Brian Burke was once again fellated by the media - or was that just TSN? - for his off-season signings and "toughening up" of the team, it appears the "Genius at work" sign outside Burke's office might need to be taken down.

It's all well and good to build a team that's tough to play against, but there's tough to play against and there's annoying to play against. The Leafs are simply an annoyance at the moment. The only credible threat they display is violence and it's frankly not all that credible.

They're like the bully who picks on people because they suck at everything else in life. It's not scary, it's just sad.

Backup duel?

Most people are expecting to see Peter Budaj's first appearance for the 09/10 season tonight and it would make sense. Back-to-back games heading into a weaker opponent is generally the equation for when to bring a backup in. But given how early it is in the season, Anderson getting the nod wouldn't be terribly shocking or anything to stir significant analysis.

On the Leafs side, they'll be starting Joey Macdonald after prize signing, Jonas Gustavsson, headed onto the IR and prized whipping boy, Vesa Toskala, taking the "do what he does" advice from goaltending coach Francoise Allaire to heart, ended up injuring himself as well.

But don't get too cocky as Joey Mac is the guy that helped hold the Islanders together after Rick Dipietro hurt himself...again. His stats belie the performances he put in with that squad last year.

David Jones returns, and it was good

David Jones made his return yesterday afternoon against the Bruins and Chris Stewart was the odd man out. It was a good, albeit obvious call, by coach Joe Sacco. Jones rewarded the move with a shorthanded goal plus an assist. That should easily put him on a pace to eclipse that 30-goal mark, eh?

Chris Stewart struggles

I'm not sure what is causing Stewart's early struggles but Sacco has a good comment in the latest DP column:

"We're OK; we'll work with him. He's a young player, and he kind of needs to find his niche again on our team. He'll be fine. We'll get him back in the lineup soon."

That's exactly the sort of comment a young player needs to hear. It's not heaped all on him to get better, the coaching staff is taking on the challenge as well. Who knew you couldn't just say "He needs to find his game" and hope it would magically get better?

Is tonight the night?

I think it's time for Matt Duchene to get his first goal and I think tonight is the night. The conditions are ripe for the picking and hopefully Duchene can get that monkey off his back. Hopefully I don't pull something when it happens.

Lineup

I can't see the lineup changing from last game. With Jones' display and the need for David Koci in the lineup, it would be hard to find a slot for Hensick or Stewart to slide in. Another big body like Stewart would be nice but his less-than-inspired play leaves me thinking he would subtract more than he would add.

And if anyone suggests pulling Marek Svatos out, well it's pretty tough to do that when he's scoring goals. He's not gelling with Matt Duchene well and that's unfortunate - as is thinking Darcy Tucker would work better on his LW - but there are other options to deal with that issue.

Ryan Wilson was called up due to Ruslan Salei being placed on the IR but I'm not holding my breath to see him in action. If he were to slot in for anyone, it would most likely be Brett Clark, though that would leave an under-experienced 3rd pairing of Kyle Cumiskey and Wilson, or the unnecessary shifting of Foote or Liles "down" to the 3rd line.

Game time

The puck drops at 7:38pm ET and there is a bit of confusion on where to watch the game. It's listed as being on RIS and Leafs TV but there is no mention of an Altitude feed. "Center Ice to the rescue!", right? Apparently not as nobody can find it in their listings. I see it in ExpressVu's listings down here on the farm but if anybody figures out what's happening on the US side, I'd be interested to hear it.

Game 5 Highlights: Avalanche vs Bruins

WTMF? Here I was relaxing at home, eating some sweet potato fries and turkey and while I was doing that, the Avalanche were busy beating the Boston Bruins.

I was able to tune in to the last five minutes on Center Ice and will likely check out most of the game via GameCenter Live. But first, a few thoughts in my limited viewing.

The Avalanche still cannot clear the zone, even if death were on their tail. In the last five minutes of the game, the puck was in their zone for four and a half minutes. Of course, that was skewed by a terrible call on Paul Stastny for "interference", but still. I don't know why it's such a trouble spot for this team but hopefully Sacco turns that around real quick.

Chris Stewart sat today with David Jones' return and that was 100% the right call. Stewart has been less than mediocre this season after a great run to finish up last season.

Milan Lucic buys into his own hype just a little too much.

More to come. Or I'll grab a nap and miss the replay too.

Game 4 Preview: Avalanche vs Blackhawks

The Colorado Avalanche continue their seven game road trip tonight with a game against 20-cent and his Chicago Blackhawks. Unlike the last game against Nashville, I'll be able to watch this one in HD. It's amazing what an HD-snob I've become. I recently downgraded my cable package to drop non-HD channels because every time I tuned in to them, I got annoyed that they weren't in HD. And hey, I'll save myself $30/month whichs sounds like the amount of money you need for a trip to Vegas! The flight + hotel part, that is. I can't be held accountable for the rest of the money I might spend (lose) there.

So now that you know even more about me, how about I get back to the hockey talk, eh?

Last two games

I haven't provided a full recap of the last two games but they weren't terribly impressive. Those last two games felt more like the Avalanche I expected. Some defensive gaffes, some blown leads and some exciting play from Matt Duchene.

Seriously, what does the kid have to do to get himself a goal? I'm worried that all these close chances are going to frustrate him, leading to more missed chances. Hopefully he's getting some good psych counselling in the locker room!

Last game against Nashville saw T.J. Hensick and Ruslan Salei draw in the lineup at the expense of David Koci and Brett Clark respectively. With Jordin Tootoo out of the lineup for the Preds, it was an easy choice for Joe Sacco to give Hensick some ice time. As for Salei, it was likely an attempt to figure which of the overpaid third-line defensemen were more valuable to the team. I'd say Clark is winning so far after a rusty performance by ol' Rusty.

Hensick surprised me with his speed and physical play. Could it be that coach Sacco is instilling a sense of work ethic in a player who was labelled as "Arnason 2.0"?

In the end, there's nothing to be disappointed about by this team starting 2-1-0 with 10 goals for and 5 goals against. Even with a blown lead against Nashville, Sacco is ensuring the team will learn from their mistakes. And that's the number one thing for a squad like this to do.

This game

I haven't given this game much thought as I had some bad news on Friday which took up most of my brain power. Well that and me deciding to re-read the whole Final Crisis series today to take my mind off things. Yes, that includes all the direct and indirect tie-ins. And in case you were curious, it's much better the second time around.

So tonight, I'm going to sit back, relax and enjoy an Avalanche win. That's right, I'm calling it.

Game 2 Preview: Avalanche vs Canucks

(Photo by Garrett W. Ellwood / Getty Images)

Skyrockets in flight....peeewwww....afternoon delight. That's right, it's an afternoon game today as the Colorado Avalanche take on the Vancouver Canucks at 3:00pm ET.

It's also the last home game before the Avs embark on a 7-game road trip that will test their testicular fortitude pretty early in the season.

If they want to head out on a good note, what better way than to beat
Bobba Lu and the Canucks and still be home in time for supper?

Last game

The ceremony brought tears to everyone's eye's, the puck dropped and the Avalanche walked away with a "W". I expected the first two but not the last one. I'm not sure anybody expected the last one. The team was fast, energetic and had a will to win. Sure, they coughed up 19 shots against in the third period but those first two periods were lights out. If they keep playing with that energy, it's going to be a fun season.

The forwards

We finally got to watch the up-tempo play we were promised last season and it was about darn time! Fast breaks, crashing the net, utilizing the entire offensive zone to cycle rather than just below the goal line. Be still my beating heart.

The players have bought in to Sacco's system right from the start so there will be no struggles to identify roles. Everybody knows what they have to do and appear willing to do it. If the first game is any indication - and let's be honest, it often isn't - the Sacco hiring was a good one.

The one thing I still want the wingers to do is cover their defenseman better. Wingers have a tough assignment in the defensive zone in that they have to be ready to receive the first breakout pass, but also have to watch that the opposing D aren't getting free for point shots. Last season, I harped on it a lot. Last game, the D were still too open for my liking.

The defense

Ryan who? Kyle Quincey seems to have eliminated any doubts anyone - including myself - had about the Ryan Smyth trade. I know Detroit is deep on the blue line but how did they let this guy slip through waivers?

The first two defensive lines were solid Thursday but the third pairing of Brett Clark and Kyle Cumiskey was questionable. Cumiskey seems to be having trouble making puck decisions and ends up holding it too long, which led to San Jose's first goal Thursday night. And everyone's favorite overpaid D, Clark, continues to play a perimeter game and constantly looks to block shots as opposed to stopping players from shooting.

I'm curious is Sacco will swap out Clark for Salei today, showing that vets have to pull their weight too, or if Cumiskey will sit showing that rookies are held to the same standard as the vets. From what I understand of Sacco, he'll give Cumiskey some more rope before tying him to the press box.

The goaltending

How pleasant was it to not cringe/cross your fingers/pray to vishnu/cover your eyes on a shot from beyond the hashmarks? Or on a scramble in front? I found myself very confident with Craig Anderson between the pipes.

Anderson stopped all 19 shots he faced in the third, earning chants of "Anderson" from the Pepsi Center faithful, to pick up his first win in the burgundy sweater. I like Anderson's style as he looks like he's willing to do whatever it takes to make a save. And it looks like this team might need a lot of them.

The lines

With Ruslan Salei and TJ Hensick as healthy scratches, coach Joe Sacco went with the following lines:

Wolski-Stastny-Hejduk
McLeod-Duchene-Svatos
Tucker-Galiardi-Stewart
Koci-O’Reilly-Hendricks

Quincey-Hannan
Foote-Liles
Cumiskey-Clark

It's tough to say if Sacco will try and inject Hensick into the lineup and if so, who would come out. Although he played well on Thursday night, it's entirely possible that Ryan O'Reilly will sit this one out to let Hensick work his stuff. Whatever that may be.

The return of howler

Howler is coming home! At least, I hope he is. The Avalanche said they were bringing back a mascot this season and they currently have a teaser splash page up on their site with a silhouette that looks an awful lot like a comical yeti. Anything less than Howler will bring out two thumbs down from this guy.