Avalanche 3 - Canucks 4; Injury Edition

Short thoughts from me to close out the game:

Johnny Liles with the NHL record! 9 straight games with an assist to open the season as a defenseman and he's now in the record books. Time to trade him while his stock is high. EDIT: I really simplified that record first time out, now corrected.

What in the blue hell was Jonas Holos doing driving the puck towards his own net on the game-winning play? I've been loving what Holos has brought to the team but that was a dandy. Oh well, call yourself an idiot, shake it off and don't do it again.

Does Manny Malhotra have a gold tooth?

How about the Duke defying age and his gimpy knee? He's still got silky smooth hands. And he's a pretty good stickhandler too... Too much? Yeah, moving on.

Conversely that Duchene kid hasn't brought anything this year and I'm surprised he hasn't been sent to the AHL yet.

Daniel Winnik continues to be the best free agent signing of the year with his hard working play. He got rewarded with a goal tonight and 18+ minutes of ice time. Well done, sir.

Where's Brandon Yip?

How about those injuries and close calls tonight? Liles gets cranked from behind , Stastny ate an elbow to the face and David Jones did something to his leg/knee/foot. All of them returned to the game but there was a lot of breath being held until they did.

I feel like I'm forgetting something. What was it? Oh that's right...ohmygodIhopeAndydidn'tblowouthiskneeduringwarmup!

Dater posted the injury video (embedded below) and it looked odd. It looked more like a tweak than a blown knee but let's wait until tomorrow before we start speculating, pontificating and prognosticating on how bad it is and what it means to the team. Or freak out now. Dealer's choice, really.

Budaj played a solid game tonight and it looks like he might be needed for a couple more upcoming starts. I think the updated hairdo is providing a solid aura for him so I'm not concerned if he has to fill in for a bit.



Related Links
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Farewell Faithful Friends

As I sit here waiting for a Michael Jackson disc to burn before my roadtrip (what, you don't dance while driving?), I remembered one thing I wanted to do and that's bid farewell to some of our departed Avalanche players.

In a shocking development, it appears that the following players will be walking away from the Avs and - hopefully - to another team some time before October:
Marek Svatos
Brett Clark
Ruslan Salei
Stephane Yelle
Chris Durno
Darcy Tucker

Marek Svatos
It was all over for him once Pierre Turgeon was out of town. After a shocking 32 goal rookie season, Svatos ended up with just 62 goals over the next four seasons, including a dismal seven goal effort last season.

I have a soft spot for the little players in the game and will always miss seeing the solid checks Svatos could throw when necessary. It was rare to see Svatos get knocked down without seeing him get back up and lay a shoulder into somebody.

I hope he lands somewhere where he can find a similar fit as he had with Turgeon.

Brett Clark
Many feel that Brett Clark's only redemption is his shot blocking statistics. In light of that, they also felt his salary was a vast overpayment. Of course, it could very well be these same people that are looking to sign Anton Volchenkov at a UFA-inflated salary because...he blocks a lot of shots.

But the fact remains that Clark is a 2nd-pair defenseman at best who is prone to flopping as opposed to actually playing defense. I'm not sad to see him go though it does reduce the Saskatchewan connections for the Avalanche down to zero. At least until they re-sign Tyler Weiman (come on, it's totally gonna happen....)

I'm sure he'll find a team looking to fill out their depth chart and hopefully it's not at Jeff Finger money so he doesn't become a potential pariah.

Ruslan Salei
He was a beast right after the trade that brought him to the Avalanche but after his castration, his play really dropped off.

He is getting up there in age but I'd be surprised if some team didn't take a flyer on him as a depth defenseman. It might not be until injuries start piling up during the season though.

Stephane Yelle
Ol' Yeller had a short go-round this time with the team but it was great seeing him in an Avalanche jersey again. He may be old but he still had fire in his eyes when he was on the ice.

It might be time for Yelle to hang 'em up and join the Avalanche in a coaching or development capacity. One can hope anyways.

Chris Durno
Next.

Darcy Tucker
Bye.

Free Agent Frenzy - and My Dog - Await

We're less than 12 hours away from hockey Christmas and I can't help but be underwhelmed in anticipation. This year, it really feels like all that truly matters as far as splashes is where Ilya Kovalchuk will wind up.

Sure, Marty Turco and Evgeni Nabokov are out there and that's interesting, but they lack the panache of a name like Kovalchuk. I mean, is anybody really concerned about where Olli Jokinen might sign?

Our affable Adrian Dater has reported that the Avalanche will 100% not pursue Ilya as they continue to focus on building from within. And I'm ok with that.

At the same time, I agree with Jibs that the team is sorely lacking on the left wing. Peter Mueller looked great in the short time we spent with him and I've got a mad man crush on T.J. Galiardi, but that's not a left wing lineup that strikes fear into people.

Of course, you could look at the stats and determine that while Ilya scores a lot of goals, it all balances out in the end. Besides, the guy has only won one playoff game in his career so he must be pretty terrible.

But think of the wonders that a name like Kovalchuk could do for marketing this young squad. Or at least marketing potential. Whether the crew could pull it off or not is a whole different story. But you always pay for potential, right?

I'm happy to continue to let this squad build from within if that's what the organization chooses to do. And if by some stroke of magic it turns out that Kovalchuk joins the Avs, I'll be happy with that too.

Really, I've made this a win-win for myself and those are rare so you have to savor in them.

Tomorrow, when the frenzy opens, I will be headed down the ol' #7 and #4 and #13 highways as I weave my way back to my home town of Ponteix. See, I work for an amazing company and we've been given not only tomorrow - Canada Day - off but they tossed in Friday as well as a bonus.

And I figured what better time than a 4-day weekend to head back and visit my dog. I mean family. Family.

So while the first deals start to trickle in, I'll be cruising on the open roads. I should be arriving right around 3:00 ET which I presume is around the time Kovy signs. But of course, I'll have to play with the dog for a while first.

Hockey may be entertaining, but nothing beats man's best friend.

Avalanche Draft Joey Hishon with 17th Pick

So the Avalanche went off most people's boards, but not off the Avalanche scout boards - and selected Joey Hishon with the 17th pick in the 2010 entry draft.

It comes as a shock as some more "name" players were available and drafting a small center seems a bit redundant. Especially after letting Kelsey Tessier go during the summer.

However after reading a few articles on the guy, I'm feeling a little excited about this pick. Call me crazy but I'm going to trust the Avs scouts on this one.

But hey, how about a little size in the upcoming rounds tomorrow?

2010 Playoffs Round 1 - Avalanche vs Sharks

I'm still alive.

And so are the Avalanche. They have managed to limp into the playoffs on the heels of what is clearly a successful season in terms of a rebuild. Sure, a shot at a premiere left-winger on draft day would have been nice, but a streak of top-3 draft picks isn't the only recipe to success in this league. But you have to admit it can be a pretty good one.

As some long-time followers may recall, I'm originally from Ponteix, Saskatchewan, a small town about 10 minutes away from Aneroid, which is the home of Patrick Marleau. I know Patrick Marleau - though we're not buddies by any means - and my dad knows his dad quite well. The season Patrick had this year brought a smile to my face and yes, my celebration of Team Canada's Olympic Gold was boosted by Pat being on the team.

He is the true definition of a good person and a hard worker and he deserves all the success he's brought to himself.

The Sharks playoff disappointments hurt me on a personal level. I remember watching them bow out to the Edmonton freakin' Oilers in 2006 and how hollow I felt after that game. But that was against opponents other than the Colorado Avalanche.

When it comes to my team, should I not be able to push aside my personal feelings for my professional affiliation? Should I not dismiss the heartbreak of others so long as it leads to my emotional satisfaction? Why should I worry about sharing in grief over something I had no control over?

These are the issues I'm wrestling with heading in to tomorrow's game. I don't know which side of the coin I'll land on and I figure - like many other things - the coin will end up spinning on its side, never landing on heads or tails.

I'll cheer for Avalanche goals and wins, and begrudgingly feel happiness deep in the bowels of my emotions if Patrick - and by extension the Sharks - do well in the series.

But for now, fuck Patrick Marleau.

Colorado @ Columbus - Game Thought

That's right, I only have one thought on the win against Columbus. And it nearly caused my head to asplode.

With about 15 seconds left in a 3-2 hockey game, Columbus appeared to tie the game with a Jason Chimera wraparound. However after one glance at the replay, it was clear that the puck did not go between the posts. Instead, it went in under the side of the net after it got jostled by Scott Hannan.

Or at least, I thought it only took one glance. The Columbus announcers however spent the entire review period calling it a good call. Their rationale, which they stated with exuberance nearly a dozen times? To paraphrase: "That was a goal. The net was dislodged, not displaced. And there's a difference. The net can be dislodged, and it's still a goal. Displaced? No goal. But clearly, the net was only dislodged."

When the ruling came back that it was no goal because the puck didn't go between the pipes there was five seconds of silence followed by this exchange:
Announcer 1: That's their rule.
Announcer 2: Why?!
Announcer 1: Because it did not go between the two posts is what they're saying.

Those tricky, century old rules are a bitch, eh? They then talked about it some more and even tossed in that there should have been a minor penalty what with the way the net was dislodged. They clearly decided to throw out the dislodged vs displaced logic there but logic is only useful when it's convenient, right?

I feel like I rag on announcers more than I give them credit, but this was flat out awful. They should feel embarrassed at not having understood what it takes to score a goal. You know, the most important part of the game they're calling...

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 2 - Canucks 800; Game Thoughts

The new third jerseys are cursed and should never be worn again.

And I'll never trash talk Roberto Luongo again because he apparently reads this blog and was not happy with my cockiness.

Stupid karma.

CBC Sports Live Chat Replay

The live chat is over. Thanks to all who stopped by and those who fired a question my way. I was thinking and typing as fast as I could and we still couldn't get to all the questions!

You can replay all the action over at CBCSports if you missed it.

Hopefully you had a good reason to not waste an hour of your day with hockey chatter!

Live Chatting with CBC Sports

Tomorrow at 1:00pm ET, I'll be joining a live chat at CBC Sports to talk all things Avalanche.

If you have the time, please stop by and feel free to toss some questions my way. I might even be able to answer them coherently!

The gloves are coming off

David Staples over at The Cult of Hockey just threw down with Adrian Dater, bashing the Avalanche along the way.

AD twitted - from a sick bed, not from the press box - the following:
"Can't win 'em all at home. A shame the Avs had to finally lose to a dog team like Edmonton at home, though."

To say Edmonton is a dog team is a little harsh. The Avalanche didn't play horrible but they were certainly beat by the better team last night. If they lost to Minnesota, then yes that would be losing to a dog team. But nonetheless, Staples took offense as if Dater had fired a "Yo momma" shot across the bow.

Amidst a flury of knocks against the Avs and their fans, he decided to take a shot at the city itself:
"Denver is a great city. It's America's version of Calgary."

A guy from Edmonton knocking on Calgary? Seriously?

Thanks to Kukla as usual for digging this stuff up.

Jay Onrait Chats with Craig Anderson

Jay Onrait - the funniest man on TSN - just put up a blog post after not writing anything for the last 15 years (give or take a few months). In it, he has a chat with our very own Mr. Anderson.

I don't know when Jay decided to play it straight but I'll take it anyway I can get it. I was going to make joke there but decided I didn't want to touch that. Not even with a ten foot pole...

Anderson Set to Make 15th Straight Start

Wow. Craig Anderson will make his 15th straight start tomorrow against the Vancouver Canucks.

I can only presume that the coaching staff believe the hype behind the wheels coming off for this team and have decided to ride Neo while he is hot. Once our youngsters hit the wall and the losses start piling up, Peter Budaj should see some playing time.

Darcy Tucker likely out 10 days

Darren Dreger just sent a tweet that Darcy Tucker received 40 stitches after hitting his head on the ice and will likely be out for 10 days.

That's a lot of stitches but it's good that he is already out of the hospital after being patched up.

10 days of time would mean he could be back for the Nov 4th game against the Avalanche. There are 5 games between that time, including tonight's tilt against the Red Wings (Hey Ozzy, make sure to be in Coyotes form again tonight, eh)

Puck Daddy has a post up asking if the suspension to Ruutu was enough. So far, most people are saying it sounds about right. I would have preferred a stiffer sentence but it's better than just sitting out a token game.

Tuomo Ruutu Suspended Three Games for Hit on Darcy Tucker; Willsie Recalled

Tuomo Ruutu has received a three-game suspension for his hit on Darcy Tucker last night. Good. I don't know if I have to add anything more beyond my rant last night, but hopefully Ruutu never does this again to another player.

Tucker is out of the hospital and Brian Willsie has been recalled from Lake Erie. I think we'll see T.J. Hensick in the lineup tonight as opposed to Willsie but I think everyone is more curious if Craig Anderson will get the back-to-back starts.

A few folks felt Tyler Weiman should have got the call last night against the Hurricanes, saving Anderson for tonights game against the Wings. But maybe Budaj is feeling better today and Joe Sacco wants to toss him into the deep end.

EDIT: AD got the question answered right after practice. Anderson gets the call again tonight.

I don't mind that decision. It's still early in the season and there will be plenty of time for Budaj to give Anderson some rest. I do like Weiman but I'm not sure I want to see him put up against the Wings, even if they are struggling right now.

Here comes the MSM

Pierre Lebrun and the rest of the media have started to notice the Avalanche.

You can't blame them as the Avs sit atop the Western conference, but this attention is not good karma. Let's hope the Avs can fight past some upcoming media hype

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.

Red Wings Sign Brad May

The Detroit Red Wings have signed Brad May. He'll go along nicely with their offseason booby prize of Todd Bertuzzi. In Holland do they still trust?

I don't care that it's "only" $500K, it's still $500K that they could have spent on someone other than Brad friggin' May.

Honestly, what will Brad May bring to this team other than more hatred from Avalanche fans? It's almost like the Wings are accepting all the punditry that has them falling off this year and are doing their best to cede to the predictions.

Or maybe Holland retired unceremoniously and Brian Burke has taken a second job.

Craig Anderson Named NHL's Second Star of the Week

Craig Anderson has been named the second star of the week by the NHL, bested only by Alexander Ovechkin and his 6 points in 2 games.

Mr. Anderson has started his Avalanche career with a 2-0-0 record, a 1.00 GAA and .973 save percentage. All that for the low, low price of $1.5M for the year.

Well done, Mr. Anderson and well done Greg Sherman for snagging this guy.