Avalanche Defeat Sharks 2-1, Take 1-0 Series Lead

When Chris Stewart took a penalty less than 30 seconds in, you could hear the hockey nation say "Oh, here we go...". It looked like the Avalanche weren't even going to get their wheels under them before being crushed by the Sharks.

But that penalty ended up being the turning point of the hockey game.

It forced the Avalanche to calm down and focus immediately on a single task - kill the penalty. There was no time for nerves or shaky passes. There was no need to bemoan getting locked in their own zone early because now it was going to happen. All that mattered next was how they responded.

They were able to weather the storm, Craig Anderson got some early action to get into it, and the Avs walked away with the 2-1 win. So much for the sweep, folks.

The vast majority of Avalanche players played their part and then some today. I'm going to single out a few of them that I really focused my eye on, but that's no slight on the rest of the team.

Kevin Porter - Particularly in the first period, I really enjoyed Porter's play. He was physical, defensive and showed a bit of offensive flair on breakouts. He was credited with four hits but I think he had that many in the first period alone. Besides, I call BS on the hit numbers as there's no way San Jose laid more checks than the Avs did tonight.

Kyle Cumiskey - Some people thought Cumiskey should be out in favor of Clark. They wanted Clark's shot blocking and feared Cumiskey's size would be exploited. Tonight, Cumiskey showed that Joe Sacco made the right choice. He was quick, physical and extremely solid defensively. This could be his breakout series.

Craig Anderson - Playoff virgin? It sure didn't look like it tonight. He was calm, cool and collected from start to finish. But please, stay in the net.

Matt Hendricks - Eight minutes of ice-time and five hits? That's what an energy guy has to do and Hendricks did it very well tonight.

Scott Hannan - The last playoffs Hannan was in with the Avs, I really felt he was soft. He turned that right around this game. He was very strong in front of the net and punished guys behind the net, including our old buddy, Jumbo Joe Thornton. He still has no idea what to do with the puck on his stick, but if he keeps pounding bodies I'll be more than happy.

T.J. Galiardi - Finally, we get to the man of the hour. Tonight, he got beat up, high sticked and probably kicked in the junk at some point. Yet it was Galiardi who drove the net, got knocked down, got right back up and stayed in front of the net, leading to the winning goal which banked off ol' Rob Blake's skate as Blake unsuccessfully tried to remove T.J. from the crease.

I don't know what Adam Foote said to this team in their closed door meeting before the game, but he should say it again on Friday.

And all of you should follow the same routine Friday that you did today. You don't want to jinx the team, do you?

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.

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.

Avs Nearly Get Past Sharks, Lose 1-0

Peter Budaj clocked a shutout tonight against the San Jose Sharks but the Avalanche still came away with just one point. One meaningless yet exciting point. Because no matter how badly I want Tavares or Hedman, I can't diminish my excitement when the team puts up a fight against one of the top-3 teams in the league.

But did anyone find it weird that the Avs hung in as well as they did? Sure, Budaj carried them into and through OT, but the Avs seemed pretty even with the Sharks tonight. Well, I might have come across a bit of insight as to what was up with the Sharks tonight.

On the way home from work yesterday, which takes all of 5 minutes, I was listening to the Drew Remenda Sports Show as I often do. Drew brought up a conversation he had with Todd McLellan Sunday evening.

On the plane ride back to San Jose following the Sharks 3-2 win over the Anaheim Ducks, McLellan asked Remenda what he thought of the game. Drew told McLellan that he thought the Sharks looked like a different team. A different, less explosive team.

McLellan's reply was "It's playoff hockey now, Drew! There'll be no more three-wide rushes into the zone. We're tightening up and getting ready for the push." To which I ask "If wide open has worked so far, why change it up?"

Obviously I'm no NHL coach and given what McLellan has done at that level already, I'll have to trust him. But I'll tell you what, I expected the Sharks to destroy the Avalanche tonight. I mean obliterate them. Like what the Hurricanes did to the Islanders.

Random Thoughts
I'm really liking Michael Vernace. Sure, he's had some stumbles along the way, but he looks very calm and collected out there. Late in the third, he fell on his back in front of Budaj but he got up quickly and immediately raced over to pick up a man in front. He didn't look for the puck, he looked for an open man. Hell yeah.

And related to that play was a game saving stop by Budaj. With Vernace on his keester and Ian Laperierre whiffing on a clear, Jeremy Roenick found himself wide open with the puck on his stick. But Budaj quickly closed up shop which left Roenick looking skyward. I woke up the neighbours on that one. Budaj put in one hell of a performance tonight once the Sharks started pressuring.

We know Jonathon Cheechoo won the Rocket Richard trophy. Once. He's scored progressively less goals every year since then. Can we say "outlier"?

Did anybody catch the 'stache on the guy in the visitor's penalty box? Am I the only one who was reminded of Snidely Whiplash? It was awesome.

Jay Vean caught an interesting thing at the end of the game. Dave Barr and Todd McLellan shook hands at the end of the game. Usually you don't see that until the playoffs and even then it's only at the end of a series, not every game.

Avalanche-Sharks Afterthoughts

The Avalanche lost to the Sharks but they did it the right way. They tried. As simple as that sounds, it's something the team has not done all too often this year.

On Sunday, they faced the (now) top team in the league and showed flashes of what this team could have been this season. Not a contender, but a team that can hold their own every night.

And though I'm a bit late to the party, I thought I'd share a few thoughts on the game.

Just like the economy
This team collapses all too readily. I know I'm harping on it but I think it's one of the key problems in the defensive "system" that the team employs.

Far too often the wingers are finding themselves caught heading deep into the zone as they follow the puck rather than covering an open man. I'll grant that on a rush, things can get a bit harried as the opposition breaks into the zone. And it doesn't help if the center on your line has decided to forgo backchecking.

But that doesn't absolve them of their responsibility once the rush has slowed and everybody is back in the zone. Now's the time to cover your d-man and help on the breakout. Don't just take it from me, take it from Milan Hejduk who on more than one occasion was directing T.J. Galiardi to cover the Sharks left defenseman rather than heading deep.

Just like OJ
This team has trouble breaking out. However there were a couple notable instances where they shed the "flying I" and went for "triangle of danger" (patent pending)

In this scenario, the left-side defenseman comes from behind the net and carries the puck up the ice. Near the Avs blueline, they fire a pass to a streaking right winger who is close to the opponents blueline. While this is happening, the center is racing up the middle of the ice and the left-wing starts to angle in as well (thus forming a triangle...get it? get it?)

The right-wing can either carry the puck into the zone or feed to the center or left-wing. But the key thing to happen at this point is that all forwards maintain speed in heading towards the net. This will pressure the defenders, possibly causing them to collapse too deep. At this point, it's a judgement call. The puck carrier can either fire a shot on net or drop it back to a trailing defenseman who one-times one towards the net.

Either way, what happens here is a quick transition which puts pressure on the opponents as well as generating not just a shot, but a chance at a tip or rebound opportunity since all the forwards were driving the net.

Of course this won't be possible on every breakout but when the opportunity arises (ie. the opponents peel off for a line change after a dump-in), the Avs need to strike and strike fast.

They showed they have the skills to pull this off. They just need it to be part of the gameplan.

Walk tall and carry...
A big stick. I don't want this to come off all creepy but does Evgeni Nabokov not use a ridiculously long stick?

Byngin it home
Patrick Marleau took what was his ninth minor penalty of the season as he clipped Cody Mcleod while trying to jump past him. Given where Martin St. Louis and Pavel Datsyuk are in the points race combined with their 10 and 20 PIMs respectively, I don't see Marleau walking away with the Byng. But he should be in the picture.

Steaming along
The Cheechoo train found itself derailed (groan) early in the game as he caught Lawrence Nycholat from behind, injuring Nycholat and gaining Cheechoo a 5-minute major and game misconduct. I think it was an unfairly assessed game misconduct but I'm also a big proponent of eliminating any hit from behind so I guess I have to stick to my guns on this one.

Down goes Staubitz!
Brad Staubitz delivered a head shot to Ryan Smyth and John-Michael Liles took exception. The diminuitive Liles immediately grabbed Staubitz and ended up tossing him to the ice.

"Big deal", you say. Well, given that Staubitz is 6'1, 210lbs and recently destroyed Jordin Tootoo, you've got to admire Liles for having no qualms about sticking up for his teammates. That's the kind of play that brings a team together.

I'll take "penalty" for $1000, Alex
The Avalanche pulled Raycroft down 2-1 with about 1:30 left in the game. And then they got a huge break from the referees.

The Sharks fired the puck out of their zone but it was well wide of the net and prime for an icing call. Until you say that the race was between Scott "Minister of Defense" Hannan and Marleau. I would wager that Marleau is in the top-10 in the league for speed and Hannan is...well...not so much. And given how much time Hannan has spent with Marleau, you know he knew that too.

So he did what anyone would do. He grabbed Marleau's arm and held on for dear life. They arrived at the boards at the same time but both whiffed on the puck, leaving the trailing Avalanche player to touch up for the icing.

And when Marleau turned to the refs and said "That's holding!", I couldn't help but agree. It wasn't even a missed call, it was simply a no-call. If the Avs had scored to tie the game, the Sharks and their fans would be justifiable in their anger.

I would have been ecstatic. But there would have been a twinge of guilt, I swear.

Related Links
MHH Recap
The Greatest - Aaron resurface to end the Roy vs Brodeur debate
Frei: Is it time to toast Sakic - the RMN is done, no need to keep fishing for hits
Jib meets AD and the world didn't asplode! Jib's account here, AD's here

Sharks Outmuscle Avalanche to 3-2 Victory

(AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

You know, this was actually a good hockey game to watch. I mean, if you weren't an Avalanche fan hoping for one measly road win at some point before the year is out. If you were a San Jose fan or just a casual fan, this game had some fast-paced hockey with lots of juicy checks. Not the cheap kind either - I'm looking at you Phaneuf - but legit, solid, finish-your-man checks.

However even the smash-mouth style hockey wasn't able to keep me up for the entire game. Due to a 9:30 start, friggin' Pacific games, the game still wasn't over by the time time I went down for the count. I woke up, checked the score online, silently cursed, then headed for bed deciding that nobody would be in the mood for a recap that late in the evening.

But everybody's ready now, right?

First Period
The game really got off on a sour note as Jaroslav Hlinka took an uber-lazy holding penalty on Joe Thornton. Midway through the penalty, Thornton found himself wide open in the low slot and you could read Budaj's thoughts: "Oh man, he's going five-hole. I know it. But if I go down, he's going high blocker. I know it. Oh man." And while he was thinking that, Thornton potted a quick wrister through the five-hole. You can't give Thornton a microsecond alone in the slot let alone a full 3 seconds by himself.

Jeremy Roenick then welcomed Hannan back to HP Pavilion with a stick to the face. Accidental for sure, but a penalty nonetheless. Then when Kyle McLaren got called for tripping just a minute in, the opportunity was ripe for the Avalanche to tie the game on a 5-on-3.

They squandered that opportunity though as they moved the puck around well but forgot that you don't get points for puck movement, only for goals. The team looked very flustered after the penalties were over and San Jose really got a boost out of that kill.

The Sharks really started laying on the body at this point but to the Avs credit, they dealt it right back. Of course it looked a bit like a comedy caper where the bad guy knocks the cop down, the cop then tries to knock the bad guy down but still gets knocked on his ass.

The teams most diminuitive player, Kyle Cumiskey, was one of the few to actually get a knockdown as he laid out Mike Grier at the end of a rush. Of course, Mike Grier then returned the favor on the same shift by plastering Cumiskey into the boards. I both hated and loved that moment. Hated because an Avalanche got plastered, loved because it was a perfect example of the way the game should be played and the way retribution should get dealt out. Legally.

Second Period
Joe Sakic has an uncharacteristic moment where he got a bit pissed off. It led him to take a bonehead penalty by slashing Devon Setoguchi on the hands. And guess who was there to make the team pay for it? That's right, Joe Thornton.

It was actually a funny goal to watch. Thornton was again alone down low and Budaj, having gone through this one already, was down and covering the corner. However the endless patience of Thornton wore out Budaj who decided to stand up and maybe get ready for a pass. The second he started moving up, Thornton buried it between his legs. I laughed and cried all at once.

Jeff Finger got called for a hook late in the 2nd and you could feel the walls closing in. The Sharks were already 2-for-3 on the powerplay and a goal at this point would essentially cement the win. However it was not to be as Paul Stastny took advantage of a misplay at the blueline by Craig Rivet. He streaked past him, drawing a penalty, and went in on a 2-on-1 with Hejduk. It was a perfectly played 2-on-1 as Hejduk basically kept his stick on the ice to redirect Stastny's perfect pass into the net. Shortie! That kind of goal can really turn the tide in a game.

But fret not! Less than 2 minutes later the Sharks restored their 2-goal lead on a bit of a fluke goal. Well, I don't want to say fluke as it was the result of going to the net and never giving up on the part of Mike Grier. Thornton broke down the wing, flipped a pass out front which Liles tried to bat out of the way, but instead batted it off Grier, then off of Budaj's pad and in. A brief review ensued but this was definitely a goal.

Christian Ehrhoff then took a late penalty but who cares, right? The Avalanche PP is terrible on the road. Well, they had a bit of a redeeming moment as only 8 seconds into the penalty, Andrew Brunette scored a goal off of Kyle McLaren's skate to make it a one goal game again.

Third Period
I missed pretty much the entire third period as I was drifting in and out and finally out for good about halfway through. I did catch the scrum that ensued after Mike Grier crosschecked Andrew Brunette behind the goal, leading Sakic to take offense and wrestle a bit with Marc-Edouard Pickles Vlasic. Wojtek Cherries Wolski and Patrick Rismiller got the gate as they wrestled for a bit too long.

Oh, and you might be saying "Cherries?" Well, the other day while shopping at Extra Foods, I noticed a brand of canned cherries with a name of "Wolski's Canned Cherries". So if Vlasic can be known as "Pickles", I shall now refer to Wolski, on and off, as "Cherries". Nobody else in the hockey world has a similar name, right?

Lines
Wolski-Sakic-Brunette
Hlinka-Stastny-Hejduk
Smyth-Arnason-Hensick
McCormick-Smith-Guite

Odds and Ends
- T.J. Hensick was in the lineup for Marek Svatos who was out with a groin injury
- Doug Murray is one tough SOB
- Marleau picked up his game tonight even though he was held off the scoreboard
- Hannan played another solid game
- Budaj was solid even though he didn't make any flashy saves
- Drew Remanda is the most opinionated announcer I've ever listened to
- I hate Joe Thornton, but in a respectful, I-don't-want-to-play-against-him kind of way
- Sharks fans booed Hannan which I thought was terribly unclassy

Stats
Scott Hannan and Brett Clark were the ice-time leaders with 24:35 and 24:25 respectively. Both were playing some good physical hockey tonight. No huge open-ice hits but some solid finishing checks along the boards. Kurt Sauer only had 10:29 in ice-time tonight and according to the TOI chart he only had one shift in the third. Hmm...

The teams dished out a combined 57 hits on the night. McLaren and Rivet led the way with 4 each for the Sharks. Guite and Sauer dished out 4 each on the Avalanche end while Hannan and Clark had 3 each. 3 D-men helping lead the way in hits. What a novel idea.

The Avalanche were beaten in the faceoff circle which hasn't been happening lately. Sakic was a dreadful 2 for 11 and Stastny was 6 for 18. Smith was 3 for 4 and Arnason was 6 for 11 to help boost the average.

Related Links
NHL.com Event Summary
TSN.ca Recap
ColoradoAvalanche.com Recap
Denver Post Recap
Jibblescribbits Live and on Location
In the Cheap Seats Recap

Gameday: Avalanche @ San Jose

The goalie rotation is over and Mr. Jibblescribbits has an early Christmas present as Peter Budaj is scheduled to make the start tonight against the Sharks. Jose Theodore allowed 13 goals in his last 3 games so Q must have figured it was time to let him study from the bench again.

Tonight also marks the return of Scott Hannan to HP Pavilion Arena. Not "the HP Pavilion Arena" as Drew Remanda told us last night on the Drew Remanda sports show. Why no "the"? I'm guessing just because corporate arena naming is such a crapshoot that they can do whatever they damn well please.

And as you're all aware, T.J. Hensick will be with the team in San Jose as the Avalanche recalled him yesterday. As DD notes, callups typically sit their first game in the press box so I wouldn't be surprised if he watches from above.

However, if as speculated, - again by myself and DD - Sakic's injury is a bit more than the Avalanche are letting on, Hensick might slot himself into the lineup tonight. The Sharks have been a less than physical team so there's no need to have our "enforcer" Scott Parker in the lineup. Then it's just a choice of which fourth-liner to sit.

Or...and this is a crazy thought, the Avalanche could roll three scoring lines and a fourth line that is full of grinders, not supplemented with players such as Marek Svatos.

As for the Sharks, they've been an enigma lately. After another loss to the LA Kings Wednesday night, on home ice no less, the Sharks faithful are a bit upset. The Mercury News is putting it at the hands of captain Patrick Marleau.

And why not? With Jeremy Roenick putting up more points than Marleau, it's time for Patrick to kick it in gear and get out of his slump. Hopefully he waits until their next game though.

Standings
Colorado - 27 points, 13-9-2, 3rd in NW, 8th in West
San Jose - 26 points, 11-8-4, 3rd in Pacific, 10th in West

Related Links
RMN Avalanche Report
Denver Post Preview

Avalanche Storm Sharks; Win 6-2

(AP Photo/Will Powers)

The Avalanche put on a dominating offensive performance and took it to the San Jose Sharks with a 6-2 win. Although there were technical issues with the HD feed on Center Ice, it was still available on a non-HD (yuck!) feed. However I didn't need HD to see something I liked. And I liked what the Avalanche looked like tonight.

First period
The period started off with an excellent penalty kill after Milan Hejduk took a double-minor for high-sticking. The Avalanche actually generated more chances than the Sharks did on this one. The PK was generating pressure, forcing turnovers and covering a lot of ice. Very nice to see.

The Avalanche then got a slew of powerplay chances and they made sure to cash in. On their first chance, the most notable point was when Liles was stripped of the puck heading up ice but Sakic had stayed back to save Liles' hide. The second chance was a 5-on-3 and they made sure to make it count. It was as beautiful and well-executed as a 5-on-3 can be. Sakic got the puck, dumped it down to Stastny, broke for the net and took a perfect feed back from Stastny and buried it. With that goal, Sakic jumps past Phil Esposito for 8th on the all-time points list and takes sole possession of 14th on the all-time goal scoring list.

Wojtek Wolski and Marek Svatos were skating together on the 3rd line and looked good together. They did have some miscues but nothing horrible. They got mixed up on one opportunity where Svatos should have taken the puck since he had the better angle but Wolski grabbed it, tried to feed it back and lost it in traffic. They'll work those issues out on the bench pretty quickly.

Milan Hejduk then put the Avs up by a score of 2-0 with a goal made of sheer speed. He came flying down the right side, blew past Kyle McLaren and then buried it five-hole on Nabokov. It was definitely a Hejduk-style goal and it always brings a smile to my face. If he keeps that speed all season long, I could see him scoring 40 goals.

Since I was watching the Sharks feed, I got treated to a mic'd up segment with Tim Hunter, one of the Sharks assistant coaches. He was coaching a player during practice on what the Avs do on the PP. This may sound familiar: "Brunette sets up down low, or Smyth, then Sakic comes in on the backdoor with a give-and-go from Stastny". Well, they better start listening to Mr. Hunter as that was the choreography of the first goal to a "T".

Second Period
The Sharks started off the period in penalty trouble again as Vlasic took a hooking penalty followed by the team taking a too many men penalty. They killed those off successfully and that gave the Sharks some steam.

At the 7:47 mark, Ryan Clowe was able to bury a rebound that Budaj had kicked out to the middle of the slot to make the game a bit less comfortable. Budaj has got to watch his rebound control as he's just not gobbling them up like he needs to. And if you kick em out, go for the corners, not the middle of the ice.

Nabokov came up with some good saves to keep the Sharks in it, including a great save off a great play by Smyth and Stastny. Those two are clicking together nicely. They're both immensely intelligent hockey players so it's not hard for them to feed off of each other.

The Avalanche started running around a bit in their own end towards the end of the 2nd but Budaj made some good saves and they came away unscathed.

Third Period
It was the Avs turn to come out firing as they got off two quick goals in the first three minutes of play.

The first was a great rush by the 2nd line. Hejduk danced in on the right side, skipped past 3 defenders, took a shot which was blocked, corraled it back, fed it to a streaking Stastny and he made no mistake.

The second was on another excellent rush by the 2nd line. Stastny fed it to Smyth who one-timed it, then Hejduk slipped the rebound past Nabokov. Nabokov doesn't drop pucks like that often but Hejduk went to the net and we all know what happens when you do that. Good things.

Ian Laperriere and Doug Murray then had a little tilt. Lappy crushed Murray along the glass, Murray got angry and decided to go. You can't blame Murray. Down by 3 goals and gets plastered. He's gonna come up swinging.

Then things got ugly. If you're a Sharks fan. The Avalanche fired off 2 more quick goals to put the game well out of reach. It was a couple of "first" goals by Avalanche players. Marek Svatos and Ryan Smyth both broke their goose eggs on the season.

Marek Svatos got his goal off a great deflection on a Finger point shot. He looked happy/relieved/excited/tired all at once. Ryan Smyth then raced in, beat a Sharks defender to the puck behind the net, wrapped it around and ended Evgeni Nabokov's night.

The Sharks then took another penalty and out came the big guns. Actually it was Wyatt Smith and Ben Guite. They nearly cashed in too! Well, they did cash it but it was waved off. Smith crashed the net and banged home a rebound. However, the referee had blown the play dead - a very quick whistle - just as Smith banged it home. The puck actually was in before the whistle went but as the Sharks announcers mentioned, it's the intent of the referee rather than when the whistle actually goes. Fair enough.

The Sharks got one more before the game was out. A very pretty cross-crease play on the PP. Yep, the Avs gave up another cross-crease play while shorthanded. This time it was Clark who didn't pick up the man in the slot.

Overall
This was a Sharks team the Avs are not likely to see again. Turnover after turnover dogged their chances today. They couldn't generate any offensive pressure and they looked very porous on defense. They looked completely flat and had no excuse to look this flat.

However it's a win the Avalanche will take any day of the week. And they'll smile while doing it. I know I did.

Notables
- Wolski and Svatos looked good together
- Arnason is the laziest faceoff man I've seen
- the 2nd line was dynamite (Smyth-Stastny-Hejduk), combining for 10 points and 4 goals
- Hejduk is absolutely flying with the puck on his stick
- Finger was in for Skrastins
- D pairings were: Hannan-Clark; Leopold-Sauer; Liles-Finger
- Leopold had the most ice-time of any Avalanche player (22:54)
- Lappy was a hitting machine as were Guite and Finger

The Good
- PK was solid save for one lapse
- Stastny with a 5-point night
- Hejduk with 3 points
- Smyth's first goal as an Avalanche
- Sakic tying Espo (goals) and passing Hull (points)

The Bad
- Budaj's rebound control
- faceoffs are back to "terrible" status at 37%

The Ugly
- Lappy taking a poke to the eye during his fight

Related Links
Tapeleg Live Blogs (Barely) The Game
TSN Recap
ColoradoAvalanche.com Recap
NHL.com Scoresheet
CBSSports.com Recap
Mile High Hockey Recap

Game Preview: Sharks vs Avalanche - Oct 7

(AP Photo/Frederick Breedon)

It's the only game on tonight and it's an early start at 7:00p.m. ET. If the sports networks want to have some hockey to talk about tonight, this better be a real barn burner.

It's got the makings of one as the Avalanche are coming off of a 4-0 tromping at the hands of the Nashville Predators and will be looking for redemption. It's also the first time Scott Hannan faces his former team after signing with the Avalanche this off-season. After playing 8 seasons with the Sharks, this game has an obvious sentimental impact for Hannan and he's gunning for a big win.

Jose Theodore, coming off a 3-2 loss with the Lake Erie Monsters on Saturday, was set to rejoin the roster today. There has been no word yet on whether the plans have changed it's unlikely. All signs point to Theodore backing up Budaj for the game today as I don't see them thrusting him into a start so soon. Ok, I could see it happening but I don't think it should.

UPDATE: Dater reports that Budaj is definitely getting the start. Missed it during my morning readings.

Joel Quenneville has shaken up the lines a bit for this game. Ryan Smyth and Milan Hejduk have moved down to a line with Paul Stastny, while Jaroslav Hlinka and Andrew Brunette find themselves on the top line with Joe Sakic. Tyler Arnason will center Wojtek Wolski and Marek Svatos on the third line while Wyatt Smith will sit in between Ian Laperriere and Ben Guite on the fourth line.

The second line mirrors what many people expected after hearing of the Smyth signing. It was believed that Wolski would stay on the first line with Brunette and Sakic but Jaroslav Hlinka should slot in quite nicely. The third line will be the one that worries people the most as it appears to lack any semblance of defensive responsibility. Personally, I'm not concerned about the third line and am expecting a big game from them.

Overall, the Avalanche are looking terrible from a statistics perspective. Their powerplay has been anemic (0%, tied for last in the league), their penalty kill has been atrocious (54%, 29th in the league) and Budaj has been shaky (4.04GAA, .875%). And we mustn't forget faceoffs (43.3%, 27th in the league). All of those stats are in serious need of improvement and I have faith that the Avalanche will put in a solid showing tonight.

But will a solid showing be enough to get past the offensive trio of Thornton, Marleau and Cheechoo and the goaltending of Evgeni Nabokov?

Related Links
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Post-game vs San Jose - Mar 18, 2007

The Avalanche got a huge win tonight at the Pepsi Center as they put the San Jose Sharks away in OT by a score of 4-3. This was the game in hand the Avalanche had on Calgary and they needed to win it. It was looking dicey going into the 3rd at a 3-2 disadvantage. However, Andrew Brunette came up clutch and tied the game at 3 halfway through the third. Then an ill-timed penalty by Jonathan Cheechoo put the Avs on the PP going into OT. And Milan Hejduk made them pay. He flew down the wing and buried a classic Hejduk goal as he went top shelf on the short side and make it look as easy as putting his pants on.

JM Liles found his scoring touch in this game as he scored a critical goal to pull the Avs within one before the 2nd period ended. He ended up with 4 shots on the night, was +1 and had 17 minutes of ice-time. He's starting to look comfortable again out on the ice which is a relief after watching his knee bend awkwardly in last nights game. Hopefully his foot is close to being 100+ which I really don't think it was when he came back from his injury. He wasn't out enough games to be looking that rusty unless something was wrong.

Andrew Brunette had a great game today. He's always solid on the ice and today he continued that with some sound plays, a clutch goal to tie it, and an assist on Liles' goal that got them within one. On the Liles goal, he rubbed out his man along the board to go streaking into the zone and get the puck on net. And what do we know happens when you get the puck on net? Good things! In this case, Liles pinched at the right time and buried it. Then again Brunette was using his big frame in front of the net and working hard to get the tying goal. I'm very glad they signed Brunette to a contract extension and am glad that he got a significant raise as he very much deserved it.

And of course how can any post that any Avalanche blogger make tonight not include something about Joe Sakic? He was the first start of the night, assisted on all 4 Avalanche goals, was +1, had 6 shots and won 73% of his faceoffs. How's that for setting an example for the rest of the team and showing them that there's no quit. He did take an untimely penalty but it managed to fuel the team as they successfully killed it off. Did Joe mean to take that penalty to spark his team? Only he knows the answer.

And speaking of team sparks, the softie that Budaj let in for the second goal actually served to anger the team it seems. After that goal was scored, the team spend the next 5 or 6 minutes in the Sharks zone trying to generate some chances. It didn't work out so well for them but it was good to see that kind of response to a bad goal. Unfortunately Budaj has given up a couple in his last two games, but fortunately it hasn't phased him and he's been able to pull out the wins for the team to keep this streak going.

Evgeni Nabokov, on the other hand, was brilliant tonight. He flat out robbed the Avalanche on many occasions, including a spectacular glove save on Liles during the 5-on-3. I know the Sharks like rotating their goaltenders but it's close to playoff time and they need to pick one. I hope Nabokov is it. I'm not sure why but I like the guy and the way he plays. He's a very smart goaltender, as evidenced by his nifty pokecheck to deny a scoring chance in close. Why wait for the guy to roof it when you can just poke it away? It's not every goaltender that makes that play but it's a very smart play.

So a big win by the Avs and now they get some rest as they don't play again until Wednesday when they clash with the slumping Oilers. They play the Oilers again on Friday night and I will be at the game live and in person to see the streak continue! So that could mean I don't get a chance to do a pre-game and my post-game will likely be later on the weekend. But I should have tons of pictures and hopefully some videos as well!

The Good
- won a huge game
- overcame deficit in 3rd
- Arnason finally got on the board
- decent powerplay

The Bad
- Stastny's streak finally ended
- went into the 3rd down by 1

The Ugly
- Guerin's baseball swing to Wolski's face

Pre-game vs San Jose - Mar 18, 2007

The march to the playoffs continues for the Avalanche as they welcome the San Jose Sharks to the Pepsi Center. The Avs are coming off a bit 6-3 win over Phoenix which moves them within 6 points of Calgary for the final playoff spot. A win tonight against San Jose will move them within 4, with a game still in hand. It's not going to be easy as the Sharks are on a 4-game winning streak which has seen each of their goaltenders record a shutout and allowing a grand total of 2 goals in those 4 games.

If they are going to get past the Sharks, they are going to again have to look to Joe Sakic to keep the game under control while allowing players such as Stastny, Hejduk and Brunette to work their magic and keep the offense rolling. And it wouldn't be a bad idea to try and shut down players such as Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau, possibly the most potent 1-2 punch at center in the NHL. If Thornton's 8 points in 3 games doesn't speak of domination, I don't know what does. Possibly Michalek's 5 in 2?

They'll also need to look to Peter Budaj to continue his solid play. He gave up a weaker goal in the first period against Phoenix but decided to shut the door in the third period to give his team a chance to pot the final two goals to ensure the win was in the bag. If he can keep coming up clutch when the game is on the line, this team will get the chance to win every night. His GAA in the last 7 games is under 2.00 so he has been a very large part of this recent winning streak.

Injuries
Brisebois - back, IR
Turgeon - calf, IR
Leopold - wrist, mid-March
Skrastins - knee, day-to-day

Smith - groin, day-to-day

Hot
Stastny has 19 in 12, Hejduk has 13 in 9, Sakic has 5 in 2, Brunette has 4 in 2.

Thornton has 8 in 3, Michalek has 5 in 2, Cheechoo has 4 in 2, Guerin has 5 in 3, Carle has 10 in 11.

Cold
Arnason has 0 in 5, Liles has 1 in 5.

Brown and Bernier have 0 in 3.

Goaltenders
Peter Budaj - 25-15-5, 2.71 GAA, .906 save pct
Evgeni Nabokov - 19-16-2, 2.22 GAA, .914 save pct

Standings
Colorado - 36-29-6, 4th in NW, 9th in West
San Jose - 44-25-3, 2nd in Pacific, 5th in West

Post-game vs San Jose - Jan 15, 2007

Well, they gave a fight towards the end of the game but couldn't reocver from an early 2-0 deficit. 2 powerplay goals given up 2 1/2 minutes apart was back breaker in this one. If they hadn't given those up, and I hate playing this game but..., I absolutely believe Colorado could have walked away with at least a point.

Budaj played amazing again and looks extremely confident out there. He made some amazing cross-crease saves and had a huge pad stack save in the first. I love pad stack saves because to do a pad stack, it typically means your confidence is through the roof. Martin Brodeur is the king of the pad stack and guess who the #1 goalie in the game is! Unfortunately, when you're confronted with the #1 powerplay in the league, there's not much even a pad stack can do with that many Sharks crashing the net.

Which leads one to wonder exactly what Pierre Turgeon was thinking when he reached around and grabbed hold of that Sharks player to give the Sharks their 5th poweplay and 3rd PP goal. He actually had the audacity to argue with the referee about it. I mean, if you lay your hand on another player, grab his sweater, and tug...you're going to get a penalty. I don't know if he just got the memo about the "new NHL" but it's high-time he takes a good read through it. No, Turgeon himself didn't cost the game, but he made sure to do his part.

Milan Hejduk was flying out there tonight and man are his moves looking good. He made some amazing dangles and is able to pull off some good moves when in full stride. That's the Milan we knew and loved and it's great to see him back. He played his way back onto the top line with Sakic and Wolski. That of course meant Svatos was moved to the second line but not for his lack of trying. He has his wheels going but just doesn't seem to be overly confident right now with the puck.

I continue to be completely unimpressed with Kurt Sauer. It may be that he's trying to hard to make up for Cumiskey's inexperience but from what I've seen, Cumiskey is playing better than Sauer. Cumiskey did get his pocket picked on the 2nd Sharks goal but he was actually tossing the body around a bit and appears to be making better choices on pinching. Somebody on the coaching team definitely told him to think before pinching as a couple times you caught him starting then stopping and staying back on D.

However, as bad as I feel Sauer is playing, the coaching staff seems to feel he is either a better player than Vaananen or a better fit with Cumiskey. Vaananen saw the ice for 15 minutes which was the least ice-time of all D-men. I didn't catch much of Vaananen's play tonight but he was more of a "meh" player to me. He made a couple good hits but also had a couple cough-ups as he tried to carry the puck into the offensive zone.

So the Avalanche's defensive woes continue to cause them some grief. If the team hadn't found a goaltender to pull off some amazing saves, they would be much worse off than they are right now. As it stands, they're 4 points out of a playoff position so don't discount them yet. Brisebois may be back soon and rumblings of Leopold's return have started to surface. If this D can get healthy and have Budaj continue it's stellar play, they can easily climb back into contention.

The Good
- good fight towards the last half of the game
- not getting shutout
- Budaj's headstands

The Bad
- nearly getting shutout
- giving up early 2-goal lead
- giving up 3 PP goals

The Ugly
- Turgeon's game sealing penalty