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.

Game 1 Highlights: Avalanche 5 - Sharks 2

I'll try and get up an actual post tomorrow, but for now here are some quick hits.

Sakic ceremony had me pinch out a couple tears, particularly the locker stall enshrinement. Well done by the organization.

Matt Duchene is ffffffast, but he needs to strengthen up to fight in front of the net and along the boards better.

Wolski looks awake more so than in previous years. I'm liking it.

Who figured "crash the net" could be sound strategy? I was almost getting to like the cycle-but-don't-score strategy.

Galiardi was out a lot on the PK, the most of any forward by far. Sacco is showing confidence in the kids and I'm liking that, too.

Seeing Kyle Quincey play makes me feel much better about the Ryan Smyth trade. Dude was a beast! Ice-time is indicating #1 d-man status and he deserved it.

Was anybody else reminded of this goal on Cody Mac's goal off the rebound from Stewie?

Stastny pulled a Forsberg with his behind-the-back from behind the net out to Wolski. I was getting reminded of a lot of things tonight it seems.

Ryan O'Reilly got his first NHL point before Matt Duchene did. Oh snap!

And hey, Craig Anderson didn't let in any weak goals! Huzzah!

Check out the game highlights below from NHL.tv.

Avalanche Thump Canucks, Win 4-1

I gotta tell you, that felt good. No, it didn't help the Tank it 4 Tavares standings, but I was getting sick and bloody tired of watching this team lose.

So with four rookie defensemen and a rookie centering the top line, the Colorado Avalanche took down the Vancouver Canucks and dealt a blow to the Canucks race for the Northwest crown.

I cheered like hell on every goal and ran around the room giving high fives when the buzzer sounded. Which is a bit weird since nobody else was in the room at the time. If my neighbours didn't know better, they'd have thought the Avs were having a good season and had just secured a playoff berth.

Sigh.

Random thoughts
T.J. Galiardi now has three goals in seven games - all coming against Vancouver - and is building up my expectations for next season.

Wojtek Wolski made his return after battling the flu. Apparently the team was worried it could be mono. Or possibly a broken leg.

I like Ryan Kesler's style but I didn't like him moving in on Ian Laperriere without reciprocating on taking off his helmet as Lappy did. But on the other hand, I can see why some guys are a bit reluctant to lose their lid these days. I'm torn on the fighting issue and during the offseason, I might put my thoughts to bits and explain why I'm so torn.

Milan Hejduk scored to overtake Ryan Smyth for the Avs goal scoring "race". It might not be the Avs finest year but Hejduk has been a consistent performer for this team and I'm glad he's leaning towards coming back.

How disappointed was everyone that Peter Budaj just missed the goose egg? Once the first period was over, I thought to myself "Budaj's got a shot at a shutout tonight." But alas, it wasn't to be.

Upcoming Schedule
The Avalanche play the Sharks tomorrow night and I don't expect anything near the same result. Brace yourselves, this one may get ugly.

Then it's back home for the final three games of the season. And as you may recall, I will be in Denver for all three.

I'll be checking out one game with with my girl and then I'll be taking in the final game with Mr. Jay Vean of the Avs Hockey Podcast.

I've still got my fingers crossed that Joe Sakic will suit up for Sunday's game but even if he doesn't, I'm still somewhat comforted that it will be Lappy's 1000th NHL game. So either way, it should be a historic night.

Related Links
Sakic Eyes Olympic Gold

Avalanche Down Wild in SO, Win 2-1

Cody McCormick = steel. As in balls. Steel balls. Because that's what you would need to take on Godzilla on skates. But that's exactly what McCormick did tonight as he lined up with John Scott just two minutes into the third period.

At first I thought "Who the hell is John Scott?" Then the announcers gave us the guys numbers. 6'8", 260lbs. And I thought "Sweet jeebus, I hope he doesn't kill Cody." But in the end, it was McCormick that got a hold of Scott and gave him a Rock Bottom to the ice. The Avs should get boosted to the top of the standings based on that performance.

But the Avalanche did walk away with two points tonight on the heels of a shootout dominated by Wojtek Wolski and Milan Hejduk. Wolski scored first on a classic Wolski move with a twist. Then Hejduk one-upped him. You had to run the replay in slow-motion just to see Hejduk's stickhandling prowess but it was beautiful. If ninjas could stickhandle, that's what it would look like.

I know I've been absent for a while and frankly it's because the passion died off a bit. The team didn't help but life kind of kicked my ass for a while. Thankfully I took care of that and am back for the stretch run.

Can they make the playoffs? Hell no. Can they save Granato's job? Maybe. Can they at least try to go out with a bang instead of a whimper? I sure as hell hope so.

Either way, let's try and have a little fun with what's been one of the worst years in franchise history. And they used to be the friggin' Nordiques!

Related Links
NHL.com Boxscore

Avalanche Drown Penguins, Win 5-3

(Doug Pensinger/Getty Images)

What the hell is with the Rocky Mountain News byline in their game recap?

"Crosby, Malkin combine for 4 points"? Really?

Why not "Jones, Wolski combine for 5 points"? Doesn't that feel just a tad more appropriate for a Denver-based newspaper?

They did cover David Jones' and Wojtek Wolski's excellent games with this nice segue:

"But a couple of Avalanche youngsters had pretty good games, too..."

Sure, it was a bit tongue-in-cheek but when the home team hits a three-game winning streak on the backs of two of their young "stars", shouldn't you use that as the angle for the story?

I know, I know. "Sidney Crosby saved the NHL" as the Altidudes tried to convince us all game long.

No, he did not. It was the huge infusion of young talent - Crosby, Alexander Ovechkin, Evgeni Malkin, Ryan Getzlaf, Mike Richards, Dion Phaneuf, Shea Weber, Mike Green, Carey Price...need I continue? - that helped redefine the NHL post-lockout.

Crosby did not pick up the NHL, put it on his back and ride into town with guns blazing.

And now I've gone and made Crosby the focal point of my recap. Fudgsicles.

Wolski wunning with the ball
Why was Wolski not playing center since day one? Or to reword - since he did play center on day one - why did he not continue to play his natural position?

Having Sakic, Stastny and Wolski down the middle would have given the Avs one of the best best trios in the league.

Had Sakic and Stastny not gone down with injuries, Wolski would still be stuck at left wing with his maddenly inconsistent play. I don't want to say those injuries "happened for a reason" but at least some good came of it.

On the flip side, if Wolski hadn't stepped up to the #1 center role, Tyler Arnason might have been shipped out of town by now.

Though Francois Giguere would probably have needed to package up Wolski in any deal with a reasonably sane GM.

The great balance of life, eh?

Jones swimming to shore
Jones has been impressing me on a consistent basis with his intensity and it paid off big tonight with two goals and one assist.

Both goals came on rebounds in front of the net, proving once again that good things happen when you head to the net.

With his deceptive speed and power, I'm looking for Jones to become a real force on this squad. As I have been since the start of the season, proving once that you can't win 'em all.

Hannan shuts down Malkin
Saying a player got "shut down" when they notched a goal and an assist might make me sound like an idiot.

But if you saw the frustration that Scott Hannan caused Malkin today, you'd realize that I'm less of an idiot than you think I am.

Hannan was in Malkin's face all game long and if there's one knock on Malkin, it's that he can get frustrated easily.

Of course he'll still score 10 goals on you while frustrated, but imagine what he would do if he was happy?

That ought to restore the idiot level nicely.

Raycroft wins again
Andrew Raycroft is now 9-1-0 on the season with seven straight wins.

Is there anything this man can't do?

Raycroft actually presents a striking resemblance to Jose Theodore.

Ostracized by his former team (or the fans at least), won an award many years ago which their reputation is still based upon, pseudo-restored by Jeff Hackett, patchy facial hair, Canadian.

Of course Theodore catches with his right hand, is French, allegedly hooked up with Paris Hilton and has way more money.

But still...

Playoff bound!
The Avs are back in the playoff picture! And if the playoffs started today they would face the Detroit Red Wings.

But they don't so they won't. The playoffs are a long ways off and a lot can happen over the next 615 games.

For the trivia lovers, today's game was the exact halfway point of the 1230 game season.

I don't recall where I read that this afternoon but a glove tap goes out to someone on the ol' Interweb.

Game Highlights


Related Links
Avs beat Penguins, push win streak to three
Jones, Raycroft lead Avs to win
Raycroft, Top line leading the way
MHH Recap

Avalanche Slide Past Blackhawks, Win 2-1

(AP)

Full disclosure - I spent a lot of time watching funny videos on the Fail Blog during this game.

It's not that the game wasn't exciting. It was. But I needed some laughter and Fail Blog never lets me down.

Once the smoke had cleared, the Avs had their second straight win, Raycroft had his sixth, and I was in a pretty chipper mood.

Raycroft the starter?
Geo makes a case for Andrew Raycroft to be the starter.

And as long as he keeps winning, that's what will happen.

It's not that he has significantly outplayed Peter Budaj. It's that he has out-winned him.

If Raycroft keeps his streak going, Granato will keep playing him.

(AP)

Wolski a-way!
Wojtek Wolski has been a friggin' superhero since being moved to center.

With three goals in his last three games, it's almost enough to make you forget the team is missing Joe Sakic and Paul Stastny.

Ok, it's not even close but remember one thing: if those two hadn't gone down, Wolski would still be mired in inconsistency on the left wing.

Once Stastny and Sakic are back, the Avs will have a pretty solid group down the middle.

Related Links
Wolski, Raycroft lead Avs to win over Chicago
Wolski powers Avs past Blackhawks
MHH Recap
Rayzor vs Boods

Avalanche Shut out by Wild, Lose 2-0

I want to burn through the recap to get to the really interesting part of the night.

Two second recap
The Avs lost. They couldn't score. They couldn't play defense. Adam Foote got hurt. Darcy Tucker classed the joint up. Wojtek Wolski wants to continue playing center. 

The fun part
AD has gone on another classic rant

And it was good.  Right until the end.

Oh, and has anybody checked out Theodore’s record lately? 13-6-1. Yeah, we didn’t need guys like him anymore.

Must the horse continue to be beaten?

Theodore - and the Caps - are on a good run right now. Theodore has let in just one or two goals per game for his last four games.

Before that he was living up to his unfortunate "Three-or-four" nickname.

The Capitals were winning in spite of Theodore's play.

Their individual stats - which of course have their flaws - are nearly identical.
Theodore - 2.98 GAA, .892 Save Pct
Budaj - 2.84 GAA, .899 Save Pct

Francois Giguere made many questionable moves this offseason but letting Theodore walk was not one of those moves.

He's spot on with regards to Andrew Brunette, Stephane Yelle and the Toronto cast-offs.

Giguere's job will only be saved thanks to the injuries to Paul Stastny and Joe Sakic.

Avalanche vs Wild Game Preview

I'm still alive!

I took a few games off to rest and recharge but it appears I've regained the energy to write.

While I was kicking back, I was also slacking off on watching the Avs due to the ever-exciting World Junior Hockey Championship.

The hockey in that tournament has been magnitudes more exciting than what the Avalanche have been playing lately so I certainly don't regret the decision.

Canada goes for their fifth-straight gold on Monday and it's half as good as their games against the USA and Russia, you're going to be sorry if you missed it.

On to the game at hand
Colorado has just finished knocking themselves out of playoff contention for the moment and are facing another struggling team in the Minnesota Wild.

Minnesota got off to rocket start to the season but have since dropped below the 8th-seed, thanks in part to a 5-game losing streak in early December 

The Wild have had tough opponents in their last four matchups (Blackhawks, Flames, Sharks, Wings) and you can only imagine how happy they are to be facing the Avalanche.

Sure, if you ask one of their players they'll give the "It's the NHL and any team can win on any given night. They've got some quality players and you have to work hard against them" stock answer but can anyone not read between the lines there?

It's time for a line change

Tony Granato has shaken up the lines big time for this game after struggling to find some effective combinations during the last two games.

The first big move is that Wojtek Wolski is finally being moved to center. After declaring Wolski a capable fill-in at center should Joe Sakic retire, TG promptly decided to leave Wolski at the wing and move Ian Laperriere to center when Sakic went down with his injuries.

Jib makes an interesting comparison with Wolski and Joe Thornton. It's a great point and actually has me a little excited to see what Wolski can do.

Wolski's linemates will be Milan Hejduk and David Jones which puts a power forward on right and a sniper on the left. How will Milan Hejduk fair on the left-wing? He's always loved to fly down his off-wing so he might relish the chance. 

T.J. Hensick and Chris Stewart have been promoted to a line with Ryan Smyth. A playmaking center, a power forward and a guy who will plant himself in front of the crease. It's got potential.

Tyler Arnason has fallen from #1 center to the #3 slot as he will center Darcy Tucker and Marek Svatos. Tucker and Arnason had some chemistry earlier in the season and we're all hoping they find it again. Tucker and Arnason aren't such bad guys when they're putting points on the board.

It's unfortunate that Marek Svatos continues to spend time down on the third line but if Jones falters, he will be the first guy to be bumped up a slot.

The final line will consist of Brian Willsie and Cody Mcleod centered by Ian Laperriere. Lappy has been one of the few bright spots recently and it's unfortunate to see him playing on the grind line.

Goaltending

Peter Budaj gets the call again and will likely face off against Niklas Backstrom.

Game time

The game starts at 8:00 ET which gives me about 2 1/2 hours to warm up the car and grab some groceries first.

Normally that would be plenty of time but since it's -40C here today, I'm thinking the car might be a bit bitchy at being woken up.

Avalanche Dump Canucks in Shootout, Win 5-4

I'm currently in a temporary apartment and without my TV/PVR/Center Ice trifecta. And though I have a Slingbox, the wifi I'm pilfering has been hit-and-miss.

So what does that mean? It means I only saw bits and pieces of the game so I'll do this recap in point form.

See, individual points have less chance of making me look like an ass than if I pontificate on a "trend" based on one observation.

And here...we...go!

Notes
Daniel Tjarnqvist is making his case for staying in the lineup. Could he be making another defender expendable?

Milan Hejduk lived up to his "Canuck killer" moniker as he potted one goal, assisted on two others and sealed the Canucks fate with a goal in the shootout.

David Jones found the twine tonight as he continues to improve from earlier this season. He's got a ways to go to hit 30 goals though.

What was with Steve Bernier tonight? He potted two goals and only the post kept him from ending the game in overtime.

Wojtek Wolski is the new Jussi Jokinen. But his moves are even sweeter.

Could Wolski, Marek Svatos and Hejduk be one of the most potent shootout lineups this year? Seriously, I'm asking.

Related Links
NHL.com Boxscore

Avalanche Stifle Lightning, Win 4-3

(Associated Press)

The Avalanche scored three late first period goals en route to a 4-3 win against the visiting Tampa Bay Lightning.

Recap
Jordan Leopold opened the scoring on the powerplay at the 15:20 mark. Leopold came in from the point, took a nice feed from Marek Svatos and made a nice forehand-backhand move to put it past Olaf Kolzig.

A mere two minutes later, Marek Svatos again found himself working hard in tight and he managed to get the puck over to Wojtek Wolski who notched his first goal of the game. It was nice to see the 6'3 Wolski charging the net.

And apparently it felt good for Wolski too as barely 30 seconds later he drove hard to the net and managed to get a hold of his own rebound for his second goal of the game and third in his last four games.

That was all she wrote for Olaf Kolzig as Mike Smith came in to start the second period and did an excellent job in relief stopping 20 of 21 shots.

His only mistake was giving the puck away to David Jones who went into Datsyuk mode as he grabbed the puck, skated around one defender, then went forehand-backhand on a sprawling Mike Smith to make it 4-1. I hope any lingering Wings fans just threw up in their mouth on a comparison of Jones to Datsyuk. Because it's the only reason I said it.

The Jones goal proved to be huge as the Avalanche took a couple penalties which let the Lightning get right back in the game.

Ryan Malone and Steven Stamkos scored on back-to-back powerplays to bring the score to 4-3. And the cold sweats started flowing.

But the Avalanche were able to stifle the final onslaught and walk away with the W.

Half and half
With that win, the Avalanche pull within one win of .500 hockey. Yes we can! Yes we can!

It's disheartening to be aiming to play above .500 rather than aiming for the division title. But it's still early in the season. Baby steps. Baby steps.

Break out of the breakout funk
Early in the game, I found myself banging my head against the wall. Then I decided to stop that and watch the game for a while.

Ok, I was banging my head because once again the Avalanche were collapsing against each other as they broke out of the zone.

At one point Ryan Smyth skated from the left boards to the right boards as Milan Hejduk was breaking out of the zone. It honestly looked like Smyth for a second had forgotten what team he played for and was actually trying to get the puck away from Hejduk. It was baffling.

Thankfully as the game wore on, the team started to realize how much more effective you can be if you spread out on the rush.

Hopefully one of the coaches took notes and will try and implement that style of play. It would go perfectly with a "run-and-gun" offense, don't you think?

Lines
Smyth-Stastny-Hejduk
Wolski-Arnason-Svatos
Willsie-Hensick-Laperriere
Jones-McCormick-Mcleod

The Arnason line was far and away the best line of the night. And yes, it feels weird typing that. But how can you argue with two goals, five assists and a combined +6?

Ian Laperriere saw his ice-time increase to 18:42 tonight. He even saw 30 seconds on the powerplay though I dont' recall seeing him out there. I'm still watching from my Slingbox feed which makes it really hard to see numbers on the ice. Oh how I miss my TV.

Even though they played limited minutes, the new Cody McJones line played very well. Jones really seemed to up his physicality and effort tonight and was rewarded with a goal. Hopefully he sees the cause-effect line there.

Highlights
Brett Clark blocked nine blocked shots on the night which was 50% more than the entire Lightning squad.

John-Michael Liles returned from the flu but played limited minutes - 16:12 - and wasn't very noticeable.

Cody Mcleod pounded on Steve Downie in the third and I loved every minute of it. Except when Downie punched Mcleod after they had gone to the ice. But hey, what else can you expect from Downie?

Ruslan Salei had four shots on goal as he continues to up his play over the last few games. He's making me look like less of a fool for predicting he would be the Avs best defenseman.

Paul Stastny wore the "A" tonight but it must have weighed a lot as he didn't look to have much jump in his step. He had enough less after he took a shot to the leg and briefly went to the dressing room.

It was Raycroft's third win of the year which surpassed his season total in Toronto last year.

Up Next
It's off to Minnesota to take on the Wild on Monday as part of a three-game road trip. It will be the second meeting between the two teams. And the second chance for fans to shake their heads at management for letting Andrew Brunette go the way they did.

The game will be televised on TSN2 and Versus.

Related Links
NHL.com Event Summary
MHH Recap
Denver Post Recap
Rocky Mountain News Recap
AD's Post-game Thoughts

Avalanche vs Blues, Game 21 Preview

Is it time for another game? So soon? Have the Avalanche had enough time to fix what ails them? Doubtful unless calling up Kyle Cumiskey and possibly playing him at forward counts as "fixing".

Joe Sakic is "probable" tonight, just as he was before the Ducks game. Let's hope he doesn't come down with rickets before game time.

If Sakic plays, Wojtek Wolski doesn't and Granato wants to play Cumiskey at forward...which player will sit out?

Brian Willsie drew in last game and frankly I didn't really notice he was there. Of course if you read my recap, you'll notice I wasn't really paying attention.

But was Granato going to play Willsie regardless of Sakic's status? If so, who had he originally planned on sitting? David Jones? Tyler Arnason?

Or will Cumiskey end up sitting in the press box his first game up?

Unfortuantely we won't find out until about five minutes before puck drop unless AD drops some inside knowledge on us.

In the meantime, we can be intrigued by the Stastny-vs-Stastny matchup tonight as Paul squares off against his older brother Yan. Maybe not as intrigued as DD but intrigued nonetheless.

Goaltending
It's Peter Budaj vs Manny Legace (courtesy of goaliepost.com).

I'm a bit worried for Peter Budaj. If the team craps the bed again and needs him to bail them out, well it just might send the guy over the edge. He needs a rest at some point. You'd think resting him against a depleted Blues lineup would be an ideal time.

An alternative line of thinking is that this is an ideal game to play Budaj in as he likely won't face many shots and stands a solid chance of pulling out a win.

As for Legace, I think everyone is well aware of what he tends to do when facing off against the Avs.

Scouting
I caught the end of the Predators-Blues game last night as I was in disbelief that it was 0-0 with just five minutes left in the third. Chris Mason was playing superbly and more than making up for the Blues having little to no offensive support.

And that's key for the Avalanche tonight. The Blues only fired 17 shots on Dan Ellis last night and the ones I saw weren't very dangerous.

Now is not the time for mercy. Now is the time to take it to an injury-depleted team.

Video
Paul Stastny Pre-game comments
Ian Laperriere Pre-game comments
Tony Granato Pre-game comments

So even Lappy has to weigh in on the brother-vs-brother thing! But he's spot on with his comments of how to turn things around. Be hungry and win battles. At both ends.

Related Links
Avs lag behind in hit parade

Avalanche Stomped by Ducks, Lose 4-1

Sigh.

I set the game to record as I was going to be away for the first period. When I came back and spotted the 2-0 score on NHL.com, I decided to save a bit of my sanity and not watch the first period.

The second period started and I completely spaced out about five minutes in. I was more interested in watching my fingernails grow.  At one point I heard a *ping* and noticed the Ducks had scored again to make it 3-0.

During the intermission I was upstairs explaining to my mom why I would not be watching Twilight even though I'm a fan of vampire-related literature/movies. I then went on a long, snooty diatribe about the quality of some of these latest literary hits like the Harry Potter series, the Twilight series and the whole Dan Brown fiasco.  

After wrapping things up with a discussion on why A Song of Ice and Fire is one of the - if not the - greatest series in modern literature, I decided to see if the Avs could respond to a three goal deficit.

The answer? No.

Sure they got the early goal they needed and managed to fire off 12 shots in the period but did they ever appear hungry or dangerous? Rather than fighting like a wounded cheetah cornered by a tiger, they looked like a three-toed sloth with a papercut. Which of course raises the question: Can a three-toed slot get a paper cut?

Things are looking mighty grim at the moment and I'm getting mighty tired of saying "Things need to change." I'm all out of energy. This must be what it feels like to play for the Avs right now.

And though I'm all out of emotion I will be putting together another piece for Illegal Curve's "State of the Northwest Division" feature tomorrow. I could sum things up with one word. It starts with "F".  It ends with "ck". And just one of u and me is in the middle. But I won't.

Notes

Darcy Tucker was helped off the ice early in the third period due to a knee injury after colliding with Brendan Morrison.

Peter Budaj needs a rest after some valiant work for the team.

Wojtek Wolski sat out the game hopefully just for precautionary reasons.

Why do no defenders look behind them when defending the slot?

Just four shots in the second period? Four? You were down 2-0 and you couldn't find the energy to get off at least a half dozen shots?

The Da Vinci Code was trite and formulaic. And made Dan Brown a bazillionaire.

Related Links

NHL.com Event Summary

Agony of defeat rises for Avs

Anaheim bares fangs as root canal delays Sakic return (do ducks have fangs that I don't know about?)

MHH Game Recap

Avalanche @ Ducks, Game 20 Preview

We're at approximately the quarter-way point of the season and the Avalanche sit just below .500 with a 9-10-0 record. That's good enough for 18 points, 13th in the Western Conference, 5th in the Northwest division and 10 points back of the division leading Vancouver Canucks. I won't even mention how far back they are of the Conference - and League - leading San Jose Sharks.

Identity schmidentity
So what's going on? Terry Frei thinks - as Tapeleg noted before the season began - that it's an identity crisis:

The word "identity" is overused and often misused in sports. But in this case, I think it applies. This still looks like a team trying to figure out how it wants to and can play, and still trying to forge a collective personality.

I don't think anyone can argue with that statement. When the defense tightens up, so does the offense. When the offense goes full-bore, the defense tails off. When the goaltending is there, the goals aren't. When the goaltending takes a night off, the lamp stays lit at both ends.

What will it take to get all three factions running at top speed? Coaching, that's what.

In that same article, Tony Granato conceded that attention to defensive detail "shouldn't take that much away from our offense."

Amen. Just because you tighten up on D doesn't mean you start hanging five guys back in the neutral zone. It means the players back to backcheck harder when the rush is broken up.

It also means the coach has to let the players know what their responsibilities are. I still get the feeling Granato hasn't done that well enough.

Injury updates
In some good news, the injuries that Adam Foote and Wojtek Wolski sustained in the Kings matchup on Saturday don't appear too serious. At least not as serious as they could have been.

Foote will miss the game tonight while he continues to be evaluated to determine the extent of any neck, back and/or head issues but he sounds fairly optimistic. Daniel Tjarnqvist will get his first taste of action this season in place of Foote.

Wolski's status will be decided after the morning skate. Adrian Dater reported that Wolski was walking and talking just fine after the Kings game. He rode a stationary bike yesterday which is usually a good sign for someone with a possible concussion.

And in the biggest news, Joe Sakic should be in the lineup for tonight's game.

It's time for a line change
Here's where things get a bit odd. Now, I'll give it to Granato that shaking up the lines seems necessary the way the offense is going. I don't feel the line combinations are the root of the problem but nonetheless, they will be changing.

The first change is that Paul Stastny was centering a line with Ryan Smyth and Marek Svatos. If Paul Stastny can come out of his funk and start making some plays, this line could work well. Smyth can create havoc in the crease while Svatos can pounce on rebounds. Of course, that relies on Stastny and the defense getting the puck to the front of the net.

Next, T.J. Hensick was centering a line with Brian Willsie and Darcy Tucker. The chemistry with Tucker and Hensick was undeniable as Hensick seems to find ways to get the puck to the net and Tucker has no problem charging in. But wouldn't it be nice if Hensick was setting up someone who has scored 30+ goals before? Just a thought.

And finally, Joe Sakic was centering a line with Milan Hejduk. Their partner? It will be either David Jones or Cody McCormick. Hmm. Cody McCormick on a line with Joe Sakic? Well, if anything McCormick will play the hardest he's ever played if he gets a chance to go with the big boys.

But if he does, that leaves a fourth line of Ian Laperriere, Cody Mcleod and either David Jones or Tyler Arnason. Jones is a much better fit for that line which would mean Arny would watch from the press box.

But is putting Arny in the press box worth having McCormick on a line with Sakic?

McCormick might put in the game of his career playing with Sakic but don't kid yourself, he's not a full-time first liner.

Scouting
To be honest with you, I haven't followed the Ducks much this season. They got off to an awful start but have turned it around and are looking like a solid club again.

J.S. Giguere's stats (3.13 GAA, .904 save %) are somewhat underwhelming but I'm not sure if that's due to his play or the team's play.

Losing Francois Beauchemin won't help but when you've got Chris Pronger and Scott Niedermyer as your top two, you can't complain too much.

The key to beating the Ducks seems to be to contain their big three: Ryan Getzlaf, Cory Perry, and Teemu Selanne. Doesn't it sound easy?

I'm not sure if they all play on the same line but they are 1-2-3 in scoring on the team and, looking at the stats, the Ducks don't have much forward scoring depth behind them.

Starting Goaltenders
Peter Budaj is in for the Avalanche and will likely square off against Giguere. (goaliepost.com)

Game time
The puck drops at 10:00 PM ET which is just friggin ridiculous. It's only two games in and I'm already sick of West coast games. No offense, jib.

Wojtek Wolski Injured, Leaves Avalanche-Kings Game

Wojtek Wolski just left the Avalanche-Kings game after taking a crunching shot to the head from Sean O'Donnell.

It was an unfortunate play as O'Donnell was going to finish his check and Wolski lost an edge, putting his head exactly in line with O'Donnell's tucked in elbow.

Wolski looked a bit wobbly as he was helped off the ice but seemed to be communicating fine with the trainer and players.

Wolski had a goal and an assist up to that point.

Avalanche End Preseason with 4-3 Win Over Blackhawks

(Credit)

The Avalanche ended their preseason tonight with a 4-3 win over the Chicago Blackhawks.

Recap

The Avs took the lead early in the third period after battling back from one-goal deficits in each of the first two periods.

The lead lasted until the 19:59 mark of the third when Martin Havlat scored on a powerplay to push the game to OT.

Midway through OT, the Avalanche got a powerplay opportunity of their own and - after going 0-4 in regulation - buried one past Cristobal Huet to get the all important W. 

We're talking a "must win" win here tonight, folks.

Notes
The Avalanche end the preseason with a record of 4-1-1 including wins in all three of their road games. So the Avs should be looking at about 60 wins this season based on that pattern. I better change my upcoming answer for the Avalanche roundtable on what I'll consider a successful season for the Avs.

The call from Norm Jones on the game winning goal included the words "powerplay", "Ryan Smyth" and "front of the net". Could Granato be on to something here?

Wojtek Wolski had a great night with 2 goals, 1 assist while winninng 100% of his faceoffs. Sure, it was just one faceoff he took but damn it, he won it. 

Brian Willsie had one heck of a game based on the numbers. He scored the almost-game-winning goal and recorded 2 hits and 4 takeaways. Willsie is making a case to hang around and it's going to be interested to see what the final roster to start the season looks like.

Joe Sakic had a three assist night as he gears up to move up the NHL all-time assists leader board.

Lineup

Regulars David Jones, Marek Svatos and John-Michael Liles sat out tonight along with a group of on-the-cusp players including TJ Hensick and Per Ledin.

Had Jones been in tonight, there would have been no need for overtime. The Hawks would have waved the surrender flag after the first period.

Stats
The Avalanche's fantastic four of Jordan Leopold, Brett Clark, Adam Foote and Ruslan Salei led the team in ice time tonight, playing between 22 and 24 minutes each.  Leopold was the overall leader with 24:19 including 3:40 of PP time.

Brett Clark was back to his shot blocking ways with 4 on the night. Jordan Leopold was right behind him with 3. Please Leo, take all  precautions when blocking a shot including - but not limited to - a bulletproof vest.

Upcoming Game

The next game is Thursday, October 9th at 10pm ET when the Avalanche host the Boston Bruins in the season opener. The game will be joined in progress so keep your fingers crossed that the Leafs-Wings game doesn't go into overtime.

Related Links
Dater Live Blogged the Action

Lines Tonight: Col @ Chi

David Jones Scoring at a Goal Per Game Rate

David Jones tallied the winning goal against the Stars tonight as the Avalanche's preseason schedule kept rolling.

It was Jones' preseason debut and if he keeps this pace up, he'll be winning the Art Ross trophy. You heard it here first.

Marek Svatos and Wojtek Wolski also made their preseason debuts. Hopefully the Svats Machine's knee is good as new and Wolski's foot is ready to do some serious ass kicking come October 9th.

There are a couple good interviews, one with Peter Budaj and one with David Jones already posted along with the article so be sure to check those out.

The Avalanche have two games left in the preseason, both against the Blackhawks. They're at home on Oct. 3rd and in Chicago on Oct. 5th. And then it's a nice 3 day break before opening night. I can't wait!

But until then, there will be tons of roundtable action.

Related Links

Jones power on display for the Avalanche

Avalanche Burgundy/White Game - 2008/09 Edition

The Colorado Avalanche's annual Burgundy/White game happens tonight at the Air Force Academy. The official game roster is up and I'm baffled that on a roster of 42 players not one of them wears #7. And don't worry, Marek Svatos, Paul Stastny and Wojtek Wolski are being held out for precautionary reasons only. They'll be good to go once the season starts. (*knocks wood*)

Obviously I won't be attending but would love to hear from anyone who did. And if you're wavering on whether to go or not, remember that the event raises funds to benefit military families and the Colorado Avalanche Youth Hockey program.

So not only do you get to catch some hockey, but you get to benefit others - two of the greatest things in the world bundled into one entertaining package.

Me? I'll be watching the Leafs/Sabres preseason game on Sportsnet. I'm not happy about it but a hungry dog will eat whatever meat you put in front of him, right?

Related Links

Lines from Burgundy-White Game

Welcome Back Wojtek Wolski

The Avalanche have re-signed Wojtek Wolski to a 2-year, $5.6M deal. So thats' $2.8M a year which is great as I thought he would be in the $3M to $3.5M neighbourhood.

It's a good deal for both the Avalanche and Wolski. Wolski has untapped potential and it's anyone's guess whether he can finally tap into it. If he doesn't, the Avalanche are only on the hook for 2 seasons. If he does, the Avalanche can re-up him in a couple years. And for Wolski, if he breaks out then he's in line for a solid new contract a couple years from now.

I'm quite happy with this signing and I expect nothing short of a 70 point season this year for Wolski. It shouldn't be as much of a problem since he won't be scared to death of making a mistake and having to ride the pine.

Related Links
Wolski Re-signs
Wolski signs

Avalanche Extend Qualifying Offers to Four; Continue Talks with Theodore

We finally get to hear about the Avalanche's qualifying offers! Said offers had to be in today for all restricted free agents to retain the rights to them and the Rocky Mountain News reports the players extended offers were: Marek Svatos, Wojtek Wolski, Cody McCormick, Cody McLeod.

The one notable missing off that list...Tyler Weiman. Maybe I feel more invested in him as he's from Saskatoon but I really like the kid. Sure, I've never actually seen him play more than 20 minutes but I saw him sit on the bench a few games. He seemed to do it quite well.

But then once I started checking out the RFA situation, I noticed QOs weren't extended to Jason Bacashihua or Michael Wall either. That leaves Peter Budaj as the only goaltender under contract at the moment.

The Avalanche continue talks with Jose Theodore but talks don't mean squat until the contract is signed. I don't get the impression that they expect Delmas to step in right away. So my only question is: assuming Theo gets re-signed, who's going to play goal in Lake Erie? And if Theo doesn't get re-signed, the question gets an addendum of "who will back up Peter Budaj?"

I'm guessing QOs to Weiman and Bacashihua simply haven't been announced yet and Wall is going to be the odd man out. Unless FG was completely asleep at the switch which is as likely as me hitting a hole in one a bum knee. Even Tiger couldn't do that.

Avalanche Over, What Next?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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