The holiday season has come and gone.
The presents are unwrapped. The chocolates have been eaten. The turkey has been stuffed and devoured.
But one thing hasn't changed.
Joe Sakic and Paul Stastny will be absent from the Avalanche lineup for the foreseeable future.
One man's loss is another man's gain
Oh, one more thing has changed.
Tyler Arnason is the new #1 center.
If that doesn't strike fear into the hearts and minds of Avalanche opponents, I don't know what will.
Did I say opponents? Sorry, I meant fans.
I didn't get much for Christmas. I didn't ask for much either. I must have suspected I would need a more important gift.
And now I want to cash it in.
Santa, if you're still around please help Tyler Arnason rise to the occasion and make us all not unproud.
Hensick also slides up
Along with the Arnason promotion, T.J. Hensick has moved up from a fourth-line winger position to become the second-line center.
Based on practice reports, he will center a line with David Jones and Wojtek Wolski.
Svatos and Salei slide back in
Marek Svatos and Ruslan Salei will make their returns tonight.
Svatos really needs to step up and provide some offensive support. It will be tough sledding as he will likely find himself on the third line tonight but he needs to find a way to get it done.
Third line pickle
Cody McCormick sat last game and may sit again while the Avs give Chris Stewart more time to showcase his skills.
If Stewart stays in he would likely play on a line with Ian Laperriere and the returning Marek Svatos which would leave Darcy Tucker on the fourth line with Ben Guite and Cody Mcleod.
If Stewart draws out, Granato would likely renew the McLappy line leaving a Tucker and Svatos to play on a line centered by Guite.
So no matter how you dice it, the third line will be quite the interesting mix.
UPDATE: AD informs us that McCormick is out.
Budaj back in net
Peter Budaj gets the start in goal and will presumably go up against Ty Conklin as Chris Osgood is still recovering from a busted vagina.
Lidstrom possibly out
Nik Lidstrom took a puck to the ankle last night and will be a gametime decision tonight.
The sweats have already started over there.
The Avs will need every advantage they can get tonight so pray to Vishnu that Lidstrom's foot is swollen bigger than [go ahead and finish this one off in your head while I keep things PG-13 ;)]
UPDATE: AD informs us that Nik Lidstrom is out for tonight's game.
Game time
The puck drops at 9:00 ET at the Pepsi Center. Denver natives, get down there and support your team!
Related Links
Avalanche report: Arnason, Hensick take center stage against Red Wings
Avs promote Arnason to first line with Sakic, Stastny out
Arnie the new #1 center
Scouting the Avs
Saturday, December 27, 2008
Avalanche vs Red Wings, Game Preview
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4 Comments:
I'll be down at the Pepsi Center tonight, cheering my Avs on as always!
Good stuff. The Avs are going to need all the encouragement they can get for the next month (or more)
Osgood has a busted vagina? How did that happen, he always seems to take such good care of it?!?
And finally we get to see what Hensick can do now that he is in the job he was designed to do. I think he'll do well.
I just checked in on the game. 3-3 and 5 of the 6 goals are PPGs....it seems like both teams have work to do when short handed, heh.
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