(Doug Pensinger/Getty Images)
"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
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3 Comments:
did you not predict jonesy to get 30 goals this year shane?
That I did. He's currently on pace for 16 goals so I might end up being half right ;)
I like the attitude the team had the last couple of games. I wonder where the Avs would be if they played Raycroft the same number of games that Budaj has played. I'm not saying he's the messiah but he doesn't look that bad. Budaj can be a good backup if he want, let's ride the goalie that can constantly (sp!) wins games.
The last goals that Budaj gave up were very weak (oups where's the puck, oh its in the net) or (oups, I've drop my stick, let me crouch to get it - puck in net again)
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