Tag Search Results for "Avalanche"
With all of the playoffs going on, its tough being a Avalanche fan. Something is missing from the current post season... The 2007 version of the Colorado Avalanche came within 1 point of the playoffs. Putting new meaning into the old adage that every game counts. Blown leads, poor defensive play all played a part in the Avalanche missing the 'real' hockey season. Credit sh...
Here we go again:
11) Carolina----Brandon Sutter
May have the best all-around game in the draft, but I still think this is a little high for him consideringCherepanov was still on the board. Needs to fill out a lot and still develop a little more grit. Yes he's a Sutter, but he isn't as Sutter-y as others. Has good character to fall back on if his skills don't make him a...
For the first time in a while, Avalanche fans can be happy about a move made by the team's front office. There is an excitement around this team now that hasn't been here since the Avs star-crossed acquisition of both Teemu Selanne and Paul Kariya before the 2003-2004 season in an attempt to make a determined run for the cup. But we all know how that ended up. Train wre...
Before the salary cap was instituted, you could always count on one thing in the NHL: The Colorado Avalanche were going to make the playoffs and be cup contenders. Every year GM Pierre Lacroix put a playoff team on the ice and every year they would deliver. At the end of the 05-06 season, Lacroix stepped down and handed things over to Francois Giguere. Things started rocky...
After a sophomore slump, a few trade deadline rumors and looking arbitration in the eyes, the Colorado Avalanche re-signed Marek Svatos to a one year deal.
Obviously Francois Giguere and the Avs are hoping that Svatos can return to his rookie form where he finished tied on the team and 3rd among rookies in goals with 32. He also notched 9 game winning, tying the rookie...
With the past few weeks the NHL has seen some outragious signings. There have been questions about how healthy is the NHL and is the new CBA working? We will know the answer about the CBA next year if the salary cap stays around the same and the teams that spent alot of money with long term contracts(Flyers, Avalanche) will not have the cap space to spend next year. Explai...
Now with some more updates I'll come again with some more FA signings.
Hannan (COL)-Scott Hannan is one of the most underrated defensemen in the National HOckey League. He is a great two-way blueliner and high marks to the Avs for signing this guy.
Grade:A+
Smyth (COL)-This one is interesting. "Captain Canada" becomes "Captain Colorado" and gives Joe Sakic a linemate th...
Now with some more updates I'll come again with some more FA signings.
Hannan (COL)-Scott Hannan is one of the most underrated defensemen in the National HOckey League. He is a great two-way blueliner and high marks to the Avs for signing this guy.
Grade:A+
Smyth (COL)-This one is interesting. "Captain Canada" becomes "Captain Colorado" and gives Joe Sakic a linemate th...
As a fan of the Colorado Avalanche since they moved to Denver, it's easy to know why I hold a special place for Peter Forsberg. How can I forgot Forsberg missing the entire 01-02 season only to return and become arguably the best player in the playoffs? Then there's the magic that Forsberg captured along with Milan Hejduk in the 02-03 where he won the Hart Trophy and helpe...
Deke2194 writes...
The Good, the Bad, and the Smytty; The Ryan Smyth Debacle
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Ryan Smyth always wanted to play his entire career with the Oilers. And he thought it was something he was going to able to do. Now he had always taken the “hometown discount” to stay with the Oilers in the past, but wasn’t it time after 12 seasons that the Oilers finally showed him the kind of money that most other teams in the league would be willing to pay for h...
I will begin with my opinion on the Leafs/Avs possible trade. Our dear friend, Mr. Eklund reports that the Colorado Avalanche might be asking too much in return for Hejduk. My opinion is that they are not asking enough! (Colaiacovo and Jay Harrison) Here are the players I would be asking to the Leafs if they really want him: Tomas Kaberle & Kyle Wellwood. Too much you wou...
ItsJacketsTime writes...
Scorers Draw Crowds, Goaltending Wins Championships
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Hey guys.
Seeing as this is my first post I think I should introduce myself. My name is Matt and I'm 15 years old. I live in Cincinnati, OH and I'm mainly a Columbus Blue Jackets fan. I've been a hockey fan my entire life, when my parents raised me on the Cincinnati Cyclones of the ECHL and IHL. And ever since, I've been hooked. With that, let's blog.
The one thing the...
Well, it appears pretty simple to me. However, I'm not the General Manager.
The Leafs lack depth at right wing. Plain and simple.
It's time to bring in a top line right winger to complete the trifecta. Blake, Sundin and .............
Hejduk (4m) and Svatos (1.2m) are obviously being targeted by the Leafs management. After hearing Giguere today, commenting on possib...
Calgary Flames - C
Key Acquisitions:
Owen Nolan, Adrian Aucoin, Cory Sarich
Question Marks:
Offensive Production, Mike Keenan
One of the best defensive teams in the league got better and deeper on defense this off season. The additions of Cory Sarich and Adrian Aucoin make one of the best bluelines in the league better and solidifies the Flames as one of the ...
For almost a week now it has been rumored that The Leafs and The Avs have been trying to make a trade with the biggest name in the deal being Milan Hejduk or Marek Svatos. In return the Avs would likely receive a young defensive and draft picks.
So when you step back and look at this trade, as an Avs fan, are you happy? Right now the Avs have Leopold (26), Liles (26), ...
[i]With all of the big new contracts signed this year, there are a lot of players with big shoes to fill. There are a lot of players with a new responsibility to be "the guy" for their respective clubs. There are a lot of players that need to step it up this season and show why they were worth the big bucks that their teams threw at them.
So which players are actually...
[img:left]http://i.a.cnn.net/si/2006/writers/allan_muir/11/07/GM.meetings/tx.forsberg.jpg[/img]I still remember vividly the 02/03 season. The Colorado Avalanche we're still in a dynasty with the likes of Peter Forsberg, Joe Sakic, Milan Hedjuk, Alex Tanguay and Patrick Roy. Forsberg led the league in scoring with a 106 point campaign (29G, 77A), and a league leading +52. F...
I don't know how those boxes got there.Sorry.
With just a couple of weeks left until training camp starts I thought I would write what I think the standings in the Western Conference would be if the teams would be if they were to use the players they had right now.
1.Anaheim Ducks
Additions: Shane Hnidy, Todd Bertuzzi, Mathieu Schneider, Dan Lacouture
Losses: Dus...
[b]Up next, I looked at the Northwest Division (one of the toughest to pick)
Minnesota Wild[/b]
The Minnesota Wild had a good year last year, perhaps overachieving a little bit. Mainly they were able to take advantage of Edmonton when they were on their spiral down towards the basement of the Northwest Division. The Wild were 6 - 2 against Edmonton and 4 of the wins ...
I have always wondered about this, but have never asked. Why do the Avs have a foot on the shoulders of their jerseys? Don't think I'm some novice to hockey, I quess I just missed the memo on that one.
It is time for the second edition in my series of blogs about the new NHL jerseys. For those who still have not seen the new jerseys:
http://www.fartfignewton.com/rbk_edge/
And for those who missed Part 1 of this series:
http://my.hockeybuzz.com/blog.php?user_id=2407&post_id=2473
This time I am turning my critical eye towards the Northwest division.
[b]C...
Statement made. That's the way I look at last night's 4-0 Predators win over the Colorado Avalanche. Statement made.
Yes I know that one game does not a season make but Colorado is a good team...a team everyone is predicting to make the playoffs. They are loaded with fire power and the off-season addition of Ryan Smyth gives this team yet another weapon. None the...
For anybody who was wondering (which quite possibly is nobody...haha) I never did write part 3 of Living up to the Big Bucks.
There are some interesting stories developing already in this young NHL season; The Avalanche led by sophomore Paul Stastny, the Edmonton Oilers starting 2-0 against two tough teams, the Defending Champion Ducks starting 1-3, and the Capitals sta...
The 2007-2008 season is only four games old, but a disturbing trend has already settled in with the Blue Jackets.
After a solid team performance in the home opener against Anaheim, Columbus traveled to Minnesota the next night and played another good team game, albeit for 40 minutes.
During the third period of that game, the Jackets diverted from their game plan and...
Another blog in a series of blogs that focus on the game outside of scores and reviews, here's one that deals with band wagons and jumping ship...
There are purists out there (mostly Leaf and Hab fans) that believe you root for one team your whole life - win or lose, whiners or not - they are YOUR team. I do believe that once you are grown up enough to make a tough deci...
Hey pens fans,
Well, tonight the Pens lost to the Avalanche 3-2. Crosby had both goals and the Pens were up 2-0. The second period was a bit of a disaster for the Pens and the third period was scoreless. Crosby played a great game and I am not just saying that because he scored 2 goals. Sidney played like a man possessed on both ends of the ice. It was a strong game ...
[b]COLORADO AVALANCHE:
A NATURAL DISASTER
IF YOU HAVE TO PLAY THEM[/b]
My National Team tour leads me to one of the most offensive teams in the league, the Colorado Avalanche. The Av's most potent weapon is obviously the offense, with way too many players to mention who can put the puck in the net. This team has talent good enough to match up with any team in the...
Norrena is scheduled to start in net against the Avalanche tomorrow Wednesday December 12th 2007. Norrena hasn't started a game in 11 straight days. Pascal Leclaire is taking a breather while letting Fredrik Norrena takes another crack and starting in net since facing the Flames and winning the game. Let's see if Norrena can pick up where he left off as he allows Lecl...
Alright, we all know that Penguins goalie Marc-Andre Fleury has the potential to be an all-star. We also know that he is not having the best year. Now comes word that he will be on the sidelines approximately 6-8 weeks with an ankle sprain.
So, the question that will be asked again is this: Is it time to try to trade one of our goalies to Pittsburgh? And if so, for whom...
[b]What used to be known as 'The Joe Sakic' show[/b] comes to town tonight as the Colorado Avalanche come to the Sommet Center to finish off the Preds four game home stand. Sakic is nursing a groin injury and will be out of action here in Nashville but that doesn't mean that this team is without firepower. Paul Stasney is picking right up where his 78 point rookie camp...
Recently there has been much talk surrounding these two young, very talented players and probably for good reason. Liles is coming off of a superb year in which he was scoring with the "big boys" of the defensive world but is off to a rather slow start this season, while Svatty obviously had a disappointing year in comparison to his rookie campaign, but has started to pick...
My friends can testify to the fact that, prior to the 2007 Free Agency period, I was almost SCREAMING for Colorado to get two guys: Ryan Smyth & Scott Hannan. Why you might ask?
Ryan Smyth is an obvious choice, if for no other reason than his leadership ability - something our team sorely needs due to all the new guys coming in (Svatos, Hensick, Wolski, etc). He also p...
[b]Well with the trade freeze in effect until the 27th obviously nothing will happen physically-though I'm sure there is a lot of banter between GM's right now.
Colorado's identity has changed a lot in recent years - powerhouse that could beat you anyway they wanted to coping with the loss of star players to an almost-rebuilding team with a lot of young talent. Since th...
Going into X-MAS, the Avalanche had a 21-13-2 record, good for 44 points. They were riding a three game winning streak, and playing very strong hockey despite numerous injuries. Most importantly, Peter Budaj was finally playing well, after Joel Quenneville finally decided it would be a good idea not to play José Théodore who couldn't stop a beach ball if his life were at...
[b]A belated Happy New Year to everyone! Ok, the Avs have now lost 4 in a row. That being said, December was a great month for us, despite the injuries to key players. It's fairly obvious what the biggest struggle is for the Avs right now. No I'm not referring to goaltending at the moment, or our defense...it is our power play.
Last year's PP was amazing, 21.1% with 79 ...
[b]Headline: Ryan Smyth out eight weeks with ankle injury
[url]http://thehockeynews.com/articles/12381-Colorado-Avalanche-star-winger-Ryan-Smyth-out-eight-weeks-with-ankle-injury.html[/url]
The question must be raised now, with our mounting injuries to our key players (Joe, Ryan, Tyler, etc, etc), is it time to push the panic button (or the Staples 'Easy Button') to ma...
As a follow-up to my blog on the dwindling number of former [b]Winnipeg Jets[/b] still playing in the NHL, here's the breakdown of the one-time [b]Quebec Nordiques[/b]:
[u][b]Players[/b][/u]
[b]Adam Foote[/b]-CBS
[b]Martin Gelinas[/b]-NSH
[b]Jon Klemm[/b]-LA
[b]Aaron Miller[/b]-VAN
[b]Owen Nolan[/b]-CGY
[b]Martin Rucinsky[/b]-STL
[b]Joe Sakic[/b]-COL (the only re...
[b]The next 3 games for Colorado should prove very interesting: Car on Sat, Fla on Sun, and TB on Tues. Not only are all 4 teams, including Col, slumping (or are just down-right awful right now) but I believe Col has the potential to make a trade with any of these three teams.
From Col's end there are few untouchables and the names going remain Liles, Svatos, one of ou...
Catfan912 writes...
Colorado sinks Panthers', Trying To Claw Up The Standings
Posted Monday | Comments 0
With a frustrating shootout loss against the Colorado Avalanche, that only adds another game to the loss category, and only further frustrates the team. The Panthers were recently accused of not trying hard enough to win their games, because as we all know, although they have raw talent, they can't just win games with a mediocre effort. They gave it their all against ...
[quote]"I am Cody McLeod of the Clan McLeod. I was born in 1984 in the village of Binscarth on the plains of Manitoba. And I am immortal."[/quote]
Hmm, the new guy on Colorado Avalanche's roster this past month seems a tad intense.
I wonder if there are any good stories on this undrafted winger? The stats speak of quite the berserker in the minors.
[IMG]http://i9.ti...
[b]Since I started blogging, I have been suggesting ideas to help the Avs solve their close-to-woes this season (and next). Well, the beat goes on with a "what about this?" idea.
First, as much as I hate it, trade Liles to CAR for Commodore + pick. It would have to be a trade and sign for both teams but I put Commodore in the $2.5-3.0 range for next year (given recent m...
[b]So it's bad enough Colorado is without Joe and Ryan...now more bad news: Stazz is out for 2-3 weeks after appendix surgery.
There are two ways to react here:
1) Q and the coaching staff ask the players to step up to the plate and get 'em fired up *coughHejdukLilescough*. Hensick has been called up, according to Chopper. This guy is going to be really good someday...
Like Frankenstein's Monster, I was nearly driven off the chicagoblackhawks.com message boards the other day by an angry mob of villagers wielding pitchforks, for daring to say that the Hawks had no chance of making the playoffs.
"This is a fan board. Why are you here?" One poster reasoned.
I am a fan. But I am also a journalist, and therefore I need to make objective...
In every season where we have to reflect on what’s transpired, and what must happen going forward. Here we go.
This team misses Ron Hainsey, and they dearly miss Sergei Fedorov’s composure. There was a glaring inability to move the puck against Colorado, who really could have taken the night off and won the game.
A lack of consistency from the back end on out is ...
[b]Well tonight's game certainly had its share of ups and downs for both teams. I thought Colorado came out with a lot of speed and energy to start the game, flying up the wings and making smart passes. Then came a disheartening goal by Weber who let one rip from the point on the PP. Shortly thereafter, the Preds continued to press and wound up hitting 2 posts (if i'm not ...
[b]Well I didn't get to see the whole game as the Leafs game was taking air-priority on the *cough "channel" cough* I was watching. When i picked up the game finally it was 1-0 and suddenly a blast from Rolston made it 2-0. Colorado has been alright at digging themselves out of a hole this season (remember, Flames fans?) but leaving yourself this wide open against the Wild...
[b]The AVS begin February with a 2-0 loss to Detroit in Motown. What more can be said? A lot.
The first period was a tough one...Colorado gets 3 shots on net but played a good portion of the period in the box, including a 5-3 on which bombs were dropping from Lidstrom and Rafalski (among others). What really struck me in this period was our poor passing. Whether it was...
The night had all the makings of things finally pointing in the right direction for the Avalanche with 20 games left to play in the regular season. Joe Sakic was back in the lineup after missing 38 games, the last of the big 3 forwards returning from injury. This was the first of three consecutive games against the Canadian division foes, and a chance not only to start t...
[b]Colorado hosts Anaheim tonight in what should be a spirited contest. Anaheim has won all three meetings with Colorado this season, but keep in mind, by only one goal each game. Personally, I thought the Avs could have won all 3 games but somehow Anaheim squeaked out the victories in each contest.
Here are some quick-hit keys to Colorado beating the defending Stanley ...
[b]Chalk another win up for Colorado during their "March Madness"! I don't think any team is better during this month, this year and last year - I just hope it doesn't end up with them missing the playoffs by one measly point thanks to OTL's.
It sure wasn't a "pretty" game last night by either team, but nonetheless, it was fairly entertaining. There were a lot of hits i...
3-1 Colorado
Dave Tippett's message to his team in practice has been that work has to come before the teams skill. Dallas began the game working hard which led to them winning the individual puck battles and leading in shots 10-4 at the 11:30 mark of the 1st period. Dallas was unable to ratchet up the intensity when they had to though. They got up by a goal and for...
3-0 Dallas
The Dallas Stars finally came to play tonight. They outworked Colorado consistently, shut Colorados powerplay down, and manhandled them at even strength. The Morrow/Modano/Richards line was electric at times, but the Hagman/Ribeiro/Miettinen looked flat at times. I barely noticed Ribeiro on the ice. Dallas simply outworked Colorado tonight. It doesn't ge...
[b]Obviously at this time of year you want your team to win[/b] but if you are like me I am scoreboard watching like crazy! Right now I am so thankful for my Spring TREO that allows me to continually check the status of games of interest. I wonder if the people at ESPN are seeing my increased use in their bottom line numbers?
"Guys...ummmm...we had ten thousand hits on...
S Kaspar Rollins writes...
The Remarkable Northwest; The Needed Games Start Tomorrow
Posted Monday | Comments 0
Ask anyone, whether it be bloggers, journalists, coaches or players, and the universal response to the question "How many points will it take to make the playoffs in the Western Conference?" would probably be 94 or 95 points. The Calgary Flames are embroiled in the tightest points race in hockey, the Northwest Division race, a remarkable logjam of a division that, if it co...
[i]Dan Ellis has unseated Chris Mason as the teams starter. [/i]
[i][b]"I wish I could trust him."[/b][/i]
[b]That's what kept echoing in my brain[/b] last night following the superb performance by Dan Ellis last night in goal. for the second game in a row Ellis has stood on his head and led this team to victory. First it was the 2-1 shootout victory over the Bla...
S Kaspar Rollins writes...
Flames Lose Heartbreaker To Oil; Winning Out Would Win NW
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
I just did not have the energy to muster a blog post late last night, after the Calgary Flames' 2-1 loss to the Edmonton Oilers at home. So I'll briefly summarize this huge game before detailing how it affects the Flames' division hopes. This game was, in my view, simply a heartbreaker for the Flames, who outshot, outchanced, and had more puck control for the entire game t...
[b] My wife and I were in our basement suite busily trying to decorate the place in pro-Avs colors when in walked one of my best friends (and another buddy)... Canuck fans. With Avs jerseys, scarfs, trinkets, mugs, a blanket and two Canuck fans, the stage was set for the pivotal push for the postseason.
I sometimes have a big mouth when it comes to the Avs. Usually, at ...
S Kaspar Rollins writes...
Sharks Or Wild For Flames In Round 1, 'Hawks Do Flames Favor
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
With the Calgary Flames finally having an 'x' next to their name in the standings, along with the rest of the West, I can now finally focus a blog post solely on the Flames' playoff prospects.
The Flames were aided by another spoiler team tonight, as the Blackhawks defeated Nashville 3-1 to ensure that the Predators will finish in 8th and the Flames cannot finish lower ...
The NHL draft lottery may have seen the Tampa Bay Lightning win the big prize, and most assume it to be Steven Stamkos, but the Blue Jackets made out better than anticipated.
Of course, after the first few weeks of the season, no one expected the Blue Jackets to be hunting for a lottery pick. Some didn't think they would be looking at a top-ten pick. But with the team s...
[b]Following a humbling defeat at home[/b] by the Detroit Red Wings, Blue Jackets coach Ken Hitchcock claimed that he didn't think his team wanted to beat their division rivals. What he really wanted to say was that he's sick and tired of coaching AHL talent and trying to make a winner out of players that just don't have it, but I'm not going to put words in the man's mout...
Let me preface this blog entry by saying my true feelings: PURE BITTERNESS. Since the schedule was released I made time for this weekend. I made an opening of a weekend to watch the Wild in their first round playoff match. The six hour drive to St. Paul wasn't too much, especially top stop my desire. However, a monstrous snow storm, unseen to the month of April has hit Min...
When I wrote my first blog for all the hockey fans watching their team on the golf course while other teams competed in the playoffs, I announced that the Washington Capitals were my choice to go as far as possible. Unfortunately that all came to an end two days ago and now I have to sit back in my chair and decide once again.
We're left with Detroit playing the Avs and...
Well after an amazing first round I'm back with my predictions for the Conference Semis!
First off a recap of my first round predictions:
(1) Detroit v (8) Nashville---[b]Nashville in 6-Incorrect.[/b] Nashville seemed on a roll until Arnott couldn't deal with the Radulov hit and the OT loss in Game 5.
(2) San Jose v (7) Calgary---[b]Calgary in 7-Close but no cigar...
Jon Jordan writes...
The Coaching Carousel Could Soon Hit Full Spin Cycle
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
***This is a reprint of today's entry from my main page Lightning blog.***
Ron Wilson's ousting as head coach of the San Jose Sharks makes him the latest name to be added to the ever-growing list of NHL coaching candidates. Technically, there are six vacancies at present - Atlanta, Colorado, Florida, Ottawa, San Jose and Toronto - with three other intriguing situations ...
According to Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet, the Colorado Avalanche have signed left wing Per Ledin to a one-year contract. Ledin will turn 30 when training camp begins. While playing for HV71 of the Swedish Eliteserien last year, he scored 16 goals and 33 points in 52 games. Known for his gritty style and agitator role he also had 137 penalty minutes. He appeared in 7 game...
The Avalanche have only one selection in the first three rounds. Some websites suggested that Colorado might go after Blake Wheeler because of that. Assuming that this won't happen ([url=http://www.hockeybuzz.com/blog.php?post_id=15711]Wheeler will probably sign with Boston[/url]), the Avs need to look for other opportunities to compensate the fact that they have traded so...
With July 1st and the draft quickly approaching, rumors about every team in the NHL are flying, but I have read few involving my beloved Avalanche. What is not a rumor is that the 2008/9 Avalanche roster is largely up in the air.
Jose Theodore is supposedly ironing out the details of his contract.
Goaltending? Check
Fowards? Defense? Not so much.
Brunette...
The Avalanche went into the draft holding six picks and ended up making seven selections. The 61st pick overall was added by trading forward Brad Richardson to Los Angeles. Richardson was drafted in 2003, 163rd overall, with the draft pick Colorado got in the trade that sent Scott Parker to San Jose. So in the end, Parker turned out to be a 2nd round pick. However, it woul...
Patrick Roy's biography called "Patrick Roy: Winning, Nothing Else" will be in stores Ocotber 10 this year. The book written by Michel Roy is in English language and consists of 416 pages. The product description reads as follows
[quote][i]In the early 1970s, a young Patrick Roy laced up his hockey skates for the very first time, like thousands of other kids. Thirty years...
[b]Liles and Foote re-sign with Avalanche[/b]
It seems like John-Michael Liles and Adam Foote have signed contract extensions with the Avalanche. Liles was expected to draw a lot of interest on the open market but decided to stay with Colorado. He will earn $4 million per year over the next 4 years. It could have been about $0.5 and $1 million more on the open market.
...
[b]I apologize for my absence Avs fans, but in May of this year I moved to South Korea for one year to teach ESL and it's kind of hard to keep updating blogs with everything that's been happening!
As Colorado fans, we clearly remember the date of July 1, 2007. On this day we made two major signings to kick off Free Agent Frenzy, with the additions of Ryan Smyth and Scot...
[b]Let me start by saying that I am an optimistic person by nature. I try to believe that all things will work out well in the end or at least that every situation has the potential to turn out well.
As the whole hockey world anxiously awaited FAF (Free Agent Frenzy), I suggested the Avs could use some depth wingers - guys with a little heart and soul. You can't questi...
With the Rangers prospects progressing with the hand of the coaches,they are also gaining much needed mentoring with veteran leadership. That veteran leadership role will need to be filled in Hartford in the crease. The Rangers moved Al Montoya last spring to the Phoenix Coyotes along with Marcel Hossa. In return the club thought they were getting an adequate goaltendi...
CAPMESS11 writes...
FORSBERG FOR X-MAS,COULD RANGERS LAND SWEDISH STAR?
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Forsberg For X-mas, it just might happen. If predictions about Foppa's health stand pat, then he will be ready to get going sometime around the Holidays.The Rangers are currently holding out to see if they can land one more vet to accompany their young talent. Either they manage to pull one big rabbit out of a hat and grab Mats Sundin or bring back Brendan Shanahan for...
AvsHockey55 writes...
Ahhh Another Reason To Scream At The Schedule Makers!
Posted Friday | Comments 0
The Colorado Avalanche just released their TV Schedule and I'm not too happy. Like I've had to sit through Nuck game, after Nuck game here in BC and I though TSN & CBC might just put a little more Avs games on their schedule. Well, how wrong was I! Their are 6 games between CBC & TSN that include Colorado and the rest are all Vancouver, Toronto & Montrea...
I have not been posting in a while. I have graduated from university, went on vacation, started my new job. But with the Avs’ training camp just around the corner I will try to write more frequently about the Avs.
What can we expect from the Avalanche this upcoming season? Some analysts have already made up their mind and don’t think Colorado will qualify for the play...
I had the opportunity to attend the Colorado Avalanche's rookie camp today and here are some observations.
[b]Key players that stood out:[/b]
T.J. Hensick- Hensick heads the class of rookie camp. He is the second fastest skater to Kelsey Tessier (the guy looks like a young Pavel Bure). He has a shot that can be either hard or accurate but rarely both. He has great in...
Chris Stewart has been cut from the Avs roster and will play for Lake Erie at the start of the season. You could see that coming. Stewart was, besides Per Ledin, the only player remaining on the Avs roster who has never participated in an NHL game. He did not have to clear waivers and is on a two-way contract which made the decision for coaches and management easier to sen...
What follows is my meager attempt to fill in the black hole that is Avs coverage on Hockeybuzz.
Maybe Engblom will be back. Maybe not. But I can construct sentences. Mostly.
Alright, enough poking fun at Engblom's Hemingway-like sentence structure, let's get to it. I am nothing if not a procrastinator, so now that there's only a few hours of preseason left, thi...
Not the start the Avs were looking for last night.
You see 5 goals on 20 shots and you think the goalie must have had a terrible game. And while Budaj certainly did not have a good game, it's hard to lay the blame on him for the actual goals that were scored. Maybe the most stoppable shot was the first goal, but it should be noted that it was an unopposed shot from th...
Two games in the books and... yikes.
I'm very curious to hear from other fans, and Avs fans in particular, what their take is on the goalie situation (mess).
How much patience and/or faith do you have in Budaj and Raycroft?
How much last season flavored rotation amongst mediocrity can your stomach take?
I was optimistic that the Avs had a #1 guy between Budaj m...
First, let me say that I have seen the phrase "You don't get style points in the NHL" so often that it makes me want to spit up on my keyboard like that creepy baby in those Etrade commercials. Really? There's not a stat keeping track of style points? WOW! What insight!
While style points get you nothing, the play of the team does in fact matter beyond the score a...
Three games in and everyone who didn't believe in the goaltending is crowing about how right they are. I've even heard talk amongst this team's "fans" that they hope the Avs lose so that they can properly rebuild. All this after three whole games. Maybe this is what sports is about these days - over reactions to everything. The Savard firing certainly looks that way fr...
The Avs finally put up two points. Quick thoughts -
Raycroft played well but wasn't tested much. The two goals allowed were certainly not his fault - a penalty shot and a 5 on 3 pp goal - and he saved the other weak chances the Flyers threw at him. The best thing the Avs can do is put Budaj back in goal Saturday. Do not create a goalie controversy - yet. They procl...
The Avs finally put up two points. Quick thoughts -
Raycroft played well but wasn't tested much. The two goals allowed were certainly not his fault - a penalty shot and a 5 on 3 pp goal - and he saved the other weak chances the Flyers threw at him. The best thing the Avs can do is put Budaj back in goal Saturday. Do not create a goalie controversy - yet. They procl...
The Avs finally put up two points. Quick thoughts -
Raycroft played well but wasn't tested much. The two goals allowed were certainly not his fault - a penalty shot and a 5 on 3 pp goal - and he saved the other weak chances the Flyers threw at him. The best thing the Avs can do is put Budaj back in goal Saturday. Do not create a goalie controversy - yet. They procl...
The Avs finally put up two points. Quick thoughts -
Raycroft played well but wasn't tested much. The two goals allowed were certainly not his fault - a penalty shot and a 5 on 3 pp goal - and he saved the other weak chances the Flyers threw at him. The best thing the Avs can do is put Budaj back in goal Saturday. Do not create a goalie controversy - yet. They procl...
Can we agree now that the sky is not falling?
I haven't seen any postings by "fans" rooting for the team to lose lately, so hopefully everything is ok again. Those same fans are probably now planning the parade route through downtown Denver.
So what do we know so far?
This team can score goals. I think every Avs fan hoped the offense would look like this, but ...
Two games, two goals allowed (total), and two wins.
The Avs must be thrilled with these two wins. Budaj stepped up and played very well and the defense has looked much improved. Guys are starting to understand their roles on D, and have kept things simple. The team should not be concerned at all that the scoring dropped a bit in these wins. It's just not possible to...
[b]The Good[/b]
Nash @ Center ends quickly, as he is moved back to his normal LW position after getting caught out of position and taking an interference penalty because of it.
As a result, Chimmy is rejoined with the kids and the Goat line produces another solid night.
Toughness... Avs bring in goon Tucker... Dorsett and Tucker go toe to toe with some quick jabs ...
I leave the country for a week and this is what happens?
I came back looking forward to watching the 4 games I'd Tivo'd, but all I got was a huge turd sandwich.
Streaky you say? All you have to do is look at the titles to this post and the last. The last one said 5 in a row. And the Avs started off by losing their first 3. If they are to have any hope at all of m...
Might as well keep the streak-in-the-title thing going.
Another slow start doomed the Avalanche last night. That's the obvious newspaper take anyways, and sure it's true to a point. 0-6 on the PP is bad news though. Especially with Sakic out, this team needs to simplify on the power play and utilize the ability of guys like Smyth and Tucker. Get the puck to the net ...
The Avs finally broke their losing streak, ending the horror at 5 games. Budaj played very well. No, Nashville is not a good team right now, but shutouts in the NHL are hard to come by, regardless of the opponent. The Avs were actually able to put together a complete game - they had multiple offensive chances, defensively they were very solid, and Budaj played well and ...
Easily Budaj's best game of the year last night as the Avs beat the Canuckleheads 2-1 in a shootout. Sure, I can hear the cynics: "Budaj's best game isn't saying much - it's like bragging about being the tallest dwarf," but he really did play a fantastic game. The only goal he allowed was the (BS) penalty shot in a first period that the Avs dominated. Yes, to be an eli...
16 games in, I am not very surprised about how the Avs are playing. They're having some problems with consistant effort and, in particular, burying the puck. Goaltending had a rather precocious start but has gotten better as of late (the loss to Columbus notwithstanding.) Here's my breakdown of the five areas:
[b]Offense:[/b] We have a lot of talent, that's for sure. Th...
Over the course of a season, every team wins a few that they shouldn't, and loses a few that they should win. The Avs have already had a few games that they "should" have won, so this 3-2 shootout win evens it out a bit. The shots were only 35 to 32 in favor of the Oilers, but they carried the play for the majority of the game. The Avs were able to generate some chances...
A quick take on Stastny's extension -
A nice signing by FG I think. Some people look at Stastny's numbers and think $6.6 per is too much, but I don't think so. It's just under Kopitar's $6.8 per. The Avs were able to buy out one of his UFA years and keep the sharks from circling during any future RFA periods. Sure he'll be a bit overpaid next year, but if he conti...
Keenan was pissed off at his team after getting their doors blown off in San Jose, and that translated to his team's attitude as the Flames came out and dominated play against the Avs Tuesday night. Sorry haters, you'll have to wait another game to shriek about Budaj, as he was only tights and a cape away from being a superhero and stealing this game for the Avs. He foug...
There are few sins a team can commit that are more egregious than getting shutout at home. It envelopes the home crowd in apathy. In this game, they got to see one goal and the home team lose. Not something that will bring back the sellout streak anytime soon. And speaking of streaks, the Avs are now back on a losing one.
The Avs played better than they did in Calga...
[b]Final score: Avs 4 Kings 3 (SO) [/b]
The Colorado turned in a hard-fought but costly victory Saturday night.
Saturday night's game against the Kings saw a return of some of the up-tempo hockey we saw to start the season. The Avs put a lot of shots towards the net (29 shots on net). The Avs passed really well and got some good play from their top two lines.
The ...
The Avs tried to give away a win in LA, but they just couldn't quite do it thanks to a nice tying goal by Stastny and a strong finish from Budaj. Granted, Budaj had a bit of a relapse on the two third period goals he allowed to give the Kings the lead, but he was able to steady himself and close the door in the third period, OT and the shootout.
The Avs offense looked ...
[b]Crystal Ball Gazing[/b]
[i]A look at the Avs’ pipeline[/i]
While the Avalanche’s stars are starting to age, it is time to look at some of the prospects coming through the Avs’ pipeline. Prospects are listed based on NHL readiness. The number in parentheses is the estimated number of years to NHL readiness.
[b]Centers:[/b]
T.J. Galiardi- 6’2” 185 lb...
[b]Crystal Ball Gazing[/b]
A look at the Avs' pipeline
While the Avalanche's stars are aging (minus Paul Stastny and few others), it is time to look at some of the prospects coming through the Avs' pipeline. Prospects are listed based on NHL readiness. The number in parentheses is the estimated number of years to NHL readiness.
[b]Centers:[/b]
T.J. Galiardi- 6'...
Definitely top three.
What was most concerning was the lack of effort. The Avs have had bad performances before, but this game was a new low point in the effort department. After the third Ducks goal, the Avs looked content to basically run out the clock and get to the locker room. At a time when you would expect a surge to try to bring the game back to within two go...
[b]
First of all, I want to give a shout out to the other Avs bloggers on this site - you're all doing a great job, writing nearly every game. It's nice to see some more support than we had last year.
As previously mentioned, it's not real easy for me to get blogs out as I'm currently in South Korea teaching ESL to bratty little children...anyways...it's nice to be bac...
Hope everyone had a good Thanksgiving weekend.
I spent mine with family in Arizona, and took the opportunity to attend the Avs/Coyotes game on Friday afternoon.
It was my first time at Jobing.com arena. Nice enough place I guess, but clearly a step below places like the Pepsi Center and the X. It is very strange, however, to attend an NHL game where the arena is le...
Due to injuries and poor play, the Avs have made a change. It is a small change but one for the future. They put an "A" on the jersey of Paul Stastny.
Since made this club two years ago out of training camp, we knew he was the future. He was the guy to take the reigns from Joe Sakic. He was going to take this club into the forseeable future. What has this done?
In tw...
Last night's game was as thoroughly entertaining as last Friday's game in Phoenix was boring. It's amazing that two games three days apart can be so completely opposite in every way - style of play, effort, scoring, atmosphere. There were plenty of mistakes made by both teams, to be sure, but it was fun to watch.
The Avs actually played hard and forechecked from the b...
Sakic is out now at least 6 weeks. Tucker is still out for a while. The Avs have been injury prone for the past few seasons. They have a lot of firepower but no desire to fire.
First and foremost I think Colorado needs to re-evaluate their coaching staff. Granato can still work well for them, but they need better defensive and special teams coaching. Seriously, look at ...
[b]
The Colorado Avalanche suffered a big loss today, announcing that our heart and soul, our captain, Joe Sakic, will be on the shelf for AT LEAST 6 weeks with a herniated disk in his back. Ouch.
Alright, so let the rumors begin. With Joe out, the Avs have to shake things up...but how do they go about this?
One option is to stick with the current team and promote f...
Two road games against two mediocre (or worse) teams and the Avs only come up with one measly point. Not good enough for a club that is finding points very hard to come by. It is only early December, but it already feels like time is beginning to run out for this team. If the Avs continue to tread water at .500 (or worse) for much longer, they won't make the playoffs. ...
This time it was the opponent's goalie who gave up a bit of a weak one to allow the Avs to force overtime and win in the shootout. Tjarnqvist did a nice job of finding the open space, calling for the pass and one-timing a nice hard shot at the net with Stastny creating some traffic, but I'm sure Schneider would tell you that he should have had it. Anytime the puck appear...
It has taken two years but the Avalanche and its fans finally got to see what Chris Stewart brings to an NHL team.
Tonight's game against the Kings showed us what to expect of Chris Stewart. Looks like we have another good first round pick to aid us in our rebuild.
Stewart put on a show tonight. In his first few games he was immediately cutting up the ice, getting ou...
It has taken two years but the Avalanche and its fans finally got to see what Chris Stewart brings to an NHL team.
Tonight's game against the Kings showed us what to expect of Chris Stewart. Looks like we have another good first round pick to aid us in our rebuild.
Stewart put on a show tonight. In his first few games he was immediately cutting up the ice, getting ou...
Let's keep it on the ice at first, shall we?
The Avs 6-1 domination of the Kings on Tuesday night was fun to watch. For once the Avs came out flying in the first period. Svatos' goal was admittedly a bit of a lucky one, but that's why you go to the net. Immediately after the goal, Lappy took care of business with Zeiler for his hit from behind on Foote. This was a p...
There's a surprising amount of negativity out there today regarding the Avs' 4-3 loss to the Blackhawks last night. Dater's blog in the Denver Post sounded like his Ambien hasn't been working for him lately - he's pretty grouchy. He basically calls it a choke job by the Avs. Maybe I'm an optimist, or maybe I've just been able to get a good night's sleep, but I didn't co...
[b]
So, as everyone knows, Super Joe Sakic is out for the next three months thanks to his snowblower accident. Avs bloggers have already began talking about possibilities and so this blog is simply a continuation of their ideas.
If Colorado decides they need to trade for a center, it should be someone who is a great team player and a really good all-around player. Sco...
We have a Raycroft sighting! And what a good one it was.
In my last post, I stated that teams getting the better of special teams play and goaltending win at least 90% of NHL games. On Monday night, the Avs were that team. Raycroft played an excellent game, the Avs scored an early power play goal to go along with Leopold's penalty shot goal, and the penalty killing w...
Let me be clear, I don't think for a second this idea is new or revolutionary. The simplicity is the point. You can analyze 200 aspects of any individual hockey game and the players therein, but due to the unprecedented parity in today's NHL, game results can usually be traced to goaltending and special teams.
The Avs were certainly on the short end of both functions ...
With yet another blow to the hockey team, losing Paul Stastny in the dying minutes of the game against Phoenix, the Avalanche have lost their top two centers on the team. The team has very little to hope for between the pipes, with Budaj showing his characteristic inconsistency and Raycroft trying to trick us into thinking he can hold down the number 1 job. With the team s...
In a game that would have even Jeff Goldblum studdering, the Avs beat the Red Wings.
It was a wierd game, Saturday night, one that the Avs were supposed to lose. Thanks to Oli Jokinen and a snow blower, the Avs were without Paul Stastny and Joe Sakic, respectively. They had Tyler Arnason taking Paul Stastny's spot. They were starting Peter Budaj, who hasn't played well...
The effects of high altitude are well known in professional and amateur sports. On the plus side, the thin air means the athletes will be able to move with less drag and greater efficiency. However, unless trained or acclimated to altitude, most teams will not be able to perform at maximum level when playing in Denver. This is especially true when the athletes are hockey ...
No Sakic, no Stastny, no problem? Not exactly, but "No Excuses" is hopefully the mentality that Granato has instilled in this team.
When I last left your Avalanche (before heading to family Christmas Center Ice-less purgatory), they were finishing up their road trip with two games in Florida. Although the result was a disappointing split, getting 4 out of 8 points on ...
Is a turtle a predator? Because I know a certain Predator that is also a turtle!
His name is Jordan Tootoo. You have undoubtedly seen him before. His specialty is charging, although he rarely gets called for it. Sometimes he misses his man and goes flying wildly into the opposing teams bench (hysterical). Sometimes he hits his mark and inures a player - like Brian ...
Let's begin with the vastly more entertaining game - USA's loss to Canada in the World Junior Championships.
With all of the hype of the Winter Classic in Chicago, the true classic got lost in the shufle. This was most entertaining hockey game I have watched in quite awhile. The skill, speed and emotion of all players for both teams made this game absolutely fantast...
The Avalanche were handed a crushing defeat by the Blue Jackets last night, scoring first but then surrendering 6 unanswered goals. The defeat shouldn't come as any surprise to Avs fans (I'm sure it didn't) as Budaj continues to prove exactly how inconsistent he can be. One of the many fan irritants on the team, Budaj's play has resembled both ends of the spectrum, spectac...
So much for bottling that anger and frustration from the Canada game and pouring it out on Slovakia; more like the US dribbled it down their legs.
I don't want to be too hard on these kids - it's not like they weren't trying. The effort was certainly there. It was just one of those classic upset games. Like the cliched slow motion car crash - you could see it happeni...
The Avs lost 2-0 last night despite getting 33 shots and several quality scoring chances on Wild goalie Backstrom. The effort was back tonight, but in the NHL effort isn't always enough. That's why it is imperative to have a maximum effort every game. Had the Avs played this way against Phoenix and Nashville, perhaps this would have been their only loss instead of the...
In the battle of two struggling teams, the Avs did just enough to win. That's about all that fans can realistically hope for right now considering the current injury list. Still a shot total that was far too low, although the Avs did manage some pressure at times in the second period. Raycroft had a very good game although he did have another scare with his glove hand -...
The Avs came away with 2 points in their latest match against the Blackhawks, arguably the best young team in hockey. Aside from the up tempo new style Avs fans have seen of late, Andrew Raycroft has been steadily making his case for the #1 job which has been held by Peter Budaj. Now critics (and most hockey fans) will agree that Raycroft sucks. Yes, this is sadly true how...
The Avs beat the Penguins Saturday afternoon 5-3 and after this one I'm pretty sure we can all pump our fists knowing that the 'Wolski show' we're all seeing is for real. Matched up against Sid the dirty fighting Kid, we came out on top limiting the damage as well as putting up some key markers. Of course the other guys came through as well, David Jones and Cody McCleod pi...
Two excellent games by the Avalanche equal two wins over two very talented hockey clubs. Solid goaltending from Raycroft along with a huge 1st star performance by Wolski was enough to overcome some spotty play on special teams. Add some secondary scoring and the Avs are winners of 3 in a row and are suddenly fun to watch again.
Wolski's ascendence to a first line cent...
When [b]Paul Stastny[/b] went down with a broken forearm, I, like many hockey fans, thought the Avalanche were done. We’re toast, build to next year, get a high draft pick and start from scratch. However, several centers have emerged to give Avs fans playoff hopes once again.
First is [b]Wojtek Wolski[/b]. Since being moved to his new position, he has put new life in ...
When [b]Paul Stastny[/b] went down with a broken forearm, I, like many hockey fans, thought the Avalanche were done. We’re toast, build to next year, get a high draft pick and start from scratch. However, several centers have emerged to give Avs fans playoff hopes once again.
First is [b]Wojtek Wolski[/b]. Since being moved to his new position, he has put new life in ...
When [b]Paul Stastny[/b] went down with a broken forearm, I, like many hockey fans, thought the Avalanche were done. We're toast, build to next year, get a high draft pick and start from scratch. However, several centers have emerged to give Avs fans playoff hopes once again.
First is [b]Wojtek Wolski[/b]. Since being moved to his new position, he has put new life in th...
When [b]Paul Stastny[/b] went down with a broken forearm, I, like many hockey fans, thought the Avalanche were done. We're toast, build to next year, get a high draft pick and start from scratch. However, several centers have emerged to give Avs fans playoff hopes once again.
First is [b]Wojtek Wolski[/b]. Since being moved to his new position, he has put new life in th...
When [b]Paul Stastny[/b] went down with a broken forearm, I, like many hockey fans, thought the Avalanche were done. We're toast, build to next year, get a high draft pick and start from scratch. However, several centers have emerged to give Avs fans playoff hopes once again.
First is [b]Wojtek Wolski[/b]. Since being moved to his new position, he has put new life in th...
When [b]Paul Stastny[/b] went down with a broken forearm, I, like many hockey fans, thought the Avalanche were done. We're toast, build to next year, get a high draft pick and start from scratch. However, several centers have emerged to give Avs fans playoff hopes once again.
First is [b]Wojtek Wolski[/b]. Since being moved to his new position, he has put new life in th...
When [b]Paul Stastny[/b] went down with a broken forearm, I, like many hockey fans, thought the Avalanche were done. We're toast, build to next year, get a high draft pick and start from scratch. However, several centers have emerged to give Avs fans playoff hopes once again.
First is [b]Wojtek Wolski[/b]. Since being moved to his new position, he has put new life in th...
When [b]Paul Stastny[/b] went down with a broken forearm, I, like many hockey fans, thought the Avalanche were done. We're toast, build to next year, get a high draft pick and start from scratch. However, several centers have emerged to give Avs fans playoff hopes once again.
First is [b]Wojtek Wolski[/b]. Since being moved to his new position, he has put new life in th...
When [b]Paul Stastny[/b] went down with a broken forearm, I, like many hockey fans, thought the Avalanche were done. We're toast, build to next year, get a high draft pick and start from scratch. However, several centers have emerged to give Avs fans playoff hopes once again.
First is [b]Wojtek Wolski[/b]. Since being moved to his new position, he has put new life in th...
Again the Avs fail to break above 3 games over .500 and lose to Colombus 4-3. This was a performance reminiscent of the road game in Phoenix on New Year's Eve. After the Avs were suffocated early by Hitchcock's well disciplined defensive system early, the Avs seemed content to sit back and try to counter-punch. Worse, the bad behavior was reinforced by going up 1-0 on S...
In a game that could be described as the answer to the question I posed in last night's postgame blog ("Is Kipper playing too much?") the Flames were whupped 6-2 in Colorado by the Avs tonight with Curtis McElhinney in net. Though this game looked virtually the same as yesterday's home loss to Phoenix, I still pin most of the blame on Curtis Mac, as I blamed Kiprusoff for ...
... is to get the eighth seed. Look at the Avs' schedule and you realize a pattern. January is a perfect example:
Wins: Chicago, Pittsburgh, Calgary, Nashville
Losses: Minnesota, Columbus (2x), Edmonton, St. Louis
Anyone else see a pattern? The Avs have been Detroit twice, played hard with San Jose and Boston but lost to teams like Columbus, Edmonton, Minnesota, F...
Now I know that a lot of people are saying that the team needs to just give up and let it sink. I don't feel this is really going to do anything! This team has a good roster, it just has had too many injuries to too many key players. Now the important thing to notice is that there have been no season ending injuries. Although some say Sakic's injury might be a season e...
With 40 games remaining in the season, I suggested that the Avs should consider this remainder in 10 game increments. I also stated that in order to secure a playoff spot, the Avs would need to play .650 hockey, getting 13 pts out of each 10 game set. Well since then, the Avs dropped games at Columbus and at St. Louis along with home games vs. the Oilers, Kings and Shark...
The Avs were able to win an entertaining game against Calgary last night, but it means little after the disaster that has been the previous 8 games. The Avs have won only 2 of their last 9 games, 7 of those were at home. It's tempting to look at the standings right now, see the Avs only 4 pts behind three teams tied in the 6 thru 8 spots, and think that the Avs are right...
[b]Getting defensive[/b]
The Avs are really stocked deep as far as defensemen go. They have a plethora of options as far as defense goes. In fact, it is not outrageous to suggest that in five years, not a single defenseman from the 2008-09 team will remain. Here is the list of defensemen currently in the Avs’ pipeline, listed alphabetically:
[b]Colby Cohen[/b]- 6�...
[b]Getting defensive[/b]
The Avs are really stocked deep as far as defensemen go. They have a plethora of options as far as defense goes. In fact, it is not outrageous to suggest that in five years, not a single defenseman from the 2008-09 team will remain. Here is the list of defensemen currently in the Avs' pipeline, listed alphabetically:
[b]Colby Cohen[/b]- 6'2" ...
Having completed part one of my team by team speculation in the South East division, for part two I figured I would jump across the continent and hit the North West division.
The North West is arguably the tightest division in terms of competition in the league. There are only 13 points as of tonight separating first through firth in the division, a lead any of the four...
Avs win a nice game Thursday night against Dallas, coming up with a goal late in the third to win. Unfortunately, the good vibes from Thursday were erased by yet another steaming pile of a game on Saturday in St. Louis. Some absolutely horrific defensive lapses in the second period put the Avs on their heels and they simply couldn't recover. Not only did they lose, but ...
With two more losses the Avs have cemented the fact that they are not making the playoffs this spring. They are all but mathematically elminated. They have the lowest points percentage in the West. They sit 24th in the league in points with several teams just below them having one or more games in hand.
At what point is it ok for Avs fans to begin openly pulling for ...
First, let's give the Avs some credit for the last two games against the Habs and the Wings. They played very well in both games, and both games were entertaining as hell. Can't ask for much more than that. Frustrating end to the Habs game as the Avs allow another late goal to lose (if you are still hoping for wins, I am not), but they seriously outplayed Montreal most ...
The Avs faced the Rangers, and wound up taking part in possibly their most embarrassing loss of the season. The game was out of hand from the get-go and unfortunately the return of Paul Stastny to the lineup hasn't been the spark plug fans had hoped for. The question we ask ourselves now is; what now?
With the trade deadline fast approaching, and a GM who has possibly t...
The Avs faced the Rangers, and wound up taking part in possibly their most embarrassing loss of the season. The game was out of hand from the get-go and unfortunately the return of Paul Stastny to the lineup hasn't been the spark plug fans had hoped for. The question we ask ourselves now is; what now?
With the trade deadline fast approaching, and a GM who has possibly t...
There is plenty to discuss when it comes to the New York Islanders lately; tonight they host the all but forgotten 2007 trade deadline acquisition of Ryan Smyth and the Colorado Avalanche; our captain is floating in trade limbo as March 4th approaches; Sean Bergenheim is elevating his game to a potential leadership role; and of course, more trades are probably on the way. ...
So its midnight, and officially it is deadline day, and that means the Avs should be in for an all night day-er. With the best impending UFA goalie off the market the Avs really need to look into making a trade to secure their crease next year. Raycroft and Budaj are both free agents, but with Budaj being RFA we can retain him and reserve the bench for him, hoping he can e...
Its been a few days since the Trade Deadline passed, with nothing to show for the Avs save Montreal's 2nd round pick this year. Giguere sent Leopold back to Calgary on deadline day for a scrub waiver wire pickup, Ryan Wilson..an undrafted defenseman, and Montreal's 2nd round pick. Not exactly the type of package Avs fans would have hoped for since even Brian Burke managed ...
With 7 games left in the season, the Avs sit dead last in the Western Conference, coming in second only to the Islanders as the worst team in the league. Most years this would be disappointing, however,with the team lacking any true direction, this situation forces their hand slightly.
The consensus first overall pick is John Tavares, with Viktor Hedman coming in a clos...
Sparked by a readers comments, about who would the Avs be shopping for this offseason when it comes to management, I became intrigued at the opportunity to investigate.
Current GM Francois Giguere has had one of the worst starts a GM could have when handed an elite franchise, like the Avs were post lockout. Unlike our rival RedWings, the Avs have not been fans of the ca...
There are a LOT of rumours going around that the islanders are gonna draft Hedman..... that they're gonna take Duchene, but in all seriousness, as it stands now, the top 4 draft picks will be picked in that order.... the respective teams cant afford not to.
New York Islanders- They NEED Tavares, he may not be a defensman but he is still a strong player, he is also one o...
He’s been highly touted as the “best goaltender outside of the NHL” and has been rumoured to be coming over to the NHL to play next season. The 24 year-old has apparently been in contact with the Maple Leafs, Avalanche, Sharks, and Stars. We still don’t know where he’s going to end up, and it’s almost July 1st. Now, I’ve watched as much tape as I could possib...
With the Predators 3 to 2 win, they now have won their first two games of the season. The top line of Arnott/Sullivan/Hornqvist at times dominated the play. Hornqvist digging the puck out of the corners and getting in front of the net, Sully's vision and passing, Arnott with the bomb. Tremendous play by that line.
Notables from the game:
Hornqvist (A-) - Really ...
Ugh. This was the closest Montreal has come so far, in this young season, to playing a full 60 minutes. However, sadly, they decided to take the 2nd period off and as a result ended up losing the game. Yes, both Colorado goals were lucky bounces, butt hey resulted from work. They simply out-worked Montreal in the 2nd and were rewarded with two lucky goals. Here are a ...
What have we learned so far? Let's face it, in order to thrive in the "new" NHL, you have to do a number of things well. This week, the top team's show us how important it is to draft (or acquire) young talent that can start and make an impact right away. This has been a key for teams that have won the cup in each of the last 4 seasons and by the looks of it, this trend...
I am guessing that when the season began not many expected the Colorado Avalanche to have only 1 regulation loss through 11 games and be leading the Western Conference. A team that was scheduled to be occupying the cellar of the west for most of the year has come out of the gate on fire due to some stellar goaltending from journeyman tender Craig Anderson. Toiling in the C...
Nidder14 writes...
Gameday: Northwest Division leaders, Colorado Avalanche
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Well, after yet another long break, the Flames are finally back in action tonight against probably the biggest suprise team of the season to date. The Colorado Avalanch are in town, bringing with them a plethora of young talent and the hottest goalie in the league. With a 9-1-2 record the Avs sit atop the NW division, five points up on the Flames, however the Flames ha...
Just a few quick thoughts before I hit my pillow…
The Flames have no problem starting games anymore; it is simply playing the rest of the 60 minute game that they seem to have issues with. Leading 2-0 a minute into the game and the Flames stepped off the gas pedal and idled in neutral for most of the game. They were so close to running Anderson from the net, yet they ...
After a few weeks into the season, many great stories have been told already. Maybe the most surprising to everybody is the Colorado Avalanche. Why have they been so good? Only Miss Cleo knows the real answer. Maybe it's because they are young, fast, relentless, and maybe naive enough to not understand pressure yet. They had no expectations from anyone in the hockey wo...
A battle for first place in the Northwest division turned out to be a bit of a snoozer. Coming off a 3 game road trip in which they secured 5 of 6 possible points, the Flames came out looking tired. Getting beat to numerous pucks, the Flames could never find their groove in a loss to the Avalanche. For the second time this season on home ice, the Flames fell 3-2 to the Avs...
First and foremost, this blog is simply to provide a fun conversation as well as enjoying some of the rumors that are going on.
It is no secret that the Flyers are struggling, and in the cap era this seems to be the only time that major trades really have any traction. For the most part this also brings about big dealings at the deadline. In relation to the Flyers I ...
We are seeing a tremendous year of hockey. Tight standings, fun play and a division/conference that is up for grabs. Currently we have three teams that are in a fight for the western conference lead with 47 points apiece, L.A., Chicago, and San Jose. However, Chicago has earned those 47 in just 33 games. Nashville stands alone at 45 points, but stands to move up if they...
[i]OK, first off: I don’t often respond to stupid trade rumors from other hockey “news” blogs – which I realize is a complete redundancy in terms.
But please, stop it with these “Duchene and O’Reilly to Atlanta for Kovalchuk” and “O’Reilly and Liles and Wilson and half the Denver Mint for a couple of underachieving Philadelphia Flyers” rumors.
Repeat ...
John Michael Liles is a player who has shown the ability to consistently achieve 40 point seasons. That is nothing to snuff at by any means. Sacco thinks he can do better, and so do I. We as fans all kind of have this collective feeling that he is worth more than he is putting out.
I do however feel that he has a somewhat fragile ego. We could look back at his perfo...
Rob McGowan writes...
Isles Avoid Snowballs, Robbie Schremp With Goal Of The Year?
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Alright...it is a bold argument to make being that 2010 is just a wee seven days old, but if anyone saw Robbie Schremp's goal last night, they would understand why he might have a case for the best goal of 2010.
Over the course of his young career, Schremp has had a very difficult time finding his way onto an NHL line-up. If you watch him play, it is evident that the k...
I was recently given an opportunity to blog at another site, so I will not be blogging on this site much, if at all. I will still be by to join in the conversation, but won't be doing much in the way of write ups.
However, I would encourage all of you to come by and visit www.thereedreview.com and join in on some conversation there as well.
The score in tonight’s Avs-Flames game was 3-2 for 5th time this season.
It’s as if no other outcome is possible.
However, this time, the Calgary Flames finally beat the Colorado Avalanche on the back of a stand out performance by Miikka...err Vesa Toskala?
Is Calgary the place to go when you are Finnish, a goalie, and not performing how you should? Is Darry...
After weeks of uncertainty the Calgary Flames are officially eliminated from Stanley Cup playoff contention. This ends days, weeks and months of faint hope and un-needed stress for most Flames fans who still wanted to believe this team was destined for the big dance.
It was the 3rd overall pick in the 2009 draft, Matt Duchene, who officially eliminated the Flames, when...
[b]Primary Staff:[/b] Greg Sherman (GM), Joe Sacco (Head Coach)
[b]2009-10 Stats:[/b] 82GP 43W 30L 9OTL 95PTS
[b]Place:[/b] 2nd Northwest, 8th West, 12th NHL
[b]Top Scorer:[/b] Paul Stastny – 81GP 20G 59A 79P
[b]Captains:[/b] Adam Foote (C), Paul Stastny (A), Milan Hejduk (A)
[b]OFF-SEASON MOVES
OUT:[/b]
Brett Clark (Signed with Tampa Bay)
Chris Durno (Sign...
Darcy Tucker has officially called it a career. "After spending the whole summer anticipating I would play, it got to a point where I knew it was time."
"I just knew, during workouts I didn't have that same feeling," Tucker told TSN, "and I needed to be fair with my family."
Darcy Tucker had a successful career playing the role of a grinding pest. After beginning hi...
Check out my latest post at The Hockey Writers that takes a look at how Trevor Gillies and Zenon Konopka are doing what they do best and helping the Islanders win hockey games...leave comments under the blog in the comments section!
http://bit.ly/aAa4lF
-Rob McGowan
Follow me on Twitter!
http://twitter.com/IslesRM
With Marc Savard and Marco Sturm on the cusp of returning to the Bruins’ lineup, it has been well-known that there needs to be some changes in order to clear up salary-cap space.
The first move in what should be a long line of chess moves happened late Monday night for the Boston Bruins.
General Manager Peter Chiarelli shipped defenseman Matt Hunwick to the Colorado A...
With the Avalanche sitting in 8th Place, in a tight Western Conference. Meaning, on any given night you could be in 4th place or within a few loses and beeing out of the Playoff Picture and as low as 11th Place.
So, with that said. With the Trading Deadline Fast Approching. The Avalanche havent had any consistent Goaltending all year and the Defense not there on some n...
The boys in Maroon and Blue really enjoy keeping the Avs fans on the edge, right until the very end. It has become a common trend to see more competitiveness amongst the teams in the NHL, especially from the Western Conference. Last year the Avs clinched the final spot in the West just five points ahead of the 90 point Blues and Flames. This year it seems to be even closer...
The past two games may have been the Avs worst combined performances all year. Colorado is now outside the playoff race at No. 9 with 54 points, 1 back of No. 8 San Jose, and 2 back of No. 7 Chicago.
With a 5-1 and 6-2 lose to the Preds and Bruins respectively, it appeared that the Avs were sloppy and defeated at every position on the ice. With the exception of Matt Du...
The last bunch of games have been a roller coaster for this young Avs roster. The boys in Burgundy and Blue simply have to be better and more consistent if they would like to stay in the playoff picture.
Goaltending has been extremely shaky. Anderson had a solid game, followed by complete disasters. The one game vs. the Wild, he was poised, controlled and making those s...
If you look at the Avs and try to point out the problem, you're going to have a hard to time because the whole team is out to lunch.
I mean I've seen porous defense but they look like swiss cheese out there! No, its not just Hunwick even though he is the worst thing for Colorado since Patrice Brisebios. [At least he's not making 60 foot passes across the neutral zone in o...
To eliminate myself from any bias, allow me start off by saying I was born and raised a Toronto Maple Leafs fan idolizing Mats Sundin. Based on his contributions to my favourite team, he's my favourite player of all time.
Having said that, the greatest Swede ever is retiring today. Something I calculated on my own time that I think a lot of people overlook is that only ...
Perhaps the best thing that GM Sherman could have done at the deadline is stand pat. He did just that and it seems to be the right move. The amount of tension in the lockeroom has been increasing and due to the slide in the standings it was only increasing as the trade deadine approached. Players like Liles and Stastny were in numerous rumors and with the way that Sherman ...
Steve-B-Avs-96 writes...
Ryan O'Reilly Top 10 in Takeaways per 60 Min Last Season.
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
There is not much to read about these days but this is definitely something that highlights what a special talent we have as a 3rd line center. Considering the company he keeps on this list I thought it was worth discussing. This kid might well be the best 3rd line center in hockey some day.
All we need to do now is give this kid some consistency in his wingers and the ...
Steve-B-Avs-96 writes...
Ryan O'Reilly Top 10 in Takeaways per 60 Min Last Season.
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
There is not much to read about these days but this is definitely something that highlights what a special talent we have as a 3rd line center. Considering the company he keeps on this list I thought it was worth discussing. This kid might well be the best 3rd line center in hockey some day.
All we need to do now is give this kid some consistency in his wingers and the ...
With an 82 game schedule this upcoming season for the young Colorado Avalanche here is a look at the big showdowns heading into the 2011-2012 season. As always games will become more important throughout the season based on standings and previous meetings between the clubs.
If you see another stellar tilt on the calendar add some reasons why fans should mark it down and...
As training camp concludes and the Avalanche inch ever-forward toward the regular season, many doubts still abound in the Rocky Mountains, but could there be hope in the mile-high city?
If you’re among those following analysts around the league, the outlook for the Avalanche this season seems pretty grim. Don’t judge them too harshly, however, as there is ample re...
[img]http://wwwcache.wralsportsfan.com/asset/racing/nascar/2008/09/25/3611612/25368-nhl-400x300.jpg[/img]
[b]Follow me on Twitter @AarifDeenReport please.[/b]
We are now 8 days into the new NHL season. We’ve got goals, fights, suspensions (with videos), shutouts, and yes! The first classless act of the season from Mr. Arron Asham (albeit he’s a good guy, and ma...
The only thing missing from the Avalanche Game was the home team advantage. Sorry but I am going to say it one of the best teams in the league (for the moment) have a horrible fan base. Never in my life have I been to a home game and heard the away team chant... And the worst part was that the home team chants where swiftly overcome by "Lets go Blackhawks." Absolutely terr...
Steve-B writes...
Our top 6 (NOT TOP 9) Projected pt totals & Line juggling
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
I ripped this off of the Avs website. Just for fun I was going through and looking at the projected point totals for our TOP six forwards.
_____________
GP G A +/- Pts
M. Duchene
17 6 7 -2 13
M. Hejduk
17 7 5 -1 12
R. O'Reilly
17 2 10 -1 12
P. Stastny
17 5 6 -4 11
D. Jones
17 6 4 -3 10
G. Landeskog
17 5 3 +2 8
_____________
Duchene - 28G / 35A / 63P...
It’s not often that the Lightning and Avalanche get together. As I mentioned in one my other game previews, that is going to be one really nice thing about re-alignment. We will get to see all these Western teams twice a year. Not only will it help to create rivalries, but it will really help spread the game across the United States. I can’t be the only one who is ...
Michael_Stuart writes...
Bolts Lose to Avalanche in Goalie Battle + Rumor Round-Up
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
My prediction was a high scoring, offensive battle with the Lightning coming out on top. Instead, we got a low scoring chess match in which the Lightning lost. It’s high time I stop predicting Lightning wins; they never seem to come through. Let’s get to my post-game Good, Bad, Ugly analysis.
[b]The Good[/b]
The best part about tonight, despite the outcome, was ...
Semyon Varlamov stopped all 25 Chicago Blackhawks shots he faced en route to Colorado Avalanche's dominating 4-0 victory last night.
Simply put, the Blackhawks were out-skated at almost all parts of the ice and Corey Crawford was no where near as sharp as his opponent, Varlamov, was at the United Center last night.
The Blackhawks did have some decent scoring chances ...
Another game, another loss. Give the Avs credit, they played a solid game but the issue of scoring keeps coming up. Right now, the Avs just dont have that extra shooter that can be a difference maker for this team. Mueller's play has been a spark, no doubt, Duchene is still hurt, but even when both come back this teams loaded down the middle but lacking a true sniper on th...
As the trade deadline approaches there is much speculation, anticipation, and reservation to go around, depending on where your rooting interests lie. Sometimes it is easy to predict the players that will be traded, but where they go and for who can be a little tougher to pick. Instead of trying to figure the future out, I am going to revisit some recent trades that invo...
For the Chicago Blackhawks, it gets to a point when the same old excuses become more than tiresome cliches:
"The *insert excuse here* just didn't get it done tonight."
Despite Chicago maintaining a 2-2 tie heading into the third period, David Jones had a three point night and Paul Stastny put up two assists as Colorado skated away with a 5-2 win over the Blackhawks.
...
Theres a lot being made of the Avs trading two high draft choices for Varlamov, who till this date has yet to secure the starting goaltender role from JS Giguere. Varlamov, a 23 year old former first round draft pick has amassed a total of 90 games over 3 seasons in the NHL, with a record of 44-29-13 GAA of 2.60 and a .910 SV%.
Just for a comparison, 23 year old Jonath...
Something is happening this year with the St. Louis Blues. Something is different. Things are changing. A 5-1 victory, in years past, would call for a parade down market. Nothing but good feelings. No matter how the team would have played the score would have dominated the coverage, the reaction from the fans, even the players and how they talk about the game. This y...
[b]Welcome to another blog by Aarif Deen. For more blogs, and EVERYTHING HOCKEY 24/7, follow me on twitter @NHLAarifDeenRep. Enjoy the read![/b]
Well here we are fellas. It has been eight years to the day Todd Bertuzzi shocked the entire hockey world by pulling off one of, if not, the biggest cheap-shot in the history of the game. Young, promising, gritty forward St...
FEFZONE28 writes...
Why the Avalanche Have a Better Shot at Ryan Suter
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
While a team like Detroit might be closer to winning a cup *now* don't you think if he was signing somewhere he would want the team to be competitive on the long term basis? I am not doubting that Detroit will be competitive because of their management but with Lidstrom retiring and Datsyuk and Zetterberg on the downswing of their careers, they are going in the opposite di...
Howard Berger tweeted yesterday that Toronto could be re-visiting talks for Stastny. We all know that Toronto was throwing deals at the Avs earlier in the season for Stastny that were just straight up ridiculous. They tried to offer us Nikolai Kulemin, Cody Franson and a third round draft pick in 2013 for Stastny. That would be a horrible deal so why not send one back a...
TheJerseyDevil1 writes...
Why the Avalanche Need to Make a Strong Push for Semin
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
Hello all,
As it finally turns to open season for UFA hunting, despite the array of recent signings, Colorado still sits with a roster of just 16. So where does Sherman go from here?
The Av's have 8 forwards, 6 defensemen, and 2 goalies signed as of July 1st. There are still a couple notable RFA's who should reach deals like Erik Johnson and Jamie McGinn. With some ...
According to a Twitter hockey insider there is a possibility of Darcy Regier going after Shane Doan to possibly replace Thomas Vaneknif he's used in a trade which looks like it would be for Paul Stastny. Buffalo has talked to Doan's agent and has also had multiple talks with the Avalanche. In my eyes, Buffalo should do whatever it takes to grab Stastny with giving up a to...
According to a Twitter hockey insider there is a possibility of Darcy Regier going after Shane Doan to possibly replace Thomas Vaneknif he's used in a trade which looks like it would be for Paul Stastny. Buffalo has talked to Doan's agent and has also had multiple talks with the Avalanche. In my eyes, Buffalo should do whatever it takes to grab Stastny with giving up a to...
This is seemingly assuredly, the Avs don't want to pay his contract and need something in return. The reason for hiatus is that they want O'Rielly for his center ice play. This gives a major advantage for the leafs.
Reason:
Tyler Bozak.
Now I like Tyler Bozak, he has been good for us, not #1 center but good, and I know he is no Ryan O-Rielly.
Here's why I think he...
The Avalanched have taken the first few steps needed in order to turn around this franchise. Sacco being fired and winning the lottery (albeit by chance) take the first 2 spots, but the biggest and possibly the most crucial move came when the club announced that Josh Kroenke and Joe Sakic will be replacing the Lacroix's who previously held the President and VP positions. C...
The Avalanched have taken the first few steps needed in order to turn around this franchise. Sacco being fired and winning the lottery (albeit by chance) take the first 2 spots, but the biggest and possibly the most crucial move came when the club announced that Josh Kroenke and Joe Sakic will be replacing the Lacroix's who previously held the President and VP positions. C...
The Avalanched have taken the first few steps needed in order to turn around this franchise. Sacco being fired and winning the lottery (albeit by chance) take the first 2 spots, but the biggest and possibly the most crucial move came when the club announced that Josh Kroenke and Joe Sakic will be replacing the Lacroix's who previously held the President and VP positions. C...
Your 2013-2014 Toronto Maple Leafs
The whole city of Toronto and those of us in the die-hard “Leafs Nation” fan base were on top of the world with just over ten minutes to play in the third period of a crucial game 7 against our rival, the Boston Bruins. We were taunting Boston fans, we were criticizing all the analysts who had the Bruins beating us in four or fiv...
Your 2013-2014 Toronto Maple Leafs
The whole city of Toronto and those of us in the die-hard “Leafs Nation” fan base were on top of the world with just over ten minutes to play in the third period of a crucial game 7 against our rival, the Boston Bruins. We were taunting Boston fans, we were criticizing all the analysts who had the Bruins beating us in four or fiv...
The 2013 draft class has been called one of the deepest in decades where the top 5 picks are “can’t miss” prospects, the next five could very well make any NHL roster next year, and the next 30 would be first rounders in most other draft classes. Seth Jones is a very intriguing prospect he has great size, a great shot, and is a proven winner at every level he plays ...
So, with the season almost over, everyone will hope to fill needs through the draft, trades and free agency. My love of this season and all it brings gets me thinking what can a team do, so how does your cap fit? Today Colorado. As I am sure you are already aware, for the first time in memory, the cap gets smaller dropping down to $64,300,000, so here goes....The Av's pre...
As we draw closer to the draft, more and more news and speculation leaks out about possible transactions that may occur this offseason. With the General Managers meetings going down in Boston this week, the gossip has hit a fever pitch. Here are some of the more juicy tidbits.
- Joe Sakic told the Denver Post that the Avalanche will NOT be selecting top rated prosp...
Joe Sakic shocked the hockey world Wednesday by announcing that the team was leaning toward picking one of three forwards with the first pick instead of Seth Jones. Some find it puzzling that Sakic would announce something of this magnitude, and for those who have followed the Avs in the past this is completely against the behind closed doors attitude that we have come to...
Since Aaron Musick's departure, there's hasn't been enough Avalanche talk on HockeyBuzz and I wanted to take over that role, until an official blogger is assigned, to keep the Avalanche HockeyBuzz community up to date with the team. This is my first time writing a blog, and as a stray die hard fan from Montreal, I hope that I will be able to fill in the void.For my first e...
The Avalanche, on Tuesday, confirmed the hiring of Assistant Coach André Tourigny, Video Coach Mario Duhamel, part-time Goalie coach François Allaire, and part-time Defensive Coach Adam Foote, with Assistant Coach Tim Army being the sole survivor of last year’s bench bosses.
Colorado also announced the promotion of Craig Billington to Assistant General Manager, like...
The first trade of the new regime came on Thursday night when the Avs traded RW David Jones and D Shane O’Brien for LW Alex Tanguay (!) and D Cory Sarich.
Jones was coming off a dreadful season, scoring a mere 3 goals in in 33 games, his lowest game per goal average since his rookie season. After signing a 4 year, 16 million extension during the 2012 off-season, Jones...
If you have been following the Avs for the past few years then you know by now that the teams presence on rumor websites has been slim to none. During the entirety of the Lacroix era the Avs were the most tight lipped organization in the league, and when a trade did happen it was right out of left field.
Then here come in Joe Sakic and Patrick Roy. In the first month o...
The Avalanche kept their word and started the Draft by selecting Nathan MacKinnon of the Halifax Mooseheads first overall. Only time will tell if this was the right selection however, no one can deny the potential of MacKinnon which immediately helps the top 9.
After MacKinnon, the Avs mostly focused on selecting Defense. Although rated as a position of strength on hock...
With already 22 contracts, and the soon to be signed MacKinnon, the Avalanche already had a full roster making for a slow free agency season. The Avs put both Hunwick and Zanon on waivers with the hopes that one or both would get picked up by another team. No one was interested, leading to Zanon being bought out earlier today. The Avs did not use one or their two complianc...
With Matt Duchene now locked up for another five years after this season, I think this could be the beginning of the end for O'reilly in Colorado. People cant forget how distracting the situation was last year with the contract talks, it affected the team in a negative way since they had to answer all those questions. One that I taught, that was affected by it, was Duchene...
Everyone keeps speculating that Ryan O'reilly will be moved at the trade deadline, due to his contract debacle and offer sheet snafu of last season. However, I don't agree. The old management is gone (who caused that contract debacle in the first place), so there old ways of doing business should be gone too (trading players when they hold out for more money, or make a c...
Five members of the 2013-14 Avalanche squad received an invitation to their country’s Olympic camp earlier today. Matt Duchene will be the sole representative for the Avs at the Team Canada camp, joining 24 other highly skilled forwards. I hate to be writing this but Duchene’s chances to have a spot on a Center position seem slim, with the likes of Crosby, Stamkos, Ber...
So in this lull of the off-season where rosters are fairly intact and trades seem less-likely, I thought I would start a "lively" discussion with my fellow Avs fans. Recent events of poverty (don't worry, I just graduated College and don't start my job till next week, life is good) have left me with not much to do other than watch NHL VAULT and eat Ramen. The following pop...
As per Darren Dreger, RFA Cody Franson of the Maple Leafs is asking for more money than Toronto can pay, considering their cap situation. Having just above 6 million with Nazem Kadri and Mark Fraser also needing to re-sign, both RFAs, and would then need one more player to have 23 on the roster.
Dreger reported the Leafs would be looking for a pick and a prospect for Fr...
The Avalanche invested further in their young captain by shelling out $39 million over the course of seven years.
Patrick Roy and Joe Sakic are trying to work with their current roster as no major moves were made in free agency to sign any available players. Other players were acquired through trades and picking up any free agents seems unlikely as the owners are choosi...
Note: I can't seem to post comments so bare with me. I can only post short words, but not full sentences.
The Avalanche are very much stocked up with centers and their defensive woes are bound to bite back.
Here is their current line-up on D:
[b]Erik Johnson[/b]:
The former #1 draft pick will be making this his fourth year with the Avs after being traded by...
With the rookie camp looming and Patrick Roy having all but announced his starting line up, it's time to take a look at things Colorado may be looking into doing.
With a major glut at the Center position, we have Ryan O'Reilly moved to the wing, of which I am not necessarily a fan of this move, however it may be for a reason. Paul Stastny being kept as the 2nd line Cent...
nayefj writes...
What will it take for the Avs to make a serious Cup run?
Posted Friday | Comments 0
[b]I still can't seem to post any comments on MyHockeybuzz without the words "mySQL Error in statement" appearing and my comment not showing up. Just to let you know I'm not ignoring anyone's comments.[/b]
Liles was mentioned a couple of times in the comments so I'd like to address this point for a bit.
Sure, Liles was great with the Avs during his time in Denver. No...
With golf season winding down and training camps on the horizon, the Colorado Avalanche set to begin the 2014 season rejuvenated. The additions to the front office have already broken with tradition, extending both Matt Duchene and Gabriel "Call me Gabe" Landeskog. With both Joe Sakic and Patrick Roy at the helm, fans can expect a bit more transparency, or at the very leas...
Avalanche fans have been hearing for some time now (not without good cause mind you) that our defensive group is porous and largely devoid of any real talent. Anyone who watched this group play last year would be hard pressed to argue and since the offseason has not yielded any changes on the back end we can expect to be hearing about the issues on defense for the immediat...
Let the talks heat up again as Ryan Miller is, apparently, back on the trading blocks. Eklund first reported that talks between the Sabres and Avalanche involving Ryan Miller were heating up once again as training camp quickly approaches. Then another outlet reported the same thing that Miller talks in Colorado were beginning to brew. Then, Garth told us yesterday ...
Now on Twitter, follow me @NewEraAvs
Mark Kiszla says the Avalanche has no shot at making the playoffs this year without Ryan Miller. Adrian Dater says there is nothing to the rumors of a Stastny-Miller swap. Seems like there’s an internal feud at the Denver Post. The trade on paper makes perfect sense. Both are position of needs on each team. Both have expiring contr...
Well, after a week in the its safe to say that Patrick Roy is the right man for this Avalanche team. After 3 games the Avs have set a franchise record in starting 3-0-0 since the move to Denver, Colorado. Something that past great Avs teams have never done. The team is working really hard and it seems that Coach Roy has them bought in to the aggresive game, everyone is lay...
Meeqsb writes...
The Good, the Bad and the Outlook on All 30 Teams... Part 1!
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
With the season having just started I figured now would be a good time to go through every team in the league and look at how they are doing and how they are headed. So without further ado.
[u]Anaheim[/u]
The good: This team has insane depth at Goalie with 2 nhl starters and 2 of the top rookie goaltenders in their system. The ducks have a lot of flexibility with wher...
Is it just me, or are the top teams in NHL completely overwhelming their competition? It looks as though the Sharks, Avs and Maple Leafs are the wrecking balls of the league. Or maybe I'm just completely distracted by how Brent Burns is morphing in to a cave man slowly but surely. In any case, last night the Sharks completely annihilated and outplayed the Blues. That's rig...
The past 24 hours or so have been busy to say the least for the Colorado Avalanche organization. The team that has started the season with a phenomenally surprising 10-1-0 record is looking to face their toughest challenge this weekend. And it won’t just be the Stars and Canadiens.
Goaltender Semyon Varlamov turned himself in upon hearing there was a warrant out for h...
CaseyPSH writes...
Phoenix Coyotes Prevail On The Road Over Colorado Avalanche
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
[b]By Casey Gagnon, Phoenix Sports Hub
E-Mail: CaseyPSH at yahoo dot com
Twitter: @CaseyPSH
PhoenixSportsHub.Blogspot.com[/b]
The Phoenix Coyotes needed players to step up Tuesday night in Denver to fill voids in the lineup. Forward Antoine Vermette and goaltender Thomas Greiss received the message loud and clear. Both played as solid a game one could ask for, an...
Consistently inconsistent, as they say. For stretches the Dallas Stars dominate opponents on the ice. But like clockwork the dominance ends as soon as it begins, never stretching beyond 3 games. After laying an egg against division rivals in Nashville, losing 2 huge points the Stars bounced back and scored a plethora of goals against the equally important Winnipeg Jets....
December 25
A very Merry Christmas to all you hockey fans out there!
As we have hit the Christmas break of the 2013-14 NHL season, let's take a quick gander at to what we have seen thus far.
In my opinion, the Anaheim Ducks are the best team in the league at the moment. The Ducks have also approached the midseason break with a nine game winning streak as a result...
[b]Game day Preview:
Red Wings @ Flyers 1/28/14 RED WINGS (23-18-11) at FLYERS (25-22-6)[/b]
The Flyers have lost 4 straight, making it the worst losing streak since October. With The Stanley Cup Playoffs about 11 weeks away, and with the standings so closely bunched together in the Eastern Conference, each game seems like it will have serious postseason implications ...
The NHL Playoffs are back again! Wednesday night kicks off the start of the playoffs once again in the NHL. The new NHL format has created some very good match ups in the first round of the playoffs, and are likely to create more great match ups as the playoffs move on.
Sixteen teams have earned their spot in the playoffs with one goal in mind: to win the Stanley Cup. H...
I was watching the press conference that the Avalanche held with Sakic and Roy just last week. The answer to every question was laid out with either Core, structure or both. The structure talking about finance - No one gets paid more than Matt Duchene, although that was clearly never stated it was never denied on behalf of Joe Sakic when asked point blank is this what stru...
We all saw how game 7 ended against Minnesota - A lead blown - not once but twice.
They were missing their leaders - where was Stastny when it mattered? They want to resign him? for what? Johnson was missing - Talbot?
This off-season the Avalanche need a leader a winner - Tanguay healthy? The start of the season, sure, by the playoffs? Who knows!
Let Colorado l...
ZzHockey writes...
Will a trade benefit Colorado more than signing a UFA?
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
With the St. Louis Blues having huge interest in Paul Stastny what will Colorado do?
When it comes down to it, the loss of a Centre is not really that big a deal to Colorado, they have an unbelievable amount of depth that no other team in the NHL has. Stastny would be a huge blow speaking of chemistry between Landeskog, MacKinnon and himself, but not something that can...
The 2014 draft had Colorado walk home with 7 new prospects. I can honestly say I was shocked when the Avalanche did not talk Brendan Lemieux when he was available at #23, a natural wing, in which Colorado depth wise is in need of. He grew up around the Avalanche, was born in Denver Colorado his favorite player is Ryan O'Reilly. Instead Colorado takes CONNER BLEACKLEY a pla...
After a rocky 2013-14 season with two MCL sprain injuries the Colorado Avalanche have decided to part ways with PA Parenteau. Colorado has traded PA and a 5th round pick in the 2015 draft to the Montreal Canadians for Forward Danny Briere.
Some comparison:
Adrian Dater of the Denver Post ranked Pa Parenteau a C for Colorado in 2013-14 (http://blogs.denverpost.com/av...
July 1st 2014 began very horribly for Colorado Avalanche fans as they found out Centre Paul Stastny signed a 4 year (overpaid) contract with rival St. Louis Blues.
As the day went on, the Avalanche made a few moves that could be questionable yet could turn out to be great.
What Colorado got:
Jesse Winchester, 30, had 18 points (9g/9a) in 52 games for the Florida...
With a little over 10 million left for the Avalanche cap space, Colorado continues to sign players even as they wait to sign pending contracts with Ryan O'Reilly, Tyson Barrie, Stefan Elliott, Joey Hishon and a few others.
Today Colorado announced they have signed 27 year old Defensemen Maxim Noreau to a 2 year 1-way contract at $1.25 million - $625k per season.
No...
A lot of questions remain for many including Colorado Avalanche fans after the unexpected off-season turned in by Executive Vice President's Joe Sakic and Patrick Roy.
Everyone right now are looking at the Avs and wondering and even publicly stating, "After this off-season, will the Avalanche even make the Playoffs?" It is a fair question and with-out any hesitation, a...
[b]AN IN-DEPTH LOOK AT HIS CAREER AND THE ARBITRATION HEARING MOVING FORWARD[/b]
The Colorado Avalanche and Ryan O’Reilly are facing an arbitration hearing just six days away. The rare ‘club-elected’ hearing was set after the Avs refused to extend a 6.5 million dollar qualifying-offer to the young forward.rnrnIt’s a story that seems all a bit too familiar for the ...
Tomorrow will mark what happens to Ryan O'Reilly's situation with the Colorado Avalanche. Ryan is looking to stay in Colorado, long term. The only issue here is Ryan's long term is 8 years at nearly $7m per, while Joe Sakic's idea is more like - 5 years $5.5 per (give or take .0-.999)
We all go back to free agent frenzy day and beyond when a presser was held in Denver....
AarifDeen writes...
Ryan O’Reilly Signs For Two Years: What It All Means
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
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As first reported by TSN’s Darren Dreger, the Colorado Avalanche and Ryan O’Reilly both
confirmed Wednesday morning that the two sides agreed to terms on a two-year deal worth 12 million dollars. The contract will pay him 5.8M in 2014-15 and 6.2M in 2015-16. The deal was struck between Pat Morris and Joe Sakic in the w...
July 23rd 2014 marked a big moment for the Colorado Avalanche organization. Colorado and Executive Vice President Joe Sakic, General Manager Greg Sherman, Ryan O'Reilly and agent Pat Morris were able to settle a short-term bridge contract. O'Reilly was awarded a two-year deal worth $12M, $5.8 and $6.2 per, with a season cap hit of $6M per. It finally opened up a gate to bo...
Last season, the Tampa Bay Lightning and Colorado Avalanche were near identical in almost every aspect. They both had a top three pick at the 2013 NHL draft, Colorado selecting Nathan MacKinnon from the Halifax Mooseheads number one overall and Tampa Bay taking Jonathan Droiun (MacKinnon’s line mate) also from the Halifax Mooseheads.
Both teams went out and made a tr...
What has happened to the Colorado Avalanche in this 2014-15 season?
You cannot say that the Avalanche have had it easy by any means, considering both the NHL has studied up on the team since their explosion last season that saw them #1 in the Central, #2 in the West and #3 in the entire NHL. A gutsy rookie that came into the league like he had something to prove, after ...
The duel for back-up in Denver seems to be over, though it is not 100% sure what Colorado will do. Just a few weeks ago, Calvin Pickard was re-assigned to Lake Erie even though he had played out of him mind for the Colorado Avalanche. The young goaltender was sent back due to the fact that Semyon Varlamov was healthy and Reto Berra was their number two. Their other reason ...
AarifDeen writes...
Two Days Later: Varlamov still haunts the Blackhawks
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
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You could sense a little uneasiness from Blackhawks fans before the puck dropped Tuesday night at the United Center. In fact, during the warm up one fan told me, “I hope they don’t fall behind early and play catch up hockey the rest of the way.” Unfortunately for him, that’s exactly what they did. An...
The Penguins were defeated in Colorado Wednesday night by a score of 3-1. The Avalanche’s Gabriel Landeskog had a goal and two assists to lead the Avs to a win at the Pepsi Center.
Avalanche goaltender Semyon Varlamov made 28 saves, including 12 in the third period, to lead his team to a victory against Pittsburgh, who had won four straight heading into a west coast r...
Zak MacMillan writes...
Game No. 9- Columbus Blue Jackets @ Colorado Avalanche
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
The road trip continues in Denver with a catch. Ryan Johansen will be out of the lineup due to an illness, which means other players will be seeing more ice time- primarily the centers of the club.
The Jackets come into this game winless and have different lineups because of Joey's illness. Tonight, Rene Borque is in.
As for the Colorado Avalanche, this is the firs...
Zak MacMillan writes...
Post-Game No. 9- Free At Last (From the Goose Egg)
Posted Monday | Comments 0
A victory at last. Saturday night, the Columbus Blue Jackets defeated the Colorado Avalanche by a final score of 4-3.
The struggling Avalanche had goals by ex-Jacket Jack Skille (in the first); Jarome Iginla (in the second); and Nathan Mackinnon (in the second), my player to watch. Also, ex-Blue Jackets Nick Holden, Blake Comeau, and Francois Beauchmin each had helper...
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ Game No. 46- Colorado Avalanche v. Columbus Blue Jackets
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
At Nationwide tonight is a battle of East v. West. Both teams are in a fight to avoid the bottom of the league. Columbus is there now. Colorado is on their way. The Avs are loaded with former Blue Jackets on their active roster- Andrew Bodnarchuk, who they claimed off waivers recently; Jack Skille, who signed with them over the summer; Nick Holden, whose been there for...
At Nationwide Arena, the Columbus Blue Jackets defeated the Colorado Avalanche by a final score of 2-1.
Colorado got their lone goal from Chris Wagner, who they picked up from Anahiem off waivers earlier this season. Jarome Iginla and Chris Bigras had the helpers. Matt Duchene, my player to watch for Colorado, was a plus/minus -1 and had six shots on net. Speaking ...
09/04/2016
Once in a while we will be fortunate enough to witness a goalkeeper such as Matt Murray arrive in the NHL at a very young age and make an incredible impact, circumstances can instantly create hockey heroes.
All players start to hit their stride at different points in their career; a good poolie watches closely to recognize indicators. I have been intere...
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ Game No. 17- Columbus Blue Jackets v. Colorado Avalanche
Posted Monday | Comments 0
The second game of back to back nights for Columbus brings them back home to take on the different looking Colorado Avalanche.
Going with the different look, the Avs made a lot of changes to the roster in the summer. Their former head coach, Patrick Roy, resigned from the team. They lost five players to European teams, including enforcer Patrick Bordeleau; former first...
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ Game No. 17- Columbus Blue Jackets v. Colorado Avalanche
Posted Monday | Comments 0
The second game of back to back nights for Columbus brings them back home to take on the different looking Colorado Avalanche.
Going with the different look, the Avs made a lot of changes to the roster in the summer. Their former head coach, Patrick Roy, resigned from the team. They lost five players to European teams, including enforcer Patrick Bordeleau; former first...
The winning streak at home has come to an end by way of an overtime defeat to the Colorado Avalanche. The final score was Colorado 3, Columbus 2.
Nine minutes into the first period, the Jackets get a mini series of lucky bounces for a 1-0 lead. Cam Atkinson shot the puck from the side of the net; hitting off Nikita Zadarov's stick; and off Mikko Rantanen's skate to get...
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ Game No. 22- Columbus Blue Jackets @ Colorado Avalanche
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Happy December everyone!!! The countdown to Christmas begins.
The Blue Jackets are back on the ice tonight in the Mile High City of Denver, Colorado to take on the Avalanche.
These two teams are playing each other for the first time since the trade they made late last week- swapping depth defensemen Cody Goloubef and Ryan Stanton.
These two squads also recently...
Subtle mid-season moves and the youth movement provide at least some reason for cautious optimism in Avalanche world. When we think of the future for the Colorado Avalanche, we of course first think of Tyson Jost, who recently made his Avalanche debut, as well as Mikko Rantanen, JT Compher and Nikita Zadorov. But the Avs also quietly picked up three cast offs from other t...
The Avalanche looked absolutely terrible this year. Roy's probably laughing at the team, but he shouldn't; he helped make this disaster. Roy and Sakic were stuck between two dynamics: Roy wanted a bigger team that was hard to play against and Sakic... I don't know what Sakic wants to do. I don't think Sakic knows what Sakic wants to do.
I can look at the Avalanche li...
AarifDeen writes...
Where does Nathan MacKinnon's primary-point-production rank?
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Nathan MacKinnon collected his fourth weekly NHL three-star honors this afternoon after posting six goals and two assists in four games for the Colorado Avalanche. MacKinnon’s eight points were one off of leader Alex Pietrangelo’s nine points. But as he’s been doing all season, MacKinnon has done a fantastic job collecting primary points. He scored six goals and adde...
THE DEBATE – Hockey Podcast | Episode 37
Legal Pot and Pulling the Goalie
The NHL regular season is in full swing. Brad Burud and Blake Friars discuss the legalization of marijuana in Canada, and how it will effect hockey. Then they dive into when is the proper time to pull your goalie. Analytics is changing when coaches are choosing to do this, and more goals a...
It is officially Avalanche season and prepare yourselves folks, it's gonna be a long one. Name me another team that could be without Mikko Rantanen, Cale Makar, Nazem Kadri, Matt Calvert, Colin Wilson and starting goaltender (Gruby) and STILL keep rolling through the league... Don't worry i'll wait...
Sure it was the lowly and I mean LOWLY Detroit Redwings, but ask Le...