On The Brink of Elimination

Last time I posted the playoffs had just started and the Avs held a 1-0 series lead on the Sharks. Well since then a lot has happened. Although only 1 team has officially been eliminated (Philadelphia ousted New Jersey in 5 games) many will soon be facing the brink of elimination by the end of today. The remaining 3 series in the East can all come to a close by tomorrow night, with Washington looking to close out Montreal in the Nation’s capital, and Boston looking to do the same at Buffalo. Pittsburgh had a chance to end Ottawa’s run last night, but in a thrilling 3OT game, the Sens were able to score the winning goal and keep their playoff lives going.

As for the Western Conference, each of those games is tied at 2-2 with exception to the San Jose vs Colorado series which I will discuss later, but is at 3-2 in favor of San Jose. Both the Coyotes and Canucks look to gain control of their series at home tonight against Detroit and Los Angeles respectively. The Blackhawks were able to tie up their series the other night in Nashville and they go into Saturday’s game in Chicago looking to go up on the Predators as well. Each of these series is tough to tell since they have gone back and forth each game but I believe that the Blackhawks and Canucks are starting to get things going and should be able to win their respective series’ from their. However with playoff hockey it’s always hard to tell each series can go either way from here.

Now comes the time to talk about the Avs. Following the 5-0 whooping by Sharks last night in San Jose, the Avs are now in danger of being eliminated with a loss Saturday afternoon in Denver. However, if the Avs are able to defeat the Sharks tomorrow then there will be a game 7 in San Jose to decide it all. The Avs will definitely have to step it up because it seems that San Jose has not only found their offense, but have found how to score off that offense as well…something they have been lacking since that high scoring game 2. Since that game however the Avs have been unable to produce anything against that stingy Sharks D, despite the shaky play of Nabakov all series. The Avs have been vastly out shot by the Sharks this whole series and you just can not win like that.  Anderson’s 51 saves in game 3 were outstanding, but you can’t ask the man to play like Jesus in net every night. We got lucky game 3 when Danny Boyle scored on himself, but to be honest we should have lost that game. The Avs played game 4 as tough as they could, and in the end we let the game and a 3-1 series lead just slide out of our grasps with a 2-1 OT loss. The truth is the Sharks are a number 1 seed for a reason, and its starting to look like they’re finally starting to play like one as well. The Avs just need to forget about last night’s 5-0 thumping and play their hearts out tomorrow because it very well could be their last game of the season. I expect them to bring their all, and I can definitely see the Avs taking game 6 if they can ride the momentum of the crowd and solve San Jose’s defense and forcing a game 7 and if it gets to that? Well let me just say its playoff hockey, and anything can happen. Lets go Avs and force it to a game 7.

Round 1 Begins

With Wednesday came the beginning of one of the best times in sports in my opinion, with the Stanley Cup playoffs finally kicking off. The first game to start the playoffs was a match up between the Philadelphia Flyers and the New Jersey Devils. The Flyers made their way into the post season by beating the New York Rangers in a win and in scenario match. Philadelphia carried their momentum from the end of the regular season into this game as they beat the Devils 2-1 in New Jersey to take a 1-0 series lead with game 2 scheduled for today. While the Devils vs Flyers game was going on, the series between the Ottawa Senators and the Pittsburgh Penguins also began. Pittsburgh’s goalie Marc-Andre Fleury looked very shaky in this game, despite the solid offensive effort by Evgeni Malkin, as home team Pittsburgh fell to the visiting Senators 5-4, as Ottawa took the 1-0 series lead.

Next up the Phoenix Coyotes took on the Detroit Red Wings in what is probably my favorite match up in this first round. Everyone in Glendale showed up for this one as the entire arena was experiencing a “white out,” due to all the fans decked out in their white Coyotes’ shirts and towels. Fueled by their home crowd and a strong power play that went 3-4, the Coyotes were able to stun the veteran Detroit team 3-2, as Phoenix went up 1-0 in this series.

The Night cap for Wednesday featured our Avs as they took on the top seeded San Jose Sharks in San Jose. From the get go the game seemed to be going the way of a defensive battle, and in fact that is what it would turn out to be. The Avs jumped up on the board first with a power play goal by John-Michael Liles. The Avs would take that lead into the 3rd period, however San Jose would answer with a re-directed shot that slip past Anderson to even the score at 1. The game would continue to be a defensive battle, with an inevitable over time coming up until Chris Stewart launches a shot at the net from the corner of the boards. Take a look for yourself.

After the goal watching the goal closely, you can see that Stewart’s shot at the net bounces off former Avs Defender Rob Blake’s skate and past Evgeni Nabokov for the game winner. The Avs fought hard and tough all through out this game and in the end they deservingly came out winners. Look for the Avs to keep up the same level of intensity in game 2, which will be played tonight at 8:30.

Thursday’s games began with the top team the Washington Capitals taking on the Montreal Canadiens. Montreal played surprisingly great defense this game as they held the Caps to just two goals, but an even more impressive stat is that they held the Great Alex Ovechkin to 0 shots as they shocked Washington before a sell out crowd in OT, winning the game 3-2 and taking a 1-0 series lead. In the final series out East, Buffalo was able to win on home ice behind the always stellar play of goalie Ryan Miller as they defeated the Boston Bruins 2-1 to take a 1-0 lead in that series. In late night action on Thursday night, the Vancouver Canucks opened their series against the Los Angeles Kings in Vancouver. I watched this entire game, and let me just tell you that if you are looking for hits and bad blood to be brewing, then this series is for you. All game these teams were at each other’s throats, and im sure it is bound to continue as the series goes on. Both teams had great opportunities in OT, and at one point it seemed as though LA had won game 1, had it not been for the amazing glove swipe of Roberto Luongo to save the game. However, it would be the home team Canucks that would walk away winners in this one as Samuelsson’s one timer blast flew past LA goalie Jonathon Quick’s glove for the victory. The only other series to have not started yet is the Chicago Blackhawks vs Nashville Predators matchup which kicks off tonight. The Playoffs are only two days old, but already it is gearing up to be a great one. Stay tuned everyone.

Regular Season Comes To An End

Well the Avs have already locked up a playoff spot, and by looking at their final two games against the Blackhawks and Kings, it seems like they will remain as the 8th seed in the West. Who the Avs will play though is still up in the air, as are the other match ups in the West. They will either play the San Jose Sharks, or the Chicago Blackhawks in the first round depending on which team ends up with more points and gets the 1st seed. I believe that the Sharks will end up as the top seed and will play the Avs first. As for the other potential series in the West, I believe that they will go as follows:
1)San Jose Sharks vs 8)Colorado Avalanche
2)Chicago Blackhawks vs 7)Nashville Predators
3)Vancouver Canucks vs 6)Detroit Red Wings
4)Phoenix Coyotes vs 5)LA Kings

Like I said those are just my predictions, and despite most teams having at most 2 games left, it is still hard to tell what the seedings will be because seeds current seeds 5-7 are all tied at 98 points each.
Out of these possible match ups however a potential Vancouver vs Detroit series would possibly be the most exciting to watch.

As far as the situation in the East, at this point its still to hard to tell what the final standings will be. The only sure thing is that Washington will be the top seed, but with only 5 spots clinched, there is still a wild chase for the last 3 berths. The regular season comes to an end this weekend, but with that end comes the most exciting part of the year…the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The Playoffs start next Wednesday i believe so be ready for some great hockey and be sure to cheer on our Avs.

All it takes is a little rookie magic…

Do you believe in miracles?  Ok so the Avs clinching a playoff berth is anything but a miracle, but for a team that was projected to once again finish in the cellar of the Western Conference, a playoff berth is huge.  Last night’s news was just too big for me to wait till Friday for a post, but don’t worry I’ll have one on Friday as well. Yet  just as it seemed everything was going wrong for the Avs, on the brink of falling out of the playoffs, they were able to pull things together and punch themselves a ticket into the Stanley Cup Playoffs.  After losing to the Flames 2-1 last Friday, it seemed that the Avs’ playoffs hope were quickly disappearing as both the Avs and Flames were tied for the 8th spot with 89 points each.  Although the Avs still held a game in hand against the Flames, they faced a very daunting last 5 games with 4 of those 5 against playoff bound teams.  With Calgary losing Sunday to the Blackhawks, it gave the Avs a chance to gain ground with a win, but they were going into a game with the conference leading San Jose Sharks.  The game started badly as the Sharks took a quick 2-0 lead, but the scrappy Avs clawed their way back to a 4-2 lead and would eventually go into OT where Defenseman John-Michael Liles would seal the victory with his goal in OT against Sharks goalie Evgeni Nabakov.  With this win the Avs went up 91-89 on the Flames in terms of points in the race for the last playoff spot in the West.  Unfortunately Peter Mueller, who has been on a tear since being acquired by the Avs from Phoenix, was lost during the win against San Jose and will be out indefinitely with a concussion, but the hope is that he will be ready for the playoffs, which start in a about week.

Following their win against the Sharks, the Avs geared up for a late showdown with the division leading Vancouver Canucks in Vancouver.  The Avs went into the game with the knowledge that if they won this game, coupled with a Calgary loss to the Sharks that night, then the last playoff berth would be theirs.  With the goal of clinching a berth in their heads the Avs never trailed the Canucks in the game, but as in the game before,  extra time would be required to settle this game.  Before heading into the OT period with the score at 3′s a piece, the Avs learned that Calgary had just fallen to the Sharks 2-1 in Calgary.  Already guaranteed a point because the game had gone into OT, the Avs were already 3 points up on the Flames, yet this was not good enough for them as they wanted the 2nd point and the win against the Canucks to ensure them a playoff spot.  The OT period was a crazy one with both teams having great opportunities to score a game winning goal, including break aways for both teams in the final minute with the last coming from rookie Matt Duchene as his shot was saved by goalie Roberto Luongo as the OT horn blared signifying the end of the period.  Extra time would not be enough for the Avs to clinch a playoff spot, so a shoot out would be needed to declare a winner.  Although I would have to follow the shoot out on the radio, as I was in my car driving back from work, let me just tell you I’ve never been so nervous and excited listening to a game.  The radio announcer’s tone and excitement during every shot was enough to get me going in  my car as I shouted in excitement every time Anderson made a save, and bellowed in disappointment as Luongo made saves as well.  In the end it would come down to rookie Matt Duchene to either end the shoot out with a goal and propel the Avs into the playoffs, or keep the shoot out going.  Every Avs fan’s heart, including mine, pounded as Matty Duch began his rush towards the net, and with a little quick deke to his forehand the puck found its way past Luongo and into the top left corner, sealing the win and a playoff berth as he was swarmed on by his jubilated team mates. 

I couldn’t be any more excited, not just because we are back in the playoffs, but because we were able to shut up the experts that gave the Avs no hope this year and projected finishing not just last in the Western Conference, but in the cellar of the NHL.  Although the Avs still have 3 more games left against Edmonton, Chicago, and Los Angeles, their playoff fates are pretty much sealed with their first round opponent likely to be the 1st place Sharks, although a match-up with the Chicago Blackhawks is also very possible.  Good job Avies, and lets carry this momentum not just through the last 3 games, but into the post season where they will have to bring their all if they wish to go far.

Week 7

Hey everyone so I am back from my spring break, don’t worry I didn’t do anything to crazy, however I was able to make it to the Avs game against Calgary on St. Patty’s day. Heading into that contest against the Flames, the Avs were on a roll with a 3 game win streak featuring a 3-0 shutout against Florida and 5-3 victories against Dallas and St. Louis. Since the Calgary game was on St. Patty’s day the Pepsi Center was decked out in green for the event, although I was quite disappointed by the attendance at the game. The game was honestly maybe about half full and me and my friends had no problem sneaking from our 3rd level nose bleed seats into the 1st section just to the left of the Calgary’s net. The game was hard to watch though as the Avs seemed to be dragging the entire game and were just plain and simple dominated by the Flames as they jumped out to a quick 3-0 lead against the Avs. The game would end 3-2, but trust me the score makes it look better than it actually was.

The Avs followed up that performance against Calgary with another dreadful game against the Ducks, which in the end they would drop 5-2. Following the two losses, Colorado headed to L.A. on 3/22 for a pivotal 2 game home-home series against the Kings. These two games would be very important to the Avs in terms of the playoff race because not only did it give them a chance to gain ground on the Kings, who were currently one spot ahead of the Avs, but also could give them some breathing room from the surging Detroit Red Wings who currently hold the 8th and final playoff spot in the West. The Avs were able to climb their way out and salvage a point in the first game thanks to a goal by T.J. Galiardi with about 9 seconds left to tie the game 3-3. They would later lose in OT on a power play goal by King’s defenseman Drew Doughty, but as I said they did get one point in the lose, which at this point of the season every point is important. Two days later the teams would meet again except in Colorado, but just like the first game, this one too would head to OT tied 3-3, this time thanks to a late power play goal by L.A.’s Alexander Frolov with just under 2 minutes left in the game. Yet this time the end results would be different as 5 minutes of OT play could not produce a winner so a shoot out would be necessary. The Avs would go 2-3 on their shoot out shots, and their win would be sealed as former Av Ryan Smyth’s shoot out attempt rang off the cross bar. This short series between the Kings and Avs ended up well for both teams as they both were able to obtain 3 precious points in the standings and gave the Avs an important 6 point lead over the 9th place, and currently out of the playoffs, Calgary Flames.

The Avs take the ice again this Saturday night in Phoenix as they take on the 4th place Coyotes. Once again Wolski and Mueller take on their former teams, and it appears that this trade has been beneficial for both teams. During the 11 games since the trade Peter Mueller has tallied 15 points for the Avs while Wolski has collected 9 in the same amount of games as the Coyotes have gone 9-1-1 in that stretch. Well looks like Saturday’s match is lining up to be a good one so be sure to check it out. I leave you this week with a link to the Avalanche’s plays of the week for March 19th-25th. Enjoy and be sure to vote for your favorite play.

http://avalanche.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=522841&navid=DL|COL|home

Week 5

Hey guys, so if most of you are like me then your just itching to begin your spring break so today’s post is gonna be short and sweet.

The Avs began a 3 game home stand with the Blues on Saturday the 6th and easily handled the team from St. Louis.  Chris Steward netted his first ever NHL hat trick(3 goals in one game) and Milan Hejduk showed he’s 100% recovered from his injury as he netted 2 goals of his own. The Avs unloaded offensively on the Blues in the second period scoring 4 goals on their way to an easy 7-3 victory.

The Avs next hosted the Northwest  division leading Vancouver Canucks in a game that would place the Avs in a tie for first if they won in regulation.  The game couldn’t have began any better for the Avs as they netted 3 goals in the period with 2 of them coming from rookie Matt Duchene and 1 from Chris Stewart.  The Canucks however responded in the second with 3 goals of their own while the Avs only notched one in that period.  Up 4-3 going into the 3rd the Avs were playing as if they were just trying to withstand the offensive storm that Vancouver was bringing, but in hockey you can’t just keep bending without eventually breaking, and that is exactly what happened to the Avs.  The Canucks eventually tied the game and then with little over 2 minutes left in the 3rd Vancouver took the lead on a crazy and questionable goal by Jannik Hansen.  On the play the puck seemed to get lodged between the pit of Hansen’s arm after a Canucks shot and then flew out of his arms as he crossed the crease behind goalie Craig Anderson.  Although the play was questionable it still counted, and after the goal Vancouver would also tally an empty net goal to bring the final to a disappointing 6-4 lost.  Here check out the Hansen goal for your self and see what you think.

This game was disappointing in many ways beyond the fact that the Avs let a chance to get into first place in their division slip away.  The Avs began the game hot, but then as the contest wore on they seemed to be slacking and pretty much just sitting back as Vancouver began to display their offensive power. 

The Vancouver game was a very hard loss, but the Avs would bounce back in the game with the Florida Panthers Thursday night.  Craig Anderson notched his seventh, league leading, shutout that night turning aside 27 Florida shots as the Avs won 3-0 powered by a 2 goal performance from Paul Stastny.  This game was exactly how Colorado had to respond following their loss to the Canucks and now head into Sunday’s away contest with Dallas behind the Canucks by 3 points. 

Well that’s it for this week, and be sure to check out next Wednesday night’s home game against Calgary, which i will be attending.  Peace out and see you all in two weeks.

NHL Play Returns: Statsny’s Silver and Wolski’s Revenge

I’m sure all of you were as heartbroken as I was last sunday as the U.S. lost to Canada in the Olympic Gold medal game.  Although the outcome was depressing for U.S. fans, the game was still one for the ages. After going down 2-0 to the Canadians and battling back to a 2-1 score, it seemed with less than a minute left that the U.S. would surely fall short of the gold. Yet with 24 seconds left in the game, my house and bars all across America went crazy as Zach Parise slammed one in past a shaky looking Roberto Luongo to tie the game at 2. 

Zach Parise celebrates as he scores with 24 seconds left to tie the gold medal game 2-2

 

The goal seemed like a miracle, but you I wasn’t too surprised that it happened since the U.S. had been attacking the Canadians the whole 3rd period paired with Canadian goalie Roberto Luongo’s shaky play. Yet sadly a 2nd miracle on ice was not meant to happen as Canada’s kid Sidney Crosby scored the game winner 7:40 into the overtime period. Even though team USA didn’t win the gold, they still left Canada with a silver medal, which many did not forsee prior to the start of the games. We should be proud of our silver medal and just take our performance at these games as motivation and fuel to win the gold in 2014 in Sochi. 

With the olympic games coming to a close on Sunday night, the NHL spared no time in resuming their operations and play with a Monday night game featuring silver medalist Paul Statsny and our Colorado Avalanche. The Avs took on the Red Wings in the first NHL play in over 2 weeks and the this one was a classic Avs-Red Wings match. The wings jumped out to a quick 2-0 lead in the first but as always the Avs played hard and battled their way back. The Avs matched the Wings 2 goal first period with a 2 goal period of their own in the second behind goals from Galiardi and Chris Stewart. Penalties would end up costing the Avs as the Wings scored 2 goals on the power play, including Nick Lindstrom’s game winner with 9:03 left in the 3rd. 

Forward Peter Mueller celebrates after scoring a goal in his Avs debut against Anaheim

 

Wednesday March 3rd not only featured a road contest against the Ducks, but also signified the trade deadline in the NHL. The Avs were among the various teams that were active the day of the deadline as Colorado shipped out goal scorer Wojtek Wolski to Phoenix in return for forwards Peter Mueller and Kevin Porter. At first I was a little shocked and displeased with this trade, but after mulling it over it made some sense. Both Mueller and Porter are great young prospects (21 and 23 respectively) with potential to become impact players, especially in Mueller’s case after having a 22 goal and 54 point rookie season in 07-08. As sad as I am to see Wolski leave, I am twice as excited to see if Mueller can live up to his potential with the Avs that garnered him the 8th overall pick in 06.  Let me tell you though, if Wednesday was any indication, im sure Peter will do just fine as the Avs ended the Ducks 11 game home win streak with a 4-3 victory that featured Mueller scoring a power play goal in his Avs debut and the game winner by T.J. Galiardi. 

The Avs found themselves on the road the following night for a Thursday night match up in Phoenix against Wolski and his new team the Coyotes. Recently acquired Lee Stempniak(From Toronto) started off the scoring for the Yotes as they took their one goal lead into the 2nd. John-Michael Liles tied up the game in the second for the Avs scoring a goal on the power play. The game would eventually go into the minute of the 3rd still tied up until Wolski enacted his revenge on his former team by launching a one timer past the left side of Chris Anderson to give the home team Coyotes the 2-1 lead with only 23 seconds remaining. Vrbata would eventually tally an empty net goal as well and the game would end as a 3-1 victory for the Coyotes. 

Well that’s all for this week, be sure to catch the Avs next week as they begin a 3 game home stand starting this Saturday night against St. Louis at 7pm.

Week 3: How bout dem Americans Eh!

All I can say at this point is wow!  These Olympic games have been nothing short of amazing.  Night after night I have been able to witness great games as players have been playing their hearts out for their countries.  One of the biggest surprises of the games has been the dominance that team USA has shown throughout the tournament.  As I currently write this weeks’ post, the USA is well on its way to a Gold medal game as they lead Finland 6-1 nearing the end of the 3rd.  This whooping of Finland was by no means expected and the game was basically over after the 1st period with the U.S. leading 6-0 thanks to 2 goals by Blackhawks forward Patrick Kane and even 1 by Avs center Paul Stastny. 

The U.S. will be playing the gold medal game on sunday afternoon against either Slovakia, who shocked Sweden 4-3 in the quarterfinals, or Canada, which throttled Russia 7-3 in the same round.  A potential rematch against Canada is what is expected as the Canadians are huge favorites against a surprising Slovakian team.  If Canada does make it to the gold medal game against the U.S. I am sure it will be as good or even better than their first meeting this tournament last Sunday, which the U.S. won 5-3.

If your like me then you are still trying to get over the excitement of already beating Canada in what was one of the most exciting, and emotional hockey games I have ever watched.  The U.S. was of course the underdog in the match but never played like they were as they were led by the stellar play of defenseman Brian Rafalski and goalie Ryan Miller.  Rafalski started the scoring of the night as he notched the first two U.S. goals against former team-mate and Canadian goalie Martin Brodeur.  Former Av Chris Drury and Devils forward Jaimie Langenbrunner scored goals of their own to make it 4-2 near halfway through the 3rd.  When it comes to hockey however you can never count out the Canadians as Sid the kid scored a goal of his own late into the 3rd to make it a 4-3 game.  At this point in the game it seemed like everything was about to go Canada’s way and an eventual tying goal would be scored.  To be honest with you I have never been so nervous watching a game then I was watching the last few minutes of this thriller.  The U.S. crushed any hopes for a comeback however as hometown Canucks forward Ryan Kesler scored one of the most hardest working and exciting empty net goals in recent memory.  Below is a home video of that game clinching goal.

Bring on the Canadians I say. If Canada can in fact defeat Slovakia and make it to the gold medal game, then expect the arena to be rocking on Sunday as gold and pride will be on the line. I hope you all will be watching and cheering for our boys to bring hockey gold back to the states. If the U.S. can win the gold Sunday it will be our first since the “do you believe in miracles team” back in 1980. Well that’s all for this week, be sure to tune in Sunday afternoon.

Week 2: Olympic Break

Hey everyone! So i’m sure many of you have noticed that the Winter Olympics have been underway in Vancouver for the past week and I hope you all have gotten a chance to check out the ice hockey games because they have been good ones.  There are several Avs playing in the olympics for their countries including Paul Stastny for the U.S. team. 

However, before I start talking about Olympic hockey I would like to do just a quick recap of the last two games the Avs played before the break.  Following their thrilling OT win against the Thrashers, the Avs concluded their 4 game homestand by hosting the Phoenix Coyotes on 2/12/10.  Rookie Matt Duchene notched both of the goals for the Avs as they defeated the Coyotes 2-1 to finish their homestand with a perfect 4-0 record. 

The following night the Avs headed out west to face the Los Angeles Kings in their final game before the Olympic break.  The trip ended up to be a bad one for the Avs as they were blanked 3-0 by the Kings.  Going into the break the Avs have a record of 35-20-6 and are tied for first in the Northwest Division with 76 points.  The Avs resume play again on March 1st when they host the Detroit Redwings. 

 

With that out of the way its time to talk about some Olympic hockey.  I can’t even begin to talk about how excited I was for the start of Men’s hockey in the Olympics with many of the NHL’s biggest stars playing for their native countries.  The above video is just an Olympic hockey (both Men’s and Women’s) preview that was released prior to the start of the games. Of course power houses such as team Canada and Russia were heavily favored going into the tournament, however through play so far teams such as Finland, the U.S., and Sweden having been showing that they should be counted out of gold medal talk just yet.  The U.S. team cruised through their first two games of group play by first defeating Norway 6-1 and then beating the Swiss team 3-1. 

U.S. Forward Bobby Ryan celebrates after putting the U.S. up 1-0 against Switzerland

 

Next up for the U.S. is a Sunday showdown with team Canada with 1st place for their group on the line.  This game has all the potential to be a good one and one that the U.S. can definitely win against a Canadian team that blasted Norway 8-0, but seemed to struggle and show that they aren’t quite invincible by narrowly defeating the Swiss team 3-2 in a shootout.  In another shoot out the Slovakian team was able to defeat the highly favored team Russia 2-1. Check out this link to see the highlights and shootout from this game. http://www.nbcolympics.com/video/assetid=e2709741-cab1-4f76-b0b6-6cdb12a3570e.html?chrcontext=goal#goals+game+slovakia+russia+so 

Ok guys well that about wraps it for this week.  Just a few things before I go: First, I put up a new page that shows the entire season schedule for the Avs with updated scores as games get played.  I hope to soon put up another page to keep track of current stats for the Avs and leaders in the NHL.  Be sure to take in as much Olympic hockey as you can because if its anything like it has been these past couple days, then its sure to get even better as the medal round gets closer.  Well see you all next week when I bring you another Olympic edition of my blog.

We’re off and rolling….

Hey guys, so as you know today is my first post and I hope you all are as excited about this week’s post as I am to bring it to you.  The Avs started the week at 32-19-6 with 68 points after losing badly in Nashville 5-3 on February 4th.  However, following the loss the Avs embarked on a 4 game home stand against, well lets face it, some now so great opponents.

First on the list was the weary Edmonton Oilers, and in this Northwest showdown the Avs brought their best game.  Led by goals from Wolski, Yip and Ryan Wilson, plus the great netminding of Craig Anderson, the Avs were able to easily defeat the Oilers 3-0.

The Avies took the ice again that Monday, February 8th to host the St. Louis Blues.  The game started off as a good one, with St. Louis drawing first blood in the first period.  T.J. Galiardi quickly responded with a tally of his own 28 seconds later to even the match at 1-1.  The Blues would go on to add another in the first, but once again the Avs were able to respond back with a goal of their own coming from Brandon Yip on the power play.  After the first tied at 2-2 it seemed as though the Blues were ready to give the Avs a run for their money, but oh how quickly things can change in hockey.  The Avs took the ice for the second period and quickly showed why they were the more dominant team with forward Chris Stewart scoring 2:25 into the period, and then star center Paul Stastny adding another a minute and half later.  The scoring for the game would end as Yip added his second goal of the night 6:34 into the 2nd.  Home stand record so far following the game….2-0.

Before the start of the season Wednesday’s match against Atlanta seemed like a good one, with Avs fans getting a chance to see one of the league’s greatest stars and scorers in Ilya Kovalchuk.  However, this would not be the case as New Jersey dealt for the star in the seasons first big trade of the year on February 4th.  Despite the absence of Kovalchuk, Wednesday’s game against the Thrashers was still lining up to be a good one, especially since I was in attendance about 7 rows up from Atlanta’s goal.  My friends and I all thought to ourselve ”easy win,” but that would not be the case at all.  Atlanta started off the scoring festivities, but the first period would end at a 1-1 tie as defenseman Brett Clark notched a goal.  The second period  featured another Atlanta tally and would end at 2-1.  In the third things seemed as though they were gonna go downhill for the Avs as the Thrasher’s Nick Antropov made the game a 3-1 score in favor of the away team.  You can never count out the Avs though as Chris Stewart scored his first of the game to make it 3-2.  After the goal I could tell as though the spirits of all the fans and everyone including me knew they would get another to at least tie the game and perhaps salvage at least a point by taking it into overtime.  As expected the Avs eventually tied the game up at 3-3 5:29 left in the game with a goal by grinder Chris Durno.  With the comeback already accomplished and with the aid of a few beers I couldn’t help but get fully absorbed into the atmosphere of the game and soon I found myself heckling Atlanta goalie Johan Hedberg with HEEEEEDBERG!!! chants.  I’m sure he could hear me as well because like I said earlier we were only a few rows up and behind Atlanta’s goal.  The 3rd ended and the beginning of OT was about to start, and trust me if you would have blinked you might have missed the whole OT.  The Avs won the opening faceoff of OT and before i could even finish up my HEDBERG chant defenseman Kyle Cumiskey took the puck into the Atlanta zone, skated his way past two defenders and then deked Hedberg for the game winning goal only 9 seconds into the OT period. Here’s the goal check it out.

http://avalanche.nhl.tv/team/console.jsp?hlg=20092010,2,889&event=COL670

Unfortunately I would have loved to have brought you my own personal pictures and videos from the game, but sadly I forgot my camera in the rush of us leaving.  No worries as I plan to attend future games and will be sure to bring my camera with. 

So far the Avs are 3-0 in their home stand and currently boast a 34-19-6 record with 74 points leaving them in a tie for first in the Northwest division with the rival Vancouver Canucks, and an overall of 6th in the Western conference.  The Avs take the ice tonight against the Phoenix Coyotes at the Pepsi Center with the game scheduled to start at 7 pm Mountain Time.   Following that game the Avs head west to Los Angeles to face the Kings on Saturday night and then they will be off until their March 1st game against Detroit due to the Vancouver Winter Olympics, which I urge everyone to check out as I will be following Olympic Hockey and be sure to tune in next week for my Olympic Hockey coverage.  Well that’s all for this week see you guys next week and as always LETS GO AVALANCHE!!!!