tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7809438734572538652012-01-08T19:24:25.065-05:00Random news and notes from your Colorado Avalanche and some other hockey talk.Nichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18178037195019637239noreply@blogger.comBlogger731100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-780943873457253865.post-42515795477770072152012-01-05T00:34:00.002-05:002012-01-05T01:33:53.312-05:00

Earlier tonight, Ducks GM Bob Murray told the LA Times' Helene Elliott that everyone on the Ducks roster is in play except for Teemu Selanne and Saku Koivu. Yes, this includes the big 3 of Ryan Getzlaf, Corey Perry and Bobby Ryan who just last season no one would of ever thought would be for sale.Bobby Ryan is an interesting one as his name has already surfaced in trade rumors earlier this season

Nichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18178037195019637239noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-780943873457253865.post-50227451358358877782012-01-03T11:57:00.002-05:002012-01-03T12:20:40.482-05:00

If you were to ask any of the hockey experts out there if they thought we would be sitting here just after the new year and have the Colorado Avalanche, they would probably all say no way. Well here we are 3 days into the new year and the Avs find themselves holding down the number 8 seed after their shootout victory over the Los Angeles Kings last night at Staples Center.The Avs got a break

Nichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18178037195019637239noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-780943873457253865.post-7623109810568799982011-08-07T18:15:00.002-04:002011-08-07T19:21:55.846-04:00

Well, we're now into August and it doesn't appear the Avs will be bringing anyone else into the team. Since the team played their last game of the season, they have been building up for next season and into the future. Management has made some bold moves that could either make or break the team.The offseason started on the last game of the season when captain Adam Foote announced his retirement

Nichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18178037195019637239noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-780943873457253865.post-70805262802316750712011-06-17T00:28:00.002-04:002011-06-17T00:46:40.410-04:00

Last week, I mentioned the Avs best option for a goalie would be Tomas Vokoun as he would only cost money and be a perfect stopgap until one of the prospects like Calvin Pickard or Sami Aittokallio are ready. Well it's sounding like Vokoun would be willing to accept an offer from the Avs. He told a Czech newspaper that he would accept an offer from the Avalanche and that he feels that they are

Nichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18178037195019637239noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-780943873457253865.post-11128261980564170032011-06-09T12:26:00.002-04:002011-06-09T12:42:49.831-04:00

When this Stanley Cup Final began, I was saying that the goaltending would be the best part about this series. In games 1 and 2, that was the case with Thomas and Luongo letting in a combined 6 goals on 133 shots. Since then though, Tim Thomas has been the only guy looking like a Cup finalist and Vezina candidate.Luongo gave up all 8 goals in game 3's 8-1 loss (seriously, why wasn't he pulled?)

Nichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18178037195019637239noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-780943873457253865.post-20697339185712513172011-06-08T12:20:00.002-04:002011-06-08T12:58:04.390-04:00

There's no denying that the Avs biggest weakness heading into next season is goaltending. Peter Budaj's days with the team are all but over as he won't be re-signed and Brian Elliott is a RFA who will more than likely return in a back up role next season. This leaves a hole in the starting position. The free agent pool is slim with little high end talent and now that Ilya Bryzgalov looks like

Nichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18178037195019637239noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-780943873457253865.post-18438108577195415492011-06-07T14:19:00.001-04:002011-06-07T15:55:27.457-04:00

Very rarely does a league suspension ever strike me as too long but that is exactly how I feel about the Aaron Rome suspension. The hit was a good hockey hit that just happened a little late. Had the hit happened a second sooner, there wouldn't be anyone even talking about a suspension. This suspension could last into next season if the series doesn't go to 7 games. Ridiculous for a hit that was

Nichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18178037195019637239noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-780943873457253865.post-26139067315205173552011-06-03T12:53:00.001-04:002011-06-03T14:57:11.835-04:00

Due to the building not being available, we're forced to wait an extra day between game 1 and 2 of the Stanley Cup Finals. So what else is happening in the hockey world today? The scouting combine. With the draft less than a month away, the top prospects are going through rigorous fitness tests and interviews with NHL teams. This is going to be an important draft for the Avs since they have 2 1st

Nichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18178037195019637239noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-780943873457253865.post-36517101839594252752011-06-02T17:15:00.001-04:002011-06-02T17:23:29.663-04:00

Game 1 last night had just about everything a hockey fan could want in a Stanley Cup Finals game. Brilliant plays made by both teams, exciting back and forth action, a lot of shots (70) and hits (61), a dive by Henrik Sedin who fell to the ice like he had just been shot after being touched by a Bruins player, and Alex Burrows biting someone. I wrote yesterday that this is one of the best

Nichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18178037195019637239noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-780943873457253865.post-50545162184811702102011-06-01T00:36:00.002-04:002011-06-01T12:50:17.605-04:00

So unless you're living under a rock, you should've heard that the Atlanta Thrashers are relocating to Winnipeg next season giving Jets fans a team to cheer for again. According to Gary Bettman, the new Winnipeg team (which is yet to be named) will play next season in the Southeast division before moving to the Northwest division in the 2012-13 season.The Northwest makes the most sense for the

Nichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18178037195019637239noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-780943873457253865.post-71995355775994771442011-02-11T13:56:00.001-05:002011-02-11T13:56:55.698-05:00

Peter Forsberg has finished all of his immigration stuff and joined the team in Columbus yesterday. He took part in this mornings skate and then announced that he will be in the lineup tonight when the Avs play the Blue Jackets. He will play on a line with Milan Hejduk and Matt Duchene. Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.5

Nichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18178037195019637239noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-780943873457253865.post-47168268637960291172011-02-04T16:23:00.003-05:002011-02-04T18:20:37.980-05:00

Ok so it is well known now that this Avs team is starting to sink and a top draft pick is starting to look like a reality. The defense has been terrible (why did we trade Hannan again?) and the goaltending has been a little sub-par (being very generous). They have only seen 5 victories in the 13 games since the new year started. This slide has taken the Avs all the way down to 12th place in the

Nichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18178037195019637239noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-780943873457253865.post-33153273245508865392010-11-30T00:05:00.002-05:002010-11-30T00:36:20.199-05:00

The Avs once again showed they have a pulse as GM Greg Sherman pulled the trigger on another trade today acquiring Matt Hunwick from the Boston Bruins. In exchange, the Avs sent prospect Colby Cohen to Boston where he spent the last 3 years playing for Jack Parker at Boston University.Hunwick is another small (5'11" 195 lbs) puck moving defenseman which the Avs seem to love seeing as how they

Nichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18178037195019637239noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-780943873457253865.post-37960652275095451432010-11-25T12:33:00.002-05:002010-11-25T12:35:25.857-05:00

Today is the American Thanksgiving and I'm sure everyone is set to be with their families to eat turkey and watch some football...err I mean Avs hockey tonight against the Oilers! A few days ago, Mike Verminsky over at Put It On Ice Blog made a post with numerous Avs fans/bloggers and what they are thankful for this Thanksgiving. Here are the things I am thankful for this Thanksgiving:I am

Nichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18178037195019637239noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-780943873457253865.post-70559648024589992652010-11-15T10:38:00.001-05:002010-11-15T10:38:36.299-05:00

Fan balloting for this years All Star Game begins today. The ballot features 3 Avs - Anderson, Stastny, and Hejduk. Head over to http://vote.nhl.com and get some Avs in the game. While you're at it, write in Chris Stewart who's name, for some reason, was left off the ballot.Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.5

Nichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18178037195019637239noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-780943873457253865.post-36091923726516723772010-11-11T21:28:00.002-05:002010-11-11T22:06:25.987-05:00

As everyone in the hockey world may have heard, the Avs made a trade today with the Canadiens bringing in a monster of a defenseman in Ryan O'Byrne. They gave up prospect Michael Bournival of Shawinigan of the QMJHL. The move wasn't surprising as the Avs defensemen seem to be dropping like flies lately even though Foote should be back soon and they were forced to play with 4 rookies last

Nichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18178037195019637239noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-780943873457253865.post-47181903604163074292010-11-04T16:09:00.001-04:002010-11-04T16:09:38.529-04:00

Last season (and the end of the 08-09 season), there was a lot of excitement for me from the Avs because there were players getting their first shot at the NHL level. It was exciting because we finally got to see how our past drafts had worked out. Seeing 1st rounders Chris Stewart and Matt Duchene, 2nd rounders TJ Galiardi and Ryan O'Reilly, and late round guys like David Jones and Brandon Yip

Nichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18178037195019637239noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-780943873457253865.post-50606801807358174012010-09-21T22:30:00.002-04:002010-09-21T22:45:47.192-04:00

The Avs (well half of them anyway) opened up their 2010 preseason schedule tonight with a 3-1 victory over the St. Louis Blues. There was no video feed of the game but thanks to some Blues fan, there was audio for those of us who weren't lucky enough to live in Denver. The Avs were without their top 2 centers Paul Stastny and Matt Duchene and scoring wingers Milan Hejduk, Chris Stewart and Peter

Nichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18178037195019637239noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-780943873457253865.post-25738208816334994362010-09-10T17:08:00.002-04:002010-09-10T17:16:36.936-04:00

Just about one week before training camp is set to begin, the Avs and restricted free agent Peter Mueller have finally come to terms on a new 2 year deal worth $4 million. Mueller will get $1.5 million next season and $2.5 million in 2011-12. Not a bad value for Mueller especially since the Avs were still under the salary cap floor - the only team that was still that far down.Mueller only had 37

Nichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18178037195019637239noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-780943873457253865.post-57029415278305044232010-09-03T10:45:00.001-04:002010-09-03T10:45:15.261-04:00

After an offseason that made me wonder if the Avs had a pulse, some good news finally rolled in. They came to terms on a new 2 year deal with last season's leading goal scorer Chris Stewart. The deal is worth $5.75 million over the 2 years with a cap hit of $2.875 million. He will make $2.5 million next season and $3.25 million in 11-12. This seems like a great deal for both the Avs and

Nichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18178037195019637239noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-780943873457253865.post-39732726940155902672010-07-31T21:30:00.006-04:002010-07-31T22:13:02.846-04:00

The 1st selection in this past NHL Entry Draft, Taylor Hall, will not be participating in Team Canada's World Junior Development camp. The camp will be held August 4-7. Since Hall will not be participating in camp, and given the fact that he will most likely be playing in Edmonton this season, he will not be eligible to play for Team Canada during the tournament.With the departure of Hall, Hockey

Nichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18178037195019637239noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-780943873457253865.post-26715179806755228022010-07-07T17:03:00.003-04:002010-07-07T17:09:36.811-04:00

Adrian Dater is reporting that the Avs have come to terms with restricted free agent forward Brandon Yip. The deal is for 2 years. Yip will make $700k this season and $750k in 2011-12 for a cap hit of $1.45 million. I figured Yip would've received more than that since the Avs have a ways to go to reach the cap floor but I guess they'll get to that after Peter Mueller and Chris Stewart get

Nichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18178037195019637239noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-780943873457253865.post-55394713733059503352010-07-01T19:52:00.003-04:002010-07-01T21:04:12.944-04:00

Getting pretty deep into day 1 of the NHL's free agency period. July 1st is more than just a holiday in Canada (Happy Canada Day to our neighbors to the north). For most GMs and fans, it is like Christmas for their teams, or Hanukkah since that lasts longer. The Avs, however, are choosing to sit on the sidelines this offseason and stick to their plan of building from within.Personally, I love

Nichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18178037195019637239noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-780943873457253865.post-58620413207081935052010-05-22T13:42:00.002-04:002010-05-22T13:56:27.753-04:00

German newspaper Sueddeutsche has reported that former Avs defenseman and current head coach of Germany's national team Uwe Krupp will make the jump to North America and possibly join the Avs coaching staff. Here is the translated excerpt from the article:But the signs are quite a bit to leave. Confidant of the 44-year-olds say, Krupp wanted to go back to North America. Either as an assistant

Nichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18178037195019637239noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-780943873457253865.post-18610683242016753852010-04-23T20:58:00.001-04:002010-04-23T20:58:10.897-04:00

A few weeks ago after a few losses in a row, I mentioned that the Avs were finished and would not make the playoffs. They ended up making it and so far have played the top ranked Sharks all the way up to a 6th game that will be played tomorrow night in Denver.The Avs have been outplayed in all but 1 game this series and that was game 1. Since then, they've let the Sharks control the play in the

Nichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18178037195019637239noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-780943873457253865.post-79251698288832941092010-04-14T20:51:00.003-04:002010-04-14T21:19:26.633-04:00

Almost 2 weeks after declaring that the Avs were finished, they find themselves getting ready for the playoffs. Puck drop of game 1 is less than 2 hours away in San Jose. The Avs stumbled their way into the playoffs winning just 3 of their final 13 games. Had it not been for their great play early on in the season, we would not even be talking about playoffs right now.The 8th seeded Avs get the

Nichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18178037195019637239noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-780943873457253865.post-4516862233371662042010-04-03T00:09:00.002-04:002010-04-03T00:33:05.481-04:00

The title says it all. The Avs showed tonight that they really do not care about going to the playoffs. Again, they waited until the last 10 minutes to play and a 2 goal deficit to play with any kind of desperation. Not the kind of play that will get a team to the playoffs.After a somewhat even 1st period where the Avs outshot the Flames 13-9, the Avs came out flat for the next 30 minutes. The

Nichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18178037195019637239noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-780943873457253865.post-81378924388877601092010-04-02T16:27:00.003-04:002010-04-02T17:27:54.421-04:00

Only 2 points separate the Avs and the Flames for the 8th and final playoff spot in the West so it's not too out of reach to say that this is the biggest game of the year for the Avs. The Avs have a game in hand and the tiebreaker over Calgary, however, it is my opinion (and many people in the media feel the same way) that the winner of this game will end up finishing with that last playoff

Nichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18178037195019637239noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-780943873457253865.post-86001857336291326952010-03-06T22:23:00.002-05:002010-03-07T00:20:16.984-05:00

The Avs offense was out in full force tonight as they matched and then raised by 1 a season high with 7 goals. While the whole team put up a great offensive effort, the biggest individual performance came from Chris Stewart. Stewart finished the game with 4 points including his 1st career hat trick. The game also marked the return of Milan Hejduk after his long The Blues came in winners of 5

Nichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18178037195019637239noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-780943873457253865.post-69537511100459949982010-03-03T09:06:00.002-05:002010-03-03T09:52:53.202-05:00

With the Olympics now over, the NHL teams, players and fans are waiting for today's 3:00 eastern trade deadline. We've all heard names being thrown around all season but let's take a look at what the Avs have on the trading block.JM Liles - There's no denying it, Liles has been in Joe Sacco's doghouse since he returned from his injury earlier this season. He can be an effective power play

Nichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18178037195019637239noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-780943873457253865.post-2252454979350355332010-02-10T23:39:00.002-05:002010-02-11T00:27:11.558-05:00

The Avs survived a disastrous 2nd period and Kyle Cumiskey provided the game winner for the Avs in overtime as they beat the Kovalchukless Atlanta Thrashers 4-3. With the win, the Avs move into sole possession of 1st place in the Northwest division with a 2 point cushion on the Canucks. The game also marked the 1st game of the season for Darren Haydar, the AHL superstar who was recalled because

Nichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18178037195019637239noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-780943873457253865.post-13437389542454139832010-02-04T02:12:00.004-05:002010-02-04T11:58:16.714-05:00

So it has been made public that the Atlanta Thrashers have let superstar winger Ilya Kovalchuk and his agent know that they will be looking for a trade instead of re-signing him. Many teams in the league have been rumored to be in the running to land the Russian sniper but could the Avs be one of the possible destinations for Ilya? It's fun to wonder.The Thrashers have said that they would want a

Nichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18178037195019637239noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-780943873457253865.post-1679495899311071272010-01-22T23:29:00.002-05:002010-01-22T23:53:52.330-05:00

Matt Duchene, Brandon Yip and the rest of the burgundy bunch squeezed off their fifth straight victory as they edged out the Nashville Predators 2-1. It is the 1st time the team has won 5 in a row since October of the 2008-09 season.Leading the charge offensively for the Avs was the rookies Matt Duchene and Brandon Yip. Duchene opened the scoring in the 1st period with another 5 on 3 PP goal.

Nichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18178037195019637239noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-780943873457253865.post-29608023731258710382010-01-06T20:46:00.002-05:002010-01-06T20:54:27.240-05:00

Tonight will be the first and only time this season that the top 2 forwards taken in the 09 draft will face each other. Matt Duchene and number 1 pick John Tavares go head to head tonight when the New York Islanders make a rare visit to Denver to take on the Avs.Should be an interesting matchup between the skilled 18 year olds. Tavares is leading all rookies in goals scored and points but right

Nichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18178037195019637239noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-780943873457253865.post-25141022724949675162009-12-30T22:19:00.003-05:002009-12-31T13:26:16.735-05:00

The Avalanche are at the midway point of their season and as everyone expected, they are in 1st place in the Northwest division with a 23-12-6 record for a total of 52 points. This also puts them at 3rd in the Western Conference. Here's a look at the make up of this season's Avs squad and what has made them successful.ForwardsThe top line of Wolski, Stastny and Stewart was assembled earlier in

Nichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18178037195019637239noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-780943873457253865.post-51247962702922943382009-12-15T18:35:00.002-05:002009-12-15T19:25:40.661-05:00

Tonight Alex Ovechkin and co. come into Pepsi Center for a tilt with the Avs. Starting goalie for the Caps will be former sieve...I mean goalie Jose Theodore. It will be Jose's 1st trip back to Denver since leaving the Avs for the Caps where he, again, couldn't hold onto the starting job.Theo showed some brilliant displays of goaltending in the last half of the 2007-08 season to help the Avs make

Nichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18178037195019637239noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-780943873457253865.post-29576265660358300532009-12-08T16:05:00.001-05:002009-12-08T16:05:24.656-05:00

The Avs finished off their 5 game road trip the same way they started it, with a shutout victory. This was another successful road trip for this young team as they finished up 3-1-1. The whole road schedule is now half way over.The first game of the trip was a 3-0 victory over the Lightning. Matt Duchene caught fire in this game as he ended up with 2 goals for his first multigoal game of his

Nichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18178037195019637239noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-780943873457253865.post-30385916867781871142009-11-30T11:54:00.005-05:002009-11-30T12:26:52.963-05:00

Over the Thanksgiving weekend, I spent it back home in Albuquerque. I knew I wouldn't be home to watch the Avs Preds game on Wednesday or the Avs Wild game on Friday so what did I do? I purchased NHL Gamecenter Live from NHL.com. Gamecenter is great for watching all the games going on that night especially being able to watch 4 games at once. You also get all the player stats and even a chatroom

Nichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18178037195019637239noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-780943873457253865.post-90508674849808344832009-11-18T00:03:00.002-05:002009-11-18T00:29:49.251-05:00

Avs 3Flames 2FinalAfter a recent slide which saw the Avs lost 5 of their last 7 including Saturday's embarrassing performance against Vancouver, the Avs came out with a much better effort in the C of Red in Calgary as they earned a 3-2 win over the Flames. The Flames came into the game just 1 point back of the Avs in the Northwest division and made this game a battle for 1st in the division.The

Nichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18178037195019637239noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-780943873457253865.post-86120581703479484462009-11-12T23:24:00.002-05:002009-11-12T23:37:25.693-05:00

The Avs finally unveiled their new 3rd jerseys today. They are the same ones that were leaked back in August. I said then that they weren't the greatest but after seeing them on the players, I really like them and may indeed be purchasing one. One of the other things I didn't notice when the leaked pictures came out was the black on the underarm. It's an interesting touch but the jersey is still

Nichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18178037195019637239noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-780943873457253865.post-42285286657146603302009-11-08T22:36:00.004-05:002009-11-08T23:12:14.872-05:00

Avalanche 3Oilers 5FinalThe Oilers took advantage of a terrible Avs PK and a less than stellar Craig Anderson as they skated to a 5-3 victory over the Avs. This was the Avs 1st loss at home this season as they couldn't break the club record for best home record to start a season. They were also the last team in the league to lose a game at hoome.The Avs took stupid penalty after stupid penalty

Nichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18178037195019637239noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-780943873457253865.post-827256398071988902009-11-06T23:54:00.003-05:002009-11-07T00:43:52.529-05:00

Avs 4Blackhawks 3Final (SO)Coming from behind yet again, the Avs managed to stave off the Blackhawks in another long shootout between the two teams this one going 8 rounds. Chris Stewart got the go ahead goal in the 8th round of the shootout before Craig Anderson made the final stop for the win for the good guys.The Avs erased an early 2 goal deficit after the Hawks scored 2 goals in the first 10

Nichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18178037195019637239noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-780943873457253865.post-45727810818958254682009-11-04T23:33:00.003-05:002009-11-04T23:59:11.241-05:00

Avs 4Coyotes 1FinalThe 4-1 final tally for the Avs is not too indicative of how close the game was all night. The Avs opened the scoring on a power play in the 1st minute of the game on a tip in goal by Milan Hejduk. It remained 1-0 until almost 7 minutes into the 3rd when Marek Svatos put a little rebound in from the stick of Paul Stastny past Bryzgalov. The Coyotes made it a game just 3 minutes

Nichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18178037195019637239noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-780943873457253865.post-23918760711928415582009-11-03T17:23:00.002-05:002009-11-03T17:55:38.421-05:00

Dater confirmed that Peter Budaj will make his first start tomorrow night against the Coyotes. He was supposed to make his first start two weeks ago but he was diagnosed with swine flu which caused him to miss all of last weeks games while Tyler Weiman filled in as Andy's back up.Budaj has received some unfair treatment by fans (myself included) but not all of it is fully warranted. Last season,

Nichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18178037195019637239noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-780943873457253865.post-88857662447334074722009-11-02T00:36:00.002-05:002009-11-02T00:58:41.355-05:00

Canucks 3Avalanche 0FinalWell the Avs decided to pick up right where they left off in San Jose. They went into Vancouver and got shutout by Andrew Raycroft (yes the same one that helped land us Matt Duchene last season). Raycroft only had to stop 18 shots and that was mainly because the Avs couldn't get any kind of sustained pressure in the Nucks zone. Raycroft himself even said it wasn't his

Nichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18178037195019637239noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-780943873457253865.post-47755202302861012222009-11-01T16:26:00.002-05:002009-11-01T17:24:53.399-05:00

No one who knows anything about hockey could have guessed that after the 1st month of the NHL season, the Avalanche would be sitting atop the Western Conference. Even the most die hard of fans could see this coming. The Avs' 22 points is the most the Avalanche have put up in the month of October in their 14 year history. Yes, that also means that it is more than the 96 Cup team (15 pts) and the

Nichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18178037195019637239noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-780943873457253865.post-41149042429861184292009-10-25T00:00:00.002-04:002009-10-25T00:55:03.384-04:00

Well the Avs did have a game tonight against the Wings but the main story of the night was Craig Anderson. Again, Andy was the best Av on the ice all night. He finished with a whopping 48 saves! Detorit's shot total was helped in large part by the 8 powerplays given to them by the guys in the stripes.The Avs PK was good tonight leaving most of the Wings shots to the outside while Andy kept the

Nichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18178037195019637239noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-780943873457253865.post-353919346447987022009-10-22T13:32:00.004-04:002009-10-22T13:49:40.379-04:00

Avs finally wrapped up their 7 game road trip last night with a 3-2 shootout loss to Minnesota. They finished the trip with 4-1-2 record taking 10 of a possible 14 points and remain atop the Western Conference with 14 points.The trip ended up just like it started out against Nashville. Avs had a 3rd period lead that they let slip away in the final minutes. Unlike in Nashville though, they still

Nichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18178037195019637239noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-780943873457253865.post-34139655693183087402009-10-21T21:30:00.003-04:002009-10-21T21:49:13.645-04:00

Pierre LeBrun over at ESPN.com mentioned in his blog today that Anderson is trying to make a case for himself to get looked at for a goaltending job with Team USA in February's Olympics in Vancouver. His stats speak for themselves as to why he would make a great option for the Olympic team. He is capable of handling a heavy workload (especially since he's getting a lot of practice with the Avs).

Nichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18178037195019637239noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-780943873457253865.post-18819216428966394402009-10-18T14:18:00.002-04:002009-10-18T14:45:39.002-04:00

Any win against the Wings is a sweet one but last night's victory over the winged wheel was about as sweet as a victory could get (well unless this is the result). The Wings were dominating the game through the first 50 minutes but, again, Craig Anderson made save after save and gave the Avs the chance to stay in the game.Up 2-0 going into the 3rd, the Avs looked finished and it got worse when

Nichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18178037195019637239noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-780943873457253865.post-63109682336178425982009-10-14T17:13:00.007-04:002009-10-14T17:27:05.804-04:00

The Avs got some good news today on the status of John Michael Liles' shoulder injury. As Dater first reported, the defenseman did not separate the shoulder in the game yesterday against the Leafs. It is just a bruised shoulder and he will be out 2 weeks at the most so we will probably see him sometime before then.Since he will not be suiting up on Thursday in Montreal and Ruslan Salei is also on

Nichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18178037195019637239noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-780943873457253865.post-64148413175373746972009-10-14T00:39:00.002-04:002009-10-14T01:14:14.278-04:00

The Avs just passed the midway point of their long 7 game road trip after downing the lowly Toronto Maple Leafs 4-1. They have continued their surprising play during this trip. Despite dropping the 1st game in Nashville for the Preds home opener, they battled a really high powered Blackhawks team all the way to the 9th round of the shootout. 2 nights later they beat last season's Eastern

Nichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18178037195019637239noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-780943873457253865.post-55165531793176257652009-10-10T00:44:00.003-04:002009-10-10T01:01:48.076-04:00

The Avs didn't pick up the victory Thursday night in Nashville but Andy remained solid. He stopped 34 of the 37 shots he faced. They only goals that were allowed were on a Jason Arnott one timer in the slot and then 2 by Hornqvist who was left all alone in front of the net. In total, through 3 games, Andy has stopped 107 of 112 shots faced which equates to the best display of goaltending the Avs

Nichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18178037195019637239noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-780943873457253865.post-86466484964001470612009-10-05T17:32:00.003-04:002009-10-06T02:03:12.318-04:00

So heading into this season, everyone had the Avs written off, myself included. A rookie management staff, rookie coaching staff, an untested goaltender and two 18 year old centers in the lineup should lead to a disastrous season. Instead, Pierre Lacroix is looking like a genius bringing in Greg Sherman who was responsible for bringing in, Joe Sacco and most importantly, Craig Anderson. It's only

Nichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18178037195019637239noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-780943873457253865.post-44200020201009921082009-10-01T02:01:00.004-04:002009-10-01T03:37:35.744-04:00

SJ 0-0-0 0pts Avs 0-0-0 0ptsGame Time: 10:00 PM ETVenue: Pepsi Center Denver, COInjuries: Col - D Tom Preissing (knee), RW David Jones (bruised chest). SJ - noneThis game will feature many 1sts. It's the 1st game for both teams this season, 1st game for Avs rookies Matt Duchene and Ryan O'Reilly, 1st game for new goaltender Craig Anderson in an Avs uni, and most importantly for

Nichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18178037195019637239noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-780943873457253865.post-26397843707127822752009-09-30T00:53:00.003-04:002009-09-30T12:07:38.523-04:00

We are just a day away from the beginning of Avs hockey AJ (after Joe). The Avs will begin their first season under new captain Adam Foote against the San Jose Sharks tomorrow night.GoaltendingLast season's most blaring weakness was in the goaltending department. As we already know, Peter Budaj is not a starting goaltender and Andrew Raycroft signed for league minimum with Vancouver. Knowing that

Nichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18178037195019637239noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-780943873457253865.post-53745781106478204532009-09-27T19:45:00.003-04:002009-09-27T20:01:04.517-04:00

The Avs made 3 cuts today that sent Chris Durno, Derek Peltier, and Tyler Weiman down to Lake Erie. With those 3 down, the Avs now have 24 players on the roster but Tom Preissing will be put on injured reserve making the 23 man roster complete.That means that the two 18 year olds who were both just drafted in June will start the season with the big club. Matt Duchene was pretty much a lock for a

Nichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18178037195019637239noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-780943873457253865.post-39689460481424394022009-09-24T17:15:00.002-04:002009-09-24T23:59:05.045-04:00

The Avs just signed RW Milan Hejduk to a 1 year extension through the 2010-2011 season. No terms for he deal were announced but I would guess it's for around the same amount $3.9 million he currently makes maybe a little more now that he also has more of a leadership role. There is also no mention of a no trade clause but I also assume that would be on there since his current contract includes

Nichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18178037195019637239noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-780943873457253865.post-28983311115189011042009-09-23T11:30:00.001-04:002009-09-23T11:32:40.792-04:00

Welcome to Day 3 of the Avalanche Blogger Roundtable. Once again, Mile High Hockey is hosting this whole Roundtable and you can head over there to get linked up to all the answers to the questions you know you have for this upcoming season.Today's question will be discussing the Avs new bench boss, Joe Sacco and what is to come from this 1st year NHL head coach after 2 seasons with Monsters in

Nichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18178037195019637239noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-780943873457253865.post-79737899984721786132009-09-21T15:08:00.001-04:002009-09-21T15:08:33.552-04:00

Ryan O'Reilly just signed a 3 year entry level deal with the Avs today. He hasn't been cut yet and has been getting praise by Joe Sacco all training camp and preseason. When drafted, many people believed O'Reilly would need to spend another season in the OHL before making th jump. The fact that he has not been cut yet and is constantly talked about and is now signed makes me believe he will be on

Nichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18178037195019637239noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-780943873457253865.post-30941308818076694922009-09-21T13:54:00.001-04:002009-09-21T13:54:30.834-04:00

The Avs today announced that they cut Ryan Stoa. Stoa was a player I thought would definitely be on the Avs roster. Dater had mentioned that he didn't look up to NHL speed but I figured his size would land him in a top 6 LW spot. Hopefully he will spend time working on this in Cleveland this season and we will see him in the not so distant future. Stoa had a goal in the first preseason game

Nichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18178037195019637239noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-780943873457253865.post-49851766787630065842009-09-15T21:14:00.003-04:002009-09-15T21:20:14.124-04:00

Shawn Bates came to Avalanche training camp on a professional tryout. Today, he was released from that tryout.I felt Bates could'be been that true 3rd line center that we haven't seen in Denver since Nikolishin or Yelle. Over 50% in the circles and great on the PK.As Dater mentioned, the Avs will probably use Galiardi as 3rd line center and go with a more offensive 3rd line which wouldn't suit

Nichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18178037195019637239noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-780943873457253865.post-91570593043984365062009-09-12T23:01:00.003-04:002009-09-12T23:24:50.495-04:00

In just 12 short hours, the Avalanche veterans will be taking the ice for the first day of on-ice training camp. The rookies, who just finished up the third and final day of rookie camp, got the day off today while the veterans reported for physicals and will re-join the vets on ice tomorrow morning. Over the next 3 days, 59 Avalanche hopefuls will be competing for a chance to make the big club

Nichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18178037195019637239noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-780943873457253865.post-45295338034314674642009-09-04T20:12:00.000-04:002009-09-04T20:23:39.510-04:00

Today the Avs finally announced the roster for its rookie and training just 5 days before rookies are expected to take the ice. Of the 59 players taking part in training camp, 30 will be taking part in rookie camp.One name that you might not recognize is forward Shawn Bates who last played in the NHL for the Islanders two seasons ago.

Nichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18178037195019637239noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-780943873457253865.post-89716192890148335352009-09-01T12:20:00.002-04:002009-09-01T18:26:34.234-04:00

Starting today, The Sporting News will be previewing one team per day. It appears they will start from last place as they kick things off with the Avs.Read the preview here.

Nichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18178037195019637239noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-780943873457253865.post-61951192254318878332009-09-01T10:25:00.001-04:002009-09-01T10:25:18.963-04:00

According to RDS and Mile High Hockey, the Avs have hired former goaltender Jocelyn Thibault as the team's new goaltending coach. He played 16 seasons in the NHL last in 07-08 with the Nordiques, Avs, Canadiens, Blackhawks, Penguins and Sabres. Thibault was also part of the deal that brought Patrick Roy to Denver.

Nichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18178037195019637239noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-780943873457253865.post-91275908331165046172009-09-01T00:32:00.004-04:002009-09-01T00:56:59.601-04:00

Scott Parker officially announces his retirement after 308 NHL games spanning 11 seasons on the Fox in Denver today. He finished with 7 goals and 14 assists for a whopping 21 points. Best known for his evil stare and crazy goatee, Parks amassed 699 PIMs in his NHL career including 70 fighting majors. Usually only playing 4-5 minutes a night, the Sheriff was counted on to protect the stars and he

Nichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18178037195019637239noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-780943873457253865.post-62277257381868583312009-08-28T12:46:00.002-04:002009-08-28T13:05:15.997-04:00

According to TSN, Peter Forsberg played in a preseason game for his hometown team, Modo, last night. Foppa played on the top line and was held scoreless but Modo defeated Geneva 2-1. This is the first (somewhat) meaningful game Forsberg has played since undergoing yet another surgery on his problematic foot.Forsberg stated that the foot was feeling good but he could not comment on his hockey

Nichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18178037195019637239noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-780943873457253865.post-67003065835076664872009-08-17T23:15:00.002-04:002009-08-17T23:31:23.059-04:00

So these beauties are what a poster on Chris Creamer's Sports Logos message board claims will be the Avs next 3rd jersey. He claimed that he saw and took a picture with his camera of the actual jersey but wasn't allowed to share the picture with anyone so he designed one to represent it with Paint. If these are, infact, what the Avs will be wearing as their alternates next season, then it will be

Nichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18178037195019637239noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-780943873457253865.post-72627471736221397332009-08-14T22:06:00.005-04:002009-08-15T00:12:53.035-04:00

In the deal that saw Ryan Smyth leave to LA, the Avs took back two NHL defensemen in Quincey and Preissing. That brings the total number of NHL defensemen on the Avs roster to 7. The others would be Liles, Hannan, Foote, Clark, and Salei. Also waiting for regular NHL ice time is prospect Kyle Cumiskey.It has been pretty well known that Avs owner Stan Kroenke is in full cost cutting mode. There

Nichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18178037195019637239noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-780943873457253865.post-37254354814850052009-08-14T00:30:00.003-04:002009-08-14T00:32:49.404-04:00

Oh how that helmet is just so fitting for the boy. Special day for a special boy.

Nichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18178037195019637239noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-780943873457253865.post-49752649757164422982009-08-13T23:26:00.005-04:002009-08-13T23:46:06.885-04:00

So it looks like the first of many predictions are in. The Hockey News began there 2009-10 regular season predictions. No surprise where they predicted the Avs will finish and unlike last season, it's pretty easy to agree with this one.14 COLORADO AVALANCHEWhy: Some believe Joe Sakic may not have retired if the Colorado Avalanche iced a Stanley Cup-contending team this year. Management’s

Nichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18178037195019637239noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-780943873457253865.post-69904295679557457042009-08-13T21:49:00.000-04:002009-08-13T21:50:24.673-04:00

We are around the midway point of the NHL's offseason, one that saw many changes go on around the once elite Avalanche organization. Some changes for the better, some not so much. Lets recap.First, Pierre Lacroix fires Francois Giguere. Under Giguere, the Avs missed the playoffs 2 of 3 seasons. A move that needed to be made as Giguere just seemed like he was just fine with losing not doing

Nichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18178037195019637239noreply@blogger.com0