Avs retake NW lead

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 of the injury to David Koci.

Haydar didn't factor in the scoresheet but who can blame him as he was on a line with Darcy Tucker. Atlanta started the scoring in the 1st period as newcomer Niclas Bergfors who used his speed to move into the Avs zone and fire a shot past Anderson. Bergfors was one of the players involved in the deal that sent superstar Ilya Kovalchuk to the New Jersey Devils.

Just 46 seconds after Bergfors scored, the Avs answered. They skated into the zone and Paul Stastny gave a cross ice pass to Brett Clark who looked like he was trying to make another pass but instead the puck ended up in the back of the net. That shot knotted the game up at 1 a piece.

In the 2nd period, the Avs looked like they didn't want to be part of the game. The Thrashers tilted the ice and made everything difficult for the Avs. Bryan Little took advantage of a poorly played puck by Craig Anderson and fired a puck right between Andy's legs. It was almost 3-1 with just over 2 minutes left in the 2nd as Atlanta thought they poked the puck past Anderson but replay confirmed that Adam Foote cleared the puck out before the puck crossed the line.

Whatever Sacco told the team during the intermission must not have gotten through to them as they started the 3rd period with as little fire as they had in the 2nd. Then, something turned on and the top line of Stewart, Stastny and Galiardi had a great shift that was capped off with a goal by Stewart with just over 11 minutes left. This goal would give the Avs life. They carried the play the rest of the game. In another hard working shift later in the period by Cody McLeod and Chris Durno, they held the puck in the zone and wore down the Thrashers. A shot from the point was kicked wide by Johan Hedberg and Durno dove to bat the puck into the open net to tie it up.

It would remain tied at the end of regulation so the Avs would receive a point for going to OT. That point would be enough to move them past Vancouver into 1st in the Northwest. But why settle with just 1 point when there's a 2nd to be had? Kyle Cumiskey answered that just 9 seconds into the extra frame. He carried the puck into the zone and wiggled through 4 Atlanta players and made pretty move past Hedberg to give the Avs the win. It was a perfect end to a game which the Avs had no business winning and should be all over the highlights tonight.

The 2nd period was one that the Avs really cannot afford to have against teams that are more skilled than the Thrashers. If this was a team like Chicago or San Jose, it would've been 5 or 6 to 1 after that period. The other thing that really needs fixing (and has all season) is the power play. They went 0-for again this time 0-5. There is simply too much passing going on between the guys on the PP. Someone has to just shoot the puck. It's the only way the PP will be effective.

Interesting stat of the night:

Niclas Bergfors recorded his 2nd goal since coming over to Atlanta from New Jersey. Kovalchuk has yet to record one in NJ.

Thoughts on Kovalchuk

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 top 6 forward, top 4 defenseman and a top notch prospect or high end draft pick. If I was Greg Sherman, I would consider sending the following package:

Wojtek Wolski: He had been in and out of Joe Sacco's doghouse in the early parts of the season but his strong showings on the team's top line through December and January have really increased his trade value. Kovalchuk would be a definite upgrade over Wolski as well.

John Michael Liles: Like Wolski, Liles found himself in Sacco's doghouse a few weeks ago. He was benched for a game and responded well with 9 points in the next 10 games. He's a capable power play QB as he was a huge reason why the PP was so hot early in the season up until his injury. The PP fell to the bottom of the league in his absence but has risen to 18th as he is getting healthier. Losing Liles would hurt the PP but the offensive talent of Kovalchuk would make up for it.

Tyson Barrie: Avs prospect drafted in 2009 (3rd round 64th overall). His 59 points leads his Kelowna Rockets' (WHL) club and also puts him in a tie for 1st in defensive scoring leaders in the WHL.

The big problem with acquiring Kovalchuk is whether he will re-sign with the club or if he will just be a playoff rental. As far as a draft pick going Atlanta's way goes, it would have to be conditional on whether or not he signs with the Avs. The Avs have the cap space to get Kovalchuk under contract especially after giving up Wolski and Liles' contracts. He has already turned down $120 million from Atlanta but that just seems to be him not wanting to be there anymore. Put him on a young, up and coming team, and his price tag should drop. It is a lot to give up on what could just be a rental for a few months but his offense would be a huge help down the stretch and into the playoffs.

Avs win fifth straight

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. John Michael Liles made an aerial feed from the left point to Paul Stastny at the side of the net who made a nice play to bat the puck out of the air and then gave a little pass right on the stick of Duchene for an easy tap in. Duchene still leads all rookies in scoring. In the 2nd period, Yip struck, again on the PP. Darcy Tucker and recently called up Ryan Stoa made a nice give and go play where Tucker ended up with the puck. Tucker then gave a cross crease feed to Yip under the sliding Nashville defenseman for another tap in at the post. Cody Franson got the lone Nashville goal on a slapper from the left circle shortly after Yip's goal.

The Avs played again without captain Adam Foote (ankle), Ryan Wilson (concussion), Milan Hejduk (knee), and Matt Hendricks (ankle). Because of the injuries, the Avs called up D Wes O'Neil, W Ryan Stoa, and D Brett Skinner from the Lake Erie Monsters. Skinner was the healthy scratch while O'Neil and Stoa received jerseys for the game.

Three Stars

3. C. Franson

2. B. Yip

1. M. Duchene.

Duchene vs. Tavares

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 behind him is Matt Duchene. Tavares is at 28 points on the season and Duchene just a point behind with 27. Both players are headed in opposite directions as Tavares has just 1 goal in his last 11 games while Duchene has been on fire with 17 points over his last 18 games.

Andy will be in net tonight for the Avs while the Isles will go with longtime division rival Dwayne Roloson. Backing up Roloson for the 1st time will be former number 1 pick Rick DiPietro. Hopefully the Avs will get to face him at some point tonight.

Midseason Review

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.

Forwards

The top line of Wolski, Stastny and Stewart was assembled earlier in the month and has been one of the top lines in the entire league. Stewart is the story of that line as he started the season on the 3rd or 4th line before being sent down to Lake Erie. He has kicked it up since being recalled now sitting 4th on the team in scoring (11-14-25). Wolski (15-23-38) is having a breakout season and is turning into the force we have been hoping for when he was drafted in the 1st round of the 2004 draft. After a slow road start, Stastny (9-30-39) has picked it up and is currently the Avs' leading scorer.

Milan Hejduk (15-11-26) has been the same consistent Milan Hejduk we have seen over the past decade. Currently he is sitting 3rd on the team in scoring and still very responsible in his own end. He has been wearing the A all season and has proven to be a leader to the rookies (young and old) on the team.

Speaking of rookies, Matt Duchene and Ryan O'Reilly certainly have not disappointed. Duchene (11-14-25) started the season off slowly but has been on a tear of late moving into 2nd in rookie scoring, only 3 points behind John Tavares. O'Reilly (5-13-18), although not scoring as much recently, has been probably the best defensive forward the Avs have had all season. TJ Galiardi often goes unnoticed when looking at the young forwards but he has also shown a very good defensive awareness as well as some offensive upside.

Lets not forget the role players. Whoever Sacco throws in the lineup to mix it up, they have all known their roles and have done them very well. Matt Hendricks and Chris Durno are in their 1st seasons but are too old to be considered rookies. Cody McLeod has been playing just as he has ever since he first got the call a few years ago. He has been a great replacement for Ian Laperriere. Recently recalled Brandon Yip has fit in well in Sacco's system. Darcy Tucker has made a complete turnaround from his miserable season last year. All of these guys have brought a lot of speed and energy and have worn down opposing forwards.

Defense

The top pairing of Scott Hannan and Kyle Quincey has been the best pairing the Avs have put out all season. Hannan has been a totally different defensemen than he was since coming over here. Quincey has brought a nice blend of toughness, speed and offense to the back end and has really made the trading of Smyth forgettable.

Captain Adam Foote may have lost a step but he makes up for that by the leadership he brings to the locker room. He still plays a pretty physical in your face type of game. Other Avs veteran defenseman, John Michael Liles, started the season out very well, especially on the power play, but after suffering his injury he has been a totally different player. He earned himself a benching in last night's game against Ottawa.

The big story on the blue line has been the emergence of the young guys Kyle Cumiskey and rookie Ryan Wilson. We've seen Cumiskey's blazing speed over the past few seasons but this season he is actually getting ice time and is running with it. He is moving the puck out of the zone well but his defensive game could still use some work. Ryan Wilson has been a tremendous surprise. The kid was undrafted and was considered a throw in in the deal that sent Jordan Leopold to Calgary last season. He's been playing a really simple defensive game and is really effective with it. He is the hardest open ice hitter we've seen in awhile and he sits in the top 10 in scoring by rookie defensemen.

Goaltending

This has been the biggest improvement over last season. The signing of Craig Anderson has been the best offseason signing by any team, and at that price, he's been an absolute steal. He's already started more games than he's ever started in any other season. He is a big guy and plays huge in the net. He moves really well and will often snow angel to cover the puck. Andy has been the team's #1 star for the season.

When Andy gets a night off, Peter Budaj has been terrific. He's got a 2.22 GAA and .927 sv%. When called upon, he gives the Avs a chance to win every game. Something that was not the case last season. One thing's for sure, Budaj may not be a very good #1 goalie but as a backup, he's one of the best out there.

Coaching

Another huge improvement over last season is the coaching staff. Joe Sacco is making a case for the Jack Adams trophy. On paper, the Avs roster looks like a last place club but Sacco gets the most out of all of his players and really pushes a strong game on both sides of the ice by all of his players. He's been key in getting Wolski to the level he's currently at by benching him earlier in the season. Sylvain Lefebvre is a huge upgrade over Jacques Cloutier. Last season's defensemen were basically just shot blocking pylons who did not hit. Lefebvre stepped in and has really let the D play their games, especially Scott Hannan who has been doing what we expected him to do when he came over from San Jose. Steve Konowalchuk has been working really well with the young guys. You can always see him talking to the Duchenes and O'Reillys when they get off the ice telling them what they did good and bad on their shifts. He has made all our young guys better.

These are all the bright spots of the year so far. However, this team still has some gaping holes that it needs to work on if they're going to have any kind of playoff success now or in the future. The biggest area of concern is the play when they have a lead. As we saw in the game against Anaheim, they sat on a 2-0 lead only to lose the game 4-2 in the last 8 minutes of the game. They can't sit on leads. They just don't have the talent or defense to do that. If the team can just play all 60 minutes of the game, we will be much more dominant.

Another tough task coming up tonight against the beat up but still in the hunt Detroit Red Wings. Happy New Years to everyone!