Game #6 - Vancouver 3, Colorado 0

For the 2nd straight game I really don't have a lot to talk about, since losing Landeskog the Avs have looked like a mess. They are not playing with good effort, making sloppy plays and still taking bad penalties. The score was 3-0 tonight, but Varlamov was the best player on the ice with the exception of 2 bad five-hole goals. Avs can't expect to win like this, especially without Landeskog and O'Reilly, just very disappointing

Three Stars:
3. Zack Kassian - Thought he had a good physical game, and scored the 3rd goal
2. Jason Garrison - First goal of his Canucks career and the GWG
1. Roberto Luongo - 24-save shutout for Lu

Game #7 - Avalanche look to get something going with their last of a 4-game road trip in Calgary on Thursday (@9pm)

-Joel Forman - Colorado Avalanche News

Game #5 - Edmonton 4, Colorado 1

Not a lot to write about this game, Avs looked lifeless through 40 minutes and watched the Oilers score 3 PP goals. The Avs are playing so bad on the road, and even worse they are taking terrible penalties. They were also without Captain and best player Gabriel Landeskog, who is sidelined indefinitely by a questionable Brad Stuart Hit. Avs were able to get it going in the 3rd, outshooting the Oilers 24-5 in the period and scoring their lone goal off a rebound (PA Parenteau). The avs are making a lot of mistakes that were present last season, and they are really hurting on offence without O'Reilly Landeskog and Downie (who were at times the Avs best line last season). Edmonton didn't play an overly amazing game, but the second the Avs game them time on the PP they made no mistake (4/6 on the PP). As a side-note I love watching the line of Eberle-Hall-Nuge; they are so skilled and you can see what a year has done to maturing each on of their games'.They were by far the best players on the ice tonight, the Avs had a handful with them every time they stepped on the ice. The Avs have now let up 7 PP goals in back to back losses, an ugly statistic for a team that played so well on the PK at home this season. The Avs need to make a change at forward if Landeskog is out long term, and the first move is singing Ryan O'Reilly tomorrow. As for now we patiently wait to see the word on Landeskog, who remains out with leg and head injuries from the hit. One can only wonder why he returned vs. the Sharks if he is actually hurt, and in that case why isn't Stuart suspended? If Landeskog is out long-term, they Avs need to look into a trade or free-agency for some depth forward. My last point is Coach Sacco needs to start learning from his mistakes; we are seeing the same bad problems as last year (1. bad penalties 2. not showing up for the 1st/2nd periods)

Three Stars:
3. Devan Dubnyk - He wasn't really that busy through 2 periods, but made a lot of saves in the 3rd (23 on 24 shots)
2. Taylor Hall - Hall was a beast out there tonight, getting 2 assists and really playing a strong game
1. Jordan Eberle - Eberle had the game-winning goal on an absolutely beautiful wrist-shot, and he was the best player on the ice tonight. He is so exciting to watch, a personal favourite of mine, and he continues to get stronger every game

Avalanche Misplay of the Night - Shane O'Brien giving it away at the end, I hate Yakupov and letting him score into the empty net with his 1st shot of the night was annoying to see

Game #6 - Avs head to Vancouver for game 3 of the road trip, as they play the Canucks on Wednesday (@10pm)

-Joel Forman - Colorado Avalanche News

Game #4 - San Jose 4, Colorado 0

The Avs ran into a very hot San Jose Sharks team and were defeated 4-0 in a tough game. The Sharks scored 3 PP goals, and a 4th seconds after a PP to beat the Avs, but the thing everyone is talking about is Brad Stuart's questionable hit on Gabriel Landeskog. The Avs controlled the 1st, they got the first 5 shots and held the Sharks without a shot for 12 minutes. However, as Landeskog had his head down at centre he was flattened by Stuart and limped off the ice. Ryan O'Byrne immediately went after Stuart (as he should have) and started fighting him, receiving 5 for fighting, a 10-min misconduct, 2 for instigating and 2 for instigating a fight with a visor on (never heard of that before). This was the TSN turning point no doubt, Marleau scored a pair of PP goals to make it 4-straight 2 goal games for the scorching hot Patty Marleau. Landeskog didn't return until the 2nd period, which was by far the best news for the Avs today. Not much else to write about, Sharks deserved this game 100% but I didn't like the hit 1 bit and I hope Brendan Shanahan comes down on Brad Staurt.

Three Stars:
3. Thomas Greiss - In his 1st start of the season he had a 24-save shutout, he wasn't particularly busy but made some good saves
2. Joe Thornton - Jumbo Joe continued his red-hot start, scoring his 2nd of the season and adding an assist on 1 of Marleau's goals. Thornton now has 2 goals and 9 assists on the season (tied with Marleau for the NHL lead in points)
Patrick Marleau - Marleau became the first player since 1917 to score 2 goals in 4-straight games. He had 2 goals and an assist, and continues to play amazing hockey early on. Him and Thornton are tied with 11 points to sit at 1-2 in the NHL currently

Avalanche Misplay of the Game - Avs PP gets it tonight, simply awful in the first and they can't shoot the puck at all. Stastny also gets it for passing up a wide open net, he needs to start shooting the puck

Avalanche Play of the Game - Landeskog returning was the lone highlight, very important that he wasn't significantly injured on that dirty hit

Game #5 - The Avs continue their road trip, as they head to Edmonton to play the young and exciting Oilers on Monday (@930pm)

Game #3 - Colorado 4, Columbus 0

Building off a great performance against the defending champs, the Avs wasted little time against the Blue Jackets as P.A Parenteau took a nifty Duchene feed and put the Avs up 1-0 (51 seconds in). The Avs took advantage of a tired Columbus team (having played last night), and they took a 2-0 lead after Duchene knocked in a rebound for his 1st of the year. The Avs dominated the 1st, and the Duchene-Landeskog-Parenteau line continued to lead the way. The Avs played a tough period, with Bordeleau and McGinn getting in fights (McGinn's after his huge hit on Anisimov) and John Mitchell taking a puck off the face (2nd game in a row an Avalanche got a puck in the face). I really liked the play of the 4th line of McLeod-Olver-Bordeleau they were tough but also played a strong game and made it tough for Columbus players to play against. The story of the 2nd period was Varlamov, as the Avs were outshot 12-6 but Varlamov was up to the test. He looks really comfortable in net, and make some spectacular saves (especially on Foligno). The Avs came out in the 3rd and looked like a much better team, as newcomer John Mitchell iced the game with his 2nd of the season to put the Avs up 3-0. What a game for Mitchell, he comes back from a horrific face injury that would have kept many other athletes out of the game and scores an insurance goal (and hit the post minutes after). Matt Duchene added a beautiful goal to make it 4-0, as he took a pass from Parenteau and slashed between the 2 D before sliding it five-hole. The Avs once again were great blocking shots, as they blocked 26 compared to Columbus's 7 (The Avs now have 50 shot blocks in back-to-back wins). The other stats from the game: Columbus outshot the Avs 33-28, the hits were 19-18 Columbus, the Avs won 36 of 67 face-offs, and the Avs were once again perfect on the PK killing 5/5. I really like what Landeskog-Duchene have been doing on the PK, they are blocking shots but also creating chances offensively and creating havoc for powerplays. The Landeskog-Duchene-Parenteau line is starting to gain great chemistry, and they are so talented on the cycle and bring a great combination of size, speed and skill. Overall a great performance from the Avs from start to finish, another big 2 points and a shutout for Varly.

Three Stars:
3. John Mitchell - He continues to play a strong game for the Avs, and he really sacrificed his body for the big 2 points tonight. He took a puck off the face in the 1st, got stitched up and came back to score the 3rd goal tonight (in the 3rd) and 2nd as an Av. He had 3 blocked shots and won 6 of 8 face-offs, and could have had 2 goals as he hit the post in the 3rd
2. Semyon Varlamov - Varlamov continues to play very sharp in the early parts of this season, and he had his best effort in a 33-save shutout tonight. He was sharp in all 3 periods, especially in the 2nd when Columbus seemed to push the pace. Varlamov will be key to the Avs pushing for a playoff spot this season
1. Matt Duchene - Talk about the emergence of the complete Matt Duchene, I thought he played well vs. LA the other night but he was a step above that tonight. He was all over the ice, setting up Parenteau with a nifty pass in the 1st minute, and then scoring a pair of goals for 3 points. However, it is Duchene's defensive play that has really improved and he is playing excellent on the PK with Gabriel Landeskog (the Avs are 11/11 on the PK the last 2 games). It seems he is building really good chemistry with Parenteau and Landeskog, but his defensive play has really shown me that he is building towards becoming a complete hockey player and not one that is one-dimensional.

Avalanche Play of the Game - A tie between Parenteau's goal and Duchene's 2nd goal, both of them were set up by the other person. Parenteau's goal was a nifty play by Duchene, and Duchene's 2nd goal was of the TSN highlight-reel fashion; he took a pass from PA and split the D with speed, as he got by the D he came in and deked out Bobrovsky and slid it five-hole.

Avalanche Misplay of the Game - No play in particular, Jamie McGinn gets it for his several good chances that he missed. He can't seem to catch a break and get a goal so far, but he will find his game and he had a great fight in the 1st after a huge him on Anisimov.

Game #4 - The Avs head out on a season long 4-game road trip and play vs. the San Jose Sharks on Saturday afternoon (@4pm)

Here is a picture of John Mitchell post-game, what a warrior he was tonight and he has the scars to prove it. What a big goal he scored after returning from injury, Mitchell has been a great signing thus far. 

-Joel Forman - Colorado Avalanche News

Downie Out for Season, O'Reilly Notes

The Avalanche face the Blue Jackets at home tonight, and they do so after hearing 2 separate pieces of news that will definitely impact the team. The Avs suffered a massive blow on Tuesday night; forward and tough-guy Steve Downie tore his ACL on an akward hit in the Avs 3-1 win over the LA Kings and will miss the rest of the season. Tough, tough break for the Avs just 2 games into this shortened season, and they will need some of their other role players (Mitchell, McLeod, Olver and Kobasew) to make up for the game that Downie brings. The fact is that none of those guys can match the physical side of Downie; he is so good at pissing off opponents and laying the body at the appropriate time, and the bad part is he got injured throwing his own hit. I really like the play of John Mitchell so far, I hope he continues to play well because the Avs need him to step up without Downie.

Onto the 2nd piece of news, and that is unsigned C Ryan O'Reilly; he terminated his contract in the KHL and is coming back to North America. However, he still is unsigned, and at this point in the season the Avs really need him back. The details of their contract negotiations have been shady, and we all have sat back and patiently watched them do nothing. It is ridiculous, of all the Avs players unsigned after last summer I thought no-brainer O'Reilly would be the first to sign. This guy was amazing last year, and he is getting better every game he plays. He is already one of the top defensive forwards in his game, and is coming off a career year where he scored 18 goals and 37 assists to lead the Avs with 55 points. It isn't even the offence that the Avs are missing, it is his defensive qualities that they desperately need. O'Reilly is a complete 200-foot player as they would refer in hockey terms, he isn't the most talented guy on the ice but he will compete about as hard as any player in the league. His work ethic is outstanding, always the first guy on the ice and the last to leave it in practice. It is up to GM Greg Sherman to sign him quickly now that he is officially done in the KHL, however the games keep ticking away of this shortened 48-game season and they need #37 back ASAP.

-Joel Forman - Colorado Avalanche News

Game #2 - Colorado 3, Los Angeles 1

The Avs played their best hockey of the early season in the 3rd period, rallying for 3 goals to take the 3-1 win. The Avs couldn't get anything going through 40 minutes, and a bad goal by LA off a rebound had the Kings up 1-0 after 2 periods. Jon Quick was playing well in net, but the Avs weren't getting great chances and really didn't control the pace of the game. That all changed in the 3rd, right from the 1st shift the Avs showed intensity and grit and started pushing back. The Landeskog-Duchene-Parenteau line was very effective all night, especially in the 3rd as they had a long offensive shift leading to the Landeskog tying goal. From then the Avs seized the momentum, and after a Jones PP goal on a lucky bounce off the boards they took the first lead of the game. After another strong shift from the Duchene line, Parenteau converted a pass right infront from Erik Johnson for his 1st as an Avalanche. The Avs shut them down the rest of the way, with Varlamov making 28 saves on 29 shots for his 1st victory of the season. The Avs outshot the Kings 31-29 (12-7 in the 3rd), won 31 of 60 faceoffs, out-hit the Kings 26-20 and most impressively had 24 blocked shots to the Kings 8. I thought that the avs entire 6-man D-unit played strong defensively, letting Varlamov see the puck and clearing the space around him. I like what Greg Zanon has brought to the team, hes really strong in his own end. The only change I would make is putting Shane O'Brien in for Barrie, Barrie is good offensively but is too small and the Kings goal showed that. Overall a great 3rd period from the Avs, they didn't play well through 40 minutes but really deserved the game after dominating the 3rd with 3 goals.

Three Stars:
3. Matt Duchene - I thought he had a really solid game offensively and even better game defensively. He has not been known for his defensive skills early in his career, however he is playing 1st line PK with Landeskog and the two were extremely effective in killing 6/6 penalties. Duchene had an assist on Landeskog's goal, and his line was +2 with Landeskog and Parenteau scoring their 1st of the season respectively
2. Semyon Varlamov - Varlamov was really strong tonight, he looked steady and consistent all night. The only goal was not his fault, bad play by Barrie leaving Clifford wide open off the rush. Varlamov made 28 saves on 29 shots, and gave the Avs a chance to come back in the 3rd and they rewarded him
1. Gabriel Landeskog - He had such a good game, and you can see him maturing as a player and captain every time he steps on the ice. His goal was huge tonight, after a great shift by him Dutchy and PA he got the Avs rolling in the 3rd. I felt him and Duchene were extremely strong on the PK for the 2nd straight game, and I hope Sacco keeps this combination for the future. Great game by Captain Landy

Avalanche Play of the Game - PA Parenteau's first goal in an Avalanche sweater, you could see how excited he was and how equally excited his teammates were for him. I thought him-Duchene-Landeskog were very effective tonight, and PA continues to build chemistry with his new teammates.

Avalanche Misplay of the Game - Tyson Barrie's giveaway for the only Kings goal, as he gave the puck away and got burned on the back-check by Clifford.

Game #3 - The Avs will play next at home vs. the Columbus Blue Jackets on Thursday night (@9pm)

Here is Avalanche Captain Gabriel Landeskog pre-game receiving his Calder Memorial Trophy as the NHL's top rookie from last season

-Joel Forman - Colorado Avalanche News

Game #1 - Minnesota 4, Colorado 2

The first game of the season started out really good for the Avs, they pushed the pace of the game and outshot the Wild 12-5. Johnny Mitchell scored his 1st of his Avs career to put the Avs up 1-0, and they headed into the intermission with that score. However, the 2nd was simply an awful period for the Avs. They ran into this pattern last year, start how and then fall flat in the 2nd, and that's exactly what happened tonight. Minnesota got goals from Heatley, Granlund (1st career goal) and then Heatley again to put the Wild up 3-1. The avs were able to answer in the 3rd with a rebound goal my Cody McLeod, but they would come no further as Pierre-Marc Bouchard iced it with under 2 minutes left to make it 4-2. Seconds earlier, Steve Downie missed a wide open net that would've tied it, tough break for the Avs. The Avs played good at times and awful at times, but overall inconsistent. Shane  O'Brien was scratched for the game, and he was missed the Avs need him out there. They also need to desperately sign O'Reilly, they need him for his offence and defence badly. Overall not a horrible first game, but not the best and the Avs will need much more from Parenteau-Duchene-Landeskog to be successful this season.

Three Stars:
3. John Mitchell - Mitchell had his 1st goal in an Avs sweater, and looked pretty good out there. He was skating well and making good plays, a good thing to see for the future
2. Zach Parise - 2 assists in his 1st game as a Wild player, he looked really sharp out there with Heatley and Koivu
1. Dany Heatley - Was the best player on the ice, Heatley had 2 goals and definitely could have had atleast 1 more

Avalanche Misplay of the Game - Steve Downie/Paul Stastny both missing open nets really cost the Avs tonight, Stastny's in the 1st and Downie's in the 3rd.

Avalanche Play of the Game - John Mitchell's 1st goal as an Av, not pretty but it counts

Game #2 - The Avs head home for their home opener vs. the defending Cup Champ LA Kings on Tuesday night (@9pm)

-Joel Forman - Colorado Avalanche News

Colorado Avalanche Projected Lines Part 2 - Goaltending and Defence

After looking at the potential forward lineup for the 2012-2013 Colorado Avalanche, I will now shift my focus to the defensive side of the game; the goaltending and defence. Colorado is looking at a very similar group from last year, with the addition of stay-at-home Greg Zanon the only difference. I will first look at the goalies:

 

Semyon Varlamov and J.S Giguere

 

Coach Sacco has already stated this will be the tandem all season long (barring any injuries). He really expressed the two similar but different positions that each player holds as a goaltender for this team, as he noted Varlamov as the young starter and Giguere in the veteran leadership role that is also capable of picking up for a Varlamov if he struggles. Avs goaltending prospects Calvin Pickard, Sami Aittokallio and Kent Patterson will all have to wait their turns respectively, as Coach Sacco didn't invite any to the shortened training camp because he is set on Varlamov and Giguere. Now looking at the potential D pairing and 7th/8th D for the avs:

 

Pair #1 Erik Johnson and Shane O'Brien

 

O'Brien really impressed me last season, as a guy who has had trouble sticking with an NHL team he really came into Colorado last season and emerged as one of this teams' vocal leaders. You can see he is an emotional guy on the ice, he never shys away from a hit or sticking up for his teammates. However, being paired with EJ last season developed a huge step in his offensive game as he jumped up into the play more often and had his 2nd best statistical year of his career(3 goals and 17 assists). Johnson is coming off a mediocre first full year in Colorado, and really has to get it going if he wants to be Colorado's anchor of the D. He is capable of being a top-caliber NHL D, but he needs to be consistent and show that he can put up points. Look for this duo to get a lot of minutes early in the season if they play well.

 

Pair #2 Ryan Wilson and Greg Zanon

 

Two very underestimated D, as Wilson is both physical and has some offense to his game while Zanon is pure defensive. Zanon will be a huge boost to the avs PK this season, as he is a shot-blocking machine. He will not provide anything in terms of offense (similar to O'Byrne) but is a real solid stay-at-home D that will log good minutes for the avs this season. Wilson, like EJ, needs to find some consistency to his game and he will definitely get a chance to this season

 

Pair #3 Ryan O'Byrne and Jan Hejda

 

You would think that the Avs need Elliot in here for offense, but Joe Sacco was keen on improving the D and the Zanon signing shows that. O'Byne and Hejda are both 2 defensive guys, neither will wow you with skill or speed (as both are rather slow) but they will be important PK guys along with Zanon. If either struggles, look for Elliot/Hunwick to take their spot.

 

7th/8th bench D Stefan Elliot and Matt Hunwick

 

The avs have depth at D, and it will benefit them if any current D gets hurt. This situation is not in favour for both youngsters Elliot and Barrie, as the avs have 7 NHL D with the 6 I listed and Hunwick. Hunwicks play last season certainly gets him on this roster, although he will have trouble fighting for a top 6 spot. Between Elliot and Barrie, if the avs keep 8 D and not 7, the avs take the more experienced and I think better Stefan Elliot.

 

So the D and Goalie Situation looks as follows:

 

Johnson-O'Brien

Wilson-Zanon

Hejda-O'Byrne

  Hunwick

  Elliot

 Varlamov

 Giguere

 

Avs training camp continues with day 2 on Monday, still no word on Ryan O'Reilly which is really dissapointing that the avs haven't been able to reach a deal yet. We are 5 days away from the NHL season to begin, I AM BEYOND EXCITED. GO AVS GO

 

-Joel Forman - Colorado Avalanche News

Colorado Avalanche Projected Lines Part 1 - Forwards

With the end of the lockout, I know have time to look at what the potential 2012-2013 (specifically 2013 cause of the stupid lockout) Colorado Avalanche Roster is. I will look at the forwards, defenceman and goaltenders separately and explain what combinations/lines and why. Starting with the forwards:

Line #1 LW: Gabriel Landeskog C: Matt Duchene RW: PA Parenteau

Duchene moves back into his role as the #1 C, and having Landeskog and Parenteau on his wing is really going to benefit him. The line will have a lot of talent, as Landeskog does pretty much everything at both ends while Duchene and Parenteau excel offensively. Duchene and Landeskog will benefit from the play-making ability of Parenteau, and if this is indeed the top line look for a lot of production.

Line #2 LW: Jamie McGinn C: Ryan O'Reilly RW Steve Downie

This has the potential to be a 2nd or 3rd line, but I see this line becoming one of the leagues toughest to play against. O'Reilly is already turning into one of the games best defensive forwards, and pending his contract issues he will look to build on his solid play last year. McGinn and Downie were both acquired at the trade deadline, and made immediate impacts last season. Downie had 13 points in 20 games, including 10 in his first 7 games as an av. McGinn played 17 games for the avs, scoring 8 goals and 13 points in that time. Both guys provided an offensive spark, but also are physical forwards and this line can have that nasty edge thats tough to play (especially Downie)

Line #3 LW David Jones C Paul Stastny RW Milan Hejduk

This is the 3rd/2nd line however you look at it, just is more offensive-minded then the O'Reilly line. All 3 players have skill, but have struggled the past few seasons behind the younger forwards emerging (Landeskog Duchene O'Reilly). Look for this line to contribute when on, but struggle at times as well.

Line #4 LW Cody McLeod C John Mitchell RW Olver

Very standard 4th line, McLeod hits and fights, Olver is all hustle, and Mitchell is new to the team and is a good utility forward to replace McClement.

13th Forward: Michael Sgarbossa - the young forward acquired from the Sharks is playing well in his first pro season, with 13 goals and 28 points in 34 games with the avs AHL affiliate the Lake Erie Monsters. Chuck Kobasew/Mike Connolly/Brad Malone just miss the cut

-Joel Forman - Colorado Avalanche News

HOCKEY IS BACK

What a glorious day it is for hockey fans, The NHL and NHLPA have agreed in principle on a new CBA contract. It has been a long and dreadful 4 months of the lockout, and hockey fans have endured enough. The way I see it, there are two types of reactions people have to this news: The "true" hockey fans who will watch the game no matter what, and the Negative Nancy's who only look at the negatives. To start off, I have to state that I think the NHL and NHLPA have been fighting pointlessly this entire lockout. While there are so many reasons to hate on the NHL, I love the game of hockey too much not to be excited. For months I just didn't understand what had happened to our sport, it has become all about money and so much less about the game we love and play. Now that hockey is on the verge of coming back, we must simply embrace the positive nature of hockey coming back rather than look at all the reasons this season is "flawed" or "ridiculous."

Colorado Avalanche:
The most exciting thing about the lockout coming to a close is that I finally get to see the Avs play again, I think that last season they were on the verge of becoming a playoff team again and this year will be really positive for several reasons:

Reason #1 - Number 92

Lost in the hype of the lockout months ago, the Avs named their youngest player Gabriel Landeskog the captain, becoming the youngest captain in NHL history. Landeskog was phenomenal last season, taking home the Calder Tropy as NHL's top rookie. However, I don't think anyone saw him getting the C this early; he was known as a great leader, and potential future captain of the Avs, but his impact in his 1st season was obvious from the 1st game. He has all the great leadership qualities at such a young age, and im sure every Avs fan agrees with me when saying that he has an extremely bright future ahead

Reason #2 - Depth at forward

The Avs went out and made a big acquisition on July 1st, signing winger PA Parenteau to a 4 year 16-million dollar contract. Parenteau is coming off 2 extremely strong years in New York, having played on a line with Johnny Tavares for most of it. The avs also made two big trades at the deadline last year, acquiring forwards Jamie McGinn and Steve Downie to give the avs some grit and scoring help. With those 3 plus the Avs core (Duchene Landeskog O'Reilly Stastny Hejduk Jones) the Avs are looking at a very solid top 9, one that could give opposing defences a very tough time.

Reason #3 - Goaltending

The Avs goaltending situation was challenging at times last year, both Varlamov and Giguere played very well for certain stretches but also very inconsistent for others. Varlamov started the season very hot, then he was replaced by Giguere for a month or so until he regained his form post trade-deadline and really looked sharp. Varlamov is still very young, and I believe that he will be a great goalie for the Avs this season. Giguere is there for leadership more than anything, but if the situation arises like last year expect Giguere to be ready to share the load as much as possible.

One of the best days in a long, long time. Hockey is back, Go Avs Go

-Joel Forman - Colorado Avalanche News