Game #18 - San Jose 3, Colorado 2 (SO)

Despite the Sharks vastly outplaying the Avs and the absence of recently injured Matt Duchene, the Avs found themselves down a goal late in the 3rd and pressed for the tying goal. With a phenomenal game from Semyon Varlamov, the Avs were able to tie it late and withstand a late PK in regulation and the start of OT, and they ended up losing in a shootout while still gaining a point. Varlamov stole the game tonight, he made 39 saves on 41 shots and really kept the Avs in it. The Sharks opened the scoring just 25 seconds in, with Matt Hunwick turning the puck over to Joe Thornton he quickly fed Logan Couture who buried it high over Varlamov's glove. Not exactly the best start, but the Avs really responded well tied the game just over halfway through the period. Jan Hejda through the puck on net, and Kobasew got a few whacks at it before slipping it past Niemi. Enforcer Patrick Bordeleau earned his 1st point of his NHL career, a great game for the Avs 4th line. The Sharks continue to pepper Varlamov with shots, and early in the 2nd former Av TJ Galiardi tipped in a pass for the 2-1 lead. The Avs were outshot 30-17 in the first 2 periods, but Varlamov really kept them in the game. The 3rd was a much better period for the Avs, and both teams traded good chances. Late in the 3rd, Hejda pinched in and stole the puck, as he fired it to the net Marc Olver tipped it past Niemi so quickly it was waived off. After a review, it was deemed a good goal and a huge one for the Avs. The Sharks would get a late PP, their 5th of the game, but Varlamov kept them in it to force OT. In OT, the Avs killed off the penalty thanks again to Varlamov, who made a fantastic glove save on Joe Thornton to keep the game alive. After OT solved nothing, Handzus and Parenteau scored shootout goals of the first 3 shooters. Marleau would score and John Mitchell missed, the Sharks walk away with the extra point but I can't complain about this game. In the absence of Matt Duchene, Stastny and Mitchell really pick up their game, especially on faceoffs where Duchene has been so good (Mitchell went 17-26 and Stastny 13-28). On D, I thought Hejda O'Brien and Barrie all had strong games, not so much Zanon and O'Byrne. Another big positive in this game was the penalty killing, which killed 5/5 Sharks Powerplays including one late in regulation and OT (The Sharks burned the Avs for 3 PP goals last meeting). The stats were: Sharks outshot the Avs 41-27, Avs won 35 of 68 faceoffs, Avs had 22 blocked shots compared to 12 for the Sharks, and lastly the Avs outhit the Sharks a whopping 36-18, with John Mitchell having a game high 7. There was no bad blood over the Landeskog-Stuart play, but a few Avs plays (Mitchell in particular) threw some nice hits on him, as well as Landeskog had a big hit on Pavelski. Overall still another tough loss, but considering the circumstances of missing Matt Duchene (hopefully hes back asap) a big point earned by Varlamov and the Avs.

Three Stars:
3. Joe Thornton - Thornton was all over the ice tonight, I admire how good he is and he shows it on a regular basis. Thornton set up the first goal, and played 22:44 of icetime. He might have been the 1st star if he scored in OT, but Varlamov robbed him with the glove
2. John Mitchell - No points for the Avs forward, but in Duchene's absence I thought he had one of his best games. Mitchell had a game high 7 hits, including one on Brad Stuart and another big one at the end of the 2nd. Mitchell missed in the shootout to seal it, but he played 22:41 and was the hardest working Av on the ice
1. Semyon Varlamov - The only reason the Avs were in this game in the first place, Varlamov weathered the Shark storm all night and really played phenomenal. He was making routine saves, acrobatic saves, breakaway saves and huge glove saves. The highlight of the game was definitely his glove save on Thornton in OT, and his 39 saves on 41 shots earned him 1st star

Avalanche Misplay of the Game - Hunwick's turnover on the first goal, another early goal against the Avs and a slow start

Avalanche Play of the Game - Varlamov's save in OT gets it tonight, what a glove save by Semyon just oustanding!

Game #19 - The Avs head home after a tough 3-game road trip, where they meet the division rival Calgary Flames on Thursday night (@9pm)

-Joel Forman - Colorado Avalanche News

Game #17 - Anaheim 4, Colorado 3 (OT)

I have watched a lot of hockey games in my life, I am 21 years old and have been watching hockey for as long as I can remember (over 15 years for sure), and I don't think I've ever witnessed reffing that bad. That was BY FAR the worst reffed game I have ever witnessed, I am completely sick to my stomach and just can't express how angry I am. There are many reasons to blame refs, usually its just an angry fan complaining about a bad penalty call or something, but this game was beyond ridiculous. The refs screwed the Avs tonight, 3 of the Ducks 4 goals were off of calls/non calls that the refs made. The Avs were in control of the game after 1 period, getting goals from McLeod and Parenteau in a dominant 1st period. Things completely changed in the 2nd, as the Ducks cut the lead to 2-1 after a horrendous non-call. Corey Perry slashed Greg Zanon's stick out of his hand, a clear penalty, and proceeded to tip in the puck seconds later as Zanon couldn't defend without a stick. This was a huge momentum change for the Ducks, as Selanne scored minutes later on the PP to tie it at 2-2. The Avs would take the lead a minute later, with John Mitchell fooling Hiller with a long wrist shot. The Perry play was bad, but it wasn't even the worst play in the period: Luca Sbisa rammed Cody McLeod from behind, a clear boarding/hit from behind/whatever you want to call it, and the ref stood there like a moron and didn't call anything. The Avs lead going into the 3rd, but played so bad and only mustered 1 shot in the period (in the 1st minute). The Avs have a history of clinging to a lead and stop play offence, a coaching strategy by Sacco that is just so bad. The Ducks would tie it on the PP, after a terrible call on Landeskog Getzlaf would score seconds into the PP. The game would go to overtime, with a few good chances back-and-forth but nothing happening. Then, just like the rest of this terrible game, the refs made another terrible penalty call sending off O'Byrne for "hooking." Not only was it not a penalty, but it was in the final minute of OT, just a brutal call in every respect. The Ducks would put the game away in OT, as Perry tipped another Getzlaf goal past his former goalie J.S Giguere. Giguere was solid in net, as the Ducks outshot the Avs 39-23, and you can't blame him for the terrible reffing. After this game the Fire Sacco campaign has certainly taken another level, I hate his coaching strategy especially when the Avs are leading. The Sabres just fired Lindy Ruff, I pray that Avs fire Sacco and hire Ruff before someone else hires him. I can't express how angry I am at the refs, there is a difference between making one bad call and what they did tonight, and simply put I think it was the worst reffed game I have ever seen. If I had the choice, I would fire each of the refs and never let them in an NHL game again, because you can't make that many bad calls all against one team. I understand I may sound a little angry and ridiculous, and I usually don't complain about refs, but that was brutal and cost the Avs a point. Referees Kevin Pollock and Rob Martell, Linesmen Steve Miller and Vaughan Rody, you all should be ashamed of yourself that was the single worst reffed game I have ever seen. Period.

Three Stars:
3. Francois Beauchemin - 4 assists for the NHL leader in +/-
2. Ryan Getzlaf - 1 goal and 2 assists for Captain Getzlaf, despite how angry I am about the refs I can't help but admire Getzlaf and Perry, 2 of my favourite non-Avs
1. Corey Perry - 2 goals and an assist for the former MVP, including the game-winning goal

Misplay of the Game - I usually call this "Avalanche Misplay of the Game", however it was all the refs tonight. The worst reffed game I have ever witnessed, just so brutal on several different plays. Referees Kevin Pollock and Rob Martell, Linesmen Steve Miller and Vaughan Rody, you all should be ashamed of yourself

Avalanche Play of the Game - No single play was that good today, the Avs were pretty brutal outside of the first period. Newcomers PA Parenteau and John Mitchell both with goals, gets it tonight

Game #18 - The Avs finish up this terrible road trip with a game vs. the San Jose Sharks, where they will be looking for some revenge on Brad Stuart after he hurt Landeskog. The game is on Tuesday night (@1030pm)

-Joel Forman - Colorado Avalanche News

Game #16 - Los Angeles 4, Colorado 1

An awful game from start to finish, worst game of the season by far for the Avs. LA scored in the opening minute, and controlled the pace of the game from then on. One of the worst defensive showings in a long time, all 6 Avs D were just brutal and no better on forward. Milan Hejduk got the lone Avs goal on a 4-on-3 PP, from Parenteau and Landeskog. The Kings goals were scored by Brown, Carter, Lewis and Kopitar (the Lewis one was so ugly). The lone bright spot for the Avs was the return of captain Gabriel Landeskog, who was by far the best Av on the ice. Landeskog looked like his normal self, recoring an assist, 2 shots, 4 hits in just over 19 minutes of icetime. The Duchene-Parenteau-McGinn line was simply awful, by far Matt Duchene's worse game, they were all -3. Jon Quick was quiet, but very effective, making 23 saves on 24 shots.

Three Stars:
3. Gabriel Landeskog - Despite the loss, the return of Landeskog was a very positive thing for the Avs. Their captain had a strong game with a point and 4 hits in just over 19 minutes of icetime
2. Jon Quick - Quick was his simple reliable self, and he was strong when counted up. He made 23 saves for the victory
1. Anze Kopitar - Kopitar set up the Brown goal and scored one himself for 2 points, I thought he was the best player on the ice (along with Jeff Carter)

Avalanche Misplay of the Game - The 3rd goal was absolutely horrendous, and a real back-breaker after the Avs had made it 2-1 minutes earlier. Tyson Barrie made an awful read at the point, trying to one-hand it to keep it in and coughing up a 2-on-1 on the PP. Lewis then fired a very weak shot through Varlamov's five-hole, as Varly was cheating badly. Just an awful play from both Barrie (who was -3) and Varlamov combined gets it tonight

Avalanche Play of the Game - The lone highlight, Hejduk's goal set up nicely by Parenteau and Landeskog

Game #17 - The Avs continue their 3-game California road trip, as they meet the Anaheim Ducks on Sunday (@8pm)

-Joel Forman - Colorado Avalanche News

Game #15 - Colorado 1, St. Louis 0 (OT)

Avs players celebrate with David Jones after his OT goal sends the Avs to a 1-0 win

Avs goalie Semyon Varlamov makes a glove save; Varly was perfect making 33 saves for his 2nd shutout of the season

NBC featured tonight as rivalry night (with back-to-back games), as the Penguins and Flyers squared off at 7 in a crazy 11-goal game that saw the Flyers win it 6-5. The second game was the Blues and Avs, and this was about the exact opposite game with two goaltenders playing phenomenal and not allowing any goals. It was Semyon Varlamv vs. Jaroslav Halak, as both teams tried all night to score but couldn't beat each team's goalie. However, the Blues were the better team in the first 2 periods as they outshot the Avs 9-2 in the 1st and 15-8 in the 2nd, and if it weren't for Varlamov this game could have easily been 2 or 3-0 for the Blues. The Avs picked up their game in the 3rd, really pushing back and creating several good chances, however they couldn't beat Jaroslav Halak as well. The highlight of the period was Marc Olver's hit on rookie phenom Vladimir Tarasenko, as he leveled the young Russian with a clean hit and Tarasenko would leave them game and not return (here is the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HlK0ImxJj3E). The 3rd period ended with some frantic moments as each team had late chances, including David Backes shooting it just wide with under 10 seconds left. In overtime the teams traded chances, but it seemed the Avs were the hungrier team as their D were very active in the play (in particular Hunwick and Barrie). With under a minute remaining Matt Hunwick collected the puck, chipped it by former Av Chris Stewart (who was all over the place tonight) and rushed it down the ice. He dropped for David Jones, who fired a high shot past Halak for the OT winner and big 2 points for the Avs. Jones was in Sacco's doghouse the last few games with his lackluster play, but he had some jump tonight and ended it with a clutch OT goal. I thought that despite the lack of offence the Avs played very solid defensively, especially after Patrick Berglund ran into Varlamov late in the 3rd the Avs D really looked angry and fired up from that point on. The game was not all positive, as the Avs lost veteran Milan Hejduk to a torso injury and he didn't return. Former Avs Kevin Shattenkirk and Chris Stewart both had big impacts in this game, in particular Stewy who was all over the net and had several chances to score. I thought that the pairing of Barrie and Hejda was great tonight, as well as Matt Hunwick was skating really well (in particular in OT). Seymon Varlamov was simply fantastic, making 33 saves for his 2nd shutout of the season and really stealing a big 2 points for the Avs. The stats were as follows: 33-20 shots for the Blues, Blues won 30 of 57 faceoffs, Avs outhit them 20-17 and had 22 blocked shots to the Blues 17 (the beard of Zanon with 6 big ones). Matt Duchene's 4 game goal and point streak were snapped tonight, but I thought he was great defensively playing 23:25 minutes of icetime (2nd behind Hunwick). Overall not the prettiest game, but a very important 2 points for an Avs team expecting the return of Captain Gabriel Landeskog very shortly.

Three Stars:
3. Matt Hunwick - Hunwick seems to be a very hot/cold player for the Avs, tonight he made a few bad turnovers but was the Avs best D in the 3rd and in OT. Hunwick's great breakout speed set up the OT goal, and he logged a team high 24:18 of icetime for the Avs
2. Jaroslav Halak - Although Halak was not tested that much through 40 minutes, the Avs really picked up the pace in the 3rd and Halak made several good saves including one on Duchene and 3 on Parenteau. Halak made 19 saves on 20 shots, letting in only the Jones OT goal
1. Semyon Varlamov - He was outstanding tonight, making 33-saves for his 2nd shutout of the season and really was the main reason the Avs won this game. Varly weathered the storm in the first two periods, as the Avs played poorly but he kept them in it. He was the best player on the ice for either team, and made some very crucial saves down the stretch to secure the 2 points

Avalanche Play of the Game - The Jones OT goal gets it, the only goal in this game was a huge one. As Matt Hunwick went end to end he made a nifty drop pass for Jones who beat Halak high glove, sending the Avs to a 1-0 victory. Olver's hit on Tarasenko is a close 2nd, just a great, clean hit by Olver

Avalanche Misplay of the Game - A sequence in the 2nd period featured Hunwick and Barrie with some awful passing back-and-forth, luckily nothing came from it, but that combined with several bad passes by Greg Zanon gets it tonight

Game #16 - The Avs head on a 3-game road trip at .500, and with the knowledge that Captain Gabriel Landeskog is very close to returning. It starts with a day game on Saturday in Los Angeles vs. the streaking Kings (@4pm)

Avs forward Marc Olver levels rookie Vladamir Tarasenko; Tarasenko would leave and not return

-Joel Forman - Colorado Avalanche News

Game #14 - Colorado 6, Nashville 5

Avalanche forwards Matt Duchene and PA Parenteau celebrate with Avs defenceman Tyson Barrie after scoring his 1st NHL goal

After Saturday's heartbreaking loss, the Avs responded with another flurry of goals to beat the Nashville Predators 6-5. The Avs, one of the lowest scoring teams in the NHL, have now scored 10 goals in their last 2 games. This game was not the best defensively, and a tough one for Chris Mason/Semyon Varlamov in net. The Avs opened the scoring as Aaron Palushaj got a lucky bounce of Chris Mason's leg, and doubled their lead on the PP as Tyson Barrie scored his 1st NHL goal. The Preds would get one late in the period, as Sergei Kostitsyn scored a PP goal of his own. The 2nd period was one of the wildest periods of hockey this season, with 7 goals including 3 in 29 seconds. Matt Duchene would restore the 3-1 lead as he came in all alone and roofed it over Mason, but not without controversy as he was about 5 feet offside and the ref missed it. The Preds would cut it to 3-2 as Mike Fisher tipped a Shea Weber blast past Varly, but that didn't last as Chuck Kobasew scored 50 seconds later to make it 4-2. The Preds would cut it to 4-3 as Colin Wilson beat Varlamov, but the Avs would storm back with 2 quick goals including Stastny 16 seconds later and McGinn 13 seconds after that (3 goals in 29 seconds) to make it 6-3. The Preds would get another late goal, as Jon Blum scored off Hejda's skate to make it 6-4. The crazy pace of the 2nd period would come to a halt in the 3rd, as both teams locked down defensively and Varlamv-Rinne played well (Rinne replaced Mason after allowing 6 goals on only 18 shots). The Preds would get a late goal from Shea Weber, but Varly shut the door in the final minute and the Avs walked away with 2 big points. Once again Matt Duchene was the best player on the ice, physically and on the score sheet. I thought that defensively the Avs playd poorly, but the one bright spot was Tyson Barrie scoring his 1st NHL game and really playing a strong game overall with over 22 minutes of icetime. I thought today was Paul Stastny's best game, him Jones and Palushaj were great on the forecheck and really provided a spark for the Avs. Stastny and Duchene were great on the 1st unit of the PK all game, as they killed off 4/5 Nashville PPs. The stats were as follows: 38-28 shots for Nashville, Avs won 39 of 68 faceoffs, Avs outhit them 25-16, and the biggest category in my opinion was shot-blocking (27-9 for the Avs, including 5 for Zanon and 2 that saved goals). Overall not the best game defensively for either teams, but a very exciting game and big W for the Avs

Three Stars:
3. Shea Weber - Weber had a goal and an assist, and played 25:32 of icetime in a great game
2. Aaron Palushaj - The newly acquired winger scored his 2nd goal of the season and added 2 assists for 3 points. Palushaj has really provided a spark for the injury-riddled Avs, especially in terms of sparking his linemates David Jones and Paul Stastny
1. Matt Duchene - Once again the best player on the ice, for either teams, and I probably sound like a broken record player because he has been the best Av on the ice every single game. Duchene had a goal and 2 assists in 22:12 of icetime, won 19 of 30 faceoffs, was +2 with 2 shots, 1 blocked shots and season-high 6 hits. Duchene now has goals in 4 straight games, and is riding a 4 game point streak (with 4 goals and 4 assists in that stretch)

Avalanche Play of the Game - Matt Duchene gets it today for his hustle on Jamie McGinn's goal, as he chased down Weber and completely threw him off the puck, stealing it from Shea and feeding McGinn who roofed it over Rinne for what would be the Avs 6th goal and eventual GWG. Duchene had several instances showing his strength today, but this was the best by far muscling a much bigger and stronger Shea Weber off the puck

Avalanche Misplay of the Game - Combination of Greg Zanon and Stefan Elliot gets it today, no particular play but they were caught in their own zone for several long shifts and really played a terrible game. Zanon was big on the PK, with 5 blocked shots including 2 that saved empty-nets

Game #15 - The Avs continue their 2-game home-stand with a game against the streaking St. Louis Blues on Wednesday night (@10pm)

Avs forward Jamie McGinn celebrates his 2nd period goal with PA Parenteau, as it would turn out to be the game winning goal

-Joel Forman - Colorado Avalanche News

Game #13 - Edmonton 6, Colorado 4

I am sick to my stomach, I really don't have a lot to say about this game. The Avs had a 4-1 lead despite being heavily outshot and looked to be cruising to a win. The Oilers scored 2 late in the 2nd, and it was all them from there scoring 5 unanswered goals to win 6-4. Awful defensive game, from every Avalanche D (Barrie turnover on the 3rd goal, Hejda on the 4th and Hejda/O'Byrne on the 5th). The Avs played well on offense, but after Edmonton pulled Dubnyk they couldn't beat Khabbibulin including a few chances late in the period that Duchene and Parenteau couldn't capitalize on. Simply put awful game for the Avs, despite scoring 4 goals they were outshot 55-29 and had no business in this game except for the play of Duchene and Varlamov. Tough to take in these loses, despite how bad they played they had a 4-1 lead and looked to be taking 2 points. Even tougher to give up 3 goals in the 3rd, several bad defensive plays cost them (really missing Erik Johnson on D). Regardless of the injury just an unacceptable game from the Avs, I'm starting to get really frustrated with Joe Sacco's coaching choices especially in the 3rd period (Fire Sacco?).

Three Stars:
3. Matt Duchene - Duchene had a breakaway goal and had 2 assists for 3 points, and was the best player on the ice for the Avs once again
2. Ales Hemsky - The Oiler winger had 2 goals including a nifty inside out move on Shane O'Brien and Varlamov
1. Jordan Eberle - Eberle had the tying goal, empty net goal and an assist for 3 points
Honourable mention to Varlamov, despite allowing 5 goals he made 50 saves and really was the reason the Avs were in the game to begin with.

Avalanche Misplay of the Game - the 3rd Oiler goal no question, awful turnover by Barrie and Hemsky undresses O'Brien and Varlamov as he caught O'Brien standing still. Just an awful defensive play, Barrie needs to stop making these mistakes

Game #14 - The Avs head home to play the Nashville Predators on Monday afternoon (@3pm)

-Joel Forman - Colorado Avalanche News

Game #12 - Colorado 4, Minnesota 3 (SO)

Avalanche players Paul Stastny, Aaron Palushaj and David Jones celebrate with Matt Duchene after scoring the shootout winning goal

I missed the first two periods of this game but got back in time for the third, however I just watched the full game highlights so I have a good sense of this game. It has occured to me over the past 2 years that while Giguere is in net the Avs play with more intensity, something that starts from J.S himself; you can see how passionate he is on the ice. The Avs battled through some adversity tonight, trailing 3-2 in the 3rd and playing with a major injury-depleted roster (Landeskog, Downie, Wilson, Johnson, O'Reilly all hurt/out of the lineup) the line of Duchene-Parenteau-McGinn caried them once again. In particular it was the Matt Duchene show tonight (what else is new?), simply put we are seeing a new player this season and regardless of the Avs mediocre start he one of few positives. The Duchene of his 1st 3 seasons always had the skill factor, but he lacked that complete game and often times disappeared later in games. This is not the case anymore, Duchene is simply stronger and faster than ever before and it seems his postseason workout has completely changed his mentality on the ice. Onto the game, Aaron Palushaj opened the scoring in the 2nd with his 1st goal as an Av after a nifty Paul Stastny pass sent him and Jones on a 2-on-1. The Wild responded minutes later, as Zach Parise converted on wrap-around to beat Giguere and tie the game. The Avs would take the lead late in the 3rd, as the birthday boy Milan Hejduk (37 years old) converted on a rebound on the PP to put the Avs up 2-1 after 2. The Wild would go on to tie the game minutes in the 3rd, as newly acquired Mike Rupp banged home a rebound. However, a fiery Giguere was extremely upset at this goal as the replay clearly shows Rupp pushing Giguere's leg into the net with the puck, certainly in my eyes it was goaltender interference. The Wild would then take the lead on a turnover right infront of the Avs net, as Koivu buried the rebound to put the Wild ahead. However, the Duchene line responded with a long shift in the offensive zone and a Matt Duchene rebound bounced off Jared Spurgeon into his own net to tie the game. The Avs would get a late PP  and it caried into OT, Niklas Backstrom made a huge save on Parenteau and no one scored in OT. Hejduk and Duchene would score in the shootout, with Parise and Koivu both being stopped by Giguere. Huge two points for a team with big injuries.

Three Stars:
3. Milan Hejduk - He had a goal and a goal in the shootout, all on his 37th birthday
2. Zach Parise - Parise was all over the ice tonight, with a goal and +2 taking 9 shots on net
1. Matt Duchene - Once again the best player on the ice, he really is starting to take this team on his back with all the injuries. Duchene scored the big tying goal minutes after the Wild took the lead, and got the winner in the shootout with a perfect shot

Avalanche Play of the Game - Aaron Palushaj's goal gets it tonight, it was his 1st in an Avs sweater and really a nice tick-tack-toe passing play started by Stastny

Avalanche Misplay of the Game - Matt Hunwick's lazy turnover leading to the 2nd Wild goal, he needs to be stronger near the net

Game #13 - The Avs head to Edmonton to play their 3rd game of the season against the Oilers on Saturday night (10pm)

-Joel Forman - Colorado Avalanche News

Game #11 Phoenix 3, Colorado 2 (OT)

I was in Toronto seeing the Leafs/Flyers game last night, so I missed much of the Avs game. I saw the last 5 minutes of the 3rd and OT, so I know that the Avs got 1 point. A horrible bounce in OT saw the Avs lose, as Zanon fired it off the ref and Doan had a wide open shot in the slot to win it. The Avs outshot the Coyotes  43-40, but couldn't convert on a late PP in regulation and a PP in OT and it cost them bigtime.

Three Stars:
3. Oliver Ekman-Larsson - Scored his 3rd of the season to tie the game in the 3rd
2. Matt Duchene - Was the best Avalanche on the ice (whats new?) and scored his 3rd of the season as well
1. Shane Doan - Scored 2 goals, including the game winner in OT

Avalanche Misplay of the Game - Combination of Greg Zanon and Tyson Barrie on the OT goal, Barrie with the lazy play and Zanon with the careless turnover (albeit a very lucky bounce)

Avalanche Play of the Game - Matt Duchene's goal gets it, beauty breakaway

-Joel Forman - Colorado Avalanche News

Game #10 - Anaheim 3, Colorado 0

I don't have a lot to write about, only saw the 1st period (had my own hockey). The stats show upcoming goaltender Viktor Fasth with another great game, Making 31 saves for his first NHL shutout and improving his record to 4-0 (4 goals allowed). The Avs outshot them 31-20, won 36 of 63 faceoffs, and had 31 hits compared to 7 for Anaheim.

Three Stars:
3. Sheldon Souary - Had a goal and an assist, including the GWG
2. Saku Koivu - Also had a goal and an assist for the Ducks
1. Viktor Fasth - 31 saves, 1st NHL shutout = impressive. Watch out for this guy he could steal the job from Hiller if he keeps it up

Avalanche Misplay of the Night - From what I saw of the 1st period Zanon was awful, caught standing still on one of the goals

Game #11 - Avs play the last game of the 4-game homestand against the Phoenix Coyotes, with a big wait until Monday (4 days). The Avs are looking terrible right now, injuries and all, and at 4-6 with some days to think things out we could see some changes.

-Joel Forman - Colorado Avalanche News

Game #9 - Dallas 3, Colorado 2

The Avs played a tough game and really competed well, however 3 costly mistakes led to 3 Dallas goals to defeat the Avs. The Stars opened the scoring as Jamie Benn stripped Hunwick and came in all alone, scoring blocker side over Varlamov. Hunwick can't make that mistake, especially someone as dangerous as Benn, and it cost the Avs. The Stars went up 2-0 after Morrow scored right off the faceoff, with Matt Hunwick just watching him as he scored. The Avs got one back and the end of the period, as Hejduk put in a rebound for his 1st of the year in his 1000th game. The Avs tied the game in the 2nd on the PP, as PA Parenteau batted in a rebound out of mid air for his team-leading 7th of the year. However the tied game only lasted a few minutes, as the Stars took advantage of a delayed penalty and Jamie Benn was left wide open in the slot for his 2nd of the game. This turned out to be the GWG, with Parenteau getting several good chances in the 3rd but not scoring. The Stars had 2 late back-to-back PPs that cost the Avs valuable time, as they only had under a minute to try and tie it. A great effort by Duchene at the end of the game, stops the puck right before it went into the empty net and went end-to-end at the buzzer, however Hejduk couldn't get a shot off. Overall a solid game from the Avs, Varlamov played well allowing 3 goals on 26 shots but was not helped by his defence on all 3 goals. I thought the Duchene line was once again very good, even though they were -2. The Avs are very injured with Landeskog, Downie, Jones, O'Reilly and Wilson all not in the lineup, and they are playing much better than I expected without them, however this was a tough loss. Stats were the following: Avs outshot them 31-26, 20-9 shot-blocks for the Avs, Avs won 34 of 59 faceoffs (Duchene with  15, 31 in his last 2 games) and 24-10 for the Avs in hits. The Avs played a great physical game, but couldn't get the two points.

Three Stars:
3. PA Parenteau - He continued his torrid scoring pace, as he scored his 7th of the season on a nifty bat out of mid air. Parenteau now has 4 goals in his last 3 games, and leads the Avs with 7
2. Jamie Benn - He was the best player on the ice, with 2 goals and an assist. Both his goals were perfect shots
1. Milan Hejduk - The 'Duke, as his teammates call him, had a hell of a 1000th game. Hejduk broke his scoring slump with his 1st of the season, and he had several other good chances in his best game of the year so far. Great honour for Milan to play 1000 games, all with the Avs

Avalanche Misplay of the Game - Matt Hunwick's careless turnover on the 1st goal, that play just can't happen. Hunwick was awful tonight and responsible for the first 2 goals

Avalanche Play of the Game - Milan Hejduk's first of the year, you could see the excitement on his face. A win would have completed this night for him, but nonetheless a great night for #23

Game #10 - Avs play game 3 of their 4-game home-stand, as they play the Anaheim Ducks on Wednesday (@930pm)

Former Avs Captain Joe Sakic presents Milan Hejduk with a
ceremonial stick for his 1000th NHL game (all with the Avalanche)

-Joel Forman - Colorado Avalanche News

Game #8 - Colorado 3, Edmonton 1

Let me just start off by saying that I have lost all respect for Nail Yakupov; I thought the celebration vs. LA was a bit over the edge and then he does it again in Phoenix and pissed of Morris. But what he did at the end of this game was just ridiculous; as Duchene fired it into the empty net at the buzzer he went after him and tried to throw some punches, immediately Cody McLeod stepped in to put him in his place (lucky his teammates were there or Cody would have killed him). Duchene did nothing wrong firing that puck, and the fact that Yakupov has the nerve to do that is beyond ridiculous. He is a rookie, and yes he may be talented, but he has NO  respect for fellow players and you can see it. He is going to get put in his place very soon, because he can't keep playing with this attitude that he can do what he wants. Now on to the game (sorry about the rant just hate Nail). Here is video evidence of the Yakupov play (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZV7t2Cofjq0)

The Avs played fantastic in this game, in particular the 2nd and 3rd periods. They started slow and let a goal 1 minute in, as the above mentioned Yakupov scored off a Hemsky pass to put the Oilers up 1-0. However the Avs outshot the Oilers 13-7, and they just couldn't solve Dubnyk. Things changed in the 2nd, as the Avs pushed back and really controlled the pace of the game. They tied the game 12 minutes in, as PA Parenteau continued his strong play of late tipping in the Ryan Wilson point shot for his 6th of the season (Wilson left with a leg injury and didn't return). A few minutes later the Avs got the puck out after killing a penalty and Duchene stole the puck from Hemsky and muscled him off, feeding McGinn through Ryan Whitney's legs and behind Dubnyk to give the Avs their first lead of the game. The Avs headed into the 3rd outshooting the Oilers 26-18, and they really played a great 2nd period. In the 3rd the Avs continued to play well, physically outmatching the Oilers (Duchene had a few big hits on Nuge/Hall). The Duchene line was matched up against the Oilers top line the majority of the 3rd period, and they completely shut them down. Both teams had PP chances in the 3rd, but neither team could score. The Oilers went on the PP and pulled their goalie with 2 minutes remaining, and they had a 6-on-4 advantage; the Avs combination of Duchene-Mitchell Zanon-O'Byrne killed the penalty off, and Mitchell found a streaking Stasnty out of the box who iced the game into the empty net. Just a great game for the Avs, in particular the Duchene-Parenteau-McGinn line was great at both ends. Semyon Varlamov was rock-solid in net, as he let in the 1st shot he faced but made 25-straight saves to lead the way. The stats were as follows: Avs outshot the Oilers 40-26, hits were 25-16 for the Avs, Avs won 31-54 faceoffs, and the Avs blocked 15 shots to the Oilers 17. The Avs special teams were better today, as the PK was great for its 3rd straight game going 3/3 tonight including the 6-on-4 at the end (PK now 10/11 last 3 games after allowing 7 PP goals the 2 games before that).

Three Stars:
3. Jamie McGinn - McGinn finally got his 1st goal of the season, and it was a big one for the Avs as it was the GWG. McGinn had a strong game in Landeskog's spot on the top line, and he was very physical tonight. He had a goal and an assist with 5 shots in 21:33 of ice time
2. Semyon Varlamov - Varlamov was rock-solid today, especially in the 3rd period when the game was on the line. Besides the 1st goal, which wasn't his fault, Varlamov was very steady and has been excellent so far this season. He made 25 saves on 26 shots, and was big in getting the Avs back to .500
1. Matt Duchene - He was the best player on the ice tonight, for either teams, Duchene has really lead this team in Landeskog's absence (lead the team in icetime tonight with 25:07). The line of McGinn-Duchene-Parenteau was the best line on the ice, creating 2 of the Avs goals and they were very big in stopping the line of Eberle-Hall-Nugent-Hopkins all game. Duchene had a great game on both ends of the ice, his best shift was killing the 6-on-4 at the end leading to the Avs emtpy-net goal. Duchene also had 2 big hits on Hall and Nugent-Hopkings, and he won 16 of 24 faceoffs for his most ever won in a game. On a side-note he did nothing wrong on the last play, Yakupov was completely out of his element

Avalanche Play of the Game - Jamie McGinn's goal gets it tonight, not only was it a great play by Duchene to muscle off Hemsky and make a perfect pass, McGinn has had so many chances all season and finally got his 1st of the season

Avalanche Misplay of the Game - One of new bad plays by the Avs tonight, Greg Zanon gets it for standing still leading to the Oilers only goal. He is so slow and terrible 5-on-5 but he made some key blocks on the PK. The other misplay of the game was Yakupov at the end, he had no right to do that and I hope his coach gives him shit for it or some other player in the NHL will

Game #9 - The Avs look for their 3rd straight win as they play game #2 of their 4-game homestand vs. the Dallas Stars on Monday (@9pm)

Jamie McGinn celebrates his 1st goal of the season
 to the excitement of his teammates. 

Matt Duchene throws a big open-ice hit on Taylor Hall

-Joel Forman - Colorado Avalanche News

Game #7 - Colorado 6, Calgary 3

The Avs were finally able to have a good effort on the road, after starting the road trip 0-3 they got some good bounces and capitalized to beat the division-rival Flames. I missed most of the 1st period at my own hockey game, but it seems the Avs were once again outplayed in the 1st. Flames outshot them 12-7 and had a goal from Jiri Hudler (1st as a Flame), but John Mitchell responded with a huge goal in the last minute to tie it at 1-1 after the 1st. Both teams scored 2 goals in the 2nd, as Hudler scored his 2nd off a nifty passing play (aided by the Avs standing around) to put the Flames up 2-1. Colorado then got goals from Parenteau and Mitchell before Tanguay tied the game in the last minute to make it 3-3. The Flames outshot the Avs 22-13 after 2 periods, but the Avs really responded well in the 2nd. The Avs were playing hard down low, especially Mitchell-McLeod-Kobasew. In the 3rd, both teams traded chances but the goalies were playing well. It was tied 3-3 with minutes left, but a nifty rush by Matt Duchene drew a penatly and Paul Stastny scored his first goal of the season (FINALLY)  to put the Avs up 4-3 with 2:40 remaining. After a few chances by the Flames, Stastny came up big once again burying a Mitchell rebound to put the Avs up 5-3. Parenteau would ice the game into the empty-net, as the Avs score 3 goals in the last 2:40 to win 6-3. Sloppy game from the D, besides EJ and Wilson all 4 other Avs d were bad (especially Zanon). On offence, the Stastny-Jones-Hejduk line was -2 (Jones -3) and Stastny really made up for some bad mistakes (particular the 3rd goal) to get the 2 goals. Another superb game from both McLeod and Mitchell (both +3), along with Kobasew they were the Avs most effective line tonight. Duchene-Parenteau-McGinn was also very strong, especially Duchene defensively tonight he was great. Stats for the game: Shots 28-21 Flames, Flames won 32 of 56 faceoffs, Avs out-hit them 21-19 and had 18 blocked shots compared to the Flames 7. The big difference was special teams, the Avs were a perfect 3-3 on the PK and finally scored a PP goal on the road. Overall a great performance by the Avs after a slow start, and they end the terrible road trip on a high note.

Three Stars:
3. Matt Duchene - With Landeskog out, Duchene has become the leader of this forward group and has played some great hockey this season. He had 2 assists tonight, but once again it was his defensive play that caught my eye. He very clearly worked on his conditioning in the off-season, because he is much stronger in the defensive zone and is playing great on the PK. He is also much more confident on offence, he is very strong down low and is using his feet to beat defenders. His rush at the end of the 3rd set up the PP for Stastny's winner, and he had a great game tonight playing the most for any Avs forward at 21:40
2. PA Parenteau - Parenteau continues his good start to his Avs career, as he scored twice and had an assist including a big tying goal in the 2nd and the empty-netter to seal it. He has played very good hockey so far, and seems to be rubbing off on Duchene because they both are demonstrating great chemistry early on. Parenteau now has 5 goals on the season, leading the Avs
1. John Mitchell - I can't say enough good things about Mitchell, he has played with such determination and grit so far this season. I can be the first to admit that I thought Mitchell was signed to play 4th line minutes, because he hasn't had the easiest career. However, he has had a fantastic start to the season and had a big night scoring twice and assisting on another for 3 points (and +3). Mitchell-Mcleod-Kobasew was the best line for the Avs tonight, and Mitchell's 1st period goal was huge for the Avs who have had trouble scoring. Mitchell has had a strong start to the season, very similar to the start former Av Daniel Winnik is having in Anaheim (2 role guys getting big goals). Overall a great effort by Mitchell, he played almost 19 minutes and was effective on every shift

Avalanche Play of the Night - The Avs scored a bunch of gritty goals tonight, so no play was particularly notable, but Stastny's first goal of the season gets it tonight just a huge moment for Pauly. Kiprusoff has burned the Avs many times in the past, it was good to see the Avs not be too fancy and just put the puck to the net.

Avalanche Misplay of the Night - Players caught watching on the 2nd and 3rd Flames goal: Zanon on the 2nd and Stastny on the 3rd are both the misplays of the night

Game #8 - The Avs head home after a dismal Road Trip (1-3), as they play the Edmonton Oilers in a day game on Saturday (@3pm)

Paul Stastny celebrates with Matt Duchene after scoring
his 1st goal of the season

Duchene, McGinn and Hejda celebrate with PA Parenteau
after he scoring his 4th goal of the season

-Joel Forman - Colorado Avalanche News