Game #72 Preview

As the season is winding down, the injuries continue to pile-up. Since I last wrote, the Avs have lost three more defensemen (Foote, Salei, Tjarnqvist) and arguably the team's best player, Paul Stastny, to a foot injury due to another shotblock. Because of this, a number of the young prospects have been called up from Lake Erie to see what they can do in the team's time of need. Last game against the Wild, two defenders made their NHL debuts and were fairly impressive. Michael Vernace and Derek Peltier were paired together nearly the whole game and were pretty solid defensively in their own end, and even jumped up into the offensive rush on a few occasions, which is always a good thing to see when you have a young guy confident enough in his abilities to get back defensively if need be after an offensive chance. One of the players acquired in the Leopold trade, Lawrence Nycholat, also looked solid in his own end and even stood up a few of the Wild's better players.

Tonight, all three new(er) defensemen will again be in the lineup, as will top prospect T.J. Galiardi, formerly of the Calgary Hitmen (yes, Bret "Hitman" Hart's hockey team!). I personally have high expectations for T.J. and can't wait to see him out there tonight. Could we see two T.J.s playing on the same line tonight as we have seen with our two Codys in the past? Only time will tell..

Game #65 Preview

Today, the Avs travel to the Chi to take on the Blackhawks. The Avs current losing streak sits at six games, and unfortunately, I doubt it will be snapped today. Although the Avs actually showed some bits of life against the Wings on Wednesday, I just don't think they'll be able to pull off a win against a playoff-hungry team like the Hawks when the season is nothing short of a lost cause for our boys in burgandy at this point. Also, my Hart Trophy choice, Cody McLeod, will be out of the line-up today due to a shoulder injury suffered against the Wings. This will be his first time out of the line-up since being called up in December of 2007. Let's hope this doesn't hurt his MVP stock..





P.S. Ray from over at SchoolYourPool has notified me of an interview they have posted with up-and-coming Avs prospect Kevin Shattenkirk. I have very high hopes for this kid, so do yourself a favor and read up on your soon-to-be favorite Avs defensemen!

Game #64 Preview

Tonight, the last place team in the West, our Colorado Avalanche, faces off against the last place team in the East, the New York Islanders. VS must be SO excited to have such an intriguing matchup being broadcast nation-wide tonight.

Game #63 Preview

After one of the most dismal performances the Avalanche have put on the ice this season (which says a lot considering how many dismal performances we have witnessed this season), the Avs look to bounce back in a huge way against a struggling Eastern conference foe, the New York Rangers. Budaj is back in net, which is no surprise seeing as Quenneville taught Granato "well" on how to handle two mediocre goalies. TJ Hensick has been sent down to Lake Erie on a conditioning assignment, leaving his playing spot open to either Mr. Arnason or surprising healthy scratch Marek Svatos. You don't need to tell me, I know who you're hoping for.

One Avalanche fan is more excited than the rest for tonight's game, and he is none other than our beloved announcer Mike Haynes. Mike grew up in New York as a huge Rangers fan, and while we were in Denver last month, he was telling us how excited he was to return to the Garden and how much it means to him every time he gets to go back there as an announcer. Have fun, Mike, and let's hope your new favorite team demolishes your old favorite team!

Game #62 Preview

Tonight, the Avs carry a two-game losing streak into New Jersey to take on the returning Martin Brodeur and the Devils. The Devils currently sit third in the East, despite Marty being out for most of the season thus far. Johnny on-the-spot Liles isn't going to be on the spot, or on the ice, tonight as most of us had hoped for. In a game against one of the top teams in the league, I think this is a big blow, as his replacement, Tjarnqvist, can't do half of the things Liles is capable of. Let's cross our fingers for him to return by Saturday against the Rangers.

On the trade rumor front, The Denver Post is reporting that the Wings are interested in acquiring our beloved Lappy by the trade deadline. No matter what we get from them, I cannot approve a deal like this. Lappy brings everything to the ice every single night, and that's all you can ask for out of a hockey player. Eklund is also reporting that we are interested in acquiring Alexander Frolov from the Kings or Jason Spezza from the Senators. I'm a fan of both players, but the deal would have to be right for me to be okay with it

Back for the attack.

After a long absence, I am back. School, friends visiting from out of town, and vacations have all kept me away, but I am looking to get back to writing on a regular basis. A lot has happened in the Avalanche world in the month since my last post. I was in Denver for the last three games in the month of January, and the Avs decided to honor the fact that I traveled 1,000 miles to see them by losing all three games. However, I didn't let those games ruin my trip. I truly love the city of Denver and definitely plan on moving there at some point in the near future. I was able to attend two practices and meet a bunch of the players as well. If you'd like to read more about my trip and see pictures from around the city, I have a travel blog that I kept regularly on my Denver trip, which you can view by clicking on the profile link found on this blog.

The Avs have been up and down since then, which is really nothing new (though they did beat the Red Wings for the THIRD straight time this season), but they look to get a huge boost tonight as Paul Stastny returns to the line-up tonight in Atlanta after missing the last 26 (hey, isn't that his number?) games since suffering a broken forearm against the Coyotes way back in December. If the going rate for games missed due to injury corresponds to your number, let's hope Ryan Smyth never gets hurt again. Please, and thank you. According to the Denver Post, he was skating on a line in practice with Cody McLeod on his left and Milan Hejduk on his right. This is a line I absolutely love and can't wait to see in action tonight. I assume Willsie will be the odd-man-out of the lineup tonight, though part of me would prefer to see Tucker sit, despite his decent play recently.

Game 47 Preview

Tonight, we will see a battle of two of the Western Conference powerhouses as the Kings travel to the Pepsi Center to take on the Colorado Avalanche. The Avalanche currently sit in 11th in the West while the Kings are nearly bringing up the rear in 13th, though only four points separates the two squads. Okay, so maybe "powerhouse" wasn't the best choice in adjective. Much to my father's chagrin, the Avs are 3-0 against the Kings this season, and they will go for the season sweep with Peter Budaj, who has won all three contests against the Kings this season, between the pipes tonight. In the opposing net will most likely be Jonathan Quick, but there's a chance we could see Jonathan Bernier in net since Quick played last night in Minnesota. Bernier has a 1-3 lifetime record in the NHL, but has supposedly played really well in the AHL thus far, giving the Kings extremely high hopes for the youngster. According to the Avs' official site, none of the injured men will return to the ice tonight, as they will take an extra week off to return to health due to the All-Star break. Personally, I think Stewart should give Johnny Zeiler the ol' Strachan treatment tonight. Thoughts?

Game 45 Preview

Is anyone really excited about watching this game after the last two performances this week? Thankfully the Rayzor will be back in net after an abysmal performance last night by Peter Budaj. I haven't found an update on Davey Jones' Locker but I'm hoping he'll be back, and that they'll send Dupuis or Willsie to the press box for the game. Lappy and Foote should be out again, which I think is a huge blow to this team that definitely needs a bit of leadership in both the offensive and defensive zone.

Tonight is the first of EIGHT straight home games, lasting until early February. Tonight, especially, is a must-win, as it is against a divisional opponent with the same number of points right now. In my opinion, the Avs MUST get 10+ points out of a possible 16 from these eight home games, or they'll sadly find themselves way outside the playoff race, barely able to see the light at the end of the tunnel.

Game 44 Preview

Tonight the Avs finish up a two-game roadtrip in St. Louis, before playing eight straight games at good ol' Pepsi Center. In fact, their next road game is against the very same Blues team they will face off against tonight on Saturday, February 7th. By my calculations, that means our boys will be at home for approximately 23 straight days. Tonight is the type of game that the team can not have any minor Tyler Arnason/Darcy Tucker moments because the team just flat out needs to win these contests against "lesser" opponents, as they try to gain some ground in the playoff race. The Avs enter tonight's game with 45 points, technically in 11th place in the west, but tied for 9th. However, the team is just four points behind slumping Vancouver, with the appropriate number of games in hand to tie the Casucks. Budaj will be in net for the first time since a 2-0 loss to the Wild on January 4th, and I'm sure he will do everything he can to prove his worth after being a bit outplayed recently by "backup" Andrew Raycroft. David Jones is listed as questionable with a back injury, and while I wish no harm on Jones, his injury means Guite could see the ice tonight so we all know what I'm hoping for!

Game 43 Preview

Hello my wonderful readers. I am back, and here to stay. After two awful bouts with the flu and some quality time with the family over the past couple of weeks, I am back to write about our (sometimes) wonderful team. So much has happened in the world of the Colorado Avalanche in the past two weeks, but I will choose to focus on the stellar play of late of Wojtek Wolski and Andrew Raycroft. Due to injuries cutting right through the middle of the lineup, TG finally decided to give WW (or Baron von Wolski as he is lovingly known as by some of my blogging buddies) a shot at his natural position of center, and he has yet to disappoint, scoring four goals and two assists in the last three games (all wins, mind you) and winning the NHL's "First Star Of The Week" honors. In net for those three games has been "backup" goalie extraordinaire Andrew Raycroft, and though I am a huge Budaj supporter, it's hard to not be a fan of the guy who's record is 9-1 and has won seven in a row in the process. He'll get the nod in net for his fourth straight game tonight, and goes up against Steve Mason, arguably the hottest goalie in the NHL at the moment. Will this be a goaltenders duel a la Budaj vs. Luongo earlier in the year? We will find out very soon.


It's good to be back!

Game #30 Preview

Tonight the 14-14-1 Avs travel to Detroit to take on the defending Stanley Cup Champions in their home building. The Avs were 0-8 against this team last season (including a second-round sweep in the playoffs), and Andrew Raycroft will be found between the pipes tonight (at least to start the game..). Disaster waiting to happen? You tell me.

Game #29 Preview

Tonight, the Avs host old buddy Joel Quenneville and his Chicago Blackhawks at the Pepsi Center. This will mark Q's first return to the can since his departure earlier this calendar year. Adam Foote will return to the line-up after missing the past three weeks with a whole slew of injuries, and Marek Svatos will be out after being listed as "day-to-day" after Tuesday's game. I was hoping that Granato would go the Q route and dress seven defensemen in tonight's game since the team is a forward short after losing Svatty, but it doesn't look like that will be the case as TG said that Daniel Tjarnqvist will be watching from the press-box, just as he was pre-Foote injury. I'm not sure I totally agree with this call, as Tjarny has been playing great in Foote's absence, but I guess that's why I'm not the coach. The Avs has called up forward Philippe Dupuis from Lake Erie to fill the empty void at forward, and could see his very first NHL action tonight. I don't know much about the guy, but I always like giving young guys a chance to prove themselves with the big team.

Game 22 Preview

In an extremely rare Friday afternoon game, the Avs will travel to Phoenix for the first game of the year against Gretzky's Coyotes. Apparently, the Coyotes will be playing in their new (read: ugly) third jerseys for the first time this season, but don't expect much as the Avs de-throned the Kings on the night of their third jersey unveiling this past weekend. Foote and Liles are still out, and Sakic looks to be a game-time decision. Look for Tjarnqvist to be in the lineup again, after playing what I thought to be one hell of a game on Wednesday night, tallying a goal and an assist. Also look for Lappy to continue his hot streak of three points (2g, 1a) in the last two games. Coincidence or not, ever since I picked up a snazzy new "It's All About Lappy" wristband from Karen on Saturday, Lappy has been on absolute fire. A Gordie Howe hat-trick with a fight against Carcillo would absolutely make my day.


If you'd like to pick up a Lappy wristband, or other merchandise, please visit www.itsallaboutlappy.com. It goes towards a wonderful cause and is run by great people who would really appreciate your support.

Game #15 Preview

I make my return to this blog with some very bad news. My beloved Ben Guite is out "indefinitely" with a rib injury. How will I possibly go on without him? I really don't know. All I know is, I'm going to miss that damn stache.

Anyway, tonight the Avs travel to red-hot Vancouver (hot as in the way the team is playing, not the weather), to take on the Canucks. Luongo is currently riding a three-game shutout streak, which would've ended tonight with a Guite hat-trick (we can dream, can't we?!), but now the team will have to rely on the likes of others to get the job done. Mr. Sakic didn't make the trip with the team due to his ailing back, so I assume our slew of under-acheivers (Jones, Arnason) will be in the line-up tonight, poised to do.. very little. Peter Budaj has a one-game shutout streak of his own going right now, so the hot goaltending won't only be coming on one end of the ice tonight.

Game #10 Preview

PUT BEN GUITE BACK IN THE LINEUP.

Game #5 Preview

Today, at 11am out here on the coast, the Avs travel to Dallas to take on the Stars. Both teams are off to a slow start this year so I expect both teams to come out flying from the start to try to take control. In the Avalanche net will be Andrew Raycroft, for the second straight game. He didn't exactly stand on his head to win the last game, but a win is a win and I guess Tony felt that it was enough to warrant a second straight start for the "backup". I will once again stay away from making a prediction this game due to my current record on the year, but we all know what I'm rooting for. Oh yes, and I'd love to see a Lappy/Avery or Tucker/Avery or even both fight before the end of the game. We all know how much they love each other!


Edit: And once again, no Guite. UGH!!!!!

Game Preview #4

Here we go again. Game four of the '08-'09 season comes against a pretty unfamiliar Eastern Conference opponent, the Philadelphia Flyers. As a team making it to the Eastern Conference Finals last year, expectations were very high for the upcoming season in Philadelphia. But some lackluster goaltending from Martin Biron (6.32 GAA, .800 save percentage) has led to an 0-2-1 record, and has no doubt put some fear in the hearts of Flyers fans thus far. As Avalanche fans, could this be our chance to finally see the first win of the season for our squad? I wouldn't get too ahead of ourselves, as sandwiched between our own Peter Budaj and the Flyers Martin Biron for the bottom three goalies in terms of GAA in the NHL is Calgary's Mikka Kiprusoff, the very goalie who beat the Avs on Tuesday night.

But don't fret yet, fellow Avalanche fans! We will be seeing a new face in net in our corner tonight. A man who goes by the nickname "Razor", Andrew Raycroft. Yes, THAT Andrew Raycroft. The same Andrew Raycroft who won the Calder Trophy as Rookie of the Year in '03-'04 with the Bruins, won a franchise record 37 games with the Maple Leafs in '06-'07, and posted a 2-9-5 record last season, leading to him being bought out at the end of the year. I agree that it was time to shake things up at the goaltending position, but is Raycroft really the answer? Only time will tell.

I will not be making a prediction on tonight's game, as I am 0-3 on the season, and don't want to further curse this team. Though I will say, I would love to see Jones and the bench and McCormick in the lineup tonight. Please, Tony?

Game Preview #3

Quick write-up as the game is about to start. The Avs flat out HAVE to win tonight. Budaj's confidence will fall even lower with a third straight loss, and 0-3 is the exact opposite of the way a season should begin. Continuing with my homer streak, i will go with a 4-3 win for the Avs with goals by Sakic, Hejduk, Smyth, and Liles.

Game Preview #2

Tonight, our boys travel to Edmonton for the first divisional matchup of this young season. Last year, we posted a 6-2 record against the Oil, with Budaj winning five of those six. If you ever needed to find the antonym for Kryptonite, you would find a picture of Tyler Arnason playing against the Oilers. The guy is an absolute beast whenever he steps on the ice against them. Let's hope that streak continues tonight as scoring from the third line is always an added bonus. I assume the line-up will be the same as the opener, as Tjarnqvist, McCormick, and Raycroft don't seem to be the answer to our game one problems.


I'll predict a 5-3 win for the Avs, with goals from Arnason, Wolski, Leopold, Liles, and Stastny.

Game Preview #1

I was going to write up a whole season preview today but got incredibly side-tracked. I will write something up tonight or tomorrow in those regards, but I wanted to make my game one prediction for tonight.

I see the Avs winning 4-2 with goals by Guite, Sakic, Wolski, and Arnason. GO AVS!