After nearly catching up to the more stable teams at the top of our division during a fun-filled and downright relaxing trip through a series of Eastern Conference teams, it’s time to return to the reality that we are in the West where playoff spots are won and lost in much the same way that welterweight bouts are decided; by a long, drawn out slugfest. And so, after going 3-1 against lightweights we return to the West to battle three teams that have given us more than a bit of trouble in the last couple seasons; the Blackhawks, Bluejackets, and Predators.
Chicago has been in the dregs of their division for a decade, but a good GM who drafts well is a bad hockey team’s best friend. Early this season the Blackhawks outscored the Avalanche in Chicago (3-5) in their only meeting this season, and they are the kind of young team that plays up to their competition in games against better teams. They’ve handed Detroit four of its ten losses this season, beating them in each meeting except the most recent one in Detroit. This team is my pick to wrangle a wild card spot in a tough division next year, and they are a team to be reckoned with on any given night this year.
Columbus has avenged an early season loss at Colorado (1-5) by winning the subsequent two games in Columbus. The first was a come from behind victory (4-5) that exemplified the Avs’ troubles in the third period this season, and the second was a mauling (1-4) that jolted Colorado out of one of their trademark periods of sleep-hockey (the ‘Lanche didn’t lose again until fifteen days later at home against the Red Wings.) Now both teams are on three game win streaks and scoring with regularity. I expect the upcoming matchup to be the best game of the season between the two.
And It was the Predators, featuring one Peter Forseberg, that dealt the death-blow to Colorado’s playoff hopes last season. The Avalanche were still in the hunt for a spot with two games to go, and lost to Peter and the Predators in Nashville before smacking Vancouver around to finish the season. (The Avs finished a half game behind the Canucks to miss the playoffs for the first time in their ten year history.)
What do all three of these teams have in common, aside from their lineup as the next three Avalanche opponents? They have all been through a trial by fire in the tough Central division for the past few seasons. (Of course, every division in the West is tough top to bottom with the exception of the Pacific Division, and it’s not the Sharks’, Ducks’, Stars’, and Coyotes’ fault that the Kings suck so badly as to throw off the curve for the whole division.) The result of the NHL’s recent obsession with scheduling an overwhelming number of divisional games has been that the Central and Northwest Divisions both now feature a host of battle-hardened teams. The Central, of course, has to deal with the Red Wings. But remember that the Predators had their best season in their history last year, and the Blues are on the upswing after several sub-par seasons. The Blue Jackets and Blackhawks are both young, high-energy teams that are also moving up. This kind of competition breeds champions, and any one of these teams could make a move in that direction in the next couple of years in the same way that Anaheim did over the course of the last few seasons on their way to a Stanley Cup Championship in 2007. (Edmonton is an example of a team doing the same within our own division, narrowly losing to Carolina in Game 7 of the ’06 Cup Series.) Now, what does this mean for the Avalanche’s upcoming homestand? I thought you’d never ask.
1/18 vs. Chicago Blackhawks
The ‘Hawks have won their last two games in grand fashion, edging out the Predators in Nashville (3-2), and whupping the Blues at home (1-6) last night. I say that both Chicago and Colorado stay hot and it turns into a scorefest. Avs win it at home (4-5).
1/20 vs. Columbus Blue Jackets
Another team on a win streak comes out of the Central and into Colorado to take on the Avalanche. The game is hard-fought and goes against the trend of high-scoring games between these two teams. A hard-fought regulation leads to two tired teams going into overtime and the Avs’ superior speed leads to a quick goal. Another home win (2-3).
1/22 vs. Nashville Predators
The Predators come into Colorado to play their third game in four nights, splitting the previous two against the Blues in a home-away mini-series. The Avs’ overconfidence after winning a bunch of games in a row and beating the Predators in their last two meetings leads to Nashville jumping out to an early lead that Colorado cannot recover from. Win streak ends leaving me shaking my angry fist at the television while my drinking fist lifts a consolation shot of bourbon. In the end, all is well because the Avalanche are still in the mix at the top of the Northwest and I am infused with the awesome power of whiskey. Avs lose (4-2).
That’s 2-1 on the week against some tough teams. I was off by a game last week as the Avs toughed it out and came from behind to beat the Panthers. Theodore played well enough to assuage my anger for a while, but made enough dumb mistakes that I am not required to stop the smack-talking just yet. Keep working Jose, and stop thinking so hard. It gets you in trouble and makes you look foolish on big TV’s across the country.
Ian.
