Avalanche Week 11 Preview: Boo-Da-Yee to the rescue!
Wed vs Wild, Fri vs Lightning, Sun vs Flames
Avalanche 2nd Goaltender Peter Budaj
image by Sakic_19
The (veteran?) Avalanche goaltender with the oft-mispronounced last name was the savior of the Avalanche in Week 10.
After starting goalie Craig Anderson was intentionally injured by the dirtiest little defender in the league (Keith Ballard) one week ago at Florida, Peter Budaj stepped into the crease and immediately began playing inspired hockey.
Anderson lay prostrate on the ice in the closing seconds of overtime on Dec 2nd. The Avalanche had scrambled to tie the contest with two goals in the final minute of the third period. (Thirty-seven seconds apart @ 19:07 & 19:44.) Ballard, streaking down the right side, leaned into Anderson’s head as Craig covered the puck just outside of his crease.
Adam Foote, skating back on the opposite side of the goal, met Ballard on the ice at the back of the net and landed three fists (one face, two side of head) before a pile of players and referees smothered the fight.
Ballard is the same skating yutz that slashed his own goaltender’s ear two nights previous. Krazy Keith swung his stick in frustration after a first period goal. Instead of hitting his intended target (a goal post) Ballard struck goalie Tomas Vokoun in the side of the head. Vokoun was taken to the hospital with a deep laceration to his ear. Ballard went on to ignore his injured goaltender to take another, more successful swing at the post.
Ballard would later issue an apology to Vokoun (who was back on the ice by Saturday,) but not to Anderson. Craig sat out the week with a neck injury, and Peter filled in magnificently with two wins and one close loss.
Over the five-game road trip, the Avalanche grabbed 7/10 possible points and returned to the #1 spot in the Northwest Division. Kiss off, Krazy Keith, you can’t ruin our party.
Wed, Dec 9th @ Minnesota Wild (7:00 MST)
Budaj will likely start again tonight, and he’ll look to land the Avs’ first win against some Wild Minnesotans.
Despite three spirited games, the Avalanche have faltered against the division’s bottom-feeding Wild. Colorado lost one in regulation and two in shootouts, so they nabbed a couple of pity points, but this home game needs to be a decisive win.
Look for the Avalanche to play hard for both their injured star goalie and their suddenly stellar backup after a rockin’ roadtrip.
PREDICTION: AVALANCHE 4, WILD 1
Fri, Dec 11th vs Tampa Bay Lightning (7:00 MST)
A week and a half ago Tampa put 33 shots on net against Craig Anderson, and not a single one got through. The Lightning played a good game (buzzing until the game was out of reach after an Avs empty-netter late in the third,) but Anderson was simply better.
I expect Anderson to play after being listed as day-to-day since the injury. Being out of the lineup is likely an opportunity to catch Anderson up on lost rest. He played the most games in the NHL over the first two plus months. But I guarantee Anderson wants to get back in net.
Watch Craig come in with his usual fire and a little extra against Tampa, and I like the Avalanche to capitalize on the Lightning’s aggressive neutral-zone play.
PREDICTION: AVALANCHE 5, LIGHTNING 2
Sun, Dec 13th vs Calgary Flames (6:00 MST)
I know we’ve had the Flames’ number this year, but Calgary is just too good to lose to us every time.
Twin 3-2 wins at Calgary are nothing less than a slap in the face to Colorado’s top competition for the division… and I expect the Flames to ride into Denver with twin chips on their shoulders as a result.
The Avalanche will need another outstanding goaltending performance to beat Calgary again, but I think the Flames’ D will stand strongest in this game.
PREDICTION: AVALANCHE 1, FLAMES 2 (SO)
WEEK 9 PREDICTION: 2-1
**Bonus Coverage**
The Ballard Effect
Florida’s Keith Ballard is quickly becoming a noteworthy thug in the National Hockey League… but he’s not big… and he’s not tough… he’s just a fiery idiot.
The result is going to be a lot of attention from opposing enforcers. That was already the case in two games against Washington and Atlanta, as Ballard spent much of both nights with his face against glass and boards.
But those minor rubs are nothing compared to what awaits Krazy Keith when he takes the ice at Pepsi Center on March 11th of 2010. I’m gonna get a ticket. Double K is going down.
Craig Anderson was a backup in Florida last season, and this was his first game back since signing with the Avalanche in the offseason. His injury was an instance of damned if you do, damned if you don’t, as Craig could have very well been in net to take Ballard’s stick to the head had he stayed with the Panthers.
