- Chris Durno (45) Image by Getty Images via Daylife
The Northwest Division saw a brief shakeup mid-week when Vancouver crushed the Flames in Calgary. The Flames eventually used one of their games-in-hand to climb back over the Canucks by beating the lowly Oilers 4-1.
However, Vancouver’s increasingly dangerous play (especially their dominance within the division) has made them real contenders for the division crown. The Avalanche managed to hold strong as they were the first team in the division to realize 50 points before the half-way point in the season. But Colorado will need to find some consistency to hold its 3-point lead over the struggling Flames, and its 4-point lead over the surging Canucks.
In a soft week featuring only two games, the Avalanche gave up another (#@$%&*!!) 2-goal third-period lead at home to the Ducks, and followed that shameful performance with an impressive handling of the formerly hot Dallas Stars.
Two wins last week would have been nice, because the Avalanche start a tough week on the road in one of the toughest arenas to land a visiting win…
Wed, Dec 30th @ Ottawa Senators (5:00 MST)
After visiting nearly every Canadian city in its first month of play, the Avalanche had to wait two months to make its one and only trip to Ottawa this season.
This matchup against the Senators looks about as good as they come.
The Sens have struggled with their two (mostly bad) goaltenders all season, and the Avs have routinely punished bad defensive teams. Colorado plays very well on the road, more or less neutralizing Ottawa’s considerable home-ice advantage.
The Avalanche are well-rested and <knock> healthy. They have consistently beaten Eastern Conference teams over three consecutive seasons. And Ottawa is, to put it bluntly, a slow, older team that employs an outdated strategy.
Still, the Avalanche have struggled in the Canadian capital city since coming to Colorado, and this will likely need to be a gut-it-out game for the ‘Lanche to produce a victory. Then again, the Senators’ goaltending problems could rear up, allowing the Avalanche to run away with the game early.
I’ll stick with the great-on-paper look of this matchup, and call it an Avs win.
PREDICTION:Â AVALANCHE 5, SENATORS 3
Thu, Dec 31st @ Detroit Red Wings (5:00 MST)
Over this season and last, the Avalanche have trounced the formerly rival Red Wings, winning 5 of 6 games. In the two games this season, Colorado has made Detroit look old, slow, tired & injury depleted… and by most accounts that is exactly what the middling Red Wings have been since losing to the Pittsburgh Penguins in the ’09 Cup Championships Series.
What’s more, none of those things have changed since last these two teams met.
The Avalanche will have a short trip over from Ottawa to complete the second half of a back-to-backer, and will be particularly motivated should fall to the Senators.
I like the Avalanche to play another strong road game in Detroit, and eek out an OT win.
PREDICTION:Â AVALANCHE 2, RED WINGS 1 (OT)
Sat, Jan 2nd @ Columbus Blue Jackets (5:00 MST)
I tried so hard to find a loss in this tough three-game road stretch, but it’s just not there. The Senators game could go either way depending on goalie play for each team, and I picked a win over the Wings because Detroit has been on an ugly slide of late.
But the Blue Jackets have looked even uglier, dropping 17 games in their last 20 played. That’s horrendous.
With the level of parody in the NHL being what it is, there is no excuse except a total systemic collapse (including your formerly stud goaltender struggling late in games) for that many bad games in a row.
One of the Blue Jackets’ three wins over that terrible five-week stretch came on Monday against the Red Wings (a 1-0 OT barn-burner.) They will have that victory to look back upon fondly when the Avalanche complete their three-game road sweep in Columbus this Saturday.
PREDICTION:Â AVALANCHE 4, COLUMBUS 1
WEEK 12 PREDICTION: Â 3-0
**Bonus Coverage**
Happy New Year to us!!
Avalanche forward Chris Durno finally scored his first NHL goal after a very successful career in the AHL. Â His call-up last season for two games, and thrice this season for a dozen games has been the result of his hard work for the Lake Erie Monsters, as witnessed by current Avalanche coach (and former Monsters coach) Joe Sacco.
That Durno did not score sooner is not actually so surprising, despite his great minor-league play.  Chris is simply a strong, hard-working defensive forward, and his success in the AHL was much more a result of out-willing opponents than outstanding stick handling.  He worked on his foot speed in the offseason to give himself a better chance at a long-term call-up, and that’s exactly what he got.  Many Kudos to Chris.
In other news, this sportswriter is off to New Orleans, and will probably be too debauched to watch the two games that take place before the New Year. I’ll do some extra-hard drinking if y’all do some extra-hard cheering.
Stay thirsty Avs fans. 2010 in ‘Lancheville promises to be a wild ride.
