Oilers at Avalanche 2/6/10 recap & game notes
DanO's Avs Game 'O the Week: Avalanche vs Oilers
- Scott Hannan had a huge assist on Wojtek Wolski’s game-winning 2nd period goal (Image via Wikipedia)
Pre-Game Thoughts
I heard that tonight TJ Galiardi will be playing the top line tonight with Stas and Stewy for a good amount of time… meaning Wojtek will be playing second line with Duchene and Yip. Durno gets the job centering the fourth line.
Anderson will get the start, 12th in a row. He has shut out the Oilers twice this year, but it’s the Oilers on a back to back. Peter Budaj should be handling this one.
1st Period Action
The second line takes the opening faceoff. Interesting move, but probably just a gut decision by Sacco. Stas is +12 against the Oilers, so he’ll get his time.
The top line’s first shot shows why they’re the top line. 3 shots, two scoring chances.
16:05 Nice check by the refs.
The first 5 minutes of the game is pretty much all Avalanche. Only two good rushes by the Oilers and both were defused quickly. The Avs appear content to work in On the Fly and then Crash the Net.
Cumisky came to play. Skinny guy skating hard & fast.
Two on one for Aves broken up nicely by the Oilers.
Next five minutes is pretty much the same, though the Avs couldn’t manage any good shots. Edmonton had a great Keep-In to extend the play. If not for some nice physical play from Cumisky, they would have earned a shot on the possession.
Edmonton has moved to the Dump & Chase since they can’t get any offense going working it in at the line.
Quincey Slashing. First PP of the game goes to Edmonton.
At 0:29 of the PP, Foote gets the best shot of the Oilers’ man-advantage. Slapshot from 25 feet dead center off the faceoff. Top-notch kill by Colorado, 0 Shots allowed.
The third five minutes are spent all at center ice or on the Penalty Kill. Edmonton has one good stretch (45-55 seconds) of pressure but could generate no shots. Avalanche defenders not giving them time to think.
Tripping on Edmonton. Kind of an accident but you are in charge of your stick.
Avss generating plenty of shots, but can’t find the net.
Another penalty earns Avs 5-3 for 0:01. Hooray.
Period ends.
The Avs are doing plenty to get themselves good chances and take away Edmonton’s chances, but they need to find the back of the net. They’ve been so close so many times. To be fair Deslauriers has been pretty good, but not great. Keep the pressure on and eventually you’ll get a goal.
The whole defense is playing good, fast harassing defense. Edmonton can’t get into any kind of grove offensively. Anderson has been tested only twice really. Slap shot from 15 feet left side, but the defender took away the far side. Later a wrap-around try on the right side. Both solid saves but nothing amazing.
2nd Period Action
Avalanche are spending a lot of time in the Oilers’ zone, but no shots to show for it. They are being a little sloppy with the puck. The same goes for the Oilers in the neutral zone.
Like they could hear my thoughts, Colorado picks it up and gets two good shots. One set up by Duchene working into the zone. One by Tucker streaking down the right side.
First five minutes of the 2nd are the same story as the rest of the game. Avs get good pressure, defense is quick and efficient at clearing the zone, nothing to show for it.
The Oilers are starting to get some decent pressure with their top line, but the Colorado defense is giving up nothing.
Duchene is a machine he gets such good looks every game.
Matty gets the puck after a Keep-In on the left side draws the sole defender to him. Duchene drops it off for Wojtek. Wolski puts a wrister on from 10 feet. Deslauriers get a piece of it, but it bounces through. Goal. Good hard work to keep possession of the puck by Scott Hannan. He knows we have the defense on his side so he pinches on the blue line against two Oilers, and then Duchene has an easy choice to drive & drop off.
Second five minutes is about the same game, but finally have the goal to go along with good effort. Keep the pressure and the efficient defense up, this one should be a solid win.
First really good shot on Andy. Moreau slapshot from 20 feet, right side. Wide open shot, but Andy saw it all the way.
Colorado’s third line has moved to the Dump & Chase as well. Everyone else is still in neutral zone Control Game trying to work it in at the line.
Third five Minutes is about half & half. Edmonton has stepped it up with the one goal deficit, but Avs still look like the better team.
Two good rushes right away by Edmonton, Andy is pretty good on both. One was caused by a neutral zone mistake, and the other a great cross-ice pass from the left defensive blue line to the right offensive blue line.
Edmonton gets one more good pressure as do the Avs to close the period. One shot by each.
Period ends.
Avalanche got the goal and immediately Edmonton woke up. The Avs had been dominating a scoreless game for 35ish minutes, and playing pretty even in a 1-0 game since. Neutral zone defense has been the biggest contributor to Edmonton’s revival. Their fore-check there has gotten much more aggressive and turned into some pretty good rushes with shots. Other than the rush, Edmonton can get extended pressure but no shots. The Avs’ defense still has firm control in their own zone.
On offense the Avalanche did the same thing for 35ish minutes: good sustained pressure and open shooting. They finally got the goal that should go along with it. Since then they have gotten sustained pressure when they can put the puck into the zone, but sloppy puck handling and good Edmonton neutral zone defense seems to have taken away the rush.
The game has been basically all speed no physicality, which would explain there have been so few penalties. But the lack of goal scoring has been mainly exceptional defensive-zone play on both sides.
3rd Period Action
Second line starts the period again. What’s your angle Sacco?
We’re starting to see traditional Avalanche vs Oilers hockey. Back and forth, back and forth, very little sustained pressure, numerous rush opportunities.
Edmonton gets good, sustained pressure with two shots, both pointers from 30 feet with no rebounds.
First five minutes is mostly Edmonton, but the Avs Rush is back. Edmonton is the only team to sustain pressure for more than 20 seconds, and they have been able to get a handful of decent shots. Other than a Duchene neutral zone pocket-picking leading to a solo Rush, the Avs have generated no shots.
Edmonton has moved to long passes across the neutral zone to work their way in. They’re trying to tie in one shot rather than trust their O-zone play. This could hit the home run they need, or it could backfire drastically.
Second five minutes feature a good 50-second press by the Avs with one nice keep-in by Foote that helped generate a shot. Most of the play is happening in the neutral zone, and both teams have adapted to the Rush and are trying to slow the game back down… this strategy doesn’t make any sense for Edmonton.
The Oilers will have a good chance to tie it up. PP
Andy is very smart and patient. He makes a great save on a drive by Edmonton along the red line, left side.
12 seconds of 5 on 3 coming with Hannan Delay of Game penalty. Unlucky.
Avs kill (basically) back-to-back penalties. Andy had 3 great saves on those PP’s, and 1 huge save on a rebound attempt that forced him to dive from left to right. Avs added two decent shots of their own short handed.
Third 5 minutes is all Edmonton for obvious reasons: two PP’s. But the Avs maintain their 1-goal lead mainly due to Andy. The Avs defense is starting to crack, but Craig has gone all game without being tested. He’s not showing any signs of rust.
Colorado spends the first minute & a half of this stretch in Edmonton’s zone, but come up short on a slap shot from 15 feet dead center.
Wilson cleaning up a left sideline dribbler by shooting it back into the crease gets lucky. Deslauriers covers up and the puck slides through the five hole. Goal. Certainly one Deslauriers wants back.
One minute left and the Avs have moved to the Trap.
Deslauriers gone at 50 seconds left. And the Aves promptly take control. Empty net goal by Yip from just right of center at the blue line. Game Over.
Post-Game Analysis
Andy came up big in the 3rd period to seal it, but it was 35ish minutes of dominating defense and another 15 of solid defense that is responsible for this shut out. The Oilers only managed 20 shots on goal, and only four of those in the first period. The Avs, to their credit, earned 42 shots. Well above their average, but many (especially late in the game) were not quality shots. Wilson’s goal was a goaltender error on a dump-in for Crash the Net. Based upon the way the Aves held this game in check they probably should have score 4-5 goals, but let’s not split hairs over a 3 goal shutout.
The second line had a great night as Duchene, Yip and Wolski all finished at +3 with 2 goals and three points between them. Sacco’s decision to mix up the lines paid off, especially as the top line had several good pressures and were partly responsible for the defense’s strong showing since they spent so much time out of their own D-zone.
All-in-all a solid win against an inferior team, but two points they’ll take for the playoff race. More importantly, it keeps them off of a losing streak. In hockey losses will inevitably come on off-nights and bad bounces, but losing streaks kill playoff teams. One more week before the Olympic Break. A strong finish of 5-8 points would have us sitting more or less comfortably for the season’s stretch run.
