So that brings up a question, one that I fear is impossible to answer – who had the most impressive performance this weekend? Just for fairness, I’ll put in Carmelo’s 42 against Utah, but we all know that pales to the greatness we saw on the diamond and on the ice.

[poll id="5"]

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What a way to start a crucial hockey game with major playoff implications.

At 6:45 of the 1^st Period, the Coyotes’ Derek Morris put a tipped shot wide of the net through a heavy screen.  Colorado’s Kyle Cumiskey, skating towards the net with his stick on the ice, barely saw the puck as it deflected off his stick and into the Avs’ net for a Phoenix Goal.

That’s hockey Karma for you.

The Avalanche induced two own-goals from the Kings in two games this week, and puck-luck only goes your way for so long.  To start such a big game out with such a bad break seems a bit cruel though.

A Hooking penalty on Brett Clark less than a minute later threatened to put the Avalanche in a two-goal hole early.  Phoenix has been on an incredible run in the last two weeks.  The Coyotes have gone from scrapping with the likes of Colorado & Los Angeles for playoff position to jockeying with top-seeds like Vancouver & San Jose.

Turns out it was the Avs’ turn to get lucky.

A good clearing pass on the Penalty Kill turned into an odd-man rush and a shorthanded chance.  Three Avalanche players skated circles around a tired Phoenix Power Play unit in the Coyotes zone just long enough for Kevin Porter to unload a looping shot through a sea of bodies from the point.  The puck came about head-high and started to drop through the slot, but tipped off a Phoenix defender’s right shoulder and fluttered past Ilya Bryzgalov for a Colorado Goal.

Kevin Porter, you may remember, was the forgotten player in the trade that sent Wojtek Wolski to Phoenix and brought Peter Meuller to Colorado.  Porter initially was slated to end up in Lake Erie, but was called to NHL action as the Avalanche endured more injuries at the forward positions.

The Avalanche finished out the PK with strong defense, and generated a Power Play of their own a few minutes later.  In what could have been another twisted turn of fortunes, Phoenix took a Neutral Zone turnover right at Craig Anderson.  Craigers was having none of it, and deflected a shot posted to the top right corner with what could best be described as a champion-quick shrug of his shoulder.

The remainder of the 1st Period through the first part of the second kept a playoff pace.

This close to hockey’s Second Season, nothing comes easy working in the Offensive Zone.  That was especially true for the Avalanche leading into the Coyotes’ next two scores.  Colorado generated a number of good scoring chances in the Phoenix end, but couldn’t make them count.

Then a 3 on 3 break the other way for Phoenix devolved into a screened shot for ex-Av Wolski.  Good for a Phoenix Goal.  The Avalanche were spending more time on offense, but it was transition play that turned the tide.

The 2-1 lead for the Coyotes came at 6:25 of the 2^nd, and it only took three more minutes to make it a 3-1 lead.  Again, the Avalanche were playing solid hockey, but a seemingly harmless shot from Taylor Pyatt tucked itself inside the near post for another Phoenix Goal.

Phoenix knew better than to back off up by 2 goals.

The Avalanche are as dangerous as any team in the league playing from behind.  The Coyotes maintained an excellent flow from shift to shift right up to the closing minute of the 2^nd Period, but Colorado never quieted down.  The Avs continued to fight hard and that transitioned to good Offensive Zone possessions.

Colorado’s 2^nd line had been their most dangerous all night long, and with 0:33 left Matt Duchene put a beautiful feed into the slot from behind the Phoenix net.  The Coyotes somehow lost track of veteran Avalanche forward Milan Hejduk on the play, and The Duke took the pass and put it past Bryzgalov’s glove to narrow the deficit to 2-3.  Colorado Goal

The Avalanche came out strong in the final frame, determined to get at least one point out of a key road game.  Colorado generated some great offensive energy, highlighted by back-to-back scoring chances for the 2^nd & 1^st lines.   Then, as is too often the case in the NHL, a bumbling referee changed the course of the game.

Chris Stewart tossed a nice backhand on net from the high slot, and Paul Stastny slammed at rebounds until the puck slid out to the left of the crease.  The referee, behind the net and with the worst possible view on the play, blew his whistle believing that the puck had been frozen.  The ensuing faceoff was won by Colorado, but Phoenix had a pick play planned off the win.  A 2 on 1 developed, and Lee Stempniak put a gorgeous shot past Craig Anderson to renew the 2 score advantage.  Phoenix Goal

Increasingly, NHL referees have been overly aggressive with their whistles when the puck is in the crease.

The logic is that the league is trying to protect vulnerable goaltenders with players crashing the net around them, but referees have proven themselves to be selective in the role of protector.  What was a whistle for veteran goalie Bryzgalov would not have been a freeze for Anderson, and hasn’t been throughout the season.  Anderson has seen more than his share of dangerous situations as a result with players piling on top of him and the puck clearly underneath his pads.

This time, the premature freeze took the Avalanche off a clear advantage against worn-out Phoenix defenders, and allowed the Coyotes to disrupt five solid minutes of Colorado domination.  In a game predicated largely on the flow of play, such a careless whistle spelled doom for the Avalanche.

The Avs skated hard for the next 10 minutes of game play, again generating chances but having no luck solving very active Phoenix defense.  A late Power Play resulted in another Stempniak score.  Phoenix Goal for a 2-5 lead.

An empty-net Phoenix Goal with a minute and a half left made the final score 3-6 Phoenix.

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The Avalanche have played two games against the LA Kings this season.  Both were played in Los Angeles where the Kings have dominated all year.  Now the Kings come to Colorado for the first of two games in Denver.

The first game in the season series was a 0-3 Avalanche loss going into the Olympic break.  The whole team had a bad game from Craig Anderson to a sluggish attack incapable of holding the offensive zone.  The second game, played on Monday night, was a much more even affair despite the Avalanche playing tired in the 3rd period after a rough blowout loss the night before at Anaheim.  An even game through 3 netted the Avalanche a point before the Kings simply overwhelmed an exhaused Colorado squad in OT.

That history in mind, the Avalanche came into this game needing two points and a win against a fellow playoff team.  (Not to mention the sardine-can tight Western Conference playoff field.)  So a goal by the Avalanche’s fourth line in the opening half of the 1st Period was as crucial as any score this season.

The Kings tied the game on a goal by Anze Kopitar at the half-way mark in the first to tie it up, and despite a 3-1 Avalanche lead to close out the opening frame you got the feeling that this would be another back-and-forth game.  The Kings confirmed that fact with a PP goal in the first 0:20 of the third period.

In fact, the rest of the third saw equal scoring chances for each team going into the final five minutes.  That was roughly when the Kings kicked up their game about three notches, eliciting a a penalty just inside the three-minute mark.  LA continued pressing, eventually pulling their goaltender to create a 6 on 4 advantage with a minute and a half remaining.  The results were almost instantaneous, as a high shot deflected twice to find its way into the Avalanche net.  OT time again for LA & CO.

Flash back to two nights ago when the Avalanche tied the game at 3 with seven seconds remaining in the final period.  Even if Colorado couldn’t find their legs in the Overtime, it was a big goal to grab a single point on the road.  The late-game Alexander Frolov goal to knot it at 3 was just as big for the Kings on Wednesday night.  Both of these teams are in the thick of that tight West playoff race, and it showed in every highly-contested minute of both games.

Los Angeles took their high 3rd Period energy into the Overtime, pressing all four skaters into the Avalanche zone with impressive determination.  As a result, the Avalanche got a number of rush chances, but never pressed more than three players on the attack.  Colorado seemed confident in its ability to either generate the game-winning goal on the rush, or outscore the Kings in the Shootout.

Shootout Recap:

CO-Hejduk: Save

LA-Kopitar: Save

CO-Mueller: Goal

LA-Johnson: Goal

CO-Stewart: Goal

LA-Smyth: Save (by the post)

As tight a game as you’ll see between evenly-matched teams, and an entertaining reminder that the Stanley Cup Playoffs are just around the corner.

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This game was a battle for 6^th & 7^th in the Western Conference, and both teams knew it.  Los Angeles & Colorado came out to play, with the game featuring lots of give ‘n take play to go with tit-for-tat scoring.

On a night when the Avalanche needed two points badly to make up for a couple of bad games in a row, they fought hard the whole game through.  The contest was what you would expect of two teams battling for position going into the Stanley Cup playoffs.

The 1^st Period was played in stretches of offensive dominance.  A back-and-forth dual of puck control and disciplined defense was punctuated by rare scoring chances.  Neither team won great battles, and the Avalanche only scored the first goal thanks to a lucky bounce.

Christ Stewart tried a diagonal pass towards the opposite corner of the net from his position at the top of the left circle.  A Kings defenseman tried to deflect the puck wide, and instead put it past goalie Jonathan Quick for what amounted to an own-goal.

The Avalanche got the next big break too, but failed to capitalize.  Quick put himself out of position behind the net, made an ill-advised pass up ice, and TJ Galiardi intercepted.  Faced with an open net except for the goalie’s outstretched stick, Galiardi put the puck high and wide of everything.  The hockey gods frown on such an obvious chance break a game open on unfriendly ice, and the Avalanche committed a penalty moments later.  A tic-tac-toe goal followed on the Power Play, with the toe being ex-Av Ryan Smyth.

A 1-1 tie out of the opening period in LA is nothing to be ashamed of… unless you had a chance to go up 2-0 on a freebie by the goaltender.  TJ didn’t look quite right the rest of the game, making a number of defensive errors and virtually disappearing on offense.

The 2nd Period was played almost entirely in neutral ice.  Neither team could gain a lengthy foothold in the opponent’s zone… except for an extended play on a defensive zone turnover behind the Colorado net.  The Kings’ Wayne Simmonds skated out as Avalanche defender Brett Clark watched from in front of the crease and tucked a backhand between Craig Anderson’s legs for the go-ahead goal.

Period three was played much looser than the previous two.  Each offense took turns taking open shots on Anderson & Quick.  The Avalanche finally turned one of their many breakaways into a goal when Peter Mueller to a great pass through the Neutral Zone from Milan Hejduk and slotted it home just inside the right post.  The 2-2 tie lasted just five minutes, and an attempted pass across the Colorado crease from Ryan Smyth ended up in the net.  That evened out the two teams in the lucky-break department, and Smyth netted his second goal of the game.

The Avalanche dominated much of the rest of the period, but expended entirely too much energy in doing so.  In the last five minutes, Colorado looked sluggish by comparison to the Kings, and Los Angeles got more chances than the Avalanche despite playing defensive-minded hockey.  The Kings’ puck-possession style trapped Colorado in their own zone until just outside the 1:00 mark when a puck over the glass stopped play.

The Avalanche won the faceoff, and despite their apparent exhaustion managed to skate free long enough to get Anderson to the bench.  Los Angeles was still winning most of the possession battles, but the Avalanche continued to narrowly avoid an empty-net chance for Kings.  With 0:10 left, Paul Stastny entered the zone off a Peter Mueller pass, deked twice to Quick’s left, and forced a shot that slid to the middle of the crease.  TJ Galiardi, crashing the net with all the passion of a would-be hero, slammed the rebound home over the prone Jonathan Quick just as LA defenders slammed him to the ice.

The resulting Overtime was all Los Angeles.  The Avalanche were clearly out of energy after a rough game the night before in Anaheim, and a physical three periods versus the Kings.  Ruslan Salei committed a necessary Cross-checking penalty to stop a goal-scoring chance, and the Kings scored quickly on a screened slap-shot from the point.

In the end, the Avalanche got a single point to stay two ahead of Detroit, and the Kings stayed two steps ahead with two points and a game-in-hand over Colorado.  LA tied Nashville at 89 points, but the Predators have only 9 games left to the Kings’ 11.  That puts the Kings at 5^th and the Predators at 6^th.

With 10 game left, the Avalanche sit at 87 points and within striking distance of both clubs above them.  However, the more pressing matter for Colorado is Detroit in 8^th place with 85 points.

The Red Wings have made a late-season charge back into the playoff field after injuries and issues with consistency kept them below the rest of the very strong West.  Calgary is hovering at 81 points, and do not look poised to make a strong move over Detroit or Colorado.  The Flames have lost the season series to the Avalanche, making Detroit more vulnerable going into the final stretch.

These last ten games are all against top-flight teams (except for a brief respite in Edmonton), and will make for a brutal road to the playoffs.  Unless the Avalanche right the ship, particularly in their six remaining home games, they may see themselves on the outside look in come mid-April.

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Who the heck is Peter Meuller? Has anybody seen Wojtek today?

So let’s address the elephant in the room; Wojtek Wolski for Peter Mueller and Kevin Porter.

The real trade is Wolski for Mueller, Porter is a toss in.  The trade in and of itself makes sense; young Center playing left wing for young Center playing left wing.  The Avalanche get the younger one, the Ducks get the more proven one.  Neither player has quite panned out, so maybe a change of scenery will help both.   Here’s the issue I see…

The Avalanche just gave up their only decent left wing for a player who’s not as good yet.  This is a long-term trade, which says to me that the Avalanche front office and/or coaching staff think this team needs more developing before they can win the big one.  It’s a bitter theory, I know, but it’s the only way everything fits.

The other half of Colorado’s trade deadline movement was fine: a prospect for a prospect & penalty killer.  The Avalanche made that trade with Carolina (in one of the first of many salary dumps in this new capped league).  There will be something satisfying in seeing Stephane Yelle playing in Avalanche burgundy again.

1^st Period.

Paul Stastny’s line gets the opening face off.  The way it should be.

First look at Peter Mueller:  Found himself in a good place on the ice when Matt Duchene won a work-in battle, then took a poor shot and sent it too high.  Wolski definitely takes a better shot, but probably isn’t aggressive enough to chase Duchene into the zone for the play.  Current Trade Advantage: it’s a tie.

Paul Stastny Holds the stick of Cory Perry 2:00 Minute Penalty.

1^st Five Minutes are slightly favoring the play of Anaheim.  The penalty helps them, but it’s mostly just slow, cautious play by both teams.

No later than I type that the Duck are playing cautious than they pull off two very risky passes and put a wrap-around shot and then a rebound try on Craig Anderson.  Anderson saw the wrap-around coming, and he’s tough to move when he sees a shot and gets set.  Great save.

Avs gave up the one rush I mentioned, and then spent a lot of time at center ice.  Young Peter Mueller even got his first shot as an Av.  Nice Kill.

Avalanche give the Ducks an extended pressure with two Defensive Zone turnovers.  The Avalanche are playing terrible in the Defensive Zone at even strength.

2^nd Five Minutes is all Anaheim, due just as much to miscues by the Avalanche as solid play by Anaheim.  Anaheim stepped up the tempo at the perfect time to catch the Avalanche sleeping and earned two shots while the Avalanche handed two more shots to the Ducks with poor puck handling.

Avalanche put together a good rush up the middle that forces a Hooking Penalty by Brett Festerling 2:00 Minute Penalty

Well that was a boring Power Play.  Colorado registered zero shots, and the best chance came on a shot wide by Anaheim after a turnover at center ice.  Kill.

Cody McLoud gets nabbed on a bad penalty.  Just got his stick wrapped underneath a Duck’s armpit against the boards.  2:00 Minute Penalty.

3^rd Five Minutes leans toward Anaheim again.  They are simply outskating the Avalanche in the open ice.  I wonder if the extra two days off after the Olympics are helping the Ducks’ Olympians.

Ducks somehow get a three-on-one breakaway.  Great save Anderson.

Jason Blake all alone left side behind Anderson.  Wrap-around near side.  I don’t know how he got underneath Anderson’s pad but he did.  PP Goal, Anaheim 1-0. Colorado had decent position on the play.  Craig has to make that save.

Ryan Carter and Darcy Tucker trade some roughing penalties.  2:00 Minutes Four on Four.

The Ducks have full control of the action right now, but aren’t really taking control of the game.  They are more just pushing the puck around and letting the Avalanche chase.  Some good news though; the open ice because of the four-on-four finds the Avalanche skating better.

Final Five Minutes are pretty evenly played, minus the PP Goal.  I got the sense that something had changed after the goal was scored.  I couldn’t tell if the Duck let up a little or if the Avalanche picked it up a little, or both.  But the Avalanche are skating better.

End Period.

Take away one bad penalty by McLoud and the Avalanche are probably in a 0-0 tie right now, but dems the breaks.

Peter Mueller hasn’t distinguished himself yet, but shows promise.

The Avalanche ,more than anything, need to find some energy.  I don’t know why a team with 17 players who got 2 weeks off is having trouble with energy, but that’s the problem right now.

2^nd Period.

The Avalanche are playing awfully cautiously for a team that’s down by a goal.  More than a few passes backward in the Neutral zone, and a couple dumps in the zone for some line changes.

Adam Foote has his stick break at the point, gives up a breakaway to Bobby Ryan.  Ryan goes wrist shot from 15 feet to the glove side.  Andy remains calm and makes the save.

Neutral Zone turnover gives the puck to Saku Koivu on the left side boards with the Ducks in better position.  Koivu works in and passes to Blake in the Left circle.  John-Michael Liles lays out but can’t stretch quite far enough.  Blake to Teemu Selanne on the right side and Andy had no shot.  Goal Anaheim 2-0. Refs missed two Anaheim players waaaaaaay offside on the entry into Colorado’s zone.

1^st Five Minutes belong to the Duck again.  Though the game is beginning to tighten up.  This is the second game in a row the Avalanche have started slowly and will need to overcome a deficit.  Maybe they’ll finish the comeback this time.

Matt Hendricks works it in on the left side boards against Sheldon Brookbank.  A failed stick check gives up defensive position and draw a slash. 2:00 Minute Penalty.

Duchene ends up with the puck off the opening faceoff, drives right side, dishes to Stastny down low, Jonas Hiller must go to the ice to stop Stastny, pass along to Chris Stewart, wide open net goal. PP Goal Anahiem 2-1 Smart puck movement by the Avs, pretty play.

2^nd Five Minutes is the first solid chunk of the game the Avalanche were playing the better brand of hockey.  They could still use a bit more energy, but great puck movement especially in the Neutral Zone.

Kyle Chipcurra and Ryan Wilson meet head behind the net.  Chippurra wanted to fight, Wilson was having none of it.  Chippurra dropped the gloves, Wilson skated away.  Enter Matt Hendricks, and Chippurra gets his fight, 5 minutes for him and Hendricks.

The Avalanche have taken control of the game now, but Hiller is still an elite goaltender.  Highway robbery on Duchene right in front of the net.

The Ducks ice the puck, Mike Brown decides to put Ruslan Salei into the boards for making the icing official.  2:00 Minute Penalty for Roughing

3^rd Five Minutes have the Avalanche looking like they plan on winning this game.  They dominate the play entirely in the Neutral zone and are getting some good chances.

Clear attempt by the Ducks on the power play.  Liles lays out and this time it works, brilliant Keep in.  Mueller puts in on net and Stastny tips it down.  Goal Tied 2-2. Mueller has a decent shot from the point and Stastny is a threat to score at any time, but this goal belongs to a diving Liles keeping the play alive at the blue line.

Crazy little play in front Anderson: no one could get a handle on the puck and in the chaos Anaheim’s Blake hooks somebody.  I don’t know, I didn’t see it, but there certainly was a lot of contact and a lot of sticks moving bodies.  2:00 Minute Penalty.

Avs are showing signs of taking their foot off the pedal.  They’ve move the free skater on the PP back to the line.  Maybe they are content to come out a short PP in the 3^rd period, maybe they feel confident about the game overall and just want to kill the period.  But you can’t let Anaheim get any momentum back.

Final Five Minutes feature a solid goal-scoring PP by the Avalanche, and the first half of a (so-far) weak PP by the Avs.  Anaheim is skating with a bit more fire after giving up the lead.  The Avalanche need to realize the gamble they take by letting this Ducks team find their legs again.

End Period Tied 2-2

Right up until the second Anaheim goal, the Duck were playing worse and worse while the Avalanche were playing better and better.   But now that the Avalanche have tied it, Anaheim is showing signs of life while the Avalanche are regressing.   If things continue as they are, it will be very close.

The Avalanche need to focus on the things that got them back into the game to put this thing away.   Press the issue in the Neutral Zone and good puck movement in the Offensive Zone.    Defensively, Colorado still looks pretty good.

3^rd Period.

First good chance of the 3^rd is Anaheim’s; wrap-around left to right, Andy dives across the crease to make a fingertip save.  It could be a game-changing save.

Avs and Ducks trading 20-30 second pressures on each other with no shots.

Stewart works in right side all alone on Steve Eminger of the Ducks.  Eminger is simply no match for Stewart one-on-one and get his stick tangled up in the Stewarts legs going for the puck. 2:00 Minute Penalty.

Anaheim wins the faceoff and Mueller trying to get back in front of Todd Marchant gets his stick underneath Marchant’s skate.  2:00 Minute Penalty. Four-on-four play coming up.

Anaheim is skating much better in the open ice now.  The Avalanche look lost in the Neutral Zone.

1^st Five Minutes are slightly favoring Anaheim again.  To the Avalanche’s credit they are restricting Anaheim’s shooting chances.

Avs get a lucky bounce and get a two-on-one. Matt Duchene takes the shot himself and on the rebound Eminger put the puck over the glass for a delay of game.  Bad Penalty.  2:00 Minute Penalty.

Paul Stastny and Chris Stewart with some nice movement through the Neutral Zone work the puck in, Stewart shot saved, Duchene picked up the rebound and finishes what he started.  Stewie skates right to left in front through traffic, Goal Avalanche 3-2. First lead of the game.

70 seconds later Galiardi picks off a drop pass, shoots, saved, rebound, score.  Goal 4-2 Avs Avalanche have taken control.

2^nd Five Minutes are the Avalanche victory minutes.  Two goals.

Chris Durno pretty blatant Holding the Stick on Scott Neidermeyer.  2:00 Minute Penalty

Avs playing solid Penatly Kill, the puck is spending most of the time along the boards.

As the PP expires, Salei puts his stick into Blakes head and draws blood.  4:00 Minute Penalty. Nice Kill but now the Avalanche have to play 6 straight minutes man down.

3^rd Five Minutes belong to the Ducks.  That’s what happens when you give up three penalties.

Anaheim is throwing everything at the net.  They know that, down two goals, this is it.  Andy is having the type of game the Avalanche needed him to have.

Halfway through the double-minor, Neidermeyer drives the red line from the right side, just throws the puck out in front and it deflects in off Scott Hannan’s skate.  Goal 4-3 Avs. Ducks want to make a game of it.

Avs predictably playing trap down the stretch, nothing quite like the victory defense.

Hiller is gone with 1:11 to go in the game.

Final Five Minutes of the game, Ducks understandably pressing the action but can’t mount the amazing comeback.

End Game.  Avalanche Defeat Ducks 4-3.

This game was decided on two factors.

1. When you’re goaltender is hot, you win.  Craig stood on his head tonight.  Two of the goals he could do nothing about and the third was a PP goal on a pretty bad penalty.

2. It doesn’t matter who plays better longer, it matters who makes it count.  The Ducks were in control for most of the game, but they couldn’t get the puck in the net.  The Avalanche played a slow game by their standards, but when they had momentum they made the Ducks pay.

Congrats to Mueller on his first Avalanche goal.  (Apparently, I think Stastny tipped it, but for now Mueller has the Goal.)  I saw promise when Mueller jumped up into plays well, and he didn’t make any mistakes.  So far the trade looks good.

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Colorado Avalanche vs New York Rangers

Coming off of twin 2-3 road losses, both of these teams are in desperate need of a win this evening to keep their playoff aspirations alive.

For the Rangers, a loss last night in Phoenix knocked them from 8^th to 12^th in the East.  New York scored two goals in the third, but couldn’t overcome the three-goals put up in the first by the Coyotes.  The drop left the Rangers amongst a pile of four teams with 55 points, with Drury and the boys on the bottom having played more games.

For the Avalanche, a 2-3 loss in Dallas would have hurt less had they taken care of business in a 0-1 loss the night before versus the Minnesota Wild.  Now the Avs need a win just to stay in the middle of the pack in the West, their consecutive losses having knocked them from 3^rd to 6^th.  The Avalanche have the advantage of having a day’s rest to go with home ice.

I like the Avs to start seeing some generous bounces, as the last two games have featured a remarkable streak of bad luck.  Colorado has been playing good defense, and their offense is getting to the net but failing to finish the deal.  Look for Craig Anderson to have another stellar game, as he has looked like a top-five goaltender in the new year.

PREDICTION:  AVALANCHE 4, RANGERS 2

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The Western Conference is so tight right now that Nashville lost a game in Phoenix last night and dropped from fourth place to sixth place.  At 61 points on 50 games, the Predators are now three points from being out of the playoff field.  That’s a few bad games between the top half of the playoff seeds and the outside looking in.  Tight.

Fresh off of that loss, the Predators will trek wearily into Denver and face a well-rested Avalanche team for the second half of their back-to-back road swing.  As desperate as the Preds may be for a win, Nashville would need an outstanding performance to knock off the Avs.

Colorado is very much embroiled in the same close race.  The Avalanche are anything but comfortable at third in the West.  They have 62 points on 49 games, with Vancouver and Phoenix breathing down their necks in the division and conference respectively.  The only thing to do is keep winning, and that is just what the Avs will do.

PREDICTION:  AVALANCHE 4, PREDATORS 2

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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 30^th @ 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:  AVALANCHE 5, SENATORS 3

Thu, Dec 31^st @ 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:  AVALANCHE 2, RED WINGS 1 (OT)

Sat, Jan 2^nd @ 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:  AVALANCHE 4, COLUMBUS 1

WEEK 12 PREDICTION:  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.  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.

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The Duke looks as good as ever this season

After a brief break to visit Minnesota, the Avalanche will take an effective continuation of their five-game two-week-long homestand into the Christmas break after two more home games this week.

The first comes tonight after a mostly solid road win over the Minnesota Kryptonites last night.  The Kryptonites have had the Avs’ number all season, tallying two regulation wins and two shootout wins over the ‘Lanche.  But a strong outing from the Avalanche’s muckers (led by the eternally rough ‘n tumble Adam Foote) ended with a 4-3 victory over the Wild… I mean Kryptonites… I mean those guys whose equipment caught on fire Friday night.

So, despite a horrible rout at the hands of the East-best Washington Capitals one week ago, the Avalanche now hold a four-point lead over the Calgary Flames in the Northwest Division race.  Colorado has also played three fewer games to date, so they will need to keep winning to keep their lead over the latter half of the season.

Here we go Avalanche… two wins in a lightly scheduled week, and the second half of the season starts looking very, very manageable.

Tue, Dec 22^nd vs Anaheim Mighty Ducks (8:00 MST)

A nice late start for the Avalanche the night after a hard-fought game in Minneapolis.  I don’t expect the Avalanche to be especially tired from their only road game in two weeks of play, so this one will be a straight matchup with home ice thrown in for the Avs.

The Ducks are not as bad as their .500 record, and have actually been enjoying a successful road swing after stinking up their home ice for much of the season.  They are also the kind of team that gives the Avalanche fits; they focus on puck possession, defense & goaltending before offense and transition play.

Still, this is not the Anaheim team of seasons past, and their defense has been exploited on-and-off all season long.  The bottom line says that the Avalanche win a close game at home, but I have a bad feeling about this matchup.  Decisions, decisions…

PREDICTION:  AVALANCHE 2, DUCKS 1

Sat, Dec 26^th vs Dallas Stars (7:30 MST)

Nearing the halfway mark in the 2009-2010 season, the Avalanche will play their first of four games against these Dallas Stars, and it is difficult to know what to expect.

The Stars are battling in the toughest division in hockey.  Preseason favorites to trade blows with the Sharks for tops in the Pacific, Dallas now trails San Jose, Phoenix and Los Angeles by 5+ points.  Only Anaheim’s rocky season has stopped them from sinking to the bottom of their division.

And yet a high level of parody in the NHL dictates that anybody can beat anybody.  So the Avalanche had better watch out for a Stars team that still boasts a great goaltender (Marty Turco) and a capable offense… even if their defense has left for colder climates.

I like the Avalanche to invent a win in their 40^th game of the 82-game season, and I expect style points to be handed out to both teams by the end of the night.

PREDICTION:  AVALANCHE 5, STARS 4 (OT)

WEEK 12 PREDICTION:  2-0

**Bonus Coverage**

Look out World, the Avs are healthy!!

I typed that entire title line with one hand while knocking on my wooden desk with the other.  Why?  Because I am absurdly superstitious when it comes to injuries, and because… well… I get especially nervous when the Avs’ injury report only lists one player.

Marek Svatos is still day-to-day with an injured groin, but will likely <knock> <knock> <knock> return to the ice after the Christmas break.

Milan Hedjuk returned from injury to lead the Avalanche over the visiting Blue Jackets on Saturday night.  He logged two assists and a late goal in that effort.  By Monday night in Minnesota The Duke looked like Milan of Old as he tucked a flawless shot in between the post and the outstretched skate of Wild goaltender Niklas Backstrom.

With so few injury issues <knock> <knock> to worry about <knock>, Colorado can focus on doing the most with the impressive array of talent they have gathered over the offseason and throughout this regular season.  The injury bug of 2009 led to call-ups from Lake Erie that have given this team speed and edge (though intermittently) over the course of the first half of the season.

And so the Avalanche prepare for a run at the playoffs with team <knock> intact and rookies <knock> rolling.

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Alexander Ovechkin & Jose Theodore will make a rare appearance at Pepsi Center on Tuesday night

The ebb and flow of the injury report saw Avalanche goalie Craig Anderson return to the ice just in time for Milan Hejduk and Marek Svatos to sit out as day-to-day scratches.  Ruslan Salei is worse-off than initial reports suggested, and there is no definitive timeline for Kyle Cumiskey’s return.

And yet the Avalanche keep on winning!

They logged a comeback victory over the Lightning, and another (!!!) regulation smiting of the division-rival Calgary Flames.  That the Avalanche cannot beat the lesser three teams in the Northwest is… puzzling at best.  The Avs laid another egg at home versus the Wild, failing to score despite an outstanding effort from Peter Budaj.

However, knocking off the Flames three times in three tries with a trio of three-to-two victories (two of them at Calgary) has the Avalanche alone atop the division nearing the halfway point in the season.

Calgary will have its chance to catch up to Colorado, but not right away.  The Avalanche have played three more games than the Flames and only lead by two points, but both teams have a light schedule this week.

The Avs’ mini-break from Tuesday to Saturday couldn’t have come at a better time for this injury-depleted squad as they gear up for a nasty stretch of games to close out 2010.

Tue, Dec 15th vs Washington Capitals (7:30 MST)

There are a lot of intriguing story lines for this game…

The best team in the East meets the third-best in the West.  Alexander Ovechkin brings his awe-inspiringly great game to Pepsi Center.  And Jose Theodore will likely make the start for the Capitals in his first return to Denver since being slapped around by Detroit in the second round of the 2007 playoffs.

Not that Colorado fans hold anything against Jose (except maybe his exorbitant salary.)  He played really well in every other game in the regular season, and was a stud in two first-round playoff victories over the Dallas Stars (2006) and the Minnesota Wild (2007).

But now Theodore is in a time-share with Semyon Varlamov in Washington.  He isn’t as quick as he once was, and one can assume that he still takes mid-game naps that lead to cheap goals for the opposing team.

I’d rather see Varlamov in this one, because I know how good a motivated Theodore can be.  We can assume that Caps head coach Bruce Boudreau knows this as well, even if Varlamov is clearly the more talented goaltender in any given game.  (I once suggested that the Avs should trade Jose for a bag of peanuts.  Read this recent Caps blog on trading Jose for a bag of pucks.)

No matter who starts in net for the Caps, their Defense is the real liability.  Home ice will likely decide this one in favor of the Avs, but a hot goaltender for either side is just as likely to swing the contest.  I like the Avs in a high-scoring thrilla.

PREDICTION:  AVALANCHE 5, CAPITALS 4

Sat, Dec 19^th vs Columbus Blue Jackets (7:00 MST)

The Avs nipped the Jackets 3-2 in Columbus in the teams’ only meeting this season on December 5^th.  I see no reason to believe that the Jackets will fare any better this time around.

Peter Budaj started that game for the Avalanche, and I would love to see him start this game as well.  Budaj proved in Craig Anderson’s injury-induced absence that he is up to the task of defeating fair-to-middling teams.  And as fellow PSC writer Dan Olson wrote recently, the most glaring error committed by the Colorado coaching staff this season has been not resting Anderson enough with stand-out backup Budaj readily available.

Either goalie would be a worthy opponent for Blue Jackets goaltender Steve Mason, but the Avs are buzzing on offense right now and Columbus just doesn’t have the firepower to keep up.

PREDICTION:  AVALANCHE 3, BLUE JACKETS 1

Mon, Dec 21^st @ Minnesota Wild (6:00 MST)

As sick as I am of watching this team lose to the lowly Wild, the Avs themselves must be twice as disgusted.  The Wild have beaten the Avalanche four times in four tries, and those losses account for a sizeable chunk of Colorado’s losses this season.

The Avalanche players and coaches know that they have to go into Minnesota next Monday and find a way to win.  I offer this helpful hint: hold on to the &*@#$% puck!

The Wild only do one thing well, and that is puck possession.  They are the Avs’ kryptonite for that reason alone.  The Avalanche like to run with their controlled chaos/neutral zone super-speed style on offense, and a good possession team like the Wild can be very disruptive so long as they keep the play in front of their defenders.

In the defensive end the Avalanche do well unless its opponent can cycle endlessly until something opens up.  Enter the Wild, whose only offensive play goes roughly “cycle, cycle, cycle, throw the puck to Andrew Brunette or Mikko Koivu.”

Enough is enough Avs.  Let’s beat these bottom-feeders!  Discipline dammit!

PREDICTION:  AVALANCHE 2, WILD 1 (SO)

WEEK 9 PREDICTION:  3-0

**Bonus Coverage**

Remember the name ‘Stoa’

Ryan Stoa was not supposed to play for the Avalanche until next year, but the NHL has no script except “win, win, win”.  Stoa’s NHL career has been accelerating towards his first start (in Sunday’s win over Calgary) for two years.

It all began with the Avalanche drafting the young power forward in the second round of the 2005 NHL draft.  After a standout year with the NCAA Minnesota Gophers, Stoa is looking like a second-round steal of first-round talent.

A rash of injuries for the Avalanche contributed to Ryan being called up last week from the Avs’ AHL affiliate team, the Lake Erie Monsters.  More than that, though, there is the noteworthy (and awesome) philosophy practiced by this new Colorado coaching staff; young talent should develop in an NHL environment.

Remember that head coach Joe Sacco coached the Monsters before being called up to the big leagues himself in the offseason.  And while he may have only coached Ryan briefly (Stoa decided to forgo a fifth season at Minnesota in favor of signing with Colorado in March,) Sacco certainly maintains close ties within the Monsters franchise.

Ryan Stoa will follow Matt Duchene and Ryan O’Reilly to the Avs, and will be the old man of the 2009-2010 rookie class at 22 years of age.  Despite less NHL experience than Duchene or O’Reilly, Stoa should make a similarly impressive impact.  He logged 24 goals and 22 assists with the Gophers last season, and is a noted on-ice leader.  Welcome to the bigs, young Master Stoa, and best of luck to ye.

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