Who saw that coming? If you said "me" YOU LIE! The kids look great, the goalie is as smooth as freshly Zambonied ice both in the net and in interviews. Unreal.
I almost forgot I had this blog, but now that there is something to blog about again... game on.
Cam
Cool link: http://community.post-gazette.com/blogs/radicalmiddle/archive/2009/10/01/there-s-something-about-hockey.aspx
Damn it Joe...
When it snows it pours? WTF with Joe using a snowblower. I know it moves itself and all he has to do is walk with it... but really why is Joe doing his own snow removal. I know he is a down to earth guy and all, but with a bum back you don't need to be out in the cold on sliperry walks. Skating on ice does not mean you never catch a patch of ice in your slippers that you were not ready for. By now, Joe has got to be thinking "I should have retired" and maybe just maybe that is true. But there is now way he can let the season go down like this. This is not have a hall of fame hockey player goes out. And what about Forsberg? Isn't this about the time he was supposed to be comeing back, on not playing ever again. I love the both of them, but never has it seemed like a better time for the future Joes and Peters to step up and start to take the wheel for the Avs. Luckily, I think we are seeing that in small doeses with Stasney and surprisingly Wolski as well. Svatos is stepping up but currently hurt (who didn't see that coming) while Budja is playing out of his mind. This is all disfucntioal and inspireing all at the same time.
What a head F,
Wurd!
What a head F,
Wurd!
Greatest Photos In Hockey History
Greatest Hockey Legends.com
has a great post called - Greatest Photos In Hockey History
20 of the best hockey photo's ever.. and really they did pretty good with it. Check it out.
Improve the Avalanche in 3 easy steps
1 - Score some damn goals. The Goal tending is there, but now we can't score a damn goal.
Milan Hejduk is 63rd in the league in shots on goal. He has scored 8 of 51 and played great defense for a forward from game 1. Hejduk is playing great hockey. But, we can't survive on Hejduk alone and that number should be 90 SOG by now. Problem = no one feeding him the puck.
NHL reference stats
Wojtek Wolski is 2nd in the league with 3 shootout goals. Wow! Seems cool but where the hell is the game time scoring? WW needs to attack that damn net or play the role of Hejduk feeder. Set Hejduk up... he'll shoot.
NHL reference stats
It's a sure sign that we have a weak transition game.
2- Keep the Defense just the way it is. No really! True, our D fails at times in really stupid ways, but there seems to be a great moral building and the chemistry among our blue liners is there no matter what the parring is.
3 - Hit! We are not the most talented team in the league anymore. Not by a long shot. The Av's have a tendency to get outplayed by faster, younger and more talented players. So, how do you stop talent.. you SMASH IT. You must finish checks and punish the other teams players for staying in the pocket long enough to make those pretty passes. Piss someone off with a BIG CLEAN HIT. Use the energy to create chances.
There are 600+ players in the league and the Av's have 3 players in the top 100 for hits?Not bad some of you might think. But lets face facts. We cannot dominate on talent these days. We are not a power house like we used to be so we have to do something to offset the amazing talent we face. HIT! McLeod is the only guy on our energy/crash line in the top 100. Followed by Tucker and Salei? Is this really enough?
Our top hitters:
54th in hits - Cody McLeod COL (energy/crash line)
78th in hits - Darcy Tucker COL (2nd or 3rd line role player)
95th in hits - Ruslan Salei COL (at home D man)
Milan Hejduk is 63rd in the league in shots on goal. He has scored 8 of 51 and played great defense for a forward from game 1. Hejduk is playing great hockey. But, we can't survive on Hejduk alone and that number should be 90 SOG by now. Problem = no one feeding him the puck.
NHL reference stats
Wojtek Wolski is 2nd in the league with 3 shootout goals. Wow! Seems cool but where the hell is the game time scoring? WW needs to attack that damn net or play the role of Hejduk feeder. Set Hejduk up... he'll shoot.
NHL reference stats
It's a sure sign that we have a weak transition game.
2- Keep the Defense just the way it is. No really! True, our D fails at times in really stupid ways, but there seems to be a great moral building and the chemistry among our blue liners is there no matter what the parring is.
3 - Hit! We are not the most talented team in the league anymore. Not by a long shot. The Av's have a tendency to get outplayed by faster, younger and more talented players. So, how do you stop talent.. you SMASH IT. You must finish checks and punish the other teams players for staying in the pocket long enough to make those pretty passes. Piss someone off with a BIG CLEAN HIT. Use the energy to create chances.
There are 600+ players in the league and the Av's have 3 players in the top 100 for hits?Not bad some of you might think. But lets face facts. We cannot dominate on talent these days. We are not a power house like we used to be so we have to do something to offset the amazing talent we face. HIT! McLeod is the only guy on our energy/crash line in the top 100. Followed by Tucker and Salei? Is this really enough?
Our top hitters:
54th in hits - Cody McLeod COL (energy/crash line)
78th in hits - Darcy Tucker COL (2nd or 3rd line role player)
95th in hits - Ruslan Salei COL (at home D man)
Wolski pulls a Forsberg!
Well that was timely. True, Wolski had been contributing to the team in other ways but Svatos was pretty much just filling a spot for the previous 5 games. He was doing all the right things but just didn't have the magic. So maybe, just maybe this is the spark that gets him scorching the league again. He is an opportunist in front of the net and a the fastest hands in the west with that top shelf snap shot of his. The thing is, he needs the opportunity and he needs the confidence to let if fly. So here's hoping. As for Wolski, WOW. Where does he come up with these moves. He must be extremely difficult to read as a goalie. Just when a goalie was going to toss his own trick book at him he pulls out a Forsberg. If EA sports is looking for perfect motion capture subject for shoot outs... call Wolski up!
Fianlly has luck on his side. Budaj was beat badly by a great move from Sedin who might think about getting that stick length checked.. looked like he was heeling it there but when he needed it he got lucky. All and all it was good game from some guys who really needed to have a good game.
Wurd!
Who shot the Sheriff?
Scott Parker was "let go" today. Turns out he didn't want to show up for work and like the rest of us chumps... he got his ass fired! I can't say if its much of a loss because I have not seen him play at all this season after getting a concussion in a preseason fight. Still, how bad does it have to be to not want to play hockey? So I went to the source NHL.com to see what the latest news was on old Parksie... and well.
"This page may have moved, is no longer available, is in the penalty box, or we have a problem with our web site, sorry."
I guess that says it all.
Here's to you old buddy.
"This page may have moved, is no longer available, is in the penalty box, or we have a problem with our web site, sorry."
I guess that says it all.
Here's to you old buddy.
1-0 game? Strangely I think this is just what the Avalanche needed
1-0 game? Strangely I think this is just what the Avalanche needed. The team played great D and when need, the goal tending was there. This is how it should be ever game. Most of the top goalies in the league see the puck a lot less than our net minders.
Lets face it.. we got lucky on our one and only goal. Hensick tossed a little off-speed, curve-ball of a pass that just landed on Tucker's stick. But hey, a goal is a goal is a goal.. same goes for a win. I fully expect to win the next 4.. then drop the next 6. Does anyone think that Sakic is more injured than anyone is letting on? I saw give the guy all the time he needs to get healthy. The rest of the guys need to lessen the dependency on him anyway. Its time to become a team and play the system.
Go Av's!
Lets face it.. we got lucky on our one and only goal. Hensick tossed a little off-speed, curve-ball of a pass that just landed on Tucker's stick. But hey, a goal is a goal is a goal.. same goes for a win. I fully expect to win the next 4.. then drop the next 6. Does anyone think that Sakic is more injured than anyone is letting on? I saw give the guy all the time he needs to get healthy. The rest of the guys need to lessen the dependency on him anyway. Its time to become a team and play the system.
Go Av's!
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