SB Nation - Kevin Shattenkirk

Kings Vs. Blues: Video: Jordan Nolan Scores First Career Playoff Goal For Kings

Pete Holby — Sun, 06 May 2012 19:46:17 -0000

Jordan Nolan took an assist from Dustin Penner and put it in net at 4:36 into the first period, giving the Kings a 1-0 lead over the Blues. The Blues were coming from behind net looking to start a drive down the ice when Colin Fraser stuck himself in the middle, causing a scramble on which Penner and Nolan were able to capitalize. The video, behind the jump:

Nolan, a 7th round draft pick in 2009, hasn't seen much action in his rookie season playoffs, averaging under seven minutes on the ice per game. He made it count today, putting a wrist shot past Brian Elliot for his first career playoff goal. The young center played in 26 games from the past season, averaging less than ten minutes per game and managing 2 goals for the season.

The lead would not last, however, as Kevin Shattenkirk would score for the Blues at 11:34 into the first, leaving the game tied 1-1.

Stay tuned to SB Nation Los Angeles' storystream for Blues vs. Kings results, and check out Jewels From The Crown for all your Kings news and analysis.

Cheer Up, Colorado Sports Fans. Erik Johnson Is Awesome!

Muzia — Tue, 22 Feb 2011 19:40:31 -0000

It's been a melancholy weekend for Colorado sports fans. The Colorado Avalanche haven't won a game since January 24. Recently traded goalie Craig Anderson completes a 47-save shutout in his first game with the Ottawa Senators. There was a big trade this weekend, aside from Carmelo Anthony. And of course in their first game, Chris Stewart scores two goals in his St. Louis Blues debut, one assisted by none other than Kevin Shattenkirk.

Oh yeah, and Chauncey Billups was traded.

Look, everyone is a bit sad about the events that transpired this weekend with both teams that play at the Pepsi Center. Need a reason to hope for the future?

I direct your attention to newly-acquired Avalanche defenseman Erik Johnson, a major reason you should believe that success is around the corner once again for Denver sports.

Erik Johnson returns to St. Louis (via adater)

NHL Standings And Avalanche Schedule Preview, February 21

Muzia — Mon, 21 Feb 2011 18:56:20 -0000

The Trade Deadline is nigh! With one week left before the NHL Trade Deadline, the current members of the Colorado Avalanche are playing for their jobs. The trades of Chris Stewart and Kevin Shattenkirk opened eyes everywhere, emphasizing that this is indeed a results-based business. With Colorado winless since January 24, the pressure is on the players to perform.

Before we preview the Avalanche's schedule, let's take a look at a few teams that could be buyers this week prior to the deadline next Monday.

Possible Trade Deadline Buyers:

Dallas Stars -- After spending the entire season leading the Pacific Division -- and proving the experts wrong -- the Stars find themselves on the bottom of the heap and in need of a spark. They are 1-7-1 in their past nine games, with the only win coming in a shootout against Chicago. They are still in playoff contention, but could use an offensive boost via trade. Brad Richards can't carry the entire team, even with the fantastic season he's currently enjoying. Dallas has plenty of cap space to absorb a large contract in trade, and the incentive to pull the trigger.

Pittsburgh Penguins -- The Penguins have seen their star talent decimated by injuries. Evengi Malkin and Sidney Crosby have both missed time, and the team has not come close to matching their contributions. The Penguins don't have much long term flexibility, but could trade for the contract of an offensive player with an expiring contract. Tim Connolly, maybe?

Nashville Predators -- The Predators have formed into a legimate contender for the Stanley Cup this season due to Pekka Rinne's emergence as an elite goalie and a stingy defense playing in front of the net, led by Shea Weber. The Predators have plenty of longterm financial flexibility and may see themselves trading for an impact offensive player before the deadline. A bit more offense makes them a dangerous playoff opponent.

Avalanche Schedule Preview

Tuesday, February 22 @ St. Louis Blues -- This game was originally scheduled for February 1, but a snowstorm that crippled the Midwest forced a postponement. Hockey fans everywhere are counting their blessings now. You may not have heard, but there was a big trade over the weekend between these two teams. It'll be Erik Johnson's homecoming in St. Louis less than 72 hours after being traded. It'll be the first game for Kevin Shattenkirk and Chris Stewart against the team that drafted them. Though Colorado is looking towards a lottery pick in the NHL Entry Draft, this game should be extremely watchable, no matter the outcome.

Wednesday, February 23 Vs. Edmonton Oilers -- After the emotional rollercoaster of Tuesday, Wednesday's game could feel like a letdown with two teams playing out the end of a disappointing season. Instead, it's the home debut for Erik Johnson and Jay McClement. Hopefully, the Pepsi Center faithful give them a warm welcome to Colorado.

Saturday, February 26 @ Los Angeles Kings -- Colorado hasn't seen the Kings since that 5-0 debacle that began this extended losing streak. Jonathan Quick, Anze Kopitar, and co. are determined to make the playoffs this season. Tough matchup for Colorado.

Sunday, February 27 @ Anaheim Ducks -- Anaheim has remained in the middle of the tight Pacific Division for most of the season, but has been vulnerable of late. Star goalie Jonas Hiller is on the Injured Reserve list, and as a result the Ducks have given up an average of seven goals per game in their last three, including a 9-3 manhandling by Chris Stewart and his St. Louis Blues. Needless to say, all three games were losses for the boys in Anaheim. Defense and goaltending may be a concern at the moment, but the Ducks can score. Bobby Ryan, Corey Perry, and the ageless Teemu Selanne have all scored 11+ points for Anaheim in their past 10 games.

The Chris Stewart Trade: Start Of An Avalanche Fire Sale?

Muzia — Sun, 20 Feb 2011 01:05:04 -0000

With last night's stunning news that the Colorado Avalanche have traded Chris Stewart and Kevin Shattenkirk to the St. Louis Blues for defenseman Erik Johnson and forward Jay McClement, Avalanche fans were initially stunned. Stewart had made strides last season and, during the first three months of the season, appeared to fulfil his promise. I even wrote about him as a potential Hart candidate early in the season.

So what happened? How did Stewart turn from "Forward of the Future" into trade bait within a span of two months? Does this signal the start of an Avalanche fire sale?

The short answer? No. Not even close.

Stewart's recent play (two goals in over a month since returning to action) did him no service, but he remains a very talented forward with skill in front of the net. That type of player always has value.

And that's why he was traded. He is a valuable player, and the Avalanche converted that value into Erik Johnson, a defensive player who would have been considered untouchable by the Blues front office a year ago. Johnson was the first overall selection in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft, and for good reason. Take a look at this scouting report:

A powerful skater with a long, smooth stride who has tremendous acceleration in open ice … is very strong on his feet and is an outstanding backward skater who has excellent agility for his size … an offensive minded defenseman who has very good peripheral vision – makes the transition from defense to offense quickly and likes to rush with the puck which results in scoring chances … makes a solid crisp pass accurately, is also very accurate when making the long pass and possesses a hard accurate shot from the point.

Does this sound like any player currently in the Avalanche system? Kevin Shattenkirk -- who was traded alongside Stewart -- is an offensive-minded defenseman, but no one is going to mistake him for a physical presence. Shattenkirk's value lies as a power play quarterback, but he's prone to defensive gaffes. His production is likely replaced by one of several players currently in the Avalanche farm system.

Johnson is different. Though his stock has fallen somewhat since 2006 (he missed the 2008 season after a freak accident with a golf cart. No, seriously.), he is still a big, physical defenseman with significant upside. Any team in the NHL would be happy to acquire him.

Johnson is the type of player that can anchor your blue line for years, and these players do not come cheap. Colorado bought low on a defenseman they would not be able to acquire, and they gave up quite a bit of talent for him. The Avalanche have plenty of forward prospects waiting in the farm (and on the IR), and they dealt from a position of depth to grab a former "untouchable".

This wasn't a fire sale, this was an opportunity. And GM Greg Sherman made it happen.

NHL Standings And Avalanche Schedule Preview, January 24

Muzia — Mon, 24 Jan 2011 16:52:24 -0000

Before we preview the upcoming weekly schedule for the Colorado Avalanche, it's time to take another glance around the Western Conference standings. As of this writing, Colorado is currently in 9th place in the West, out of a playoff spot. Their recent struggles have been well recorded. Perhaps it's time to look up at the teams Colorado needs to pass in order to reach the postseason tournament. Without further ado, I present:

The Incredibly Optimistic Look At The Western Conference Playoff Race! Let's dive right in...

8. San Jose Sharks -- This is a team built around two of the best lines in hockey...and a cliff-dive in production after that. Factor in that they play in the brutal Pacific Division, and San Jose is looking more like the odd team out this year.

7. Chicago Blackhawks -- The reigning Cup champions have had a difficult time building consistency this season, with plenty of player turnover and inconsistent goaltending. Corey Crawford looks to be a decent answer in net (for now), but he's never played a full season worth of games before. Will he hold up?

6. Phoenix Coyotes -- Without a true top offensive threat -- Shane Doan and Keith Yandle don't really count -- Phoenix is riding on the shoulders of Ilya Bryzgalov. Unfortunately, he isn't having one of his standout seasons so far. The Coyotes are the definition of inconsistency, having won four in a row and then immediately dropping three of four.

5. Anaheim Ducks -- All it takes is one team in the Pacific to get hot and the fringe teams like Phoenix, San Jose, and these Anaheim Ducks are in trouble. The Ducks have played at least two more games than anyone else in their division, the only reason they appear so high in these standings. They've had a good January, and goalie Jonas Hiller always gives his team a chance to win, but these Ducks are the definition of league-average in almost every statistical category. They are more of a coin flip to break through to the playoffs than anyone else on this list.

4. Nashville Predators -- The Predators are officially the hottest team in the league, having won 10 of the past 12. Pekka Rinne is a burgeoning star in net, and Nashville is giving Detroit a run for the Central Division crown. But they are a statistical enigma, ranking below average in most categories. Even with the recent surge (and Colorado's month-long slump) the Predators are only six points ahead of the Avalanche. One good week, and the gap is closed.

3. Dallas Stars -- The best (and most surprising) team in a loaded division, Dallas looks to have their playoff ticket punched. Goalie Kari Lehtonen has been stellar, and Mike Richards is having a Hart Trophy-caliber season.

2. Detroit Red Wings -- Detroit has been limping along without two of their top forwards, Pavel Datsyuk and Danny Cleary. Along with a shaky goaltending situation (Nabokov? Really?), Detroit has a hot Nashville team on their tail and may quickly slip out of the division lead.

1. Vancouver Canucks -- No comment.

Colorado Avalanche Schedule Preview

Monday, January 24 Vs. St. Louis Blues -- St. Louis comes to Denver for the last time this regular season, and hope things turn out better than their previous visit (a 6-3 crushing on November 15). The Blues have slipped to the outskirts of the playoff picture lately, as they haven't been able to sustain their early season success. Jaroslav Halak has continued to be the pickup of the offseason, but the Blues still don't have the offensive depth in front of him to succeed.

Wedensday, January 26 Vs. Phoenix Coyotes -- Ugh. Phoenix returns to town for their second visit of the month after dominating the Avalanche in a yawnfest of a 2-0 game on January 6. Since then, Phoenix has traded former Colorado star Wojtek Wolski to the New York Rangers with inconsistent results in the interim. Defenseman Keith Yandle still leads the team in scoring, and Bryzgalov is always tough in net, but it's the contrast in styles that will make the difference in this game. If Phoenix can clog up the neutral zone and keep the Colorado forwards from using open ice to gain speed, it could be another long night for the boys at Pepsi Center.

The All-Star Game occurs on Sunday, January 30. Make sure to watch Matt Duchene lace up his skates as the youngest ever player to represent the Colorado Avalanche. Rookie Kevin Shattenkirk will paticipate in the NHL Skills Competition on Saturday, January 29.

Reviewing Kevin Shattenkirk's Rookie NHL Debut For The Avalanche

Muzia — Fri, 05 Nov 2010 19:00:19 -0000

Colorado played its worst game of the season last night against Northwest Division rival Vancouver Canucks (a trend that continues from last season), but it will still be a night to remember for 2007 first-round pick and rookie defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk, who made his NHL debut. So how did the 21-year-old fare in his first game?

Dustin Burfiend of Mile High Hockey writes:

Shattenkirk was okay. He drew penalty and generated a good chance on the ensuing power play. He had a couple of nice defensive plays though his delay of game penalty was annoying. He's not the answer to the Avs defensive woes but I like him better than Kyle Cumiskey...

After taking another look at the game this morning, I think this analysis is dead on. Shattenkirk played like a rookie, but a talented one. He made a few mistakes on the defensive end of the ice, allowing the Canucks to bring the puck too deep into the zone at times. I'm willing to give him the benefit of the doubt, as it's difficult to adjust from the pure speed difference between AHL opponents and an elite offensive team like Vancouver.

Shattenkirk really showed his promise on the power play, as he displayed an advanced knowledge of the Avalanche's preferred rotation by playing the point and releasing a booming one-timer from the edge of the left faceoff circle.

He's not a lockdown defensive player -- which is exactly what the Avalanche are currently missing -- but he showed enough two-way ability to give the currently wounded Colorado defensive core a boost. Considering this season's Avalanche is built to outscore their opposition, that's not an altogether bad thing. It's only one game, and Shattenkirk played well enough to earn more ice time Saturday against the Dallas Stars.