SB Nation - Paul Stastny

Colorado Players Among League Leaders

Joe Dunman — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 15:16:13 -0000

One sign that a team has a strong offense is the presence of its players among the league's individual leaders. Last season the Avs' offense was the worst in team history, and because of that, few Avalanche players made the final leader lists at the end of the season.

Historically speaking, Avalanche players have frequently appeared in large numbers on the league leader boards. In 2000-01, four Colorado players finished the year among the top 50 players for points scored (Sakic, Forsberg, Hejduk, Tanguay), with three more just outside (Drury, Blake, Bourque). Last season, not one Avalanche player appeared on the list.

Non-offensive categories like blocked shots and average time on ice feature Avalanche players this season as well. Last year no Colorado players ranked among the top 50 in ice time, nor did anyone make the +/- leader board. This year is a different story.

Below is a comparison between last year's leaders and this year's current standings, separated by category. First is the player's rank, then name, then current total in parentheses.

	2008-09	2009-10
Goals	t-47th Hejduk (27)	t-26th Wolski (13)
		t-29th Hejduk (12)
		t-47th Jones (10)

Assists		t-8th Stastny (26)
		t-20th Wolski (20)

Points		t-14th Stastny (34)
		t-17th Wolski (33)

(+/-)		t-11th O'Reilly (12)
		t-16th Wolski (11)
		t-33rd Hannan (9)
		t-44th Stastny (8)
		t-44th Wilson (8)

PIM	11th Laperriere (163)	17th McLeod (59)
	12th McLeod (162)	t-42nd Koci (44)

ATOI		10th Quincey (25:11)

Hits	t-22nd McLeod (194)	21st McLeod (87)

Blocked Shots	2nd Clark (238)	1st Clark (108)
	t-14th Hannan (162)	7th Hannan (76)
	29th Salei (143)	t-11th Quincey (67)

Shots	t-23rd Smyth (257)

PP Goals	t-39th Hejduk (10)	t-10th Hejduk (6)
	t-39th Smyth (10)	t-38th Duchene (4)

PP Assists		t-26th Quincey (8)

SH Goals		t-1st Jones (2)
		t-12th Duchene (1)

SH Assists		t-9th Galiardi (1)
		t-9th Foote (1)

The season is not yet half over. If these trends continue, expect to see a major Avalanche presence on the NHL individual leader boards at the end of the year.

Game 35 Recap: Avalanche 3 - Flames 2

David Driscoll-Carignan — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 04:27:53 -0000

More photos » by David Zalubowski - AP

1 day ago: Calgary Flames left winger Eric Nystrom, front, skates past as Colorado Avalanche players Kyle Quincey, Wojtek Wolski, of Poland, Chris Stewart and Matt Duchene celebrate Wolski's power-play goal in the first period of an NHL hockey game in Denver on Sunday, Dec. 13, 2009. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

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Final - 12.13.2009	1	2	3	Total
Calgary Flames	0	1	1	2
Colorado Avalanche	1	2	0	3

Complete Coverage >

Wow.

The Avalanche are back in first in the NW division after knocking off the Calgary Flames 3-2 tonight. I wanted to see if the Avs would show up, and they did. In spades.

Right out of the gate, the Avalanche were ready to play. If I had to use one word to describe them tonight, it would be "relentless". Thanks in part to 5 PPs given up by a reckless, headhunting Calgary club, the Avalanche launched 20 shots on Mikka Kiprusoff in the 1st. Kipper had an extraordinary game and kept his club in it, and the Avs only managed to get one goal in the first, a Wojtek Wolski one-timer on a 5-on-3 for his first PP goal of the year.

Colorado kept it up in the 2nd, and a great play by Wolski to regain the puck after his breakaway attempt was stopped so that he could dish it to Chris Stewart and Paul Stastny led to a Stewart goal and a 2-0 lead. Rene Bourque cut the lead to 2-1 just a minute or so later, but then Darcy Tucker scored the eventual game winner with a tip-in that knuckled over Kipper late in the 2nd. The Avalanche have been absolutely incredible at keeping the puck inside the blueline the last couple of games, and it's really paying dividends on both shots for and shots against.

After two periods, the Avs had a decided 33-14 shot advantage and I was already thinking of ways to work in metaphors about 60 minutes of effort in this very recap. But, once again, they petered off a bit in the 3rd. The Avalanche were better in the 3rd period than they've been in previous games with a lead, but they still need to find a way to generate more pressure than 2 shots. Colorado had a 3-1 lead going into the 3rd and started off playing pretty well, but then gave up 3 PPs to the Flames. Even though Avs PK hadn't allowed a goal to Calgary all year, you can't keep giving them chances like that. Sure enough, Mark Giordano scored a PP goal with just under 7 minutes left. And the nail biting could officially commence.

Craig Anderson was nowhere near as busy as his counterpart was tonight (just 21 shots, the 3rd straight game the Avs had given up 22 shots or less), but he came up with a couple of big saves in the 3rd to preserve the lead. T.J. Galiardi and Ryan O'Reilly had a couple of great late-game shifts as well. Still, enough with the hang-on-for-dear-life endings, okay?

This was a big, big victory for the Avalanche. The team had 7 rookies in the lineup and it wasn't a detriment at all. In fact, the rookies were the difference. Galiardi had one of his better games as a pro. O'Reilly had a great game defensively. Duchene overcame getting mugged 3 times in the first period to have a solid game. Ryan Wilson's thunderous hit on David Moss was highlight reel material (and he assisted on Tucker's game-winning goal). Seven different Avs had a point tonight. Six of those scorers are under 25. These kids aren't riding the bus, they are driving it. And they are doing a hell of a job.

Flames Game Day: Moving On

Robert Cleave — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 21:00:18 -0000

More photos » by Jeff McIntosh - AP

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Calgary Flames vs. Colorado Avalanche

Pepsi Center

6 PM MT

Opposition: Mile High Hockey

TV: Sportsnet West

Friday's effort vs. the WIld isn't worth much in the way of a re-hash. The Flames were second-best by any measure except in net and were recipients of a point they didn't really merit. The good news is that they get a chance this evening to set that display aside, and exercise a bit of a demon to boot.

The Flames' best line last time out was the Jokinen line, although making that sort of assessment is likely as worthwhile as searching for quality in the oeuvre of Rob Schneider. They were in the black in terms of chances, but since Iginla isn't shooting 30% this month, the goals haven't gone in quite as easily. I'll be curious to see if Joe Sacco tries to run Stastny et al against that line tonight, because I still don't think Sutter is totally comfortable running P v P with this trio.

That might mean a night like Friday, where Langkow and Jokinen split time against the Koivu line. The night was very quiet chance-wise for Bourque-Langkow-Moss, and they have to produce with the way the lines are currently arrayed.

Beyond a good shift to produce the only goal against Minnesota, the third line was in pretty deep against Havlat and Brodziak. Martin Havlat is still a good player, but the other Wild forwards in the bottom six aren't that scary. I'll simply re-iterate my stance from Friday: Eric Nystrom isn't a top-nine NHL forward, and any long term plan that keeps him there will likely fail.

Craig Conroy was apparently close to playing Friday, with a sprained wrist having kept him out. My question to the paid media types is: if I (and others in comments) saw him with an icebag on his wrist via television on Monday, why on earth were all of you acting like he had a bum knee until D. Sutter spilled the beans on the PPV? Hopefully he's a go this evening, because even if his days as a front-end player are dwindling, he's still a very useful player to have around, and he's an obvious upgrade over any potential 12th forward.

A sprained wrist is also alleged to be keeping Adam Pardy on the shelf, with his participation this evening is still in doubt. He and Sarich are better than Johnson or Kronwall, period, and the day that one or both of them make a healthy return will be a good one. No matter who works at the bottom end of the D, the Flames need a lot better work than they're getting from Phaneuf. He had a difficult night on Friday, capping it with a disaster of a last shift in OT. I don't buy the Eklund rumours of an impending move to the tri-state area, though. I mean, Eklund, after all.

I didn't see a puff of white smoke from my southwest this morning, so I'll guess Kiprusoff starts. Another few nights like Friday might force B. Sutter to consider giving him a rest from the onslaught, but it isn't happening tonight.

The Avalanche survived an injury to Craig Anderson to keep pace with the Flames over the last couple of weeks. Peter Budaj managed to give the 'Lanche the same sort of performance in his stint, and Anderson returned Friday with a 2-1 SO win over the Lightning. He was very good against the Flames in the first two games, and was the primary reason Colorado won the first game.

The other players that have had their way with the Flames are Paul Stastny and Wojtek Wolski. Regardless of my feelings that the Avalanche's early season place in the standings have a strong whiff of good fortune about it, I'm the first to admit that those two guys are quality. Wolski made the Flames look silly on the game winner in October and Stastny had two helpers in the November win.

Keeping those two gents under wraps will likely be the key to a win. I'd say out-shooting Colorado would be a good plan, but that's done bugger-all for the Flames in the first two meetings, and so has getting a lead. With the way the Flames' offence has been going since late October, Kipper might have to pitch a shut-out, especially with a PP that's bringing back some unpleasant memories of last spring's ineptitude.

Game time is 6 MT, with coverage via Sportsnet West.

No Wheels Required: The Avs Are Still Contenders

Joe Dunman — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 18:34:06 -0000

The Colorado Avalanche had the best October of the team's history, going 10-2-2 to start this season. The good luck continued for a few more games, and after seventeen, the Avs' record was 12-3-2. Then, depending on how you look at it, the wheels fell off, as the Avs managed a sub-par, 5-6-3 November. But 5-6-3 isn't terrible, considering the Carolina Hurricanes went 2-10-2 during the same month. Things could have been worse.

Still, 5-6-3 is a long way from 10-2-2. Criticism was warranted. The good thing about starting the year so well is that the inevitable cooling-off period wasn't so damaging to the overall record. At the end of November, the Avs were still in second place in the Northwest Division, just two points behind Calgary and locked into a playoff spot.

Now, five games later, the Avs are tied for first place and face the Flames in their next game. The winner will take the division lead. So even if the team had hit a wall (and with so many injuries, their performance is still very impressive), they've recovered sufficiently to stay in contention.

What's been key for the Avs is their point production. Colorado has collected at least a point seven times in their last ten games. They've been pretty bad in OT and the shootout overall, but with the NHL still clinging to the charity point system, the Avs are staying put near the top of the conference standings by dragging games beyond regulation.

Another saving grace for the Avs was the solid play of Peter Budaj. In the four games he started in December, he didn't have a single bad showing. His save percentage was .940 or better and he managed a shutout. Craig Anderson has cooled off and the Avs' defense has struggled at times, but Budaj came through when Colorado needed it, proving once again that he's a solid backup goaltender.

After 34 games, the Avs have scored 100 goals. That's fifth-best in the NHL, and third-best in the West. They're currently on pace to score 241 goals this season, which would be a 51-goal improvement over their poor 2008-09 showing. Granted, they've only scored seven more goals than at the same point last season, but hopefully they'll avoid the second-half collapse the team endured last year.

Player-wise, the Avs are a mixed bag. David Jones was on fire but got hurt and will miss the rest of the season with a torn ACL. Luckily, Chris Stewart has finally stepped up, scoring 12 points in his last ten games. As surprise stand-out Ryan O'Reilly has cooled off, slow-to-get-going rookie phenom Matt Duchene has heated up. Paul Stastny suffered a temporary drought but is again contributing to the offense and ranks near the top in the league in scoring. Wojtek Wolski has scored at least one point in 15 of his last 18 games.

Defensively, Kyle Quincey has lost his dominant edge, but Scott Hannan has played very well. Brett Clark is a puck-blocking but generally immobile pylon, while rookie Ryan Wilson is a solid +7 and continues to play well. The rest of the blue line is hit-or-miss, depending on the night, but generally nobody has been awful. Just like the offense, the performances vary.

Overall, the Avs have cooled but are still contending. They're a top-tier team in the Western Conference and have a strong chance to win in every game. If an 18-10-6 record after 34 games (by a team predicted to be in dead last) still qualifies as the wheels being off, we'll take it.

Game 29 Preview: Return of the Foote

Mike MacLean — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 20:31:50 -0000

More photos » by Charles Rex Arbogast - AP

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This is going to be extremely quick, folks. I just found a computer and I don`t even know if the formatting will turn out. This is the return of Adam Foote, I won`t bag on him as much as others do, but it will be interesting to see how the fans treat him.

Andrew Murray and Raffi Torres return to the lineup, and the defensive pairs have been shaken up. Toots and Stralman aren`t together anymore, Stralman is with Russ and Methot returns to the lineup to play with Fedor. Should be interesting how the Russ-Stralman pairing does five-on-five.

I won`t be able to watch this game tonight unfortunately, but I will be checking the boxscore on my Blackberry. Here`s hoping the boys can pull one out and get back in the win column.

Fearless Prediction: A win, damnit.

Game Time: 7:00pm ET

Opponent's Blog: Mile High Hockey

Game Page: Avalanche vs Blue Jackets Coverage

TSN Preview: Avalanche vs Blue Jackets Preview

TV: FSN Ohio

Radio: WBNS-AM (1460); WWCD-FM (101.1)

More after the jump...

From the Columbus Dispatch:

Colorado captain Adam Foote makes his first appearance in Nationwide Arena since he was traded by the Blue Jackets to the Avalanche on Feb. 26, 2008. The Blue Jackets are in a 1-4-3 tailspin since Nov. 19. Columbus won all four games last season and has won six of the past seven games in the series.

Jackets Links:

Columbus Blue Jackets / Columbus Blue Jackets Schedule

Columbus Blue Jackets Roster / Columbus Blue Jackets Stats

Here are the lineups for tonight's tilt:

Columbus Blue Jackets

Kristian Huselius	Antoine Vermette	Rick Nash
R.J. Umberger	Derick Brassard	Jakub Voracek
Jason Chimera	Samuel Pahlsson	Andrew Murray
Raffi Torres	Derek MacKenzie	Jared Boll

Fedor Tyutin	Marc Methot
Mike Commodore	Jan Hejda
Kris Russell	Anton Stralman

Steve Mason

Mathieu Garon

EXTRA: Alexandre Picard

INJURED: Fredrik Modin, Andrew Murray, Derek Dorsett, Rostislav Klesla, Marc Methot

Colorado Avalanche

Matt Duchene	Paul Stastny	Chris Stewart
Wojtek Wolski	T.J. Galiardi	Milan Hejduk
Cody McLeod	Ryan O'Reilly	Darcy Tucker
David Koci	Chris Durno	Marek Svatos

Scott Hannan	Kyle Quincey
John-Michael Liles	Brett Clark
Adam Foote	Ryan Wilson

Peter Budaj

Tyler Weiman

Game 30 Recap: Penguins 4 - Avalanche 1

David Driscoll-Carignan — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 04:06:28 -0000

More photos » by Gene J. Puskar - AP

11 days ago: Pittsburgh Penguins goalie Marc-Andre Fleury (29) can't stop a first-period goal by Colorado Avalanche's TJ Galiardi during an NHL hockey game in Pittsburgh, Thursday, Dec. 3, 2009. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

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Final - 12.3.2009	1	2	3	Total
Colorado Avalanche	1	0	0	1
Pittsburgh Penguins	1	0	3	4

Complete Coverage >

Which is better? A 6-5 shootout loss where you get a point that you didn't deserve, or a 4-1 loss where you were in the game right up to the end? I thought the Avalanche played a good game tonight - better than the statsheet is going to reveal. In the end, though, a couple of tough breaks had them come up just short as the Pittsburgh Penguins used a couple of empty net goals (I blame Budaj) to turn a 2-1 game into a 4-1 game.

The Avalanche got off to a strong start and struck first with TJ Galiardi tipping in a puck to score a PP goal just 5:02 in. The Avs played solid hockey throughout the first period, but got burned when Brett Clark pinched in to deep in the waning seconds of the period. Probably not a good idea to let Crosby get behind you, right? Of course, the puck turned over at the Pens' blueline and the Penguins were off to the races with Mike Rupp and the Holy Diver engaging some nice give-and-go passing that led to an easy Crosby goal with just 6 seconds left. The best part? When the puck was dropped on the play, the Penguins had 6 players on the ice. How you miss a too many men call on a faceoff is completely beyond me. Tough break #1.

Tough break #2 happened in the 2nd period when Galiardi appeared to score his 2nd PP goal of the night. Unfortunately, the ref lost sight of the puck on the play and blew a premature whistle. Even though the puck was in the net before the whistle was blown, the rule is that the play is dead when the ref intends to blow the whistle (and a replay clearly showed the ref bringing his whistle up before the puck went in, in case that matters to anyone). That was midway through the 2nd period, and the Avs wouldn't get another powerplay that night. Some might say the officiating had a decided Pittsburgh tilt to it. I personally didn't see it, but I was probably too busy focusing on tough break #3.

Tough break #3 was the July 1st, 2008 signing of Darcy Tucker. Had we signed someone who actually gave a crap, or if we hadn't signed anyone and just sent $4.5 million to a Nigerian banker, we might have had a chance to win tonight. Because then, when Stastny's wide shot landed right into the slot in front of a wide open net, there might have been someone able to approach that puck with a sense of urgency a tad higher than lazy-stroll-through-the-park. Or, when Ryan "Get Me Off This Line" O'Reilly fires a centering pass back to a wide open trailer, it might have been someone with a stick on the ice instead of a thumb up his ass. Was that to harsh? How about this: I would trade Darcy Tucker to Riga for Tyler Arnason in a heartbeat.

Anyway, after the Avalanche squandered the few chances they were given in the game, the rest was inevitable. Adam Foote was called for hooking in the 3rd (I didn't feel this was a bad call, but I see that a few of you disagree) and Brett Clark followed that soon after with a stupid tripping penalty. Even a Tony Granato-coached powerplay (stick tap to Jibbles) is good enough to score on a 5-on-3. And they did. Technically, Foote was just out of the box so it was a 5 on 4, which is like saying that, technically, OJ was found innocent.

From then on, the Penguins absolutely shut the Avalanche down. The Avs managed just 1 3rd period shot and, to be honest, I credit Pittsburgh much more than I blame the Avs. The Pens played great defense - the way I'd like to see our team play more consistently. Whether the Avs tried to dump and chase or carry in, the Pens were all over the puck. It was an impressive performance.

Speaking of impressive, it's too bad that an excellent effort by Peter Budaj was completely wasted. Budaj was superb tonight. He didn't give up those dreaded rebounds that has everyone's panties all bunched up. He was poised and seemed really confident for a guy who's been sitting as long as he has. I would have liked to see him get a win for his troubles tonight. But for a couple of tough breaks tonight, he would have.

Matt Duchene played on the left wing tonight with Paul Stastny (who leads the lead in faceoffs taken) and Chris Stewart. It was a good line, and the 2nd line of Galiardi, Wolski and Hejduk was decent as well. Obviously, there's not much to show for it other than Galiardi's goal, but I personally wouldn't give up on these combos yet. So, expect something completely different on Saturday in Columbus.

Billy and the Kid: Pens beat back the Avs 4-1

Hooks Orpik — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 04:03:25 -0000

More photos » by Gene J. Puskar - AP

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Avalanche vs Penguins coverage - Mile High Hockey

The newspaper will say 4-1 tomorrow, but that really doesn't do justice to how tight a game it was. For the majority of the game, real estate was tight to come by. The television guys accurately called it "marking up" as if guys were playing defense like they were on the soccer field. There wasn't much open room for good chances. The difference was a quick whistle and the Penguins power-play finally coming through.

T.J. Galiardi opened the scoring for the Avs on the power-play when he steered Darcy Tucker's effort past Marc-Andre Fleury. Jay McKee was in front of the net with Galiardi and has to do a better job to take the man or the stick out of the play.

It appeared Colorado would take the lead into the intermission until the impromptu line of Mike Rupp - Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin struck. Malkin upped the puck up and Rupp and Crosby passed the puck twice and #87 put it in an empty cage past a beaten Peter Budaj. 1-1 at the first break.

There'd be no more scoring until the third period; which was a huge break for Pittsburgh. It appeared Galiardi had his second goal of the game, between Fleury's legs, but the referee from the side angle whistled the play dead, all the while the puck was in motion, and in the back of the net. Unfortunately it's a play that can not be review. It ought to have been a goal. But it wasn't. Just a bad break for Colorado. Things have a funny way of evening up in a long 82 game season and hopefully they'll get the good end of a call soon to make up for it.

With the game still 1-1, the Penguins got a two man advantage. They couldn't quite take advantage of it, but Crosby faked a shot and wired a perfect pass to Bill Guerin for a slam dunk goal.

That effectively ended the scoring, with Jordan Staal and Crosby tacking on empty netters to make the score look wider than it was.

Pittsburgh was no doubt lucky to catch a break on the disallowed Colorado goal, but they also earned the win by out-shooting the Avs 14-1 in the final period of a tie game. They were the better team late.
Crosby set up the goal with a new tool in his offensive arsenal: the fake shot. Teams have to respect him pulling the trigger, he's now tied for second in the league in goals.
Last year, it took until January 30th before Crosby got to 19 goals....This year he's there on December 3rd, almost two months better.
The Pens racked up 38 hits, everyone on the roster aside from Mark Eaton and the two goalies recorded at least one hit.
Ruslan Fedotenko is starting to turn things around...4 shots on goal (and 3 more misses, including a post) show he's firing away. When he shoots, he plays well and produces. He's getting there.
That T.J. Galiardi is quite impressive. In addition to his goal on he night, he had a should-have-been goal and won 71% of his 17 faceoffs.
Matt Duchene might be the future, but the future was not tonight. No points, a plus/minus of -3 (even though he was on the ice for both empty netters), two shots on goal in 18:50.
Paul Stastny, he of a Team USA future, also had a rough night in the final stat-line: No points, -3 (again on ice for both EN), just one shot on goal and only won 36% of his 28 faceoffs.
Both goalies played well, Budaj was tested more than Fleury, but both did well and did not allow any soft goals. Any time the two goalies combined for three goals against, you can be sure both made some saves.
Evgeni Malkin had a somewhat quiet night, but still rang up three assists and helped the power-play get on the board. It was a good night.

It was a good night indeed. Crosby and Malkin put three points in their pocket and the team gets 2 of their own in the standings. It was a quirky, hard-fought one that wasn't easy it looks at the end of the day. But it's still a win.

Now onward to Saturday...I hear an old friend is ready to say hello again...Perhaps you remember him..

Game 29 Recap: Panthers 6 - Avalanche 5 (SO)

David Driscoll-Carignan — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 04:04:30 -0000

More photos » by J Pat Carter - AP

12 days ago: Florida Panther's Stephen Weiss (9) begins to celebrate a goal in the first period of an NHL hockey game against the Colorado Avalanche in Sunrise, Fla. Wednesday, Dec. 2, 2009. (AP Photo/J Pat Carter)

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Final - 12.2.2009	1	2	3	OT	SO	Total
Colorado Avalanche	0	2	3	0	0	5
Florida Panthers	2	2	1	0	1	6

Complete Coverage >

Honestly, I have no idea where to begin.

This game had a little bit of everything. The Avalanche gave up 44 shots, 33 in the first two periods. Florida's Stephen Weiss had hat trick before the game was half over (and the crowd of about 217 people rewarded him by tossing maybe 4 hats onto the ice). Craig Anderson wasn't particularly crisp, although, again, he faced 44 shots tonight. The Avalanche didn't play defense tonight but, 29 games into the season, they finally decided to do something about their goalie getting run into constantly; every time there was a whistle, Adam Foote and / or Ryan Wilson punched somebody.

The Avs fell down 2-0. Then they made it 2-1. Then they fell down 3-1. Then they made it 3-2. Then they fell down 4-2. Then they cut it to 4-3. Then they fell down 5-3 and the game was over. They pulled Anderson...and made it 5-4. And then, they completely ruined the SAT numerical pattern question by scoring again to tie the game with 16 seconds left. Yep, after playing like ass for 59 minutes, the Avalanche turned it on and scored two goals in the final minute.

In overtime, each team traded some shots and it went back and forth until 4:18 when all hell broke loose. Keith Ballard made a great play to blow by Brett Clark and rushed hard to the net. Craig Anderson made the save...and then got hit hard by Ballard. Anderson went down hard and ended up leaving the game, making him the second goalie Ballard has knocked from a game this week (couldn't resist). Ballard got pummeled by Adam Foote. Peter Budaj - who should have started to begin with - came in cold and had about 42 seconds to warm up for the shootout. He was excellent, stopping the first 4 shootout attempts. Unfortunately, the Avalanche couldn't score at all and the Panthers ultimately won the game on Weiss' shootout winner.

Matt Duchene and Chris Stewart continue to be the bees' knees on offense. Duchene had another 2 goals, and each of them had 3 points on the night. Stewart might have had more, but he was effectively tossed from the game for instigating a fight with Bryan Allen when he mistakenly thought that Allen had leveled Duchene. I've wanted to see Stewie get more physical all year; that was a poor time to do it. Interestingly, before Stewart was tossed the two finally found a suitable left wing to complement their skills: Paul Stastny. Stastny played left wing with Duchene and Stewart in the 3rd period and ended up with 4 points.

So, here are the big questions going into tomorrow.

First and foremost, is Craig Anderson okay? And what about Brett Clark, who went to the locker room late in OT? Can any forwards other than Stastny, Duchene or Stewart score? The Avs had 5 goals, and the only forward besides those three with a point was TJ Galiardi. Wojtek Wolski had 6 shots...but no points. What happened to the defense that held Tampa off the scoreboard on Monday? When was the last time someone had 4 points and wasn't named one of the 3 stars, as was the case with Stastny tonight? And is Peter Budaj the first goalie to lose a game without facing a shot on net? Is there anyone who's lost a game with less than 42 seconds of playing time? I'd like the answer to all these on my desk first thing tomorrow, okay?

Minnesota Wild vs. Colorado Avalanche: Game Recap

nathaneide — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 05:41:23 -0000

More photos » by Tom Olmscheid - AP

17 days ago: Minnesota Wild right wing Chuck Kobasew, right, celebrates his open-net hat trick goal with the Wild's Mikko Koivu (9), of Finland, as Colorado Avalanche's Wojtek Wolski, bottom, skates past during the third period of an NHL hockey game Friday, Nov. 27, 2009, in St. Paul, Minn. Minnesota won 5-3. (AP Photo/Tom Olmscheid)

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Minnesota Wild 5-3 Colorado Avalanche

Seems like the Wild learned the trick to solving their finishing woes ... find the guy with the hot hand. Today, that guy was Chuck Kobasew.

Once again, the Wild came storming out of the gate, attacking Avalanche netminder Craig Anderson time and again. They had six early shots on goal, only to be foiled as Kyle Quincey snapped home a nice feed from Colorado's rookie sensation Matt Duchene. 3:30 later, Owen Nolan got the Wild on the board as he took a rebound from a Greg Zanon shot, waited for Anderson to slide over, and wristed the puck underneath Anderson to tie the game at one. This was a big goal, because it slowed the momentum Colorado had gathered after the Quincey goal.

The second period started much the same way. The Wild came out hot, and Chuck Kobasew started his big day, scoring on a beautiful pass from Derek Boogaard behind the net. This was Boogaard's first point of the season, and it was much deserved, as Boogaard has been working hard with the puck and vying for position down low. Colorado, however, took advantage of the power play just 1:53 later as Paul Stastny tied the game at two. The Wild then went immediately on the power play and Kobasew got his second of the afternoon on a typical play from Andrew Brunette, finding the open man on the power play. Chris Stewart then tied the game again with just over 2:00 left in the period.

The third period, though, was all Minnesota. The Wild got the first seven shots of the period, then Andrew Brunette added to his team leading goal count taking a Mikko Koivu pass and burying it for the game winning goal. Greg Zanon was also given an assist on the Brunette goal, his second of the day.

The teams went back and forth, and it felt like Colorado might score at any moment late in regulation as they kept the pressure up until, with the extra skater on for the Avalanche, Greg Zanon blocked a pass, chipped the puck to Koivu who streaked down the left wing, with Kobasew crashing up the slot. Koivu smartly spun at the half-wall, centered it to Kobasew who turned, kicked the puck to his stick, and skating backward, slid the puck into the empty net for the hat trick, the second of his career.

It was nice to see the Wild get the two power play goals, and add to their power play streak. Prior to this week, the power play had been a momentum killer for Minnesota. It was also nice to see the offense pick-up Nik Backstrom, as he was rather shaky today, fighting off too many pucks, and giving up big rebounds.

Tomorrow should be a blast, as this was a tightly-contested game. The Avs took too many lazy penalties and the Wild were able to capitalize. I'm sure Joe Sacco will give the Avs a talking-to on the trip back to Denver.

See you tomorrow night.

Please read the game recap over at Mile High Hockey

Hockey Wilderness Three Stars

Chuck Kobasew (3 G)
MIkko Koivu (3 A)
Andrew Brunette (1 G, 1 A)

Questions to Answer

Will Guillaume Latendresse have an impact in his first game the way Andrew Ebbett did? Lats didn't factor in the scoring, but as the game went on, he got more and more involved in the play. He's a big kid, and once his linemates get comfortable with him, and once he parks himself in the low slot and crashes to the net, he looks like the kind of guy who can rack up the scoring down low.
Can the Wild come out with a solid effort against Colorado, the way they did against Boston? Two really great efforts in a row. The difference between today and Wednesday? No Tuukka Rask, the Wild got a goal in the first period to get some momentum and they concentrated on finishing.
Craig Anderson has been sliding back to Earth lately. Will that continue today? 4 goals allowed and was fighting the puck all afternoon (then again, so was Niklas Backstrom)
Do the Xcel Energy fans suffer from Trytophan hangover, or will the building be energized? Hard not to be energized with five goals, but I didn't see enough hats on the ice after Kobasew's third goal!
avalanche.nhl.com seems to overlook the next two games with the Wild. Will the Avs do the same? They definitely did not. This was a hard fought game. Tomorrow should be really fun.

Game 26 Recap: Wild 5 - Avalanche 3

David Driscoll-Carignan — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 23:11:23 -0000

More photos » by Tom Olmscheid - AP

17 days ago: Colorado Avalanche defenseman Ryan Wilson (44) goes to the ice after a check by Minnesota Wild right wing Cal Clutterbuck, right, during the first period of an NHL hockey game Friday, Nov. 27, 2009, in St. Paul, Minn. (AP Photo/Tom Olmscheid)

Browse more photos »

Final - 11.27.2009	1	2	3	Total
Colorado Avalanche	1	2	0	3
Minnesota Wild	1	2	2	5

Complete Coverage >

My motto's always been; when it's right, it's right.
Why wait until the middle of a cold dark night.
When everything's a little clearer in the light of day.
And you know the night is always gonna be there any way.

-The Starland Vocal Band, Afternoon Delight

Unless you are a fan of the Wild or an NHL linesman, this one wasn't much of an afternoon delight. The game was kind of a sloggy, stop-and-go affair with a ton of stoppages. There were 70 faceoffs - 18 more than were in the Avs OT game against Nashville on Wednesday. I'm sure the Wild will take it, however.

The Avalanche jumped on the board first. Matt Duchene was relegated to the 4th line today, but was a factor early. On just his 2nd shift, he moved the puck off the right wing boards. As his winger, Chris Stewart, drew the attention of a couple of Wild players, Duchene smartly dished it back to a wide open Kyle Quincey. Quincey hesitated a second before burying it past Nik Backstrom.

Minnesota tied it up about 4 minutes later when Owen Nolan was the first to a rebound in front of the net. It figures; he always seems to score against the Avs.

In the 2nd, Chuck Kobasew and his porn mustache (the Wild are growing mustaches for charity) made the game 2-1. Kobasew and Kyle Quincey collided in the corner. Quincey got to his feet, but let Kobasew go to pressure Derek Boogaard with the puck in the corner. Bad idea; Boogaard dished the puck to a now wide open Kobasew for an easy goal.

Both teams then traded quick PP goals, with Paul Stastny and Kobasew scoring goals with the man advantage. The Avalanche tied it late in the 2nd when Wojtek Wolski and Chris Stewart got a breakout when Shane Hnidy misplayed the puck and turned it over after a faceoff. Wolski streaked down the ice and made a tremendous pass to Stewart who slammed home his 2nd goal of the year.

While it was great that the Avalanche could tie the game, they had to have been kicking themselves a bit as both Matt Duchene and Paul Stastny had a beautiful scoring chance ring off the post and then TJ Galiardi's swat at a loose puck in the crease ended up knocking the puck out of the net instead of in. If any of those chances go in, the Avs are up 4-3 after two and have a chance at at least grabbing a point.

Instead, the teams were knotted up going into the 3rd and only one team seemed interested in changing that. Hint: it wasn't Colorado. The Avs were woefully outplayed in the first half of the 3rd with Minnesota getting several extended shifts in the offensive zone. Somehow, the Avalanche held on and had a chance to break the tie 8 minutes in when Marek Zidlicky went to the box for tripping. This being the Avalanche powerplay, the crucial opportunity was squandered. And, less than 20 seconds after the Wild killed it off, Darcy Tucker used up the last of the goodwill he had stored up in September by taking a slashing penalty. I was kind of unsure how to proceed there for a while when Tucker was actually playing well, but now that he's back to playing bad hockey I no longer feel conflicted as a fan. Anyway...shockingly, Minnesota scored on their powerplay when Mikko Koivu created a goal by coming out from behind the net with the puck (something he's done about 16,000 times against the Avs) before dishing to Andrew Brunette on the backside.

That was the winner. The Avalanche woke up late and had some sustained pressure with Craig Anderson off for an extra attacker, but they just couldn't get it past Backstrom. Eventually, the dam broke, Koivu got a breakaway and selflessly waited for Kobasew to get open so that he could collect the hat trick (I think they should have waved that one off - he was clearly in the crease!). The Wild aren't the greatest team in the NHL right now, but for the 2nd time this year they've shown the Avs that you can't take any NHL team for granted. The Avs have mailed in two opportunities against the Wild, and they have two losses to show for it. Let's hope they come out with a little more effort and consistency tomorrow.

Lines

The lines were completely changed around tonight (and bore no resemblance to what Altitude listed on their ticker at the start of the game). Matt Duchene started on the 4th line, but he and linemate Chris Stewart had solid games and played their way into good ice time. Wojtek Wolski and Cody McLeod played the early part of the game together, but seemed to switch sides frequently, something Sacco's done off and on all year. Milan Hejduk did not play in the 3rd period after suffering some sort of knee injury.

Hejduk - Stastny - Jones
Wolski - O'Reilly - McLeod
Tucker - Galiardi - Svatos
Koci - Duchene - Stewart

Hannan - Quincey
Wilson - Liles
Clark - Preissing

Quick Hits

Thanks in part to substantial PP time, Chris Stewart had 16:21 of ice time, the most minutes he's had since the 2nd game of the year
Paul Stastny took 32 of the teams 70 faceoffs today.
Tom Preissing had no PP ice time at all, and has had just a smattering of PP shifts after his debut in the 8-2 Vancouver debacle. With our PP struggling, would it be such a terrible idea to give him a shot?

Video Highlights

Next Up

The Avalanche host the Wild tomorrow night, in Denver.