SB Nation User Blog: David Driscoll-Carignan

Surprise, Part 2

David Driscoll-Carignan — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 15:21:36 -0000

Surprise, Part 2

Chris Durno and Brandon Yip have been recalled.

I have to say, I really like that we're getting a chance to see all these guys in the NHL. Now, let's give Darren Haydar a turn. k thnx.

Surprise, Surpise, Surprise

David Driscoll-Carignan — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 23:48:35 -0000

I love surprises. And the Avalanche have been chock full of them this year. Some are obvious (Joe covered one yesterday), but I think the sheer number of unexpected improvements from a lot of the same guys who "participated" in last year's mail-in season makes it possible that a few of the surprises fall through the cracks. In light of that, and since we've got an extra off-day to fill, I thought I'd look at surprise improvements from Avalanche players, in order from least to most surprising.

Craig Anderson

Anderson has been rock solid, although I'm not sure he's really taken any of us by surprise statistically. He does appear to have that starting goalie swagger that no Avalanche goalie other than Patrick Roy has possessed, and that part isn't something everyone saw coming. But his stats - 2.68 GAA and .916 Save Percentage are right on par with his career numbers (2.82 / .912). I would say that's right in line with what we expected.

Chris Stewart

With 21 points in 31 games, he's already topped his career high 19 in 53 games last year. His PPG rate has almost doubled from .36 to .68. Not a complete shock, of course, because we've all seen that he has a belt full of NHL tools at his disposal. The question has always been whether or not he had the desire to use them, and that was certainly in question earlier in the season when Stewart was briefly demoted. As Joe pointed out yesterday, he has come on strong lately.

David Jones

Yes, his season is all but over. But before wrecking his ACL in a freak collision, Jones had already set a career high for goals, points and set a record for most predictable nickname. I placed him a bit higher than Stewart on the DDC Surprise O Meter scale mostly because Stewart was a 1st round draft pick and Jones was taken 288th overall - the lowest Quebec / Colorado draft pick to make the NHL.

Wojtek Wolski

In my opinion, Wolski hasn't gotten anywhere near enough notice for the season he's having. His 33 points have him 22nd in the league in scoring. He needs 17 more points to set a career high and his .92 PPG is well above his career average going into this season of .61. Wolski's point totals have dropped every year he's been in the NHL, so this breakout season is a welcome turn of tale for WW. He still seems to attract way to much ire from the fans but geez, folks, he's not a power forward. Get over it already. He's scored a point in 25 of the 36 game's he's played in this year - 70%, which blows away the 55% for Stastny and 45% for Hejduk.

Scott Hannan

Hannan isn't as young as the other guys on this list, but I think he deserves some props for the improvement to his game. Hannan's struggles in his first two seasons in Denver are well documented. So we might as well make sure it's in print that Hannan - not Kyle Quincey or Adam Foote - has been the Avs' most consistent defenseman this year. I have long been on the record that Hannan's $4.5 million isn't the disaster it's been made out to be, and I think he's been well worth that money this year. He's even been providing a little offense, which is a welcome addition.

Kyle Cumiskey

Nothing surprised me more this fall than Kyle Cumiskey making the club out of camp. I always enjoyed watching him play, but didn't have faith that he'd ever pull it together in the pros. He's proving me wrong. Cumiskey has been breathtaking to watch this year (he's currently on the shelf with a foot injury). He's been steady defensively (a part of his game he'd already been pretty good at), but he's also been greatly improved on the offensive side of things (a part of the game where he previously stunk at). His .29 PPG rate still isn't hot (works out to 24 points over a full season), but it's double his career rate going into this year (.13).

Ryan Wilson

On a team full of surprises, Ryan "Mitch" Wilson has got to be the biggest surprise of them all. Wilson was never drafted, despite being the top-scoring defenseman in the OHL. Twice. The knock on Wilson seemed to be his lack of skating as well as some defensive deficiencies. Check out one scout's comments on Wilson from back in 2005:

He’s too knock-kneed for me; he’s got some offensive gifts but my groins get sore watching him skate! There’s no way that he can be an NHL player and skate like that, his knees will wear out from rubbing together.

When Wilson was acquired in the Jordan Leopold trade, I don't think any of us thought of him as anything less than a throw in. Kent Wilson of Matchsticks and Gasoline called him "a long shot to ever be an NHLer" while a genius here at MHH pointed out that the 2nd round pick obtained in that deal was "the key" of the deal (yeah, it was me). Surprise. Wilson has been an absolute find, and even if Stefan Elliott (the aformentioned 2nd rounder) never plays a minute in the NHL, that trade is looking right now like it's going to go down as an absolute steal for former GM Francois Giguere. Wilson doesn't look much to me like a knock-kneed defensive sieve. He's been reliable defensively, he's shown some spark offensively and he's already had so many open-ice hits that whenever I see someone in another jersey get run over out of the corner of my eye, I immediately say "yep, that was Wilson." And about 75% of the time, I'm right. His ice time has steadily increased (12:25 in October, 14:41 in November, 18:16 in December) and he's starting to get used more and more both on the PP and the PK. When Kyle Cumiskey returns, Joe Sacco may have a really tough decision on his hands. That's high praise for an undrafted free agent who was considered AHL filler just 9 months ago. The secret may be out though. To sponsor Wilson's page at hockey-reference you'd have to shell out $25, more than any other active Avalanche player. Yes, really. You have a problem with that?

Poll

Who has been the Avs most surprising player this year?

Justin Mercier and Ryan Stoa Reassigned to Lake Erie

David Driscoll-Carignan — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 15:24:50 -0000

Justin Mercier and Ryan Stoa Reassigned to Lake Erie

I think this might just be because the Avalanche are off until Saturday and Lake Erie plays tomorrow night in Manitoba. If Svatos and Hejduk are still injured and if Koci is indeed suspended, expect to see a couple of players coming back up on Saturday.

Game 36 Live Thread: Capitals at Avalanche

David Driscoll-Carignan — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 23:03:59 -0000

Next Game

Washington Capitals
@ Colorado Avalanche

Tuesday, Dec 15, 2009, 7:30 PM MST
Pepsi Center

Game 36 Preview: Capitals at Avalanche

posted by David Driscoll-Carignan about 7 hours ago

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Svatos, Hejduk Both Doubtful for Tuesday

posted by David Driscoll-Carignan 1 day ago

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Complete Coverage >

Game 36 Preview: Capitals at Avalanche

David Driscoll-Carignan — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 01:29:56 -0000


Washington Capitals	7:30 MT / 9:30 ET / 2:30 GMT	Colorado Avalanche
20-7-6	December 14th, 2009	19-10-6
46 pts	Pepsi Center	44 pts
1st in East	Denver, CO	Ahead of Calgary

Okay, folks, fun time is over. We spent yesterday thoroughly enjoying the win against Calgary, especially the part where Curtis Glencross was an incredible tool. But those clowns are gone now and a new circus has rolled into town. The Avs will have to take on the giant, happy, funball that is the Washington Capitals. As of this writing (as Tuesday's games are just getting underway), the Caps have the best record in the NHL (that will have changed if the Kings - the KINGS - defeated Vancouver). That's all daunting and stuff, but our hapless Avalanche are just two points behind Washington, clearly because the NHL rewards blatant dives.

Craig Anderson has been rock solid in net since his return from Keith Ballarditis, and the Avs defense has been excellent the last few games. They will be tested tonight, though, as the Capitals have the league's best offense and most potent powerplay. The Avalanche will need to play a disciplined game and stay out of that penalty box.

Capitals goalie Semyon Varlamov has been outstanding this year. But, he's injured and it's likely that the Avalanche will face old friend Jose Theodore in what will be his first game in Denver since leaving via free agency. This would be the point where you start chuckling and getting all confident and stuff. This would also be the point where I would punch you in the arm and remind you that we were shut out this year by Andrew Raycroft.

Capitals vs Avalanche coverage

Japer's Rink

Tailor Arnason update

Arnason's team won the battle of the Dinamo as the Riga Dinamo shut out the Minsk Dinamo 2-0. No points for Arnie, but Riga pulled into 8th in their conference. The KHL is now on a break until December 22nd.

Tale of the Tape

(note that all stats are from before last night's games)

Washington			Colorado
1st	46	Points	6th	44
1st	3.48	GF/G	11th	2.86
16th	2.79	GA/G	12th	2.69
1st	23.9	PP%	18th	18.4
22nd	78.6	PK%	16th	80.8
5th	32.3	S/G	30th	26
13th	30.1	SA/G	25th	32.1
5th	52	FO%	29th	46.6
4th	10.5	PIM/G	14th	13.3
Ovechkin / Backstrom	37 pts	Top Scorer	Stastny	34 pts

Mile High Casting Call

David Driscoll-Carignan — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 02:16:56 -0000

Do you like the Colorado Avalanche? Do you have internet access? Do you like the movie Airplane? If you answered yes to a couple of those questions, we might have a job for you.

Simply put, we're looking to add a couple of writers. I think Joe's real-world gig is fairly common knowledge around here, and I have a newish job that has me a lot busier during the day too. Mike and Angelique are still pitching in as well, but Mile High Hockey has grown so big that it's hard for us to *ahem* keep up with the Joneses. So, the talent search is on.

Interested? There's only a few basic requirements. You need to be an Avalanche fan, of course, preferably one who can write well. Being able to commit to writing at least ~~a couple of~~ several times a week is a necessity. Beyond that, we're pretty much wide open. You don't need to be an established blogger. In fact, we're not particularly looking for the best writers, but the ones who we think will mesh the best with the existing staff (we're not going anywhere, for what it's worth). Oh, and by "writing", I mean providing content - if you're a photoshop guru or have some other skill that could be incorporated into a regular feature here, don't be afraid to apply.

What's in it for you? Honestly, if you have to ask that question, then this gig is probably not right for you. You're not going to get rich or famous doing this (or maybe I'm just doing it wrong). On the flip side, the hazing period isn't so bad and the dress code is totally lax.

If you are still interested, shoot me an email (listed in my profile) with a little blurb introducing yourself and telling me why you want this crazy gig. We haven't done anything like this here before and we're pretty much making this process up as we go along, so there's absolutely no timetable for any decisions on our part. But definitely get those emails in to me soon; I've got a bunch of movies about gladiators to watch.

Svatos, Hejduk Both Doubtful for Tuesday

David Driscoll-Carignan — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 20:37:48 -0000

Svatos, Hejduk Both Doubtful for Tuesday

Also, Craig Anderson will start (surprise surprise) and Kyle Cumiskey may start skating soon (which means he's still a fair ways away from coming back)

Curtis Glencross: Idiot

David Driscoll-Carignan — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 14:34:13 -0000

More photos » by Jeff McIntosh - AP

2 months ago: Calgary Flames' Curtis Glencross celebrates his goal during the first period of an NHL hockey game against the Vancouver Canucks in Calgary, Friday, Oct. 16, 2009. (AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Jeff McIntosh)

Browse more photos »

The Calgary Flames were embarrassed by the Avalanche last night. We know that. I'm sure the Flames are not proud of their 5 1st-period minor penalties, or the pathetic 21 shots that they mustered during the game, or that they had their ass handed to them by a team with 7 first-year players. I get that.

That doesn't explain the idiotic post-game quotes from Curtis Glencross. Glencross, you may recall, was in the box for high-sticking when the Avalanche scored their first goal. He had six penalty minutes in the opening frame, and, of course, it's not his fault.

"The guy was cut early in the game and it was a one-handed little poke," Glencross said. "I just hit his stick with one hand and it went up and supposedly hit him. The guy was bleeding before. He was bleeding in the first couple of shifts, bleeding from his mouth, and he was whining.

"It's too bad (they) can't be a little more honest players, diving all over the place. It's embarrassing."

Yes, Matt Duchene was bleeding before your little stick went up and "supposedly hit him" (which, actually, looked an awful lot like an attempted decapitation). Clearly, the blood was not there from, you know, a concerted effort by the Flames to mug Duchene at every opportunity. Instead, it was summoned magically in an attempt to sell your little oopsie. And oh, by the way, you seem unsure as to whether you hit him or not, but at least one guy is pretty sure that it was a penalty:

"Sure, it might have been a two-minute penalty, but it sure isn't a four-minute penalty," Glencross said.

Oh, Curtis. Look, make up your mind, butthead. And once you figure out if you hit him or didn't hit him, I have some breaking information for you. When an NHL player is hit in the face with a stick, he checks for blood. If he finds blood, he shows the ref. That's the way it works. Perhaps you can ask your teammate, Mark Giordano, for help with this, as he did the exact same thing later in the game. And here's a helpful hint: if you don't want to get on the hook for 4-minutes...DON'T HIT A GUY IN THE FACE WITH YOUR STICK, especially if you KNOW THE GUY IS ALREADY CUT. It's not rocket science, dumbass.

Lucky for you, the extra two minutes wasn't a factor, as the Avalanche scored just 45 seconds into your penalty. That goal is all on the moron who took a stupid penalty with his team already shorthanded (AKA: you). It was a boneheaded play on your part, and whining about it is a dick move. Please, do us all a favor and shut. the. fuck. up.

Thanks.

Game 35 Recap: Avalanche 3 - Flames 2

David Driscoll-Carignan — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 03:57:14 -0000

More photos » by David Zalubowski - AP

5 days 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.

Game 35 Live Thread: Flames at Avalanche

David Driscoll-Carignan — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 14:22:09 -0000

Next Game

Calgary Flames
@ Colorado Avalanche

Sunday, Dec 13, 2009, 6:05 PM MST
Pepsi Center

Game 35 Preview: Flames at Avalanche

posted by David Driscoll-Carignan 1 minute ago

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Ryan Stoa and Derek Peltier Recalled

posted by David Driscoll-Carignan about 15 hours ago

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