DISQUS

YKnott · 2 months ago

I know it's been mentioned here before, but despite having some individual moments that show the talent he has, Duchene still doesn't look like he's meshing with Tucker and Svatos. I'd like to see him on the ice more with Jones - maybe just shaking things up a little would help him get going.

andy1050 · 2 months ago

I'm starting to think that line is entirely due to Sacco's system and Tucker's great start. Sacco rewards the people that go out and put it all out on the line and Tucker's been doing that. Heck, he _deserves_ to be up there on the 2nd line with more ice time. No, he can't keep up with Duchene on a rush. But I do feel a little more comfortable that people are going to think twice about playing Duchene dirty with Tucker on the ice to defend him. But, I bet if the Avs were losing a close game in the third, you'd start seeing a lot of shuffling of the lines. And, if Tucker starts to cool down then I'd bet you'd see him start slipping back down the lines.

Dan · 2 months ago

You're totally right! I thought it looked like a lot of red on the ice...that was one the worst officiated game I've ever seen!

al · 2 months ago

I know that bad calls usually even out, and that I see them going both ways. That being said, NHL refs are HORRIBLE this year. The puck hitting the net and not being blown dead. The game in Nashville where the on-ice ref called a goal when the puck clearly never crossed the line, and the red light never came on. There are a few other that escape me, but I mean come on, these guys need to get their act together.

I know refs are human and they're going to make bad calls here and there, but the stuff they're getting wrong is basic officiating fundamentals. I'm really wondering where the NHL got these guys. The Blind, Deaf, and Dumb School immediately comes to mind.

andy1050 · 2 months ago

Yes. I thought they were very questionable in both Toronto and tonight. Early in the first period, the Habs were making some questionable plays: I saw a trip of an Av with the puck and there were some flying elbows. Then they wind up calling three straight on the Avs. And that Foote penalty was just a horrible call.

Sam · 2 months ago

Did you happen to see the last 20 seconds or so when the Habs had SEVEN men on the ice? How on EARTH was that not called. That was absolutely ridiculous

davidkrabs · 2 months ago

The officiating was horrible last night. There was that first holding call against Quincey, I think, that was a joke. Then the Habs got called for something that was a joke. The goal that shouldn't have counted. Etc. The refs were just awfull.

Patrick R · 2 months ago

Cumiskey had a great game!

andy1050 · 2 months ago

AD--I'd like to second your praise of Anderson. Congratulations to him on such a great start! Good solid goaltending, moments where he looks like he's horribly out of position and scares me to death but then easily gets himself out of trouble, the most penalty minutes of any goalie in the league ( :) ), and his first assist of the year tonight. Oh, and he's the only goalie the Avs have shown me yet who can bail Tucker out when he takes an idiotic penalty at the very end of a close game. I'm excited that the Avs have a goalie that cares enough and has enough fire to throw a dirty punch in the middle of a scrum again.

davidkrabs · 2 months ago

About Tucker. Man, I think sometime s that guy just lets his temper get away from him. He's been great so far this season, and when they called that penalty in the last few I thought it was a bull-crap call, but then I saw the replay and realized he deserved it. He just needs to keep his cool, and keep playing like he has.

andy1050 · 2 months ago

You are exactly right. I'm much happier with him this season and it's good to see that there was a reason that the Avs wanted him, that he has some skill to his game. But ... in the last three minutes of a one-goal game, you really have to keep it together.

toddb3 · 2 months ago

Too bad there's not still a rivalry between the Avs and wings. I mean, detroit just isn't in the same league as the Avs anymore. I guess osgood was right after all.

ctk · 2 months ago

um, last year while we, to put it mildly, fraking sucked, we only gave 3 or 4 points to detroit, won 3 of 4, and in my opinion would have won 4 of 4 had the fourth game not been in the last month when the wheels literally fell off. think about that- the worst team in the west nearly swept the season series from the defending cup champs and cup runners-up.

and this team is worlds better than last years. even though it's still detroit, i think we win this one comfortably.

Jeru1975 · 2 months ago

So, I know the season is young but I can't tell you how nice it is to have good goaltending again!! Having confidence that our goaltender will be able to bail us out of poor play or an MIA offense (even though he hasn't really had to yet) is very refreshing!!! I think the team feels the same way and its showing in the way they play the game.

The play of the team so far brings up the question of was there a cancer on the team last year that is now gone? Where was this high level of play last year?

Go Avs!!

aaroncali · 2 months ago

AD, why don't your just download those pics to your computer and then post them on the Blog?

DucheneSucks · 2 months ago

MATT DUCHENE = ZERO GOALS.

MATT DUCHENE = MAJOR BUST

andy1050 · 2 months ago

Pavel Datsyuk = 0 goals. What's your point again? Pavel Datsyuk = major bust?

andy1050 · 2 months ago

By the way, my intention was to say, here's a name player on Detroit that had played the same number of games as Duchene and who also hadn't scored any goals. I didn't realize that he got injured this week. Sorry.

djderik · 2 months ago

AD....thanks for the info and insight. I love reading the blog every day from here in California. Thanks again
Derik in SAC

djderik · 2 months ago

DUCHENE is 18 and playing on the 2nd line 7 games in....what do you really expect. He's been solid with no real bad plays that i can rememeber. Every game but last night he seemed to have a few plays where he dazzles and makes things happen. Compared to what we had last year !?!!!?!?!?!?!?!? I'll take Matt's play every day of the week. Give this guy some time to figure out the little nuances..and it will he awesome.

unlearn · 2 months ago

Hey AD,
Where will you be hanging out for a beer or bite in Detroit? I am from Detroit and if you wouldn't mind, I would be up buying Blood Feud, getting it signed and having a serveza with you. Let me know if you're going to be hanging out around town before or after the game.

Perry

Matt Jordan · 2 months ago

If good teams overcome horrid officiating...then the Avs are a damn good team!

Nick L · 2 months ago

Your iPhone is inoperable because of your carrier, not Steve Jobs. iPhone;s work great in Canada, top selling smart phone. Get it right, Dater.

Paul · 2 months ago

Duchene is on pace for 11 goals. And that's only if he scores one against the Wings. Each game he fails to net one, that estimation goes down. If any other rookie the Avs had called up had gone goalless for that long, they'd have been either in the press box long ago, or sent down. The only reason Duchene is still on the roster is because the Avalanche are afraid to send him down. They are afraid of the extreme fan backlash they would endure. There would be a very empty Pepsi Center.
Problem is, that eventually Anderson isn't going to be making the saves. The grinders aren't going to be chipping in goals. The losses are going to mount up. Eventually, the wheels are going to come off the bandwagon. Likely, the beginning of the end starts in Detroit. Can this Avs team beat the Wings at the Joe? Yes, but it's not very likely. It's also very likely that Duchene comes back from this road trip with even more pressure on him to score in front of the home crowd. Thus, he grips the stick even tighter. His confidence gets blown apart.
The Avs are doing this wrong. Because of the pressure to sell tickets, they are very likely damaging the beginning of Duchene's career. They already ruined Chris Stewart by bringing him up too fast. You'll notice that Marek Svatos has completed his turn as an NHL failure. Players like Duchene need seasoning. Another year in the junior league was the right move. The Avs chose to try the desperate approach, and it will fail miserably.

andy1050 · 2 months ago

... or, things suddenly click and Duchene scores a hat trick on Saturday and then he is on almost a point a game pace. Given that he's doing everything else right except for hitting the net, I can also see that happening. Or maybe the result at the end of the season will be somewhere between your dire predictions and my over-optimism. What's most likely?

Nick L · 2 months ago

The goals will come, its clear just watching him play. Sure other players would be in the press box if they hadn't found the net this far in. But those players couldn't contribute the way Duchene has. Have you watched the games, or just read the score sheets? Duchene is creating plenty of chances, probably the most of any avs players. Not all of which end in an assist or goal, but when he creates these changes he is swinging the momentum in Colorado's favour. He's playing like her belongs out there plain and simple.

I agree that there will be slumps to come, every team has them. But I think its pretty pessimistic to start saying the wheels will fall off. The Avs have nothing to lose, and they are playing that way. We have a lot of cap room left, so who knows what could happen. No one is realistically expecting a cup, but should be true playoff contenders.

Fred · 2 months ago

True playoff contenders? You are joking, of course. You can't be serious.

You really had everyone going here. Thanks for the laugh. I needed that after the long work week.

Nick L · 2 months ago

We'll see who's laughing in the end. If you add a veteran scorer and maybe a stronger 3rd line center to a team with very solid D and what looks like a solid #1 goalie, how is that a joke?

I'm saying the team definitely still needs a couple tweaks to achieve playoff contention, but its not out of the question by any means.

Nick L · 2 months ago

By the way, big difference between "playoff contenders" and "cup contenders". Think that's a piece of information worth clarifying for you, rookie.

Brian T. · 2 months ago

Actually, the Avalanche don't have that much cap room. 3.8 million.

http://www.nhlscap.com/teamnumbers.htm

...and with a cheapskate (where the Avs are concerned) of an owner in Kronke, don't expect any of that room to get used to acquire anyone. Silent Stanley is on the cheap as far as the Avs for a while. As long as the Nuggets are moderate contenders, the Avs will be the red headed step child.

In other words, don't go getting your hopes up for a few years, at the very least.

Markus · 2 months ago

Those numbers are from last year I think, Brian. The Avalanche cap it this year is something like $51 Million or a bit more. They have more like $5 million or so available. But you are correct in your other comment. Kronke will continue to be cheap when it comes to the Avalanche. The Nuggs are his baby now. He's always loved basketball more than hockey. He only owns the Avs because they came as part of a package deal with the Nuggs and Pepsi Center.

JFS · 2 months ago

I am going to agree with Paul here. He's got a very valid point. If this were a normal situation where the Avalanche were (and I'm the apparent minority here in saying they should be) rebuilding, then Duchene goes back to his junior team and gets his "seasoning". The problem I see is that the Avalanche are just not willing to take the normal route and do the real, true rebuild. That would mean actually developing players instead of throwing them into situations where they truly cannot expect to succeed long term. The NHL is extremely difficult. How do i know? My Uncle played in the NHL for 32 games. I watched him play when I was a teenager 10 years ago. I've talked to him about his playing days, and he said that the expectations of general managers and coaches in the NHL are almost inhuman.
The Avalanche need to be drafting in the top 5 or top 10 for at least 2-3 years. They need to make a few trades (Hejduk, Wolski come to mind) and get some really good bundles of draft picks in return.) They need to really build a farm system that will supply the team a constant flow of players for a decade or more. Ring a bell? Yes. That's what the Nordiques did. That's the entire reason the Avalanche had such a strong team when they moved to Denver. Actually, it's the only reason. The Avalanche as the Avalanche have not really drafted or developed very many true NHL players. Most of their talent came through trades or free agent signings.
I would love to see the Avalanche really take their time and do this the right way. A short term fix is not the answer, in my opinion.