Post Game Avs/Rangers: What The Players Did

At the end of the 1^st period in MSG, who here were surprised the Avalanche were in a tie game with the New York Rangers? We were. After being outshot 16-6 in the opening frame, the Avs found a way to beat the potential Vezina Trophy winner, Henrik Lundqvist, once on those 6 shots. And what a goal it was. Matt Hunwick showed off is fantastic skating ability, and lightning speed, along with a good set of mitts on him as he snuck the puck past the Rangers star netminder for his 3^rd goal of the season. Random stat: Erik Johnson, who has played 3 times as many games than Hunwick, has 4 goals.

But the difference in this game wasn’t Hunwick’s goal, a Landeskog tip, or a Stastny empty netter; it was, once again, the solid and spectacular goaltending of Semyon Varlamov. He kept the Avs in the game when they didn’t deserve to be, yet again, and he should get most of the credit for the huge win. In fact, Colorado goalies should get most of the credit for the Avs picking up 5 of a possible six points.

Players of the Game:

Gabriel Landeskog: Landeskog had another solid game. He scored his 21^st of the year, on just his only shot on goal. He played 19:01 and was a physical force. He was great on the backcheck, and was instrumental on the penalty kill. This guy just reeks of Calder.

Ryan Wilson: Wilson had 2 assists in last night’s victory, but he deserves to be a Player of the Game for reasons other than points. He played a solid defensive game and was not afraid to jump up into the rush. He has shown some great offensive potential over the last few games, especially in the OT against New Jersey.

Semyon Varlamov: As previously noted, Varlamov stole another game for the Avalanche. A great game from the young goaltender. The trade with Washington doesn’t hurt AS much anymore!

Jan Hejda: Hejda had another quiet game for the Avs going about his business. But he was good tonight in 23 minutes of action, as he has been for most games this season. You don’t notice him much out there, but that just means he isn’t screwing up.

The Doghouse:

Nobody stood out tonight with an awful game. But there were a few players that did not play as well as they should have:

Matt Hunwick: He scored a great goal in the 1^st, and made some good plays, but the rest of the game for him was bad. He was often caught standing around, letting Rangers players skate circles around him for lots of shots on goal. #22 needs to be better in his own end.

Erik Johnson: See above (ix-nay the nice goal)

Milan Hejduk: still not enough from our captain. His game wasn’t horrible, but he could have contributed more.

Avaholics 3 Stars:

1.      Semyon Varlamov

2.      Gabriel Landeskog

3.      Jan Hejda

The Loser Point: What Would The Standings Look Like Without It?

This string of three point games is killing every team stuck in the potential fun and excitement of the Western Conference playoff race; The Avs included. Here is a look at the current Western Conference standings in comparison to what they would look like if teams didn’t get a point for losing. The head honchos at NBC Sports, and the guys who pick teams for the Winter Classic may want to close their browsers now, as there are no mentions of anything Eastern Conference. Hockey Blasphemy anyone?
(By the way, we are aware of the awkward alignment on different browers, we'll see what we can do about fixing it)

Current Western Conference Standings                  Standings Without the Loser Point

Team                                     PTS                                          Team                                PTS

1. St. Louis Blues                     103                                          1.  St. Louis Blues               94

2. Vancouver Canucks             98                                            2. Vancouver Canucks        90

3. Dallas Stars                          87                                           3. Dallas Stars                     82

4. Nashville Predators              96                                            4. Detroit Red Wings           90

5. Detroit Red Wings                95                                           5. Nashville Predators          88

6. Chicago Blackhawks            92                                            6. Chicago Blackhawks       84

7. Phoenix Coyotes                  87                                            7. Colorado Avalanche     80

8. LA Kings                             86                                            8. San Jose Sharks            76

9. San Jose Sharks                   86                                            9. LA Kings                      74

10. Colorado Avalanche        86                                            10. Phoenix Coyotes        74

11. Calgary Flames                  83                                            11. Calgary Flames           68

12. Anaheim Ducks                  75                                           12. Anaheim Ducks              64

13. Minnesota Wild                  72                                           13. Minnesota Wild              61

14. Edmonton Oilers                 71                                          14. Edmonton Oilers             62

15. Columbus Blue Jackets       55                                          15. Columbus Blue Jackets    48

As you can see, seeds 1-4 and 11-15 do not change with the removal of the loser point. The situations change however. The Red Wings are only 2 points back of the Blues for the Central Division lead, and the Dallas Stars have an 6 point advantage over the San Jose Sharks and an 8 point lead on Phoenix Coyotes in the Pacific Division without the loser point. In today's NHL, Dallas and Phoenix are tied with 87 points. The only thing keeping the Coyotes out of the lead is the fact that Dallas has played 1 fewer game. San Jose is also close to the division lead now, trailing by only one point. 

There is also a minor difference in the 4^th and 5^th seeds. The Predators currently have a 1 point lead on the Detroit Red Wings, but in the second column, without the loser point, Detroit still leads by 2 points. Extra breathing room for the Red Wings would be huge. Home ice advantage in the Joe Louis Arena is a great advantage.

The real difference occurs with seeds 6-10. LA and Phoenix currently occupy the 7^th and 8^th seeds in the West, with Colorado and San Jose looking in from the outside. The roles are completely reversed in the revised standings. Colorado and San Jose sit in 7^th and 8^th respectively, and the Coyotes and Sharks find themselves out of the playoffs, with a larger point margin.

The biggest change, and we’re not just saying that because this is an Avs blog, comes at the hands of the Avalanche. The Avalanche are currently in 10^th spot in the Western Conference, with their schedule fighting against them. They are only 1 point out of the playoffs, but they have the least remaining games. In the second column, the Avs are in a more comfortable 7^th place, and have a 6 point lead on 9^th place Los Angeles. They have a 4 point lead on San Jose in 8^th, and are only 4 points back of the Phoenix Coyotes for 6^th spot in the conference. The difference is huge in the eyes of the Avalanche. It will be fun to see how the standings play out at the end of the year, as it always is, and it will be fun to see how much the loser point can influence who makes or misses the playoffs. Wouldn’t it be something if a team won the Stanley Cup after making the playoffs because of accumulated loser points?

The Avs Playoff Picture: A Numbers Game

This blog was not created to rip on the Avs or to get the hopes down of its readers. It was created to give Avs fans and whoever else a non-biased perspective of the team. And this is an example of that. As we said in an earlier blog, a write up on the Avs playoffs chances was in the works. So here it is; A look at the Avalanche's playoff chances and the bubble teams they are fighting against:

Colorado Avalanche: The Avs, as of VERY early March 16th, sit in the 8th and final playoff spot. They lead the San Jose Sharks and the Calgary Flames by 1 point, and the Los Angeles Kings by 3 points. Colorado has 9 games left. Their opponents: The Rangers, the Flames (Twice), the Canucks (Twice), the Coyotes, the Sharks, the Predators, and the Blue Jackets. A relatively difficult schedule and they play 4 of the remaining 9 games against the other bubble teams. If the Avs make the playoffs, they need wins against them. And NOT in the OT/SO periods. The Rangers, Canucks, and Predators are going to be tough. Oh and did I mention, the Avs have played 1 more game than Phoenix, 2 more than Calgary, and THREE more than San Jose and LA?

The hard part of making the playoffs this year for the youngest NHL team does not necesarily lie in the Avs' schedule. 

Phoenix Coyotes: The 'Yotes have 10 games left, only 4 of which are against bubble teams (one vs. Colorado. They have a game at hand against Colorado and play the Oilers, Ducks, Blue Jackets, and Wild as well. Not exactly powerhouses these days. The Coyotes have more point, more games, and possibly the easiest schedule of all the bubble teams. Avs fans need to hope for a meltdown. Avaholics prediction: Phoenix squeezes into the playoffs.

San Jose Sharks: This might depress some Avs fans. The Coyotes, as I am sure most of you have heard, have 3 games at hand on Colorado. What makes it worse? They are only one point behind after a SO win against the Predators last night. What makes it even worse? They have 3 games left against the Kings, 2 against the Stars, 2 against the Ducks, and one each against the Avs and Coyotes. The problem with these games is that even if the Sharks lose, the Kings, Coyotes, and Stars will get valuable points. Cue Jaws music here. Avaholics prediction: Sharks make the playoffs. Ahead of Phoenix.

Calgary Flames: The Flames are a less of a threat. They have a somewhat tough schedule, playing the Avs twice, and Canucks twice. But in their remaining 11 games (2 at hand on the Avs, only 1 point back) they play the Stars twice, and the Kings once. They also have easier games against the Oilers, Blue Jackets, and Wild. Avaholics prediction: Flames miss the playoffs again.

Los Angeles Kings: The Kings chances are slim. They are 3 points behind the Avs with 3 games at hand. They have to play the Sharks 3 times, Oilers twice, and matchups against the Preds, Blues, Bruins, Canucks, Flames, and Wild. That is a fair chunk of games against bubble teams, so as previously stated, some teams with inevitably get points. Avaholics prediction: The Kings will lose most of their remaining games, and miss the playoffs.

So what the Avs need to do is simple. Win 7 of their 9 games, and pray to the hockey gods that there are no 3 point games. The only teams with more ROW`s (Right Out Wins) than the Avs (29) is Phoenix (30) and Calgary (31). The Sharks and Kings each have 28, so as long as the Avs don't keep winning shootout games. It will take a small miracle for the Avalanche to make the playoffs, but we have seen miracles happen on this team before (See Jamie McGinn's 18th goal of the season). No matter what the outcome, it is going to be a fun ride. It doesn't matter when Round 1 actually starts. For the Avs, THIS is playoff hockey.

Post Game Avs/Devils: What the Players DIDN'T Do

A team fighting for their playoff lives should not go 65 minutes AND a shootout without scoring a goal. Sure, they are playing against a future Hall of Famer in Martin Brodeur, but he is not the goalie he used to be. He isn't Marty of the 90's. Tonight like so many other nights, the Avs made the opposing goalie look like a God. Brodeur made some huge saves, but the Avs need to score some goals. 

Players of the Game: 

J.S. Giguere: Again, the Avs netminders are the reason Colorado leaves the game with more points than when it started. When the Devils peppered him with shots late in the third, he stood tall. He was great in the overtime too, making a key pad save in the last 2 minutes. He let 2 shootout goals in, maybe he should have had both of them, but for those who say Varlamov should have played in the shootout, you can say that after every game any goalie gives up 2 in the circus time. 

Ryan Wilson: He had a solid defensive game. He made great plays, good outlet passes, and jumped into the rush. He was especially dangerous in OT.

The Doghouse

Matt Duchene: Duchene seemed afraid to get into the dirty areas tonight. He wasn't awful but he was not as effective. He said he was playing even though he still had some pain, which leads me to this statement. If you are going to play hurt, and be ineffective, DON'T PLAY. Mind you, the alternative in Kevin Porter couldn't have been much worse. 

Milan Hejduk: Invisible again. He needs to step it up.

Not a lot more to say about this game. We got a point. Not the best outcome, not the worst. God help us against the Rangers.

The Avaholics 3 Stars: 

1.      J.S. Giguere

2.      Ryan Wilson

3.      David Jones

Post Game Avs/Sabres: What the Players Did

What an exciting game put on by the Avs and Sabres! Jamie McGinn, are you kidding me? They should not have won this one. Varlamov was an absolute stud between the pipes tonight. If it was not for his first period heroics, the Avs would have found themselves in a hole way too big to fight their way out of. The Avs did not start with the passion they needed to take a strangle hold early. With the playoff race as close as it is, and the Avalanche clinging to their last life, every game, and every two points is so crucial. The defense was slow out of the gate and they failed to make outlet passes out of the zone when they needed to most. Too much north-south hockey gave the Sabres a good number of scoring chances in the first period. If Varlamov did not stand on his head, Colorado could have been down three goals quick. But the boys in white pulled it off. Jamie McGinn’s miracle goal with 0.7 seconds remaining shocked everybody in the Avs community. What a rush by Landeskog. Great on ice awareness and sense of mind to realize how much time was remaining. Varlamov was solid again in the shootout, and Mueller’s snipe was all the Avs needed. A big two points in a game they should not have won. But I think I speak for everybody when I say they’ll take it!

Players of the Game:

Gabriel Landeskog. What a game by the 19 year old. AGAIN! All I can say is Calder for this guy. He is the reason we won the game. What a last second rush.

Jamie McGinn: 2 goals by the newest member of the Avs. His second 2 goal game of his young career. Both have been with Colorado. McGinn for Winnik and Galiardi? Great move Sherman.

Semyon Varlamov: As previously stated, the Avs lose the game big without Varlamov. He let 4 goals in, but they weren’t all his fault. The Avs still overpaid for him, but these clutch performances are helping to shoulder the blow.

Steve Downie: No points for Downie, but he played over 21:00 minutes of ice time, and was a physical FORCE. I don’t know about you, but I loved watching him rough it up with Patrick Kaleta. Downie had some great chances, had good hustle, and was dangerous in front of the net. You don’t need numbers to have a great game and Downie’s contributions are proof of that.

Avaholics Doghouse:

Milan Hejduk: Invisible again. People say “well he’s only playing 4^th line minutes”…so? He can still be a difference maker on the ice, get some good chances and generate scoring. He has done virtually nothing the past 20 games. Time to step it up captain.

Paul Stastny: He had a couple of good shifts, but again was not a difference maker on the ice. He disappeared in the last half of the game. He is letting the new kids on the block take over. Don’t be surprised to see him shipped out of Colorado by next season.

Kevin Porter: uhhhg….

Matt Hunwick: Bad game from #22 in white. Poor defensive plays, made some awful passes, just an all-around bad night. But don’t lose your faith in him yet, he has played some very solid hockey. One bad game shouldn’t make him lose all the praise he has garnered since his return to the lineup.

Lets talk Peter Mueller. His giveaway that led to the Sabres SH goal was brutal. That was a bad play by Mueller. BUT. It would not have happened if the Avs abandoned that STUPID neutral zone drop pass. There will be more on the drop pass in a future blog. But, tough break Mueller, you made up for it in the SO!

Avaholics Unanimous’ 3 Stars:

1.      Gabriel Landeskog

2.      Jamie McGinn

3.      Semyon Varlamov

The Name Game

Hockey players are notorious for their uncreative bad nicknames for teammates. The Avalanche players are no different, squeezing out such gems as “Landy”, “Dutchy” and “Jonsie”. Maybe players keep nicknames short and sweet as an easy way to call out to a fellow line mate on the ice. Saying “Yea Dutchy!” in an effort get a cross ice pass would be a lot easier than saying something like “Yea Pizza the Hut!” (if Matt Duchene really liked pizza, we’re really not sure), but still. If these players weren’t hockey players, what would their nicknames be? We here at Avaholics Unanimous spent an outrageous amount of time thinking about it, and here is what we have come up with: We’ll go alphabetically:

Tyson Barrie: Barrie Bonds (If he worked at a financial institution)

Mike Connolly: Conner the Spawner (After starting a huge family)

Steve Downie: Downs with Webster (If he worked at a dictionary company)

Jan Hejda: The Swag from Prague (After sweeping numerous women off their feet)

Milan Hejduk: The Duke of Earl (If he worked in a Gene Chandler cover band)

David Jones: DJ Jonesy D (After fake tanning for years and standing in front of a high powered fan for 6 hours with wet hair)

Gabriel Landeskog and Ryan O’Reilly. The Young and the Restless. (Because nothing keeps these guys from working hard night in and night out)

Jay McClement: McClementine (After he became chief foreman of a Nuclear Power Plant) ((Clementine was a code name for the world’s first fast neutron nuclear reactor)) jeez, keep up people.

Peter Mueller, from Bloomington, Minnesota. The Bloomington Blur (After post-concussion symptoms left him with blurred vision. Congrats on the recovery though Peter!)

Mark Olver: Olver and Company (If he was CEO of a corporate franchise)

Kevin Porter: The Im-Porter (After opening a latex manufacturing company. They do imports, no exports)

Ryan Wilson: Brian Wilson (After lying in bed for days on end)

Daniel Winnik: Winny the Blue (After the depression of playing for the tanking SJ Sharks kicks in)

After retirement, hockey players often start small businesses with their money. Here is what we think some of the Avs players might get into after they hang up the skates.

Matt Duchene: “Goin’ Dutch” A restaurant where everybody pays for themselves.

T.J. Galiardi: “The Doghouse” A pet supplies store. Given his recent benching’s by new head coach Todd McLellan, this seemed fitting.

Milan Hejduk: “Hedgie’s Hogs” A motorbike company

David Jones: “The Jonses Furniture Warehouse” He sells the furniture that everybody wants.

Chuck Kobasew: “Chuckie Squeeze” An adult oriented establishment

Cody McLeod: “McLoud 9’s” A mental hospital to help the severely depressed.

Ryan O’Byrne: “Oh Burns!” A treatment center for burn victims

Ryan Wilson: “Wilson Genuine Undrafted” A beer company (Because we was never drafted into the NHL)

David Van Der Gulik: “Van-DerLay Industries” A rival latex manufacturer of Kevin Porter’s business. They import AND export.

By the way, we realize how awful Mike Connolly’s nickname is. The guy who thought that one up is clearing out his desk as you read. If you think you can do better, feel free to share and we’ll include them in a future blog.

Post Game Avs/Ducks: How The Players Did

This will be the first of many post-game blogs analysing how certain Avs players did in the preceding game. This feature will aim to praise and/or criticize Avs players for their hard work or awful plays. So let’s get this party started!

Semyon Varlamov: If it was not for Semyon Varlamov, the Avs would not have left the Pepsi Center that night with 2 crucial points. He made key saves when the Avs seemed to sit back after gaining the lead. The Selanne goal was not his fault at all. Lazy defense on the PK by Paul Stastny and a defensive breakdown by the Avs, coupled with a beauty pass by Matt Belesky led to a sure goal that no one can blame #1 in Burgundy and Blue for. Bottom line: Varlamov was solid when the Avs needed it most, and was my 1^st star for the Avs.

Kevin Porter: Porter scored his 4^th goal of the season on a great tip in. Good shift by #12. Other than that, he had a poor game. He could not keep the puck on his stick for the life of him, he was lazy on the back check, and his defensive play was noticeably subpar. Oh and Kevin, when you skate into the corner with a member of the opposition, it wouldn’t hurt to ACTUALLY HIT HIM. If I had a nickel for every time Porter lightly grazed a Ducks player along the boards or in the corner instead of actually laying a solid hard check on him, I would probably have about 45 cents. There were at least 9 times I noticed, without the help of rewinding my PVR, that Porter either hit the boards beside his man, or brushed against him so lightly and harmlessly that the opposing players probably thought he threw a feather duster at their bodies. Porter needs to be better. He scored, yes. And that goal helped the Avs win the game; no one can knock him for that. But one goal does not excuse a player from a game full of mistakes and lazy play. Mike Connolly is waiting for a chance to play again and Chuck Kobasew won’t be hurt forever. Matt Duchene will return and Porter will once again be in the press box. He had a chance to show the team, the coach, and the management why he deserves a roster spot on this young blossoming team, and he has done nothing but fill everybody’s heads with reasons to let him walk in the summer. Sick tip in though.

Matt Hunwick: Another great game from the once dark horse of the Avalanche back end. He deserves to stay in the lineup and he should be given a big pat on the back for his poise and class after being a healthy reserve most of the regular season. His play to keep the puck in the attacking zone just before the Landeskog OT goal was key.

Paul Stastny: not playing up to his bloated 6.6 million dollar salary. He needs to be better offensively, better defensively, keep his stick on the ice, get to the dirty areas, and not FLOAT so much. The goals aren’t just going to come to you Mr. Stastny; you need to work for them.

Jamie McGinn: Every time the puck went to net, or a player made a powerful move around the Ducks D-men, it seemed #11 was the man doing the work, or was close by waiting for a key scoring chance. McGinn could have had 2 or 3 goals tonight. Solid effort, great pick up by Greg Sherman. (I can’t believe I just typed that!)

Erik Johnson: EJ could have had 2 goals as well. He played a good defensive game, and even though he is in a bit of an offensive drought (0 G’s in 12 games) his play tonight did not suggest that. He was rushing the puck left right and center, creating offense and generating scoring chances. He almost squeaked one by Hiller in the 2^nd and had another quality chance in overtime. Solid game by Johnson. Remember how many awful games he had earlier this year? Those are few and far between in the second half of the season. 

I would love to hear some comments, questions, and input of your own! Comments can now be added by anybody, and we will do our best to answer them and get back to you! Thanks for reading Avaholics!