For the 2010-11 season, The Avalanche Guild’s founder, Justin Goldman, is proud to announce that he will be providing his live in-game Avalanche analysis and post-game recaps through Mile High Sports. Below is a message from him regarding the jump and what it means for Avalanche fans.

Dear Avalanche fans,

For my fourth season covering the Avalanche with Mile High Sports Radio (and my sixth covering the team as a whole), I’m excited to take things to the next level. This is great news for Avs fans, as I will now have an even larger and more recognizable voice in the Denver sports community. I have put a lot of time and effort into supporting Mile High Sports over the years, and they have been kind enough to offer me this opportunity to continue to grow with them. For my pro career and my long-term goals, making the jump was a no-brainer.

It hasn’t been easy to get to this point. The radio station started just a few months prior to the start of the 2007-08 season and their signal, as everyone knows, was quite weak. But as time went on and relationships started to grow, they continued to develop a stronger signal and more solid fan base. And now, thanks to very hard work by their magazine staff and owners, they not only broadcast on 1510 AM, but on 93.7 FM as well. Duel signals on both sides of the dial? Yep! It doesn’t get much better than that.

So the three years of hard work has paid off. I stuck by their side and supported their endeavors and clearly saw passionate sports fans doing their best to provide listeners with a new voice in Colorado sports. And now, with a new three-year partnership extension as the official flagship station for the Avalanche, the sky is the limit. The fans, thirsty for more competent Avs coverage and analysis, will truly enjoy some healthy competition between myself and long-time reporters from the Denver Post and other traditional, mainstream media outlets.

Of course, The Avs Guild website is not going anywhere. We’ll still have the discounted ticket offers, the on-ice programs and the Blogger Network Roundup. But if there’s a home game taking place, you’ll now find my analysis on the new twitter feed @MHSR_Avs and the Mile High Sports website. And of course you can catch me and Thunder Dan every Monday night during the Avalanche Weekly show. I’ll still host and jump in the Live Game Chats we hold right here for every single road game as well.

My first season with MHSR was back in 2007 when I produced and co-hosted the weekly Gross Misconduct show, which aired on Tuesday mornings. In the 2008-09 season, I was the co-host of the Avalanche Post-Game show alongside my cohort and good friend Brenden Thomas. And last season, I was fortunate to co-host the Avalanche Weekly show on Mondays at 6:00p with Dan Bettlach and special guest Mike Haynes from Altitude TV. Along with my duties on MHSR, I have also been appearing on The Uncle Nasty Show prior to every game (M-F) since the NHL Lockout ended in 2005. This will be my sixth season on KBPI 106.7 FM previewing games with Uncle Nasty and Matt Need.

Since all of my radio shows aired just once a week, I had to provide my in-game analysis and post-game coverage through The Avalanche Guild. This season, however, all of the in-game analysis and coverage will flow through the Mile High Sports website thanks to a new dedicated blog account and a brand new Twitter feed, @MHSR_Avs.

To be honest, it’s about time. I’m not only extremely confident in my ability to analyze this team, but I will continue to provide insight that no other Avalanche reporter is able to provide. The emphasis of my analysis focuses around the most important player on the ice – the goaltender.

Why have I committed so much of my time covering this team for very little to no compensation? Because I’m striving to be a professional goalie scout. If you didn’t already know, I have worked hard to build up the first independent goalie scouting service in the USA - The Goalie Guild.

The Goalie Guild is truly my pride and joy when it comes to The Hockey Guild, which I started back in 2007. It is a free and premium service I take great pride in providing. I put a lot of time into managing it on a daily basis. And even though I have no pro hockey experience as a goalie, I have the trained eye to dissect a goaltender at any level, age or ability and analyze their strengths and weaknesses down to the slightest movement. It is a talent I have honed for over 15 years through endless hours of video analysis, goalie coaching and most importantly, by playing the position at a high level in high school and college. I played for CSU, I coached for the DU Junior Pioneers and I’ve helped a number of goalies reach the next level in their career.

Thanks to a great partnership formed over the summer with Dallas Stars goalie coach Mike Valley and former NHL goaltender Steve Shields, I’m able to publish a Monthly Scouting Journal, which provides goalie coaches around the world with awesome insight and analysis on more than 200 goalies every month. The first two issues were a great success and I am excited to continue publishing issues on a monthly basis.

As you can see, reaching my life-long goal of becoming a pro goalie scout is not an easy process. It takes full commitment, numerous hours in front of computer screens and TV’s and even more time managing notes and tracking goalies all over the world. But it is something I’m extremely passionate about, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. In order to make this happen, I have to be flexible, both with my budget and my time.

And if Avalanche fans are the true beneficiaries of my insight and dedication to covering the NHL, more power to us all. I’m dedicated to really pushing the envelope this season. I’m going to teach you all a lot about the game of hockey and strive to make all of you better fans and analysts of the game. Whether you’re a die-hard or a casual fan, you’ll learn a thing or two about the Avalanche on a daily basis. I’m fueled by a fire to be something I’ve always wanted to be and I know it will happen if I keep my nose to the grindstone.

So I hope you’ll follow me on the new Twitter feed @MHSR_Avs during games. And I hope you’ll take a few minutes to read my articles and recaps on the Mile High Sports website. And I also hope you’ll continue to listen to Avalanche Weekly as well.

I really appreciate everyone’s support over the last five seasons and I can’t wait to spread the good word of Avalanche hockey to more sports fans throughout the Front Range and the Rocky Mountains. This team is one of the most exciting group of players to watch in the NHL and I have a strong feeling they’re only getting better.

Sincerely,

Justin Goldman

When asked to represent Avalanche fans for Pick My NHL Team, I was hit with magnanimous feelings of excitement, then honor, and then finally, responsibility. The chance to convert a brand new hockey fan into an “Avaholic” doesn’t happen often. And since I was pitted up against 29 quality NHL team bloggers, I just trusted my instincts and let the Avalanche energy flow.

For this particular piece of Guild literature, I acted as the voice of Avalanche fans everywhere. Although it is a special feeling to be chosen for this quest, there is real pressure to represent this community in a manner befitting the history and prestige of an organization that is endeared to all of our hearts. But with this pressure came a quality opportunity to write beyond expectations.

Avalanche fans may seem somewhat buried in the Rockies compared to other NHL teams, especially those to the North. Our voice may not be loud, but we are still very proud. Sure, we may not scream out to the masses as often (or with as many numbers) as other teams, and we may not have the sellouts we once had in the glory years of the late-90’s, but we have always displayed an intense fortitude, a firm understanding of the pangs of progress and the noble reverence of former Avs players.

So in order to shed a light inside the world of Avalanche fandom, I present you with five illuminated paths to the ultimate Avalanche experience. I can only hope that you all gain a new understanding of just how fun it is to be an Avalanche fan.

1. THE TEAM

From cellar-dwellers to a Western Conference powerhouse in only 20 games, this team has been reborn. With the aid of the organization’s wise sage Pierre Lacroix, management successfully breathed new life into the team in just three short summer months. They constructed a winning team by making the best decisions possible in a manner that created instantaneous results.

To start, they bid farewell to last year’s coaching staff and upper management. Greg Sherman, a man on a mission to prove his worth to the organization that had been honing him for many years, stepped in as the new GM with confidence. He mended the wounds from a last-place finish by hiring a brilliant head coach in Joe Sacco, a former NHL player known for his fiery passion and for pushing younger players to be their best every single shift. Alongside Sacco, three former Avalanche players – Sylvain Lefebvre, Steve Konowalchuk and Adam Deadmarsh – completed a young, energetic and motivated coaching staff.

Those moves alone spawned the dawn of a new age of Avalanche hockey. Unlike last season’s team, this year’s ice army was destined to succeed thanks to an identity forged by hard work, consistent energy and solid defensive effort from every player.

When it came time to shape the legions that would lead this team to victory, they drafted and then signed two dynamic 18-year-old stars in Matt Duchene (third overall draft pick) and Ryan “Radar” O’Reilly (33rd overall pick), a pair of youngsters that instantly improved the redefined dynamic run-and-gun style. These two were the new shape-shifters, a pair of centers that play beyond their years and bring tons of excitement thanks to an ability to play different styles in all three zones. 

The team’s speed, skill and skating finesse was balanced with power, grit and toughness thanks to the likes of David Koci, Chris Durno, David Jones, Cody McLeod and Chris Stewart. To polish it off, the organization named their most veteran defenseman, the grizzled and stalwart Adam Foote, as team captain. This took the pressure off young superstar Paul Stastny, a wizard in all three zones, which allowed him to develop naturally and without distraction from the pangs of traditional media.

Simply put, the results of these moves have reflected in the quality of hockey displayed on the ice. Colorado is one of the top teams in the league and they are finding ways to win a lot of close games. They sit atop the Northwest Division with the likes of the Calgary Flames and they had one of the best (and longest) road trips in club history in October. They have now exceeded the expectations from fans and foes alike, and they have been doing it on a fairly consistent basis.

But if there’s one hidden quality this Avalanche team has right now, it is depth and balance. They have four lines that can skate, hit and score. They have a goaltender that has the best combined save percentage over the last two years and veterans that have been feeding off the energy of the rookies. When it comes right down to it, this year’s Avalanche team is one of the most dynamic and exciting offensive teams to watch.

The most important on-ice component of the Avalanche turnaround, however, was the signing of a fierce, promising, gigantic free-agent goaltender by the name of Craig Anderson. Without having to say a single word, he arrived in Colorado and claimed what was rightfully his – the title of Avalanche Starting Goaltender.

2. THE GOALTENDER

When a natural born leader is finally handed the Staff of Power, he will almost always win the battles set before him. For Anderson, this has truly been the case through the first six weeks of the season. A former backup with the Chicago Blackhawks and the Florida Panthers, Anderson has always been capable of leading a team deep into the playoffs. He has started all but two games so far this season and has compiled amazing stats for a team that was expected to be dead last in their conference.

But one of the most difficult aspects of being an NHL goaltender is displaying patience and focus for an extended period of time. Many moments in Anderson’s career could have resulted in him running for the hills, giving up hope or dropping his guard, and ultimately losing his job. But perseverance led to increased potential, which finally led to a quality opportunity. When Florida let him walk on July 1^st, it only took minutes for the Avalanche to sign him to a two-year deal at a fair and affordable price.

On the first day of training camp, Anderson’s confidence was all the proof the fans needed – his time had come and he was going to make waves. When the regular season started, it was crystal clear that he was going to get a heavy workload. When October was over, Anderson had shocked the hockey world by being named the NHL Player of the Month. He was the league’s best, a title that no fan for any team would refute. He had a league-high save percentage and more wins than any other goalie.

Every fan knows that an NHL team cannot obtain playoff success without an elite goaltender. Like the final piece of the puzzle, Anderson was a perfect fit at the center of this hockey club. He’s the leader, the inspiring warrior, the one who screams the team’s battle cry as they trample the opposition. But every team has a quality starter, so what makes Anderson so special?

Anderson’s unique play is revealed in his ferocious play and mannerisms. He doesn’t allow anyone to push him around or get in his way. He battles hard and he never gives up on a puck. When it comes to the most entertaining goalies to watch, Anderson is at the top of the mountain. He hates to lose, he hates to be scored on and he’s not afraid to make that obvious. His size, his quickness, his agility, positive attitude and ferocity combine together to make him the perfect winning goaltender.

3. THE FAN EXPERIENCE

The most frustrating aspect of being an Avalanche fan would be the non-believers that feel the organization does not care about their fans. High ticket prices might be a major source for this negativity, but that could not be further from the truth. In fact, The Avalanche Guild is walking proof that these ticket prices are merely a stigma perpetuated by the uninformed. So in order to give you a real glimpse of what makes the Avalanche fan experience so special, we’ll quickly weave you our own personal tale.

From March 2003 to April 2007, we edited and designed a free monthly hockey publication called Colorado Hockey Insider. We provided extensive coverage of local pro and youth hockey for fans throughout Colorado. Although we had no real relationship with the Avalanche organization, they always showed their appreciation for our coverage, especially during the NHL Lockout.

In May 2007, we made the tough decision to move on from the publication and take things to a new level. Although it was not easy to start again from scratch, we knew our insightful analysis was legit. But finding a supportive platform was difficult to find. So with two sheets of paper and an idea in our mind, a lucky phone call had piqued the interest of the Avalanche’s Director of Fan Development. One week later, a meeting was initiated and the opportunity of a lifetime was laid out before us.

As the meeting commenced, our nerves were high but the resolve was steadfast. Before we had even handed over our two-page proposal to launch The Avalanche Guild, we were asked to reveal our mission statement.

“To advance and enhance the Avalanche fan’s experience through a variety of on and off-ice experiences,” we said.

At that moment, the organization was instantly loyal to a cause that was created by a single passionate Avalanche fan, a voice that had the work ethic to get things done. And so two months later, a pair of fan-friendly programs was introduced and initiated.

Just by supporting this new partnership, any Avalanche fan from anywhere in the world could get discount tickets to almost every home game. All they had to do was find The Avalanche Guild, choose the game they want to attend and purchase them through the Guild website. All of a sudden, attending games was extremely affordable and easy to accomplish. No matter who you were or where you came from, experiencing an Avalanche game at a great price was easier than ever before.

But we didn’t stop there. We followed our mission statement by enhancing and advancing the fan’s experience. This is how the After-Hours program was born. The Avalanche was so supportive of this program idea, that if we sold a certain number of tickets for each game, they would bestow upon us the most holy of all opportunities – a chance to play hockey on the legendary Pepsi Center ice! The same ice that Avs players skated on was now made available to Avalanche fans to skate on after games.

Teams from all over the world, even from Australia, started coming together to embrace the essence of being an Avalanche fan. They would all celebrate the Avalanche experience by purchasing discounted tickets to a game and then skate on Pepsi Center ice afterwards. These experiences left everyone with warm and lasting memories that developed great fan camaraderie.

At the end of the season, all of those that had been a part of this program and supported our mission came together for another unique Avalanche fan experience, a shootout tournament we call Battle for the Banner. The two shootout teams that made it to the finals were bestowed (thanks to the Avalanche) the opportunity of a lifetime – a chance to play for the championship banner during the intermission of an Avalanche home game in front of thousands of hockey fans!

Beyond The Avalanche Guild programs and partnerships, the Avalanche offer local hockey fans with many other unique and interactive fan experiences. There’s the Avalanche Adult Invitational Tournament, the Quebec Qualifier youth tournament, the Celebrity Golf Classic, the annual Avs Better Halves Fashion Show and much, much more.

As you can clearly see, this organization goes above and beyond the call of duty to reward their fans with opportunities to experience Avalanche hockey in a way never seen before. What makes the Avalanche fan experience truly unique, however, is that a single passionate fan’s voice can and will be heard. Although we are just one story of many, we are honored to be able to bring other passionate Avalanche the experience of skating on an NHL ice surface. Through the programs that we created, the Avalanche advance and enhance the experience in ways never before seen. No other NHL team can say this and mean it.

4. THE HISTORY

Every NHL team has a rich and illustrious history comprised of memorable players, moments and legends. This is what truly makes the NHL so special. Colorado’s history is no different, as the echoing voices of past heroes reverberate through the Pepsi Center halls, throughout the Rocky Mountains and around the world. They whisper words of gallantry, bravery and monumental valor to thousands of fans, young and old alike. They inject inspiration into our souls and leave us wanting more, more, more.

Joe Sakic, Captain Clutch, the King of Avalanche history, is a noble player and man revered by almost every hockey fan, no matter what team they follow. In fact, his #19 was raised to the rafters on Opening Night and his locker was converted into an everlasting shrine, encased by glass and proclaimed as an emblazoned statue for all current and future Avalanche players.

Patrick Roy, arguably the best goaltender to ever play the game, played a major role in leading this team to two Stanley Cups in 1996 and 2001. He is regarded as the keeper of these brilliant trophies, the one that will always be revered as St. Patrick. His intensity and will to win was unmistakable and left a lasting impression on current superstar goalies like Carey Price.

Ray Bourque, who played more than 20 years in the league without winning a single championship, came to Colorado to finally hoist Lord Stanley in 2001. Peter Forsberg, the brilliant, tough and stoic Swede also called Colorado his proud home for many years. Rob Blake, Claude Lemieux, Paul Kariya and Teemu Selanne, the list of memorable players stretches on and on. 

And that only scratches the surface of this team’s true history, one that includes the legendary Quebec Nordiques franchise.

Yes, the Avalanche’s history is similar to the other 29 teams, but not a day goes by when fans doesn’t reflect on a moment of glory that was created by one of these players. It is in our blood and a huge part of who we are as Avalanche followers. Whether it’s on the ice or in the community, these are the warriors you want your children and their children to treat as role models.

5. THE MILE HIGH CITY

Ask any Colorado Avalanche player – past or present – what their experience is like playing in Denver. They will all tell you it is one of the most beautiful, fun and entertaining cities to call home. There’s a little bit of everything out here. We have the pristine and mysterious foothills, the city lights, pro football, basketball and baseball. There is incredible skiing, snowboarding, friendly people, good food and everything you could possibly want if you lead an active and healthy lifestyle.

As an Avalanche fan that was born and raised in another state, we can say that Colorado is one of the most beautiful places in the United States. With a number of small mountain cities, one will find a place called Ouray, which is known as the country’s equivalent of Switzerland. Expect beautiful, clear skies close to 300 days out of the year and expect to make friends with ease.

If you are reading this and ever make plans to visit Denver, be sure to contact The Avalanche Guild. We will welcome you with open arms and will leave you with a belly full of good food and a mind full of good hockey memories. You’ll be set up with discounted Avalanche tickets and maybe even a chance to play hockey on Pepsi Center ice. You’ll experience a hidden hockey haven where there’s nothing left to say other than, “I can’t wait to do this all over again.”

If you follow the Avalanche closely, you may have heard that long-time Denver Post reporter Adrian Dater recently deleted his Twitter account. His actions not only caused more than 1,200 followers to lose a valuable resource for daily Avalanche news and notes, they also reflected negatively on traditional media journalists. On top of that, this has also frustrated some of his other newpaper comrades.

On the topic of quitting Twitter, I have no comment. Dater is free to do as he wishes.

On the topic of his reporting regarding the Flames’ post-game locker room discussions, however, every writer has to know that players get yelled at all the time, especially after a tough loss. Why Dater even considered this a “story” is beyond comprehension. As a long-time goaltender and a current private coach, if I ever wandered by a locker room and heard a coach and player yelling at each other, I would never publish it in the media because it wouldn’t matter.

In fact, as a player, I would actually consider it a good thing. It leads me to believe there’s a lot of energy, enthusiasm and passion in there. I would be reminded of my old High School hockey coach that cursed all the time, even if we taped our sticks wrong. What makes “yelling” or “screaming” at each other after a tough loss a bad thing, anyways? Am I missing something? I could just as easily argue that the the Flames will come back “fired up” and ready to actually play a full 60-minute game because of this whole thing. I’m pretty sure this sort of thing is called motivating.

To be honest, the entire online hockey community is comprised of many talented and insightful writers, especially in Canada. We are fortunate to have quality analysts from NHL.com and TSN.ca tweeting about situations taking place throughout the league. But why is this growing community a perfect reflection of the phrase, “Quality over Quantity” compared to most other sports?

Because most of us are also players. Current and former coaches and scouts dominate the new-media platform of Twitter, which does more to inform me than it does to annoy me. Therefore, I use it frequently.

Onward and upward to the Twitter and new media hockey revolution, I say! If it’s raising our hockey intelligence level, bringing fans and followers closer together, raising money for foundations and good causes like Hockey Fights Cancer, then I am going to support it…regardless of twitter blunders or a journalist quitting because of drama.

On a night like this, I hope all Avalanche fans will realize that, more than fans of most teams, we need to work together to promote the team and game we love. This team doesn’t have the largest fan base in North America and they don’t have the sellout streak or the Hall of Fame players anymore, either. But this team does have incredible class, a rich past and some really amazing players on the current roster.

The actions of a traditional media journalist is all the proof we need that Avalanche fans will continue to thrive on new-age media to obtain information, discuss the team we love and enjoy the Avalanche Experience. Besides, hockey is just a game, and if we don’t get busy loving it, we get busy hating it. And that’s not on any sports fan’s agenda.

To be honest, we are blown away that there are such thankful, kind, appreciative hard-working hockey lovers on Twitter. From the consummate pro player like former NHL goalie Kevin Weekes to the fan-favorite Dani, the Hockey Mom of Twitter, these people dedicate their time to promote the game we love and they are appreciative of the opportunities they have.

When I see all of these passionate people coming together (fans and pros alike), I’m only left to wonder how can some people be so thankful for their fans, followers and supporters, while others can just give up and allow more than 1,000 fans to have a bitter taste left in their mouths.

When a candle’s flame is blown out and the wax fully dries, the next flame becomes stronger & brighter right before our eyes. That was a tweet I sent out after reading a number of posts and tweets today from Avalanche fans and bloggers, including one of our closest comrades, Grant Beery from Hockeyism.

From now on, if you run an Avalanche blog, enjoy covering the team and writing, you are free to post something here, on The Avalanche Guild. When it comes right down to it, that’s the true essence of a Guild. We all have a voice, we all have the passion and we all have the means.

Also, if you have a minute, please check out the website PICK MY NHL TEAM for a second. As you will see, a new-found hockey enthusiast is asking one fan from every team to convert the game’s newest follower. The Avalanche Guild has been chosen to represent Avalanche fans everywhere.

On Saturday afternoon, our post will be presented on John Meyer’s website and posted here as well. It’s a quality read we hope will motivate you to get involved and celebrate the game of hockey in the best way we know how – through the glory that is social media. Vote for the Avalanche and our post and let’s convert a new Avaholic!

:: OFFICIAL AVALANCHE PRESS RELEASE ::

DENVER – Colorado Avalanche defenseman Kyle Quincey and center Paul Stastny today unveiled the team’s new third jersey, which will debut this Saturday, Nov. 14, against the Vancouver Canucks at Pepsi Center (8:00 p.m.). The Avalanche will wear the third sweater on 12 occasions throughout the 2009-10 season.

The third jersey design is a collaboration of ideas from the Colorado Avalanche (including Kroenke Sports Enterprises Creative Imaging), the National Hockey League and Reebok. The third jersey has a predominately blue color scheme with a diagonal COLORADO type, laces at the neckline and stripes on the sleeves. Two rounds of sweater prototypes were tested and ran on ice before the final version was made.

Third jerseys will be on sale exclusively at Altitude Authentics in the Pepsi Center and through mail orders for five days starting on Nov. 14. Altitude Authentics will have the largest line of pre-made player jerseys in adult sizes, with numerous players to choose from. Three pre-made player jerseys will be available in youth sizes and jerseys may also be personalized within 3-4 weeks. Store and mail order hours will be extended over the weekend. Please call 303-405-1304 for store hours and 1-888-287-6847 for mail order hours.

:: Avalanche Third Jersey Game Schedule ::

Saturday, Nov. 14 vs. Vancouver Canucks
Wednesday, Nov. 25 vs. Nashville Predators
Friday, Dec. 11 vs. Tampa Bay Lightning
Tuesday, Dec. 15 vs. Washington Capitals
Tuesday, Dec. 22 vs. Anaheim Ducks
Wednesday, Jan. 6 vs. New York Islanders
Saturday, Jan. 16 vs. New Jersey Devils
Sunday, Jan. 31 vs. New York Rangers
Saturday, Feb. 6 vs. Edmonton Oilers
Monday, March 1 vs. Detroit Red Wings
Wednesday, March 24 vs. Los Angeles Kings
Friday, April 9 vs. Chicago Blackhawks

CLICK TO VIEW AARON’S AVS GUILD PHOTO GALLERY

On a rare Saturday afternoon game at Pepsi Center, the Colorado Avalanche continued to ride the wave of youthful energy and potent offense with a 3-0 win over the 0-2 Vancouver Canucks. For the first time since 2002, the Avalanche have started the season with two straight wins.

Craig Anderson was once again named the first star of the game today after making 35 saves for what was a very convincing shutout. He has now made 73 saves on 75 shots in two games to start the season.

+ Craig Anderson controlled his rebounds early in the game and cruised through the afternoon with ease. Why is early rebound control such an important factor for Anderson? Because it allows him to settle into the game quickly and with a lot of confidence. Goaltending is all about rhythm, so the more action a goalie sees early, the better his timing and rebound control will usually be through three periods.

+ Anderson’s special talent is his ability to make the desperate save. His footwork is still a little rusty, but even when he’s caught out of position after making the first save, he was able to scramble, flop or flip over in order to make the second and third save. He was great at covering the puck in and around his crease today with a lot of bodies and traffic around him. It wasn’t always pretty, but he got the job done and once again inspired his teammates and fans.

+ It’s always a great story when a hard-working goalie that has paid his dues as a backup gets rewarded with minutes. During his post-game interview with Kyle Keefe on the ice, you could see how happy Anderson was with his performance. In just two games, Anderson has proved what I already knew – he’s a full-blown NHL starter.

+ The defensive pairings consisted of Adam Foote with J-M Liles, then Brett Clark with Kyle Cumiskey and then Scott Hannan with Kyle Quincey. Ruslan Salei was the healthy scratch once again.

- Colorado struggled in their own zone throughout the entire game. Although they didn’t have any recorded giveaways in the first period, they had four in the second and five in the third (nine total). There was very little support for the puck carrier deep in their own zone, which resulted in too many turnovers along the boards or in the neutral zone. There was no physical edge to their defensive effort and they were very passive in front of Anderson, as he had to deal with tons of traffic, especially in the second period.

+ One noticeable aspect of the team’s penalty killing that I do like is the positioning of the forwards. One of them is religiously playing much higher up in the zone, which is an effective way to force the point-men to make quicker decisions with the puck. That forced a few turnovers and sloppy passes, which made the PK more effective than usual.

- Kyle Quincey struggled defensively in this game with four total giveaways and an undisciplined penalty at 5:06 of the second period. On the offensive side he did pitch in an assist, but overall he struggled in his own zone. Kyle Cumiskey made better decisions with the puck and was much more confident today, but he was still caught out of position a number of times, in particular on the penalty kill in the second period.

+ Beyond the strong performance from Colorado’s top line, I was impressed with the effort of T.J. Galiardi. His natural offensive skill is obvious, but today he had a great defensive effort by blocking a few shots, forcing a few turnovers and being in good position, especially in the neutral zone. One reason why he’s a defensive asset for this team is due to his strong skating ability, so expect his minutes to slowly rise as he continues to play responsibly.

+ Matt Duchene was sensational in this game. His confidence is rising fast and his drive, passion, vision and lethal speed is very noticeable. His tenacity on the puck was great in all three zones today, especially when he drew a penalty on Alexander Edler at 9:44 of the second period. He then promptly had a scoring chance while playing on the top PP unit with Stastny and Hejduk. Ultimately he provides a ton of energy, skill and desire…and he’s only 18.

+ Duchene had two takeaways, hit two posts and had at least two quality scoring chances in 15:29 of ice time. He was also a huge factor in killing penalties. He deflected a pass and then batted the puck out of mid-air and down the ice in the first period and in the second he had a great short-handed individual effort that energized the bench and fans.

+ Wojtek Wolski was pretty opportunistic on his game-winning goal, but I’m still impressed with his level of play in the first two games. Today he did an excellent job of reading plays and staying around the net when the puck was in the slot. He did not have many mistakes in his own zone and offensively he was a threat every single shift. 

- For the second consecutive game, the Avs were very weak in the faceoff circle. In the first period, they only won six out of 21. It may seem like a worthless statistic, but winning faceoffs leads to puck possession. Overall they were 23-28 in the faceoff circle, which is only 45% total.

- The penalty killing units need to be more physical in the slot area. They are still way too passive and need to stop watching the play and start forcing the puck-carrier to make quicker decisions. They do a good job of getting sticks in passing lanes, but there was way too much traffic in front of Anderson.

- Too many times the puck is dumped  just to relieve pressure that’s not really there. Part of this is due to a lack of outlet options or support along the boards from the forwards, but it’s also due to the fact that they just don’t have a lot of patience. All too often the defensemen are getting control of the puck and after one or two strides, either flipping the puck down the ice or straight up icing it.

- Overall it was not a very cohesive game in their own zone, but thanks to the top line and great goaltending from Anderson, the Avalanche were able to get out of this game with two points. Similar to San Jose’s effort on Thursday night, Vancouver looked considerably out of sync and rusty. Wolski’s game-winner for example was a result of a terrible shiftfrom Kyle Wellwood and Mason Raymond.

The Colorado Avalanche announced their last cuts today, ensuring that the future will arrive Oct. 1.

In their final cuts, the Avs announced the reassignment of center Chris Durno, defenseman Derek Peltier and goaltender Tyler Weiman to the Lake Erie Monsters of the AHL.

These cuts confirmed what Avalanche fans have all been hoping for: to see Matt Duchene in an Avs sweater during the season opener on Thursday. Also joining Duchene will be second round draft pick (#33 overall), center Ryan O’Reilly.

While Duchene was met with much anticipation, O’Reilly was met with curiosity. Thought to go in the top-20 in the NHL Entry Draft, O’Reilly fell all the way to the second round where the Avs management practically did an Irish jig while going up to the podium to select him.

O’Reilly has been described by NHL Central Scouting’s Chris Edwards as, “…very responsible defensively. He backchecks hard and he’s very good at identifying his check in his own end. He’s very good at the defensive end of the game.”

O’Reilly has also been noted by Denver Post writer Adrian Dater for his great stick work.

Duchene, on the other hand, is seen as the new face of the franchise alongside, and even above, Paul Stastny. Duchene has great speed, quick wrists, a hard shot and prowess in the defensive zone. Up to the draft, there was talk that the Islanders might in fact take Duchene first of all. However, after a tense couple of hours, two selections and a fist pump, Duchene was selected by the Avs.

At the time of his selection Duchene thought that he was “really close” to being NHL ready and couldn’t wait until camp to try and make the team.

While the Avs wasted little time in signing Duchene on July 16, O’Reilly had to wait a little longer to get his entry-level contract. Coming into camp, O’Reilly flew under the radar but separated himself from the rest of the pack through his play and earned his three-year entry level contract on Sept. 21. 

With the cuts, it is apparent that the Avs are at least going to test Duchene and O’Reilly, both 18 years old, in the first portion of the season. Now, the Avs get ten games to look at the future of their franchise and see exactly where it is heading.

This is a great step forward for the Avs, as they are giving their two brightest center prospects a chance to make the club for the entire season and try to make a difference that will allow this team to escape the cellar of the NHL.

Aaron Musick covers the Colorado Avalanche for HockeyBuzz and will be providing insight on The Avalanche Guild all season long!

On a day where most sports fans in Colorado are watching FOOTBALL, we’re proud to be talking HOCKEY. And thanks to the kind RoundTable leaders at Mile High Hockey, our wish to be the hosts of “goalie day” in the third-annual Blogger RoundTable has been granted.

So before we begin, we want to thank everyone over at MHH, especially David. Managing a RoundTable that has seen so much growth in just one (tough) year is not a simple task, especially combined with all of the other duties in life. But David has done an admirable job, so be sure to support his website and the rest of the RoundTable websites, for together we make a mighty solid crew of Avs informants.

But for those that know us best, you know we just simply couldn’t allow anyone else to host the juicy topic of goaltending. Just take one look at The Goalie Guild and you’ll see that…well…it’s kind of our thing. And through all these years of scouting the post-Roy era of Avs goaltending, after seeing this team play three pre-season games at Pepsi Center, there’s really a lot to be excited for when you check out the final roster in a few days.

PART 2: Should Tyler Weiman get called up AT LEAST ONCE this season, regardless of Anderson & Budaj’s play?

JUSTIN - I literally lost my voice a few times last year trying to explain my frustrations behind Tyler Weiman’s lack of opportunity in an Avalanche uniform. He has been one of the best goalies in six Avalanche Training Camps in a row and was more consistent in the last two camps than both Jose Theodore and Peter Budaj. I don’t want to be long-winded (har-har), but to give you a better idea of just how good he is on a league-wide scale, Weiman currently ranks #18 on my Top-50 Prospects list.

The biggest issue with not giving Weiman a chance is the negative impact it has on his development and the Avs’ goalie depth chart. Regardless of his age, Weiman needs to be playing at the NHL level in order to reach his highest potential. The more time Weiman spends playing in the AHL, the less chance he has at turning into a true NHL starter. He has the capability to be this team’s undisputed starter, but without giving him a chance to play some NHL games (meaningless or not), the Avs are losing traction with one of their most valuable prospects.

This also happened with Jason Bacashihua. He was an excellent goalie prospect that had legitimate NHL skills and even played 38 games over two years with the Blues a few years prior. But the Avalanche didn’t even give him a chance to play a single minute in the NHL. The result? Bacashihua was not given a qualifying offer by July 1 and just a few weeks later he was scooped up by the Capitals…with zero compensation going back to the Avs. So they basically gave away a quality goalie prospect, all because they couldn’t even give him a few games. If they did, maybe he plays well and maybe a team actually trades a draft pick for him.

Simply put, if the Avs don’t give quality goalie prospects a chance to show their stuff at the NHL level, they’ll never develop starting goalies within their own system. They’ll always be stuck trading for one or trying to draft the next Roberto Luongo.

SEAN PAYTON - No, not unconditionally. Barring injuries or trades that change Colorado’s goaltending situation, he should get called up if 1) Anderson and / or Budaj are struggling and 2) if his play in Lake Erie is strong enough that Sacco has the confidence to play him. If the goalies are white hot and Weiman has a .855 save percentage in the AHL, how can Sacco justify to the team that Weiman deserves to play?

That being said, I didn’t agree with the decision not to call up Weiman last year in garbage time in a year where Budaj and Raycroft’s play was clearly sub par. I think it’s likely that Budaj (who’s confidence comes and goes) struggles for a stretch at some point this season. As long as Weiman is solid in net for the Monsters, he should be called up.

MIKE - Yeah, I’m going to go ahead and disagree with Sean on this one. The Avalanche are rebuilding. The only way you find out what building blocks you have to build with (whether it’s trade fodder or guys you want to retain) is to get some time in the NHL. Especially at goaltending. I think he needs and deserves a hard 4-6 game look at some point this season. He’s not coming in to replace whoever the starter is at that time. He’s coming to ride the pine for 3 weeks and take the back-up’s starts.

JAY VEAN - I think the only way Weiman gets called up is if either Budaj or Anderson gets injured. Even if Budaj struggles, I just can’t see the organization sending him to Lake Erie. There just aren’t that many former number one goaltenders that become full-time backups (unless they’re towards the end of their careers), let alone get sent down for extended amounts of time. That doesn’t mean that I wouldn’t like to see Weiman with the big club though. I’ll welcome anyone that can stop pucks on a consistent basis. That would be a welcome change for sure.

ANGELIQUE - Tyler Weiman should receive a real opportunity to compete for the backup spot in Colorado, but considering Peter Budaj’s salary, that is unlikely to occur. Weiman is unlikely to see a recall unless both Craig Anderson and Budaj struggle, or either succumbs to injury. I believe Weiman is talented enough to be a NHL backup, but I’m beginning to wonder if that opportunity will ever come in Colorado.

Weiman will be the number one goalie for the Lake Erie Monsters this season, whereas he split time with Jason Bacashihua in 2008-09. The heavy load should prepare Weiman if he does get the opportunity to play for the Avalanche this season.

DAVID - I thought last season presented a good opportunity to bring Weiman up, but it never happened. As Angélique mentioned, he’s going to be the #1 guy in Lake Erie this year – a club that could really use its first ever playoff berth. With that in mind, Weiman will probably only get called up this year if there’s an injury to Budaj or Anderson.

GRANT - Weiman *should* get called up, but I am almost certain he won’t. The real question is whether Weiman will clear waivers after he gets sent down. If he does get picked up, it will hopefully be with a team that will give him the NHL opportunity he deserves (and didn’t get last year).

 ————————————————————————————————————————————

PART 1: Is Craig Anderson capable of playing 55-60 games and winning 30 for the first time in his career?

JUSTIN- Although I could go on for pages and pages about Anderson’s abilities and how quickly fans will no doubt rally around his great work ethic, that’s honestly something for you to experience once the regular season starts. I have been scouting Anderson since his days with the Chicago Blackhawks and to be quite frank, it’s not only a legitimate argument to make that Anderson is the best goalie the Avalanche have had since Patrick Roy, it’s downright obvious.

The biggest point we can make about Anderson is this: he is primed for a break-out season and from a long-term perspective, he could easily become regarded as one of the best U-S born goaltenders in the game. He has great size combined with excellent foot speed, making him one of the most efficient goalies around. His save percentage over the last two years is the highest in the NHL and his presence in the crease is noticeable and intimidating. He also displays one vital trait that we all know Peter Budaj struggles with - rebound control.

So we not only feel that Anderson will easily play 55-60 games, but we think he’ll have a shot at winning 30 games. Like most responses below, the 30-win plateau is pretty unrealistic, but not because of Anderson’s lack of skill or effort. Sometimes a goalie can only take a team so far, right?

But hey, at least Avalanche fans are finally guaranteed to see a starting goaltender that has the confidence and poise to win a lot of game, no matter how many shots he faces or where the shots come from.

Click to read about the design on Anderson’s new mask!

————————————————————————————————————————————-

JIBBLESCRIBBITS - I think Anderson is capable of playing more than 55 games, but I’m not sure he will. I think the coaching staff is going to try and play Budaj some to try and prop up his trade value. He needs to have a good season for anyone to be willing to take him on, so I expect to see Budaj on the tail end of back-to-backs and against some of the weaker competition.

That said I think Anderson will be good. I don’t think he’ll win 30 games though because the Avs are going to struggle to win much more than 30 games total. I see Budaj picking up about 5-10 and Anderson with 22-27 or so.

NIC FROM AVAHOLICS ANONYMOUS - Sure Anderson is capable of playing 55-60 games and he definitely should. Winning 30 is also a possibility. Last season the Avs were at the top of the league in 1 goal games. A large part of that was because the goalies could not make the big save in the big moment. If Anderson could make those same stops that Budaj and Raycroft failed to make last season, GA should go down and lead to more wins. From what I’ve seen in Anderson, he plays big in net and brings more confidence than Budaj has in his game. If that same confidence spreads to the rest of the guys on the ice, 30 wins is definitely a possibility.

TAPELEG – He’s going to have to. The Avalanche fans are getting tired of waiting for the Peter Budaj of a few years ago to resurface. After seeing him flail, and every other goalie that has come through after Patrick Roy either do poorly or move on, Craig Anderson needs to be a solid number one. I’m not saying he needs to be the second coming in net, but he was hired to be the number one goalie, and he will have to step up to that challenge. No one else is going to take the job away from him (unless Budaj remembers what worked for him a few years ago).

MIKE @ MHH- So the question is basically “Can Anderson win as many games this season as Budaj and Raycroft won all of last season? Ummm, no. Not with the team that has been assembled in front of him. I think he’ll be more likely to keep the Avs in more games, but I don’t honestly expect the outcome to be all that different. I figure him for the 23-27 win range at most with Budaj getting 5-8 wins too.

DAVID @ MHH – Can Anderson play 55-60 games? Sure, although he’s only played 50+ twice in his career – 59 one year in juniors and 58 in 2003-2004 between the AHL and NHL. Will he win 30 games? On a team that won just 32 games last year? Not. Very. Likely.

Starting tomorrow, you can also find more of our in-depth Avalanche analysis on KCKK 1510 AM, Mile High Sports Radio. This is our second year providing color commentary and hockey insight on the official radio partner of the Avalanche (and our fifth on KBPI’s Uncle Nasty Show), so join us every Monday from 6-7pm for Avalanche Weekly, the show that’s all things Avalanche from the week that was and will be. The show will also be streamed on www.milehighsports.com.

The opening week of the third-annual Avalanche Blogger RoundTable has been a successful journey into the deep forests of this team’s upcoming hockey season. But no journey is complete without meeting some new characters and making new friends along the way.

Today is dedicated to another pair of new RoundTable members as we introduce Brian Thompson from the Colorado Avalanche Examiner and Magnum, otherwise known as the Disgruntled Avalanche Blogger. And even though we all have way too much fun with the RoundTable, we still mean business.

This morning the Colorado Avalanche Examiner take a look at the off-season move that proved to be most intelligent and the one that proved to be the most ignorant. That’s followed up in the afternoon by taking a trip on the Avalanche time machine to see if this strong core of young players could potentially battle for the Stanley Cup!

What could possibly be better than honoring the fourth day of the Colorado Avalanche Blogger RoundTable than by having the one and only Jibblescribbits hosting two questions?!

Called “Popular” by the one and only Adrian Dater, Jibblescribbits is every Avalanche fan’s favorite sultan of sarcasm, so we’re proud to give him one of the most amorphic questions of the year. Yes, it’s nearly impossible to know just which Avs player will be traded next or what they would fetch on the open market, but that never stopped us before!

Mile High Hockey also posted a poll on their homepage as well, so as always, be sure to check it out and keep supporting the Colorado Avalanche RoundTable members.

The Colorado Avalanche turned a slow start into a strong finish with goals from Paul Stastny, Milan Hejduk and T.J. Hensick en route to a 3-2 win over the Los Angeles Kings tonight. The next game the Avalanche will play at Pepsi Center is on Thursday, Oct. 1 after Joe Sakic’s Retirement Ceremony.

Craig Anderson was quite solid in his second game as an Avalanche. He made 30 saves (13 in the first) and one penalty shot with only 70 seconds left in the second period to win one of those all-important one-goal game. In two full home pre-season games, Anderson has only allowed three goals against.

+ Once again Craig Anderson started the game with two strong saves in which he didn’t allow a rebound. The second one was a nice glove save well above his blue paint. This had a calming influence on a lineup that lacked Adam Foote on the blueline and throughout the first period. His ability to square up and take away space without giving up rebounds was a major factor in making 13 solid saves.

+ Focus is one of Anderson’s strongest mental talents. Like the rest of the team, he didn’t have the best footwork in the first period, but he still tracked the puck with intensity. That allowed him to make excellent first saves and settle in by the time the second frame started.

- Anderson handled the puck way too many times in this game. In fact, his inability to clear the puck hard around the boards were the cause of both goals against. It led to Peter Harrold’s goal at 11:17 of the first period and then Trevor Lewis’ short-handed goal with 2:12 left in the game. He’s not a weak stick handler by any means, but the right decision would have been to leave it alone in both instances.

+ The second period was another quality display of his focus. While the forwards were busy turning the game around with 13 shots on goal, Anderson had to deal with much less action, facing only six shots. But one of them included a perfect right-pad save on a penalty shot by Marc-Andre Cliche with only :70 seconds left. It was a routine save, but it was very timely.

+ Brett Clark was noticeably rusty in the first period. Anze Kopitar made a nifty move right around him on the very first shift of the game, which resulted in a good scoring chance against. But he settled in by the time the third period rolled around and finished with a strong outing and of course a few blocked shots in 20:28 of ice time.

+ Give credit to Matt Hendricks and Cody McLeod for dropping the gloves with Rich Clune in the first half of the first period. It was a perfect example of Joe Sacco’s ability to match LA’s toughness. Clune was basically running around and the Avs responded in good fashion. Hendricks also had an effective fight with Matt Greene halfway through the third period when the Kings were making a final push.

+ Kyle Cumiskey was very rusty in this game and did not display a lot of poise or confidence with the puck. He was unable to handle a few pucks coming his way just inside the blue line, which allowed the Kings to transition with speed for a few scoring chances. He was called for a (weak) penalty that led to Cliche’s penalty shot. His speed of course was noticeable, but so was his lack of poise in a handful of situations.

+ Derek Peltier played another solid game in his own zone in 16:28 of ice and had zero turnovers or giveaways. He didn’t make any bad decisions that resulted in an LA scoring opportunity. With Tom Preissing’s injury opening the door for one more defenseman (or at least resulting in one less player being cut), it was obvious in this game that Peltier’s performance was stronger than Cumiskey’s.

+ The most noticeable aspect for the offense tonight was the tenacious and consistent forecheck deep in LA’s zone. This has continued to be a positive change in the three home games so far. Forwards like Milan Hejduk, Marek Svatos and Matt Duchene did an excellent job of applying pressure behind the Kings’ net and taking away time and space with the puck.

+ The Avs have been one of the most dynamic and potent scoring teams from plays behind the net and it looks like this will be another trademark this season. Except now it will include forcing turnovers with their strong forecheck.

+ In the first and last shift of the first period, this forecheck created a huge scoring chance for Duchene and Stastny. Erik Ersberg  thwarted them both en route to 22 impressive saves. In fact, through the first two periods, Colorado already had seven (7) takeaways, two of which were from Stastny.

+ I give the coaching staff a lot of credit for making some great adjustments during the first intermission. The Avs came out in the second with a much more physical tone to their game, which counteracted what the Kings were doing. The Avs were out-shot in the first period 14-7 but reversed the totals in the second by a count of 13-6. Joe Sacco deserves credit for getting all of his players on the same page with this shift in style and making it work quickly.

+ Wojtek Wolski made a few great plays in this game, thanks in part to his improved body positioning. On Stastny’s goal, it was Wolski that lured a Kings defenseman out of position by attacking the net. That created some open space in the slot, which is right where Stastny found a loose puck. Ersberg was deep in his crease as he  tried to find the puck and was unable to get a right pad on Stastny’s shot. But you have to credit Wolski for driving to the net.

+ David Jones left the game early with what was described as a bruised chest, but by the time the game was over, x-rays were already negative for any major injuries.

+ If the forwards continue to play a more well-rounded game in which they play strong on both ends of the ice, the Avalanche will win more one-goal games than they did last year. I have noticed the phrase “strong on the forecheck” more in the last two weeks than I did all of last season.

- Anderson needs to stay in his crease. It’s obvious he wants to see as much action as possible, so tonight he was prone to venturing out of his net way too often. Some situations and decisions are routine and beneficial, but others are simply unnecessary. Both goals he allowed were results of situations and decisions that were unnecessary.

+ I was really impressed and excited with Sacco’s ability to make adjustments to his team’s style of play within a game. It was very obvious that he was able to match the physical tone presented by the Kings in the first period. They had a beefy lineup that included tough guys like Matt Greene and Raitis Ivanans and Sacco was able to match lines effectively with McLeod and Hendricks.

The third-annual Colorado Avalanche RoundTable proudly introduces a few new members and host today as we continue our trek to dissect the upcoming Avalanche regular season. One of the most noticeable changes this team made over the summer was easily the hiring of Joe Sacco as the new head coach. But what kind of impact will he make and will it ultimately be for the better?

Adam Hersh, who manages the website An Avalanche of Thoughts, hosts the question of what suggestion the RoundTable members would give to Sacco as he prepares for his first season as head coach.

Nic Zamora runs Avaholics Anonymous and digs into the nitty gritty of what changes Sacco will actually bring to the team.

As always, be sure to check in with Mile High Hockey early each morning as they set the table (har har) for the day’s topics!

The third-annual Avalanche RoundTable continues today with a pair of prospect-related questions. Obviously our question regarding Ryan Stoa has to make Avalanche fans chuckle just a little bit, but hey, it’s still great fodder for the masses. Considering how young this team is right now, we won’t be surprised to see him get called up at some point in the season anyways. 

Our good friend Angelique over at Colorado Avalanche Prospects is the home for today’s question related to defenseman Kyle Cumiskey. Definitely bookmark her website if you haven’t already – she is an excellent source for Avalanche prospect news, analysis and updates.

GEO from The Avs Factor has the inglorious task of hosting today’s second question, one that is sure to be embraced with plenty of sarcastic remarks from many of the bloggers that took some quality time to answer this question while he was still up with the big club.

Enjoy today’s discussions and be sure to keep visiting our master of ceremonies over at Mile High Hockey to stay updated on the entire Avalanche RoundTable mission!

Jibblescribbits – If he does it again I shall taunt him a second time. I could do more than a twitter response eh? But I don’t really know what to say. The idea that the Avs online presence isn’t strong is preposterous. I’m not really sure how to increase it.

The Dog & Pony Show – Aside from blogging more, I’m not exactly sure how to increase the presence. From the looks of it there are even more Avs bloggers this year. Perhaps what we could do is start posting comments on other pages, i.e. snide comments on Wild blogs about how they still don’t have a Stanley Cup in Minnesota…and that’s counting the North Stars too!

Avslova Factor - Personally, I’m disgusted that we’d even consider trying to prove a “completely objective, master-of-deduction Wild blogger” wrong. It’s impossible. But as Aaron said, if anything, the number of Avalanche bloggers is going up. This is a year where the bandwagon fans will be separated from those who are hard-core and do-or-die. The fact that this Roundtable has grown so much in three years is a testament to the Avalanche’s online presence. After all, it’s pretty tough to write about a team that has about a .00004% chance of making the playoffs, or even seriously contending for a spot.

Aaron Musick – A way to increase exposure is just to get our name out there. Cover our team so well that no one can say “where are the Avs bloggers?” Show them what we can do, show them what it take to cover this Avs team and what they did, are doing and will do. Simple as that and then, if some ignoramus blogger wants to put us 26th we can rub our coverage over his face.

Mike - I’m all for any humiliation tactic. And pranks.  He’s a Wild fan after all.  He probably needs a laugh.

DDC – It’s unfortunate that one pinhead can besmirch the reputation of two groups at once. For example, Wild bloggers are, in general, much more intelligent than that brilliant maroon.

The Avalanche online presence isn’t as bad as it has been painted. Officially, the team has some work to do in that area, but they are making some small strides with their sporadic twitter updates and more informative stories on their official site. The team still seems reluctant to recognize the blogging community, but we know they are keeping an eye on us all as we develop. I think the sheer size and diversity of this roundtable – now in its 3rd year – says all that needs to be said about our online presence.

Check back here every day leading up to October 1 for more RoundTable questions and answers. Remember to visit the contributors’ websites and blogs often throughout the season to stay informed on your Colorado Avalanche!

In the first game at Pepsi Center in this 2009-10 season, the Colorado Avalanche took advantage of a morbidly discombobulated Dallas Stars defense with a pair of brilliant offensive plays en route to a convincing 3-1 victory.

:: CLICK HERE FOR THE BOX SCORE ::

Although many aspects of this meaningless pre-season game was impressive from Colorado’s point of view, this game was a lot more about Dallas straight up sleep walking through the first two periods. Their defensive pairings failed to make more than a few plays coming out of their own zone all night long, which resulted in plenty of screams from new head coach Marc Crawford.

So take tonight’s notes with a grain of Texas-sized salt, because the Stars had a very weak effort tonight. Dallas did play last night, but in the pre-season travel or being tired is no excuse because you almost carry two full squads to begin with.

+ Craig Anderson played 60 minutes for the Avalanche tonight, but compared to what he faced last season, this was easily half of a hockey game. He faced two shots in the first period. The first one was a quick and sharp glove save and the second one was re-directed past him by Brenden Morrow after Brian Fahey failed to clear the puck while shorthanded. The rest of the night, he was solid when he had to be and finished with 18 saves.

+ I was impressed with Anderson’s quick feet with plays where the puck was right around his crease. For those that haven’t seen him live yet, you’ll love his intimidating size and more importantly, his awesome ability to make the “desperate” save. But he still takes away plenty of time and space thanks to his excellent body positioning.

+ Anderson is not only extremely big in the butterfly, he’s extremely agile and limber. But the impressive aspect of his game to me tonight was his ability to get a toe or a skate blade on some pucks that otherwise would have slipped through a slightly smaller or slower goalie.

+ His glove hand was sharper than I remember it being before and his first save of the game was a sign of strong focus.

-  The only goal that got past him was a redirection in front of the net. It was a bad play by the Avs’ defense as they turned the puck over to Stephane Robidas, who fired a shot on goal. But Morrow was able to redirect it right at the hash marks. It may have hit something else on the way in, as I was on the wrong side of the puck.

+ I have to close by saying it was a very good decision by Sacco to keep Anderson in the game for the full 60 minutes. I am not sure if this was planned or adjusted on the fly, but it was absolutely the right decision. Goaltending for Anderson is so much about rhythm and every goalie in his situation wants to see as many pucks as possible. Give credit to the coaching staff for giving Anderson the playing time.

+ The defensive pairings as a whole looked a little more poised in their own zone than last season and they had more patience with the puck. They didn’t opt to just clear it off the boards in a desperate manner and they actually made a few nice “D-to-D” passes to push the play up the ice. I could sense not nearly as much “panic” as usual, but again, Dallas made it very easy on the Avalanche defensemen all night long.

+ A lot of the above came from the defensive pairing of Adam Foote and Cameron Gaunce, which was very steady and strong tonight. Foote had a very calming influence early in the game, as he spent half of his first few shifts either circling the puck back into his zone or just slowly pushing it up ice. 

+ Gaunce was by far the most impressive defensive player on the ice. His size combined with his agility is noticeable and impressive for just a 19-year-old. He has poise, confidence and patience and it showed tonight more than it did in camp. Keep in mind that Dallas hardly had a forecheck in this game, so I don’t feel like he was challenged much at all. I think he played very close to 20 minutes in this game and I was astonished with his overall composure.

+ The Avs were noticeably had more of a purpose with their physical play along the boards. Way too many shifts last year lacked energy and grit. It’s impossible to win games if you can’t win the small battles, so I was excited to see Colorado win almost all of them tonight. Again, Dallas was weak, slow and totally out of synch tonight, so I don’t read into it too much. After all, it was just the first game of the season.

+ I would say Colorado did a great job of overall positioning and showing solid containment and situational awareness. They didn’t collapse too deep on Anderson and they were more physical than usual. Some forwards that don’t always embrace the physical aspect of playing defense actually got into it a little bit.

+ David Koci is a great presence on the ice and can keep up with solid skating and ice awareness. He dropped the gloves with Krys Barch but nothing really big was landed. I thought he was a good presence on the ice and can chip in some goals if he’s opportunistic this season. For only 5:44 of ice time, he was quite noticeable on the ice.

+ Brian Fahey didn’t make a poised play on the penalty kill early in the game that led to Morrow’s goal, but he did show some resolve by jumping into a few plays in the second period. He didn’t turtle up and he stayed strong throughout the rest of the game. It’s a moral victory for sure.

+ Paul Stastny looked great all night and was very responsible defensively. You can tell he’s loose and healthy and excited for the season. As soon as Foote was named the team captain, I saw the positives of the decision. Stastny has no pressure and Footer could probably care less, he’s been there before with the Blue Jackets. Great move by the organization for sure.

+ Wojtek Wolski actually had one of the most impressive shifts I’ve ever seen in his career. For Colorado’s third goal, he actually embraced and initiated a physical play along the boards by making a shoulder-to-shoulder hit on a Stars player along the boards. Wolski jarred the puck loose and was able to push it up along the boards to Stastny. But that wasn’t the impressive part…

+ Instead of standing around or sauntering through the slot, Wolski actually released off the boards after pushing the puck to Stastny and went straight to the net to get into a prime scoring position. It ended up with Stastny making a beautiful behind-the-back, give-and-go pass and Wolski one-timing it over Matt Climie’s glove. I have to wonder if this is something they either set up in practice or talked about during the game and worked up. Either way, it was easily the offensive highlight of the night.

- In the offensive zone, Wolski seemed more confident and physical than ever before. He actually went into traffic areas and had a presence. In the defensive zone, he did not impress me. I did notice a few plays where his angles and spacing made him seem like more of a presence, but overall it was not great.

+ The other positive offensive play would be Ryan Stoa’s poised play with the puck coming off the half-boards in the second period to give the Avs a 2-1 lead. He played even bigger than his 6-foot-0 200-pound frame. He created some great space for himself by powering to the middle of the slot and then fired a shot against the grain on Alex Auld. Even more exciting to see was the fact he created his own opportunity by making a monster hit in the offensive zone earlier in the shift. I hope he keeps doing that, because it is definitely an infective style of play.

+ Marek Svatos’goal was a typical Svatos play, as he roofed the puck over Auld’s glove in tight. It was a smooth play and it was great to see, as Svatos looks totally healthy and limber. Similar to Wolski, I was impressed with his more physical, in-your-face play in the offensive zone, but not so much in the defensive zone. They both lost assignments at times and failed to show an effort when they had a chance to either knock a puck loose or force a Stars player into a tough situation.

+ Cody McLeod did a good job of puck possession behind the net in the third period. He was more of a role player that adjusted his game depending on the situation. Personally I think that’s a great role for him as he attempts to learn from what Ian Lapperiere hopefully taught him. This team needs a role player that can pitch in with offense and I’m confident McLeod will play that role perfectly.

+ Matt Duchene’s speed and ice awareness was very noticeable tonight. He was much more comfortable when he played with a man up, but that’s also to be expected. I noticed that he did not seem out of place whatsoever in any situation. He even got a few minutes of penalty killing time and was responsible with his assignments. He has an active stick and very good hands for such an offensive-minded player.

- His tense play is very noticeable when he has to deal with physical pressure or physical play. A few post-game comments by Joe Sacco pointed out that he’s going to have to deal with that transition, but added, “…he’ll be fine…” in a confident manner.

- I take this entire game to be nothing more than meaningless notes since Dallas was so weak in their own zone. But regardless, Anderson, Gaunce, Stoa, Stastny and Wolski were legitimate stars in this game.

- We hope you will enjoy these type of notes for almost all of the home games this season. These are not your typical post-game comments and as you can see, we are now embracing our style that makes us unique. There’s no denying it, we are much more comfortable covering the Avalanche from a player’s (goaltender’s in this case) perspective. We have been playing all our lives…so at this point it just makes sense.

- If you’re not familiar with our coverage of the goaltending position, check out www.thegoalieguild.com!

The Avalanche Guild is on a major overhaul!

Please be patient as we prepare for our re-launch on AUGUST 1st, 2009!

Year #3 of The Avalanche Guild’s classic events like After-Hours games and the Battle for the Banner Shootout Tournament are going to be bigger and better than ever!