The Avalanche went into Sunday night’s game with two superb wins under their belts and needed to have a strong performance against the Detroit Red Wings if they wished to push that streak to three.

Detroit came in to Denver red hot, winners of their last seven games, and were hoping to continue their winning ways.

The first period was rather inauspicious for the Avalanche who didn’t really start fast out of the gates.  Detroit spent a lot of time in Colorado’s zone, and though Colorado had an early powerplay, it didn’t result in many chances.

The Wings soon ended up with a powerplay chance of their own and capitalized on it when Johan Franzen received an excellent pass from Pavel Datsyuk and had the entire net to shoot at.  Varly never had a chance, attempting to slide across his crease.

The second period saw the Avalanche jump right out of the blocks and absolutely smother the Red Wings. Gabriel Landeskog made a great individual effort on the fore-check to gain a turnover behind the Detroit net. He made a perfect pass to Ryan O’Reilly who roofed the puck stick side to knot the game at one.

Not long after that, Colorado found themselves on another powerplay. Paul Stastny finally buried one when Matt Duchene alertly threw the puck at the net from a strange angle, catching Red Wing netminder Ty Conklin out of position. Stastny beat Nicklas Lidstrom to the puck and buried it to give the Avs a 2-1 lead.

The Avalanche completely dominated the second period, outshooting Detroit 19-4.

The third period saw some pretty good action back and forth, with Detroit tying the score at two just past the five minute mark of the period.  Danny Cleary managed to get a nifty deflection through the smallest of holes short side on Varlamov.

The Avalanche would not be denied, though.  On a penalty kill, their second of the period, Gabriel Landeskog found a chance to break out offensively and ended up with a partial 2-on-1 break with TJ Galiardi. Landeskog fed Galiardi a perfect pass which Gally rifled past Conklin far side for the Avs’ fourth shorthanded goal of the season.

Ryan O’Reilly added an empty netter for his second of the game to seal the deal for the Avalanche late, and give the Avalanche their third straight win.

Things to note

Though Stastny scored, Mike Chambers is reporting that Paul Stastny went out of the game in the third period with what the Avs are calling a torso injury.  Chambers also says that Adrian Dater will have more on this at practice tomorrow.

The Avalanche are now tied for the second most short handed goals in the league, with 4.  It’s nice to see this type of aggression from the penalty kill.  This was Gabriel Landeskog’s second short handed point of the season, both assists.

Semyon Varlamov continued his stellar play, stopping 27 of 29 shots tonight.  With his third straight win, Varly has allowed no more than two goals in each of his last six starts.  He is playing with confidence and making some big saves.

Though he isn’t showing up on the stat sheet, David Jones played a very strong game tonight.  He worked very hard in the corners and was strong on the puck most of the game.  This is nice to see out of Jones and hopefully the goals will start coming again for him.

Stefan Elliott saw just under nine minutes of ice time, partially because the Avalanche welcomed back defenseman Erik Johnson tonight and played with seven defenders and partially because he gave up a turnover that lead to a breakaway.

Shane O’Brien and Kyle Quincey led the Avs with a +3 rating.

The Avalanche are on the road next against the Vancouver Canucks to kick off a vital swing of three divisional games right in a row. Let’s hope the Avs can keep things rolling.

Coming off of a 1-0 loss to the Minnesota Wild, the Colorado Avalanche looked to establish dominance against the Dallas Stars, starting an eight game home stand on the right foot.

Playing a solid all around game, the Avalanche managed to ride another evening of superb goaltending to a 3-0 decision, just their third home victory this season. On the second night of back to back starts, netminder Jean-Sebastien Giguere turned away a paltry 24 shots, remaining strong in the crease again.

Chuck Kobasew got the Avs on the board early, scoring what would be the game winning goal off a tip from a Ryan Wilson rocket from the point. Stars keeper Kari Lehtonen did his best to keep his team in the game, stopping a 42 shot barrage overall. He couldn’t do it alone though, surrendering a late third period powerplay goal to Paul Stastny that served as the nail in the coffin. Matt Duchene would get the empty net goal, on another powerplay, with just five seconds left in the contest.

A disciplined, straightforward game by the Avalanche yielded positive results, as Colorado took just one penalty during the game yet also managed to convert on two man-advantage situations. Dallas had five minor infractions during the game, including four in the final frame and two in the last five minutes that resulted in Avalanche tallies.

Some may be concerned that a goaltending controversy is brewing in Denver, with the young Semyon Varlamov struggling to perform as of late. Giguere doesn’t see it that way, claiming that he’s just making the most of his time in net.

“The future of this team belongs to Varly, there’s no doubt about that,” Giguere said. “Just like any young guy on this team, you can have ups and downs. It’s just the way this game is. It’s the toughest league and sometimes it gets to you. You know he’s going to bounce back. My job, meanwhile, is to take over and try to do as best as I can and try to give the team a chance.”

Colorado has a day off before facing the San Jose Sharks. Be sure to get your tickets to the Burgundy Brigade Game of the Month on November 23rd, against the Vancouver Canucks.

A Change In Venue

Adrian Dater is reporting that the Avalanche will begin practicing more regularly on their home ice while the Denver Nuggets remained locked out, pending contract negotiations in an ongoing NBA labor dispute. There has been no announcement from the Avs regarding fan attendance at practices in the Can.

What do you think?

The Colorado Avalanche went into Calgary with a lot of streaks riding on the game.

The Avalanche looked to extend their road winning streak to seven games and end a losing streak to the Calgary Flames that carried back to last season.

Things got off to a bit of an inauspicious start for the Avalanche though, who were absolutely dominated throughout the first period. The Avs were outshot 21-5 in the opening frame but, despite being pinned in their own zone for the majority of the first period, they managed to tally the first goal of the game on the powerplay when Kyle Quincey buried the rebound after Paul Stastny hit the post on an open net chance.

Calgary responded quickly when the young rookie Roman Horak beat Chuck Kobasew to a loose puck and put a good backhander over Jean-Sebastien Giguere’s glove hand. After a couple more shifts of being thoroughly dominated, Avalanche coach Joe Sacco used his time out and started laying into his team for being complacent.

The message didn’t seem to land as the Avalanche limped into the intermission and out of it, allowing the Flames put home two more goals. The first came from Lee Stempniak after Erik Johnson couldn’t clear a rebound out of the crease. Giguere seemed quite upset, shooting the puck out of his net at the boards. The second goal was scored on a Calgary powerplay by Rene Bourque, who hammered home a rebound to put the Flames up 3-1.

From that point on, the Flames were playing defense, allowing the Avalanche to start finding their legs and getting some chances. Unfortunately it took until they were down by two, most of the way through the second period, before they actually started to play. This is a common problem with the Avalanche.

Ryan Wilson brought the game within one goal after Ryan O’Reilly’s line really turned up the heat, finishing the rebound from a Gabriel Landeskog shot. That would be as close as the Avalanche would get though, as Bourque was credited with an empty net goal. He was hauled down on a clean breakaway by Quincey.

The Flames have now beat the Avalanche in their last six meetings, including five in a row dating back through last season. There just seems to be something about Calgary that makes the Avalanche play down and they need to find out what that is fast because there are five more games against Calgary this year.

Things to note in this game:

Even though he took a “maintenance day” on Monday, had three full days of rest, and was a full participant in Tuesday’s practice, goaltender Semyon Varlamov was not the starting keeper in Calgary. One explanation for this could be that they are really going to be playing him a lot in the coming days; and even then, Varly has been playing well and is in a rhythm, the last thing the coaching staff should do is mess with that.

Matt Duchene started the night between Kobasew and Joakim Lindström but found himself bouncing back between them and a pairing with Cody McLeod and Jay McClement throughout the match.

Joe Sacco seems to have absolutely no idea what he wants to do with this second line of his and is really hindering any possible chemistry with unnecessary line shuffling.  Duchene regularly struggles early in the season but needs to be given the best opportunity to right his game.  This mishandling of lines could really take away from what should be a break out year for Duchene, but it is too early to know for sure.  One person concerned already is Adrian Dater.

Gabriel Landeskog’s assist gives him six points on the year and ties him for second on the team in scoring with Stastny, David Jones, and Milan Hejduk. Pretty good company for the young kid to keep.  He also led the team in shots with seven. The rest of the team should be looking to this kid if they are having scoring troubles, following his lead: keep it simple and get the puck to the net.

This was definitely a bad game from the Avalanche, but it is far from time to panic as this was arguably the first of the season. How the team responds to this loss will be more telling. After a less than stellar game against the Blackhawks at home, the Avalanche responded with a solid effort and a win.  So it is very possible that the Avs are able to do the same when they play the Edmonton Oilers on Friday.

That game will be in the Pepsi Center where the Avalanche have yet to win this season. This will be just the third home game of the season for the Avs, but it is important that the third time be a charm for Colorado to get that first home victory of the season.

What do you think?

I like to consider myself a journalist. I cover the Colorado Avalanche because it is the team I enjoy and because they play in the city that I live in. I’m in the midst of my third full season covering the Avs and have yet to receive any financial compensation for the blood, sweat and tears that I put into my work. Still, I do it for the love of the game. I do it for the benefit of the people who read what I have to say. And I do it with my own strict set of journalistic ethics and morals, abiding by what I was taught as right and wrong during journalism classes at the University of Denver – in between Pioneers hockey games – and by what I have learned about morality during my life.

I answer to no one. There is no large company with a valuable reputation at stake. There is no conglomeration paying my salary, asking me to earn my paycheck with studious analysis and thoughtful creativity. I’d obviously like to maintain a relationship with the Avalanche so that we can continue to offer fans exciting programs and discount tickets, but I have no responsibility to maintain any rules set forth by anyone except myself – and those of the U.S. Constitution. I’m not credentialed and I am, in fact, frowned upon by Colorado Avalanche media relations executives because I am an independent journalist. Call me a blogger if you’d like, they certainly do. In case you didn’t know, the Avs don’t credential anyone who isn’t working directly for a newspaper, magazine, television station or radio show.

So I could sit in the dark, take on a pseudonym, spout whatever trivial truths or untruths that I desire, and not care about damaging the reputation of the countless other independent writers struggling to be known as legitimate sources of information in the new age of media. And yet I don’t. I am upfront about who I am and what I represent because I have integrity.

Because of this, it is hard to sit by and watch as some spoiled hack of a “journalist” mails in an insulting, uneducated diatribe that exposes his bigotry, all in the name of “news”. Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you Hank Siegel from Fox 31.

On the same day that had sports guru and renowned writer Bill Simmons lauding the reemergence of the NHL while simultaneously denouncing the NBA labor disputes, Siegel was busy typing away at his brilliant, Pulitzer Prize worthy darling, “Avalanche on a hot streak, but who knew?”

Everyone is allowed an opinion and no opinion is more important than another.

I get that this is commentary, but it is also extremely out of touch and disturbing when you think that this guy could request and receive a credential to any Avalanche game he wanted under the guise of “reporting” for Fox. If it weren’t for the Denver Nuggets, I’m not even sure that Siegel would know where the Pepsi Center is located.

“The Colorado Avalanche are off to their best start in years–maybe ever–but I don’t see throngs of reporters descending on the Pepsi Center to catch every word the comes off the tongue of Matt Duchene or Milan Hejduk, or local TV newscasts leading with news of their new goaltenders,” wrote Siegel. That’s interesting because the presence of local journalists and news stations at Colorado Avalanche practice yesterday was surprising. Channel 9 News, Altitude Sports with both Kyle Keefe and Julie Browman, The Denver Post’s Mike Chambers, and NHL.com’s Rick Sadowski were among those in attendance for practice.

Meanwhile, Adrian Dater -also of The Denver Post – was on local radio, 102.3 The Ticket, talking Avalanche hockey. After practice and dutifully – and cheerfully – signing some autographs for the handful of fans outside the practice facility, rookie winger Gabriel Landeskog was on the same station talking about his early success in the NHL. Susie Wargin herself has been spotted at Family Sports Center to partake in the Avalanche media frenzy as well. Mile High Sports recently published a “hockey issue” of their magazine, filled with information and pictorials of the team.

Oddly enough though, Fox 31 hasn’t been seen sniffing around.

Continuing to postulate on the lack of interest in the cool game of hockey, Siegel lists his theories:

The season is too long. 
Too many teams qualify for the playoffs. 
Nobody really understands when or why there’s a stoppage in play. 
It’s too difficult to appreciate on TV. 
Geographically-challenged Americans can’t locate some of the cities on a map. 
It’s impossible to correctly pronounce the names of a significant number of the players. 

It isn’t hard here to discern the uneducated opinion of the guy. The season is too long says a guy who recently wrote about the excitement of catching a foul ball at a baseball game. Baseball seasons run nearly twice that of the NHL at 162 games. Also, no major sports league will ever manage the corporate sponsor success of the NFL, allowing for enough money to be made in a 16 game season.

Nobody really understands when or why there’s a stoppage in play? Have you ever been to a women’s lacrosse game? This accusation is insulting to fans of any sport that have taken the time to learn the rules. How often do baseball fans witness a balk? Do die-hards criticize them for not knowing what the rare foul is? How many different penalties are called per NFL game? The point is that anyone can take the time to learn the rules of any sport, without exerting a lot of effort or brainpower. Overly complicated the NHL is not.

It’s too difficult to appreciate on TV? He’s right, I rather enjoy the 15 seconds of NFL gameplay and the subsequent 15 minutes of commercials over a game where commercial stoppages happen when available. Is there a problem with the puck being too small to notice, because it is awfully similar to a baseball. If you can’t appreciate the game on your television Hank, maybe you should go in person. Simmons thinks hockey has the best setup in sports.

“I realized something during last night’s Kings-Blues game: I have never not enjoyed myself at an NHL game. I mean, what’s not to love? It’s a sport with the best in-game format (long period, long break, long period, long break, long period, go home), best regular-season in-game wrinkle (the shootout), best secretly awesome moment (any fight), highest percentage of “most likable players” (hands down), and highest percentage of “true fans in attendance” of the four major sports (indisputable). They fixed many of the sport’s problems, made it better, and now we’re here.”

Geographically-challeneged Americans can’t locate some of the cities on a map? Now this is just ridiculous. I realize that it can be hard to create a list of reasons to support a topic, especially one as poorly considered as Siegel’s. I was recently asked to write ten reasons to be excited about the Colorado Avalanche but had to reduce it to a list of five for lack of strong supporting arguments. Assuming that ignorant Americans don’t like something because they can’t locate it on a map is a gross generalization considering the close-mindedness of this entire country.

It’s impossible to correctly pronounce the names of a significant number of the players? Small children are taught to sound out words or word pairings that they’re familiar with to help when pronouncing unfamiliar terms. Let’s practice: Peter Forsberg. P-ter Fours-berg. Sidney Crosby. Sid-knee Cross-bee. Ilya Bryzgalov. Ill-yea Breeze-gal-of. Alex Ovechkin. Al-ex O-vet-ch-kin. Of course every now and then a tricky one comes along like Patrick Roy, which is pronounced Patrick Wah or Jonathan Toews, which sounds like Tay-vz. Yet to maintain Siegel’s argument, let’s would bring up T.J. Houshmandzadeh as an example of a difficult attribution from the NFL or even Kosuke Fukodome, Marc Rzepczynski, and Jhoulys Chacin from the MLB. How about some more familiar Denver names? Dante Bichette. Andres Galaraga. Yes, I realize that Tim Tebow is pretty easy to remember. So is David Jones.

I understand that it would be hard to continue with a fledgling list of reasons why one is too lazy to watch hockey, so Siegel then shifts gears to it being a nationalistic pride thing before changing the subject to tennis. Maybe most American’s only root for their teams in the Olympics and World Cups, but I’m willing to be there is a good contingent of fans of any sport who will carry allegiances for any number of other national teams, especially after their own country has been eliminated. I’m sure it was easier for many Americans to be happy that Canada beat the United States for the Gold medal in hockey than it would have been if a country like Russia had won. At least we are all North Americans right?

However, none of the points that Siegel brings up are as important as his flamboyant and irresponsible use of the race card. “It’s still often “whispered” that the NBA’s popularity is limited by the league being more than 80-percent black. By that logic, the NHL should be the most popular league in sports since of its 690 active players, only 29 are black,” wrote Siegel. “Talk about Vanilla Ice!”

Disproving his own theory in a single sentence aside, Siegel has attempted to bring shock value to his writing by bringing up a touchy subject that has no bearing on anything else he has written. I’m sure Wayne Simmonds - a recent victim of modern day racism - thinks he is just as much a hockey player as Semyon Varlamov is, despite nationality or ethnicity.

It is 2011. Human beings are human beings, end of story. Siegel’s attempt at shock-journalism, in the poorly imitated vein of Mark Kiszla, has failed completely, resulting in an outrageous spectacle that leaves the journalistic landscape in Denver tarnished. Terry Frei, Cecil Lammey and the rest of the hard working sports writers in town should be just as upset as the poor fans who read this rubbish. Fox 31 should be disappointed not only at Siegel, but also at the failure of an editor to prevent something this disgusting from reaching their hard-earned audience. This is this kind of “journalism” that would give a blogger an all expense paid trip to every black-list in town and yet, Hank Siegel will continue to earn a paycheck for spouting off nonsense and bandwagon Tebow-mongering type. He could get a credential to tonight’s Avalanche game against the Chicago Blackhawks, were he so inclined. Though I think it is apparent that he won’t.

I’m technically not part of the institution and I’m embarrassed to be considered similar. Fans of the NHL and of sports in Denver should be up in arms about articles like this.

What are your thoughts on the matter?

Adrian Dater is reporting that prospective Norwegian defenseman Jonas Holøs would like to be released from his current contract with the Colorado Avalanche.

This consideration is shocking given the potential Holøs displayed last season and in camp, but it is hard to blame the guy with the plethora of defensemen in the system and the seemingly random order of succession in Colorado.

Dater says that Holøs is looking to find a team in Europe to play with, and that despite being assigned to the Lake Erie Monsters to start the season, Holøs has yet to play a game. If it is a question of playing hockey and developing into the player we all know he will become, the move to Europe makes the most sense. Holøs lost ice time with the Avalanche last season, and while the reason isn’t exactly known, he did spend a lot of time in the press box for games which hurts his chances at improving his play because he isn’t ever playing.

This is, perhaps, one of the reasons that future Avalanche defenseman Stefan Elliott was reassigned to start the season. Keeping Elliott growing is of utmost importance.

Holøs will be missed in Colorado and we at The Avalanche Guild wish him the best in the future.

Mueller?

There has been no official update on why Peter Mueller was a scratch for last night’s blowout against Craig Anderson and the lowly Ottawa Senators.

What do you think?

The Colorado Avalanche Burgundy/White scrimmage is just a few hours away and the Avalanche have released the official roster for tonight’s game.

Notice that defenseman Ryan Wilson isn’t on either team. According to Adrian Dater, Wilson has a minor hand injury. His absence is likely a precaution as he missed the final day of training camp.

Those absent from the roster include David Liffiton, David Van Der Gulik, Patrick Rissmiller, Mike Carman, Zach Cohen, Trevor Cann, Jonas Holøs, and Mike Brennan. There is no indication that these players will be amongst the first cut from the team or if they are nursing minor maladies, but their absence doesn’t bode well.

Only available in person, the Burgundy/White game has just standing room tickets left at the box office.

What do you think? Who will win? Who are you excited to see? Are you going?

With just a handful of days remaining before the start of Colorado Avalanche training camp, lone contract holdout Kyle Cumiskey has agreed to terms with the team.

Kyle Cumiskey | Courtesy of Zimbio.com

“We are pleased to have Kyle under contract and look forward to seeing him at training camp,” said Avalanche General Manager/Executive Vice PresidentGreg Sherman.

Signed for just one year, Cumiskey will make $708,000 if he stays in Denver and $105,000 if he plays for the Lake Erie Monsters, according to the Denver Post. The young, speedy defenseman was crippled by multiple concussions last season, limiting his playing time to just 18 games and calling into question the longevity of his health. His longest season stands at 61 games and, at times, Cumiskey seems to lose his poise when the pressure is too much.

He has large shoes to fill this season if he expects to crack the opening lineup, so expect him to be looking stronger and smarter come camp. Cumiskey’s addition to the roster brings the field of competition to 19 defenseman; each searching for a spot in the top six (seven really).

What do you think? Are you glad he signed? Is it too early to give up on him?

Adrian Dater is reporting that the Colorado Avalanche are indeed having a rookie camp on the ice prior to training camp next week.

According to Dater, rookie camp will be taking place Tuesday, September 13th through Thursday, September 15th at Family Sports Center. Beginning at 9 am, rookies will take the ice, going through the motions of what only the coaches will know. After that, they’re free to stick around and more often than not they end up scrimmaging with the veterans who saunter into the building.

Training camp starts Saturday, September 17th and runs through Monday, September 19th. Camp culminates with the Burgundy/White game, taking place at the Air Force Academy outside of Colorado Springs.

Be sure to download or subscribe to our the Avalanche schedule to stay up to date on all things Avalanche. The schedule includes rookie camp, training camp, preseason, and the regular season and it works in most calendars applications and on most mobile devices.

You can download the new schedule here. | Subscribe to it here.

Avalanche Wallpaper

The Colorado Avalanche have also released a series of eight Avalanche and player themed wallpapers that fans can download for their computers. Check them out. The collection will be growing throughout the season.

What do you think? Are you going to rookie camp? Training camp? Both?

The Colorado Avalanche recently released their roster for training camp and the schedule for both the camp and the subsequent intra-squad scrimmage, the Burgundy/White game.

Taking place at the Family Sports Center from September 17th-19th, camp will be packed this year as fans line up to get a look at new faces like Gabriel Landeskog, Duncan Siemens, and more. The club has released a numerical roster and a positional/informational roster to the public so that they’ll be able to keep track of who’s who out on the ice. If you’re planning on going and want to keep track of the guys, start memorizing numbers now. Otherwise you will be doing a lot of roster searching until you have it down. Our good friend and Burgundy Brigade member Rachel has combined the two to make it easier for you as well.

Speaking of training camp, James Mirtle from the Toronto Globe and Mail recently revealed on Twitter that former Avalanche tough guy and underrated defenseman David Koci has been invited to a professional tryout with the Winnipeg Jets. Berated by many as a talentless thug, Koci actually played his heart out during the occasional seconds of ice time he was granted. He surprised many when he was switched to his natural position on the blue line and he deserves the opportunity to play a real role for the Jets; one that sees him on the ice, playing the game he loves, in a more meaningful and fulfilling capacity.

With the recent death of former Avalanche Wade Belak – and Derek Boogaard and Rick Rypien – many have been analyzing the lonely, oft-loathed role of the enforcer on an NHL team. There is more to this situation than meets the eye. Be sure to check out Adrian Dater’s recent blog and this outstanding Sports Illustrated article, “The Worst Job in Sports” from 1997.

For those of you who are interested in keeping track of the team’s schedule, both training camp/preseason and the regular season, be sure to subscribe to or download it to your computers and mobile devices. Subscribing allows you to receive changes and updates automatically.

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According to an article and a blog from Adrian Dater at the Denver Post, Colorado Avalanche forward Peter Mueller is one physical away from resuming play after nearly a yearlong absence from hockey due to lingering concussion symptoms.

In a chat with Mueller, Dater reports that Mueller has been seeing a neurosurgery specialist and that he has taken a lot of time to educate himself about the brain and the nature of the trauma he suffered in the very first preseason game last year.

“There was a scramble in front of our net and I was looking down, with three or four guys battling for a puck and I just felt a stick from behind to the left temple and all the old symptoms just reoccurred.”

Ready to resume his play, Mueller will be looking to return to the brief glimpse of stardom he emitted in just 15 games with the Avalanche in 2009-10. Scoring 9 goals and 11 assists, Mueller found easy chemistry with all-star forward Matt Duchene as well as on the powerplay with former defenseman John-Michael Liles.

It was reported months ago that Mueller had been working out in the gym during his hiatus, so there shouldn’t be much lag in catching his game up. “It’s like riding a bike. My hands and legs are there. I can’t tell you how excited I am to get the season going,” said Mueller on his phone call with Dater. The forward also doesn’t have far to go to exceed his play from training camp last year as he was consistently one of the worst players – yet still flashy, talented, and determined – on the ice.

Seeing Mueller back out with his teammates won’t be the only new thing fans see this season. According to Dater, Mueller will be sporting the new Easton S19 Z-Shock Helmet, which should go a long way in protecting his egg-fragile noggin from further bumps and bruises.

Easton Stealth S19 Z-Shock Helmet | Courtesy of GearPatrol.com

From Easton:

“The Z-Shock™ is the most technically advanced helmet ever made. With top level performance, it’s more efficient at impact protection than traditional helmets. The new profile, instant fit and unbelievable lightweight construction will revolutionize the way the game is played. Experience the next big thing.
…
Z-Shock™ Technology uses a solid state construction of EPP foam and polycarbonate plastic in a single laminated structure for best in class impact absorption numbers in certification testing at nearly half the weight”

Looks like the M11 is out. Still, Mueller’s doctor maintains that once a person has fully recovered from a concussion, the brain is not more susceptible to future concussions.

What do you think? Are you excited for Mueller’s return? Do you think a special helmet is the answer?

Not even a year ago it was quite shocking for some to see the Colorado Avalanche organization implementing social media as a means of promotion. Starting with a Facebook page and a Twitter account, fans began wondering if they’d ever see an Avalanche player take on a social media role.

The NHL caught up with former players Craig Anderson and Chris Stewart earlier in the season and asked them about their thoughts on using social media. At the time it seemed quite the long shot that any Avalanche player would end up engaging with fans or sharing their life as a professional athlete.

Then Matt Duchene emerged. Talking with Adrian Dater about joining Twitter, Duchene said:

“Growing up, I was always wondering ‘what was Joe Sakic like or what was Peter Forsberg like as a person, or Patrick Roy. This way, anybody who is a fan of the team – or me, I guess – would get to see that more, and make them feel closer.”

The tweeting was few and far between, about what you’d expect coming out of the media controlled state of the Colorado Avalanche, but it provided some nice glances into what made Matt Duchene tick. A scandalous comment about vodka during the All-Star Game and Duchene all but vanished for the second half of the season, yet he reappeared, more talkative than ever in the off season.

Duchene joined quiet Norwegian defensman Jonas Holøs, who’s largely inactive Twitter account saw less than once monthly action.

Conspiracy theorist’s suspicions about the Avalanche organization stifling individual voices reignited anew as almost immediately after Chris Stewart was traded to the St. Louis Blues, he was tweeting all of the time – despite his above comments about not intending to use the service.

Less than a month after the season ended, two new additions to the Avalanche roster also joined their fellow NHL comrades in using the social media service to spread the gospel of themselves. The first was Dan Winnik, who likely gave in to peer pressure from his friend and social media sports icon Paul Bissonnette from the Phoenix Coyotes. With a enjoyably refreshing twist, Winnik was the first of the current Avalanche roster to consistently interact with fans and frequently responds to questions while also leaving his opinions on the current Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Winnik also called out fellow teammate Ryan O’Byrne, exposing his presence on Twitter before O’Byrne had even sent his first message out into the interwebs. O’Byrne, who is moonlighting as an analyst for the NHL Network, is likely to pick up tweeting more consistently, though it will be hard to beat out Winnik in instant social media popularity.

But it isn’t just current players who are active online. There are both prospects and alumni using the medium as well. Colorado’s 2010 first round draft pick Joey Hishon is somewhat present on the service, as is up and coming goaltender Calvin Pickard. They are joined by alumni Marc Denis, Matt Barnaby, Curtis Leschyshyn, Theo Fleury, Shjon Podein, and Rick Berry, and John-Michael Liles.*

Wouldn’t it make sense to have Joe Sakic be the online face of the front office? It could be similar to how local football hero John Elway behaves in regards to his work with the Denver Broncos. Who wouldn’t listen to every word Joe had to say?

*More prospects have joined the Twitter game as well as some new draftees including: Tyson Barrie, Stefan Elliott, Brad Malone, Duncan Siemens, Garrett Meurs, and Dillon Donnelly. Fan favorite and current Lake Erie Monster Greg Mauldin has also joined.*

*Newly signed defenseman Shane O’Brien and recently signed forward Joakim Lindström are also on twitter.*

*TJ Galiardi is the latest comedian to join the online crowd and he hit the ground running. He has been joined by the newly married David Jones as well.*

What do you think? Who will be the next to join Twitter? Who would you want to see active on the site?

The first move of free agent day for the Colorado Avalanche isn’t one that many expected to happen. While fans were anxiously awaiting the announcement of a new starting keeper, the Avs went after a defenseman instead.

Jan Hejda | Courtesy of CBC.ca

According to Aaron Portzline of the Columbus Dispatch, former Columbus Blue Jacket Jan Hejda has signed with the Avalanche for the next four years at $3.25 million a year. Hejda had five goals and 15 assists and finished minus six after 77 games last season. The 33-year-old blueliner is a plus player for his career and looks to be a strong, mentor type for the younger players. Hejda has made $2 million for the last three years.

The signing was confirmed by Adrian Dater.

More information will be posted as it is announced.

What do you think?

The Colorado Avalanche are locking up their remaining players before the buzz of free agent frenzy begins tomorrow.

Ryan O'Byrne | Courtesy of Zimbio.com

The latest renewal is defenseman Ryan O’Byrne, who was shockingly signed to a two year deal worth $3.6 million. Originally reported by Adrian Dater, the deal for O’Byrne is surprising only in the sense that nary more than a small handful of players have contracts running through next season. The team is admittedly concerned about the financial landscape of the next Collective Bargaining Agreement, so it is good to see important characters signed through the changing times.

“Ryan brings size to our defense,” said  Avalanche General Manager/Executive Vice President Greg Sherman.  “We are pleased to have him under contract for the next two years and look forward to him continuing his career with our organization.”

O’Byrne had ten assists and finished minus seven after 64 games with the Avalanche last season. He proved to be an effective, shut-down defenseman and was paired with offensive oriented parter and former Avalanche John-Michael Liles. It is possible that O’Byrne could be paired with a new face such as Stefan Elliott - until his natural counterpart, Duncan Siemens, is ready. That is if O’Byrne is trusted to mentor a young player.

Excited to re-sign with Colorado for 2 more years. Great city and great organization. Can’t wait to get started in the fall. – O’Byrne on his Twitter account

O’Byrne joins only Paul Stastny and Cameron Gaunce as the few currently rostered players signed with Colorado through the 2012-13 campaign.

What do you think? Was this a good move? Who would you pair O’Byrne with now?

Following the 2011 NHL Entry Draft last weekend and the news that Matt Hunwick had been re-signed, the Colorado Avalanche had ten players who had yet to be signed or, for all we know, offered a deal at all.

Well Adrian Dater from The Denver Post has just confirmed that a handful of players have been given qualifying offers. Defensemen Kyle Cumiskey, Ryan Wilson, Ryan O’Byrne and forwards David Jones, TJ Galiardi, and Kevin Porter are among those that have been given offers. However, the team has not offered goaltender Brian Elliott or forward Philippe Dupuis a contract.

Restricted free agents, which all of the aforementioned players are, that have been given a qualifying offer have the ability to accept the offer and play or deny the offer, remaining a restricted free agent with the club until December 1st. On December 1st the RFA must sign a contract or he will lose NHL eligibility for the remainder of the season.

Unsigned players can ask for salary arbitration which forces a hearing intended to settle contract disputes. It is often used by restricted free agents as a bargaining mechanism and was used recently by former forward Marek Svatos against the Avs. If the team refuses to meet the arbitration amount, the player then becomes an unrestricted free agent. The deadline for arbitration is July 5th.

Even more perplexing is that both of the Lake Erie Monsters’ goaltenders from last season have yet to been offered anything either. Both Jason Bacashihua and John Grahame are unrestricted free agents come Friday. That leaves prospects Trevor Cann and Calvin Pickard as two keepers between four vacant positions. Obviously it is expected that the Avalanche make firm offers for goaltenders, including Tomas Vokoun, on July 1, but they better hope they make the correct offers or the team is in serious hot water.

Other potential goaltender options include Dwayne Roloson, Jose Theodore, Mathieu Garon, and Josh Harding among many. Still no word on a legitimate goalie coach joining the ranks.

What do you think? Who would you go after?

The newest alleged signing for the Colorado Avalanche is an actual roster player this time.

Although the team hasn’t announced it officially, *It’s official, the Avalanche have sent out a press release confirming that Matt Hunwick has been signed to a one year, $1.55 million contract. This has been was previously confirmed by Adrian Dater of the Denver Post.

Hunwick was considered a bust trade by many last season and his signing comes in the wake of the surprise trade of longtime defenseman John-Michael Liles. Hunwick will not be considered a replacement to Liles and is speculated to be a salary filler so the team reaches the salary cap floor at $48.3 million.

What do you think?

Last night NHL salary tracking website CapGeek.com claimed that the Colorado Avalanche had signed two more players for the 2011-12 season.

Ryan Stoa | Courtesy of the Associated Press

Via the site’s Twitter feed, CapGeek announced that both Ryan Stoa and David Liffiton had been signed. This was immediately corroborated by Brennan Klak, who runs the NHLUpdate twitter account. The news has yet to be confirmed or denied by the Avalanche organization and Denver Post Beat writer Adrian Dater has also been unable to substantiate the claims.

Forward Ryan Stoa played 25 games with the Avs last season, notching 4 points and finishing minus four while largely failing to impress at the NHL level. He spent the majority of the season with the Lake Erie Monsters where he had 16 goals and 17 assists in 48 contests and finished plus five, showing more offensive prowess. CapGeek is reporting his contract to be a one year, two-way contract valued at $803,250 – a $46,750 decrease from last season.

Defenseman David Liffiton only managed a quick peek with the Avalanche. He scored a single goal and finished plus three with 17 penalty minutes in just four games. For the Monsters, Liffiton battled injury, playing a mere 18 games and accumulating four points and 57 penalty minutes. His contract is reportedly worth $525,000 – a $25,000 increase – and is also a one year, two-way arrangement.

Tomas Vokoun | Courtesy of DobberHockey

Vokoun Wants To Come To Colorado?

Dater did however post a minor blog about Tomas Vokoun that referenced some interesting information. According to an Edmonton Journal blog post by Peter Adler that references an interview with Mlada fronta Dnes, a Czech Republic newspaper, Vokoun said he’d be interesting in playing for the Avalanche.

“I would not be displeased if I got a good offer from Floria and accepted it,” the paper quotes Vokoun as saying. “But if I happen to get an offer from a team that might have a chance to challenge for the Stanley Cup, now, that might be irresistible.”

Like which team?

“Like Colorado,” Vokoun said.

Adler asserts that Edmonton could be considered a worthy franchise for a goalie of Vokoun’s caliber if they managed to make a turn around push like the Avalanche did in 2009-10.

What do you think? Is Vokoun worthy? Confident he’ll sign in Colorado? Concerned the Avs are only signing bit players?

The Colorado Avalanche have reportedly signed Swedish forward Joakim Lindström to a one year, one-way contract worth $600,000.

Joakim Lindström | Courtesy of Zimbio.com

According to Sport Bladet, a Swedish media site, and confirmed by Adrian Dater, the left wing will be making an appearance in Colorado this season.

Having only played a handful of games in the NHL despite being drafted 41st overall by the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2002, Lindström managed to put up 28 goals and 32 assists in 54 games for the Skelleftea Hockey Club this year and finished the league leader in scoring. It’s possible that Colorado is seeking Lindström to fill the power forward void left in the absence of Chris Stewart.

“We are pleased to have Joakim under contract,” said Avalanche General Manager/Executive Vice President Greg Sherman.  “With his combined experience in the NHL and Swedish Elite League, he will provide depth to our roster.”

Standing 6 feet tall and weighing in at 187 pounds, the left handed forward isn’t exactly a physical force to be reckoned with but he also hasn’t had much of an opportunity to play at the elite NHL level. Lindström played 44 games for the Phoenix Coyotes in 2008-09, a career high, and had only 37 games under his belt before that.

It will be interesting to see what kind of impact this signing will have on Colorado’s draft choices in the coming weeks, but Lindström does play on the same team as prospective defenseman Adam Larsson. Colorado has yet to sign any goaltender to a contract for this season.

What do you think?

The Colorado Avalanche have announced that team captain and longtime veteran defenseman Adam Foote is holding a press conference tomorrow.

Scheduled for 11 a.m. MST in the Blue Sky Grill at the Pepsi Center, Foote’s press conference is likely going to include the details of his retirement from professional hockey, which has been expected by many as the captain has battled many injuries throughout this season; Foote has played in only 46 contests.

Adam Foote leaves behind a legacy in the NHL and for the Colorado Avalanche, having had quite the storied and successful career. In 1,153 games played, Foote currently has 66 goals, 242 assists and a lifetime plus/minus rating of plus-99. His 1,534 penalty minutes tell the story of a gritty, hard nosed, always working defenseman who would destroy opposing forwards who got close to him. Unabashedly physical, Foote would punish his enemies, daring them to float into the corners with him, tempting him to strike.

His leadership has been outstanding as well, leading him to captaincies for both the Columbus Blue Jackets and the Avalanche. His old-time hockey style of play and brute force with be missed. It is unknown whether he will play in either of the club’s two remaining home games.

Adrian Dater has a nice account of some milestones in the history of Adam Foote.

What is your favorite memory of Adam Foote?

The hits just keep coming for the Colorado Avalanche, with word that two more players are out with injury.

Adrian Dater from the Denver Post is reporting that both David Jones and Matt Hunwick were injured during last night’s game against the St. Louis Blues and that neither are likely to play tomorrow as the Avs take on the Dallas Stars.

Dater also mentioned that defensemen Shawn Belle and Ray Macias have been recalled from the Lake Erie Monsters to fill in for the wounded Avalanche.

The Lake Erie Monsters clinched their first ever playoff birth last night, so the loss of Belle and Macias aren’t enormous blows. In fact, this opportunity means both players can try and improve their game to the faster paced NHL before heading back to Erie for the playoffs. Both the Monsters’ and Avalanche’s seasons end this Sunday, so Belle and Macias won’t miss any playoff time.

For more information on these two prospects, and all the others in Colorado’s system, be sure to check out the Avalanche Guild Monthly Journal.

What do you think? Will this season ever end?

Taking a razor blade-like hockey skate to the face is no laughing matter, just ask Richard Zednik and Ryan O’Byrne about their experiences on the wrong end of the skate.

The good news though is that after receiving roughly 100 stitches and nearly 3 hours of facial operation, Ryan O’Byrne is set to return to the Colorado Avalanche lineup Tuesday as the team takes on the Minnesota Wild.

As the video shows, O’Byrne was caught in the face by Taylor Hall’s skate as Hall was taken down behind the Avalanche net. It was immediately apparent that O’Byrne was in pain and fans at the game could see blood all over the ice as O’Byrne finished his shift before leaving the game.

“It’s just one of those things where you don’t really know how bad it is. I kind of put my hand to my face and I knew I was bleeding and then I went back to the slot. I knew it was pretty bad, but I didn’t know how bad it was. I didn’t really feel much pain, so I figured I might as well finish my shift.”

O’Byrne went on to miss four games as the Avalanche continued to struggle in his absence. His return will be a welcome presence on the blue line and will unfortunately likely lead to the reassignment of Jonas Holøs, who will be the odd man out. Cameron Gaunce was also reassigned to the Lake Erie Monsters with the return of Adam Foote to the lineup.

Other News

Andy Strickland, NHL writer and St. Louis local, is reporting that Tomas Fleischmann appears to be in no danger of losing his career due to his recent battle with pulmonary emboli. Strickland writes:

The good news for Fleischmann is that he recently saw a specialist in Washington D.C. who told the soon to be 27 year old he is not as risk to continue playing NHL hockey next season.

For now Fleischmann remains out for the season but he is doing some light exercise. I’m told he can’t be cleared for contact while he is on his current medication. He is expected to make a full recovery just as Jed Ortmeyer did who now plays in the Minnesota organization.

Also, Adrian Dater is reporting that Peter Budaj will start Tuesday night against Minnesota.

What do you think? Will O’Byrne help stop the bleeding? Is this great news regarding Fleischmann?

Adrian Dater from the Denver Post is reporting that the Colorado Avalanche have shut down wayward forward Peter Mueller for the remainder of the season.

Mueller suffered a season ending concussion at the end of last season and didn’t play a single regular season game after suffering from an (arguably) new season ending concussion during a pre-season game this season.

While this will certainly come as a disappointment to many Avalanche fans, it really doesn’t make any sense for Mueller to come back and potentially risk further injury on a team scraping the bottom of the standings. Mueller had been previously reported as skating prior to team practices and there was word that he had been working out as well.

Hopefully Mueller will continue to recover, especially now that he shouldn’t feel any pressure to return to the team before September of this year. He had 20 points and finished with a plus four in just 15 games for the Avalanche last season.

What do you think? Is this more bad news? Do you think Mueller will ever play again.

Except for a minor league swap with fellow cellar dwellers, the Edmonton Oilers, the Colorado Avalanche were surprisingly resolute in their silence on the trade front today.

With a recent downturn, many people expected the team to begin selling talent in order to restart the ongoing rebuild but it appears that Colorado is content to compete with the current roster in tact. That isn’t to say that the Avalanche front office wasn’t entertaining offers from around the league but that the deals just didn’t materialize.

There is one player on the team who is most likely more relieved about today’s outcome than any other: defenseman John-Michael Liles. For Liles, the trade deadline seems to be an annual event full of stress and rumors about him being moved. Whether he’s having a career year, scoring over 40 points or he’s playing for a draft pick, Liles is rumored to be on the move.

A polarizing player amongst fans of the Avalanche, Liles really seemed convinced that this would be the year, hanging his head in the Avs locker room after suffering another listless defeat at the end of this rough Avalanche season. In a recent post-game blog, Adrian Dater wrote:

This was Liles, well after the game, when most teammates were already getting dressed from tonight’s loss: slumped back in his chair, his chin propped up by his left hand, lost in thought. A guy who seemed to have be elsewhere mentally and, frankly, depressed, despite having one of the coolest jobs in the world. I could relate, though our paychecks were always different. But money comes in a poor second place to peace of mind… I’ll never forget that forlorn look on his face tonight in that locker room. As bad as he probably felt tonight, I can personally vouch to him and the Avalanche: it’ll get better.

Depending on who you ask, Liles is either the new, Martin Skoula-type goat of the team playing too soft or a potential captain, providing valuable experience on the ice and in the locker room. Yet, in a show of support, fans of Johnny “Hot Pocket” adopted a social media hashtag, #DontTradeLiles, to show their solidarity for keeping the 4th ranked scorer on the team in town.

*UPDATED* Dater writes about Liles not being moved:

I just got off the phone with Liles himself too, and he’s very happy he’s staying. And, he says to say THANKS to all the fans who started a Twitter campaign today not to trade him. He’s humbled by it.

*

In all likelihood, management probably couldn’t find any reasonable offers and word on the street was that the asking price on Liles was too high for many teams. Also, the team arguably had their trade deadline recently when they shipped out one hit wonder Craig Anderson in return for Brian Elliott and a struggling Chris Stewart and Kevin Shattenkirk for Jay McClement and Erik Johnson in a matter of a few days. The Avalanche front office will likely evaluate where they stand through the end of the season and look to the free agent market this summer to begin filling in the missing puzzle pieces.

What do you think? Can this team still compete? Is there something missing.

Would it be ridiculous to propose that something like the Carmelo Anthony situation with the Denver Nuggets could happen down the road with the Colorado Avalanche? Perhaps if the two teams weren’t owned and operated by the same Kroenke family.

But both teams are owned by the Kroenke’s and both teams have largely been victims of the same corporate mandate: do more with less.

Just a few short years ago the Nuggets made an impressive run during the season and into the playoffs despite having had some outlying financial expenditures reigned back in. Very similar to the Avalanche’s decision to begin rebuilding from within the organization. Often criticized for being cheap, the Avalanche organization attempted to follow in the footsteps of their sister team, shedding salary heavy players like Ryan Smyth in an effort to provide a potential surplus for the future, if needed.

The new Avalanche team managed to surprise pundits and fans alike by making the playoffs despite low projections and one of the youngest, most inexperienced teams in the NHL. The following season, this season, hasn’t quite had the punch of the previous one, and fans have seen many players and prospects come and go since the first game back in October.

The Avs are in the midst of a franchise-high, ten game losing streak and yet things could still be worse. They could have lost the superstar cornerstone of their team, the way the Nuggets lost Anthony. Obviously the Avalanche aren’t in the exact same situation, as Anthony played over eight seasons without winning a championship in Denver.

But many could draw a comparison between the up and coming Matt Duchene and his off-ice amigo Carmelo Anthony. Both were great talents drafted at the top of the first round and both had the weight of very high, Denver expectations planted firmly on their shoulders upon coming to town. The fear now is that Kroenke management will allow the same slow rift that occurred between Anthony and the Nuggets to happen between Duchene and the Avalanche.

That isn’t to say that Avalanche General Manager Greg Sherman isn’t doing what is best for the team but, while winning isn’t everything, ultimately it is the goal of professional sports.

In a superbly written retrospective regarding the recent ‘Melo’-drama, the Denver Post’s Benjamin Hochman posted the following quote:

“I don’t have time to waste,” Anthony said recently. “I’m going into my ninth season. I want to see the light at the end of the tunnel in my future, and that light is a championship. If I feel like I can’t do that here (in Denver), then I don’t think this is the right thing to do.”

With a bottom line toeing the minimum bottom line determined by the NHL, the Avalanche have money to spend but are awaiting the pieces to spend it on. Saving for the future is the ultimate move, refusing to withstand another team explosion that once saw raw talent like Peter Forsberg and Adam Foote leave town. But sooner than later the puzzle needs to come together before other younger, more impressionable talent begins to rethink the competitiveness of it’s first pro team.

The Carmelo Anthony debacle needs to be a badge worn on the sleeve of Kroenke Sports Enterprises, reminding them of how it all went wrong and preventing them from allowing history to repeat itself. Learning from this incident will provide invaluable experience to upper management on both sides of the arena and hopefully they realize that winning is isn’t everything, but it is important.

Neither franchise can withstand the blow of losing a fan-favorite superstar to apathy and a loss of heart while being essentially called out as a small market, non-competitor in a highly competitive sports business.

Former Avalanche winger Chris Stewart recently called out the fans in Denver, saying of his first game in St. Louis (a sellout):

“That was great. That was probably the best crowd I’ve ever been in front of. It’s going to be easy to play here if the fans are like that every night.”

The avalanche siren is sounding in Denver, as lack of fans and fan support can be related to the product on the ice. Such a jab at fans who supported him can be quite unfair but the reality is that fans want to win as much as the players do and need to be excited about a team in order to pay to watch them play. Stewart’s comment is a warning sign and, without going into panic mode, the Avalanche organization needs to take note of it before they find themselves overrun with their own ‘Melo’-drama.

What do you think?

Adrian Dater is reporting that the Colorado Avalanche offered former goaltender Craig Anderson quite a stellar deal at the end of last season, which was refused by the quickly forgotten hero.

While many have argued for or against the theory the Anderson didn’t care about the Avalanche anymore and that it was possible that he wanted out of Denver, the case is certainly stacked against him now. Dater reports that Anderson was offered “a two-year, $7.5 million contract extension during the offseason.” An offer which Anderson obviously turned down.

What Anderson’s motivation was for this move is likely known by a select few, but it seems pretty obvious that he wasn’t enjoying some aspect of his time here in Colorado. Who knows, maybe he only signed here to be noticed as a starting goaltender, lifting his name from the shadows of other talent.

It will be interesting to see if Ottawa will be able to offer a new contract to Anderson exceeding or even meeting that which he deems of appropriate value for his worth for the following years. The Senators have six unrestricted free agents to consider next season, including Anderson and assuming Pascal Leclaire is sent packing. The team also has five restricted free agents to talk to and they must also plan for seven free agents total the following season.

Whatever the situation with Anderson, this news has shed some light on an ugly situation that is now a blatant stain on his reputation. What will other teams think about Anderson refusing a highly appraised contract before having an abysmal season where he largely seemed vacant and uncompetitive? A larger question would be: Is Craig Anderson content to be in Ottawa if he didn’t like the situation in Colorado? How long will it be before he, like Evgeni Nabakov, refuses to report to a team he doesn’t want to help rebuild?

There were rumors from last season that called into question the team-player integrity of Anderson in the locker room. They gain credence with each new piece of information regarding how it all went wrong in Colorado.

An email was sent in to Anderson’s agent, Justin Duberman but was not responded to at the time of posting.

What do you think? Does this news change your opinion of Anderson?

Episode five of Two Guys 1 Puck is now available. Despite being quickly outdated in a matter of hours, it is still worth a listen.

This week, Ryan and Jonathon were again joined by Justin Goldman, who helped kick off the immediate discussion about the Colorado Avalanche trading away fallen hero Craig Anderson to the Ottawa Senators in return for Brian Elliott. Among the topics discussed were future goaltending prospects, free agent goalies, and possible reasons behind such a shocking move by the Burgundy Boys.

TG1P was also blessed with a very special guest, Adrian Dater from The Denver Post. Dater also chimed in about the Anderson situation, showing the same amount of surprise for the move as most anyone else. He also graciously deliberated future trade options, of which he was on the money and Ryan was way off. Peter Forsberg and the old days of hockey reporting were also discussed  in a stellar conversation about your Colorado Avalanche.

Give it a listen!

You can download this episode and all of our previous ones on iTunes.

What do you think?