The Colorado Avalanche have been great at home of late and have managed to beat some very solid teams on home ice.  Teams like the Philadelphia Flyers, Washington Capitals, San Jose Sharks and Detroit Red Wings lie in the wake of the Av’s win streak at home.

The Avalanche got off to a flying start last night, getting a goal from Paul Stastny a little less than four minutes into the period.  Stastny got his stick on a shot from Matt Hunwick and redirected it right off a St. Louis Blues defender’s skate and into the net.  This was Hunwick’s first point of the season.

A little more than a minute later, Cody McLeod was the recipient of an early Christmas present when St. Louis netminder Brian Elliott misplayed a the puck, dumping it right onto McLeod’s stick.  McLeod made no mistake and fired it under Elliott’s pads before he had a chance to set up, giving the Avalanche a quick 2-0 lead.

Colorado then started to sit back a bit and ended up taking a few penalties in the first period.  Thanks to strong penalty killing and great goaltending from Jean-Sebastien Giguere, the Avs escaped the period with their two goal lead intact.

The second period was less positive as the Avalanche really sat back and let the Blues dictate the majority of the play. St. Louis got a jolt of life when David Backes got a fortunate bounce, putting a wrister right off Shane O’Brien’s stick and into the twine.

The Blues tied the game after former Av Chris Stewart picked up a loose puck as he was going to the net and put it by Giguere’s left pad. However Giguere made a few more big saves to keep the game tied.

Jay McClement got a lucky break as he tried to feed a pass on an odd-man rush but caught a sliding Blues defender with the puck. St. Louis knocked the puck into their net and gave the Avalanche a lead they would never relinquish.

The third period was about one thing from the Avalanche, defense. Colorado managed only one shot on goal, but did have a couple of golden opportunities that were just missed shots. Colorado played a tight game and kept shots to the outside, allowing very few quality scoring chances.

With their seventh straight win at home, the Avalanche have tied a franchise record and look to break it with a win on Friday against the Tampa Bay Lightning, who were trounced by San Jose last night.

What do you think?

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?

With the Colorado Avalanche looking to regroup and find the missing piece of their rebuild at this year’s NHL Entry Draft, it is important to understand who is available and what sort of impact they might have in Denver. The Avalanche own both the 2nd and 11th overall picks, which gives them plenty of room to move

Gabriel Landeskog

Gabriel Landeskog | Courtesy of The Hockey News

Ranked fourth overall by International Scouting Services, eighteen-year-old left wing Gabriel Landeskog seems the most NHL ready player at the top of the draft. He had 36 goals and 30 assists for the Kitchener Rangers last year in just 53 games and finished plus 27. He also added ten points in seven playoff games and improved over last years regular season significantly. He also recognizes Peter Forsberg to be his favorite player and has been considered to have a somewhat similar in style.

“I’m a power forward that likes to play physical and likes to be strong on the puck, take it to the net, and use my shot. I like to see myself as an all round hockey player. I can play both defensively and offense.” – Landeskog

From the scouts:

“Gabriel does remind me of former Kitchener Ranger (and Philadelphia Flyers captain) Mike Richards. He sticks up for his teammates and is as strong at both ends of the rink as any player in the draft this year. He competes as hard if not harder than anybody. He’s got all the assets that you need to be a team leader and, for a potential No. 1 overall, that’s what you would want.” – Peter Sullivan

“He is a good-size guy who is solid on his skates, not afraid to take the puck to the net or battle for it along the boards. His skating is very good in all areas. He plays the game with so much passion, he plays the game hard, he’s a great mentor for players that are younger and older, maturity beyond his years. (He) doesn’t need one game in the American league next year — he should step right into the NHL. I think the team that gets him next year is going to get a player that helps them win a Stanley Cup.” – Chris Edwards

From the Avalanche:

“He is a player that plays the game probably the way you would expect all of your players to play.  He plays with character, he competes, he has the skill sets, and he goes to the dirty areas of the rink.  In terms of a calling card, it is his battle level.  He is a physical player in terms of confrontation.  He initiates the contact but he is also a player who plays the full length of the ice.  He is diligent and there is a lot to like here in terms of his overall package.  He is an interesting player because he scored over 30 goals.  He competes and plays the game at a high intensity level.  Going forward, his character is something that is very attractive to not only us, but the whole industry.” – Avalanche Director of Amateur Scouting Rick Pracey

Analysis

Landeskog is a worthy choice for the Avs and fills the void left from the trade of power forward Chris Stewart. He plays physical, he has talent with the puck, and fans could quickly rally behind anyone who can play like Peter Forsberg. Yet on a team crippled by injury, is a hyper physical, gritty type what they need?

I say yes it is. The current team is often easily taken off of the puck and has ultimately lacked any grit down low since the trade of Ryan Smyth. Add to this a talent for passing and scoring but also a knack for coming back and playing hard in his own end and you have a key component in the ongoing rebuild in Colorado. Landeskog’s value has slipped recently, due to the consideration of his fellow prospects, and few have begun to question his potential for future development. Corey Pronman from Puck Prospectus writes:

Any lottery team that uses a top five pick in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft on Gabriel Landeskog will be making a mistake of significant magnitude.
…
Physical development is usually one of the last things to come to even the best young players and it’s usually what keeps players who aren’t top-tier talents out of the NHL at ages 19-21. However when evaluating talent, one needs to make a distinct difference between what is a player’s projected physical game value today and what it will be in five years.
I’ve seen too many times where a player at 18 or 19 physically develops early and thus looks like a significantly better player relative to his draft class, only in a few years to watch more talented players in his draft class catch up physically and surpass the aforementioned player’s output. The draft is about projection, and taking into account the first point I made above, the fact that a player is physically NHL-ready doesn’t really do much on a poor team especially when you consider that in a few years a player like Sean Couturier could likely provide equivalent physical game value to Landeskog once he fills out.

While the point is something to consider, calling Landeskog at his peak now because he developed early is a bit judgmental. Still the draft is about potential development and it is something to consider. I say take the risk and bring this kid in early, unless his stock has fallen enough to take him with the 11th pick. Landeskog is ready to make a difference in the NHL and Colorado needs help now, they already have help coming up through the ranks.

What do you think? Should the team pass on Landeskog or pick him straight away?

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?

Preliminary play in the World Championship wrapped up today in Slovakia and two Avalanche players have made it to the final four.

Courtesy of IIHF.com

Both Matt Duchene and Jonas Holøs will play in the Quarterfinal round, on separate teams as well.

Duchene and Team Canada are set to take on Alex Ovechkin and Team Russia on Thursday, May 12th. Duchene has yet to notch an official point through six games of tournament play though he is a plus one with 13 shots on goal. Duchene recently responded to some ribbing from teammate Dan Winnik on Twitter, stating:

@Danwinnik34 don’t embarrass me more than I already am… I have 3 apps but apparently they don’t know how to scorekeep here haha whatever

@Danwinnik34 but ya I can’t buy one, whatever we’re winning that’s all that matters! I’ll take 0 points and a gold medal any day!

Courtesy of IIHF.com

Meanwhile, Holøs and Team Norway are set to take on neighboring rivals Team Finland on May 12th as well. Holøs has had quite a showing in the games thus far, stealing two goals and three assists from competing nations and owning a nice plus six rating. He is clearly a factor on his team.

Team USA will be taking on fellow players from the Czech Republic on Wednesday, May 11th. Former Avalanche defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk has been leaving his mark with three points and a plus one after six contests. Sweden will also be playing Germany in the later game on May 11th.

The tournament is structured in such a way that Wednesday’s winners will play each other as will Thursday’s. So it is possible that Duchene and Holøs could be squaring off in a battle to play in the championship match.

Former Av Chris Stewart has been playing well for Canada. He has two goals and two assists after six games and a plus six rating with 20 shots.

Versus has been airing select games of the tournament and are planning on airing at least one of the Quarterfinal games, according to a press release posted on Puck The Media.

The network will air every game the U.S. team plays if they advance past the first round, but regardless of how far they go, VERSUS will also televise both semifinal games on May 13 and the Gold Medal contest on May 15.

What do you think? Are you going to watch the games? Who do you want to win?

Colorado Avalanche forward Matt Duchene is gearing up to represent both the Colorado Avalanche and Team Canada at the International Ice Hockey Federation’s 2011 World Championship tournament, which starts this weekend.

The third youngest player on the team, Duchene looks to build on a personal best season which saw him tally 27 goals and 40 assists in 80 games. Duchene, who had seven points in seven games during the World Championship tournament last year, is joined by an outstanding and highly competitive roster featuring the likes of Rick Nash, John Tavares, Evander Kane, Jeff Skinner, Travis Zajac and Chris Stewart among others.

In a recent interview with Craig Stancher, Duchene said of his opportunity:

“Anytime you get chosen to represent your country, it’s an honor. I’m looking forward to going over there and trying to help Team Canada win the gold medal.”

Hosted in Slovakia this year, the tournament begins Friday, April 29th and finishes with the final match on Sunday, May 15th. Already in Europe to train and prepare, Duchene has been offering some small peeks into his adventures via his Twitter account.

Stopping in Paris, France to run an exhibition game, Duchene and former teammate Stewart took some time to catch up on the local culture.

Duchene has also been giving followers some nice insight into life on the road.

Just had a little jam sesh on my travel guitar with Brent Burns, wish we had a guy in Denver who could play like him! #wecouldstartaband

We’ll be sure to keep you updated as to Duchene’s progress in the tournament, but for a more intimate look at the life of an up and coming superstar be sure to give him a follow.

What do you think?

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.

While this may appear as a flip flop to my previous defense of Colorado Avalanche head coach Joe Sacco, I will admit that I struck that position merely to counter the spreading opinion that he may be the real problem in Denver. That said, it is starting to appear like a lot of the trouble that this team is having could be the result of the guy in charge night after night.

Fans have heard it over and over again, Joe Sacco announcing to the world that he would play the players who gave the team the best chance to win each night. It was his go to line when asked why so and so was benched. Essentially he was calling out that player for lack of effort even after sending the message via benching. If this was the team motto, the impetus for players to give a full effort, then why has Matt Hunwick, who is largely the failure of the team to this point, continued to play as much as he has?

With players like Cameron Gaunce and Jonas Holøs waiting to come up and contribute with smart, strong, and often physical play, how is the continued presence of Hunwick justifiable when Matt Duchene, Daniel Winnink, Ryan O’Reilly, and even Chris Stewart have been benched at some point this season for failing to perform their duties? It’s possible that it is because Hunwick refuses to challenge Sacco’s collapsing status quo.

Rumblings of dissent are beginning to trickle through Denver. Talk of players, whether current or former, clashing with the coach is something that, while unconfirmed from the organization itself, should not go unnoticed.

When Stewart recently slapped Denver fans in the face with his comments about playing his first game in St. Louis, it was infuriating at first. But looking back at the comments, he could be targeting the organization instead:

“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.” – Courtesy of the Denver Post

It was clear almost immediately that many fans were upset at the loss of Stewart and the up and coming Kevin Shattenkirk. Despite obtaining a potential solution to the fledgling defense in Colorado, Erik Johnson, and a first round pick, Avalanche supporters were shocked that a team in the midst of a rebuild would give up young talent so quickly. Even worse though, was the response from analysts, experts, and former players from around the league.

Hall of fame player and former Quebec Nordiques winger Peter Stastny became so irate at the situation that he lashed out, lambasting the organization while on a St. Louis radio broadcast:

“This young team was ready to challenge, almost, for a Stanley Cup this season. They were so good. All they needed was some more chemistry, and some synergies. Instead, they destroyed the team. I mean, that was a one-way deal. Mr. Armstrong will look like a genius. I don’t know what they were thinking in the Colorado organization. I should not have said this, but I’m so, so mad what they’ve done to this team. They’ve moved the team about two to three years back again.” – Courtesy of the Denver Post

Biting commentary from a former legend isn’t something to be taken lightly, but it can be dismissed as the grumblings of an angry father. Yet still the deluge of negativity continued, with goaltender-turned-analyst Kevin Weekes questioning the state of the team in a blog entitled “Avalanche of confusion”. Weekes writes:

“I know first-hand that deals happen in pro sports, but trading two core pieces leaves me wondering not only where the Avs have fallen to but where they’re going, and most important of all, what blueprint they are following.”

Later he added:

Clearly the recent moves in Colorado are making splashes around the league. Dan Tencer, the Edmonton Oilers radio man, cited reputable analyst Pierre McGuire as also hoping on the Avalanche bashing bandwagon:

This comment is almost the most shocking, because it flat out questions the entire, albeit young, legacy of Colorado’s current front office.

These comments lend credence to the idea that the Avalanche are beginning to seem like an organization lost, adrift at sea, unable to control the ship now that the waves are picking up. Tencer also sourced the Denver Post’s Terry Frei, stirring up the pot about the Stewart situation:

Frei’s comment suggests that perhaps the organization was fed up with behavior that Stewart exhibited during the All-Star break, whether neglecting to stay in shape or two much partying around town. It wouldn’t be out of the question then to assume that tensions were high between Sacco and Stewart, based on something that was brewing just before the largest downturn in franchise history. It is apparent that goalie Craig Anderson took issue with something in Colorado and perhaps Stewarts’ lackluster return from injury was also the result of a loss of passion for his first NHL team.

The hardest part to swallow of all of the Avs woes is the fact that this team was competing on some level with the same players right up until a point in late November or early December. There is no question that the team aspect of the game fell apart after the All-Star break but what could be poison enough to take the steam out of every player?

Merely one or two tainted personalities in the locker room shouldn’t be enough to smack the compete right out of the rest of the team. Yet constantly walking on eggshells, wondering when the next benching will happen or how long a line will stay together or even how many times a goalie will be pulled in one game is ultimately going to have a detrimental impact on the quality of the game. Playing goaltender Russian Roulette each night doesn’t help inspire a team to build upon current successes.

Strategies in Colorado are failing, being easily picked apart by the rapturous gulls that prey on a cowering team that is unable to defend itself. Many in Denver are left wondering if the fire sale is near, unable to fall asleep at night for fear of another midnight express whisking valued talent off to another part of the NHL. With a team that supporters know can compete with the best of them, the time to sell off experience in return for prospective talent has long since passed.

Fans are wondering how many players have to leave the team before management more closely examines another possible solution to the loss of luster in Denver: the possibility that the players are no longer responding to their coach. While ridding the man in charge of an ongoing rebuild may take the team a step backwards, it isn’t nearly as big a step back as losing talent, experience, and leadership in favor for draft picks, promising players in the system, and a league minimum bottom line would be. There is no need to hit the panic switch when the dreary state of the Avalanche can be remedied so easily from within.

What do you think?

The Colorado Avalanche have finally succeeded in crushing a 10 game losing streak, defeating the St. Louis Blues mere days after the two teams made the blockbuster trade of the year.

The first period started with a goal, mere minutes into the game as Paul Stastny and David Jones crashed Ty Conklin in the net. Stastny tapped the puck through the crease to Jones who stuck it home. Seven minutes later, Milan Hejduk popped in a power play goal for a 2-0 Avalanche lead.

Not to be undone, Patrik Berglund tipped in a T.J. Oshie shot to end the period with a 2-1 score.

In the second period, with under three minutes left, Chris Stewart tied it up for his new team. Kevin Shattenkirk received the first assist on that goal, shooting from low down on the point and again supporting the theory that former Avs players will always score against them.

The third period started off with a lot of back and forth play, but the Blues were able to let loose 18 shots on Peter Budaj. The backup goaltender from Colorado had a strong night despite three goals against, tossing 42 shots aside to help the Avs get the win.

Of the nine shots the Avs were able to put on Conklin, two made it through to meet the net. The first came from Erik Johnson, who broke through from the left side to shoot from between the circles to give the Avs a 3-2 lead. Shortly thereafter, Stastny sealed the deal with an awesome backhander from the top of the crease.

Despite the Stewart and the Blues scoring 22 seconds after Stastny, the Avs were able to keep the lead for the win thanks to a few great saves by Budaj.

Notes: John-Michael Liles notched two assists, his point total now at 38. Stastny had a three point night with one goal and two assists. Matt Duchene had his wheels on for the first period, and the rest of the game, after a hand injury kept him out for two games.

What did you think?

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?

With two new additions acquired from the St. Louis Blues, the Avalanche took on the San Jose Sharks, hoping to pull a win out of their proverbial hats.

It took a total of six and a half minutes for the Sharks to bury the puck behind Peter Budaj. Devin Setoguchi broke through the Avalanche defense and popped it top shelf. Two power plays for San Jose late in the first period gave the Sharks a 3-0 lead, goals coming from Setoguchi and Ryane Clowe.

When the second period rolled around, the Avalanche did a great job of shutting down the Sharks in the neutral zone and actually made some good chances for themselves on Antti Niemi. The best chance came from Ryan Stoa, as he broke around the Sharks defense and sent Niemi sprawling. Unfortunately, Niemi was able to make the save.

The third period was more of the same for the Avs. They had a few chances, but the Sharks shut them down. With under two minutes left, Setoguchi had a break away chance and was able to convert for the hat trick. The game ended 4-0 and marks the 6th time the Avs have been shut out this season.

We got to see some of what Jay McClement and Erik Johnson are going to bring to this team. Neither had a bad game, they were just surrounded by players who have lost their confidence. Let’s hope their presence in the locker room will start to improve the attitude of those around them.

Notes: Craig Anderson had a shut out in his first game for the Ottawa Senators. Chris Stewart had two goals and Kevin Shattenkirk tallied an assist in their first game with St. Louis. You take the good, you take the bad, you take them both and there you have the facts of life.

What did you think?

While it may be hard to accept when you’re favorite player, someone you have grown fond of, is shipped away from your local team, fans of the Colorado Avalanche need to remind themselves that they enjoy winning.

The Avalanche have been on an abysmal spiral, arguably since the team rang in the new year, unless you want to go all the way back to the Chris Stewart injury in November. Since then, players have underwhelmed and the team has struggled to believe in itself. In one week, they set franchise records for the longest losing streak and the most goals allowed in a game since the Avalanche rolled into Denver.

Craig Anderson didn’t perform the way he did last year. Stewart, while off to a hot start, was largely absent since returning from his broken hand. TJ Galiardi, Jonas Holøs, Kyle Cumiskey, Adam Foote, Matt Duchene, Peter Mueller, David Van Der Gulik, Craig Anderson, Kyle Quincey, Ryan O’Reilly, Paul Stastny, Tomas Fleischmann, Cody McLeod, David Koci, David Jones, Brandon Yip, Chris Stewart, Scott Hannan, and Kevin Shattenkirk have all been out this season with an injury. Some players have even had multiple injuries.

While you can’t blame a season on injuries, as the Vancouver Canucks are trying to prove, you can’t deny that nobody enjoys losing. The players don’t like losing, the fans don’t like losing, and certainly the management doesn’t like losing. With the state of the game in Colorado, the only thing that could be done to right the wrongs was to make moves.

Players in Denver have long since known that trades are an inevitable part of the game.

“When you lose this many in a row, there are going to be changes. It’s part of the business. You hate to see a teammate like Andy go, especially after what he did for us last year,” said Stewart to Terry Frei yesterday.

“When you’re in a slide like this, this time of year, something has to be done, whether a trade or a callup,” said Stastny.

Giving up fan favorites is tough, certainly, but giving up young talent is even harder. Shattenkirk immediately earned his spot on the Avalanche roster and was tagged as a burgeoning blueliner to keep an eye on. Without him, the Avalanche wouldn’t have gotten Erik Johnson.

Yet, if this team is going to compete, either this year or next, something needed to be done and General Manager Greg Sherman deserves some applause for refusing to sit by while the Avalanche melted away into the coming Spring. Instead of sitting quietly, the Avalanche stood atop the mountain and shouted.

It remains to be seen whether these moves are the sort of jump start that the team has been looking for, but losing isn’t part of the Avalanche tradition and the team needed to pick itself up off the ground, dust itself off, and get back in the game. If it cost a few lovable players to bring in the right talent, then so be it.

What do you think? Are the Avs on the right track for the future? Are they done making moves?

If you were surprised about the trade that sent Craig Anderson to Ottawa in exchange for Brian Elliott, wait until you hear this. When the clock struck midnight on Saturday morning, news filtered through that quickly sent a shockwave across the Front Range. For those that were still awake, this trade surely ruined any chance of sleeping quietly through the night.

The Colorado Avalanche had announced in the dead of the night that they acquired defenseman Erik Johnson, forward Jay McClement and a first-round pick in either the 2011 or 2012 NHL Entry Draft from the St. Louis Blues. In return, they shipped out rookie stud Kevin Shattenkirk, power forward Chris Stewart and a second-round selection in either 2011 or 2012.

“We are excited to be adding a top young defenseman in this league, a player who will have an impact on our blue line for several years to come,” said Avalanche General Manager/Executive Vice President Greg Sherman in the team’s official press release.

The 22-year-old Johnson was the first overall pick in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft and has five goals and 14 assists in 55 games for the Blues this season. With an intimidating presence at 6-foot-4 and 232-pounds, Johnson brings some of that physical edge back to the Avalanche blueline. He has 20 goals and 71 assists in 203 career NHL games.

The 27-year-old McClement has six goals and 10 assists in all 56 games for the Blues this season. He has spent his entire career with the Blues (six seasons) and has 52 goals and 104 assists in 449 games. The durable forward is a penalty-killing specialist and has played all 82 games in each of the past two seasons.

One major component of the deal is the first-round draft pick for the Avalanche and the second-round pick for the Blues. The pick headed to Colorado is conditional, and therefore protected by St. Louis as a top-10 selection. This means that the draft picks would be used in the 2011 Entry Draft, unless the Blues have a top-10 selection, in which case they can opt to transfer its 2012 first-rounder instead. If that happens, the Avs will send their second-round pick to St. Louis in 2012 instead of 2011.

Considering where the Avalanche sits in regards to the standings, and depending on how the Blues fare to finish this season, Colorado could have two high draft picks in the first round of this summer’s Entry Draft. Click below to check out more analysis on the trade and check back here for more analysis on the trade over the weekend.

NHL.COM ARTICLE

What do you think? Is this a good deal for the Avs?

Please find my Audio Report below for last night’s 3-2 OT loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins. I thought the Avalanche did many right things in this game, especially their ability to sustain a physical presence in the first period. Mark Olver brought great energy to the lineup, Ryan Wilson was very physical and Peter Budaj gave the Avs a chance to win.

+ Congratulations to Cameron Gaunce for scoring his first career NHL goal as well. His deceptive floating wrist shot from inside the blue line gave the Avalanche a 2-1 lead in the second period. He finished with 15:39 TOI in 21 shifts, one shot and one goal, two hits and two blocked shots. He became the sixth Avalanche player to score his first NHL goal this year, joining Philippe Dupuis, David Liffiton, Kevin Shattenkirk, David Van Der Gulik and Greg Mauldin.

+ Mark Olver brought consistent energy despite being a -2 in 7:56 TOI. He had one hit, two shots and was 3-for-6 in the faceoff circle. Speaking of faceoffs, Paul Stastny was a beast in the circle. He won 15-of-22 faceoffs (68%) and the Avs won 54% of the faceoffs for the entire game. Stastny was a +2 with and assist, three shots, one hit and one takeaway.

+ I mentioned in the Audio Report the edge in hits Colorado had in the first period. The game ended with them holding a 32-25 edge. Ryan O’Byrne had four hits, Dupuis had 3, Brandon Yip had three, Ryan Wilson had four hits and a terrific fight with Nick Johnson and then Cody McLeod had three hits as well. The only player who didn’t register a hit for the Avs was John-Michael Liles.

+ Tons of positives to take from this game, it’s definitely a step in the right direction and something you can only hope they build on as they hit the road and head out to California. I think the worst of this slide is over. If they continue to bring that physical presence on the road, they will continue to create some good bounces and good luck and they’ll be winning games again in no time.

Tyler Kennedy was the hero tonight, scoring the power play, overtime goal to give the Pittsburgh Penguins a hard fought 3-2 victory over the slumping Colorado Avalanche.
Down 1-0 in the first period on a goal scored by Joe Vitale, the Avalanche fought back and they fought hard. Just over three minutes into the second, Chris Stewart was able to sink his own rebound into a nearly open net, tying the game and providing the Avs with some much needed momentum. Nearly eleven minutes later, Cameron Gaunce scored his first NHL goal with a great shot from the point, giving the Avs a 2-1 lead.

However, Jordan Staal tied the game shortly thereafter, capping off an evening of stellar play and making way for a stressful back and forth third period in which neither team could finish.

The Avs made it 4:10 into OT when Kennedy scored the game winner. Kevin Porter was previously sent to the box for a tripping call taken on an aggressive forecheck.

“Went for the puck, got the skate, he tripped…that’s a penalty…bad timing…” said Porter after the game.

Notes: John-Michael Liles tallied an assist, bringing his point total to 36 for the season. Gaunce scored his first NHL goal three games after being called up from Lake Erie.

What did you think?

“We’re all in this thing together. No one is on an island by themselves.” – Colorado Avalanche head coach Joe Sacco

The Colorado Avalanche are breaking records this year, and not the kinds of records they should be proud of setting. They are on an eight game losing streak – the worst since coming to Colorado – and just allowed a franchise high nine goals in a game against a division opponent. Worse still is the utter apathy and lack of cohesion displayed by the players, leading most to speculate on the future of Sacco’s job with the Avalanche.

In his morning talk with the press, Joe Sacco made a comment that resonated with me. He said:

“We don’t feel sorry for ourselves and no one else will…. We’re a young team, we’ll get through this.”

When faced with the first real adversity in his short coaching career, the man remains confident in the team. He doesn’t call out specific players, hoping to spur them into action by embarrassing them publicly. Instead, he aligns himself with the plight on the ice and also shoulders as much responsibility as the players he nurtures.

To many it seams as if the players have stopped responding to their coach, instead playing a confused game, wandering the ice like a headless competitor, unaware of the competition around him. They are disjointed, out of sync, and wholly absent of any of the confidence that they had to start the season. But you can’t coach talent and you can’t coach confidence. You can coach the game, diagram the plays, choose the lineup and so on, but that doesn’t always win the match. The players still have to believe in themselves.

Watching HBO’s 24/7: The Road to the Winter Classic, fans of hockey were treated to a natural duality between the presented stories. It couldn’t have been much easier for HBO because one team was winning and one team was losing. They didn’t have to force a story out of their footage, one was emerging before their very eyes.

Bruce Boudreau, week in and week out, was on television struggling to bring a glimmer of hope to his fledgling Washington Capitals. Was his job in question? Perhaps. But the poise and determination that he exhibited should earn him some admiration from management. He didn’t throw tantrums, chastise players, or quit on his team. He did, however, have to coddle them, stroking their egos until they found a renewed belief in themselves. This is a coach who has lost in the Conference Quarterfinals every season he’s been a coach, yet remains in charge in Washington.

Now Joe Sacco finds himself in the same position, without the added pressure of the world watching the innermost workings of a private team and without a history of disappointment weighing heavy over his head. He is also without Mike Green, Alex Ovechkin, Alex Semin, and Brooks Laich, not to mention two young but powerful goaltenders. Matt Duchene is on the rise and John-Michael Liles is having one of his best season, despite the recent downturn. But goaltending has been a no-show since early on in the year and you can only lean on Paul Stastny and Milan Hejduk for so long before the entire offensive foundation beings to crumble.

Fire Sacco now and the next coach still has the same players and the same mess to clean up. The only difference is that he didn’t go down with the ship and therefore won’t share the same experiences and lessons. Joe Sacco is a coach on a young team that is searching near and far for an identity. He has just as much to learn about the NHL as the players who look to him for guidance. Like it or not but Colorado is in the second year of a rebuild. Yes, last year was outstanding and took everyone by surprise, but it was never going to happen again.

Can you fault Sacco for making the wrong personnel choices? Sure. Can you argue that he can be too hard on certain players by restricting their ice time? Certainly. Can you place the blame solely on him for the way the team is playing? Absolutely not. Like it or not, hockey is a team sport and everyone from the opening center to the closing goaltender and beyond to the offices above is responsible for the overall product.

The fact of the matter is that the team on the ice has a few glaring weaknesses and these have been frequently exploited by opposing teams. Peter Budaj is weak with his glove and the majority of allowed goals occur on that side. Craig Anderson is in the throes of inconsistency, intimately debating his own competencies worse than Jose Theodore on a daily basis. The Matt Hunwick experiment – while only recent blossoming from a seed into a dandelion, instead of the orchid we expected – is a failure. The blue line has been in tatters since the commanding presence of Kyle Quincey vanished from the locker room and the physical game was suddenly outnumbered by the offensive-defensive game. Chris Stewart is contributing very little since his hand injury and a fight is the only thing that will save him. There is also no fire from the offense, with every line – save for that of David Koci and Philippe Dupuis – having at least one player who can’t earn their place.

None of these problems were rectified when they presented themselves, and most will likely continue until the end of the season. Joe Sacco has been playing the hand he was dealt. He can’t add his own cards whenever he wants. So if you want to blame Sacco for the team’s play, then you must also blame the scouts, the GM, and the assistant coaches. Why not blame the owner, who dictates financial policy? On top of the players, all of these men have a role to play during the course of the season.

Sacco has one year left on his contract and, with or without him, the team is unlikely to be a major player in the NHL next season. That’s why it’s called rebuilding. Rome wasn’t built in a day and unless every talented free agent decides Colorado is the place to play next year, it makes no sense to get rid of the guy who is growing a team of young men into trained soldiers destined for the battlefield on the way to Lord Stanley’s Cup.

Last season Sacco was praised for his accomplishments. This season he’s condemned for arguably the same thing. Nobody said it was going to be easy, choosing to cultivate a team that will play for years instead of spending their way to the top and then the bottom. We owe it to Sacco to let him at least finish out his contract and really prove his mettle. Now is the time for fans to support their team, no matter how hard it may be. The night is always darkest before the dawn, and I, for one, can see the early shafts of light piercing the violent sky. But maybe that is the eternal optimist in me.

When asked this morning about the future of his job, Sacco replied:

“I don’t worry about that, I worry about preparing the guys. That’s all I worry about.”

What do you think?

The Colorado Avalanche had a lot of rust to shake of tonight as they faced the Minnesota Wild in a 4-3 loss.

It was an unreal first period for the Avalanche, who have had eight nights off since the beginning of the All-Star Break, including the game against the St. Louis Blues which was cancelled due to Snowpocalypse ’11.

The Avs got off to a slow start, visible to all when the Wild scored two goals, from Kyle Brodziak and Andrew Brunette in the first 1:01 of the period. It looked all downhill from there but the Avs managed to outshoot the Wild 12-5, peppering goalie Jose Theodore. Craig Anderson also made two huge saves to keep the score 2-0.

The line of Milan Hejduk, Matt Duchene, and Chris Stewart really started clicking in the second and third periods, being the line of production for the Avs. Following some time in the box, Hejduk was able to put his team on the board after a patient pass from Kevin Porter.

Brunette also scored his second goal of the game in the second period, again from blue paint. It may have been prevented, but Ryan Wilson was tripped up by one of his own teammates.

Hejduk would light the lamp again in the third, just 45 seconds in. The rest of his line was keeping the Wild busy on the right side, Theodore included, when he received the puck and banged it into a nearly open net from the left side.

Minnesota just wouldn’t lie down though and Pierre-Marc Bouchard converted after catching Anderson committing to a save, giving his team a 4-2 lead. With 11 seconds left and Anderson on the bench, Stewart was able to bring the score within one, but it wasn’t enough to give the Avs two points.

Notes: The Wild move up to 7th place in the Western Conference tonight. Each member of the Wild who scored has a last name that starts with the letter B. Chris Stewart scored his first goal since coming back from injury.

What did you think? Is there anything that can bring the Avs out of this overall slip in play?

Five separate players from the Nashville Predators stuck it to the Avalanche tonight in a dreary 5-1 loss for the Burgundy and Blue.

With Tomas Fleischmann out for the season with a pulmonary embolism, and TJ Galiardi down to the Lake Erie Monsters in exchange for Ryan Stoa, the Avalanche seemed short a lot of steam on their home ice.

Among the many problems they were having, passing the puck seemed to be at the top of the list. Any time the Avs passed the biscuit it would bounce off a Nashville skate, or a teammate would over skate the puck which lead to turnovers. Just a bad night all around against a strong Nashville defense.

On top of that, the Avs took five penalties in all, and received just over 30 seconds of man advantage for themselves. There was also a goal reviewed that, from the overhead view, looked like a good one, but the folks in the Toronto Situation Room thought otherwise.

Though the Burgundy Boys took five penalties throughout the game, their penalty kill was strong enough to fight off each of them. There were a few scary moments, but the guys were able to scrape up enough luck to keep the puck out of the net when they were short a man, it was just at even strength where the problems started.

It was also Kyle Cumiskey’s first game back since he was concussed on October 30th by one of the Columbus Blue Jackets. He looked a bit sluggish out on the ice, but I’m sure we’ll see the speedy defenseman back to his usual self in a few games.

Matt Duchene was the only Avalanche with the determination to deny Pekka Rinne, who was spectacular, a shutout. With assists from Kevin Shattenkirk and Chris Stewart, Dutchy was able to pound the puck in for the only tally the Avs would see tonight.

Notes: Duchene scored his 19th goal of the season and still leads all Avalanche with 44 points. Ryan O’Byrne had a great game as far as hitting and getting under the Preds skin. Cody McLeod also got in a few scrums tonight, adding to the agitation of their Western Conference opponents.

What did you think? Should Sacco recall Galiardi? How did Stoa do tonight?

Colorado Avalanche beat writer Adrian Dater has reported that TJ Galiardi has been reassigned to the Lake Erie Monsters in return for winger Ryan Stoa.

While it may come as a shock to everyone, Galiardi’s reassignment was foreshadowed by a recent benching against the Minnesota Wild and some tough comments from his head coach. it would appear as if, despite a strong start after returning from his injury, Galiardi wasn’t performing the role he’d been tasked with. Being an agitator clearly became second nature during the playoffs last season, and it even earned him a spot on the top line on opening night and for much of the early season.

After returning from a broken wrist, Galiardi had shown some offensive flashes but hah largely failed to create havoc for opposing teams, much like Alex Burrows for the Vancouver Canucks or a Sean Avery but with talent and class.

When TJ skates and he uses his speed, the way he’s capable of, he’s a very effective player and he just needs to get back to skating and making sure that when he comes back in the lineup that he’s a little bit more difficult to play against. I remember back in that series against San Jose last year, he was very effective ’cause he was under the opponents skin and we just want to see a little bit more of that. – Joe Sacco after a recent win against the Wild.

Not one to muddle his messages, Avs head coach Joe Sacco responded to Galiardi by sending him back to the Monsters, despite his seven goals and six assists, as per Galiardi’s two way contract. The shock for most fans is that Kevin Porter or even Matt Hunwick have been overlooked despite slumps or overall subpar play.

Yet, of all of the players eligible to fill in, the mixed bag known as Ryan Stoa has been given a chance to again rise to the call of the NHL. If you’ve read our Monthly Journal you’d know that Stoa has largely been on the rise this season, after a surprising cut from the Avalanche roster at the beginning of this year.

Stoa has seemingly picked himself up off the floor, wiped the settling dust from his brow, and strived to achieve the Show once more. Which would seem to be what Sacco had planned all along, igniting the ambition of a young player toeing the line – see Chris Stewart. Stoa is second on the Monsters only to fellow Avalanche prospect Ben Walter in scoring and has 28 points (15g, 13a) and a welcoming plus four in 44 games this season. These numbers are even better when considering the Monsters are 20-19-3 on the year and have really struggled in recent weeks.

It would appear that both Porter and Hunwick have been performing up to their given standards as of late. Keep an eye on the development of Stoa but don’t be surprised if Galiardi works his way back into the lineup in a short period of time.

What do you think? Is this the right decision? Is Stoa ready yet? Did Galiardi deserve more time?

Kevin Porter and Milan Hejduk each scored during a strong first period for the Avalanche, helping the team to an overall 4-1 win vs. the Minnesota Wild.

As Cal “The Mouth” Clutterbuck stared on, vexation rising, the Avalanche silenced his words from after the previous 3-1 Wild win over the Avalanche. In fact, the right winger was nearly invisible during the entire game and not quite the force he seemed to be when the two teams last met.

Almost nine minutes into the game, Porter took advantage of the puck bouncing off the glass for a short break away goal against stand-in goaltender Anton “Qdoba” Khudobin. Both Niklas Backstrom and Jose Theodore are out with injuries.

With under three minutes left in the first, the Avs on the power play, Hejduk took a shot at Khudobin with what seemed to be no window for a goal, but somehow the Duke’s shot made it up over his shoulder and into the net. The first period ended with the Avs up 2-0.

The second period saw a single, strange goal, coming from Tomas Fleischmann who seemed to lightly dump the puck in to Khudobin from the blue line. The puck landed right in front of the goaltender and then bounced up over his shoulder and into the net. It was one of those goals every goalie encounters in their career, but a strange bounce nonetheless.

The goal of the night came in the third period and was, surprisingly, from the Wild. Mikko Koivu skated the puck behind the net, guarded by Craig Anderson. As he came to the left side, Koivu made a spin-o-rama move while passing the puck to Andrew Brunette who popped it behind the unsuspecting Anderson.

The Avs wouldn’t be undone there though, with Ryan Wilson notching the empty netter with just under a minute left in regulation. Colorado would leave Minnesota the victor, 4-1, even though the ice seemed to lean in advantage of the Wild during the final 40 minutes.

Notes: Ryan O’Reilly lost an edge and ran head first into the boards. He was taken off on a stretcher, but would be released from the hospital later that night to join his team on the flight back to Denver.

What did you think? How many games will O’Reilly miss? Do you think the Avs were finally able to get some lucky bounces this time around, or has the return of Chris Stewart and Cody McLeod put some more gas in the engine?

With the news that Greg Mauldin was placed on waivers today by the Colorado Avalanche, word on the impending return of Chris Stewart wasn’t expected to be too far behind.

Adrian Dater is claiming that Chris Stewart will make his return debut against the very team he was injured against: the Minnesota WIld.

Scoring 25 points in just 23 games before breaking his hand in a fight, Stewart brings fans the hope for offensive firepower on a team constantly struggling with consistency on their quest for Lord Stanley’s Cup. Many feel Stewart’s presence clearly has been missed, with Colorado struggling in an up and down fashion lately, losing valuable Western Conference points to teams both good and bad.

Stewart’s return is a happy moment, overshadowing the fact that determined journeyman Greg Mauldin hasn’t been reassigned to the Lake Erie Monsters, but placed on waivers instead. Mauldin is expected to clear waivers due to slumping play dating back nearly to the injury of Stewart. It is debatable whether or not Mauldin has been playing the poorest of the Monster call-ups. He scored ten points across 29 games and was a plus five for the team.

Dater is also saying that Craig Anderson will be in net against Minnesota, which should come as a surprise to no one.

What do you think? Are you happy to have Stewart back? Sorry to hear about Mauldin?

With news trickling around yesterday that Kevin Shattenkirk may have been injured after taking a puck off the foot in Saturday’s 4-3 overtime loss to the New York Islanders, the question quickly became: would he play Monday?

Today coach Joe Sacco confirmed that Shattenkirk would be out for tonight’s game against the Detroit Red Wings, stating that his foot “wasn’t ready to go this morning in the pre-game skate.” While the injury doesn’t seem to be too serious – Denver Post reporter Mike Chambers reports it isn’t broken – Shattenkirk could miss a little time depending on how quickly he recovers. His hot streak has cooled recently and someone could find themselves riding the pine in favor of another player warming up.

Sacco also confirmed that overlooked Norwegian defenseman Jonas Holøs would be filling the void left by Shattenkirk in tonight’s lineup. Holøs has been largely in the defensive backup role for Colorado this season, despite playing a solid and largely sound game. Sacco has come under fire by many fans recently about opting to continue to let Matt Hunwick flounder while Holøs rides the pine.

“I know what I need to do, and the areas where I need to be a lot better,” Hunwick said. “I haven’t been happy with the turnovers lately, and that’s one of the big things I have to eliminate, and just continue to skate and build off some of the positive things and not get too bogged down with the negative stuff.” – From Mike Chambers at The Denver Post.

Some good news to come from the team today is that defenseman Kyle Cumiskey will travel with Colorado on it’s upcoming road trip. The idea seems to be that Cumiskey will be available to play shortly. There are questions as to whether he should spend some reconditioning time with the Lake Erie Monsters but that seems highly unlikely at this point.

Chris Stewart is also eyeing a return to glory, with Sacco stating the Stewart would be available for full practice later this week.

Listen to Sacco talk after the morning skate courtesy of Marc Moser and Altitude Sports:

Looking for tickets to the game tonight? Check out our special discounted ticket offer and buy tickets that help support the Quest for the Crown for Hockey Fights Cancer. Also, a fan and reader is trying to dump her 6th row, single ticket for $125.

Be sure to check out The Avalanche Guild Monthly Journal for January 2011. Our first issue is filled with insight and analysis.

What do you think? Is Shatenkirk taking a break a good thing for the team? Are you excited to have Cumiskey back soon? Missing Stewart lately?

The Phoenix Coyotes walked into Denver tonight and outplayed a lackluster Avalanche squad for a 2-0 win.
As the first period began, the Coyotes really took it to the Avalanche, putting a total of 15 shots on Craig Anderson. Matt Hunwick was among the struggling Avalanche defensemen tonight, allowing a couple of rough turnovers and finishing minus one on the night.

Taylor Pyatt was able to backhand a rebound into the net for the only goal in the first 59 minutes of the game. As the period drew to a close, the Avs had some scoring chances as TJ Galiardi and David Jones looked to score a goal for the Burgundy & Blue.

Though the second period remained scoreless, the Avs had the only power play attempt of the game on a Martin Hanzal hooking call. Having two minutes with the man advantage, the Avalanche were only able to get one shot on goal.

The third period saw a lot of good rushes by the Avs, but they couldn’t get it done. With 20 seconds left in the period, Anderson sat on the bench and with six men on the ice, Colorado got caught in their own zone and Pyatt was able to get the puck into the net for his second goal of the game.

Jason LaBarbera yawned his way to a shutout.

Notes: Fans are aching for Chris Stewart’s return to the ice. Rookie Kevin Shattenkirk has continued to cool off, finishing minus two.

What did you think? Should Hunwick be benched for turnovers in his own zone? Do you think having Stewart and Cody McLeod back on the ice the Avs will wake up?

Matt Duchene extended his multi-point game streak and netted the overtime, game winning goal as the Avalanche outfought the visiting Ottawa Senators last night.

With the Colorado Avalanche missing Paul Stastny, Chris Stewart, and Milan Hejduk to inujury, the Avs managed to overcome their own weak defense and beat the Senators with speed and hustle.

Five different players had multi-point games, including Duchene, who led the team to victory in Stastny’s absence. Stastny was out with a sore back and neck after being run into the boards Wednesday night against Chicago. TJ Galiardi also made his triumphant return to the lineup, scoring the first Avalanche goal of the game nearly four minutes in.

Daniel Alfredsson and Erik Karlsson had some important goals for the Senators, taking advantage of Craig Anderson’s off night. Brian Elliott sat between the pipes for the Sens, a late decision as Pascal Leclaire injured himself during warmups.

The best goal of the night came from Ryan O’Reilly, tying the game up with 3:13 left in regulation. This goal is solid proof of the amazing give-and-go chemistry he and Daniel Winnik share as they came shooting down the left side toward Elliott. O’Reilly fed the puck to Winnik in the neutral zone. The puck found its way back to O’Reilly and he shot at a hard angle, beating Elliott glove side.

Without that goal, it would have been a 5-4 game in favor of the Senators. A similar give-and-go between Tomas Fleischmann and Duchene led to the game winning goal half way through overtime. Avs would earn the win 6-5.

Notes: Matt Duchene, Philippe Dupuis, Kevin Porter, John-Michael Liles, and Kevin Shattenkirk all had a two point game.

What did you think of the game? Do you believe the Avs have what it takes? Do you think their production without their top players proves they can see the playoffs again?

Not even 24 hours after the Colorado Avalanche traded defensive prospect Colby Cohen to the Boston Bruins in return for another defenseman, the Avs have made yet another move. This time Scott Hannan has been shipped to the Washington Capitals.

According to Adrian Dater, the Avalanche have received potent forward Tomas Fleischmann in return for the veteran defenseman. Fleischmann played 23 games with the Capitals this season and has just ten points. He is also a plus 3.

A career Capital, the 26-year-old Fleischmann has played in 283 games an owns 138 points to his name. Fleischmann is a skill player coming off of a career year last season, snatching 51 points in 69 games and adding another three in the 2010 Winter Olympics for the Czech Republic. Fleischmann’s appearance is likely a move to fill the recent void left by Chris Stewart, who is out 4-6 weeks with a hand injury.

Scott Hannan was in his fourth season with the Avalanche and has played in all 23 games this season. He managed to net 6 points and was plus one.

With an apparent logjam of defensemen quickly catching up to Colorado, it made sense to dump Hannan and his salary to a team in need of a solid, veteran defender.

According to CapGeek.com, Hannan, who’s numbers have been in decline, is making $4.5 million this year, the last of his contract. Fleischmann is making a much lighter $2.6 million in the last year of his contract as well.

This trade puts the Avalanche salary total at $42.9 million. They are the second lowest in the league, ahead of the Atlanta Thrashers.

What do you think of the recent moves? Are the Avalanche shoring up weaknesses? Will they be a contender?