WHEN AND WHERE 9 February 2016: Game 56 Pepsi Center, Denver, CO RECAP A Superlative weekend in the Denver sports scene transitioned into a parade for the ages in the Mile High City this afternoon. An estimated one-million Denverites flocked downtown in orange, to get a glimpse of their recently crowned Super Bowl champion, Broncos. For the fraction of…...
One of the major stories of the preliminary round of the 2016 World Junior Championship (WJC) in Helsinki, Finland has been the play of the top line of the hometown team. More specifically, it has been the play of the 17-year olds who make up two-thirds of that trio. The line is composed of the 35th overall selection of the 2015…...
Two of the biggest changes implemented by the NHL over the last two decades were the removal of ties (with the corresponding addition of the infamous loser point) and more recently, the realignment of divisions (with the corresponding decision to make playoff births dependent on divisional standings rather than conference standings). Ties were not unique to hockey, as Europeans have embraced…...
There is no place like home. Dorothy knew it. The Colorado Avalanche need to figure it out. Sure, the wonderful wizard of Osweiler may play his home contests across I-25, but the Avalanche need to find their own yellow brick road to victory at Pepsi Center if they want to make a legitimate move toward NHL relevance this season. Last night,…...
On the docket tomorrow… time spent eating copious amounts of turkey, sweet potatoes, and stuffing with family. A monumental reason to be thankful. The theme of this week’s BSN Central Division Power Rankings is recognizing what each team in the division can be thankful for, as we head into the holiday season. 1. DALLAS STARS Current Record: 17-5-0 (34 points)…...
The first month of any hockey season figures to see most teams establishing an identity, evaluating new personnel, and allowing players to settle into their roles. Believe it or not, we are nearly 20% of the way through the regular season schedule for 2015-16, and most teams have a pretty firm handle on the type of hockey club they…...
As the Colorado Avalanche embark on a season-long, seven-game road trip starting tonight, the trade rumor mill has been injected with a dose of hot sauce to spice things up. Former Avs’ beat writer, Adrian Dater, speculated on his twitter account that he believes Matt Duchene will be traded this season by the Avalanche. No. I think the Avs…...
The month of October has flown by, just like the Colorado Avalanche’s playoff hopes this season. Too snarky before November has even hit? Perhaps… The Central Division is humming along nicely, and not much has changed in regards to my opinion of the strength of this division since our last edition of Central Division power rankings, two weeks ago. Only the Avalanche…...
Sports are a wild ride, and if you have the bug, you know the ebbs and flows of the emotional rollercoaster associated with having a rooting interest in any team. Unlike the ebbs and flows of the earth’s tides, you can’t predict sports. That’s the beauty. Being cast into the ocean of hardcore fandom — subject to harsh currents…...
If anyone was on the fence about the potency of the Central Division entering the 2015-16 NHL season, the first week of the season was a compelling argument to its strength. Time for those people to dismount said fence into the camp ready to enjoy seven teams duking it out in the best division in sports for the next twenty-six…...
WHEN AND THE WHERE: October 8, 2015. Game 1, Pepsi Center, Denver, CO. HIGHLIGHTS: GAME RUNDOWN: After 40 minutes of hockey tonight in downtown Denver, it looked as though the Colorado Avalanche were well on their way to an impressive opening night victory over their main antagonist of late, the Minnesota Wild. A victory that would have set the tone for…...
After an exciting 5-4 overtime victory for the Avalanche in their first preseason game over the Anaheim Ducks, the offense has dried up. Tonight, the Avalanche were defeated 2-0 by the Calgary Flames, giving the Flames their second shutout of the Avs in the past week. Colorado has managed a single goal in their past three preseason contests, all losses,…...
During his first two seasons with the Colorado Avalanche, Patrick Roy has grown fond of several hard-nosed hockey players who have utilized workmanlike hockey to earn NHL roster spots. They are the type of guys that were the backbone of the NHL in years past. Players with grit. Players who pay the price. Players who lack the high end…...
There is reason to celebrate hockey in Denver, because the Colorado Avalanche are embarking on their 20th season since relocating to the Mile High City. Oh how time flies. As part of the pomp and circumstance, fans currently have the opportunity to vote on the top-20 Colorado Avalanche players of the past 20 years. With multiple Hall of Famers, a…...
The Colorado Avalanche haven’t had a 30-goal scorer in many moons. In fact, no player has hit the 30-goal milestone while playing in burgundy and blue since Joe Sakic and Milan Hejduk both broke the barrier in 2006-07. That season, Joe Sakic also reached 100 points, the last Avalanche player to hit triple digits in overall scoring. Scoring goals…...
After a strong showing at prospect development camp last week, 18-year old Mikko Rantanen didn’t have to wait long to get a contract with the Colorado Avalanche. In a press release today, the team announced they have signed their 10th-overall selection to a three-year, entry-level contract. The Finnish forward previously had been playing in Finland, where he tallied 9…...
As the dust kicked up during the NHL draft and free agency settles, the view of the future of the Colorado Avalanche comes into clearer focus. Avalanche general manager, Joe Sakic, had a lot on his plate entering this summer. He just watched his hockey club regress from a captivating season which saw them surge to the top of the Central…...
It was a busy weekend for the Colorado Avalanche, one that saw them ship Ryan O’Reilly and Jamie McGinn to the Buffalo Sabres in a blockbuster deal. In-your-face defenseman Nikita Zadorov was the big fish coming Colorado’s way, and American-born J.T. Compher is a nice prospect entering his junior season at the University of Michigan. The Avalanche also landed the…...
With the 10th overall pick in the 2015 NHL Entry Draft, the Colorado Avalanche have selected Mikko Rantanen, of the Finnish Liiga’s TPS hockey club. Rantanen is the top rated European skater by Central Scouting, and put up 9 goals and 28 points in 56 games with TPS in his 18-year old season in the top Finnish league last year. Rantanen has also…...
And just like that, it’s over. Ryan O’Reilly is reportedly being shipped to the Buffalo Sabres in a blockbuster deal, thus ending the saga between him and Avalanche management over the past couple of seasons. The recent acquisition of Carl Soderberg and hefty contract demands of O’Reilly seemed to make this result inevitable, and the Avalanche will move forward without…...
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