Colorado Avalanche Head Coach Jared Bednar all but admitted earlier in the week that the reason he started call-up goaltender Justus Annunen against the New Jersey Devils, and not Alexandar Georgiev, was because this weekend’s game just meant more. A back-to-back against the Dallas Stars and Seattle Kraken. Both teams that are in playoff contention with the Avs. Today the…
One of the most interesting parts about covering a team that is in the middle of a title defense season is the number of otherwise normal nights that suddenly have an extra level of significance. Nights like the Colorado Avalanche playing their first game back in Tampa Bay since winning the Stanley Cup there in June. Or going back to…
After what felt like an eternity of a week with no games on the schedule, the Colorado Avalanche entered the final stage of what has been the weirdest chunk of scheduling I’ve seen in quite some time. The third set of back-to-back games in last 10 days from the Avalanche, all with multiple days off in between. Something Andrew Cogliano…
Residents of the Denver Metro area woke up this morning to find a thick layer of wet, heavy snow blanketing their cars, streets, sidewalks, and pretty much everything else. It was a winter storm that was definitely expected, but maybe a little under-promised. As all pro-winter folk avoid mentioning when trying to defend this frigid season, the storm made the…
Despite a 2-1 record after the first three games, and the advantage of playing on home ice, Jared Bednar and the Colorado Avalanche were looking for a shake-up in the bottom six as they welcomed in the Winnipeg Jets for the second game of the season within the confines of Ball Arena. Three players were called up, (Martin Kaut, Anton…...
The Vegas Knights announced that Robin Lehner will miss all next season. What will that mean for the Knights and the rest of the Western Conference? Also, the fellas answer your burning questions about the Avalanche, themselves, and everything else you ask them. Join AJ, Jesse, and Meghan as they discuss all things hockey on today’s show.
What a game we were treated to in Denver on Saturday afternoon. The matinee matchup between the Colorado Avalanche and Pittsburgh Penguins was one of those games that you could tell just a few minutes in that, regardless of the outcome and who you were cheering for, it was just going to be a fantastic hockey game to watch. It…...
Whew. Ok. That one was a doozy. The MLK Day matinee saw the Colorado Avalanche win what turned out to be a throwback Avs-Wild rivalry game by outlasting the Minnesota Wild 4-3 in a shootout. The story of today should be that we saw a really fun, classic hockey game between two teams that have a history of really not…...
The Avs take home a win in one of their worst analytical games of the season. Algorithms, functions and data are all great tools but the only thing that matters in the end is the scoreboard. https://youtu.be/pvdukyAe6Lc
Injuries or not, the Avalanche know they let an opportunity slip away last season when they were knocked out in game seven of the second round by Dallas. Through the opening days of camp, the message from the players has been clear: anything less than a Stanley Cup championship isn’t good enough. “I don’t think we need to hide it,…...
After over four months away from the game due to the COVID-19 pandemic, you had to know the players were eager to get into a game situation after a few days of practice. On Thursday, Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar and his staff gave all the players that opportunity, separating the 30 players between two teams and letting them go…...
Welcome to the weekly Avs mailbag, where we answer whatever Avs questions you have on your mind. If you have any questions for the mailbag, leave them for Evan Rawal on twitter or respond in the comments. https://twitter.com/jowressnig/status/1229515377513816064?s=20 I was not so sure that the injuries were going to change his direction all that much…until last night. The Mikko Rantanen injury…...
Pierre Edouard Bellemare – A Tying your career-high in goals and points halfway through the season isn’t a bad start to your Avs career. The goal was a little bit of a gift, but you take them any way you can get them. Important face-off win from him on the Cole goal. Andre Burakovsky – B He had a lot…...
Welcome to the weekly Avs mailbag, where we answer whatever Avs questions you have on your mind. If you have any questions for the mailbag, leave them for Evan Rawal on twitter or respond in the comments.
Mark Barberio – D Not a good start for Barberio, as he and Lindholm spent a lot of time pinned in their own end in the first period. He tried to reverse the puck on the only Blackhawks goal, but just put too much on it and it ended up costing the Avs. I did think he settled down after…...
Mark Barberio – C- Barbs did not start the game well, with a penalty on his first shift as his man got behind him. He did manage to draw a penalty in the second period, so it even out a bit there. His shot metrics overall were fine but I don’t remember any real standout plays from him. He was…...
Mark Barberio – B I think you have to give credit to Barbs. It’s not easy to come out of the press box like he does. A lot of players are not built for that mentally. He’s come in and been steady when the team has needed too. Picked up an assist on the Nichushkin goal and nearly had his…...
Mark Barberio – C Barbs was an adventure sometimes in his own end tonight, and seemed to sit out a few shifts towards the end of the second period, as I saw him at the end of the bench with his head down. He did finish a +2 on the night, so some luck was on his side. Pierre Edouard…...
Pierre Edouard Bellemare – B+ Bellemare and his line looked really good now that he’s got his long lost brother Matt Calvert back. They pinned the Leafs down low several times and got the Avs momentum whenever they really needed it. The scoring has normalized for Bellemare, but the solid play overall is still there. Matt Calvert – B+ Did…...
Pierre Edouard Bellemare – B Outside of the delay of game late, Bellemare had a solid game overall. There was a scare with him blocking a shot but he seemed to make it okay. A dominant night in the face-off circle, winning 11 of 15. Ian Cole – A Cole has not been perfect on the penalty kill recently, but…...