Joe Sacco Fired: A Temporary Fix to Problems within the Avalanche's Infrastructure

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Joe Sacco’s firing, Sunday afternoon, came as no shock to Avalanche fans.  With a 16-25-7 record this season this year, even he knew he’d be on the chopping block. 

His career with the Avalanche started out on a great note, back in the 2009-2010 season, taking the team to the first round of playoffs.  In the past two years, however, Sacco and the Colorado Avalanche have not been able to finish better than eleventh in the Western Conference.

Since his debut as Colorado’s head coach, he has compiled a 130-134-30 record, which is the worst record of any Avalanche coach to date.

Back in the day, Joe Sacco was a notable hockey player in the NHL, playing for teams like the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim, the New York Islanders, the Washington Capitals, and the Philadelphia Flyers.  But his experience as a player did not carry well over to his coaching ability; many aspects of Joe Sacco’s coaching showed his lack of experience when it comes to coaching in the NHL.

In 2009, Joe Sacco was brought up from within the Avalanche organization. Prior to taking the head coaching position for the Colorado Avalanche, Sacco was the head coach for Colorado’s AHL affiliate team, the Lake Erie Monsters.

This experience as a minor league coach definitely allowed Sacco to work well with the young, inexperienced players that came to the Colorado Avalanche during his seasons as head coach. 

“Sacco does a great job of developing young talent, as evidence by Calder Trophy winner, Gabriel Landeskog,” argued Julie Williams, Avalanche fanatic from Kansas City, Mo.

While he did do a great job at helping the young players adapt to life as a professional athlete in the NHL, he failed when it came to motivating the team as a whole.

“He was never vocal about anything, you see him shown on the bench or on the jumbotron and he’s just staring out, nowhere,” explained Ray Nutt, hockey player for Colorado State University and NHL expert.

Joe Sacco’s inability to motivate the Colorado Avalanche has not been the team's only problem in these recent seasons; the problems lie within the infrastructure of the franchise as well.

Some blame for such a disappointing season, needs to be put on the players as well.  With only P.A. Parenteau and Matt Duchene putting up some serious points for the team this year, there were some major motivation problems among the players as well. 

Jean-Sebastian Giguere pointed out his teammates lack of motivation, towards the end of this season.  He felt that some of the younger members of the team did not have their heads in the game.  By the time the team started playing to win, it was too late and playoffs were out of reach.

Aside from witnessing a dysfunctional team on the ice, Colorado Avalanche fans, like Kristin Olsson, who have a vast knowledge of what goes into building a great team, have recognized many problems associated with the ownership and many internal players associated with this franchise.

“Kroenke owns a lot of Colorado teams,” Kristin pointed out, "they don’t give the support to the Colorado Avalanche to allow it to be a successful team.”

Aside from funding alone, problems can be found in the franchise’s General Manager, Greg Sherman. 

“Sherman has a number of bad trades in the past,” Nutt explained, “one of the worst being the trade of Kevin Shattenkirk for Erik Johnson.”

Despite being injured for part of this last season, Johnson only put up four total points for the Avalanche, and ended this season at a minus three.  Shattenkirk, however, has managed to put up whopping 18 assists and five goals for St. Louis this year.  With the trade of Shattenkirk, three years ago, the Avalanche clearly lost one of the most aggressive defensemen in the NHL.

Even though this franchise has many internal problems that will need to be address sooner than later, the firing of Joe Sacco was one major step in the right direction.  It will be interesting to see who this franchise gets to fill his shoes.

Blues Looking for a Couple Easy 'W's Against Colorado This Week

The Colorado Avalanche face off against St. Louis twice this week, Sunday night in Denver and again Tuesday night in St. Louis.

St. Louis, currently seated sixth in the Western Conference, is looking at these two match-ups as a source for four easy points to help secure its post-season spot.

If the Blues caught any of Colorado's loss against Edmonton, these points desired by St. Louis are well within the team's reach.

Both Edmonton and Colorado went into Friday night's match-up, out of playoff range.  Edmonton came out on the ice with more drive than its opponents. Edmonton ultimately snapped its six-game losing slump, Friday night, at the Pepsi Center.

During the game, P.A. Parenteau tried to fire up his team with a tying goal in the first period. No matter how hard the leading scorer worked, he couldn't muster up an momentum on the burnt-out Avalanche.

According to Rick Sadowski, of NHL.com, Friday's game all to well resembled the sloppy playing that has defined the 2013 season for the Colorado Avalanche.

If Colorado wants to make any impact during their end of the season, they need to stop as many playoff contenders as possible starting with St. Louis, Sunday night on home ice.

Avs Win Last Vancouver Division Match Up

The Colorado Avalanche faced off against the Vancouver Canucks for the last time Saturday afternoon at Pepsi Center.

Going on to the ice, the Avalanche new it would be a tough match up against the division leading Canucks, but that didn't stop them.

Team Captain, Gabriel Landeskog scored goal early in the game, at 1:50 in the first, that set this game off on a good note. 

The Canucks weren't going to give up so easily, as they scored the only goals in the second period. As the period ending buzzer rang, the teams skated off the ice, Canucks up 2-1.

The third period would bring another great comeback by Colorado.  Avalanche defensemen, Cody McLeod, tied the game at two early on in the third as he scored his first goal of the season.

Canucks, Jason Garrison, responded with a goal within two minutes of Cody's to put the Canucks back up, 3-2. This lead wouldn't stop forward, P.A. Parenteau, as he tied the game up at three with a beautiful wristshot, 12:57 into the third.

As the clock winded down, both teams remained tied at three, and it seemed that overtime would be inevitable. However, the Avalanche gain control of the puck, and Jan Hejda slaped it in the net with just seven seconds left in the period. Hejda's first goal of the season, resulted in another Avalanche buzzer beating victory.

The Avalanche left their mark on the division leader, as they outscored Vancouver, 4-3, Saturday afternoon.  

Giguere's Words Fueled the Avalanche

The words Jean-Sebastian Giguere used to describe the heart of his fellow team mates, last Monday, stuck in their minds.  

After the Avalanche had lost their fifth game in a row, Giguere called out his young team mates for their lack of motivation.

 

Giguere said, according to Jimmy Hascup of USA Today, that "Some guys are more worried about their Vegas tripat the end of the season than playing games, than playing every minute of every game."

The Stanley Cup vetran goalie, felt that his team mates had already written this season off. 

However, these words sparked a new fire of motivation within the Avalanche players.  This new fuel helped them to a 4-1 victory over Anaheim, a team currently ranked second in the Western Conference.  Ironically in this game, two of the teams youngest players, Matt Duchene and Gabriel Landeskog, both managed to put the puck in the net. Landeskog even managed to score a shorty, something unheard of with this franchise.

The Avs continued this method of attack when they traveled down to L.A. to take on the Kings, Thursday night.  The Avalanche fell to the Kings in a shoot out, 3-2, but still picked up a point for taking the game into overtime.

This fuel most certainly can't take us to a playoff position, but it might just provide Avalanche fans with an exciting end to the 2013 season.

The players needed to be reminded of where their heart should be the moment they step on the ice. Giguere brought back the fire and passion into the hearts of these young players, and hopefully it stays for what is left of the 2013 season.

Colorado Avalanche Continue to Lack Defense: The Broken Record Keeps on Playing

The Avalanche's 2013 season is now turning into a broken record. Colorado is continuing to make rookie mistakes during the last month of the season: were missing passes, not taking advantage of our power plays, and our defense is just pathetic. 

The broken record played loudly when the Avalanche took on the Coyotes in Phoenix, Saturday night. 

Our defense's was just appalling.  They left Avalanche goalie, Semyon Varlamov, to simply fend for himself.  This lack of defense was clearly shown, when the Coyotes scored their first goal of the night, with Mikkel Boedker's wristshot in the first. Jon Hejda didn't even attempt to stop it, he just made one light swat at it and left it to Varly.  

Along with our lack of defense, our offense wasn't much better. The whole night we looked slow.  We were missing simple passing, and continuing to not take advantage of our power plays.  Out of the four power play opportunities our team had, we didn't score on one.  Power plays have been one of the major issues with our team this year. We are playing them like we don't have the man-advantage.

This broken record has placed the Avalanche at the bottom of the Western Conference.  This team is even below the Florida Panthers, making us the worst team in the NHL.

Red Wings-Avalanche Rivalry: The History of One of the Greatest NHL Rivalries

In honor of the final season match-up between the Colorado Avalanche and the Detroit Red Wings, Friday night at the Pepsi Center, lets look back on the history of this heated NHL rivalry.

Many Colorado Avalanche fans learn to dislike the Red Wings, but do they even know the true roots to this rivalry?

Not many players still remain from the original era of the rivalry (1990-2000), but the tension between these two teams is steal clearly prominent during their match-ups.

There are many things that have factored and fueled this rivalry, though the heart of it stems from the 1996 Western Conference Finals.  Let's look at a progressive timeline that clearly lays out the growth of the rivalry:

1996:
May 23, 1996
It's game three of the Western Conference Championships between the Detroit Red Wings and the Colorado Avalanche, at McNichols Sports Arena in Denver. The game quickly changed when Colorado defensmen, Adam Foote, got slammed into the boards by Red Wings forward, Slava Kozlov. The check resulted in a gashing wound, requiring 20 stitches.  None of the referees saw the hit, and Kozlov served no penalty for the hit. Colorado forward Claude Lemieux avenged Foote when he served a well-deserved minor roughing penalty, for punching Koslov square in the face. According to NHL.com, Red Wings coach Scotty Bowman, was so fueled after the game that he shouted obscenities to Lemieux and his family in the parking lot after the game.
To see Kozlov's check on Foote click here

May 26, 1996
It is now game six of the Western Conference Championships, also at McNichols Sports Arena.  Colorado Avalanche forward, Claude Lemieux, checks Kris Draper in to the boards right in front of the Red Wings bench.  Lemieux came from behind to make the check. The hit sent Draper out of the game, and resulted in a broken jaw for Draper.  As many Colorado Avalanche fans know, the Avs won the series against the Red Wings, and went on to win the Stanley Cup against the Florida Panthers in 1996.
To see Lemieux's hit on Draper click here

1997:
Fuel from 1996 spurred some crazy match-ups between the two in the following season but nothing will compare to Bloody Wednesday, at Joe Louis Arena in Detroit.

March 26, 1997
Detroit's Darren McCarty goes after Claude Lemieux, late in the first period, and completely blindsides him. What results, according to NHL.com, is one of the biggest brawls resulting in a total of 18 fighting majors. This brawl included the most memorable fight between Avalanche goalie, Patrick Roy, and Detroit Red Wings goalie, Mike Vernon.
To see the Brawl in Hockey Town click here

1998:
There are too many fights to count in the seasons following the original 1996 incident, but another major moment in this rivalry occurs in the 1998 season.

April 1, 1998
A total of 228 penalty minutes were called in the match-up at Joe Louis Arena.  The most notable fight of the night being the brawl between goalies Patrick Roy and Chris Osgood.
To see the Patrick Roy v. Chris Osgood center ice fight click here

Since 2000:
The heated rivalry has seemed to start cooling down, but when Detroit picked up Todd Bertuzzi from the Vancouver Canucks another spark ignited.

When Bertuzzi was on the Vancouver Canuck, he hit Steve Moore in the head from behind.  This brutal blow ended up fracturing vertebrae in Moore's neck, immediately knocking him unconscious. Steve Moore's career in the NHL was over at the young age of 25. Moore, to this day, still suffers difficulties of the brain damage he recieved from this hit.  Bertuzzi was only suspended for 17 months; most of that suspension being served during the 2004-2005 lockout.
To see Todd Bertuzzi's hit on Steve Moore click here

While the history of this heated rivalry is a long and brawl-filled one, true Colorado Avalanche fans should learn what lead to it before dawning their "Red Wings Suck" t-shirt.

Sources:
http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=518769
http://www.realclearsports.com/lists/top_10_playoff_rivalries/red_wings_avalanche.html
http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/playoffs2008/columns/story?columnist=frei_terry&id=3364213
http://espn.go.com/espn/commentary/story/_/page/munson-120315/todd-bertuzzi-hit-steve-moore-2004-cautionary-tale-new-orleans-saints-bounties

The Iron Curtain Holds Strong: Varlamov Earns 3rd Season Shutout

Avalanche fans who have been waiting for a win from their team, finally saw one Saturday afternoon at the Pepsi Center.

The Avalanche looked, for the most part, evenly matched with the Nashville Predators going into Saturday's game.  However, Nashville over looked one key factor: Semyon Varlamov.

Varlamov successfully stopped 34 shots during the afternoon matchup, and registered his third shutout of the season.

This goalie, whom I refer to as "The Iron Curtain," has proven to be just that.  While it is clear that the Avalanche defense is one of the weakest in the NHL, their goalie has enabled them to pull out some 'W's on the season.

The Avalanche's young goalie, 24, has been a force to be reckoned with this year, making some absolutely beautiful saves from between the pipes.

While he is not an NHL frontrunner, we should keep our eye on him.  This young goalie has the potential to achieve greatness.

For an example of his ability: click here
Source:
avalanche.nhl.com

P.A. Parenteau Through Avalanche Losing Streak

Avalanche fans have had some brutal games to watch this last week, with the last Avs win more than a week ago.

The Colorado Avalanche made a great comeback to beet the Dallas Stars, last Wednesday, March 20.  Since that win, the Avalanche have not been able to pull a "W" for a whole week.

In the past week the Avalanche have been defeated by the Vancouver Cannucks twice, and the Calgary Flames once.

It seems to be a similar pattern each game: our first period is awful, and once we warm up for the second our defense seems to be falling apart. Against Calgary, Wednesday night, the Avalanche were out shot 14-2 by the Flames in the first period alone.

Another noticeable factor, is the fact that we haven't been taking advantage of our power play opportunities.  In both the games against Vancouver, Sunday night, and Calgary, Wednesday night, the Avalanche were given five power play opportunities and only scored on one of them.

Even though the Avalanche seem to currently be in a slump, the same slump they've been fighting all season long, power-forward P.A. Parenteau keeps hitting his mark and giving fans something to cheer about.

Parenteau is currently on a four game point streak.  In the last week alone, against Vancouver and Calgary, he had four assists and one goal.

Parenteau has clearly impacted this team made his mark.  Parenteau currently leads the team in overall points(34), goals(14) and assists (20).  He is closely followed in all three of these categories by fellow forward, Matt Duchene.

Hopefully Parenteau can extend his streak to five games, when the Colorado Avalanche take on the Nashville Predators  Saturday afternoon.

Avalanche Look Ahead

The team that fans saw swarming the net against the Blackhawks just one week ago, was no where to be found Saturday afternoon at the Pepsi Center.

While the Avalanche still managed to score four goals, they couldn't keep up with the Wild. Minnesota, out-skated, out-maneuvered, and eventually out-scored the Colorado Avalanche on Saturday afternoon with a score of 6-4.

The loss, leads fans to look at what this team has in store for the rest of their season.

The Colorado Avalanche are currently sitting at the bottom of the Western Conference with 24 total points.  Trailing six points from the San Jose Sharks, currently in 8th place, the Avalanche need to do some serious damage if they want to even see the first round of the playoffs.

The Avalanche have home ice advantage in their next three match-ups   In the next week the Colorado Avalanche will take on the Chicago Blackhawks, Monday night, the Dallas Stars, Wednesday night, and the Vancouver Cancuks, Sunday night.

Although the Avs, lost their first game on this home stance Saturday afternoon, they have a good chance to make up some major points in the next week.

NHL Realignment and How it Will Effect the Avalanche

The NHL's Board of Governors approved a new realignment plan, Thursday morning, that will go in place for the 2013-2014 hockey season. This realignment will alter the current layout, two conferences each comprised of three divisions, to a layout of two conferences each comprised of only two divisions.

According to the New York Times, Each team will play each of their divisional opponents four or five times a year.  Teams would play opponents in the other division within there conference about three times a year.  Teams from the Western Conference will still see teams from the Eastern Conferences, as they will have a least one math up during the season.

Such a change, may be just what the NHL needs.  This change could help the league fiscally, by just cutting down on team travel costs alone.  This change also may bring a new fan base by bringing out greater rivalries between teams in a closer vicinity to each other.  With a dwindling fan base, after the lockout in 2012, this may not be a bad route taken by the NHL.

The biggest change, according to Donald Wood of bleacherreport.com,is the move of the Detroit Red Wings and Columbus Blue Jackets into the Eastern Conference.  Realigning divisions, to create more localized match ups,  caused this move because where these teams are located in the United States (see map below).

This realignment may not effect the Avalanche all too much.  The Avs may just create a more localized rivalry, say with the Chicago Blackhawks, simply due to the fact that we will play them more during a season.

Conference/ Division Break Down:
Although the names of each division have not been decided upon yet, here is the basic breakdown.

Division (A): Anaheim Ducks, Calgary Flames, Edmonton Oilers, L.A. Kings, Phoenix Coyotes, San Jose Sharks, Vancouver Cannucks

Division (B): Chicago Blackhawks, Colorado Avalanche, Dallas Stars, Minnesota Wild, Nashville Predators, St. Louis Blues, Winnipeg Jets

Division (C): Boston Bruins, Buffalo Sabors, Detroit Red Wings, Florida Panthers, Montreal Canadians, Ottawa Senators, Tampa Bay Lightning, Toronto Maple Leafs

Division (D): Carolina Hurricanes, Columbus Blue Jackets, New Jersey Devils, New York Islanders, New York Rangers, Pittsburgh Penguins, Washington Capitals.

Courtesy of: snyrangersblog.com

The Impact Injuries Have During a Shortened Season

The shortened 2013 hockey season has been a quick-paced, exciting season so far. Unfortunately, a shorten season leads to an increase in the amount of injury. With teams averaging three to four games per week, during this season, injuries become more of a determining factor and they threaten the success of a team.

Injuries threaten a team whether it’s a normal 82-game season or a shortened 42-game season. In a shortened season, however, these games are so close together and the time a player has to recover from each game is significantly shortened.

Sports Editor, Jeff Levitt, points to the fact that NHL players "are athletes who are at the peak of physical ability, and when they aren't fully able to recover from their games it totally alters their abilities for the next game."

This lack of recovery time causes players to become more fatigued faster, causing them to have a slower reaction time which could possibly lead to more serious injuries.

It's not just major injuries impacting NHL teams during the 2013 season, minor injuries are becoming just as threatening. Minor injuries, putting players out for two or more weeks, wouldn't carry as big of an impact in a normal season where they would miss only four to six games. In the shortened season, a minor injury could bench a player for eight to ten games, which is a significant difference.

Paul Bunge, NHL Hockey fanatic of Broomfield, Colo., used the Chicago Blackhawks to exemplify this point. The Blackhawks showed a "weaknesses" during the back-to back match ups against the Colorado Avalanche because both Patrick Sharp and Marian Hossa were benched at some point during these games due to injuries.

One of the biggest factors that injuries have an impact on is the overall chemistry of the team. Both Sharp and Hossa, from the previous example, were key factors in Chicago's chemistry. With both of them out of the lineup, the chemistry of the Blackhawks was changed, allowing the Colorado Avalanche to significantly beat them in Denver, Friday night.

To more directly relate the impact that injuries can have on a team to the Colorado Avalanche, we can use the example of Gabriel Landeskog. Landeskog was a huge offensive power for the team throughout the 2011-2012 season. After a bad hit from San Jose's Brad Stuart, Landeskog was on the Injured Reserve (IR) list and out for 11 games. The Avalanche struggled to fill the offensive void left by Landeskog, and their first fourth of the season clearly showed it.

Gabriel Landeskog's injury deeply affected the Avalanche's early season record, but it is arguable that other early Avalanche injuries had a stronger impact on the team. One major injury that deserves some attention, is the early injury drawn by Avalanche forward, Steve Downie. In the second game against the season, against the L.A. Kings, Steve Downie tore his ACL resulting in season-ending knee surgery.

"With the loss of Steve Downie, the Avs lost a top six forward who they traded a top four defensemen [Kyle Quincey] for at the trading deadline of last season," commented Levitt.

The injuries sustained by defensemen Ryan Wilson and  Erik Johnson, should not be overlooked as well. Even though both these players returned o the ice this weekend, the impact they had on the team while still on the IR list was detrimental. Replacing a defenseman in such a short season can be a tricky task.

Hockey enthusiast, Julie Williams of Kansas City, Kan. stated that "the level of trust between a goaltender and the defenseman is key to a strong team."

The goaltenders need to have confidence that their defensemen are going to back them up and not leave them alone in the net.

There is not right answer to the question of what injury, major or minor, has had the strongest effect on the Colorado Avalanche so far in the 2013 season. The bottom line is that every team throughout the NHL has been affected by injuries, and these injuries are going to be a key factor in the final outcome of the shortened season.

Sources:

NHL.com

Jeff Levitt, Sports Editor at Altitude Sports & Entertainment

Paul Bunge, NHL fanatic of Broomfield, Colo.

Julie Williams, hockey enthusiast from Kansas City, Kan.

The Colorado Avalanche End the Blackhawk Streak

What a night it was at the Pepsi Center in Denver, Friday, where the Colorado Avalanche took on the Chicago Blackhawks for the second time this week.

The first match up of the week, between these two teams, took place Wednesday night in Chicago.  The Blackhawks topped the Avs, 3-2, scoring the winning goal with only 50 seconds left in regulation.  Friday night would prove to be a whole different story altogether. 

Chicago took the early lead with a goal by Johnathan Toews, only  five minutes into the first.   That didn't stop the Avs, they kept fighting and then Stastny broke through the wall 16 minutes into the first. Both teams skated off after the first, tied at one.

That soon changed when the Avalanche followed up a solid first period with an amazing second.  The second period can be summed up with a constant swarm of Avalanche players, pelting Blackhawks goalie Corey Crawford shot after shot. Matt Duchene, John Mitchell, Ryan O'Reilly, and Jamie McGinn all finished the second period with a goal. The Blackhawks end the second trailing four goals to the Avalanche; the biggest spread that Chicago has had this season.

The Blackhawks went into the third attempting to make a much needed comeback, with a goal by Bickell early in the period.   The Avs answered back as P.A. Parenteau hammered one in the net. As the third period drew to an end, the only thing you could hear throughout the Pepsi Center was the crowd chanting "end of streak." 

The team that had not lost one game in regulation  lost to the Colorado Avalanche Friday night, 6-2.  This game will go down as one of the biggest upsets of the 2013 season, as the Colorado Avalanche become the first team to beat the Chicago Blackhawks in regulation.

Source: Mark Moser game broadcast

Could the Avs Stop the Blackhawk streak?

The Avs fell just short of the Blackhawks, Wednesday night in Chicago.  Even though they lost in regulation, the Avs have the true potential to stop the Blackhawks in Denver, Friday night.

First off, the Avs will have home ice advantage in front of a sold out crowd in Denver. Colorado has also won about 70 % of their games at home.

Aside from that basic factor, the Avs clearly showed this potential Wednesday night.  The a 2-1 lead with a goal by Matt Duchene, late in the 2nd.  Even though, the Blackhawks retaliated with a goal in the third to tie the game up at two, the Avs held them off until Chicago scored the winning goal with only 40 seconds left in regulation.

Varlamov has also been an iron curtain between the pipes, making some absolutely incredible saves.  During the game, Varlamov held his own, ending the night with a .906 save percentage, which was not far off of Emery, the Blackhawks' goalie, who had a .909 save percentage.

The speed of Denver's young team was also prevalent Wednesday night.  Young Avalanche center, Matt Duchene, is one of the fastest skaters in the NHL.  If any team has a chance of keeping up with the Chicago Blackhawks, it is definitely Colorado.

All these factors are going to make for one exciting game in Denver, Friday night. The atmosphere at the Pepsi Center, that night, will be truly unreal.

Breaking News: Avalanche Make Counter Offer and Keep Ryan O'Reilly

Fans watching and listening to the game at home Thursday night, were the first to hear about the counter offer that the Avalanche made to keep Ryan O'Reilly.

General Manager, Greg Sherman, commented on the counter offer during the first intermission.  The thought of not matching Calgary's offer never crossed Sherman's mind, he moved "quickly and efficiently in the decision to match the offer."

According to Sherman, O'Reilly is excited and ready to dawn the "A" again.

The team hopes to have the young center on the ice for the next road trip, when the Avalanche will take on Columbus. Maybe O'Reilly will be the key 'Factor' that the Colorado Avalanche have been missing early on in this season.

Calgary Flames Offer Ryan O'Reilly a Contract

Early contract disputes with the Colorado Avalanche, made it clear that Ryan O' Reilly wasn't going to stay a a restricted free agent for long.

According to ESPN reporter Pierre LeBrun, Calgary announced Thursday that they signed an offer sheet with O'Reilly.

The Flames offered a 2 year/$10 million contract, which is what O'Reilly had been asking for from Colorado. The Avalanche have until March 7 to make a counter offer.  If they refuse to make a counter offer, they will receive a first- and third- round draft pick.

The Avalanche may have to get over the fact that they don't want to pay O'Reilly more than they are paying Matt Duchene, $3.5 million, if they want to keep one of their star centers.  Duchene and O'Reilly are the same age, 22,  and both came to the team in 2009.

O'Reilly had a stand-out 2011-2012 season, collecting a total of 55 points for the team.  Is that enough for the Avalanche to make a counter offer?

The Avalanche won't comment on the situation until the deadline date.  No counter offer, would be losing one of the best young players this franchise has had, and could be a detrimental mistake for this young team.

Does Colorado Have a Chance to Make Playoffs?

With such a shortened season, teams like the Colorado Avalanche are seeing the effect that every loss has on the possibility of making the playoffs. 

The Avalanche already have 14 games under there belt, and are currently sitting with a record of 7-8-2.  Colorado has only accumulated a total of 16 points this season, and are currently seated at 14th in the Western Conference, only ahead of Columbus.  

It is still to early to tell if the Avalanche are out of the playoff race with only 4 points separating them from the team seated in 8th place in the Western Conference, the Dallas Stars.  

Every match up that the Colorado Avalanche have in the 2013 hockey season is a Western Conference match up.  The top eight teams from both the Western and Eastern Conferences compete in the playoffs. Every match up, therefore, holds a substantial weight in determining what teams within each conference make it to the playoffs. 

Plagued by many early injuries and lack of team identity, the Colorado Avalanche have had a very rough start. The results produced by this team, for the first third of the season, certainly have created a debate whether or not this team can secure a playoff spot this year.  

The Avalanche have had rough road trips, and mainly achieving their wins at home.  Only two of the seven total wins from this team have been achieved on the road, this 28% win percentage on the road needs to improve if Colorado wants to see the playoffs this year.

With some consistent wins, both at home and on the road, the Avalanche could quickly change their standing within the Western Conference and possibly gain that much needed playoff spot.

Is O'Reilly the Fix to Our Problems?

Walking through the concourse at the Pepsi Center, Wednesday night, I heard a chant behind me: "Bring O'Reilly Back!" As I looked back, I saw a guy wearing a mask of former Avalanche center, Ryan O'Reilly. He walked past me and continued to chant: "Bring O'Reilly Back!"

According to Denver Post sports columnist, Adrian Dater, one fan went as far to email Ryan O'Reilly's dad, Brian O'Reilly, to get an update on the center's situation.

Brian repeatedly states the word "character" throughout the entire email, and discusses the essence of his son's character.   He goes on to explain that his son's situation is not about money, but simply the fact that the Avalanche don't recognize the potential in his character.

If it's not about money, why hasn't Ryan accepted the two previous contracts offered to him by this team, and allowed them to see his true character?

The Avalanche definitely know how to recognize character. Character, as Brian describes it in his email: "complete level, dedication, and love of the game," can be found in many current and former Avalanche players. Allow me to list a few examples: Patrick Roy, Joe Sakic, Milan Hejduk and Gabriel Landeskog.  This list could go on and on.

As much as I, or any other true Avalanche fan, would love to see this amazing player come back to Colorado, he is not the answer to our problems.  We have many problems that one player cant fix; problems that lie deep with in the communications between the players on the ice, and within our coaching staff.

Bottom line, we are playing like we have a full season to develop, the long off season really hurt this team. Many of our players were off in Europe playing for different teams, and we didn't have enough time to practice together before the season was underway.

The Avalanche are finally starting to communicate, and see success.  If players can keep stepping up, and filling the hole created by a long injured reserve list, our season will turn out okay.

To see the full email from Brian O'Reilly: Click Here

Something Is Finally Clicking: 4 Big Reasons Why

It's a well-known fact that the Colorado Avalanche are typically not a team that can both start and end the game strong.  However, in the last couple games it looks like the Avalanche are trying to change this fact.

Anyone who watched Saturday night's game against Edmonton saw a difference with the Avalanche's playing, especially in the first period. In this period, the Avalanche scored three goals in only 12 shot attempts.  Three goals in the first is something we haven't seen from this team in a long time.

This strong start, was mirrored in the afternoon match up against the Nashville Predators.  Two of the six goals scored by the Avalanche were in the first period.  These early goals strongly effected the momentum of the Avalanche on the ice.  They took that momentum into the second period scoring four goals.

Even though we only beat Nashville, there has been a clear change in Colorado's approach to the game.  I have come up with four reasons why :

1. Quick and early goals. In the game against Edmonton, Cody McLeod scored the first goal only 1:22 into the first period. Against Nashville, Paul Stastny and Jamie McGinn both scored quick goals, with only :13 inbetween the two, securing our lead of 6-3. These early goals quickly changed the momentum of the game.

2. Defensemen playing the blue line. Defensemen are playing more offensively  and carrying it past the blue line.  Tyson Barrie, is a clear example of this.  He had his first career NHL goal against Nashville, and picked up two assists against Edmonton.

3.Staying out of the penalty box. In comparison to the start of the season, the Avalanche are doing a much better job of keeping out of the penalty box by only serving minor penalties.

4.The Iron Curtain: Semyon Varlamov. Words can not express the amazing ability of this young goalie.  Varlamov, stopped 50 shots against Edmonton; the second highest total in team saves. First goes to Patrick Roy, with 51 saves against Toronto back in December of 1997 (NHL.com.) Varlamov also stopped 33 shots against Nashville. There is no doubt that Varlamov is one of the key reasons to this team's new strength.

Recap in Minnestoa

Many Colorado fans regained their love for this team during their Thursday night, Valentine's Day,  match up against the Wild.  The Avalanche defense was on fire, and for the first time this season they proved their true strength.

With J.S. Giguere in net, only 3 of 29 Minnesota shots broke through the wall.  Giguere's .897 save percentage wasn't the only thing that guaranteed Colorado the win, it was a team effort. Every player on the ice was making an effort to clear the pucks; Matt Duchene even took at hit from one.

Aside from those factors lets break down the game, and take a look at why the Avalanche seemed to finally click in Minnesota:

With a scoreless first period, the team looked to put up some points coming into the second period. 

Aaron Palushaj did just that, as he scored his first Avalanche goal early on in the second period. The teams' mojo was back on track, and the puck handling and passing clearly reflected it.  This aggressive playing allowed Milan Hejduk to score his 800th carreer point, and on his birthday nonetheless.

Minnesota quickly brought Colorado's adrenaline down, however, with an illegal goal by Mike Rupp, late in the second.  With the puck clearly in Giguere's glove, Rupp pushed the puck out with his stick  and shoved it in the net.  The referees neglected to blow the whistle, even though the puck was clearly stopped and in Giguere's glove.  Even with this bad call, the referees wouldn't stop the Avalanche from getting the "W."

This Avalanche looking to tie it up in the third, set it up for Matt Duchene.  Duchene scored with 8:18 left in the game, and the game remained tied at the end of regulation. The Avalanche then took it into OT for the first time this season.  Holding off the Wild, they took it to a shoot out. Giguere continued to impress blocking both of the Wild's shot attempts, while both Melan Hejduk and Matt Duchene sealed the deal with two successful shoot out goals.

For the first time this season, I can say the Avalanche looked good.  They kept up with the Wild, and played strong the whole game. Hopefully the identity found during Thursday night's game will continue as the Avalanche take on the Oilers in Edmonton, Saturday night.

Injury Update: Is Johnson Moving to the IR List?

Not only to the Avalanche lack the mental game, their physical game has begun to lack as well.  Having three players already on the Injured Reserve (IR) list, this team can't afford to move one more to this list. With multiple players taking big hits early on in this season, an ever-growing IR list may not be something this team can control.

Avalanche defensemen, Erik Johnson, may be the next addition to this list.  Johnson skated off to the locker room, during Monday nights game against the Phoenix Coyotes, after receiving a big hit from  Martin Hanzel. According to the Denver Post, Johnson appeared to have suffered a possible chest or shoulder injury, however; no formal injury report has been issued by the team.

The Avalanche's IR list already contains Defensemen, Ryan Wilson, and Forwards, Gabriel Landeskog and Steve Downie. Don't forget to not Matt Hunwick, on the sideline as well.  Hunwick, not officially on the IR list yet, was a scratch from Monday's game due to a torso injury.

With Wilson missing (out indefinitely with a leg injury) and Hunwick on the sidelines, an even heavier strain has been placed on an already-struggling defense.  If Erik Johnson joins the IR list or is sidelined for a number of games, the team is going to have to find some way to block the pucks from the net, being down one of the Avlanche's top defensemen.

With Downie out (torn ACL) as well as Captain Garbiel Landeskog (concussion), a big hole has been left in the offense.  This is hole is slowly being filled, by powerful newcommers, like P.A. Parenteau.

This routine of receiving injuries, that the Avalanche seem to be falling into, is going to play significant role in the outcome of such a short season.

Links:
 For Brad Stuarts' big hit on Gabriel Landeskog, Click Here

Sources:
CBSSPorts Denver Post-Johnson Denver Post- Hunwick RotoWorld

Colorado Avalanche's Missing Identity

With a shortened season, every game is crucial. Finding a team identity early on is essential to ensuring a play-off spot. The season record, so far, shows that a clear identity is one thing missing in Colorado.

Wednesday night against Anaheim was a clear example of this.  The Avalanche almost doubled Anaheim's number of shots on goals (31-20), but none of them went in the net. Forward Matt Duchene, with 4 of the shots, noted that this kind of playing is,"unacceptable," and that the team needs to start making a plays.

The Ducks were 6-1-1 going into Denver, so we knew a win was going to be a challenge.  I was in attendance, at the Pepsi Center, Wednesday night.  For the entire game, there were no players down by the net, trying to set up the play; no one to feed it to.  Most of the shots made, were two on three; we couldn't get anything through their defense.

At one point in the night, a fan next to me started chanting, "sign O'Reilly." It is clear to the fans in Colorado, that a void has been created with the absence of one of the essential forwards from the 2011-2012 season.
The void is growing ever bigger with captain Gabriel Landeskog temporarily out and Forward Steve Downie out for the season.

Many players are trying to step up, fill the void, and help to create a team identity.  Avalanche center, John Mitchell, is one of these players.  With 4 goals and 3 assists on the season, not to mention the pucks he's blocked with his face, Mitchell is clearly helping to fill the void.  Joe Sacco noted on Jamie McGinn as well. McGinn is becoming an essential part of the line with Matt Duchene and P.A. Parenteau.

With the exception of Anaheim, who has had an amazing start to this season, every team is still a work in progress at this point in the season. The Avalanche are still playing in a pre-season mode.  If Joe Sacco and the Avalanche want to identify as a, "team who plays fast," they need to snap out if it, and fast.

For the full postgame interview with Matt Duchene: Click Here
For the full pregame interview with Coach, Joe Sacco: Click Here

Parenteau Brings PA-ower to the Avalanche

Down in Dallas' zone with 1:13 left in Colorado's Power Play, the puck deflects off of Dallas' Trevor Daley's skate.  P.A. Parenteau, in front of the net, finds the puck before Kari Lahtonen and bats it in for a goal. Even though the Avalanche fell to the Stars, 3-2, Parenteau has proven to be an asset to this team early in the season.

Parenteau got the attention of Avs fans, when he scored the final goal of the home opener against the L.A. Kings.  As the cherry on top of a great comeback in the third, right winger scored one between the pipes to seal the deal against the reigning Stanley Cup Champions. 

The goal in the home opener launched the rocket, known as P.A. Parenteau. The right winger has scored a total of 7 goals in only 9 games. Parenteau has proven to be a powerful player not only for the Avalanche but in the NHL as well: ranking third overall in goals (7), and seventh overall in shot percentage (36.8). For the Avalanche he leads in goals, shot percentage, and is tied for first in points with Matt Duchene. 

Parenteau was a driving force on the rough first road trip, scoring the only team goal against the Sharks, Oilers and Canucks.  Parenteau is a solid, consistent player, something much needed by the Avalanche nowadays, and has proven to be an important presence in front of the net.

P.A. Parenteau is a clear leader for this team, and has brought excitement and drive back to Colorado.

#15  P.A. Parenteau

             Photo Courtesy: avalanche.nhl.com

                                                                       

Road-trip Recap: Avs Need to Improve Special Teams

The season's first road trip has proven to be a bumpy one for the franchise:

The Avalanche looked strong while at home, pulling a 3-1 victory against the Stanley Cup champions, the L.A. Kings, in their home opener Tuesday, January 22.  Two nights later, the team follow it up with a shut out against Columbus. The team went on the road with a lot of momentum, which was soon shut down in the "Shark Tank" Saturday night.

The Avs had a tough game ahead going into Saturday night, the San Jose Sharks were third in the NHL for power play goal percentage at 38.9%.  Colorado knew they had to play good defense if they were going to beat the Sharks. Saturday night's mach-up in San Jose took a turn for the worst when Avalanche captain, Gabriel Landeskog, took a big hit late in the first period from San Jose's Brad Stuart. Landeskog made a return to the ice late in the game, but head and neck injuries resulting from the hit made Landeskog a roster scratch in Edmonton and Vancouver.  With the captain injured early on in the game, the Avs couldn't hold on to the game.  They couldn't get out of the penalty box, and the scoreboard showed it with San Jose shutting out the Avs, 4-0.

The Avs flew north  to Edmonton for their second road trip match-up, hoping to change the mood and get a 'W' against the Oilers. With the captain as a scratch, the team had a tough match in Edmonton, Monday night.  In a locker room interview before the game, Avalanche defensemen, Eric Johnson, admitted that the team needs to work on penalty kills.  Once they stepped on the ice, the game appeared to be a repeat of San Jose. Colorado spent twice as much time in the box as Edmonton.  P.A. Parenteau shed some light on the night, scoring a goal in the third period. The Oilers responded right back with yet another goal in the last minute of the game.  Edmonton scored all four of their goals on power plays, showing no improvement in Colorado's penalty kill.  Edmonton topped the Avs, 4-1.

Colorado went into Vancouver looking to ignore the past and win an important division game, Wednesday night.  The Avalanche, struggling with penalty kill and power play lines, needed to make a positive change.  When asked about the special teams, Joe Sacco stated in a pre-game interview that the team was, "going to fix those things," going into Vancouver. Sacco's broken record keeps playing, as the Avalanche had five power play opportunities that went without goals. Colorado was shut out for the second time on the road, 3-0.

Colorado has one more game left on this bumpy road trip Thursday night, and it's another Northwest Division mach-up.  Milan Hejduk will face former teammate Alex Tanguay when the Avalanche dive into the flames in Calgary. These two teams have had similar starts to the season.  The Avalanche (2-4-0)  rank just above the Flames (1-2-1) in the Northwest Division standings. The ability of the Avalanche's special teams will play a huge role in Thursday night's game. The Flames and Avalanche are similarly ranked when it comes to overall penalty kill percentage, but the Flames have a much higher percentage of power play goals.  The Avalanche will need to focus on staying out of the box and work on penalty kill defense in order to stop the Flames, and end their rocky road trip with a division win.

Landeskog's Injury Leaning Tables Towards O'Reilly's Return?

The Colorado Avalanche's captain Gabriel Landeskog suffered from a big hit by San Jose Shark's Brad Stuart Saturday afternoon, resulting in head and leg injuries. Even though he made a late return in  Saturday's game,  Landeskog was a scratch from the game in Edmonton Monday night as a result from these injuries.

It's still unsure how long these injuries will keep Landeskog off the ice, but injuries to the franchise's youngest captain give the team a rough start to the season.

The Avalanche roster was already down a forward with the loss of Steve Downie earlier in the season.  Downie tore his ACL, needing season-ending surgery during the home opener against the L.A. Kings.  The Avalanche putting another forward on the injured reserve list this early in such a short season may force them to start looking for a solution.

Is one of last seasons' leading forwards Ryan O'Reilly a possible solution to this hole?

O'Reilly was key player throughout the 2011-2012 Colorado Avalanche season.  Season stats show O'Reilly lead the team in points (55) and assists (37). O'Reilly was also forth overall in goals scored (18).

Contract negotiation issues are still keeping O'Reilly from stepping onto the Pepsi Center ice. According to the Denver Post, O'Reilly has already turned down two offers: one for two years worth $7 million, and the other for five years worth $17 million.

O'Reilly was let go by his KHL team because of an injury he recently aggravated. The team also stated that because of contract negotiations with the NHL, they wanted to find a replacement for O'Reilly before their Jan 31 deadline.

It looks like, even being down by two forwards, the Avalanche aren't close to signing the center anytime soon. Pressure to resolve this issues may soon be looming over this franchise the longer Landeskog stays off the ice.