vs. Oilers : The news before the game was that EJ was placed on the IR and it would be retroactive and Stefan Elliot would make his debut having been given the call the night before as he prepared to play for the Monsters, a game in which he would miss but the team would go on to a 5-1 win. To start the game Jake Schroeder, a regular at the Pepsi Center, sung the National Anthem for the 500th time, and the Avs came out strong. Elliott started the game and had a short first shift and played a steady game not really getting noticed good or bad until early in the first when he jumped up into the play showing good speed and instincts. He would do this a couple of time through the game. The Oilers would start the scoring after a turnover at their own blueline by O'Brien, but the Avs would come back as Wilson laid out Taylor Hall in the corner with a monstrous hit and as the Oilers, and specifically one of the defensemen, came to confront Wilson, Duchene fed the puck ahead to Kobasew all alone who would have the puck poked off his stick right to McClement who put the puck in the net. The Oilers would regain the lead and be up 2-1 going into the 3rd, but the Avalanche kept pressuring and soon tied it up. Elliott would stop a 2-on-1 blocking the pass deep, and shortly after that the 20 year old Elliott would walk the blueline and put a wrister into the back of the net. His first career goal would turn out to be the game winner as the Avs would get another from the defense (3 on the night) and then an empty netter from Stastny which moved him into 10th in all time scoring in the franchise, moving him past Mats Sundin on the list. O'Reilly ended up with a pair of assists on the night, and the hot guys for Edmonton (Hall 10 in last 4, Eberle 10 in last 4, Smyth 8 in last 6 among others) were all held scoreless. The last 8 games the Oilers got at least a point against the Avs so this was a nice change, and after 7 straight losses for Varlamov it was good to get him back in the win column as well. Elliott, by the way, is the first Colorado defenseman to score a goal in his NHL debut, and the first Avalanche player to do it since forward Vaclav Nedorost scored Oct. 3, 2001 at Pittsburgh.
Adrian Dater following the Vancouver loss had an article that brought up a number of interesting tidbits. http://blogs.denverpost.com/avs/2011/11/24/postgame-avs-canucks/8906/ Among those is that Paul Stastny is in the doghouse with certain members of management, though he doesn't name which members, for his play this season. Of course he also mentions that Sacco with a bad record over these 8 games at home could have "five-alarm fire" type troubles.
vs. Dallas : The Avalanche come in looking to get on a roll against the slumping Stars, however the Avs sitting at 2-2 on this home stand coming in haven't won back to back games in regulation in 73 games, nearly a full year. Both Duchene with an illness and Landeskog with "bumps and bruises" likely from his 8 hits against the Oilers missed the Sunday practice but laced up the skates for this game. For those looking at a score sheet they will see that the Avs managed 36 shots and may think they just ran into a hot goalie, and while they did face not only a backup (though starting for the injured Lehtonen) but also an ex-Av, it was more a lackluster Avalanche team that wasn't dangerous and was kept to the outside that played. Raycroft came in 0-5 with an .899 SV %, but he stopped 35 of 36 on the night, most not dangerous but he did have a few good saves in there. (Jibblescribbits doesn't necessarily agree that the Avs didn't have a "normal" number of quality chances and wrote a blog on it that was a good read. http://jibblescribbits.com/2011-articles/november/dallas-colorado-scoring-chances-and-qdangerous-shotsq.html) The Avalanche offense is just downright bad right now with no one scoring. Jones has just 2 goals in his last 16 games, Galiardi hasn't scored in 18 games, Stastny has an empty net goal but nothing else in the past four games, Hejduk without a goal in 7 games ... and it goes on. The defense is about the only guys getting points above or even at what is expected of them, but even then EJ is still looking for his first of the year. Elliott did manange an assist in his second game but on the empty netter he should have been first to the puck and it should have been safe but if he didn't feel or hear or see Ryder chasing him he lost the puck and it ended up in the empty net. Despite a juicy few rebounds including on the first goal Varly did play well again, but the the Avalanche offense couldn't do anything to get him the win. Overall the Avalanche are suffering from a lack of scoring from everywhere, and on some nights a lack of players going to the net and doing the little things. Sacco is on the hot seat, but who knows if a new coach is the answer. A new coach may get different results but the team will still lack a top 6 wing or two, or if Duchene remains on the wing then a wing and center for the top 6.
The day following the Avs game against Dallas it was reported and confirmed that Lindstrom was put on waivers. This isn't a great surprise given he hasn't played well this year, scoring 2 goals in his first game but then going without another the last 15 games. It likely means that Elliott is staying up, though hopefully he remains in the lineup even if that means icing 7 d-men a night because it does no good to sit him in the press box and I would rather have our other 6 d dressed then some of the forwards that aren't getting it done. It could also be a pre-cursor move to free a forward spot in trade, though at this point I question what the Avs have to give that brings them back a piece that makes them a better team. It is rumored Bobby Ryan is available, but other than Stastny who is in the management doghouse per rumors, who would be available to send back in trade and would Anaheim be interested, and able to take back that salary. I don't expect a trade, and honestly a new coach would likely come first, but it is possible. Lidstrom on Thursday was reported to have returned to Skellefteå AIK.
Speaking of EJ was skating again and could be returned to action as soon as Wednesday, though per Dater it "sounds like he won't be ready" so perhaps Friday he'll return to game action. Also, Dater tweeted from the Avalanche practice on Tuesday that the Devils "just walked in to the Pepsi Center, standing watching Avs practice". Nothing like live scouting I guess, and while it makes the Avs great hosts it doesn't do much to end this funk they're in. He also reported the Avs had a "security meeting" following practice, but one on using technology wisely. Taken from the article at http://blogs.denverpost.com/avs/2011/11/29/tuesday-avalanche-notebook/8945/... "Basically, the Avs watched a video concerning the realities of today’s smartphone age. The message can be boiled down to: watch what you text, watch what you tweet, watch what kinds of pictures you send to others. Tiger Woods was featured on the video as an example of the dangers of what can happen"
vs. New Jersey : Going into the game I read that the Avalanche play 1 team between now and Christmas against a team with a losing record, something that at first I thought was just great for the way the team is playing, but then I looked at the standings and realized that it should be expected. The Avs are one of only eight teams that haven't gotten more wins than losses to this point in the year. Before the game it was announced that once again the lines in Colorado would be shufflin', Sacco looking for something to get going. Duchene in this one will stay on Stastny's wing but instead of Hejduk they will be joined by Jones. Hejduk will instead play beside O'Reilly and Landeskog with Winnik anchoring the third line. The changes seemed to work, at least for this game though, and the O'Reilly line was great on the evening. O'Reilly himself continues to play great hockey adding a goal and 2 assists on the night, and the seemingly simple things such as his play on the first goal are impressive. On that first goal a puck sat between the circles, however instead of skating directly to it to beat the defender there he skated between the puck and defender allowing him to get it on the forhand with time, and then instead of turning and firing at the net he smoothly slid the puck to Hejduk who buried it. The line also frustrated the Kovalchuk line most of the night, and despite not having a shot on the night Landeskog played a good game as well. Rookie Elliott continued his point streak with a 3rd period goal becoming the first Avs defenseman to score a point in his first three NHL games, again walking in and firing a perfectly placed wrist shot past Brodeur into the top corner. Earlier in the game he got one by Brodeur, but Brodeur got just enought to change the course of the puck and it struck the post instead of the twine. The defense as a whole again contributed big offensively, adding 2 goals and 3 assists on the night. Galiardi finally got on the scoresheet as well with hard work, going deep into the Devil zone and outworking a defender behind the net, taking away the puck and tucking it under Brodeur. The "first" line could do better still, as despite a +2 for Stastny and Duchene (and Duchene's assist and the Stastny screen which was just as big), that line including Jones didn't have a single shot on net the entire night. They weren't bad and had a chance or two, but your top line needs to put pucks on the net. Overall though it was a very solid game from start to end by the Avalanche and it is that kind of game that leaves the fans so frustrated when they don't play that way every night. The Avalanche improved to 6-1 against the Eastern Conference this year with the win.
The 41 person roster for the World Junior Hockey camp in Canada was noticably missing Avs prospects Calvin Pickard and Duncan Siemens, both thought to have a good chance at making the roster. The US squad also will have no Avalanche prospects, so the best chance for Avs fans to see a prospect in the tournament right now, unless one of those mentioned already gets a late invite, will be Finnish goalie Sami Aittokallio.
Matt Duchene spent some time with the Arvada Hockey Mites as part of the Avalanche Player Clinic. http://twitpic.com/7m8iv3
During the December 4th game against the Wings fans will have a chance to buy one of a kind Christmas trees decorated by the Avalanche player's "Better Halves". Proceeds will go to non-profit organizations supported by the Avs Better Halves. http://avalanche.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=604011
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