Avs vs. Oilers, My Quick Recap

I got to be home for a live one tonight, so I took advantage. This was written as the game went on. Enjoy.

1st Period
Liles gets his 100th point. Tying things up quickly is just what the Avs needed. Even though he missed cutting off the pass on the first Oilers goal, it was more Brisebois getting schooled on the breakaway that let it in. Liles has the response.

Arnason GOOOOAAAALLLLL!!!!!! The juicy rebound gets picked up. I bet the Flames would have handled that one (HA!)

Haven't seen Roloson complain yet in 8 minutes of hockey. Something must be wrong with him.

Why the hell are the Avs allowing Ryan Smyth to break in alone? From the end camera angle, you can see the mistake the defense makes, trying to poke check the pass to Smyth, rather than retreating to cover him. A cautious play would have most likely saved a goal. Again, like the Flames game (and the first goal of this game), it wasn't the goaltender that was the problem, it was the defense.

Stastny has the beautiful tip in. Great goal from one of the Future-Looks-Bright crew.

Arnason again with the GOOOOAAAALLL!!!!!! For all the slacking Arnason did with the Blackhawks and Senators, he seams to be making up for it now.

2nd Period
Avalanche GOAL!!!! Hejduk with the power play blast, and you have to think that Roloson is getting nervous. Five goals on eleven shots, with no real excuses for him. Where is Ty Conklin when you need him? (Ohh, noo)

GOAAAALLLL!!!!! The clean faceoff win for Sakic was the decider, and Svatos just chips it in. Ty Markkanen takes the net for Roloson, which is what you expect. Yeah, I know it's Jussi, not Ty, but it's just fun to type.

Hey look at that. Forechecking. What a good idea, Avs. Should have tried that in Calgary.

3rd Period
My O and A keys are getting tired tonight, but here it is: GOOOOAAAALLLL!!!!! Svatos with the steal and the breakaway. That's two for him tonight, and two for Arnason. Arnason. Huh. Did the Senators just treat this guy like crap? He's been playing pretty well for the Avs from the get go. I'll have to ask Sherry.

Stoll gets the goal on the doorstep. If Ken Klee would have gotten a stick on the thing, rather than whiffing on it, that goal wouldn't have happened. But still, a good goal by Stoll for being heads up and paying attention.

Smyth takes out Richardson on a DIRTY PLAY. Don't give me that crap, he should be in the box for interference at the very least. Smyth could have avoided, skated right into Richardson for no good reason, and good the hit up on the head. Was that the Smyth payback for the Liles knee? Total headhunter. But it was from a Canadian team, so I'm sure he will be praised as a hero. Hell of a way to end the game. Rivalries aren't build on a schedule, they are build on this. I now have my bile up over the Oilers.

Forechecking, backchecking, good passing, pressure, even being aggressive on the penalty kill. The Avs took a few lessons from the Flames from Tuesday. Even if they can't sustain the pressure and intensity of tonight, sustaining the desire would go a long way in making this a realistic season, not just the season most people predicted. This was the complete game, which wasn't the case at the beginning of the season. Is this a glimmer of hope? I'm going to wait and see. At least the boys are pissing some people off. Canucks on Saturday, in Vancouver. Will the Avs own them again? Will Luongo be the starter? WWMCD?

Technorati : Avalanche, Avs, Hockey, NHL, Oilers

Avs Vs Canada Continues

The Avalanche take on the Edmonton Oilers tonight, in the second of a 3 game Canadian road swing. the Oilers sit 1st in the division, while the Avs are tied for last with Calgary. But, leads and positions are fleeting in this division, with only a point or two separating slots. Look at the Central division, and you see a lot more space between first and last. But hey, it's been that way for years.

I don't really consider this a must win, but I bet the Avs do. The see-saw season (up a few, down a few) can even out with a win, but if they have to wait until they get to Vancouver, so be it. Ales Hemsky is out for the Oilers, which is the only bit of good news there is for the Avs. Don't forget that last time the Oilers played the Avs, John-Micheal Liles got a knee out on Ryan Smith (since it was listed as a charlie horse, can we agree it wasn't knee on knee?), and while payback has become a non-existent thing (thanks for something, Bertuzzi), the Oilers will be gunning for the Avs hard tonight. Expect a fast game.

They question is, and always seems to be, who do you use in goal? I say Budaj tonight, so you have an excuse if he loses, then Theodore Saturday, but you could reverse that and say the same thing.

I will be at home watching it, as the Ballbuster (Nutcracker) is dark tonight. If it goes too poorly, I have a bit of housecleaning I need to get done.

Technorati : Avalanche, Avs, Edmonton, Hockey, NHL, Oilers

Calgary Wins, Avs Beat Selves

Well...

Actually, I do have a few things to say about tonights game:

Avs lose 5-2, but in a game with five goals against, Theodore didn't play his usual "five goal against" game. Thirty-two saves weren't near enough to win the game tonight, but Jose wasn't the story.

The Story was the Flames power play, which hasn't been all that good lately. That first tip in goal by Iginla from Phaneuf was just perfect, and the Avs going down five on three was a killer. With only six penalties, the Avs didn't exactly march to the penalty box, but with 3 goals against down a man, and nearly a fourth (Rycroft was barely out of the box for Hamrlik's goal), it's impossible to discount the Flames (usually poor) power play.

The Flames put the pressure on the Avs the full game. They were the definition of hard work, and never stopped moving. The entire game, and especially on the penalty kill, they were aggressive, forced the play, and made the Avs make a lot of fast decisions with the puck. The shots on goal were so lopsided in this game due to the speed of the Flames. They played an incredible game. Hats off.

For the Avs, the silver lining is the young players. Stastny and Wolski are the future of this team, at least until we trade them away.

I still have the Canucks-Avs game from the other day on tape, so like it's like comfort food.

(Not my best post, but it's one of those tired nights. Just not feeling it tonight. More soon)

Technorati : Avalanche, Avs, Calgary, Flames, Hockey, NHL

Denver and the Ice

In my years of living in Colorado, downtown Denver has changed a lot. It started really with the addition of Coors Field, where the Colorado Rockies (that's baseball, hockey fans, not the old NHL team of losers coached by Don Cherry) play. There were a lot of other changes before that, but the "renaissance" that downtown has had was marked by the arrival of the stadium. Frankly, I liked downtown Denver a lot more before the changes, when the corners were dark, and the paint was chipped, when the viaduct was still around, and the 2 am closing time crush of humanity of today was a mear trickle of people, most of whom you recognized. You had two competing art supply stores, and where P.F. Chang's is, there was a horribly wonderful pool hall, whose name I forget, probably due to the fact that you had to be drunk to enjoy yourself. When the dance club on 14th and Market served Mickey's (the malt liquor) ON TAP, and St. Mark's Coffee was where the comic book artists would meet up for jam sessions. There were burned out buildings of character on every block, in need of repair, but also having their place amongst the restaurants and shops, most of which were independent and small, just like you want them.

There also used to be an outdoor skating rink downtown. You heard right, directly on the 16th St. mall. When it was cold enough, which was most of the winter, it was up and running, and shaded by the tall buildings all around it. I never did get to skate there. It was gone before I moved to Denver proper (I grew up in a place called Longmont, CO, about 30 miles north of Denver). This year, that's probably a good thing.

As I write this, it's 69 degrees outside. In late November. In Colorado. If you live here, or you know much about Colorado, that isn't right. It should be cold, and it have snowed more than once or twice by now. If the skating rink were still around, my quality of life would be lowered right now, by virtue of it not being open. I would be angry, stomping my feet, yelling, and telling anyone I knew what I thought of that (hey, look at that, I am anyways).

Last week, I worked on a convention called "Greenbuild," which is about building environmentally friendly and sustainable buildings, houses, and infrastructure. There was certainly an undertone of how to make money (which I believe holds back the cause more than anything), but the vast majority of it was about how to save the world we are destroying. The keynote speaker for the first day, William McDonough, was incredible. He talked for an hour about how to make the world a better place through better design and architecture. He talked about some of what it would take, from the simple to the drastic, to change the way things are going. He brought up points we should know about, but rarely do (like the PH balance of the oceans changing, which will kill off the shellfish population VERY soon if nothing is done. That's the bottom of the food chain eliminated). Frankly, it was bleak, but at the same time uplifting, because steps can be taken. But what about hockey?

Last year, I attended a pond hockey tournament in Lake Placid, NY. Of course, it was to be held on Mirror Lake, which is what the downtown of Lake Placid surrounds. And the first day was. But the lake wasn't frozen enough, and the puck would get lost under a puddle of water. A slapshot had the comical effect of splashing your opponent in a wave of freezing water, and the conditions for skating were virtually non-existent. Day two and the championship was moved to the Olympic Oval (outdoor speedskating).

Then, Kukla's Korner (of course) pointed to an article about how global warming is killing the outdoor skating rinks of Canada. Of course, this is just small potatoes compared to the rest of the problems we are going to face, but it's still part of it. If you want to see, check out the Yahoo mailing group about backyard rinks. I don't have a rink, and I love to read it, as they enthusiasts get their rinks ready, and find the best bottom layers to keep the water in. It's a great read, and the author and sports writer Jack Falla is a member. But let's see how many get open this year.

So what is all this? This isn't hockey, is it? This isn't really what this blog is about, is it? You freaking bet it is, and here's why. Players like Bobby Orr and Wayne Gretzky came from the backyards and ponds of the neighborhoods they grew up in. They found passion on the ice that was under the stars, not with coaches and roofs, and machines that make the ice. They shoveled the ice themselves, and then froze their asses off for the privilege. There are too many kids (and adults) who are going to miss out on the backyard rink, where there are no drills, or scores, or sometimes, even pucks and sticks, just pure skating fun. It's going away, but it doesn't have to. If you have never looked at the environmental problem we face today, let this be the statement that makes you want to care:

Global warming is killing hockey.

Now go do something about it.

Delivered from the Face of Evil

You know, this shootout thing might not be so bad after all.

Last night was a test of character for me. My long hours of moving in The Nutcracker (which you will hear about as I get increasingly sick of it) finished up just in time for me to see Jose Theodore take a tripping penalty and two goals score in under two minutes. Three if you count the waived off goal. I bet Earl Sleek was pissed at that one. But after grueling hours and too much Tchaikovsky, exhaustion had settled in, and I didn't want to watch anymore. Talk about new and creative ways to lose, how about, as the goalie, you take the penalty that serves as the rallying point for the other team? And your teams first penalty of the game at that. Good times had by all (I am no stranger to sarcasm).

But sticking with it, I was rewarded. In his first shootout of the year, Theodore closed the door, while Super Joe Sakic had the game winner on a huge backhand he roofed. How do you roof it on a backhand like that? Freaking amazing. So, even with the classic Avs maneuver of giving up a lead, they managed to hold on to the tie, and take another point with the shootout (and as Sleek would say, a Shoutout, which is a shootout shutout) against one of the most dangerous teams in the league. The Ducks are nothing to sneeze at. And while thins should be a bit of a rallying point for the Avs, this should also serve as a reminder, of what the sweater used to mean, and what it can mean again.

Now, go eat some turkey, and wonder why we don't get to see the Canucks vs. Predators game, while having football shoved down our throats.

Technorati : Avalanche, Avs, Ducks, Hockey, NHL, Tchaikovsky

Budaj Rolls, Wild Folds

Peter Budaj got his second start in a row for the Avs last night against the Wild (Do you think it was planned that way?). From the parts I saw (opera), Budaj looked solid in net, staying pretty square to the shooter. The (Super) Joe Sakic goal in the first was a never-give-up, wait-for-the-rebound goal. I think it was the first time I have ever used 'doorstep' to describe a goal. Really. The Koivu's deflection goal was absolutely perfect. How do you take a low ice shot and deflect it a few inches shy of 4 feet high to roof it? How? I really want to know, so I can stop skating around like a fool when I play, and just stand there deflecting them in.

The shootout was exciting, and Super Joe finished the game off for the Avs in fine fashion. The only real downsides to the game are that the Wild came out with a point, and that one regulation goal is not enough to do the job, much less against the (admittedly fine prospect) backup goalie. What does it say that he played against the Avs? That Manny Fernandez is stumbling, or that the Avs, with two decent scoring lines, just aren't all that scary? One goal, that isn't enough. It's like Calgary last year, without the goaltending (Kipper). Will there be moves made, or are the Avs too close to the cap, and too afraid of getting worse.

Next game, Avs at Dallas on OLN. Check your times, see who is in goal. I totally blew who was going to be in goal last night. I'm not even guessing (Theodore). W.W.P.L.D?

Note: As much as I hate that I haven't been posting as much lately, and that the days I post 2 or more posts are more fun for one and all, tonight starts loadout of the opera, followed minutes later my the ballet loadin (literally, minutes). The next couple of days are going to be hell on wheels for me, with little sleep, and some seriously hard work. Don't expect anything much around here. But feel free to look around the archives. And for Avs updates, you can look to Avsfan and In The Cheap Seats. But come on back. Stagehands can spin a good yarn, and I'd hate to lose you. Maybe I can put a phone picture up from loadout. That's my world.

Technorati : Avalanche, Avs, Hockey, NHL, Wild

All Hail Peter Budaj, Winner of Hockey Games, Stopper of Pucks

Last night, the opera continued, so I didn't get to see the Avalanche shut out the Columbus Blue Jackets. But not too much of a surprise, look at who was in net. Peter Budaj is proving me wrong, so far being the winning goalie of the Avs. Not that I thought Theodore would be, but Budaj just has never really sat well with me (better than Philippe Sauve though). This was the goaltending schedule I would use, Budaj against the Blue Jackets, and Theodore against the Wild. But I would also be looking at Theodore with the critical eye, and stop looking at his paycheck. This is the biggest story of the Avs right now, bigger than who has left the team for greener (money) pastures.

Tonight, the Avs play the Wild. What more can be said? The Avs are in last place in the division, and startlingly high in both Goals For and Goals Against. It's time to stop playing like any other team. Now the focus has to be on scoring more pucks then Theodore lets in, not just playing the other team. Tonight is a good time to see what the Avs want to be.

Check out Army of the Ohio for the postgame rant from last night.

Pop over to Wild Puck Banter for the Minnesota side of things.

Technorati : Avalanche, Avs, Blue Jackets, Hockey, NHL

All the Ladies in the House

If you don't follow the minor leagues, you are missing out on a lot of fun. Cheap games, crazy fans, and of course, insane promotions. This is from Our Sports Central, my source for minor league news. If you live in California, and love hockey, you need to go to this game:

As part of the "Desperate Housewives" promotion, the first 1,000 ladies in attendance will receive an authentic Ice Dogs thong. These limited edition one size fits all thongs are sure to be a hit, so all ladies make sure to arrive early because they will be go fast!

What the hell is a one size fits all thong? Have you ever heard of one size fits all underwear? These people are crazy, They are crazy and want to see you ladies in a thong. They are insane. Don't upset them. And if someone goes, and the damn thing doesn't fit, because one size doesn't do it, send it to me. I don't look hot in a thong, but I should have one of these things. What more does a hockey fan need in life? (other than a team that can WIN A GAME EVERY SO OFTEN, ESPECIALLY BY NOT GIVING UP A LEAD!!!! but I'm not bitter)

Avs Finding New and Creative Ways to Lose

Tonight, the Avs showed the world what they are made of.

I decided that, before what is going to be a grueling work week, and what has already been a hard gig this week, I decided to go to the game. I am not going to call that a mistake, because a game is a hockey game. There is a score one way or the other, and you take your chances, on the game, on the score, and on your team. The Avs are "my team," and I am a fan. That is an admission, and a statement. I don't call the shots for them, but I am still a fan. Whatever punishment that means, I have to endure somewhat.

Tonight was a testament to that. From being ahead a few times, to what can only be called a complete meltdown, I had to suffer through it. At the game itself. I paid for the privilege of witnessing a too many men on the ice that was more obvious than one of the N'Sync coming out of the closet, and then an eventual 5 on 3 that lost the game. There were other parts to the game. The McLean goal that surprised Nabolov, the injury to Cheechoo, the shorty from Brown. But nothing defined the game more than those 17 seconds.

The Avs continue to lose games by one goal. They are losing games they lead. They are losing games by simple mistakes you don't see in rec league games. They are losing games, and that has to change soon.

This is a team who don't have an identity. This is a team who don't know who they are. This is a team who need to make a few changes.

First, Coach Q must go. We had better success under the Granato regime. He has "lost the room." He isn't the direction we need. He isn't the Avs.

Second, make a few trades. Not just the kind that gets us a little cap space.

Third, don't be held by Theodore's salary. He needs to earn his pay, and if he can't, bench him. We may be playing the goalie dance again this year.

Fourth, decide what you want from this season. Is this going to be a season of playing hockey games, or is this going to be a season of the big pause. Are the Avs going to make a run for it, or are they going to wait for cap relief for next year.

What do the Avs want to be? It can't be this.

Technorati : Avalanche, Avs, Hockey, NHL, Sharks

View from the cheap seats

View from the cheap seats
Originally uploaded by Tapeleg.

but it's frickin hockey!!!

--

Sent from my Treo

Going to the game

Tonight, I decided to do a last minute change of plans, and go to the tilt, Avs vs Sharks. I got the 20 dollar ticket on the street, but first, I must eat. So I'm at Brooklyn's bar right at the enterance of the Pepsi Center. 2 live periods beats none.

Nabokov in goal vs Theodore. Let's hope there's some Avs scoring tonight. Updates later. Let's go Avs.

-- Sent from my Treo

Hockey Cats, part 3

That's right, more... Mick (MaGoo) McGeouch (I spy, with my little eye, A PENALTY!!! or not...) Ray Emery Philippe Sauve (update) Not sooner do I post this than Sauve is traded from Pheonix to Boston, and sent down to the minors. Perhaps this comparison is too much to bear for the Gretz. Jeremy Roenick Don't believe me?

Don't miss the other ones. They make me laugh. Cats post 1 Cats post 2 The Dancing Cats are by hnldesign Dancing Cats and related ©2006 hnldesign (that's not me, all credit for the cats to hnldesign) Note: The Dancing Cats are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 2.5 License

Good Roy Interview

I know that most (American) cities don't have the kind of television support the Avalanche have. Of course, the Avs owner also owns the network the Avs are shown on (along with half the sporting town). Today, ad nausium, Roy was celebrated for his great career, and his Hall of Fame induction. Just now, on the Altitude television channel, Roy was interviewed by announcer Peter McNab. Roy was pretty humble (for Roy) about his accomplishments, and talked about how surprised he was that his career went the way it did. Lets hope someone posts it to youtube. It's worth a watch.

Laundry Night in Colorado

The Oilers were in town tonight, and I thought about going to the game at the Pepsi Center, but looking at my work schedule over the next few weeks (getting bigger by the day), my on hand cash (not that big), and the pile of laundry (HUGE!!!!). I decided to stay home and see the replays. What does that mean? The Avs don't play replays of anything that goes against the Avs. No goals against, no penalty calls, no hard checks. You get a Ken Burns style photo, a deep, bassy, sound-of-doom pad, and a lot of people wondering what just happened. Don't blink during an Avs home game. (You would know that already if Blogger hadn't gone down for a while tonight, as I tried to do a pregame post. More on that in a bit) Here are my thoughts on Patrick Roy's night: For all the anger and dislike of Patrick Roy, he is the greatest goaltender ever. There are plenty of people who can't stand the guy, but anyone who cries at their jersey retirement ceremony can't be that bad (yes, even Mark Messier) The Hejduk goal was a nice little play, with some serious traffic around the Oilers net. The top line of Sakic, Brunette, and Hejduk are playing well. Let's see how long it takes the Q to change the lineup again. Ryan Smyth, what can I say. What a great first goal, and hard work on the second. I have nothing bad to say about that. What is Laperriere doing on a line with Stastny and Wolski? Why is Svatos on the third line? What is the point of this? Laperriere is nice and fun behind the net, but so is Stastny. When is this crap going to settle down? Hey, Q, let the boys play. They are your best asset. Penalty after penalty called on the Avs in the third period. And you know what? They were all good calls. It ain't the refs, folks. Hejduk is on fire tonight. Skating like hell, doing the job. For those who said he had to step up his play, he has. Ryan Smyth had to be helped off the ice after he tried to skate past John-Micheal Liles out of the Oilers zone. It didn't look like a knee on knee, more like a knee on above-knee. From the replay, it's hard to tell if Liles stuck his leg out or not. I'm sure different sides will be taking sides quickly. I hope Smyth's going to be alright. That is the 3rd one goal loss for the Avs in a row. But the Avs have the 3rd most goal for in the West. What does that tell me? That opponents are scoring a lot of goals against the Avs. That sounds obvious, but there are too many goals against all the time. Theodore looked good in goal. The rest of the team? Questionable. For the Oiler blog perspective, check out Covered in Oil and the Battle of Alberta. But really, there are so many Oiler blogs, I think it must be required for residency in Edmonton.Finally: Blogger took a crap again tonight. I am really thinking about moving this blog to it's own domain. I have a few other ideas for a site, mostly centered around the blog. What do you think about them apples? After looking at the cool blogs and sites of Wicked Bruins Fan, So Very Obsessed, Behind the Jersey, and Off Wing Opinion, I like the idea of rolling you own blog. Any thoughts? Hey, and look at that, my offline blog writer isn't able to post either. Are the blogging gods trying to tell me something?

George Parros, We Knew You So Little

After playing only 2 games with the Avs, this guy is out of here. From TSN:

The Ducks made two other deals on Monday, sending winger Todd Fedoruk to the Philadelphia Flyers for a fourth-round pick and acquiring George Parros from the Colorado Avalanche for a second-round selection.

I wasn't sure what the point of picking up Parros of waivers from L.A. was in the first place, unless you were going to send him down pretty quick to Albany. 2 games, thanks for the visit George, now get rid of that mustache.

Patrick Roy: Hockey Hall of Famer

Patrick Roy is taking his rightful place in the Hockey Hall of Fame today, and frankly, it's taken all weekend to decide what to say about him. He hasn't made things easy lately, on himself and on his fans and defenders. But that isn't what made him a great goalie, and Patrick Roy is the best. Patrick Roy left Montreal in a huff. As hard as it would be for Patrick to choose a team by which to identify as, here in Colorado, there has been no other goalie. David Aebischer lived in his shadow for a season and a half, after following Roy as his backup. Jose Theodore was traded to the Avs in hopes to be the next Roy, and the comparisons to the original trade could not be avoided. If you want to really place Roy's impact on the game, you can't just do it in Montreal and Colorado. You have to look at the NHL and hockey as a whole. Roy was an inspiration to kids around the world, and started the slew of Quebec goalies who came along ever since. Roy made kids want to be in the net, rather than be forced in by a sibling. Kids looked up to him, as a goalie and a winner. The last goal scored against Roy came in the 2003 playoffs, as the Minnesota Wild beat the Avs in game 6 of the Conference Semifinals. Who else would score that goal but current Avalanche Andrew Brunette. Roy was loosing a step at that point, but what do you expect from playing 19 seasons. Roy ended his career, and immediately his jersey was retired in Colorado. He deserved it. To me, there isn't a lot to say about Roy in Colorado, not for lack of material, but because he had one simple fact about him. He brought the Stanley Cup to Colorado. There are few players who make that kind of impact by simply showing up and being on your team. You can argue that the talent outside of the net in Colorado would have gotten the job done eventually, but I don't believe that. As talented as the Avs were in front of Roy, they still didn't have the netminding to win a cup. If you could trade Jocelyn Thibault for Patrick Roy, you would make that trade in a second, and that's exactly what happened. Hell, if you could trade Jocelyn Thibault for a used Ford Pinto, you wouldn't even kick the tires, you would just drive off into the sunset. Patrick Roy build this franchise in Denver. The Stanley Cup win in the first year of play in Denver made this team seem magical. Who could say what the Avalanche franchise would have looked like if not for that immediate win, especially in a city over-saturated with sports teams. Roy was the final ingredient of the magic potion that was used in Colorado. Like I say, there isn't a lot to say about Roy, other than that he is the best goalie in the world, and that means even better than Marty Brodeur. And in light of his recent comments and general mouthiness, he was hired to stop pucks, and he did that better than anyone. That is what counts in the end. Good on ya, Patrick.

For more about Patrick Roy, go to Eyes on the Prize, where Reality Check has a lot more to say, and does it better.

Blogging like it's 1999

Last night was the opening of the Opera, and now it's time to get back in the trenches around here. I haven't had any real time to watch hockey, and have even recorded over the 6-5 Avs loss the Kings served up. After hearing the extent of the damage from the 2nd period (Theodore letting in 4 goals on 10 shots), I just couldn't justify chopping out the time to watch the ass whipping. Tonight, it's Avs vs Predators. That should be worth it. I'll be watching it tomorrow, as I'm at work again tonight.

Aside from that, not much to report, but there will be next week, including forcing myself to post another jersey. I've been letting that important aspect of this blog go for too long. See you tomorrow.

Tapeleg OUT!!!

Technorati : Avalanche, Avs, Hockey, NHL, Predators, Preds

Avs vs. Kings Preview

Avs take on the Kings at home for the second time tonight. I was kind of disappointed the last time they met, only because the home fans saw fit to boo Rob Blake a bit. The crowd was pretty mixed on reaction, but for a guy who gave a lot this team to get treated like that, it's just sad. I never really cared for the booing of players, but I can kind of understand it. The fact that the Avs couldn't afford Blake's services any more isn't Blake's fault. The Avs didn't think an old bonus in 2001 contracts would creep up on the salary cap era. And, really, I'm happy for Blake, that he gets to go back to a place he thinks of as home, live in his house he bought with the Kings, and his kids get to be back in California. Good for him.

But, we are going to crush his ass (you knew that was coming). Blake hasn't been putting up Blake like numbers this year, but John-Micheal Liles is. And who thought that the signing of Dan Cloutier would be a scoop? I can't say that the Avs are going to handle the Kings easily. It's hockey, not Monopoly. OK, bad choice, maybe it's not Stratego. But the Kings are remaining someone's sleeper pick, mostly on the sleepy side.

If you want the King's side of things, the best I can give you is The Battle of California. Mostly, it's become a Ducks blog, rather than a battle. But that's cool. It's telling that Earl Sleek has dropped Cloutier in one of his many hockey pools. Don't blame you there.

I will be watching the replay, and that might become the norm for a bit, as we have final dress rehearsal for the Opera tonight. So that means no pithy insights directly after the game. You wait your turn.

By the way, George Parros is not your typical goon, I guess. But that mustache has to go. Duuuuuude.

Technorati : Avalanche, Avs, Blake, Hockey, Kings, NHL

Avs Beat Canucks, Piss Off Alanah

It was a hard choice at first, do I watch "Logan's Run," or watch the Avs. Tonight, I made the right choice. The Avs won a game they really shouldn't have. The Canucks came out strong, stayed strong, and didn't get the bounces. They were all over the Avs, making them dump the puck in, rather than carry it across the blue line. The old saying goes, I'd rather be lucky than good, and there was some serious luck tonight. Three pucks to posts after they got past Jose Theodore, and 38 shots for the Canucks vs. 20 for the Avs. Does this prove that Luongo isn't the savior of the Canucks? Not yet, but that sure is fun to type. There will be some complaints about the first Avs goal, that Brunette may have interfered with Luongo, and you know what? Maybe. Hard to tell. But there you go, you can't always complain like Roloson and make it work. The win puts the Avs into 2nd in the division, which I don't think even Jim "Boomer" Gordon would have thought possible (that was a slight dig, but it's made with love). This could be a flash in the pan (I am carefully pessimistic), but a few more wins would go a long way to making me feel better about the season.

Overall, it was an odd night in the NHL:

The Buffaslugs suffered their first regulation loss, to Toronto no less

Phoenix won

Boston scored 6 goals

Malkin didn't score

The only thing that would have made the night stranger would be if Mick McGeough made a good call. That would use up one of his three a year.

Detrements to Hockey Blogging

The following are now known as the enemy. They should be carefully observed, and further recommendations will be considered: Battlestar Galactica: Television is a low priority in my life. Outside of hockey, Jon Stewart, Cartoon Network's Adult Swim, and MXC, I keep away from it. Series are right out. Except Battlestar. Every week, I have a reason to say, "Holy shit." If you don't like the genre (sci fi TV is different than regular sci fi), I can understand. But if you have any hankering for some of the good stuff, this is it. Unlike most sci-fi television, there is a continuing theme and plot line that drives the story, not just degrading into one basic situation after another. If Battlestar is on, and a hockey game is on, the game comes second. I can watch a replay. The Opera: Opera Colorado is gearing up for "The Magic Flute," and we are trench deep in production. To say that a production schedule is hectic is to give hectic too much credit. The hours are long, the work is a bit demanding, and after a day of it, coming home to write about hockey is difficult at best. You don't think about hockey, you think about where to hang a light, taping down cable, not falling to your doom from a balcony rail, making things nice and neat for the audience, and safe for the actors / singers. It's great fun at times, and at others, it is aggravating and exhausting. Afterwords, you think to yourself, "Blog? What blog?" The reading: There is a lot of good writing out there. It can take forever to sift through. Just take a look at some of the blogs in my blogroll. I need to update that thing, take out a few, add some more. I just cleaned out some of the blogs from my RSS reader, freeing up a bit more time. I wish I could read it all, but I just can't. If you read this blog, hey, thanks. There is a lot of choices out there, and I like being one of them. It's not always easy to keep up with the Jones, which you do have to do somewhat. It would be nice to be so self confident in my writing and blog to not have to worry about readership, but let's face it. I have a sitemeter for a reason. Really, I don't know how some people can keep up with all the reading. I just don't have that kind of time. If I tried to stay with it all, I wouldn't have any time for writing. Backlog: I have recorded over the Avs win in Columbus, have the Blues game in the pipe, and am taping the Canucks tonight. All I need now is a few hours (or days) to watch games. I haven't watched a game on OLN since the opening night. Too many Avs games to watch, and I haven't even watched them all. And don't forget, around here, hockey is a little more lonely than in Canada (not that we're bad hockey fans around here. Don't start quoting that for your own crafty purposes). Hockey isn't watched in groups in bars as often as Monday Night Football. And I could give two shits about football. Watching a game means watching at home, unless I want to be assaulted by drunk women calling me a terrorist. So I have some viewing to do. And sometimes, in an 82 game season, it's hard to care about what has already happened. Avs-centric: When I started this blog, I didn't foresee it as being an Avalanche blog, even though I knew the Avs would be a part of it. I wanted to talk hockey, all kinds of hockey. Womens, USA hockey, CHL, UHL, rec league. Just talking about hockey, not just my NHL team. Look where that went. But there you have it. The season has taken me, and this blog, over. Long and the short, some of this will rectify itself soon, as the Opera gets up and running, and then Nutcracker will follow quickly after, and that should be a nice long run. But Fridays are still Battlestar Galactica night. What can I say, I'm a geek. I like it that way.

Technorati : Battlestar, Hockey, NHL, blog

Tonight at the Rink

Tonight at the Rink
Originally uploaded by Tapeleg.

I listened to the Avs game, because I was up in Breckenridge. Here was how I spent my evening. I have no idea who any of these people are, but who cares? It's freaking hockey! It's fairly obvious the blue team is better than the orange, but the orange goalie is keeping his team in the game. Final score: 5-4 blue. There was some real excitement with a 6 on 4 power play for orange at the end.

Breckenridge has a really nice facility, with an outdoor and an indoor rink. They take their hockey seriously up here.

It's not the NHL, but it is hockey. And for me, that's enough.

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Sent from my Treo, straight from the rink

Who needs pink jerseys...

Who needs pink jerseys...
Originally uploaded by Tapeleg.

when you can play in these beauties?

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Sent from my Treo