Colorado Avalanche (NHL '09)

**GoldenJet** · 12-24-2008, 04:56 PM

Re: Colorado Avalanche (NHL '09)

great start man, I look forward to this dynasty.

**DStars15** · 12-24-2008, 05:05 PM

Re: Colorado Avalanche (NHL '09)

Good choice man. An avs dynasty? I like it.

**star king3** · 12-24-2008, 05:47 PM

Re: Colorado Avalanche (NHL '09)

advice to make the avs PP work get a dman with a hard shot

**PaddyOReilly** · 12-24-2008, 07:30 PM

Re: Colorado Avalanche (NHL '09)

THU, 9th OCT 2008

BOSTON - 0 @

COLORADO - 3

Code:

Scoring   1st   2nd   3rd   OT   F   Shots   PP
COL        2     0     1     0   3    25    1/1
BOS        0     0     0     0   0    31    0/4

Summary:
The opening game of the Avs '09 season saw a blowout win despite worries that a new GM and the return of head coach Tony Granato could spell another season of missed opportunities. Those critics were silenced as the Avs began a dominating first period which had the Bruins setting up shop in their own zone for most, if not all of the period. The lack of offensive chances for the Bruins had them faltering as a turnover gave Joe Sakic a breakaway which he firmly roofed from a close wrister. The pressure continued as Paul Stastny quickly followed up with another goal mere seconds later.

Boston rallied in the second turning the tables on their opponents; forcing numerous turnovers that at times had this spectator in fits over such sloppy defensive play. The luck though was with the Avs or to put a finer point on it Peter Budaj, who had to struggle through successive penalty kills as his d-men scrambled to clear the puck. His stellar play in net saw the Avs go into the third having killed off three of the total four for the game.

The third period saw the home team catch a break as a counter attack off the penalty kill had Boston sucked into giving away their only penalty for the night. A quick faceoff win by Stastny led to a blocked slapper by Hejduk that was finally snapped up by Smyth for the rebound which saw the end to any chance of a Boston comeback despite three quarters of a period to go. The chances that Boston did have in the closing moments were batted away by Budaj as the Avs seemed to ease off towards the end. The scoreboard at the end would give the impression that it was a soild win, however there are small cracks that the management should look to fill unless they want to repeat mistakes of old.

1st Period:
Sakic, J - 18:53 (Svatos, M -- Foote, A)
Stastny, P - 19:11 (Liles, J)

2nd Period:
No Goals

3rd Period:
Smyth, R (PP) - 3:28 (Hejduk, M -- Liles, J)

Goalies:
Budaj, P (1.000 %)
Fernandez, M (0.880 %)

Three Stars:
1st - Budaj, P (31 SV)
2nd - Sakic, J (1 G, 0 A)
3rd - Smyth, R (1 G, 0 A)

**PaddyOReilly** · 12-24-2008, 07:45 PM

Re: Colorado Avalanche (NHL '09)

SUN, 12th OCT 2008

COLORADO - 5 @

EDMONTON - 2

Code:

Scoring   1st   2nd   3rd   OT   F   Shots   PP
EDM        0     0     2     0   2    28    0/6
COL        2     0     3     0   5    20    0/0

Summary:
Game two of the season had the Avs go head to head with division rivals Edmonton in their first away game. Looking to take one on the road the Avs started strong with a Hejduk one-timer off a two on one rush just after five minutes. Once again the Avs dominated the first making a strong impression on their opponents despite the low, albeit equal, number of chances. Five minutes later the duke scored a second while staying out for long shift; Sakic providing a great cross ice pass that forced the goalie into a desperation save that was only just short.

The second period was largely uneventful as the shots were again low but only due to a dogged battle in the neutral zone by both teams and some very wayward shot attempts by skaters who can do better. The best chances came from Edmonton during two powerplays, but again none were decent enough to really trouble Budaj.

The third period in comparison to the rest of the game was far from uneventful. An early goal by Darcy Tucker after a killed penalty gave the Avs the impression they were in for another early night as they started to go off the boil. The lack of concentration this time was punished by an aggressive Oilers team eager to get back into the game; which finally resulted in Cogliano beating Budaj stick side. Fortunately for the Avs a turnover in the Oilers zone left Stastny the job of dekeing the goalie to put the Avs comfortably ahead. The closing minutes saw a flurry of goals as the Avs third line formed together to produce a nicely worked one-timer in the slot. They were however outdone by a sideboard slapper from Pouliot that somehow sneaked through the pads to beat Budaj to end the game. The Avs look strong scoring wise, and confident going on to face Calgary on Tuesday.

1st Period:
Hejduk, M - 5:24 (Smyth, R -- Clark, B)
Hejduk, M - 11:41 (Sakic, J -- Foote, A)

2nd Period:
No Goals

3rd Period:
Tucker, D - 1:26 (Salei, R -- Hannan, S)
Cogliano, A - 7:25 (Gagner, S -- Nilsson, R)
Stastny, P - 17:06 (Unassisted)
Arnason, T - 19:18 (Tucker, D -- Jones, D)
Pouliot, M - 19:26 (Brodziak, K -- Visnovsky, L)

Goalies:
Garon, M (0.750 %)
Budaj, P (0.929 %)

Three Stars:
1st - Tucker, D (1 G, 1 A)
2nd - Hejduk, M (2 G, 0 A)
3rd - Arnason, T (1 G, 0 A)

**PaddyOReilly** · 12-24-2008, 07:54 PM

Re: Colorado Avalanche (NHL '09)

TUE, 14th OCT 2008

COLORADO - 0 @

CALGARY - 1

Code:

Scoring   1st   2nd   3rd   OT   F   Shots   PP
CGY        0     1     0     0   1    15    0/0
COL        0     0     0     0   0    40    0/1

Summary:
With two games tucked away and some great offensive pressure displayed so far you might have expected a confident Avalanche to go in with a winning attitude. Nothing could have been farther from the truth with a game that sent chills down the backs of fans.

The first period was the polar opposite of how they had started the season; bad passes, missed checks and a lacklustre performance overall. The Flames on the other hand took great advantage of this and if it wasn't for the superb performance of Peter Budaj, the likes of Todd Bertuzzi would have had at least two goals. Budaj closed the period having survived a barrage of at least ten shots on goal.

The second period continued straight-off from where the first had ended; the Flames winning the faceoff and forcing their way into the Av's end almost unchallenged. The pressure finally peaked almost half way through the period as Adrian Aucoin netted a stick side wrister, seconds short of being a powerplay goal. The Flames continued to up the ante but failed to capitalize again.

The third period saw the Avs try to put up a fight but it was far from enough as the Flames continued to outplay them for both shots and discipline. The game closed with a single goal in the second and Peter Budaj deservedly was given the first star as Colorado's only competitive player of the night. The management will certainly have to look at their skaters work ethic if they want to have any chance at home to the Flyers on Thursday.

1st Period:
No Goals

2nd Period:
Aucoin, A - 8:08 (Lombardi, M -- Bertuzzi, T)

3rd Period:
No Goals

Goalies:
Kiprusoff, M (1.000 %)
Budaj, P (0.975 %)

Three Stars:
1st - Budaj, P (39 SV)
2nd - Aucoin, A (1 G, 0 A)
3rd - Kiprusoff, M (15 SV)

**PaddyOReilly** · 12-24-2008, 08:04 PM

Re: Colorado Avalanche (NHL '09)

THU, 16th OCT 2008

PHILADELPHIA - 2 @

COLORADO - 3 SO

Code:

Scoring   1st   2nd   3rd   OT   F   Shots   PP
COL        0     0     2     0   3    41    0/1
PHI        0     2     0     0   2    25    1/1

Summary:
After a very shaky performance at Calgary Granato was heard to have spoken with players, assuring them he has great faith in the talent pool at Colorado. This "chat" between coach and players seemed to have geared the Avs into getting more out on the ice. This was certainly apparent during the first period as both teams fought for every inch of ice, putting up similar numbers in shots and possession.

The deadlock was finally broken midway through the second period as Jeff Carter scored a power play goal as Budaj's desperation save left an easy rebound. This was followed minutes later by Scottie Upshall who deked Budaj to put the Flyers up two goals ending the second.

The third period, known so far this season as Colorado's weakest point, turned out to be just the drive they need when behind. Ramping up the tempo the Avs started to counter the Flyer's early surges leading to odd man rushes. The first to be successful was a slap-shot by David Jones, beating the goalie far side under the glove and over the pads. It took another five minutes of intense pressure by Colorado before Hejduk tied up the game with a rebound off a Stastny slapper.

Hejduk's goal sent the game into over time where the Avs got the slightly better flow of play but failed to finish. It came down to a shoot-out where Paul Stastny was the only player to score, through the five-hole, giving the Avs their second home win. It will be interesting to see whether they can build on this when they go on the road to the tanking Dallas Stars this Saturday.

1st Period:
No Goals

2nd Period:

Carter, J (PP) - 12:14 (Hartnell, S -- Jones, R)
Upshall, S - 16:28 (Lupul, J -- Metropolit, G)

3rd Period:

Jones, D - 9:41 (Sakic, J -- Wolski, W)
Hejduk, M - 14:42 (Stastny, P -- Hannan, S)

OT Period:
No Goals

Shootout:

Gagne, S - Save (Glove) : 0 - 0
Sakic, J - Miss (Wide) : 0 - 0

Briere, D - Miss (Post) : 0 - 0
Hejduk, M - Save (Pads) : 0 - 0

Richards, M - Save (Pads) : 0 - 0
Stastny, P - Goal (Five-Hole) : 0 - 1

Goalies:
Budaj, P (0.920 %)
Biron, M (0.927 %)

Three Stars:
1st - Biron, M (38 SV)
2nd - Hejduk, M (1 G, 0 A)
3rd - Stastny, P (0 G, 1 A)

**PaddyOReilly** · 12-24-2008, 08:29 PM

Re: Colorado Avalanche (NHL '09)

SAT, 18th OCT 2008

COLORADO - 2 @

DALLAS - 1 OT

Code:

Scoring   1st   2nd   3rd   OT   F   Shots   PP
DAL        1     0     0     0   1    31    0/2
COL        0     1     0     1   2    28    1/1

Summary:
Today's game was a showcase of goaltender talent as Peter Budaj faced Marty Turco in what turned out to be low scoring but high hitting affair.

Colorado was hoping to start things off early as they made several excellent odd man rushes, only to be stone-walled by a Dallas goalie who has been struggling of late. It was Dallas however who drew first blood as Stars Captain Brendan Morrow strong-armed his way to the front of net past Liles to score a wrister glove side. The period would see both teams work into great positions but be unable to finish on any other opportunities.

The second period saw Dallas draw it's only penalty for the game which Joe Sakic was not going to pass up. Sakic won the draw, passed back to Liles who let Brett Clark wind up a slapper that Sakic deflected over Turco's glove to tie the game. Colorado was also called for two penalties during the period but the Stars special teams failed to make either count.

The third period continued to provide an excellent game of stalemate where both teams piled it on but neither made any moves count; forcing the game into over time. The over-time period had barely started when the Stars were on the back foot off the draw which led to another superb cross ice pass from Sakic that was roofed into the top corner by, what until now had been a very quiet, Wojtek Wolski. Both goalies received first and second stars with the third going to Stars Captain Brendan Morrow for his work on rallying a wavering Stars bench.

1st Period:

Morrow, B - 2:46 (Ribeiro, M -- Lehtinen, J)

2nd Period:

Sakic, J (PP) - 4:09 (Clark, B -- Liles, J)

3rd Period:
No Goals

OT Period:
Wolski, W - 2:38 (Sakic, J -- Foote, A)

Goalies:

Turco, M (0.935 %)
Budaj, P (0.964 %)

Three Stars:
1st - Budaj, P (27 SV)
2nd - Turco, M (29 SV)
3rd - Morrow, B (1 G, 0 A)

**PaddyOReilly** · 12-24-2008, 08:47 PM

Re: Colorado Avalanche (NHL '09)

MON, 20th OCT 2008

COLORADO - 4 @

LOS ANGELES - 3

Code:

Scoring   1st   2nd   3rd   OT   F   Shots   PP
LAK        2     0     1     0   3    25    0/4
COL        1     0     3     0   4    25    0/0

Summary:
Once again the Colorado bench started slow as they faced the Kings for the first time this season. The Kings started on top form as they made sure that their chances counted, putting an Oscar Moller slapper on the scoreboard only eight minutes into the first. They followed this up on their very next attack when forward Raitis Ivanans muscled his way past an almost comatose Ruslan Salei to put another past Budaj. It would take another five minutes before the Avs responded with an odd man rush from the first line; Hejduk's pass finding Smyth's stick, hammering a wrister past a desperate LaBarbera.

The second started with a rejuvenated Colorado bench after the almost common place first period disaster. Both teams fought well over the twenty minutes and even with minor penalties for both Salei and Clark, nobody broke out from the pack.

The third period started well for the Avs breaking into the King's zone but a hooking call for Ryan Smyth killed any chance on a bombarded LaBarbera. Colorado did catch a break off the penalty kill as a mistimed pass between the d-men was caught by an alert Darcy Tucker who went one on one with the goalie, beating him on the backhand to tie the game. It would take another quarter of an hour before the deadlock was broken; this time it was a Stastny one timer in the slot that secured a lead for the Avs. The kings came back at them off the faceoff but an odd man rush out of their zone put Sakic in excellent position to beat LaBarbera down low to give Colorado a two goal lead with minutes to go. The Kings weren't willing to concede though and after a tough piece of fore checking Anze Kopitar stole the puck from Scott Hannan to go one on one with Budaj; roofing a wrister over his stick. Unfortunately for the Kings while two final shots grazed the iron none would count, ending the game a third win for the Avs.

1st Period:
Moller, O - 8:23 (Frolov, A -- Stoll, J)
Ivanans, R - 9:03 (Handzus, M -- Calder, K)
Smyth, R - 16:56 (Hejduk, M -- Stastny, P)

2nd Period:
No Goals

3rd Period:

Tucker, D (SH) - 2:36 (Unassisted)

Stastny, P - 15:58 (Clark, B -- Liles, J)

Sakic, J - 17:01 (Wolski, W -- Svatos, M)
Kopitar, A - 17:55 (Unassisted)

Goalies:
LaBarbera, J (0.840 %)
Budaj, P (0.880 %)

Three Stars:
1st - Stastny, P (1 G, 1 A)
2nd - Kopitar, A (1 G, 0 A)
3rd - Sakic, J (1 G, 0 A)

**PaddyOReilly** · 12-24-2008, 09:00 PM

Re: Colorado Avalanche (NHL '09)

THU, 23rd OCT 2008

EDMONTON - 4 @

COLORADO - 3

Code:

Scoring   1st   2nd   3rd   OT   F   Shots   PP
COL        2     0     1     0   3    23    0/0
EDM        1     3     0     0   4    25    0/3

Summary:
Sitting on a three game winning streak the Avalanche were home to the visiting Oilers who were looking to extract some revenge after a drumming earlier this month.

The game turned into a real grudge match as the hits flowed quickly, Paul Stastny being called within minutes for interference on Sam Gagner. Edmonton applied pressure on the power play, Dustin Penner scoring just seconds after Stastny left the box. Both teams kept each others top lines in check and it was down to the Av's third line in order to make a play. Tucker once again made the difference as the forwards crashed the net, poking the puck just slightly over the line. To add to Edmonton's troubles, a slight lapse in concentration seconds from the end left Tyler Arnason open in the slot for a one timer over Dwayne Roloson's stick to put the Avs ahead by one.

The Oilers used this lapse to dig deep as they bolted out of the gates starting the second. What emerged was an Oilers bench that wanted to grind the Avs into dust as the hits and fore checking put pressure on the Avs skillset in every zone. The first goal was to come again from Penner as he came down the sideboards and fired through Raycroft's five-hole to tie the game. Within quick succession the Oilers scored again, this time Cogliano on the wrap-around. The Avs bench put out it's tougher lines, which for a time solved the problem. However this was merely a band aid on an open wound that was ripped off when Gagner deked Salei's check and forced another past Raycroft to go four goals up to end the period.

The final period saw the Avalanche attempt to get back into the game however not even the noise inside the building could propel them into bringing them back into contention. Paul Stastny and Milan Hejduk both had good chances to score only to be beaten first by the glove, and then by the iron. In the end it was the Av's penalty kill that performed well as Joe Sakic took two minutes on a hooking call. The solid play of the Av's third line winger Darcy Tucker was extended as he made a saucer pass to Sakic as he left the box; who proceeded to drive the net and slot a wrister just under Roloson's glove. Despite being only a goal behind the Avs would fail to find another to tie the game, ending a streak of hard fought wins.

1st Period:
Penner, D - 5:46 (Cogliano, A -- Gagner, S)
Tucker, D - 15:12 (Arnason, T -- Jones, D)
Arnason, T - 19:57 (Jones, D -- Salei, R)

2nd Period:
Penner, D - 7:00 (Pisani, F -- Staios, S)
Cogliano, A - 8:46 (Gagner, S -- Nilsson, R)
Gagner, S - 15:28 (Gilbert, T -- Cole, E)

3rd Period:
Sakic, J - 13:28 (Tucker, D -- Foote, A)

Goalies:
Raycroft, A (0.840 %)
Roloson, D (0.870 %)

Three Stars:
1st - Gagner, S (1 G, 1 A)
2nd - Tucker, D (1 G, 1 A)
3rd - Arnason, T (1 G, 1 A)

**PaddyOReilly** · 12-24-2008, 09:11 PM

Re: Colorado Avalanche (NHL '09)

SAT, 25th OCT 2008

BUFFALO - 0 @

COLORADO - 2

Code:

Scoring   1st   2nd   3rd   OT   F   Shots   PP
COL        0     1     1     0   2    21    0/1
BUF        0     0     0     0   0    36    0/3

Summary:
Having just ended a three game winning streak Avalanche Coach Tony Granato spoke to the press about his team's ability to produce the goods;

"So far we've had a mixed bag of results in terms of both offense and defense. While we have at times been criticised for lacking focus, I know that when we need to we can play to the high standard that is needed to compete in today's league. . . . Our last game was tough to take, especially after a good run of games. However we're not going to dwell on things we can't change, and the guys are looking forward to Buffalo this weekend."

Today's game proved to be a tight and fast affair with the majority of chances being ground out by defensively minded teams. Colorado were looking to break the habit of letting in early goals, while Buffalo were lacking in their offense thanks to the injury of star player Thomas Vanek. Despite his absense the Sabres managed to out-shoot the Avs with two power plays during the first; neither of which proved fruitful. The period ended goalless; Buffalo showing only a slight advantage.

The second period started much like the first. Maxim Afinogenov proved to be the Sabres best player as he made several great shots; all of which were denied by Peter Budaj who looked to be hungry for more. Budaj's best save of the game came from a desperation move to stop a one-timer that had Afinogenov cursing. It would eventually fall to Paul Stastny to finally blow the game open as he received a pass from Cody McLeod and slapped home a rocket past a screened Miller, albeit with the help of a post. The Avs rode the goal for the rest of the period to end out the second.

For the third period the Sabres piled it on early, desperate to see if they could break the defense into giving up easy chances in the slot. However this tactic proved unsuccessful as each defensive pairing made key turnovers, most notably that of Jordan Leopold cutting off the forwards working behind the net. When the Avs started to counter the Sabres though they made the most of their opportunities. It was David Jones, a fourth line winger, who scored next via a turnover from intercepting a pass by the Sabres defense and winding up a rocket that just slipped under Miller's pads. The goal secured Colorado a solid win as Buffalo failed to put anything up on the board. Hopefully today's game will do some work to quiet critics of Granato's return to Denver.

1st Period:
No Goals

2nd Period:
Stastny, P - 7:34 (McLeod, C)

3rd Period:
Jones, D - 12:32 (Unassisted)

Goalies:
Budaj, P (1.000 %)
Miller, R (0.905 %)

Three Stars:
1st - Budaj, P (36 SV)
2nd - Stastny, P (1 G, 0 A)
3rd - Jones, D (1 G, 0 A)

**PaddyOReilly** · 12-24-2008, 09:28 PM

Re: Colorado Avalanche (NHL '09)

TUE, 28th OCT 2008

COLORADO - 5 @

CALGARY - 2

Code:

Scoring   1st   2nd   3rd   OT   F   Shots   PP
CGY        0     1     1     0   2    25    0/7
COL        1     1     3     0   5    35    3/6

Summary:
Today's game sees the Avalanche return to Calgary after besting Buffalo over the weekend. Joe Sakic, the Av's Captain, spoke about how he envisioned their 2009 season;

"I think that we have a strong bench, including a youth team that has some real talent. They could certainly do some damage when they're ready, though hopefully I can stay healthy as I'd really like to get into my stride. . . . [Tony's] return as head coach is a good choice in my mind as he gets stuck in with the guys and that really breaks down barriers. I feel like we've got a good chance this year and can avoid some of the mistakes of recent times."

As the puck was dropped to start the game Colorado certainly echoed it's Captains sentiments as it took Ryan Smyth less than a minute to bury a slapper past Kiprusoff, to mark the game's first shot. As Calgary tried to get back into the mix the hits increased but Colorado continued to match the Flames giving them two for every hit they could dish out. Both teams were called for two penalties in the first, roughing and interference alike, although neither special team could produce anything worthy of note.

The second followed on from the first with the same gritty determination from both sides as the hits became more and more wild. Paul Stastny's temper got the better of him as a late hit on Cory Sarich resulted in a five minute boarding major. However despite spending a good two thirds of the power play on the attack the Flames missed out on a golden oppurtunity; Todd Bertuzzi coming the closest as a wrister glanced off the cross bar over the glass. The Flames pressure would win through in the end as Craig Conroy tipped a Jerome Iginla shot past Budaj to tie the game. The next goal would be the result of a Flames indiscretion as Smyth once again scored a power play goal to tally two for the game.

The third period put the spotlight on a Flames squad who lacked any hint of discipline as Adrian Aucoin took an early penalty for cross checking Milan Hejduk. They would take a second as a failed clearance attempt sailed over to glass to put Colorado on a five on three power play. The Avalanche, unlike their opponents, worked into better positions and got the better scoring chances. It fell to Marek Svatos, who had been sent out on the top power play line to score first beating Kiprusoff near post. The Avs would make the second power play count too as Liles's shot from the blue line was deflected down through the five hole by Sakic, increasing the lead to four. The best the Flames could manage resulted from a bad turnover by the Av's defense as an open Glencross beat a stranded Budaj five minutes before the end. An extremely optimistic Flames bench tried to use this momentum by pulling the goalie late, which unfortunately resulted in a turnover that finally gave Smyth his hat trick goal seconds before the buzzer.

1st Period:
Smyth, R - 0:52 (Hejduk, M -- Hannan, S)

2nd Period:
Conroy, C - 10:31 (Iginla, J -- Sarich, C)
Smyth, R (PP) - 15:40 (Liles, J)

3rd Period:
Svatos, M (PP) - 2:48 (Salei, R -- Stastny, P)
Sakic, J (PP) - 3:28 (Liles, J -- Clark, B)
Glencross, C - 14:39 (Vandermeer, J)
Smyth, R (EN) - 19:58 (Hejduk, M -- Liles, J)

Goalies:
Kiprusoff, M (0.857 %)
Budaj, P (0.920 %)

Three Stars:
1st - Smyth, R (3 G, 0 A)
2nd - Liles, J (0 G, 3 A)
3rd - Svatos, M (1 G, 0 A)

**PaddyOReilly** · 12-24-2008, 09:42 PM

Re: Colorado Avalanche (NHL '09)

THU, 30th OCT 2008

COLUMBUS - 3 @

COLORADO - 4 SO

Code:

Scoring   1st   2nd   3rd   OT   F   Shots   PP
COL        2     1     0     0   4    21    0/1
CBJ        0     1     2     0   3    39    1/6

Summary:

1st Period:
Laperriere, I - 4:00 (Tucker, D)
Hejduk, M - 10:34 (Hannan, S -- Stastny, P)

2nd Period:
Huselius, K - 1:16 (Nash, R -- Klesla, R)
Svatos, M - 1:53 (Unassisted)

3rd Period:
Nash, R - 14:07 (Voracek, J -- Umberger, R)
Umberger, R - 19:34 (Voracek, J -- Tollefsen, O)

Three Stars:
1st - Umberger, R
2nd - Hejduk, M
3rd - Nash, R

**cubsfan203** · 12-24-2008, 10:49 PM

Re: Colorado Avalanche (NHL '09)

What you have right now looks great, but adding onto it might help you out a bit. It's hard for anyone to follow when all you do is post the outcome and who scored.

Keep it up though, I used to be a big fan of the Avalanche.

Colorado Avalanche (NHL '09)

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