Pre-Game Talk: Week of Excellence (STL, PHI, EDM, CBJ)

[Ararana]

Big game for the Aves tonight.

A W tonight, and we're north of .500 for the first time all season. It would also move us to just 5 points out of the 8th and final playoff spot. We're currently 7 but with a game in hand against SJS.


6-2-2 in our last 10, slowly making progress. We need to keep that pace up fro another 20 games in order to really get back in the picture though.

It's so crazy after the crap season we've been having that we still have a legitimate shot at jumping into the playoff hunt. MIN, CGY starting to crash hard, DAL is picking it up. We need to keep our play up as we've been much better lately. Tonights a big opportunity with CBJ on a second of a back to back.

 

[Freudian]

Varlamov is probably excited to beat Brobrovsky.

 

[JLo217]

Don't look now 7 points out of a playoff spot.

How terrible Minny is playing is even funnier

 

[BaconNater]

Hoping either Mack or Duchene absolutely brings it tonight... that's only about the 9th game in a row I've hoped that.

 

[Ararana]

Don't look now 7 points out of a playoff spot.

How terrible Minny is playing is even funnier

Their game last night against DAL was the highlight of my day

 

[Avs71]

Don't look now 7 points out of a playoff spot.

With a game in hand, playing Columbus tonight. I can only expect a heartbreaking loss tonight, given how close they are to pulling themselves back into the race.

 

[Ararana]

Hoping either Mack or Duchene absolutely brings it tonight... that's only about the 9th game in a row I've hoped that.

Same. Watching Mack is so frustrating, you can tell he's just plain off his game. Once that kid gets going this will be a completely different team.

 

[The Mars Volchenkov]

Rendulic playing with Duchene and Landy. Here's a big chance for him.

Talbot to the 4th line where he should be.

 

[ABasin]

Don't look now 7 points out of a playoff spot.

Team's playing pretty well, and the schedule hasn't been too bad either. Including tonight, 3 straight games against bottom-dwelling teams, all three at home, tonight's game against a team playing back-to-backs. Great opportunity for two more points. Then they've got two of the next three against non-playoff positioned teams as well.

Starting January 12th though, the schedule becomes much more formidable. Between 1/12 and 2/8, the Avs play 12 games - 9 of them on the road, 9 of them against teams in current playoff position, 2 of the road games are the 2nd games of back-to-backs.

Then in late February right before the trade deadline, they have a single week in which they play LA, Chicago, Tampa Bay, and Nashville. Ugh.

 

[bohlmeister]

With a game in hand, playing Columbus tonight. I can only expect a heartbreaking loss tonight, given how close they are to pulling themselves back into the race.

hahaha. Get the same feeling.

 

[Avs71]

From the Denver Post article today:

Johnson, the Avalanche's 26-year-old defenseman, is Colorado's best player this season. He's a near lock for the NHL All-Star Game this month in Columbus, Ohio.

If only this were true. The NHL determines the rest of the players involved. If there is a representative from the Avs, it better be him. If it is Barrie, Duchene, or MacKinnon, that will be such a joke. If EJ does make it, I picture him getting picked last in the fantasy draft.

Landy also said this about Johnson:

"It almost looks like, when you're watching him, that he took the expectations off himself and just goes out there and plays," Colorado captain Gabe Landeskog said. "It's a lot of fun to watch. Because right now, he's one of the best defensemen I've seen this year."

 

[Cousin Eddie]

Rendulic playing with Duchene and Landy. Here's a big chance for him.

Talbot to the 4th line where he should be.

Great news! Rendulic isn't an NHL top line scorer but he will help produce offense a lot better than Talbo.

 

[Ararana]

Great news for Rendulic! Lando - dutchy - Rendulic could be an effective line.

Not happy with Mack on a line with Mitchell and Briere Would much rather see:
Briere - ROR - Mack
Tanguay - Mitchell - Iggy

 

[SoundwaveIsCharisma]

Great news! Rendulic isn't an NHL top line scorer but he will help produce offense a lot better than Talbo.

Hopefully Dutch starts focusing on puck distribution rather than trying to do too much. Lando and Rendulic are both more shoot first players, which you would think would help Dutch. I hope Borna keeps up his good, aggressive play, if he can find those open spots more consistently he could be a good goal scorer for us.

 

[The Mars Volchenkov]

Great news for Rendulic! Lando - dutchy - Rendulic could be an effective line.

Not happy with Mack on a line with Mitchell and Talbot. Would much rather see:
Talbot - ROR - Mack
Tanguay - Mitchell - Iggy

MacK is with Briere and Mitchell. He's not doing much, so I think sheltering him is a good idea. Maybe he can see some 3rd pairing defenders.

 

[Ararana]

MacK is with Briere and Mitchell. He's not doing much, so I think sheltering him is a good idea. Maybe he can see some 3rd pairing defenders.

Sorry, forgot Briere

 

[tigervixxxen]

From the Denver Post article today:


If only this were true. The NHL determines the rest of the players involved. If there is a representative from the Avs, it better be him. If it is Barrie, Duchene, or MacKinnon, that will be such a joke. If EJ does make it, I picture him getting picked last in the fantasy draft.

Landy also said this about Johnson:

Yeah EJ should be an all-star but we are a long way from him getting selected. I fully expect MacKinnon to get picked for the young stars game and that's it.

 

[Avsboy]

Maybe Milan Hejduk can lace em up one more time for the all star game. He's the only candidate who both deserves to go and is somewhat recognized league wide.

 

[forsbergavs32]

Good for Rendulic, big chance for hI'm to stick on the roster.

I'm fine putting Mackinnon with Malkin and Briere...Briere is a good option to pass to and Malkin can shelter Mack on faceoffs plus can help set up Mack.

 

[Ararana]

According to Roy's presser Mack is going to the left side. Didn't someone just suggest that here?

 

[AvsRobin]

Glad to here about Rendulic, but I fear it's like when Everberg was put with ROR and Landy, he is there on paper but in reality he'll only play 5-10 minutes.

 

[tigervixxxen]

Glad to here about Rendulic, but I fear it's like when Everberg was put with ROR and Landy, he is there on paper but in reality he'll only play 5-10 minutes.

Did Everberg ever start a game there? I think it will last for the game at least.

 

[Pokecheque]

Rendulic playing with Duchene and Landy. Here's a big chance for him.

Talbot to the 4th line where he should be.

Good news.

 

[The Mars Volchenkov]

Did Everberg ever start a game there? I think it will last for the game at least.

Everberg played a few games with them early in the season and lasted the entire game with them, so not sure about the above comment. It was in Toronto and Boston. Think he ended up playing 13 minutes or so.

If Rendulic plays well, he'll stay there. He ended the game there against the Oilers so he has some trust growing.

 

[cgf]

Everberg played a few games with them early in the season and lasted the entire game with them, so not sure about the above comment. It was in Toronto and Boston. Think he ended up playing 13 minutes or so.

If Rendulic plays well, he'll stay there. He ended the game there against the Oilers so he has some trust growing.

I just worry that if Rendulic keeps his play up, but Landy and Duchene lay an egg while Briere does things with Malkin and MacK despite MacK continuing to struggle, we'll end up with Briere back on the Landy-Dutchy line and Talbs back with Malkin and MacK for the late game push.