Anderson was always considered a journeyman backup in net until a decent effort in Florida last season when he took over the reins from an injured Tomas Vokoun and secured a 15-7 record in 31 games, 27 of which were starts.

He became a free agent at the end of 2008-9 but was not picked up all that quickly, leading some to suggest all he would get would be a one-year deal to backup a star somewhere else.

But the Avalanche saw something different, and given their problems in goal last year (as well as all over the ice to be honest) picked up the 28-year-old, originally drafted by the Chicago Blackhawks and a star in the AHL for Rochester.

Continue reading "Anderson makes Avalanche whole"

Continue reading "Avalanche Should Make Pitch for Tanguay"

Continue reading "Avalanche sign Craig Anderson to 2-Year 36 Million Contract"

Fortunately for all involved, the standard hit didn't do Hossa any permanent damage, and I'm hoping he's back for tonight's late game against the Colorado Avalanche.

A note on the Avs. I am young...ish still, but I remember vividly the hit on Kris Draper by Claude Lemieux, a not-so-standard drive from behind into the crease between the boards and the ice. Why did Lemieux have to keep crushing Draper's face into the ice like that? What could possibly have been his motivation for delivering the hit that is still as fresh in everyone's mind twelve years after the fact as if it happened yesterday?

Continue reading "Memories Still as VividI Have Confidence in Detroit"

Moving on to the Calgary game. Obviously we won this game because the title says two wins (which also means the next game I discuss was a victory). We somehow cannot manage to win against teams we consistently need to beat in order to gain ground... but we manage to be the thorn in the side of any team trying to gain ground itself. So the Flames, who were hot and crawling up the points ladder met their maker, but not without putting up a fight. Goals for Calgary:  Rene Bourque, Adrian Aucoin, and Jerome Iginla. Goals for the Avalanche:   Marek Svatos(x2), Milan Hejduk, and Ruslan Salei. Svatos, who actually had a decent showing against the Ducks, had a breakout night here, notching two and almost getting an empty netter for the hat. It's always fun to beat a division team and even more fun when that team has lame-ass, sucker puncher, cry baby Todd Bertuzzi on their team. The good news is the home fans never forget and did a nice job booing the goon whenever he touched the puck. Don't know why? Click here.

Continue reading "Avalanche Recap - 3 Games 2 Wins 1 Loss"

This one was really just brutal to witness. It was Toronto, of all the teams. At this point, the return of Stastny is going to be like the second coming of Christ... or have absolutely no impact on a mediocre team putting forth a rather pathetic performance. Sakic won't even return soon enough to make an impact either way. I don't know if Foppa, in the best shape of his life, could save this sinking ship.

Continue reading "Wow Toronto Really"

Tonight was officially one of the worst games I have seen the Avalanche play. And I had the added benefit of witnessing the devastation in person. The team couldn't click, they were working against each other and the worst part was that the Sharks didn't even look like #1. Nabokov wasn't impressive at all. In fact, he looked like a nervous rookie at the beginning of the game, flailing around and making unusual plays. It took him a while to find his poise.

At the beginning of the game, they looked bad and we looked worse. But it was all downhill from there. I gave up hope very early in the second period.

Continue reading "Sharks devour Avs"

That’s right, you guessed it:  Joe Sakic.

I know that hockey is not the first thing on the minds of most sports fans these days, particularly a player that is not even in his team’s lineup, but I feel with all the bad press circulating around professional athletes lately, it’s high time to highlight one of the good ones. 

Sakic did make news on December 10, 2008 for a rare off-the-ice altercation.  He broke three fingers and damaged tendons in his hand after fighting with…a snowblower.  Already out of the lineup with a herniated disc in his back, the 39-year-old Sakic is now out of the lineup until the end of February at the earliest.

Continue reading "Joe Sakic the Man the Myth the quiet Legend"

Marek Svatos signed a two year contract with the good guys, sparing a damaging arbitrition hearing and solidifying his spot as a major player for the Colorado Avalanche.

Svatos finished second in goals last year despite a season ending ACL injury. Despite this and a recent shoulder injury, Svatos has proven himself - with sufficient ice time - to be quite talented. He fought along with Ovechkin and Crosby for Rookie of the year and really stepped it up recently.

I've seen him begin to play the body more and he can be lethal with the puck - especially in front of the net, picking up rebounds. Expect Svatos to have a great year, if he sees the ice time he deserves. I'm thinking second line... 

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If that really is the case, why did we even get rid of Sauer?

The numbers tell a slightly different story. Sauer had a combined 6 points in 54 games last season but he was a nice +17 with 41 penalty minutes. Daniel Tjarnqvist, who didn't play in the NHL last year, had a combined 15 points in 37 games during the 06-07 season. He was +3 with 30 penalty minutes.

You decide whose side your on. Tjarnqvist is going to have to work for me but that doesn't mean I won't be a fan. Ryan Smyth, despite his less than stellar numbers has won me over.

Naslund goes to the Rangers, Fluery to the Pens... 

Continue reading "Less than sufficient"