Colorado Avalanche Prospects

Colorado Avalanche Prospects is Moving!

noreply@blogger.com (Angélique C. Murray (Jori)) — Tue, 12 Oct 2010 04:05:00 +0000

As it says in the title, I'm moving this blog to a new site. Please join me at:

http://www.coloradoavalancheprospects.com/

I hope you like the new look!

I would appreciate anyone that currently links to this site to please update to the new URL.

Thank you for your continued support!

Sunday Scoreboard

noreply@blogger.com (Angélique C. Murray (Jori)) — Mon, 11 Oct 2010 04:47:00 +0000

QMJHL

Acadie-Bathurst doubles up Shawinigan 4-2. Michael Bournival notched his second goal of the season for the Cataractes. He led the team in shots on goal with seven. He also won 16 of 26 face-off chances. Bournival was named the third star of the game.

Saturday Scoreboard

noreply@blogger.com (Angélique C. Murray (Jori)) — Sun, 10 Oct 2010 05:13:00 +0000

AHL

Lake Erie edges Syracuse in a shoot-out 2-1. The Monsters dominated in shots 40-18. The lone regulation score for the Monsters came off the stick of Julian Talbot. Talbot has scored a goal in each of the first two games for Lake Erie. Matt Ford led the team in shots with nine.

The Monsters power play has yet to click; they were 0-7 on the night. Starter John Grahame came up with some timely saves, but was huge for the Monsters in the shoot-out stopping all four Syracuse chances he faced. Ben Walter and Kevin Shattenkirk scored for Lake Erie in the shoot-out. Walter and Talbot were named the first and third stars of the game respectively.

Box Score

OHL

Kitchener holds off Erie 6-5. Erie had the edge in shots 38-28. Brandon Maxwell stopped 33 Otters chances. His record improves to 4-1.

Belleville trims Sarnia 4-3. The Bulls were severely out shot 48-29. Stephen Silas had the lone assist on what would turn out to be the game winning goal. Belleville earned their second win of the season.

WHL

Seattle upends Chilliwack 6-3. Calvin Pickard picked up his third win of the season by stopping 29 shots. Brendan Rouse had a hat trick for the Thunderbirds.

Portland nips Spokane 2-1. Troy Rutkowski did not factor in on either of the Winterhawks goals. He was penalized for holding in the first period. Portland has won five of their first seven games.

NCAA

Hockey East

Boston College blanks Northeastern 2-0. Paul Carey skated on the second line for the Eagles, but was held to one shot on net. He finished even for the game.

Non-conference

Minnesota trips up Massachusetts 5-4. Kent Patterson started in net for the Gophers. He stopped 32 Minutemen shots to earn the victory. Massachusetts was 0-5 on the power play.

Kendall Hockey Classic (Anchorage, AK)

North Dakota tops Alaska-Fairbanks 3-1. The Fighting Sioux clinch the Kendall Hockey Classic title. Brad Malone fired a single shot on goal. However, he received a two-minute cross-checking minor, face-masking major and game misconduct in the third period.

News and Notes

noreply@blogger.com (Angélique C. Murray (Jori)) — Sat, 09 Oct 2010 18:32:00 +0000

Just a few little tidbits I wanted to pass along. Trevor Cann will start the season with the Tulsa Oilers (CHL). The Central Hockey League is currently in its preseason schedule.

Joey Hishon is being bothered by a hand injury. He missed Owen Sound's 4-2 win over Sarnia on Friday.

I posted a season preview for the Lake Erie Monsters yesterday, you can check it out over at Mile High Hockey.

Lastly, for you fight fans....a clip of last night's fight between Syracuse's Mat Clark and Lake Erie's Patrick Bordeleau:

Friday Scoreboard

noreply@blogger.com (Angélique C. Murray (Jori)) — Sat, 09 Oct 2010 07:15:00 +0000

AHL

Lake Erie overcomes a two goal deficit to beat Syracuse 3-2. After falling behind 2-0 in the second period, Justin Mercier scored to cut the deficit in half. Julian Talbot tied the game just 1:13 later. Matt Ford scored the game winner with under three minutes remaining in regulation.

The Monsters dominated in shots 38-15. Both teams were 0-5 on the power play. Lake Erie played in front of an announced crowd of 12,524. Jason Bacashihua stopped 13 shots in the win. The game featured a few scuffles; most notably a bout between Patrick Bordeleau and Syracuse's Mat Clark. Bordeleau got the better of Clark in the end.

Three Stars:

1. Matt Ford
2. Justin Mercier
3. Julian Talbot

Box Score

OHL

Kitchener holds off Barrie, in a high scoring affair, 7-5. The Rangers led in shots 41-33. Brandon Maxwell replaced starter Mike Morrison in the second period after the Rangers fell behind 3-1. Maxwell stopped 19 of 21 shots he faced.

London blanks Belleville 3-0. Stephen Silas was minus one for the game. He was penalized for checking from behind in the third period. The Bulls are just 1-5 to start the season.

QMJHL

Rimouski doubles up Shawinigan 6-3. The Cataractes allowed three power play goals and a short-handed score to the Oceanic. Michael Bournival assisted on a first period power play goal. He fired four shots on goal and was penalized for tripping in the third period. He also had a strong night in the face-off circle, winning 14 of 18 opportunities.

WHL

Saskatoon upends Moose Jaw 6-4. Stefan Elliott scored the game winning goal with 21 seconds remaining in the game. He was named the game's third star. The tally was Elliott's second of the season. He finished plus four for the contest. The Blades are off to a blazing 6-1 start.

Portland edges Spokane 3-2. The Winterhawks were out shot heavily 48-19. Troy Rutkowski recorded an assist on a first period Portland goal. He was hit with a tripping minor in the second period.

Vancouver drops Kelowna 4-1. Tyson Barrie returned to the Rockets lineup, but was held off the score sheet. The Rockets were a putrid 0-9 on the power play. Kelowna has lots their first four games of the season.

NCAA

CCHA

Michigan tops Bowling Green 4-1. Luke Moffatt skated on the third line for the Wolverines. He launched one shot on goal. He was even for the contest. Bowling Green was 1-8 on the power play.

Non-conference

Minnesota stops Massachusetts 5-3. Nate Condon was even for the contest and was held to one shot on net. He played left-wing on the third line for Minnesota. Kent Patterson did not start the game for the Gophers.

IceBreaker (St Louis, MO)

Boston University trips up Wisconsin 4-3. Kieran Millan made 24 saves in the victory. The Terriers were 2-6 on the power play.

Kendall Hockey Classic (Anchorage, AK)

North Dakota and Alaska-Anchorage skate to a 5-5 tie. Brad Malone opened the scoring with a power play goal in the first period. He was penalized for boarding in the second period.

Friday TV Alert!

noreply@blogger.com (Angélique C. Murray (Jori)) — Fri, 08 Oct 2010 12:00:00 +0000

AHL

Syracuse @ Lake Erie -- 5:30 PM MST -- Fox Sports Ohio

Wednesday Scoreboard

noreply@blogger.com (Angélique C. Murray (Jori)) — Thu, 07 Oct 2010 05:24:00 +0000

OHL

Barrie upends Belleville 5-3. Stephen Silas came up empty offensively and was minus one for the game. His first period hooking penalty led to a Barrie goal.

WHL

Saskatoon tops Tri-City 5-3. Stefan Elliott assisted on a second period Blades goal. He finished with a plus two rating. Elliott has a goal and three assists in his first five games.

Portland beats Everett 5-3. Troy Rutkowski notched his second goal of the season. It was a power play tally scored in the second period. He was plus three for the game.

HF: Lake Erie Monsters Preview

noreply@blogger.com (Angélique C. Murray (Jori)) — Thu, 07 Oct 2010 01:02:00 +0000

The Lake Erie Monsters enter the 2010-11 season optimistic that they can attain their first playoff berth in the franchise’s young existence. Though they have improved each of the last two years, they have yet to finish better than 6th in the competitive North division, as they did this past season with a 34-37-9 record.

The 2009-10 campaign was marked by defensive lapses and penalty kill struggles, as the Monsters ranked 24th in goals allowed (3.21 per game) and 29th shorthanded (79.5 percent). However, there were several young players that did emerge and could have greater impacts this season in increased roles.

Much like the Avalanche saw an influx of young contributors last season in Matt Duchene, Ryan O’Reilly and Chris Stewart, the Monsters have approximately a dozen new faces, many with the potential to make an immediate impact.

Full Story: Hockey's Future

Colorado Avalanche Blogger Roundtable

noreply@blogger.com (Angélique C. Murray (Jori)) — Thu, 07 Oct 2010 00:57:00 +0000

The fourth annual Colorado Avalanche Blogger Roundtable was hosted by Mile High Hockey this year. This edition featured nine questions and over 20 bloggers and writers.

I've linked the responses next to each question. Enjoy!

Over the last two seasons, the Avalanche rank 27th in total attendance, averaging 14,688 fans or about 82% of Pepsi Center capacity. It seems like we're light years away from the 487-game sellout streak that ran from 1995 to 2006. What, in your opinion, is the biggest cause to this drop in attendance? -- Responses --

The Avalanche had 61 major penalties last year which is the most by any Avalanche team since the 1998-1999 club that featured Jeff Odgers, Warren Rychel, Adam Deadmarsh, Wade Belak and Scott Parker and only six teams had more majors last season. We know about the speed and skill that this young team possesses…do we give the toughness enough credit? -- Responses --

Craig Anderson started a franchise record 71 regular season games for the Avalanche last season. Does Anderson need to have a similar workload this year in order for the Avs to make the playoffs again? -- Responses --

No goalie faced more shots last year than Craig Anderson and the Avalanche have lost perennial shot blocker Brett Clark (who ranked 11th in blocks last year despite missing 18 games). With the six other core defensemen all returning and no veteran acquisitions to augment the squad, can the Avs tighten things up defensively this year? -- Responses --

The last time an Avalanche defenseman scored 40 points in the regular season was the 2006-2007, when John-Michael Liles scored 44. Who do you think will be the next Avalanche blueliner to hit that mark? -- Responses --

Joe Sakic scored 62 points as a 19-year-old rookie with the Nordiques and then improved to 102-points his sophomore year. 19-year-old Matt Duchene scored 55 points last year. What kind of point total can we expect from Duchene next year? -- Responses --

Who among the following will score the most points next year: T.J. Galiardi, David Jones, Ryan O’Reilly, Ryan Stoa, Brandon Yip? -- Responses --

Last year, a number of young Avalanche players had breakout years. Which Avalanche player or prospect do you think is most ready to have a big year in the NHL? -- Responses --

The Avs’ only notable acquisition this summer is Daniel Winnik and several veterans were allowed to walk as GM Greg Sherman focuses on letting the young players develop. Will this team be better or worse than the last year’s 8th-place team? -- Responses --

Tuesday Scoreboard

noreply@blogger.com (Angélique C. Murray (Jori)) — Wed, 06 Oct 2010 04:21:00 +0000

Europe

KHL

Avangard edges CSKA 3-2. Denis Parshin was held to a single shot on goal. CSKA has only three regulation wins on the season in their first 11 contests.

Monday Scoreboard

noreply@blogger.com (Angélique C. Murray (Jori)) — Tue, 05 Oct 2010 03:01:00 +0000

Exhibition

The Minnesota Wild defeated Ilves Tampere 5-1 in an exhibition game. Sami Aittokallio was in net for Ilves and made 30 saves in the loss

Sunday Scoreboard

noreply@blogger.com (Angélique C. Murray (Jori)) — Mon, 04 Oct 2010 04:16:00 +0000

QMJHL

Shawinigan trips up Drummondville in overtime 3-2. Michael Bournival led the Cataractes in shots on goal, with eight, but was minus two for the game. He was seven for 12 in the face-off circle.

WHL

Portland dumps Lethbridge 6-2. Troy Rutkowski notched his first goal of the season on a tally in the second period. He was also assessed a fighting major at the end of regulation.

Saskatoon edges Brandon 4-3. Stefan Elliott had a quiet offensive night and finished plus one for the game. The Blades have won four of their first five games.

Europe

KHL

Barys falls to CSKA 6-2. Denis Parshin assisted on a third period goal for CSKA. He registered two shots on goal in just over 15 minutes of ice time.

Thoughts on the Avs Opening Night Roster

noreply@blogger.com (Angélique C. Murray (Jori)) — Sun, 03 Oct 2010 23:36:00 +0000

The Avalanche reassigned Patrick Bordeleau, Colby Cohen and Ryan Stoa to the Lake Erie Monsters today. With the possibility of Peter Mueller and/or David Koci being placed on injured reserve, the Avs opening night roster is set.

While this is a big blow to Ryan Stoa, I'm sure the Avs brass hopes this is the same psychological kick in the butt that worked for Chris Stewart last season. Despite the criticism Stoa is being hit with by fans and media alike, it's not as if he was among the first set of cuts He just missed out on making the team. He could have done more. He didn't take full advantage of Mueller's absence, but he's not a lost cause. He's still learning and not all players have the same development curve.

What is great news is that the Avs will have two rookies starting the season in Denver. Jonas Holos has won the final defensive spot, edging out Colby Cohen. My only concern with Holos coming into training camp was his adjustment to the smaller ice surface and the North American game in general. His adjustment was almost seamless. While there are bound to be ups and downs, he's the most defensively sound of the Avs defensive prospects at this point in time.

Colby Cohen was someone I had little expectations for this season. So consider me impressed with his performance in training camp and in the preseason. Despite his booming slap shot, he still has things to work on defensively. While little offense is expected from Holos, it's more important that the Avs have a more defensively sound player on the roster. Cohen and Shattenkirk will get plenty of playing time with the Monsters and it's likely we'll see one or both of them in a Colorado uniform sometime this season.

Now for the ultimate surprise...Mark Olver. Props to the anonymous reader here who posted that he would make the team. I didn't believe it despite how well he performed, but he outclassed Stoa and Mike Carman to make the squad. Olver is just another example of hard work paying off. He's also another savvy draft pick by Colorado's amateur scouting.

I would be remiss in not mentioning the efforts of Kevin Porter and Philippe Dupuis, who were both pegged for the American Hockey League at the start of training camp. Like Olver, both used hard work and determination to extend their stay in Denver.

Saturday Scoreboard

noreply@blogger.com (Angélique C. Murray (Jori)) — Sun, 03 Oct 2010 05:13:00 +0000

OHL

Mississauga tops Belleville 5-3. Stephen Silas was held off the score sheet for the second straight game. The Bulls have stumbled out of the gate, winning just one of their first four games.

Owen Sound blanks Kitchener 4-0. Joey Hishon continues his strong start with a goal and two helpers. He was named the first star of the game. Things did not go as well for Kitchener starter, Brandon Maxwell, who gave up all four Attack goals, albeit on 46 shots.

QMJHL

Shawinigan shuts down Chicoutimi 5-0. Chicoutimi was held to just 14 shots on net. Michael Bournival did not factor in the scoring for the Cataractes, but was plus two for the game. He launched four shots on goal.

WHL

Saskatoon dumps Regina 6-2. Stefan Elliott assisted on a third period even strength goal. He has three points in three games to start the season.

Seattle trims Portland in a shoot-out 3-2. Troy Rutkowski was plus one for the contest and was penalized for tripping in the second period. Calvin Pickard was the star of the game, stopping 44 of 46 shots in regulation and overtime. He also stopped all three Portland opportunities in the shoot-out.

NCAA

Non-conference

Michigan and Mercyhurst skate to a 4-4 tie. Mercyhurst wins the shoot-out 2-1. Luke Moffatt skated on the third line for the Wolverines. He fired three shots on goal and was minus one for the contest.

Friday Scoreboard

noreply@blogger.com (Angélique C. Murray (Jori)) — Sat, 02 Oct 2010 06:53:00 +0000

OHL

Belleville trims Kingston 5-4. Stephen Silas did not factor in the game offensively. He was even for the contest.

Kitchener dumps Erie 7-3. Brandon Maxwell stopped 35 of 38 shots for the Rangers. He has won his first two starts this season.

Owen Sound doubles up London 4-2. Joey Hishon scored the game's first goal and also sealed the game with an empty net tally. The game was Hishon's season debut. He was penalized for high sticking in the first period and was named the third star of the game.

WHL

Brandon blanks Saskatoon 7-0. The Wheat Kings out shot the Blades 38-23. Stefan Elliott stayed out of the penalty box and was minus one for the game.

Seattle trips up Lethbridge 3-2 in a shoot-out. Calvin Pickard made 29 saves in regulation and overtime. He stopped both Lethbridge opportunities in the shoot-out.

Europe

KHL

CSKA upends Yugra 4-3 in a shoot-out. Denis Parshin scored his fourth goal of the season and added two assists. He also scored the deciding goal in the shoot-out.

Thursday Scoreboard

noreply@blogger.com (Angélique C. Murray (Jori)) — Fri, 01 Oct 2010 05:38:00 +0000

OHL

Belleville holds off Peterborough 7-5. Stephen Silas assisted on two first period power play goals for the Bulls. He was also penalized for checking from behind in the first frame. Silas finished the game with a minus one rating.

QMJHL

Drummondville trips up Shawinigan 3-2. Michael Bournival was minus two for the Cataractes. He launched four shots on goal and won 12 of 20 face-off opportunities.

Wednesday Scoreboard

noreply@blogger.com (Angélique C. Murray (Jori)) — Thu, 30 Sep 2010 06:25:00 +0000

WHL

Portland holds off Vancouver 4-3. Troy Rutkowski assisted on a second period goal scored by the Winterhawks. He was plus one for the game and has two assists in three regular season games since returning from Avalanche training camp.

Monsters Training Camp Opens

noreply@blogger.com (Angélique C. Murray (Jori)) — Thu, 30 Sep 2010 04:00:00 +0000

The Lake Erie Monsters opened training camp on Wednesday with 32 players. A roster is available here.

As was announced earlier today, Kevin Shattenkirk and Mike Carman were reassigned and will join the rest of the Monsters, bumping up the camp roster to 34.

The Monsters will have another set of practices on Thursday and an intra-squad scrimmage set for Friday evening.

Here is some video of today's activities from the Lake Erie Monsters website:

Session 1

Session 2

Avalanche Reassign Shattenkirk and Carman

noreply@blogger.com (Angélique C. Murray (Jori)) — Wed, 29 Sep 2010 18:33:00 +0000

The Avalanche have reduced their roster to 27, by sending both Mike Carman and Kevin Shattenkirk to the Lake Erie Monsters.

Monsters training camp opens today.

Mark Olver just may stick after an impressive game last night against Dallas.

Avs Sign Luke Walker to an Entry Level Contract

noreply@blogger.com (Angélique C. Murray (Jori)) — Tue, 28 Sep 2010 23:14:00 +0000

The Avalanche signed forward Luke Walker to a three-year entry level contract today. This all but ensures Walker will begin his professional career rather then return to the Portland Winterhawks (WHL). Walker was a fifth round pick for the Avs in the 2010 draft. He is expected to start the season with the Lake Erie Monsters.

Monday Scoreboard

noreply@blogger.com (Angélique C. Murray (Jori)) — Tue, 28 Sep 2010 05:17:00 +0000

WHL

Portland dumps Vancouver 7-2. Troy Rutkowski assisted on a first period goal for the Winterhawks. He was also penalized three times; once for interference, roughing and slashing. He finished plus two for the game.

Europe

KHL

CSKA falls to SKA in a shoot-out 4-3. Denis Parshin was held without a shot on goal in 18:36 of ice time. He also did not convert on his shoot-out opportunity.

Sunday Scoreboard

noreply@blogger.com (Angélique C. Murray (Jori)) — Mon, 27 Sep 2010 04:29:00 +0000

QMJHL

Shawinigan comes back to beat Gatineau 6-4. The Cataractes scored four unanswered goals in the third period. Michael Bournival scored an empty net goal to seal the game for Shawinigan. It was his first tally on the year. He was also credited with an assist and finished with three shots on goal.

WHL

Seattle falls to Tri-City 4-1. Calvin Pickard made 32 saves in the loss and his record falls to 1-2.

Piecing Together the Monsters Camp Roster (Updated)

noreply@blogger.com (Angélique C. Murray (Jori)) — Sun, 26 Sep 2010 23:59:00 +0000

Updated based on the Avs cuts today:

Goaltenders

Trevor Cann
Jason Bacashihua
John Grahame

Defensemen

Joel Chouinard
Travis Gawryletz*
Ray Macias
Kevin Montgomery
David Liffiton
Joey Sides**
Cameron Gaunce

Forwards

Zach Cohen
Matt Ford*
Wacey Hamilton**
Justin Mercier
Harrison Reed
Tom Fritsche
Greg Mauldin
Julian Talbot
David Van Der Gulik
Ben Walter
Curtis Fraser**
Mike Wakita**
Jason Weeks**
Luke Walker
Olivier Labelle**

*AHL Contract
**Tryout

Avs Reassign Five

noreply@blogger.com (Angélique C. Murray (Jori)) — Sun, 26 Sep 2010 23:57:00 +0000

The Avs have reassigned the following players to Lake Erie (AHL):

Jason Bacashihua
Cameron Gaunce
John Grahame
Luke Walker

Also, as mentioned yesterday, Stefan Elliott was reassigned to Saskatoon (WHL).

That leaves 29 players on the Avs preseason roster, three who are currently injured. Colorado has four preseason games remaining, including tonight's tilt with St Louis.

Remaining Roster

Saturday Scoreboard

noreply@blogger.com (Angélique C. Murray (Jori)) — Sun, 26 Sep 2010 04:49:00 +0000

OHL

Kingston blanks Belleville 3-0. The Bulls held the edge in shots 44-29. Stephen Silas, an alternate captain for Belleville, was even for the game.

WHL

Saskatoon holds off Prince Albert 6-5. Stefan Elliott was reassigned to the Blades after Colorado's 2-1 loss to the Dallas Stars on Friday. He wasted little time in assisting on a power play goal in the first period and later scoring a power play goal of his own in the third period. This turned out to be the game winning goal. He was minus two for the contest.

Seattle upends Portland 4-1. Calvin Pickard was named the second star of the game after stopping 37 of 38 shots. He is now 1-1 on the season. Troy Rutkowski was minus three for the Winterhawks.

Europe

KHL

Neftekhimik shuts down CSKA 2-0. CSKA has won only two of their first seven games. Denis Parshin was minus one, but did have a team high nine shots on goal.

SM-Liiga

Ässät doubles up Ilves 4-2. Sami Aittokallio allowed three goals on just 11 shots in his first start for Ilves. He was replaced in the second period by Jani Hurme.