hockey
We talk pucks and objects of that kind. We yell, complain, and analyze in the language of hockey fandom. Gretzky can do no wrong.
Avalanche Game 25 Recap: Too Close for Comfort
The Colorado Avalanche's three-game road trip was not a successful one. The team lost all three games, but two of them were in extra time, so that a resulted in two more points in the standings. Even so, it's a bitter pill to swallow, and it's often said that home cooking cures all ills. That's what the Avs will receive for the next five games. A long overdue lengthy homestand kicked off with a meeting with the Anaheim Ducks; the third and final meeting of the season. The first game saw the Avs clobber the Ducks, 8-2, while the second meeting was a comeback win for the Ducks, as they won 4-3 via the shootout after trailing 3-1.
Clyde E. DawkinsPublished a day ago in Unbalanced
Avalanche Game 24 Recap: A Rough Road Trip
The Colorado Avalanche's visit to Anaheim didn't go as planned; what started out as a 3-1 lead turned into a shootout loss to the Anaheim Ducks. So far, the three game swing saw back-to-back post-regulation losses, and it has now reached a conclusion, as the Avs headed to the City of Angels to face off against the Los Angeles Kings. Los Angeles is where the Avs' 2023-24 season began, and Game #1 ended with the Avalanche winning 5-2, capped off by Mikko Rantanen's four point performance.
Clyde E. DawkinsPublished 3 days ago in Unbalanced
Avalanche Game 23 Recap: The Best Defense is a Good Offense
After an overtime loss in the Arizona desert, the Colorado Avalanche headed to Southern California for the last two games of the three-game road trip. Regarding Part 2 of the swing, the Avs headed to The OC's largest city: Anaheim. This is the second meeting of the season between the Avalanche and Ducks; the first meeting took place on November 15, an 8-2 win over the Ducks at Ball Arena. The teams will meet once more this upcoming Tuesday in Denver.
Clyde E. DawkinsPublished 4 days ago in Unbalanced
The Iconic History of the Hart Memorial Trophy
For many years, I've been fascinated by the National Hockey League's individual trophies, with the main one being the immensely prestigious Hart Memorial Trophy. The Hart Trophy is awarded to the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the entire NHL, the highest individual honor in the league. Regarding other leagues, the NBA and the NFL's MVP awards cover the solitary league, while Major League Baseball awards MVPs in the American and National Leagues. But regarding the NHL, there's just something about the Hart Trophy. It covers 82 games of a sport that is grueling, difficult, and stressful, but often worth the headaches.
Clyde E. DawkinsPublished 5 days ago in Unbalanced
Avalanche Game 22 Recap: Down in the Desert
The red-hot Colorado Avalanche, coming off a big win over the Tampa Bay Lightning, took their winning tear far west for a three game road trip. First up, a stop over in Tempe to face off against the Arizona Coyotes, a team who has been a surprising challenge for the Avs in recent years. The two teams have only been division rivals since the 2021-22 season, which saw the Coyotes moved to the Central Division to make way for the expansion Seattle Kraken's placement in to the Pacific Division. As an Avs fan, I do thank the Coyotes for allowing us to acquire Darcy Kuemper. We only had him for that season, but it resulted in a Stanley Cup.
Clyde E. DawkinsPublished 6 days ago in Unbalanced
Avalanche Game 21 Recap: Just Like 2022
The Colorado Avalanche's winning tear continued with a home win over the Calgary Flames, and the brief two-game homestand continues with a meeting against a team who is very close to them: the Tampa Bay Lightning. This will always be special to us Avs fans; as we all know, the Avalanche defeated the Tampa Bay Lightning in six games to win the Stanley Cup in 2022. Since then, however, the Bolts have won the last two meetings from last season, while the names have definitely changed from both sides since that iconic Cup Final took place.
Clyde E. DawkinsPublished 9 days ago in Unbalanced
Avalanche Game 20 Recap: When You're Hot, You're Hot
From what we've seen in the last few games, the Colorado Avalanche that we know and we're used to? That team is back. The Avs picked up a huge Black Friday victory over the Minnesota Wild, but it's right back to work a day later. This time, the Avalanche returned home to face off against the Calgary Flames for the first time all season. With this, the Avs have one Pacific team they have yet to face this year: the Edmonton Oilers. Colorado entered this meeting with a 6-2 record against Pacific opponents.
Clyde E. DawkinsPublished 11 days ago in Unbalanced
Avalanche Game 19 Recap: Top of the Mountain
The Colorado Avalanche have been on a bit of a winning tear as of late, with the latest show being a 5-2 victory over the Vancouver Canucks on Wednesday. After enjoying Thanksgiving and all that came with it, the Avs got back to work on Black Friday, this time against the Minnesota Wild. Oh boy. We Avs fans are mighty sick of the Minnesota Wild. Here's a fun fact. This rivalry is the longest running division rivalry in the overall history of the Quebec Nordiques/Colorado Avalanche. Even the old provincial rivalry between the Nordiques and Canadiens in the Adams Division wasn't as long as this one; they were division foes from 1981-1995. The Avs and the Wild have been division rivals since 2000--over 20 years. Whether it's the old Northwest Division, the current Central Division, or even that shortened season in the localized West Division, these two teams just can't get away from each other.
Clyde E. DawkinsPublished 12 days ago in Unbalanced
Avalanche Game 18 Recap: Giving Thanks
The Colorado Avalanche entered Game 18 of 82 coming off an evening where certain victory was snatched from the team at the last moment. In the last game before Thanksgiving is celebrated in the U.S., the Avs returned to Ball Arena to face off against a very strong Vancouver Canucks club. These were two teams who were pretty much cut from the same cloth. Nathan MacKinnon vs Elias Pettersson, Alexandar Georgiev vs Thatcher Demko, and the highlighted matchup, Cale Makar vs Quinn Hughes.
Clyde E. DawkinsPublished 14 days ago in Unbalanced
Avalanche Game 17 Recap: WTF?!
With a three game winning streak, as well as a massive comeback win in Dallas, the Colorado Avalanche entered Nashville for the second leg of their two-game divisional road trip. In recent years, the Avalanche and the Nashville Predators have had some interesting encounters. This includes two playoff matchups, with the Preds winning in 2018, while the Avs swept them in 2022 during the Stanley Cup run. This meeting is the first of three between the clubs, but they will not see each other again until March.
Clyde E. DawkinsPublished 16 days ago in Unbalanced
The Boston Bruins Are Doing That Thing Again
You know, I really need to stop making certain takes about the Boston Bruins, because for the most part, I've been like the Boston Red Sox: constantly swinging and missing. In all seriousness, let's go back a bit. After the 2021-22 season, which saw the Bruins ousted in the first round by the Carolina Hurricanes, I said that the Bruins wouldn't make the playoffs. I had my usual arguments; the team's not deep, they live and die by the Perfection Line, Tuukka Rask isn't there anymore, and the added bonus, they fired Bruce Cassidy as head coach.
Clyde E. DawkinsPublished 18 days ago in Unbalanced
Avalanche Game 16 Recap: The Comeback is Bigger in Texas
The Colorado Avalanche are coming off a huge 8-2 win over the Anaheim Ducks, winning back-to-back games for the first time since the team's 6-0 start. The Avs left Ball Arena and headed on a two game divisional road swing, with the first stop being a big one: Dallas. The Dallas Stars have had to start over after missing the playoffs in that shortened 2020-21 season (following their Cup Final run in the bubble), with the following season seeing them snag a Wild Card spot, and last year saw them in the Conference Finals. Entering this weekend, the Stars and Avs are one and two in the Central Division, and this was Colorado's chances to make a dent in their small division deficit, as well as remind the Stars just who the hell this team is.
Clyde E. DawkinsPublished 18 days ago in Unbalanced
