Game 39: Avalanche At Coyotes, Open Thread
by Mike @ MHH on Dec 31, 2007 6:09 PM MST
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Here's the open thread for the first game against the Great One's Desert Dogs. Keep an eye on former Avs Reinprect and Vrbata, both having decent seasons. Also, Bryzgalov, the coulda-been-an-Av (according to us at MHH at least).
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Re: Game 39: Avalanche At Coyotes, Open Thread
Style of play
The 'Yotes play a similiar aggressive forecheck style to what the Avs were playing going into the Christmas break. Not sure if that same style was maintained in the LA game. Didn't watch that one, so somebody will have to fill me in.
Quick pass and score!
Brunette out of the corner to Wolski who beats Bryz on the far side with a GREAT shot!
Avs up 1-0.
Re: Game 39: Avalanche At Coyotes, Open Thread
End of 1st
Good pace to the first with only one PP apiece, though the Phoenix PP was played mostly in their end due to some good work by the Avs PK in the 30 seconds that they were down a man.
The Highlander had a good hit in the offensive zone that knocked a man off the puck. Didn't get much of it, but still nice to see. McCormick is trying to get in Bryz's kitchen a little bit at times in the first too.
Hannan, in his shut-down role, seems to be matched up against the Mueller-Vrbata line as they are the paier that seems to be making the 'Yotes go lately.
In other news
I just watched Scott Nichol take what was possibly the worst penalty shot I've ever seen... Words can't describe the complete and utter ineffectiveness of his head shakes and decision-making on the free shot.
Re: Game 39: Avalanche At Coyotes, Open Thread
Big kill here.
Vrbata scores
on the PP. Ugly, broken play. Avs think they have the puck in front of Boots, but Vrbata is all by himself next to the crease when the puck squirts to him.
and Reinprecht scores
right after when Clark tries to play center field, misses and gives Steven an open wing to take a shot on net.
2-1 'Yotes
Some good 'Yotes pressure
results in another penalty in the defensive zone. What happened to the disciplined team.
Lappy's line seems to be the only one generating any offense in the 2nd period.
Re: Game 39: Avalanche At Coyotes, Open Thread
Avs go on the PP
Wolki gets a good chance but Bryz robs him on the doorstep on a seeing-eye centering pass from Hlinka out of the corner.
Phoenix almost scores shorthanded immediately after as nobody gets back and Liles is on an island as the Doan almost bangs in a similiar pass.
McCormick for Interference
Skratch lays down in front of Vrbata, giving him plenty of time to step aside, and shoot one past Boots. Skratch getting up may have screened the goalie too. Either way, Boots moved over to stay with Vrbata and the shot went against the grain and in.
3-1 'Yotes.
Is this what the LA game was like? What the hell?
Yep, screened by Skratch
as he got back to his feet, Radim shot it between his legs as Karlis was up on one knee.
vrbata again
wow what a douche, why did we get rid of him? Budaj totally crapping out in this game...
by Mike the Avs Fan on Dec 31, 2007 7:32 PM MST reply actions
Yeah,
cuz the defense not clearing anything out of the zone, two PP goals against, Skratch being Skratch, etc. That's all Boots...
CLARKIE!!!
Clark from Lappy!!! WOOOOOHOOOOOO!!!
by Mike the Avs Fan on Dec 31, 2007 7:33 PM MST reply actions
Lappy with the fake slap
Passes to Clark who skates in, one-moves Bryz and gets the goal. Good way to finish the 2nd!
Avs down 2-3.
End of 2nd
Why can't the top line bury any chances? Why must former Avalanche players excel against their old team? Why must every goal against be the goalie's fault when 4-5 other guys have to screw up before he even gets a chance to make a mistake? Why am I asking rhetorical questions?
Well...
If according to you guys all the goals last game were Theodore's fault, Budaj deserves no preferential (is that even a word? lol) treatment.
Seriously, the 2nd and 3rd goals were extremely soft. Both shots from not far away, both visible, both should have been stopped. Like I have been saying before, we need a goalie. Why oh why did we not get Bryzgalov?!?
by Mike the Avs Fan on Dec 31, 2007 7:51 PM MST up reply actions
Errr...
Rather, both shots from not too close.
by Mike the Avs Fan on Dec 31, 2007 7:52 PM MST up reply actions
btw
at least all Theodore's goals the other night hit the posts. These are sailing through Budaj's body as if it has holes all over it. He is playing Theodore-esque tonight IMO.
by Mike the Avs Fan on Dec 31, 2007 7:54 PM MST up reply actions
Goals
The first goal slipped under Budaj as he went for the poke check as he was the last line of defense as Vrbata was left all alone next to the crease. Plus it was a PP goal and the Avs were scrambling. The second goal was a bouncing puck that went over the shoulder. Maybe he shoulda had it, but it was a broken play where Reinprecht just popped up with the puck after two Avs players tried to play the puck with their gloves instead of playing positional hockey. The 3rd goal was a screen shot as Skratch initially took himself out of the play, then stood up just in time to screen Budaj. The shot didn't go through him either, it went short side between him and the post.
He's made some huge saves tonight in close, so the theory that he isn't stopping any short range stuff tonight is incorrect IMO.
I didn't see the LA game, so I have no opinion that it was a typical Threeorfour night for Theodore.
Bryz being Bryz
two HUGE saves after the PK had expired. This time shutting down the top line...
ANOTHER EFFIN' PENALTY!
this time on Hannan as he interferes with a Yote nowhere NEAR the play....
WTF is going on tonight?
Clark, Hannan, Leoprone, Skratch, Liles, and Finger. I gotta say I miss the Kid Cumiskey tonight...
Big save sequence
by Boots at the end of the PK. Two good opportunities right in the crease and he got the left pad on both.
Holey Fuck
What a pass by Guite from his knees in front to the Highlander, who buries it to tie the game...
We're going to OT
Reinprecht
just made Hannan look like his bitch. Thankfully, the puck rolled off his stick, a reoccuring theme tonight, for both teams...
Why is Svatos on the ice in OT?
He's been grossly to mildly ineffective all night? Roll Lappy and Co. as much as possible, IMO...
Bouncing puck
generates an offsides after Clark misplays a pass into his and creates a 2-on-1 the other way. Even the FSN Arizona guys are ripping on the ice conditions now...
That should read
Clark misplays a pass into his feet...
The ice was BRUTAL tonight. Both teams had to play on it though, so it's not an excuse, but how many scoring opportunities were thwarted due to bouncing pucks, pucks inexplicably losing speed on passes, pucks rolling off sticks, etc.? I'd put in in low double figures for each team.
Going to Shootout
That's that
Wolski has his gimme roll off his stick, Mueller scores over the leg and under the glove, Svatos clangs another sure goal off the post on the backhand, and Vrbata beats Boots on the backhand.
We got a point, but we should have gotten more. The Yotes are a much improved team since getting Bryz, but aside from the Lappy line and an occasional Smyth siting, the big guns were silent for the Avs tonight. Tons of penalties for a normally disciplined team (McGoo was a ref tonight. I hate that dude) resulted in two PP goals against as 'Former Avs Night' comes to a close with Reinprecht and Vrbata sticking it to their old team.
One other note: With a guy named 'Vrbata' on the team, you'd think the FSN Arizona guys could pronounce Svatos correctly, but no. Its SVATOS, not SAVATOS. He's Slovokian guys, not Greek...
Good job Mike...
Good reporting! I wish they'd stop anaylizing the Av's lost and just replay that Guite pass about 25 times instead.
Thanks
though it seems I only get on a role when they lose a game or two in a row. We get to see the rematch on Wednesday.
That was by far the worst game I've seen Skratch play as an Av. Just brutal. He played a puck to a teammate that was on the bench at one point in the third. He had an opposing player coming in slow, and his d-partner was changing and he literally played it to the bench from the far side of the ice. Inexplicable!
New Years Resolutions for Joey Q. to consider:
Sit Skratch for a couple of games and let Cumiskey play.
Let's see more of Hlinka/Wolski/Mcloud combo and less Brunette/Wolski/??
More Lappy and Co. Can we clone them and just role two identical lines?
45 Shots on net
I shoulda started Bryz for my fantasy team tonight... His save % has to be through the roof...
game over
Damn, we lost. Budaj continues his uber-sucky play in the SO. I swear he has only saved 2 or 3 shoootout shots in his life, all the other ones missed the net. If you look at his shootout %, it still sucks, but if it factored in shots missing the net it would be even worse. Sometimes I think we can just pull a goalie from a pond hockey game somewhere and he'd play better in the shootout than Budaj.
What horrible luck Wolski had on that shot btw, that was total bs, I'm pissed right now. Then Svatos hits the damn POS post. If we actually got one of them on net, we might have scored.
by Mike the Avs Fan on Dec 31, 2007 8:52 PM MST reply actions
sorry boots
I don't know why I'm picking on Budaj so much tonight, I am just so horribly pissed off right now. This was supposed to be (IMO at least) a win. Hands down we were going to avenge the losses vs. the Kings and Wings. Whenever I'm pissed I need a scapegoat, and I just happen to have chosen Budaj as the scapegoat tonight. So sorry Boots....but you still need to practice those friggin breakaways damnit!!!!
Well, I just hope the new year brings better play from the Avs. Cause this isn't going to cut it.
by Mike the Avs Fan on Dec 31, 2007 8:54 PM MST up reply actions
SO not his strong suit
though he seems to handle breakaways during a game just fine. Maybe he overthinks the SO. I'd still prefer him to Theo though. The world just isn't ready for the new and horrifying ways Theo can get out of the way of a puck...
true true
sometimes I think Theodore is playing dodgeball out there....lmao
But seriously, total frustration tonight. Losing to the frickin Coyotes, 14th in the west **sigh**. Oh well, we must persevere!
by Mike the Avs Fan on Dec 31, 2007 9:12 PM MST up reply actions
A new saying?
Whenever Hannan fucks up, like he did for the 1st goal, can we steal a page from Red Sox Nation and magically explain it away as just "Hannan being Hannan?"
by Dan Winkler on Dec 31, 2007 9:59 PM MST reply actions
Hi Dan
Will you be wearing your Hannan away jersey or Hannan home jersey to the 'yote rematch tonight?
by Bob in Boulder on Jan 2, 2008 9:42 AM MST up reply actions
Re: A new saying?
Let's just hope he doesn't start wearing baggy baseball pants and that weird hair thingy to the games.
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