"St. Louis Blues Plus Paul Stastny"
by Joe Dunman on Oct 1, 2008 6:42 AM MDT
in NHL News
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PrintWell, it's not as bad as The Hockey News, but John Buccigross' pre-season prediction isn't much kinder to the Avalanche.
Bucci plops them right down in 11th place in the West, and says:
Scanning the rosters, I don't see a major difference between the Blues and Avalanche. If healthy, the Avs will score more goals and Stastny is a better-than-a-point-per-game young guy the Blues don't have. But after that, the Avs are relying on older players and unproven goaltending.
...
The Avs do have lots of jam, lots of sandpaper, lots of Metallica in their game. But the NHL is a skill/talent league, and the Avs are going to have to be healthy and on their game every night.
First of all, is Bucci trying to say that the Avs have a roster full of old dudes who haven't been good since the early 1990s? I assumed that's what the Metallica reference meant. Also, we'll ignore the fact that the Western Conference is a skill/talent league for only one or two teams (Detroit and maybe San Jose) and the rest are mucking it up with traps and pests and lights-out goaltending. Maybe Bucci just got the West mixed up with the East.
Aside from all that, he's right. The Avs aren't going to win a lot of games easily. They're not going to skate circles around opponents and they're not going to win any awards for style. But comparing them to the Blues? Really?
The one good thing about all the lousy predictions this year means the Avs will have an easy time surpassing them. If they finish seventh in the West it's suddenly a Cinderella story and everyone (but us) will act surprised and impressed. Scott Burnside will try to give the Jack Adams to Tony Granato in February.
I can't wait.
Addendum: If you haven't seen it yet, THN ranked the teams by the strength of their goaltending and again, it wasn't pretty for the Avalanche. Then again, they ranked Carey Price and the Canadiens in the top spot, and Luongo and the Canucks in 13th. So there's that.
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Metallica reference
Kind of looks good for us, considering their newest album is one of their best.
So does that mean our ‘old guys’ will have their best year?
Personally, I think the new record is maybe their fifth best, behind (in order) Master of Puppets, And Justice For All, Ride The Lightning, Kill ‘Em All, and just ahead of the Black Album. But that’s not exactly relevant to anything.
I think Bucci just meant that Metallica is gritty and tough, which I’d disagree with, but still understand.
Go Avs! Let's get some goals!
Metallica
Am I the only person on the planet that doesn’t like them at all. Of course I don’t like metal at all, so there’s that.
I believe in Peter Budaj
by Jibblescribbits on Oct 1, 2008 8:02 AM MDT up reply actions
How is it humanly possible for people to not like metal? Good lord what is wrong with you?
I just don’t see how a man can go through life without the desire to shred.
Go Avs! Let's get some goals!
It is actually possible, though not very probable.
While the Black album was the first Metallica album was my first, it was the start of their down fall. I haven’t heard much of the newest, but it’s a step back in the right direction. I think “Justice for All” is my favorite.
Old guys aren’t a bad thing, when they are guys like Foote and Sakic. How many 40 something guys are one season off a 100pts. For that matter how many young guys are there that have 100pts on a season? Not many….
Now and then we had the hope that if we lived and were good, God would permit us to be PIRATES.
-Mark Twain-
I think Metallica is AWFUL as well. They played at a festival I went to this year (Pukkelpop 08) and I actually left the festival for 1,5 hours when they were playing.
Don’t get me wrong, I like punk and metal as much as the next guy. But I’m just not big on a band who’s best song is a cover which isn’t even as good as the original.
26 Card Jet
I’m not a Metallica fan either, admittedly the only album i’ve heard is St Anger but when it comes to music i live by a general rule, If it’s not punk rock I’m never gonna like it.
"To have arrived on this Earth as a product of a biological accident, only to depart through human arrogance, would be the ultimate irony"
R. Leakey, Origins; 1977
"Two roads divurged in a wood, and I took the one less travelled by, and that has made all the difference"
R. Frost
Defense
Does anyone look at defense anymore. I know that the Avs offense is a little weak, but they have quite possibly the best defense in the league. That’s going to count for something right.
And to THN:
I believe in Peter Budaj
that’s just what I was going to post. He really looked at both defensive squads and has us equal?
by David Driscoll-Carignan on Oct 1, 2008 8:34 AM MDT up reply actions
Can't wait
for all the “experts” to be saying by mid-season “Oh we had no doubt the Avs were going to be good this season”. Calgary’s the only team in our division that scares me at all this season, there’s no reason the Avs shouldn’t be competing for the Division title again.
Yeah, Vancouver is junk, Edmonton is marginally better, and Minnesota is treading water. And I think the Flames might totally implode under Keenan this year. I seriously consider Edmonton to be the most dangerous team in the conference, and their goaltending is no better than the Avs. Garon is overrated.
Go Avs! Let's get some goals!
Overrated?
From what I’ve read, he seems to be in the same position as Boods, where he has to prove he’s not just a back-up goalie.
Only difference is that Budaj is a starter who has yet to be used as one, whereas Garon is a borderline starter.
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