Game 61 Preview: Avalanche At Thrashers
by David Driscoll-Carignan on Feb 24, 2009 7:50 AM MST
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| Colorado Avalanche |
7:00 pm ET / 5:00 pm MT |
Atlanta Thrashers |
| 28-31-1 | February 24, 2009 |
21-33-6 |
| 57 points |
Philips Arena |
48 points |
| 15th in the West |
Atlanta, GA |
14th in the East |
The Avalanche, for a change, are actually facing a team lower than them in the overall standings. The Thrashers have a potent offense, led by guys like Ilya Kovulchuk and Bryan Little. Fortunately, they seem to stink defensively and are allowing 3.5 goals per game. The previous sentence, of course, is meant to foreshadow Keri Lehtonen's imminent shutout this evening.
The big news, of course, is the expected return of Paul Stastny after a 26-game break (longest Christmas vacation. EVER). On Sunday, Peter McNab suggested the top two lines may be McLeod, Stastny, Hejduk & Smyth, Wolksi, Svatos. That, with the substitution of Stewart for McLeod, is how I pegged it a while back, so those lines certainly make sense to me. I have to say, you can criticize Tony Granato for a number of things (special teams especially), but he generally has done a good job with the way he's handled his lines. He needs to get Chris Stewart off that 4th line, though.
In a weird quirk of the schedule, the Thrashers will be in Denver two weeks from today to take on the Avs. If the game is as physical as they were on Sunday, there's an opportunity to generate a little bad blood between the two teams. Then again, half of these guys could be on new teams by then...
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dude, McLeod over Stewart? I like McLeod and all, but this reeks of Granato’s “random grinder + 2 skill guys” lines from his first stint. :( bottom 6 lines will be….
Tucker – Arny – Stewart
McCormick – Guite – Lappy
i think? Maybe swap Willsie and McCormick? Maybe Hensick in there?
Trade
I realize you don’t want to banish McLeod to Arny-tucker, but I think the easiest thing to do is put McCormick with Arny Tucker, and move Stewert up, and put McLeod with Lappy and Guite.
The Avs should just send Hensick back down if they aren’t going to play him. He’s been awful, for sure, but he’s not going to get any better, or retain any trade value, if he’s a healthy scratch every night.
The 2008-2009 Colorado Avalanche: Slumpbusters
by Jibblescribbits on Feb 24, 2009 9:35 AM MST up reply actions
see, I don’t want to break up the IBC line at all, so that means 3 of Arnie, Willsie, Stewart or Tucker for the 4th line (or McLeod if Stewie does get the call up front). However, McCormick had an…odd game on Sunday, so perhaps that line is not safe either.
as for McLeod up front, Granato tried it a couple of weeks ago and abandoned it pretty quickly, so I to think he won’t last up there with another shot
Hyphens cause writers more trouble than any other form of punctuation, except perhaps commas.
by David Driscoll-Carignan on Feb 24, 2009 9:39 AM MST up reply actions
for lack of anything better, that’s what I’ve been calling the Ian Lapperriere, Ben Guite, Cody McCormick line
Hyphens cause writers more trouble than any other form of punctuation, except perhaps commas.
by David Driscoll-Carignan on Feb 24, 2009 10:07 AM MST up reply actions
agreed on Hensick. he needs to regain confidence.
Swapping McCormick and McLeod would be fine too, then play the McLeod – Guite – Lappy line as the 3rd. In fact, I like that better too.
There is always the hope
that either Tucker or Arnason (or both) will be healthy scratches and that line will be Willsie-Hensick-Stewart/Mcleod.
But I’ll admit that the Avs have a better shot of making the playoffs than we have of both those guys being scratched.
I'm The Canary - but I'm not cute nor cuddly, and I don't sing.
Now and then we had the hope that if we lived and were good, God would permit us to be PIRATES.
-Mark Twain-
by Americanario on Feb 24, 2009 10:15 AM MST up reply actions
Tucker/Arnason
Have been part of the Ti4T campaign all along? FG and TG are genius, I say!
MHH: Shagging Dater one contributor at a time.
by Bob in Boulder on Feb 24, 2009 10:18 AM MST up reply actions
It’s a sad day when we’re heavily debating fourth lines and trying to decide who we want to handicap that night by including Arny and/or Tucker on that line.
I bet Granato uses it as a motivational tool – “McLeod, you better keep bringing the pain or I’m putting you on a line with The Black Hole and Sham-WOW!!!”
Colorado Avalanche: Gellin' and Propellin'!!!
Highlight from the Rick Sadowski article
“Tyler Arnason played several games with Smyth and Hejduk immediately after Stastny was injured but was largely ineffective.”
Litotes: an understatement for rhetorical effect
Oh Rick, you are so poetic.
If the Avs are serious
about Ti4T, their only shot at going for the number two seed would need to include 2 regulation losses to the Thrashers. So we have that going for us.
MHH: Shagging Dater one contributor at a time.
by Bob in Boulder on Feb 24, 2009 10:08 AM MST reply actions
Nope
We still have a chance at the playoffs. We’re only 7 points out.
Of course we’re 7 teams out too and despite being 3-1 in our last 4 games, and 5-5 in our last 10, we’ve gained points on:
Phoenix
The 2008-2009 Colorado Avalanche: Slumpbusters
by Jibblescribbits on Feb 24, 2009 10:30 AM MST up reply actions
So
is this one of those games where we hope they tie and then win in overtime or shootouts. That way, we win which is great, but we give the Thrashers 1 point to help with the Ti4T? This really hurts my brain.
Avs. Sticking it to the Red Wings
No
I think the only way we have a chance at overtaking Atlanta is to lose both games against them in regulation. It is really hard to give up ground very quickly in the new NHL. The Avs could severely suck arse for the rest of the season and still finish out of the bottom 5.
MHH: Shagging Dater one contributor at a time.
by Bob in Boulder on Feb 24, 2009 4:41 PM MST up reply actions
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