I'm not sure if it's a glitch or a new feature, but DirecTV is showing both feeds tonight – Altitude and Sportsnet. For kicks, I think I'll spend the first period with the Altidudes and then switch to the Calgary feed in the 2nd period
1st Period
20:00 Theodore in net for the Avalanche, Kiprusoff in net for the Flames. Kipper has played in every Calgary game so far this year.
18:37 I'm already questioning my decision to go with Altitude. It sounds like they are broadcasting the audio with tin-cans-and-string technology™.
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19:19 Forward lines are mostly the same as the last game, with Parker dressing instead of the 7th defenseman. Hejduk is still out.
19:15 On D, it's Liles Finger, Hannan back with Clark (not thrilled with this), and Cumiskey with Sauer. Jeff Jillson has also been called up with Leopold and Skrastins on the IR. Jillson is a scratch though.
17:15 First whistle of the game (Theodore frozen puck). Minor scrum after the stoppage, but nothing crazy.
17:11 Sauer is out with Hannan. I wondered if those pairings were wonky.
16:56 Sauer stands up someone from the Flames at the blueline
16:44 Scott Parker ices the puck. Not a great idea to put himself in a position to be stuck on the ice on a faceoff in our own zone.
15:55 I didn’t know this, but Jillson still hasn't cleared waivers, so he wouldn't have been eligible to play with the team (he couldn't even practice). The NHL roster rules are far too complicated.
14:00 Svatos with a great shot, Kipper with a tremendous save.
13:34 Smyth on the forecheck runs into Phaneuf – Phaneuf is ready for him and knocks Smyth down hard to the ice.
13:01 Here's a reason that I'm worried – Sakic skates in trying to get to the puck first to cancel an icing call. He's got a step on his man…but gets beat.
12:33 Mike Haynes is the last guy in the building to realize that the team had scored. Wolski from behind the net dishes to Sakic in front. Easy goal for Super Joe. Avs lead 1-0. 500th career point for Andrew Brunette.
11:00 A bad bounce off of Hannan's skate in the neutral zone breaks Alex Tanguay in alone off of Theodore. Big save by Theo.
9:14 Aucoin has a wide open net on a rebound chance, but hits the post.
8:21 Clark stands his grounds and drops Owen Nolan to the ground.
4:49 Tanguay converts this time. Langkow breaks Tanguay in and Tanguay beats Theodore to the blocker side. Like we see FAR too often, Theodore barely moves on the shot, and then looks stunned when the puck gets by him. What exactly does he think is going on during these hockey games? 1-1.
2:34 Terrific poke check by Jeff Finger, right after Matt Lombardi broke up a certain goal at the other end.
1:25 Hlinka turns the puck over in front of the Avalanche bench leading to a chance by the Flames. He doesn't so much turn it over as he appears to just give up and move to get off the ice. I've noticed him standing still a couple of times tonight. Not a great 1st period for him at all.
2nd Period
Switching to the Sportsnet broadcast. Roger Millions (who?) and Charlie Simmer. I don't know that I've heard either before.
18:53 Theodore makes a good save on a rebound chance from Langkow. Looking at the replay, that's a GREAT save. Theo had to slide a ways to get into position to make the save, and it was a nifty glove save. Briefly reviewed to see if the glove went over the goal line, but no goal.
18:38 This one is. Matthew Lombardi races in and blows past 4 Avs skating backwards. Finger has a chance to knock it away, but Lombardi keeps possession and beats Theo. Lombardi is just blazing fast. Tough play all around – Liles and Finger both had a chance to break up the play, and Theodore should have stopped it.
17:24 Hannan pinches and can't keep the puck in, leaving Conroy and Tanguay on a 2 on 1. Theodore makes the save.
16:37 Aucoin gets called for hooking. Meanwhile, Dickhead Phaneuf spent most of the play taking shots at Ryan Smyth, and didn't stop after the whistle (of course, no call). Lappy, get ready to pound on this clown again.
16:03 Sakic, Arnason, Wolski, Brunette and Clark on the PP.
15:49 Avs had a great chance but a good play from Corey Sarich breaks it up.
14:42 These announcers are ok, but have a definite bias against Ryan Smyth. Theo too, but that's justified.
13:34 Unlike the Altidudes, they don't have a fear of being critical against Calgary players. They've knocked Tanguay a couple of times already for being afraid to shoot.
11:12 Millions just derided Kyle Cumiskey as a "diminutive defensemen"
10:45 Colorado so far has been able to put little together offensively this period, and seem a bit nervous on defense. This could blow up badly in a hurry.
8:21 David Hale trips Guite. The Flames get all pissy after the play, as if Guite was diving. Dorks.
7:57 Hooking call to Ryan Smyth who, according to Millions, is "notorious for his very discreet hooks"
7:30 TYLER ARNASON OUTRACES AN ICING PENALTY. That. Is. The. Bomb.
7:00 And then blocks an Adrian Aucoin missle with his left knee. That can't be Arnason.
6:25 Guite gets called for an offensive zone hook on Phaneuf. Terrible penalty to take, and it put the Flames on a 5 on 3 for about 30 seconds.
5:26 Avs are looking terrific on the PK so far.
3:31 Smyth and Phaneuf get together again after the play. Perhaps Smyth didn't like getting punched in the back of the head by Captain Coward.
3rd Period
Leaving the Calgary homers for the Colorado apologists (hola, Jibblescribbits) to start the 3rd. I wasn't going to switch back, but the anti-Smyth rhetoric just became to much.
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20:00 Calgary has outshot the Avs 27-13 so far tonight. Theodore has made some spectacular saves to keep the team in the game. If only he could stop the easier ones…
15:01 Clark runs Iginla into the boards – looked liked boarding, but it didn't get called.
14:48 As the play continued, Iginla and Tanguay both took turns hooking Paul Stastny. Tanguay is the one to get called for it. Phaneuf finishes the play off by checking Stastny into the boards. Parker has words for Phaneuf after the hit. Avs go on the PP
14:38 Arnason is on the 1st PP unit again tonight.
13:36 Not a pretty PP at all for Colorado.
12:58 With 10 seconds left, Clark gets called for goaltender interference. The Avs haven't taken many penalties tonight, but the ones they have taken have all been dumb and untimely.
12:09 5 on 3 coming up. Sauer for hooking. Two key defensive penalty killers are in the box.
11:56 As Haynes says, "the Flames got robbed". It's true. Theodore lets the puck trickle through his legs. Mick McGeough blows the whistle but Theo never stopped the puck. Lucky break for the Avs. I won't even mention how lousy of an effort Theo made on that play.
11:04 I'm not 100% sure, but I think Hannan and Finger have been out for the entire 5 on 3. With just Liles and Cumiskey on the bench, I can understand that.
10:08 Avs kill off the 2 penalties; other than the Theodore brain cramp, the PK looked spectacular.
8:34 Cumiskey is playing a lot this period, and is firing homerun passes from his blueline.
8:03 Another freaking penalty – Stastny with a hook.
6:54 Another brilliant save from Theodore.
6:15 On a faceoff, Tanguay whacks Clark in the helmet. 2 for high sticking. The is the Avs' best chance to salvage a point tonight. Just 16 shots tonight.
4:57 Liles and Stastny get pinned deep in their zone by the big bad Calgary penalty killers. Not fun to watch.
4:15 Svatos ties it up! With just 1 second left in the powerplay, Svatos gets to the loose puck in a mad scramble in front of Kiprusoff and bangs it home. The Avs showed some great puck possession on the play. Clark took the initial shot, and Svatos got to the rebound. 2-2. Big goal there.
3:27 The Avs were THISCLOSE to scoring, but Guite rings it off the post.
2:37 Sauer lifts the stick of Conroy to break up a golden scoring chance in front of Theodore. The Avs are still giving up a ton of chances to the Flames.
1:40 I love the play that Guite makes, flipping the puck off the boards as a sort of one-man give-and-go to break out of the zone. He does it here and doesn't score. It's a similar play to his shorthanded goal against Dominick Hasek last year.
0:00 And we are going to overtime. I'm not sure they deserve it, but I'll sure take it. Theodore, despite the soft ones, has made some incredible saves tonight.
OT
5:00 The Avs 2nd OT game of the year – the other one was the first Calgary game that went to a shootout.
4:37 Well, that was quick. Phaneuf makes a boneheaded play by pinching down low. The Avs get possession; with Phaneuf out of the play, it leaves Sakic and Smyth on a 2 on 1. Sakic dishes to Smyth, Smyth scores the game winner. I wonder what the Calgary announcers are saying now. What an awesomely undeserved win!