The Avalanche didn't get a playoff spot handed to them tonight. St Louis took a 3-0 lead against the Predators but Nashville clawed back in it, tied it in the 3rd and won the game in OT. The Avs need to win clinch now, and are facing a Canucks team that has just been bumped into 9th.
I'll be doing the live blog during the game and updating between periods.
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- Sakic, Wolski, Brunette
- Stastny, Forsberg, Hejduk
- Arnason, Smyth, Jones
- Guite, McLeod, Laperriere
- Sauer, Foote
- Hannan, Liles
- Finger, Salei
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16:32 I'm a little late starting with the typing. The Avs just had a powerplay, but get this: they didn't score. Odd. Ok, they actually looked pretty good.
15:14 The place is kind of quiet for a game of so much importance. I'm sure that will change at some point tonight.
14:19 Forsberg is on his game so far - he and Stastny and Hejduk are passing the puck well.
13:38 Jones has two hits on this shift. One that probably could have been interference, but I won't tell.
11:36 Vancouver strikes first. It's on a redirect, which, as you know, have about a 92.8% chance of beating Theodore. Mitchell from the point and it hit a stick in front.
10:58 Finger and Foote have both been noticeably physical tonight.
10:25 Bruno and Isbister collide along the boards. Isbister is a bit slow to get up.
6:49 Nice hit by Salei along the boards.
6:20 I've been wracking my brain all night trying to figure out who the color guy was, and it just hit me - it's Daryl Reaugh. Dave Strader - one of my favorites - is the pbp guy.
4:02 Oh crap, I just saw the ref for the first time: Mick McGeough. Super. He sends Finger off to give the Canucks their first PP of the night.
1:52 Penalty is over, 1 shot for the Canucks.
1:35 Finger destroys Pyatt along the boards. Pyatt is slow to get up.
1:32 Bieksa lines of Sakic for a big hit at center ice, but Sakic ducks below the hit.
:53 "textbook turbulence". yep, it's Reaugh.
1-0 after 1. Tight game so far.
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2-1 Calgary after 2. So far, not much working out for the Avalanche.
18:33 Wolski is another guy who's been hitting tonight.
15:56 Fuck. Forsberg called for interference. Mick McGeough. I don't like that call at all. And, judging by his red face, neither does Quenneville.
14:54 Avs are really aggressive on this kill - they are all well away from Theodore and are keeping the Canucks on the perimeter.
14:10 Now they collapse down low. And Kessler scores. Daniel Sedin feeds Kessler in front. Theodore stops it, but Kessler pops home the rebound. 2-0 Vancouver. I'm starting to think bad thoughts about Hannu Toivonen.
12:25 Holding by Salo (on Forsberg). Foppa has been involved in all 3 penalties tonight.
12:04 Come on guys...
10:47 SCORE! Liles. Sakic had a shot that was blocked, Hejduk picked it up and shot it. That was blocked, but rebounded back to Sakic who dished back to Liles. Liles was in the slot, waited a second and flipped it into the top corner with Luongo still sprawled on the ice. This PP was more than a minute and a half long and the same unit stayed out the entire time even though the puck was cleared at least once. It worked. 2-1 Vancouver.
10:07 Foote seems to be skating much better than he has been. Even his last game against Minnesota he looked slow. He's moved pretty well tonight.
8:04 Do the Vancouver fans know the game is tonight? This place is dead quiet.
6:25 Pyatt is done for the night.
6:04 SCORE! Forsberg dishes to Hejduk. Hejduk circles while Stastny goes to the net and then Hejduk snaps a beaut through Luongo. Luongo compains that he's interfered with, but that puck was in the net by the time Stastny even got there. 2-2. I want to believe.
5:28 SCORE! Sakic shoots. It goes wide, but bounces in front. Wolski fights off Isbister to spin around and bang the puck into the net. Beautiful play by Wolski. Luongo has looked very ordinary lately. I just yelled pretty loud after that goal - one great advantage to having our family room at the other side of the house from our bedrooms.
5:05 Penalty to Smyth. Interference.
3:05 Penalty is killed off.
1:08 Sedin in all alone, but Foote makes a dandy of a play to force him wide.
:05 Arnason draws a penalty - Bieksa trips him on the way to the net.
3-2 Colorado after two. Things are looking better...
Calgary was won 3-2 over Edmonton, knocking the Avs into 7th. Temporarily, I hope.
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Eddie Olczyk asks during the intermission if the Avs should maybe think about overloading all the talent into one PP unit. I'm guessing he hasn't been watching the game...
Shane should be pleased - Forsberg leads all Avalanche forwards in TOI.
19:50 Avs have almost a full 2 minutes of PP time to start the 3rd.
18:09 The Avs look content with a 1-goal lead. That's not good news.
17:48 Smyth is going back to the box after he tripped Naslund.
17:19 Big block by Lappy.
15:07 FOPPA! Brunette finds Forsberg sneaking behind the defensemen. Luongo again looks awful on the play, not that he should be facing breakaways like that. 4-2 Colorado. Things are looking good. That's Forsberg's first goal.
9:59 Ugh. Foote takes a puck to the face on a dump in. He's bleeding quite a bit. Puck to the ear.
8:13 Some guy from the Canucks - Shannon, I think, makes an embarrassing dive after getting hit by Hannan away from the puck. That's just sad. Thankfully, that fool McGeough is on the other end of the rink, so no call.
5:51 Apparently, Edmonton has been eliminated by losing tonight.
4:01 Canucks are going on the PP again. Hejduk for tripping.
3:58 John Vanbiesbrouk is suggesting that the Canucks pull Luongo now. It makes sense.
2:08 Luongo is off.
1:59 PP is over.
1:47 Theo has made several big saves in the last few minutes.
1:47 Timeout Vancouver.
:30 Wolski just misses the open net as he's falling to the ice.
and that's it. We. Are. In!