Break out a sharpie and your favorite Hooters calendar because the 2010-2011 Colorado Avalanche schedule was released today at noon EST, a month earlier than usual. To view the schedule, just follow the jump or click here.
Continuing the NHL's newish scheduling system introduced a couple years back, the Avs will face each and every team in the league at least once. The Avs will face 2 teams in the Atlantic division (Rangers, Islanders) twice, and the Thrashers twice as well, to account for the total 82 games. It ain't a perfect mathematical equation, which annoys the hell out of my OCD, but somehow I still manage to get up and pull myself out of bed every morning.
- Northwest Division - 6 games each, 24 games total, 29% of schedule. (Avs 2009-2010 record vs Northwest: 10-11-3)
- Pacific Division - 4 games each, 20 games total, 24% of schedule. (Avs 2009-2010 record vs Pacific: 9-9-2)
- Central Division - 4 games each, 20 games total, 24% of schedule. (Avs 2009-2010 record vs Central 12-5-3)
- Atlantic Division - 1+ games each, 7 games total, 9% of schedule. (Avs 2009-2010 record vs Atlantic: 2-3)
- Southeast Division - once each (Thrashers twice), 6 games total, 7% of schedule. (Avs 2009-2010 record vs Southeast: 5-2-1)
- Northeast Division - 1 game each, 5 games total, 6% of schedule. (Avs 2009-2010 record vs Northeast: 5-0)
RANDOM NOTES: The Avs will need to play better against their own division in 2010-11 (10-11-3 last year), and they need to figure out how to play against the Northeast division (5-0 last season) more. 78% of schedule is played against the Wild West. Colorado went 31-25-8 versus the West last season, and 12-5-1 against the Easy East. If you take that record vs the east and pace it out over an 82 game season against just the east, the Avs would theoretically have gone 55-23-4 for 114 points. Talk about East Coast Preference....
Some 2010-2011 schedule highlights:
October 7th - Season opener! The Avs take on the defending champ Chicago Blackhawks to kick off the new season. 3 of the 4 games these young clubs battled out last year went to shootouts. Should be good times. After this home opener, the Avs head out on a 5 game east coast road trip.
October 11th - Avs take on the Lappy and his Eastern Champs in Philly's home opener.
October 12th - Avs face off against the devil, in hell, and deal the first of four Colorado style thrashings
October 21st - 2010 playoff first round rematch vs Sharks (minus one retired "Gentleman").
January 1st - Winter Classic: Capitals vs Penguins in Pitt
February 16th - Sid the kid comes to town, if you're into that kind of thing....
April 3rd - Avs clinch the Northwest with a thrilling shootout victory over the Flames.
April 13 - Stanley Cup Playoffs begin
Other: Two, 5 game road trips: Oct 11-18, Dec 3-11. Three 5 game home stands Dec 17-27, Jan 2-10, and 18-26. 10 of the 12 January games are at home. That could be a huge month for our Avs. 17 of the first 28 games are on the road - which could be a good thing as last year taught us (thanks for the stat Jibbles).
Also of note are those nasty back-to-backs featuring Craig 72 starts Anderson: this year there will be 12 sets of back-to-backs. That is up from the 10 (I think) the Avs played last year.
SCHEDULE FOR Colorado
Oct. 7 Chicago, 8:00 p.m. Oct. 11 at Philadelphia, 7:00 p.m. Oct. 12 at Detroit, 7:00 p.m. Oct. 15 at New Jersey, 7:00 p.m. Oct. 16 at N.Y. Islanders, 7:00 p.m. Oct. 18 at N.Y. Rangers, 7:00 p.m. Oct. 21 San Jose, 7:00 p.m. Oct. 23 Los Angeles, 7:00 p.m. Oct. 26 at Vancouver, 7:00 p.m. Oct. 28 at Calgary, 7:00 p.m. Oct. 30 Columbus, 7:00 p.m. Nov. 4 Vancouver, 7:00 p.m. Nov. 6 Dallas, 7:00 p.m. Nov. 9 Calgary, 7:30 p.m. Nov. 12 at Columbus, 7:00 p.m. Nov. 13 at Detroit, 7:00 p.m. Nov. 15 St. Louis, 7:00 p.m. Nov. 17 San Jose, 7:00 p.m.
Nov. 19 N.Y. Rangers, 7:00 p.m. Nov. 20 at Dallas, 7:00 p.m. Nov. 24 at Vancouver, 7:00 p.m. Nov. 25 at Edmonton, 7:00 p.m. Nov. 27 Minnesota, 7:00 p.m. Nov. 30 Atlanta, 7:30 p.m. Dec. 3 at Carolina, 7:00 p.m. Dec. 4 at Tampa Bay, 7:30 p.m. Dec. 7 at Florida, 7:30 p.m. Dec. 10 at Atlanta, 7:30 p.m. Dec. 11 at Washington, 7:00 p.m. Dec. 13 Chicago, 7:00 p.m.
Dec. 15 at Chicago, 7:30 p.m. Dec. 17 Ottawa, 7:00 p.m. Dec. 19 Montreal, 6:00 p.m. Dec. 21 Los Angeles, 7:30 p.m. Dec. 23 Minnesota, 7:00 p.m. Dec. 27 Detroit, 7:00 p.m. Dec. 30 at Edmonton, 7:00 p.m. Dec. 31 at Calgary, 7:00 p.m. Jan. 2 Vancouver, 6:00 p.m. Jan. 4 Buffalo, 7:00 p.m. Jan. 6 Phoenix, 7:00 p.m. Jan. 8 N.Y. Islanders, 1:00 p.m. Jan. 10 Detroit, 7:30 p.m.
Jan. 12 at Chicago, 7:30 p.m. Jan. 14 at Minnesota, 7:00 p.m. Jan. 18 Vancouver, 7:00 p.m. Jan. 20 Nashville, 7:00 p.m. Jan. 22 Boston, 1:00 p.m.
Jan. 24 St. Louis, 7:30 p.m. Jan. 26 Phoenix, 7:00 p.m. Feb. 1 at St. Louis, 7:00 p.m. Feb. 3 Minnesota, 7:00 p.m. Feb. 5 Anaheim, 1:00 p.m. Feb. 7 at Phoenix, 7:00 p.m. Feb. 9 at Minnesota, 7:00 p.m. Feb. 11 at Columbus, 7:00 p.m. Feb. 12 at Nashville, 7:00 p.m. Feb. 14 Calgary, 7:00 p.m. Feb. 16 Pittsburgh, 7:00 p.m. Feb. 19 at San Jose, 7:30 p.m. Feb. 23 Edmonton, 7:30 p.m. Feb. 26 at Los Angeles, 1:00 p.m. Feb. 27 at Anaheim, 5:00 p.m. Mar. 1 at San Jose, 7:30 p.m. Mar. 5 Edmonton, 8:00 p.m.
Mar. 8 at Minnesota, 7:00 p.m. Mar. 11 Anaheim, 7:00 p.m. Mar. 12 at Nashville, 7:00 p.m. Mar. 16 at Vancouver, 7:00 p.m. Mar. 17 at Calgary, 7:00 p.m. Mar. 19 at Edmonton, 8:00 p.m. Mar. 22 Columbus, 7:00 p.m. Mar. 24 Toronto, 7:00 p.m. Mar. 26 at Los Angeles, 1:00 p.m. Mar. 28 at Anaheim, 7:00 p.m. Mar. 31 Nashville, 7:00 p.m. Apr. 1 at Phoenix, 7:00 p.m. Apr. 3 Calgary, 6:00 p.m.
Apr. 5 at St. Louis, 7:00 p.m.
Apr. 7 at Dallas, 7:30 p.m. Apr. 8 Dallas, 7:00 p.m. Apr. 10 Edmonton, 1:00 p.m.
Preseason schedule: 7 games
Tue Sept. 21 at St. Louis 6:00 p.m.
Wed Sept. 22 Los Angeles 7:00 p.m.
Fri Sept. 24 at Dallas 6:30 p.m.
Sun Sept. 26 St. Louis 7:00 p.m.
Tue Sept. 28 Dallas 7:00 p.m.
Thu Sept. 30 at Dallas 6:30 p.m.
Sat Oct. 2 Los Angeles 7:00 p.m. (in Las Vegas, so put your money on 9 red/burgundy)