Two games are in the books. One was a loss reminiscent of last season; the other was a solid win against the Stanley Cup Champions. It's hard to tell so early in the season which team is the real Colorado Avalanche. There were enough similarities between the two games, however, to give us an indication of what we might be able to expect from this team in 2011-2012.
While it may be premature (and even a little lot suspect based on such a small sample size), let's take this opportunity to ponder on our initial reactions to this season's Avalanche. There are aspects of this team that are markedly different from last season's incarnation. There are also parts that seem pretty much the same. Are the changes what we hoped to see? Will they bring the team success? Or are they just an illusion that is bound to break our hearts in the end?