Daily Cupcakes - January 10th, 2012

NHL.com has a story about the Colorado Avalanche.

"It's amazing to have one goalie playing well, but when you have two it just helps so much," left wing TJ Galiardi said. "We have so much confidence with those guys back there."

The Avalanche reached the halfway point having killed 34 of 37 penalties in a 10-game stretch, and bigger has proven to be better on defense with the additions of free-agent pickups Jan Hejda (6-foot-4, 237 pounds) and O'Brien (6-3, 230). Erik Johnson (6-4, 232), acquired last February from St. Louis, has been playing much better of late, and smooth-skating rookie Stefan Elliott has turned into a dangerous offensive weapon.

"I like the way we're defending," Avalanche coach Joe Sacco said. "We're certainly defending much better overall. Our play without the puck is much better, our defensive zone coverage is much better and our goaltending's been solid, and that's what you need in this League. You need some structure, you need timely scoring and you need good goaltending, and we've gotten that lately."

A link provided by DDC. The Pepsi Center was given a 3.7/5 stars (for Avalanche nights). Do you agree?

Return on Investment 3/5
Avalanche tickets are among the most expensive in Denver sports, which drives the return on investment down a bit.

Still, cheaper seats can be found in the nosebleed sections (where your Rocky Mountain Regional Correspondent often takes in the action from) and there's not a bad seat in the house.

Although, if you can ever sit down low at an Avalanche game, it's one of the most exciting experiences you can have in sports. The massive men crash into the boards, meaning you can see and hear the emotion of the game only feet in front of you.

Extras 3/5
Ushers are everywhere and are welcome to help you with anything you may need and the amenities are almost endless, meaning fans young and old alike will have a great time.

Do you remember the banana incident? The man was charged $200.

The man who touched off a national furor when he threw a banana at a black NHL player during an exhibition game has been fined $200.

Christopher Moorhouse, 26, was not on hand in the London, Ont. courtroom where his lawyer entered a guilty plea on his behalf on Monday.

Moorhouse was charged with engaging in a prohibited activity, an offence under the provincial Trespass to Property Act rather than the Criminal Code.

Under the terms of the sentence, Moorhouse has 90 days to pay the fine.