What's the word concerning the Colorado Avalanche around the web? Our weekly collection (with a scoop of The Denver Post's Adrian Dater) will fill you in and then some.
Oh boy. I wonder how many notches lower they would have pegged the Avs if these outlets had seen the Sharks game before having released their rankings. At least "glas half-full" Dater (Sports Illustrated) caught the game in time to give his two cents.
| Outlet | Rank | Last Week | What They're Saying |
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18 | 16 | Jamie McGinn continues his strong play since coming over from the Sharks, with eight goals and four assists as a member of the Avalanche. |
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18 | 14 | Two tough losses have slipped the Avs to 10th in the West, but they're tied in points with eighth-place L.A. (with two more games played). Game of the year Monday night at San Jose? |
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19 | 15 | The Avs have cranked out 81 shots over their last two games -- losing both -- and open the week in 10th place without games in hand in the clogged Western Conference. Unless they sweep San Jose, Vancouver and Calgary in their upcoming trip, Colorado's chances of making the postseason are low. |
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14 | 13 | Gabriel Landeskog has been overshadowed at times by Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Henrique in Calder race, but he's been the most consistent rookie this season; he hasn't gone more than two games without a point since Jan.14-18. |
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13 | 10 | Time is running out on the Avs, who dropped two straight and have just five games left. A regulation loss in San Jose tonight could be devastating in their pursuit of the No. 8 seed. |
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19 | 12 | It looks like they'll miss the playoffs for the third time in four years. With only four games left, they probably need to win them all and get help from other teams to avoid such a fate. Whether coach Joe Sacco, in the final year of his contract, gets a new deal will be a prime topic if the Avs tee it up early. They did have the NHL's youngest team and one of the lowest payrolls in the league. Hard to expect miracles, I guess. |
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17 | 16 | The Avalanche are running out of race track, with only five games left to secure a playoff berth, but they've remarkably climbed into the race despite only one regulation win in the last eight thanks to six of those eight games going to OT or shootout and four of those six falling in the Avs' favour. |
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