Ready For a Run?

I don’t know if I have watched the entirely of a Colorado Avalanche game since the year 2003, or 2006 at the very most possibly recent. Hockey has fallen off my radar scene for the most part. But I am crawling back slowly. Taking my time to remember how I appreciated it the way I did back in the later years of my high school career. But, I am aware of the late and impressive run the Avalanche made last year attempting to slide into the playoffs. They lost the last game of the year, which if they had won would have put them in. Over the past 12 or so seasons the Avs have pretty much been a shoe-in for a playoff spot, but things have changed. Joe Sakic and crew couldn’t make it last year, and they are no longer the perennial Northwest Division champs. Still, although they have fallen, they have not fallen to the bottom. And another thing I am aware of is that they have some impressive young talent, Merek Svatos, Paul Stastny, just to name a few, so the future is bright.

They won dozy against division rival Vancover on Wednesday Feb 27th. The stalwart captain Joe Sakic, recently returned from injury, scored the game tying goal with 14 seconds remaining on the clock in the frenzied final moments of the game, and then contributed with a go ahead goal in the shoot out. They came out the winners, and emerged standing in the eight and final playoff spot.

The obvious unmentioned point of interest here is the exciting additions of Avalanche heroes past: Peter Forsberg and Adam Foote. Foote has already contributed, and Forsberg’s health is still in question. We shall see if he’ll play in the next few games. Either way it is an exciting time. Colorado needs a strong push to hold on to their playoff spot and give us an exciting run, and I think they might have the boost to do it.

Further Coach Joel Quinville deserves some consideration for Coach of the Year because he has kept this team in the hunt while three of his best players (Sakic, Stastny, and Ryan Symth) were out for significant portions of the season. Now with all pieces back in place, and some new exciting ones rolling in, maybe this team will roll on into the playoffs and make a run at the gin

Don't look now but they just won another game against the Los Angles Kings last night.

Scols