:: Avalanche 2, Flames 3 ::

Flames forward Rene Bourque scored two goals, including a short-handed breakaway in the first period and then the eventual game-winner, as Calgary defeated the Colorado Avalanche, 3-2, at Pepsi Center on Wednesday night. 

The Avs now have a rare three-day break before a quick road trip to California, which includes stops in Anaheim on Sunday and then Los Angeles on Monday. Their next home game will be Wednesday, March 24 against the Kings and The Avalanche Guild has an AFTER-HOURS discount ticket special for that game!

We’ll start with Marc Moser’s post-game show up on the ALTITUDE RADIO BLOG, produced as always by Mark Bertagnolli. Adrian Dater from ALL THINGS AVS was still sick from the night before but still brought you the story from a few days ago about Vitaly Kolesnik being beaten by a crazed fan in Russia.

Good job by the boys at THE BURGUNDY BLOG for reminding us about the unbelievable string of 3-2 results between these two teams. Scott from REAL DENVER SPORTS also finds some good silver linings in the loss.

Paul’s Coffey handles post-game duties at MILE HIGH HOCKEY while THE AVALANGELIST keeps things short and sweet by describing why the Avs seemed to be stuck in neutral all night long.

This was the first and last Avalanche home game I’ll watch from the stands, so I was very excited to watch from a much closer perspective, as opposed to high up in the press box. I didn’t have my laptop with me for this game, but I still absorbed a lot of mental scouting notes on a number of different players.

The situation with scratching defensemen continued tonight for the Avs and after tonight, it is getting worse. Kyle Quincey once again struggled with his focus in this game, but I’m not talking about the turnover that led to Bourque’s short-handed goal. In fact, it was Chris Stewart’s pass from the half-boards that was chipped way too high and bounced at the line…it  kind of put Quincey in a tough position.

No, I’m talking about his hesitation, his lunging and over-commitment. He’s a mess right now and it’s a slippery slope, because once the confidence starts to weaken, the decision-making goes next. Then you become an even bigger liability, which means the head coach has to once again shift his thinking when it comes to managing minutes. 

Brett Clark needs to stay in the lineup. Ryan Wilson, who will probably need a day or two to recover from his fight with Jamal Mayers, should stay scratched. Quincey needs to continue playing, but take the next three days to refuel, re-focus and get back to the basics. 

Back to the basics. That’s the key for any hockey player that’s just not making the right decisions with the puck while in tight spaces or pressure situations. Quincey is fine, he just needs to get out of this funk. A little pep talk and positive reinforcement from the coaching staff will do the trick, but when Sunday rolls around, it’s up to him to perform with more energy and alertness than at any point of the season.

:: Avalanche 5, Blues 3 ::

In a similar fashion to Sunday’s 5-3 win over Dallas, the Colorado Avalanche scored a huge power play goal and got timely goaltending in the third period to steal two points from the Blues on Tuesday night in St. Louis. Peter Budaj made his first start since Jan. 8, and in just his ninth game of the season, made 28 saves for the win.

The Avalanche flew home right after the game and will host the Calgary Flames Wednesday at Pepsi Center at 7:00pm.

The DENVER POST has an official game recap by Adrian Dater, while Marc Moser from ALTITUDE RADIO NETWORK checks in with the station’s post-game highlights.

David over at MILE HIGH HOCKEY points out the hilarity behind another Avalanche win that, well, wasn’t really earned and so does Sean from ANYONE BUT DETROIT. THE AVALANGELIST took a liking to the second line but made Budaj pay for his gaffe eight seconds into the game.

Despite Peter Mueller’s exceptional play and his potency on the power play with John-Michael Liles, there’s still some trade skepticism lurking out there. Check out REAL DENVER SPORTS and get Scott’s thoughts on Mueller’s future in Colorado. 

With this being Peter Budaj’s first game in months, I played close attention to his performance tonight. I thought he showed some good mental toughness in this game, but the rebound control is still not improving. But to be perfectly honest, I can’t blame him. A goaltender needs NHL games in order to improve technique and puck management. Practices help, but nothing works as effectively as true NHL minutes.

Regardless of his technical issues in the game, he battled hard and relied on his great work ethic to make it through a 60-minute game without giving up a costly goal. It was a big two points for him and the team, but during the post-game interview with Peter McNab, Budaj had a frustrated and somewhat unhappy demeanor. He could have been better, but at least he was more effective than Chris Mason.

It might not be Budaj’s last game as an Avalanche, but I think this game went a long way in showing the organization that he’s not developing as a prospect. He’s a decent backup goaltender, but not worth re-signing when Tyler Weiman is developing at a much faster rate, mainly due to the fact he’s playing almost every game for Lake Erie.

Simply put, a goalie needs to play in order to grow. And with Budaj rarely playing, his ability to develop has been slowed down to almost a standstill. Weiman, on the other hand, continues to develop at a good click and it will probably once again be proven in training camp.

:: Avalanche 5, Stars 3 ::

Craig Anderson made 48 saves, including many clutch stops in the final minute of play, as Colorado clung to a late lead and defeated the Dallas Stars, 5-3, on Sunday afternoon. The Avalanche will be back in action on Tuesday when they take on the St. Louis Blues, then again on Wednesday in Denver against the Calgary Flames.

Our LIVE AVS CHAT was wildly entertaining, especially in the game’s dying moments, as THE AVALANGELIST joined our panel and provided readers with on-the-fly analysis and comments during the game. Be sure to join us on Tuesday for another live chat, as we do these ever road game and invite Avalanche bloggers to be a part of the panel!

MARC MOSER has another post-game podcast up on Altitude’s website and as usual brings fans some great quotes from the locker room. If you aren’t following him on TWITTER already, be sure to do so. This guy is a character and a great voice on the air and in the Avalanche community!

ANYONE BUT DETROIT had a short and sweet game recap, while Derek over at MILE HIGH HOCKEY has a good recap on the game as well. Adrian Dater was sick for the first time in what must be forever, so there was no coverage from him in this game. But you can read the AP report that appeared on the DENVER POST website.

Finally, for a great recap of the Avalanche’s play over the last few games, Jay over at AVS HOCKEY PODCAST finished his 50th post on Saturday morning, so be sure to check it out!

Besides the first two games of the season, this may have been Craig Anderson’s best game of the season. Even though the Avalanche had a 5-3 lead in the final 90 seconds, every save he made was of the clutch variety. There’s no other way to say it – he stole the show in Big D today. It was a brilliant display of focus, desperation and hard work, as a number of sequences included desperate swipes, toe saves and snow angels.

Injuries were easily the low point in today’s game. Cody McLeod blocked a shot off of his left leg and had to crawl to the bench and Stephane Yelle went face-first into the boards on a check attempt and skated off slowly somewhat hunched over. Both tried to skate it off later in the period, but were unsuccessful.

Although you have to give a ton of credit to the Avalanche for turning the power play issues around by going out and getting Peter Mueller, it looks like the next hurdle for the team to overcome is the consistent defensive effort. Dallas completely dominated the game in many areas, including a 51-22 shot advantage, so all three pairings need to tighten up with their decisions in their own zone.

I think it’s about time the defensive pairings get straightened out to the point where they stay the same for at least 3-4 games. I’m not sure how effective it was to scratch a big body like Ryan Wilson over Kyle Cumiskey, who was effective when the speed was needed, but not when bodies needed to be cleared in front of Anderson.

:: Avalanche 3, Panthers 0 ::

Craig Anderson served up the perfect plate of revenge against his former team, as he made 27 saves to lead the Avalanche to a 3-0 victory over the Panthers at Pepsi Center on Thursday night. It was his seventh shutout of the season, which also ties him with former teammate Tomas Vokoun for first in the league.

The Avalanche Guild will be hosting a LIVE GAME CHAT on Sunday afternoon when the Avalanche take on the Dallas Stars. If you are part of the Blogger Network and would like to be a panelist, contact us now!

Some really good content was posted at ALL THINGS AVS after the game, including video interviews with Craig  Anderson and Matt Hendricks.

Hendricks, who scored on a partial breakaway with a few minutes left in the game to seal the victory, has come back from an injury and the Olympics break with some much-needed energy for the Avalanche. THE DENVER POST did an excellent fan ‘Q & A’ profiler on him today, so be sure to check that out.

David over at MILE HIGH HOCKEY handled their game recap, Matt over at THE BURGUNDY BLOG did the same and THE AVALANGELIST has a surprising Face Palm of the Game.

HOCKEYISM was inside Pepsi Center and had a brief comment on the game, from a fan’s perspective. ANYONE BUT DETROIT posted their thoughts on the win and weighed in on Kyle Quincey being a healthy scratch.

One final note – Ryan Stoa was sent back down to Lake Erie today, meaning Kevin Porter played well enough against Florida to warrant more minutes in the lineup. Check out Jori’s latest Signing Board at AVALANCHE PROSPECTS and get caught up on the baby Yeti’s!

Last night was one of the rare home games The Avalanche Guild had off, so I was excited to watch this game from home on HD. I was fairly impressed with a number of different aspects of this game, but I focused mainly on Craig Anderson and Kevin Porter. 

My scouting notes this season, for the most part, point out numerous flaws related to Anderson’s rebound control and puck placement/movement. Of course it doesn’t take anything away from his accomplishments this season, but it’s sheerly something a scout notices technically. Since the Olympic break ended, however, Anderson’s technique has been sharper than at any other point in the season.

Not only is he staying upright and on his knees more than usual, but that’s also allowing him to control hard shots a lot better. His absorption rate is going up. By that I mean he’s not just blocking shots, he’s saving them, holding onto them and not giving up any second or third chances. The glove hand is really active right now and he’s coming up with more of those timely, desperation saves.

Porter was clearly nervous in his first game, even hesitant at times, but extremely aware positionally, which is always the main focus of a player’s first NHL game. They don’t want to be a defensive liability or make mistakes, so Porter was very conscious of his surroundings when he had the puck. He has good size and brings a physical presence to the lineup and because he was defensively sound, he’ll get a nice little star next to his name in Joe Sacco’s book.

:: Avalanche 4, Canucks 6 ::

The wrath of Mikael Samuelsson’s hat trick caused the Colorado Avalanche to surrender a 3-0 lead in the second period and then crumble defensively in the third, as the Vancouver Canucks went on to win the game, 6-4, and complete a stunning comeback on Tuesday night.

Therefore, as you could imagine, today’s snapshot of the Avalanche Blogger Network is chock full of some pretty poignant doom and gloom. Nevertheless, the Avalanche have no time to think about the past, except maybe goaltender Craig Anderson, as he and his teammates are set to play his  former team, the Florida Panthers, on Thursday night at Pepsi Center.

Although The Avalanche Guild’s After-Hours game is now taking place on a different date, you can still purchase discounted tickets to the game right here.

We’ll start at the top, where ALL ABOUT AVS bids farewell to their hopes of a Northwest Division title and ANYONE BUT DETROIT echoes a  lot of the same frustrations.

Clearly, however, Mike from MILE HIGH HOCKEY has topped them both in terms of venting frustrations. Beware, this is a pretty crappy sight. And yes, that’s a pun.

To shift gears a little bit, THE BURGUNDY BLOG is more bitter towards the referees, who may have made some questionable calls, at best, in the game.

One of the more positive and insightful posts following the loss was from THE AVALANGELIST. He points out the issues surrounding the defensive corps and their recent performances, which was clearly lacking last consistency again last night.

Finally, props to Kara over at THE AVALANCHE CONNECTION for shelling out some love to Craig Anderson and Chris Stewart for their incredible seasons to date!

I know there’s a reason for fans and bloggers to be alarmed, but there’s absolutely no reason to panic after this loss. Like I’ve  been saying all week, it’s not where in the Top-8 the Avalanche end up, it’s how they’re playing when the final game of the regular season is over. The Avalanche have things to work out defensively just like they’ve had to work out shots on goal (still dead last) and faceoffs (still 27th). Their next three games are against non-playoff teams (as of today) and they have shown resiliency all season long.

Why freak out now? Every young team buckles from time to time. It’s okay to point out the weak defensive effort in the second and third period, but the Northwest Division is not out of sight and saying so is a little sensational. It’s six points. That’s three games. Last time I checked, there were 16 remaining.

To be honest, however, of all my scouting notes from this season, it became quite clear that this was Kyle Quincey’s worst performance of the season. But because he’s been a rock most of the time, I don’t take it for anything more than a rough night. It’s not worthy of being another healthy scratch, as he needs positive reinforcement right now, not a negative one.

Nevertheless, the loss is still the beginning of another slippery slope. The last-minute loss to Phoenix, combined with last night’s meltdown, will bring out the nerves in a few of the younger players. And that is totally understandable, even acceptable. But as a goaltender and a professional scout, I am sure every Avalanche player understands the importance of not getting too high and not getting too low.

There’s no reason for panic in the locker room, only a stronger sense of urgency and intensity with every game. Listening to the players speak after the game, there’s an incredibly strong sense of cohesion and culpability. That awareness something that often gets lost in the drama of a tough loss, so don’t be overwhelmed or wrapped up in the sensationalism of a dramatic comeback by the opposition. It happens in an 82-game season.

:: Avalanche Weekly Preview ::

Chris Stewart’s hat trick on Saturday night in the 7-3 win over the St. Louis Blues was the first by an Avalanche player in 199 games, dating all the way back to 2007 against, ironically, the Blues. It also gave Stewart the edge over Steve Stamkos in the NHL’s Three Stars of the Week award.

THE AVALANGELIST recaps Stewart’s week and why he was a perfect nomination for the league’s first star earlier today. We also have the following press release excerpt to post from our Avs info desk:

Stewart led all NHL scorers last week with nine points (five goals, four assists) in four games as the Avalanche (37-22-6) closed the week two points behind the first-place Vancouver Canucks in the Northwest Division title race. Stewart tallied one goal and one assist in a 3-2 loss to the Detroit Red Wings Mar. 1, recorded one goal and two assists in a 4-3 victory over the Anaheim Ducks Mar. 3 and notched his first career NHL hat trick and an assist in a 7-3 win over the St. Louis Blues Mar. 6. While the Avalanche rookie corps has earned well-deserved praise, the 22-year-old Stewart is enjoying one of the top seasons by a sophomore in the NHL. Colorado’s first-round choice, 18th overall, in the 2006 Entry Draft, Stewart leads the team in goals (24), plus-minus (+13) and shots (172) and ranks second in points (24-27–51).

Vancouver snuck away with a win against the Nashville Predators on Sunday night, so the Avalanche can’t take over the Northwest Division lead in Tuesday’s game. Even with a win, the tiebreaker goes to Vancouver since they have three more wins (40 to 37). Nevertheless, two massive points are on the line at Pepsi Center tomorrow night as the Avs try to keep at least a six-point gap between them and the Calgary Flames.

Along with Stewart’s fine performance on Saturday, it looks like fans are starting to recognize the legitimate talent oozing out of T.J. Galiardi, another rookie that is now getting first-line minutes. Paul’s Coffey from MILE HIGH HOCKEY made a great post on Galiardi’s play and gives a little credit to his underrated rookie season.

Like we explained in the last Blogger Roundup, Galiardi is not only a gifted scorer, he’s an amazing grinder. The hit he made on Erik Johnson on the boards against the Blues on Saturday was a momentum-shifting hit. Galiardi and the importance of body checks will be one of the topics on tonight’s AVALANCHE WEEKLY show!

A few other topics I’ll be discussing on the show is the Peter Mueller / Wojtek Wolski trade, Craig Anderson’s timely saves and the importance of getting rest during the Olympics, Stewart’s confidence and much more! Remember the show is every Monday from 6-7p MST on Mile High Sports Radio AM 1510! We are joined every week by Mike Haynes from Altitude TV so it’s a great show with a lot of quality analysis.

Adrian Dater from ALL THINGS AVS learned that Ruslan Salei is out indefinitely with another injury, but also noted that Kyle Cumiskey will be ready for action on Tuesday against Vancouver.

Sean from ANYTHING BUT DETROIT had some thoughts on the Lake Erie Monsters after their appearance on NHL Network against the Chicago Wolves. JIBBLESCRIBBITS takes the time to post some interesting news on the NHL2K video game series as well. We also found this hilarious post from the MS. CONDUCT blog with some enticing photos of new Lake Erie goalie John Grahame.

Avalanche fans can also send in their questions for Matt Hendricks to ALL THINGS AVS as they have a post open for comments through Thursday, March 11.

The Avalanche Guild is hosting another After-Hours game with the Beer and Blades adult hockey team following the Avs/Canucks game. Check back here tonight after the radio show for the event flyer and save on tickets to the game!