[AP Preview - WashingtonCaps.com Preview]When last we saw the Avalanche, Mike Green was tooling his way through their entire team, Alex Ovechkin was blasting Karlis Skrastins through the glass, and Olie Kolzig was stopping a ridiculous 45 shots on goal en route to a 5-3 Caps win. The last time Colorado visited D.C. was even longer ago, all the way back in March of 2003 (a 2-1 Caps win thanks to a Sergei Berezin goal. Seriously).
Over the years, Washington has been inhospitable to tonight's visitors. In fact, since moving from Quebec to Denver, the Avs haven't won a single game in regulation in our nation's capital (both of their wins have come in OT, to go along with four losses and a tie).
If more recent history is your thing, Colorado has the fewest road wins in the Western Conference on the season. And if you're into really recent history, the Avs dropped a game last night in Detroit, their first stop on a five-game road swing that will take them to each of the Southeast Division cities other than Atlanta.
And despite a horrendous power-play and a bad penalty kill, the Avalanche are hanging right around the eight-spot out West (of course, a good week and they're looking at home-ice advantage in the first round - viva parity!), and lament as we might the Caps' current injury issues, the Avs are without Joe Sakic and Ryan Smyth (among others) - that's 2,203 career NHL points in the press box for those of you keeping score at home.
So as long as Paul Stastny doesn't do to the Caps what his father and uncle did nearly 27 years ago, there's no reason the Caps can't send the Avs South still searching for (and hopefully finding) their first points on this road trip.
Why The Avalanche Will Win:
"The Avs are looking to comeback from an embarrassing loss to the dreaded Red Wings, and the Caps are the perfect team to make a comeback against. [Peter] Budaj should get the start, the Avs are hot against the Eastern Conference, and it's time for the team to win without the help of Joe Sakic and Ryan Smyth, both on long time IR.Elsewhere 'Round the Rinks:
If the lack of defense of Alex Ovechkin can be exploited, and he can be kept in check, the Avs should rule the game. Or not." - Jerseys and Hockey Love
"The Avs will certainly beat the Capitals. Our coach has come up with a super secret plan that can't be stopped: he dresses eight defensemen and everyone knows eight defensemen is more than six defensemen. With two more defensemen than all the other teams, how could we lose?" - In The Cheap Seats
"The Avs will probably not win against the Capitals because Coach Joel Quenneville will probably start Jose Theodore in net---AGAIN. And also because the whole team is playing like crap lately." - Mile High Hockey
Eric Fehr may play tonight (happy, Jan?).... Will Alex Ovechkin go back to Russia to be a whale in a fishbowl? In a word, no.... Go Canucks Go?... More Karl Alzner.
Daily Awards
- Hart: Chris Gratton (2G, A, +3, 3 SOG)
- Ross: Chris Gratton, Erik Johnson, Andy McDonald, Scott Hartnell, David Legwand (3 points each)
- Norris: Erik Johnson (3A, +2, 2 hits)
- Vezina: Dominik Hasek (19-save shutout win)
- Richard: Jeff Carter, Chris Gratton, Andy McDonald (2G each)
- Calder: Erik Johnson (3A, +2, 2 hits)
- Aiken: Jason LaBarbera (L, 3 goals allowed on 7 shots against in just 6:40 of work)
10 comments:
Eric Fehr may play tonight (happy, Jan?)....
Indeed yes! I saw this same tidbit in Tarik's column earlier this morning. I just wish he'd be suiting up vs. the Lanche tonight instead of vs. the Norfolk Noodlers. Or whomever. Impatient!
I hope to God Fehr stays healthy and gets back on his feet - the guy is freaking talented.
Alzner is a funnay guy. He's a fashionable one, and once someone shows him the NHLTOL site, and how those Canucks aren't as fashionable as far as shoulder-patches are concerned (By a 52-48 margin, yes?), he'll come around.
Peerless on Caps' injuries: "Alexander Semin has a dented butt."
I will slightly clarify my quote by saying that if Peter Budaj gets the start tonight for the Avs, Coach Q is still an idiot and the team is still playing like crap---at least offensively.
It should be a great matchup tonight. A team with no defense against a team with no offense. How exciting.
"It should be a great matchup tonight. A team with no defense against a team with no offense. How exciting."
Ummmm. So, which are we?
The Caps are going down hard tonight boys.
It really doesn't matter if Theo is getting the start or not because he's super dreamy. It's such a distraction that your team won't watch where they are skating and will end up with a tragic injury. This is really the only explanation for the plague that's swept through the Avalanche. His glorious hair will have you mesmerized, so fair warning.
Besides Theo, the Avs are coming off a back to back game on the road so that's a strike against them. On the other hand, the Avs are a much more physical team than they have been in a long, long time. It should be a really good game for the Avs if they get on the board early. If they don't get goals early it could be a long night.
Well, through two periods, the Avs have 9 shots, AO has 3, and Theo is in net. So much for what I said.
Terrific win tonight.
Fun win. Laich's goal was pretty.
Olie won that game. Have fun naysayers. He made every save that he should have, and about 3 that he shouldn't have.
I said it before and I'll say it again: I'm really glad that Steckel finally stuckel up here.
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