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Most recently published stories in Unbalanced.
What Will the Toronto Maple Leafs Do for an Encore?
The Toronto Maple Leafs have had chances to clinch this season, but came up short. Their latest attempt was on Wednesday, when all they needed was a point, but the Tampa Bay Lightning won, 3-1. The Leafs were idle on this night, but they could clinch with help from outside. Basically, they needed any two of the three teams to lose: the Detroit Red Wings, the Philadelphia Flyers, and the Washington Capitals. All three did end up losing, and in regulation, too. The Flyers lost first, and Detroit fell second, and that ended up being enough to send the Leafs back to the playoffs.
By Clyde E. Dawkinsabout a year ago in Unbalanced
Jets Take Off to the Playoffs
A packed Thursday night of NHL action only saw one team with the opportunity to lock up a playoff spot. That team was the Winnipeg Jets, and their destiny was in full control. A win would do it. If not, just one point and the Blues losing would get it done. Or a Blues regulation loss and a Wild loss would also get the job done. The schedule was interesting, as there were Eastern Conference games and Western Conference games, and and the three games connected to the scenario all played at the same time: Flames @ Jets, Avalanche @ Wild, and Blues @ Predators.
By Clyde E. Dawkinsabout a year ago in Unbalanced
Avalanche Game 76 Recap: A Wild Thursday
Boy, do I hate the Minnesota Wild. I mean, you can't blame me for hating the Wild. After all, they are the Colorado Avalanche's longest tenured division rival. No lie there, folks. While the Battle of Quebec (Nordiques/Canadiens) only lasted 16 years, and was a division rivalry for only 14 of those years, the Wild and the Avalanche have been division rivals since 2000. Whether it's the Northwest Division, the current Central Division, or even the localized West Division from the COVID-affected 2020-21 season, we just can't get away from the Minnesota Wild.
By Clyde E. Dawkinsabout a year ago in Unbalanced
Avalanche Game 64 Recap: All Hail Cale
I am so blessed that Cale Makar is on my team! To say that this was a day to remember for the Colorado Avalanche would be an understatement. We made a lot of noise today, not just on the ice, but off it as well. The Avs are making moves! First off, we traded Ryan Johansen to the Philadelphia Flyers for defenseman Sean Walker; the Flyers later waived Johansen. We all knew Johansen would be dealt; he had been underwhelming, for the most part, for the Avs this season. As for Walker, he's supposed to be quite the key player, so this is a big move for the Avs.
By Clyde E. Dawkinsabout a year ago in Unbalanced
Avalanche Game 63 Recap: Just(us) Another Manic Monday
You know, there are days where I really, really love the sport of hockey. Today is one of those days. The Chicago Blackhawks picked a bad night to enter Ball Arena. The Colorado Avalanche were coming off a terrible loss to the Nashville Predators, and when a team gets hit in the mouth like that, they are looking for blood. Thankfully, our favorite punching bags, the Blackhawks, are willing to oblige. So for the final time, it's time to teach Connor Bedard a few lessons.
By Clyde E. Dawkinsabout a year ago in Unbalanced
Avalanche Game 50 Recap: Back to Work
It's been a minute since the Colorado Avalanche last took the ice. A lot has happened since the Colorado Avalanche's last game. Of course, there was this big thing in Toronto known as the NHL All-Star Game, with the Avalanche being represented by Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar, and Alexandar Georgiev. The trio played on a team captained by MacKinnon, but the group lost to a team captained by Connor McDavid in the opening minigame of the four-team tournament, which was won by the team captained by Toronto's home superstar, Auston Matthews.
By Clyde E. Dawkinsabout a year ago in Unbalanced
A Look at the Nine Current Minority Coaches in the NFL
Two years ago, I wrote a story about how the NFL has a diversity problem, and boy, did that. At one point after the 2021 regular season, the firing of David Culley and Brian Flores as head coaches left Mike Tomlin, the longtime stalwart, as the only Black head coach in the NFL for a very brief while. Counting Ron Rivera and Robert Saleh, that totaled three coaches of color out of 32. Not even one-eighth of the league at that time.
By Clyde E. Dawkinsabout a year ago in Unbalanced
A Look at the Canadian Teams' Standings Entering the NHL All-Star Break
Canada's Stanley Cup drought reached 30 years even after last season saw none of their seven franchises made it past the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Since 2011, these have been the seven Canadian teams in the NHL: the Calgary Flames, the Edmonton Oilers, the Montréal Canadiens, the Ottawa Senators, the Toronto Maple Leafs, the Vancouver Canucks, and the Winnipeg Jets. Only the Jets (both versions) have never been to the Final, and out of the six who have been there, only the Canucks and Senators haven't won the Stanley Cup.
By Clyde E. Dawkinsabout a year ago in Unbalanced
The History of the Adams Division. Top Story - January 2024.
I've followed the NHL in some form for 30 years, but I'm still learning about the league I enjoy watching. A long time ago, I did learn about the old divisions: Adams, Patrick, Norris, and Smythe. These divisions predated the geographical ones that we've known for the last 30 years, and the rivalries were immensely intense during that period. This will be the first of four stories focusing on those classic divisions, and I'll start geographically, even though the names had nothing to do with location. First off, the Adams Division.
By Clyde E. Dawkinsabout a year ago in Unbalanced
Avalanche Game 39 Recap: Hey Now, You're an All-Star!
The Colorado Avalanche are coming off the team's first overtime win of the season; a 5-4 comeback win over the New York Islanders. Colorado has won three straight games, and regarding game #39, it's a trip to Dallas to face off against the Stars. The Avs' last visit to Dallas ended with Colorado winning 6-3 after trailing 3-0 in the second period. This is an important game, as Dallas is in the thick of the Central Division race.
By Clyde E. Dawkinsabout a year ago in Unbalanced
Avalanche Game 38 Recap: New Year, Same Resolve
To the eight billion people in this big, wide world, it's a new year. To the percentage of us who are hockey fans, it's January. Here's what January means in the NHL: it's no longer "early." January is the last full month before the NHL goes on their All-Star break, and for all of the league's 32 franchises, it's the last chance to get in a good position heading into that break, because chances are, if you're in a good spot by the All-Star break, playoffs are in your future.
By Clyde E. Dawkinsabout a year ago in Unbalanced
Avalanche Game 28 Recap: True Grit
A funny thing happened entering the Colorado Avalanche's latest game: the Winnipeg Jets moved into first place in the Central Division. The Jets' win in Anaheim on Sunday moved them past Colorado and Dallas in the standings, but thankfully, the Avs had the chance to remedy that, as the homestand continued against the Calgary Flames. This is the second meeting of the season between the Avs and Flames, with Round 1 going to Colorado.
By Clyde E. Dawkinsabout a year ago in Unbalanced
