hockey
We talk pucks and objects of that kind. We yell, complain, and analyze in the language of hockey fandom. Gretzky can do no wrong.
A Beautiful Blowout
It was a rough Eastern road swing for the Colorado Avalanche. A loss in Boston, a close win at MSG, followed by a terrible loss in Long Island. These games were our first following the deal that sent Mikko Rantanen to the Carolina Hurricanes, while the Avs received Jack Drury and Martin Necas, along with a pair of draft picks. So far, the two new players have delivered. Drury has two goals already, while Necas has four assists. Even so, the 1-2-0 record in the East Coast triple dip did not help our case in the standings. We need wins and points ASAP!
By Clyde E. Dawkins12 months ago in Unbalanced
Have a Seat
Seems like yesterday I was waiting for this season to start. Yet here it is, heading towards the end of January, with the Four Nations break just a week and a half away. The Colorado Avalanche are in the East Coast for three games, and the second game was a huge clutch win at Madison Square Garden over the Rangers. The trip came to an end with a trip to Long Island against the Islanders. The Avs were looking to continue to keep pace with the Central Division's Top 3; it has not been easy.
By Clyde E. Dawkins12 months ago in Unbalanced
Is This Finally the Year for the Maple Leafs?
I've been sitting on this for over a month, but the NFL season's insanity have caused me to put this on hold. But let me set the scene here. We are almost in February, we are two weeks away from the Four Nations break, and the Toronto Maple Leafs are in first place in the Atlantic Division. The Leafs have been leading the division for a good bit, but now, it's getting serious.
By Clyde E. Dawkins12 months ago in Unbalanced
New Look, Same Clutch Moments
Before the Conference Championship games started, I got into some early hockey on Sunday. The Colorado Avalanche were playing the second half of a back-to-back, and similar to the previous day's game, it was a matinee start. Saturday was the Avs' first game since the Mikko Rantanen trade, and it was a loss to the Boston Bruins. After falling against a struggling Boston team, we headed to Madison Square Garden to face off against the New York Rangers, finishing that season series as well. The Rangers, who had been struggling for most of this season, were now on a ten-game points streak and looked to capitalize further.
By Clyde E. Dawkins12 months ago in Unbalanced
Bad Day in Beantown
So this was it, Avs faithful. The day after. Many Avalanche fans had thoughts about the big shocking trade, sending Mikko Rantanen to the Carolina Hurricanes, and receiving Martin Necas, Jack Drury, and a pair of draft picks. A lot of fans felt this was a bad deal for us, but some of the ones with that sentiment felt that there was no other choice. Rantanen wanted to be paid very handsomely. He wanted Leon Draisaitl money. He wanted to be paid more than MacKinnon. If we had done that, we could kiss our depth goodbye. It sucks, but it had to be done.
By Clyde E. Dawkins12 months ago in Unbalanced
A Lot to Pack In
So I'm a tad behind on the Colorado Avalanche recaps, and I already explained the reason why in an earlier story, which you can check out here. In the time that passed, the Avalanche's homestand was completed, with two highly important four-point games within the Central Division. We were coming off winning an important game against the Dallas Stars, and now we had to deal with two more division rivalry games.
By Clyde E. Dawkins12 months ago in Unbalanced
Big Trouble in Big D
You know, there's always something about Thanksgiving week and Dallas, and this year proves it. The Dallas Mavericks hosted a game on Thanksgiving Eve. Thanksgiving Day saw the Dallas Cowboys in action per usual, and Black Friday saw the Colorado Avalanche in Dallas against the rival Stars. This is the first meeting of the season between the two clubs, and the first meeting since last year's second round matchup, which saw the Stars victorious in six games due to the Avs being hampered by Val Nichushkin's issues again.
By Clyde E. Dawkins12 months ago in Unbalanced
Just One of Those Nights
Monday was a once a year occurrence in the sports calendar: it was the Sports Equinox. The Sports Equinox occurs when all four of the main sports leagues plays actual relevant games on the same day, and it can only happen during World Series time, and even then, it can only happen on a Monday, Thursday, or Sunday, because those days feature NFL games. In the case of Monday, it was Game Three of the World Series and Monday Night Football occurring along with the day's NHL and NBA action.
By Clyde E. Dawkins12 months ago in Unbalanced
Four Minutes and 59 Seconds
Nothing is ever easy in the National Hockey League. Honestly, that's just the way I like it. Some teams don't make it easy. The Colorado Avalanche don't make things easy. Honestly, I don't mind that either. What I do mind is when even the easiest things become difficult. That seems to be the case very early in this season.
By Clyde E. Dawkins12 months ago in Unbalanced
Stanley Cup Final Game Three: Kiss of Death
For the first time in three years, the Stanley Cup Final headed across the northern border to Canada. For the first time in 18 years, the Cup Final emanated from Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. However, the Oilers were on the wrong end of a 2-0 Cup Final, and history states that 2-0 is hard to come back from in the final round. Only five teams have done it, and it hasn't been accomplished since 2011, when the Boston Bruins won four out of five after losing the first two games of that year's Cup Final.
By Clyde E. Dawkins12 months ago in Unbalanced
Stanley Cup Final Game Two: Good Vibes
In Game One of this year's Stanley Cup Final, the Florida Panthers dominated the Edmonton Oilers with a 3-0 shutout win at home. For the first time in the team's 31-year history, the Panthers had a lead in the Cup Final. So what would they do for an encore in Game Two?
By Clyde E. Dawkins12 months ago in Unbalanced
Stanley Cup Final Game One: What About Bob?
Behold, the Stanley Cup Final has arrived! It's been six days since the last time the puck dropped, and that was in Edmonton for Game Six of the Western Conference Final. The Edmonton Oilers have had five off days to drink in the fact that they were in the Cup Final for the first time in 18 years, while the Florida Panthers had six off days to bask in the glory of being in the Final for the second straight year. This is the fifth straight Final to feature two teams who had never met in such a setting before, and regarding the stakes, the Panthers have another chance to win their first Stanley Cup, while the Edmonton Oilers are looking to win their sixth Stanley Cup, their first since 1990, and Canada's first since 1993.
By Clyde E. Dawkins12 months ago in Unbalanced
