Avs are streaky! (Updated after 1st round of play-offs)

[zukes]

The first half of the year saw the Avs win 3 out of about every 8 and slide slowly down the standings, then a funny thing happened, we won 11 out of 12 and shot back into a playoff spot.

Then the opposite happened and we lost 7 in a row.

Right after that, we went 8-1-1 to get back into a tie for a playoff spot.

My next game, feeling confident against a Calgary team that has utterly dominated us all year, we take a 3-0 lead to the 3rd period. Calgary gets one early in the 3rd, then about mid-way through make it 3-2. We take over the next 6 minutes, but Umberger misses a wide open net and Fedotenko rings one off the cross bar.... you know how this is going to end. Calgary hems us in our end for the last three minutes and with 26 seconds left scores to tie it 3-3. They damn near score as the buzzer sounds, but somehow we end up in OT.

OT is much the same as the 3rd, we get our odd chance, but for the most part run around our zone getting dominated. Somehow, we manage to take to a 2nd OT but very early on Calgary scores and wins 4-3.

Despite the loss, (and no OT point, grrr) I take it as a good sign that we can hang with a team that has outclassed us so bad, you never know if we'll meet them in the playoffs.

Well, the players must have taken it a different way. We lose our next two games on home ice, 8-0 to Detroit and 6-0 to Dallas and we are back to the outside looking in, play-off wise.

If you are counting that is 18 straight unanswered goals against us.

[zukes]

The unanswered goal streak stopped at 28!!! Making matters worse, those next 10 came against one team, Calgary rang up 10 straight before we got two garbage time goals.

The next game against the Oilers, our defense and goalie decided it was time to stop their vacation and we were leading 2-1 until there was 5 seconds left in the game, of course we got scored on and lost in OT.

We took our frustrations out on the GM-less Predators to the tune of 8-2, we then travelled to Nashville to finish off the home and home and won 3-2 when Parise scored in OT, putting us into the 8th playoff spot for now.

[zukes]

Columbus Blue Jackets (#1) vs. Colorado Avalanche (#8)

Score one for the little guys:

Game 1: The final score was 4-1 for the Blue Jackets, and it was probably a good indicator of the play as the Avs were hemmed in their own zone for much of the game. That being said, we did hit 3 posts so this outcome could have been different. The game eneded with a couple scraps as the Avs wished to set the tone for the next game by getting the snot kicked out of them (I apparently suck at fighting). Blue Jackets win 4-1, lead the series 1-0.

Game 2: We decided that we could not play a skating, rushing game with the Blue Jackets and instead decided to go with a defense first, counter punch type game. Wow, did it ever work! The shots were 17-1 Avs after the first and though the game was tied at 1 (ugh) you had the feeling that the Avs were going to pull this one out.

Two second period goals made it 3-1 Avs before the Blue Jackets got one late and it was 3-2 headed to the 3rd.

An early goal by the Avs appeared to sink the Blue Jackets hopes for this game as the play was mostly in the Blue Jackets end, yet the Avs could not get one more to close out the game, and wouldn't you know it, with two minutes left, the Blue Jackets scored and now it was teeth gritting time. The next minute saw furious action in the Avs end, shots fired from everywhere, and finally the Avs relented and took a penalty for tripping (what else?). A couple more saves by Anderson led to a fortunate bounce out to Andrew Brunette and he was gone on a break-away on the empty cage. He was tripped as he neared the circles and.....THE GAME FROZE!!!!!

(The GM's agreed that it was a 5-3 final for the Avs and simmed the game shows as a 2-1 double OT win for the Avs)

Avalanche win 5-3. Series tied 1-1.

Game 3:

Back in Denver and feeling good about getting a split out of Columbus, the Avs come out flying and before the game is 5 minutes old, lead 2-0 on the strength of (what should be) Louis LeBlanc's 3rd and 4th goals of the series (he had scored the 2nd and 3rd goals of the previous game that got erased). They were cheesy rebound goals, but we'll take them. From there the Avs tightened it up, and held fort until late in the 3rd when the Blue Jackets scored and had a mad rush to tie it, but we held on and won the game. Avalanche win 2-1 and lead the series 2-1.

Game 4:

With their backs to the wall, the Blue Jackets come storming out and scored in the opening minute. Off the ensuing face-off they came down and rang one off the iron. Had that goal gone in, I have no doubt the game would have been over. The Blue Jackets carried the play for the first half of the period and the Avs stayed in it, only because of that post and some stellar defense and goaltending, including a penalty shot save by Anderson. Somehow we end up on the PP and Zach Parise finally shows up soring his first goal of the series. Parise rings one off the post about a minute later, but the period ends with the score tied 1-1.

The second starts much the same as the first with the Blue Jackets hemming us in and getting an early goal to take a 2-1 lead. The teams trade chances but that's the way the period ends.

The 3rd starts, and really if it was a regular season game you may have fallen asleep, save for another penalty shot save by Anderson. The ref apparently gives these out like candy as Bobrovsky also thawrts an Avs penalty shot. Much of the period was played in the neutral zone as neither team could penetrate the blue line easily. We get a PP with about 6 minutes left and score to tie the game and that changes the play completely. Both teams get chances and the building is buzzing. The Avs actually get some territorial play going late in the 3rd, likely for the first time in the series, and the Blue Jackets take a late penalty, really late, 6 seconds left in the 3rd late. We go to OT on the PP.

I'll pass it over to the Avs play-by-play announcer to finish this game out:

"Here we are in OT, the Avs are on the power play thanks to a late period penaly to the Blue Jackets.

The Avs have Umberger, Parise and Iginla out there to start the period, with Corvo and Coburn on D.

Umberger wins the face-off back to Corvo to start the OT, he quickly sends it up to Parise, he corsses the blue line and cuts inside, fires a wrist shot....HE SCORES....HE SCORES....the Avs have knocked off the #1 seeded Blue Jackets!!! Grab your cowboy hats, we're going to Calgary!!!!"

At least that's how I heard it, LOL.

Avalanche win 3-2 in OT and win the series 3-1.