Cream Puffs Anyone?

The Avs are really a bunch of cream puffs.  As I go through the lines it is rather jarring (reverse pun intended) how soft they are. 

Duchene-Stastny-Hejduk is as soft and snuggly as a Reese Witherspoon Rom-Com on a Valentine’s Day date.  Call them the softie line.  As hockey players that shoot, pass, deke, etcetera they are doing better than just okay.  Hejduk has magic hands, Stats is solid and reliable and Dutchy is fantastically creative.  But mean and gritty?

Jones-Olver-Mueller was a recent line.  Jones has long been excepted to go to the net but doesn’t seem to have the personality to do it on a regular basis.  Mueller is reputed to be a floater and Olver is just small.  That said, Jones has raw talent that clearly works at times even if he is streaky.  Mueller has a ton of talent if he can just stay healthy.  But none of these guys are going to knock an opponent to the ice hard enough to make an impression.

Individually there are guys that need a look too.  O’Reilly being the most important.  He is having a killer season and no doubt part of that is due to his steady maturation and insane work ethic.  But I think playing with Landeskog has a lot to do with it as well.  Landy makes space on the ice for O’Reilly to work.  Landy leads this team in hits and most of them are good, solid hits.  O’Reilly, despite all his gifts as a player is still a cream puff.  I can’t possibly count how many times O’Reilly has had a chance to lay a lick on an opponent and he pulls up.  His “finish your checks” hits are half-hearted and weak.  It’s the only criticism of his game I can conceivably level at him. 

None of this is meant to say that these guys aren’t what the Avs need on the ice.  Nor am I saying they aren’t tough, they take punishment and keep on playing.  They are talented but lack the latent chip on their shoulder that not only has a place in this game but is a necessary component of success for most teams.

I believe that the management of the Avs have seen that this component has been missing ever since Chris Stewart was traded away.  Perhaps it was thought that TJ Galiardi was going to fill that roll.  He was certainly given plenty of time and opportunity to do so but it just didn’t seem to gel. 

The challenge with the Stewart-type of players is that they are pretty good at too many aspects of the game for their own good.  They are just good enough with the puck that one coach/team wants them to focus on that and let the physical nature of the game take care of itself.  The next coach/team wants it the other way around.  These guys that can skate well, move the puck well, score and have a mean streak aren’t a dime-a-dozen.  They often have trouble fitting in to the lineup and yet their value can’t be denied.

With the acquisition of Downie and McGinn the Avs appear to be back on track.  The team has a big defense, upgraded goaltending and now a little more grit to go with the talent up front.  This just may be the pieces the Avs have been missing that can get them back to the playoffs.

Here's a nice cream puff recipe for ya, remember, serve with a bit of attitude and everything will be fine.

Ingredients

• 2 (3.5 ounce) packages instant vanilla pudding mix
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1 cup milk
•  
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 cup water
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 4 eggs

Directions

1. Mix together vanilla instant pudding mix, cream and milk. Cover and refrigerate to set.
2. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
3. In a large pot, bring water and butter to a rolling boil. Stir in flour and salt until the mixture forms a ball. Transfer the dough to a large mixing bowl. Using a wooden spoon or stand mixer, beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each. Drop by tablespoonfuls onto an ungreased baking sheet.
4. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes in the preheated oven, until golden brown. Centers should be dry.
5. When the shells are cool, either split and fill them with the pudding mixture, or use a pastry bag to pipe the pudding into the shells.

Clearing the Way for Captain Matt Duchene

Shortly after the Avs made the Chris Stewart for Erik Johnson trade, Avs GM Greg Sherman was on NHL radio to talk about it. One of the things he said that stood out the most to Avs fans was that the Avs were on track with the plan. Plan? Plan to lose as many games as possible and allow 3 or more goals in every one of them as a bonus? That plan? No plan seems particularly apparent to fans or experts.

Here’s my theory on the plan. Yes, the team wants to stay young. They are happy to keep things on the cheap for now but to be fair they did offer Craig Anderson a nice contract that he walked away from. And they want to get back to a team that has an identity. It’s old news that Sakic, Roy and Forsberg are not going too save this team on the ice or at the box office.

Those parts of the Plan are readily apparent. Quietly playing out over time are the efforts of the management to lay a solid foundation for Matt Duchene. And I believe that part of that is nurturing the best environment for Matt Duchene to become the captain of this team.

Matt Duchene is slated to be the face of this franchise and it’s all been in motion for years. Duchene has been billeted with current captain Adam Foote since day one. Think that was a happy coincidence? I doubt it. He’s being groomed. Foote has strong leadership skills and Duchene is expected to soak up a lot of this directly from the source.

Need more evidence? Matt Duchene is on Twitter. Not only is that unprecedented for this organization, it’s completely out of character. No one else on this team has been granted that kind of access to social media. We will have to see what happens to Erik Johnson’s account now that he is an Avalanche.

The Avalanche’s “All About the A” ad campaign has featured Duchene prominently.

Do trades figure into this scenario? I think so; the trade of Scott Hannan was two-fold. The Avs certainly thought they were getting a quality player in Tomas Fleischmann but it also set up another scenario. Next year Adam Foote is expected to retire and that would leave Hannan in a clear position of leadership on this team. A position that would be somewhat difficult for a 20 year old to tackle, even one of Duchene’s drive and determination. Don’t see Hannan as a leader? How about that situation in Washington where it was said that Hannan took the lead in a team meeting only weeks after getting there? If he’s got the stones to pull that on a new team imagine the role he would feel needed filling in the Avs locker room with the departure of Foote. That kind of situation could derail the plans the Avs have for Matt Duchene.

Liles is another potential leader that could upset the apple cart. Could be one of the reasons he was again in play on the trade market. And if Liles hasn’t got the message yet that he is expendable then there is always draft day to take care of that situation for good. I’m not endorsing such a move; I think that Avs are much better off with Erik Johnson AND John-Michael Liles on the blueline. But the team may not see it the same way if it threatens Duchene’s ascent to Captain. Erik Johnson now gives them more options in parting with Liles. I think Liles can and does still provide important leadership on this team but he also has to accept The Plan and his place in the scheme of things.

And what about Stastny? It’s just possible that he is passive enough about leadership that he will not be a factor. He strikes me as a guy that is motivated to play hard and win but is more than happy to let others do the rah-rah stuff. Same situation with Milan Hejduk.

All of this is about chemistry. The Avs, like any team has to monitor the chemistry on the ice as well as in the locker room. If they think they have the leader of the future on their hands then they have to take steps to ensure that his position is secure. It’s not unusual for teams to trade away players to start a new chapter and set the stage for the locker room chemistry of the new era. The Avs know this but don’t expect them to come right out and say it. It just isn’t polite dinner table conversation.

-From the Point

Dutchy’s Gapping Pie-hole

What is it with all the pictures of Duchene’s open mouth? Did you see this one on Puck Daddy the other day?
And I think Altitude always uses some dopey looking picture of him with his mouth open. I suppose they are “action” shots of him screaming in celebration, but they still bug me. Reminds me too much of Mike Modano always skating around with his maw open like he’s hoping to catch a fly, get a little extra protein during the game I suppose. Not that it hurt his dating scene.

Reminds me of one fine day when I was mtn. biking and upon a quick intake of breathe I sucked some sort of flying insect right down my throat where he promptly got stuck.
No one enjoys eating bugs but to have a live one wriggling and squirming in my throat was really kinda freaking me out.
After a few seconds of trying to spit him out I said screw it, grabbed my water bottle and washed him down.
While I was not happy about this, I guess I’m not the one that died a horrible death in stomach acids…
True story.
So anyways…
Shut your trap Dutchy!!

Side note regarding the All Star Game Draft: Dutchy says (in the Puck Daddy interview) it’s no big deal if Lindstrom picks him as he would find it interesting since he was watching the Avs-Wings back in the 90’s…when he was five or six years old! And would enjoy talking with Lindstom about that. BWahahaha! That WOULD be awesome, talk about makin’ the guy feel as old as a dinosaur.


-From the Point

Matt Duchene - First NHL Fight

Glad to see Matty raise a little Hell.

That is all!

    

Dater Watch - David Jones moved to Center

Avs beat writer Adrian Dater referred to David Jones as the second line center in a recent Denver Post article.  Of course that is Matt Duchene's position and Dater simply had a brain fart...that no editor noticed?  Either at the Post or at Yahoo!, apparently.  Yahoo! fantasy hockey news quickly posted a recommendation based on Duchene's move to winger. 

The best part?  Dater called HIMSELF an idiot on Twitter.  Something usually reserved for...well, other people.

The real head-scratcher here: can he block himself? 

The world may never know!!!

-From the Point

Avalanche Burgundy & White Game

Tonight the Avs held their annual Burgundy and White game.  After a couple of years of being hosted at the Air Force Academy it was moved back to the Denver area.  The new-to-Kroenke Broomfield Center is a great little venue for just this kind of event.  The event center has been through a management change that resulted in the departure of the minor league teams.  There were reports that the locker rooms were dismantled and rumors that it would not host sporting events ever again.  Fortunately the big "A" painted at center ice was a good indication that the facility still has all it needs to run a hockey game.

Remember, "It's All About the A"

Tonight's "A" stands for Ass.  Or Adam.  Interchangeable.

Footer has been a bit pissy all camp but has been promoted to Five Star Ass after tonight's game.  Not only did he ASSault Matt Duchene twice in the game but he also took a good shot at Mueller(?) can't recall exactly.  Perhaps it's all part of a new training regime for Duchene where he gets mugged on the ice by his landlord.  It's possible, since he did get mugged a lot early last year by just about every team that played the Avs.  As for why Foote has been mugging other players at random?  I attribute it to poor eyesight.  The guy IS pretty old. 

Fantasic video, nice job by Guitarpick8120, obviously a great Avs fan!

As for the rest of the game, the goalies that matter looked good.  TJ Galiardi looked very good with his usual line mates, Stewart and Stastny.

O'Reilly looked pretty good as did Jones.  The Duchene - Mueller - Hejduk line was not impressive, though individually they looked fine.  Just not clicking as a line. 

Almost had a fight between Koci and McLeod.  Kinda glad it didn't happen, Koci is a big guy and I like McLeod.  Daniel Winnik also continues to play well.  Shattenkirk had a good game.  Porter was skating like a mad man but not getting too much done.  Stoa and Mercier were looking decent.

Sakic was spotted in the suites with the rest of the Avs Illuminati, further fueling thought that he isn't just hanging around for autographs.  He working himself into a work.

-From the Point

Second Annual Real Denver Sports Helmet Awards

With the season over for the Avs, I thought we could once again pass out some awards to some deserving Colorado Avalanche players. Real Denver Sports would like to acknowledge the players of the Colorado Avalanche with the meaningless Helmet Awards.

The categories, strictly made up on the spot, by myself and the staff are:

For taking more Shit than any other Avalanche Player that actually did his Job-David Koci
People who say Koci is worthless clearly don’t understand his role on this team. He wasn’t here to score goals, kill penalties or skate fast. He was here to fight and I never saw him shy away from a fight. So you can assault (pun intended) his role, but it’s hard to say he didn’t do his job. Did he win every fight? No. But I’m pretty sure that every guy he fought could kick your ass easily. Unless Scott Parker is reading this. (hopeful)

Highest pay per TOI Award-Ruslan Salei
Salei wins this by a mile racking up a whopping $12,452.00/minute of playing time. Don’t tell me about injuries, all the runners up were injured as well. And some of them were benched extensively.

Best ball cap Award-Peter Budaj
No Competition.

What?  I couldn't find a pic of Budaj in a cap, seriously.
I think he scrubbed the internets of them!!
So here is a pic of a cap...and an ice girl.
WHAT??

Meanest Nickname- Marek Svatos for "Midget"
According to Liles that is one of his nicknames, which he pointed out during an interview. Joking or otherwise…that's just mean!

I’m not Granato Award-Joe Sacco
Nope, not even close. Did you notice those Pens are done? Granato.
The only thing that worries me about Sacco is the hard-ass mentality. I saw an early season interview with him and he was asked if the players could talk to him, did he have an open door policy? The answer: No. Emphatically.

Was G-Money driving the Zamboni after the Pens loss??

The Mike Milbury Just Hit Someone Award-Ryan Wilson

If Wilson can stay healthy I think he has a future on this team.  I like a D-man that knows when to hammer a guy and when to make a play.  Wilson at his best can do both.  Pretty good for a guy that was a throw-in on a trade.

Peter Pocklington Award-Greg Sherman
For trading Ryan Smyth. Captain Canada! I love that guy! I’m still pissed! I can’t let go!
Ok, maybe that is a bit overboard but was Kyle Quincey really THAT valuable this season and Preissing sure wasn’t. Just imagine if this young team had the experience leadership and scoring ability of Ryan Smyth?

Best toothy(less) grin-Ryan O’Reilly

Best Duo since Drury/Hejduk-Duchene/O’Reilly
While The Duke and Drooooory were pleasant surprises for such late round picks. You’ve got to give the kids a lot of credit for living up to the expectations at 18 years old. These two should be great for years to come. Until we trade O’Reilly and THAT will be the worst trade EVER….sheesh!

Game 5 - What was that?!?!?!?

               To be honest, I don’t even know where to begin with this.  I thought the Avs would come out flying tonight, or better yet, hoped they would.  Not so!  They only had two shots in the first period compared to the Sharks 12.  I don’t call that a good start to a game.  Although they did get 17 shots in the third period, a bit late in the game if you ask me.

                I won’t complain too much about the officiating although there are obviously some errors being made on calls.  I’m not saying the Avs don’t deserve some of these penalties but the whole melee with Hannan, Duchene and McGinn, that was pretty weak.  I get why Hannan got the penalty but why McGinn didn’t get more than two minutes blows my mind.  He obviously took a couple of swings at Duchene’s face; I don’t really call that roughing.  But... enough of that.

                

                My question is this “Where is the offense???".  The Avs have scored 9 goals in five games.  But 5 of those came in game 2 and one was technically scored by Boyle in his own net.  The top line of Stastny/Stewart/Galiardi has a combined point total of 1 in the last three games.  That’s only one assist by Stastny!!  When you’re the top line for a hockey team, they need you to be more productive.

                Maybe it’s time Sacco changed things up a little bit.  I know he put Tucker on the second line last night but I think that’s a lack of options more than anything.  I’m sure he’s scratching his head with the coaching staff today trying to find some way to revive this team.  Its do or die tomorrow night and something need to happen pretty darn fast.   Maybe put Duchene/Yip/Galiardi back together, they were pretty good when Sacco first put them together.

                One thing I did enjoy though, and I don’t really know why, is that the Sharks scored 5 goals and this is what the stats sheet looked like.

                Talk about not stepping up big Joe.  You had zero points when your team shows up and scored 5 and you only have 2 assists this whole series.  But than again, who could have seen this coming……..ehhh…..anyone from anywhere that’s followed hockey even a little bit in the past few years, that’s who!

                As for Anderson, you can’t be superman every night, you’re only human.  Shake it off and come back with a vengeance tomorrow night.

-Frenchy

Game 4 - Avalanche VS Sharks

               I had the opportunity to go the Game 4 last night.  Although I didn’t have the best seats in the house, didn’t matter, the place was packed and there was a lot of energy.  I hadn’t seen that place that packed since Joe Sakic retirement night.

                Overall, I thought the Avs played a pretty good game, a lot better than they did in Game 3.  They didn’t get out shot like last game which to me was a big thing.  When you only get 17 shots and you let the other team get over 50 shots, you’re just making winning the hockey game a whole lot harder.  And those 50 shots were the only the ones that actually made it to Anderson, the Sharks had over 30 shots blocked.

But, I do have a few negative things to say about the game.  Sacco decided to sit Wilson and put Salei instead.  I can’t say that I totally agree with that when Clark was available.  I’m not saying Salei played a bad game but when you have a team shooting like crazy at your goalie, you might considerer putting the guy that blocks a lot of shots ….and that’s Clark.

                Another thing I noticed was that the Avs seemed kind of slow compared to the Sharks.  The Avs are the younger team that and they’re supposed to have lots of speed.  What happened?!?!?  I thought Yip looked the slowest of all, maybe that was just me but every time he touched the puck, it seemed that he had Sharks players on him pretty quick.

                And Svatos, I don’t even know what to say.  I know he probably tries hard when he’s on the ice but I’m sorry, you’re no Hejduk.  I saw him make a bunch of mistakes which was hard to watch since he’s out there with someone as talented as Duchene.  To me, that second line of Duchene, Svatos and Yip just didn’t have any chemistry.  That’s where I think not having Hejduk/Duchene/Mueller really hurts.

                I wrote a post before the series started and mentioned that the Avs had a good chance of winning…..if the got/stayed healthy.  Mission failed!!!  Losing Hejduk is HUGE.  Now both Hejduk and Mueller aren’t making the trip to San Jose, two key pieces that the Avs could have used right about now.

                One thing that I do want to mention was the play of Darcy Tucker.  I thought he looked like his old self.  Let’s be honest, he doesn’t have the scoring touch from his Maple Leafs days ( he does actually have a few 20+ goal seasons)  but his intensity last night was awesome.  Tucker is not a big guy by any means but he’s out there hitting these bigger Sharks players.   Way to go Tucker!  Of course, Anderson looked good too.  And I have to say, when the starting line up was announced, when they said Anderson’s name, the crowd went nuts; they love him at the Pepsi Center.  He’s our number 1 goalie for sure!

                Game 5 tomorrow.  Let’s hope they can pull this together and come back here for the win.

-Frenchy

Avs - Sharks Game 3 Photoblog

It starts and ends with Andy

Andy's name spelled wrong.

Playoff beard sighting!

O'Reilly dropped his breezers and got his shorts taped on, mid-game.

For the Boods fans!

Crowd rockin' it!

Picking up after the yard sale.

Tired penalty killers.

AN-DY! AN-DY! AN-DY!

-From the Point

NHL Playoffs!!!

                The NHL playoffs start tonight and this is what the teams have been playing for all season long.  Nothing else matters now, it’s all about getting to the next round and finally get a crack at the Lord Stanley.  One thing I always want to see every year is a 8^th seed team knocking off a number 1 seed team.  Now, do I think that the Canadians can actually win against the Capitals….no.  Do I think that the Avs can actually win against the Sharks…yes!

                The Avs have almost no pressure in these series.  They are not expected to win and they shouldn’t win.  Maybe this is the perfect situation for them.  They can go in there and play with ease and play the game they want.  All the pressure is on the Sharks.  Let’s not forget that the Sharks don’t have the best playoff streak going.  They haven’t gotten past the second round in over 4 years even though they were one of the top teams in the West every year.  If you ask me, the Sharks have one good line and that accounts for almost 40% of their goals.  If the Avs can contain that line, they’re going to do just fine.  Also, they split the series this season with the Sharks 2-2.

                Now, I’m saying they can win if, and only if, the players get and stay healthy.  Matt Duchene said he’s going to play tonight, I hope that if he’s not 100%, that he’s pretty close.  They really need his scoring touch, Stewart and Hedjuk can’t score all the goals.  He had really good chemistry with Hedjuk and Mueller so hopefully thing will stay the same.  Speaking of Mueller, he has been a more than welcomed surprise since joining the team. He’s been great on the power play with Liles so losing him is huge at this point.  When you talk about an injury like a concussion, it’s always a bit tricky.  He didn’t make the trip to San Jose which already has me worried a little bit but I really hope that he'll make an appearance when they come back to play in Denver.  David Jones has been skating, it would be good if he could play and contribute but over 5 months off the ice is a long time.  I hope Sacco knows exactly when to use him. As for the top line, they need to keep playing the way they have been, no excuses.  At last of all, Anderson needs to bring his A game.  We need the Anderson that showed up at the start of the season.  

                The Avs have a chance to reach the second round; I’m just hoping they make it happen.  For a team that every body had finishing dead last in the West, getting to the second round would be quite the accomplishment.

-Frenchy.

NHL Awards

I thought I would give my predictions about who’s going to be in the running for each award and who’s going to win the hardware. Keep in mind that I’m one of the top scorers in D2 league hockey, so I know what I’m talking about, believe me!!!

Hart Trophy
Sidney Crosby
Henrik Sedin
Alex Ovechkin

Winner: Sidney Crosby

What he did this season with the players around him makes him the winner. Sedin and Ovie are great players but they had more support from their line mates than Crosby did. Who did he play with all season??? Kunitz, Guerin, Dupuis. He really stepped it up because I think he felt he didn’t really have a choice in the matter.

Vezina Trophy
Martin Brodeur
Ryan Miller
Ilya Bryzgalov

Winner: Ryan Miller

Man did he ever elevate his game this season. Of course the other two candidates were great but Miller was outstanding the whole season. I know it doesn’t count but his performance in the Olympics was just brilliant.

Norris trophy
Duncan Keith
Mike Green
Drew Doughty

Winner: Mike Green

His plus minus was great plus no other defense put up the number he did. His absence from the Canadian Olympic team was a bit odd if you ask me but if he keeps playing like this, he’ll definitely be at the next one (assuming NHL players can play).

Calder Trophy
Tyler Myers
Tuukka Rask
Matt Duchene

Winner: Matt Duchene

He started off a bit slow but he picked up his game towards the end there. He became a huge asset for the Avs. Seeing how hard he works in the corner and behind the net, just makes watching him fun. He’s going to have a bright career in the NHL.

Frank Selke Trophy
Jordan Staal
Pavel Datsyuk
Patrick Marleau

Winner: Jordan Staal

He had a great year. I thought by now he would be putting up bigger numbers but that’s not really what he brings to the team. Every time Dan Bylsma chooses the match ups, he puts Staal against the opposing teams best line. That’s saying a lot about the trust he puts in Staal.

Jack Adams Award
Joe Sacco
Dave Tippett
Mike Babcock

Winner: Dave Tippett

Do I really need to explain this one! The Coyotes finished with over 100 points. Trust me, nobody saw that coming and this makes him the easy winner.

I know I forgot a few trophies here but I mentioned the ones I knew my hockey expertise would help me.

-Frenchy

Duchene for the Calder!

The Calder trophy talk shifts and alters throughout the season as wide-eyed rookies adapt, or don’t, to the reality of playing 82 games against the best hockey players in the world. It’s a challenge that deserves admiration; the dedication both mentally and physically that is exacted on these young men is immense.
Let’s take a look at who is at the front of the pack today. Most of the discussion lately is about Tyler Myers, Jimmy Howard, Matt Duchene and…Tyler Myers.
Yeah, right now it’s all about Myers.

Tyler Myers

Maybe some of the popularity of Myers as a candidate is that he wasn’t in the discussion before any meaningful games had been played. Everyone loves a surprise, a feel-good story about the player that was only making news in Buffalo. But now he’s making news around the hockey world.
So what’s so great about Myers? Unfortunately I haven’t had a chance to see him play a lot of games so I am stuck with looking at stats that don’t always tell the full story. A good deal of the talk is about how many minutes he plays and all the points he is putting up.
Ok, so Myers plays a ton of minutes. Yeah? So do all top defensemen. In fact eight of the top ten rookies in minutes are defensemen. Not really a surprise.
His league leading giveaways may not really be that big of a surprise either considering that TOI and he IS a rookie after all. Should I give him a pass on that one? A lot of people just seem to be ignoring that fact.
So what about all these points? Lookin’ good there, everyone likes to have that D-man that can chalk up the minutes AND the points. Even better? A third of those points are coming on the power play. If he develops into a quality PP quarterback he becomes very valuable.
And blocked shots? Tops in the rookie class. Ok, but is that as much a skill as it is willingness? Debatable.
All in all he’s a keeper but we knew that. Biggest knock on the kid is his high giveaways ranking.

Jimmy Howard
The kid has played well but he’s kinda like that quarterback for a team that won the Super Bowl with their defense…for example…what’s his name? Trent something? He didn’t WIN the Super Bowl for the team and no one expected him to either. What he did is what he didn’t do. He didn’t LOSE the game with a dumb mistake.

The best thing about Howard is that mask. 
And that's pushing it.

If Howard was all that he would have lifted the Wings INTO to playoffs during those injury-plagued months rather than just maintaining the team at the #9 spot for months on end.
Sure, he deserves a lot of credit for his play and in D-town he’s got quite the field to plow when it comes to replacing the beloved Osgood.
But the Calder? Naw.
Notice recently that the Wings have slipped into that #8 spot? They finally (to my disappointment) look to be playoff bound but it’s because they are getting healthy again.

Matt Duchene

Is your winner. I am an Avs fan you know, but I still think I’m being pretty unbiased. I admit that Myers ought to be given serious consideration.
But Duchene has developed into a player that controls the ice with his play.
Tavares may be a victim of a team that just isn’t that good. Every team he faces can put their top D on him and don’t have to worry about another line. Not so in Colorado. Is it unfair? Yep, but that never stopped a Calder-voter. And hey, it really is a what-have-you-done-for-me-lately world, that’s reality.
What’s Tavares done lately? Other than that explosion of points in a single game: not much.
Duchene does get knocked in the discussions because of his slow start. Probably by the people that see a lot of stats and not a lot of his playing time.
Granted, I am using stats as well, I don’t get to see every Islanders game or Sabres game. But he is leading the stats columns in goals and assists and while that isn’t the end of the discussion, it’s a lot of it.
There’s some talk out there that none of the offensive rookies are dominating. Have these people seen Duchene play lately? Duchene is now showing an amazing ability to evade the opposition’s D or barring that, to bounce off of defensemen and hold on to the puck for long periods of time. This allows his line mates to get open for scoring chances. Duchene’s puck possession since the break has taken a leap!
Like Myers, Duchene has a glaring fault in his stats, percentage of face-offs won. Sitting at 44% he is last among rookies with significant quantities of faceoffs and last on the Avalanche.
We clearly have a two-man race, sorry Wings fans. Will it come down to East coast bias? Will one of the candidates fall on his face in the final stretch? Will John Tavares make a run from the middle of the pack?
I’ll put my money on Duchene.
-From the Point