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.
Avalanche Game 44 Recap: C'est du Hockey
The second leg of the Colorado Avalanche's five-game Eastern road swing sees the team head to Montréal to face off against Les Habitants, the Canadiens. It's amazing. This used to be a provincial rivalry, as the old Quebec Nordiques battled hard against the Canadiens for sixteen seasons before the Nords moved to Denver. Even so, the teams still have a crazy connection, mainly because the Avs have taken some notable names from the Habs, and won Cups with them.
By Clyde E. Dawkins2 years ago in Unbalanced
Avalanche Game 43 Recap: The Comeback Kings
It was a day where the NFL took center stage, as this year's Super Wild Card Weekend was underway. Even so, the NHL had a stacked schedule: all 32 teams were in action. Two of them were the Colorado Avalanche and the Toronto Maple Leafs, and they faced each other. That's a marquee matchup, mainly because it pits two of the NHL's biggest stars against each other: Nathan MacKinnon and Auston Matthews. One's climbing the ladder in the points race, the other is leading the league in goals. Giddy--by God--up!
By Clyde E. Dawkins2 years ago in Unbalanced
The History of the Norris Division
Ever since I learned about the old NHL divisions--the Adams, Patrick, Norris, and Smythe, my fascination with them has increased as time passed by. I do love reading about the Adams Division because I'm a Quebec Nordiques fan, and learning about how they fared in that division back in the day was just amazing. The Patrick Division was spectacular due to the geographical aspect, and while the Smythe Division is a story I'll delve into later, it was definitely an impactful division. The subject of this story is the Norris Division. This one was quite amazing, according to what I've read about the Norris.
By Clyde E. Dawkins2 years ago in Unbalanced
Avalanche Game 42 Recap: Impostors
Boy, does this feel good! Entering this night, I had said that the Colorado Avalanche owed the Vegas Golden Knights an ass-whipping, though it was not a few months in the making. The 7-0 drubbing that the Golden Knights gave us was just part of it. We had owed them an ass-kicking ever since the evening of June 10, 2023. What happened on that date, you ask? The Golden Knights won the Stanley Cup. Our Stanley Cup. Granted, that Cup's going to go from team to team, with some lucky teams holding it for two or three years, but still, Vegas should be thanking Seattle for that upstart upset last year.
By Clyde E. Dawkins2 years ago in Unbalanced
The History of the Patrick Division
As I learned about the National Hockey League's classic divisions, I couldn't help but be fascinated by the Patrick Division. One reason is that while the divisions originally had little to nothing to do with geography, the Patrick Division consistently had East Coast franchises, with the exception of one season of the division's existence. The division was named after Lester Patrick, the longtime player and coach for the New York Rangers, who was also credited for a number of innovations that remain in the current NHL today: the blue line, the penalty shot, and tracking assists, among other things.
By Clyde E. Dawkins2 years ago in Unbalanced
Avalanche Game 41 Recap: The Halfway Point
Seems like yesterday that this season started, yet here it is, Game #41 of the Colorado Avalanche's 2023-24 season. Game #40 did not go well for the Avs, as it saww the Florida Panthers thrash the Avs and put up eight goals on the team. For this game, the Avs were facing the Boston Bruins, a team who the Avs have a very good history with for the last quarter-century.
By Clyde E. Dawkins2 years ago in Unbalanced
John Jay Loses Four Goal Lead in 7-5 Defeat to Horace Greeley
On December 15 at the Brewster Ice Arena, it looked like a Friday night party when John Jay treated their fans to a 5-1 second period lead. But being fashionable late actually proved the difference for the other guests on the invite list.
By Rich Monetti2 years ago in Unbalanced
Avalanche Game 40 Recap: Ay Caramba!
OK, so...that happened. So the Colorado Avalanche were coming off a pair of amazing overtime comeback wins to start the New Year, and this game was the start of a three-game homestand. Our opponents were the Florida Panthers, the first meeting of the season between the 2022 Stanley Cup Champions, and the 2023 Eastern Conference Champions. The game started before the football games started, and it was supposed to be part of an epic day.
By Clyde E. Dawkins2 years ago in Unbalanced
Avalanche Game 37 Recap: Ending 2023 in Style
2023 was quite the year for the Colorado Avalanche. When the calendar year began, the Avalanche were the reigning, defending, undisputed Stanley Cup Champions. It was a calendar year that saw Nathan MacKinnon pick up his very first 100-point season. It was a calendar year that saw Mikko Rantanen finish a 50+ goal season, and also rack up 100 points. Now, unfortunately, it was a year that saw the Avalanche's attempt at a repeat come to an abrupt end. But it would also be a year that the Avalanche would begin the process of dusting ourselves off, and try, try again.
By Clyde E. Dawkins2 years ago in Unbalanced
John Jay Gets in the Win Column with 12-3 Victory over Fox Lane
After losing their first two games, John Jay fell behind Fox Lane 1-0 on Tuesday December 5 and then went down two men on the power play. But the way the game begins doesn’t necessarily signify how it will end, according to Coach John McKeon. “It’s all about staying composed, getting your feet wet and getting adjusted to the game speed,” the first year coach said, and his sentiment definitely proved true.
By Rich Monetti2 years ago in Unbalanced
Avalanche Game 36 Recap: Bouncing Back
The Avalanche were coming off quite an embarrassing overtime loss; leading 4-0 but giving up five straight against the Arizona Coyotes. Ironically, the one point that Colorado received was enough for the good guys to take the Central Division lead, but still, this was a terrible loss. In addition, after being road warriors to start the season and winning those games outside of Ball Arena, the Avs were on a six-game road losing streak, with three of the losses coming in extra time.
By Clyde E. Dawkins2 years ago in Unbalanced
Avalanche Game 35 Recap: It Was 4-0
Well...at least we're back in first place. Yay? The NHL returned from their three-day holiday break with 14 games, and the Colorado Avalanche were no exception. The Avs were coming off a big 4-1 win over the Arizona Coyotes on December 23, and in this go-around, the Avs faced the Yotes again, this time in the desert. Mikko Rantanen was my Avs Twitter Psychic pick in the game, and for only the third time this season, I was correct. It was a power play goal late in the first, and it was Rantanen from Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar. The Avs led 1-0 after 20 minutes, and for MacKinnon, his points streak reached 19 games.
By Clyde E. Dawkins2 years ago in Unbalanced
