Friday, October 31, 2014

What's Wrong in Colorado?

It's hard to write this blog right now, especially after the Avs soundly thrashed the New York Islanders, the surprise team of the new season (who would have predicted a start above .500?) by a convincing 5-0 score. Nathan MacKinnon got off the schneid as the saying goes with a 2-goal game and a generally solid performance, the fourth line got some goals of their own, including one from fan whipping boy Marc-Andre Cliche Semyon Varlamov had another game for the ages and the potent Islanders offense was blanked, in a defensive performance including another perfect outing for the Avs successful penalty killers. So how can I write a blog about what's wrong in Colorado? That's the nature of sports: when you're winning, nothing is wrong anywhere! What's to complain about after a game like that? Well, a few things, namely the team's overall struggles, come to mind, and I have a few thoughts on that.

-The Avs miss Paul Stastny. There, I said it. I know the Avs have plenty of depth, and lots of firepower up front, but no team loses a 60 point second line centreman and brushes it off like it's nothing. How much extra breathing room did good ol' Pauly Walnuts give Nathan MacKinnon? How much extra scoring did he provide when Matt Duchene had an off game? Look at the highlights from last season. He brought out the best in Gabe Landeskog and Nathan MacKinnon. It's depressing how many of Landeskog's goals came as a result of Stastny's great vision. The Avs have lost more than they know in Stastny.

-The Avs miss P.A. Parenteau. Another depth scoring guy who could have provided the Avs with another weapon up front, he was traded for reasons I'm still not clear on. Rumours of a rift between him and the coaching staff were shot down by both parties, and yet he was shipped out in the offseason for, let's be honest here, a sub-par return. It's pretty clear so far, as it has been from day one, who won the Parenteau-Briere trade. I couldn't believe my eyes when this trade was made. It still stinks. We miss you P.A.

-The Avs miss Steve Downie. I know, this is old news, dating back to about this time last year, but Downie is a spark plug, and how many times have the Avs needed a spark this year that they never got? How useful would he have been in the playoffs against Minnesota last year, especially with all the injuries the Avs had up front? How many times did he throw crushing hits, or chip in with timely offense? Was he a loose cannon? At times yes, but for a team as lifeless as the Avs have seemed at times this year, he would not have been a bad thing; an injection of energy into an at times dead team would have been perfect. Another trade on which the return (Max Talbot) has not matched up to what was lost. We miss you, Steve.

-The Avs miss (or at least I do) the days when they were winning trades. Look at the trades that Joe Sakic has made in his tenure as Avs GM. They're far from inspiring. I'm a die-hard Avs fan, and as such I refuse to believe anything but the best of Super Joe, who is to Avs fans what Mario Lemieux and Steve Yzerman are to Penguins and Wings fans respectively, but his record in trades so far is losing, with the exception of the trade that brought Alex Tanguay back to Colorado (Tanguay, to Sakic's credit, has been a bright spot this year). But that Brad Stuart trade? Hell, what they gave up to land Stewart was more than the Sabres gave up to land the younger and more useful Josh Gorges, who many Avs fans would've and still would love to see in Avs uniform. The Avs dropped the ball on this one as far as I can see.

-The Avs miss MacKinnon moving his feet. It was a little unnerving seeing the kid glide or stand still, but he did both far too often leading up to the game against the Islanders. A player like MacKinnon, with an extra gear of speed to make a speed skater jealous, needs needs needs NEEDS to keep his feet moving to be effective. It makes me wonder if he wasn't playing hurt. He's also not carrying the puck the way we know he can. Hopefully the game against the Islanders, in which he scored twice and looked generally good, is a sign of a return to form. MacKinnon was moving his feet and playing the way we know he can that game. Maybe he's turned a corner. I hope so, because his size, speed, and skill give him a package befitting the games truly elite forwards.

-I miss the feeling of optimism that came with watching games last year. When the Avs played last year, especially after the first ten games or so, there was this feeling of invincibility. If they got up a couple goals, the game was over. If they got down a couple goals, they could (and often did) come back. They were the best team in any game they went into. With Duchene and MacKinnon they were faster than anyone. With Bordeleau and McLeod and Landeskog, they were tougher too. With Varlamov in net, they had the best goaltender. They could win any game, defeat any team at any style of play. It was a wonderful feeling for a fan, and I can only imagine how it must have been for the players. This feeling, this pride and certainty, this faith in the team, this I miss most of all. Here's hoping they bring it back soon.    

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