Is Chris Drury Coming Back?

After the Avalanche shutout last night, for the first time ever I was actually a bit pissed.

Here's the problem:

The Avalanche have the potential to be a "trouble" team in the playoffs while at the same time playing completely erratic hockey. Basically, they are moving towards total unpredictability. This is because after three games on the road after which I was certain they were finished for the year (see yesterday's post), they came out and dominated the Flames.

Go figure.

This to me is far more terrifying than the prospect of the Avs limping into the playoffs and losing to the likes of San Jose in a first round series that ends something like 4 games to 1. Now, if the Avs find cohesiveness and land something like a 7 or 6 seed I'm looking at the potential for them making the second round. To me this would be bad, because seriously I don't think they are winning the Cup barring a miracle, meaning they may end up embarrassing everyone.

The worst part about the above scenario is that after the Avs are mercilessly drubbed by say, Anaheim in the second, I would then be expected to explain to all of my fringe Avs fan friends exactly why they didn't win a Cup...how it was a long year...and more than a few guys were hurt...and that no, Chris Drury isn't coming back.

Has anyone ever mentioned that a vast majority of Avs fans are fringe Avs fans, and that a vast majority of those people think it is 2001 all over again every time the Avs make the playoffs? Ahhh, the joys of living in a tourism state...

Let's get something straight, the next person that comes up to me during the playoffs and says something like "Chris Drury would have scored that goal" is getting an earful.

Please you Fringettes, should the Avs make the playoffs do us all a favor and leave your Theo Fleury and Dave Andreychuk jersies, which you bought because you thought they would make you seem cool, in the drawer and shut yer yaps. Playoff time is a reward for us die hards who were paying attention when the Broncos were setting a new standard for crapulence during the Shannahan era. Hockey isn't something you throw on once the NCAA tournament is over. It is something you live. So please, at least do me the favor of say, learning any applicable rules changes that have been made since the last time you watched the Avs...two years ago.

Anyways, now that the Avs have "miraculously" found enough cohesiveness to shut down a steaming Calagary squad, I'm worried that they won't be able to sustain the kind of team game that got them the win last night. It is simply too hard to keep winning streaks going when top players like Forsberg are taking every other game off.

So again I go back to my fear that they will bag a couple of important wins, but I'm hesitant to trumpet their cause because I'm getting that ol' Colorado feelin' that I get just before a sports team gets hot only to get stomped when everything is on the line.

The boys have a tough week ahead...hell all of them will be tough weeks. If the Avs get on a roll they could do some damage, but in the end I'm going to take the cynical path until they prove me wrong. Out of self preservation of course..and no, Chris Drury isn't coming back.

But thanks for asking.